Meeting News - August 11, 2008 - (Page 21)

Hotels/Resorts Harrah’s Deploys Tech To Create Customized Vegas Sales Collateral Las Vegas Meetings by Harrah’s Entertainment last month procured software that lets it create customized sales kits. Now, planners interested in any one or a combination of the company’s resorts—Bally’s Las Vegas, Caesars Palace, Flamingo Las Vegas, Harrah’s Las Vegas, Imperial Palace Las Vegas, Paris Las Vegas, and Rio AllSuite Hotel & Casino—can get a better feel for available space configurations and amenities. “We offer such a range of options, we needed an innovative way to show planners how we can meet their specific needs,” said Michael Massari, vice president of meeting sales and operations. Surprising Flag Change Hits Fort Lauderdale Luxe Property Fort Lauderdale was dealt a blow last month when Starwood stripped the St. Regis Fort Lauderdale Resort of its name. The property quickly recovered, getting snapped up by Ritz-Carlton, another high-end brand. But the property, just about one year old, may suffer a blight on its image from the name change. “We were excited that we were getting the state of Florida’s first St. Regis,” said Nicki Grossman, president of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau, of the sentiment of city officials last year. “It was absolutely a big deal.” But the name change allegedly wasn’t due to any problems at the hotel. “This has nothing to do with the performance of the hotel,” said Starwood spokeswoman K.C. Cavanagh. Rather, the parting of ways is said to be over a contract dispute between Starwood and the hotel’s owner, Castillo Grand. In a letter to the city manager, Starwood said the owner “materially breached its management contract after repeated requests and attempts to reconcile.” As for Ritz-Carlton, it’s bullish on the 192-room property, which features 14,000 sf of meeting space and is emblematic of the city’s attempt to become competitive in the luxury market.“We are very pleased to add this outstanding resort to the family of Ritz-Carlton properties in Florida,” said Simon F. Cooper, president and COO of Ritz-Carlton. Gone to the Birds: In Hershey, Falconry Is Not Just for Kings The Hotel Hershey in Pennsylvania has added a rare sport to its roster of activities for guests: falconry. The craft of hunting wild game with trained birds of prey, such as hawks, falcons, and eagles, falconry— sometimes called the sport of kings—began in Asia over 4,000 years ago. Guests can have a 60-to-90minute falconry experience from Wednesdays through Sundays until Labor Day, and then on weekends through October. The activity costs $85 per adult (it wasn’t clear at press time if negotiated group rates were available), but that includes access to ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park, another Hershey attraction. r The MEETING MASTERS Championship www.meetingnews.com August 11, 2008 MeetingNews 21 http://www.thegolfe.com http://www.thegolfe.com http://www.meetingnews.com

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Meeting News - August 11, 2008

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