Hotel & Motel Management - March 17, 2008 - (Page 1) NEWS RED LION LEADER OPTIMISTIC ON GROWTH Page 4 SPECIAL REPORT TOP MANAGEMENT COMPANIES Page 24 MAINTENANCE DOCTOR GO GREEN WITHOUT HURTING YOUR BOTTOM LINE Page 18 www.HotelMotel.com News Analysis, Trends and People Since 1875 A HotelWorld Network Publication | Vol. 223, No. 5 | March 17, 2008 AH&LA creates eco-initiative Group plans industrywide green certification By Jason Q. Freed ASSOCIATE EDITOR Operations key in green effort Engineers: Work safety into sustainability By Samuel Barrett CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Washington–Joe McInerney left his position as president and c.e.o. of the Pacific Asia Travel Assn. and returned to the U.S. to serve as the president and c.e.o. of the American Ho- McInerney tel & Lodging Assn. The AH&LA first thing he asked his new colleagues was their plans for a sustainable tourism industry. He wanted to know what plans were in place for conserving water and energy and for managing waste. “People looked at me like I had three heads,” McInerSee AH&LA | page 74 National Report–In the rush to go green, hotels may not plan properly for the new way of doing business—which may cause more issues than what can be anticipated. “We want people to understand that these are not simplis- tic solutions,” said Fay Feeney, editor of the white papers for the American Society of Safety Engineers titled “Safety Implications of Greening: Hospitality Executive Leadership Opportunities.” “If there could be a tagline it would be, ‘It’s not just See Engineers | page 74 INFO CONCIERGE 1. Complimentary high-speed Internet access 52% Top 3 must-have midlevel property amenities for business travelers: Inland grows in urban markets with RLJ deal By Emily Hanna ASSOCIATE EDITOR Inland American acquired a 4,061-room portfolio that includes the Atlanta Marriott Century Center. 2. Internet access (regardless of fees) 16% 3. Quality of bedding/ towels 13% Source: Best Western International and National Business Travel Assn. study, January 2008 Oak Brook, Ill.–After about six months of discussions, The Inland Real Estate Group of Cos. and RLJ Development LLC closed on the acquisition of a 22-hotel portfolio in February. Inland American Lodging Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of Inland America Real Estate Trust, acquired the 4,061-room portfolio from The RLJ Urban Lodging Fund for about $900 million. The purchased assets are upperupscale and upscale fulland limited-service hotels primarily located in major urban markets, including Baltimore Boston, Baltimore, Chica- RLJ go and Washington. According to a press release, Inland was attracted to the portfolio because the hotels were located in major urban markets believed to have strong barriers to entry and that are less susceptible to economic shifts. See Inland | page 72 Wyndham, owners benefit from portfolio By Stephanie Ricca MANAGING EDITOR Parsippany, N.J.–The deal Interstate Hotels & Resorts and FFC Capital Corp. brokered in February to acquire Excel Inns of America’s 22-property portfolio represented a continuation of the investors’ goals—and a unique positioning opportunity for Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. The final sale price was not disclosed, but the portfolio included 2,397 rooms at properties ranging from 89 guestSee Interstate | page 72 RLJ DEVELOPMENT http://www.HotelMotel.com
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