Hotel & Motel Management - July 21, 2008 - (Page 4)

4 News H&MM July 21, 2008 | HotelMotel.com www.HotelMotel.com/digital_edition Larkspur branches out with new brand By Heather Gunter ASSOCIATE EDITOR Stephen P. Joyce assumed the c.e.o. role at Choice Hotels International on June 26, four months before he was originally slated to take over for Charles A. Ledsinger Jr. Ledsinger will remain with the company as nonexecutive vice chairman of Choice’s board of directors. Red Lion Hotels Corp. is working with its investment banking ﬁrm JMP Securities to assist in evaluating strategic options for maximizing shareholder value after Columbia Paciﬁc Opportunity Fund LP made an unsolicited request to purchase Red Lion. According to Securities and Exchange Comission ﬁlings, Columbia Paciﬁc offered $9.50 per share in cash at a time when the hotel chain was trading at $7.05. Occupancy rates in downtown Chicago dropped for the ﬁrst time since 2004, from 67.4 percent during the ﬁrst ﬁve months of 2008 to 65.2 percent in the same period last year. The decline follows a nationwide trend—hotel occupancy rates nationwide dropped from 68 percent during the ﬁrst ﬁve months of 2007 to 66.7 percent in the same period of 2008, according to Smith Travel Research. The Lodge at Tiburon (Calif.) recently completed a $6-million renovation. The 102-room California Craftsman style lodge is a Larkspur Hotel. See Larkspur Hotels | page 40 Starwood’s c.e.o. maps out journey By Heather Gunter ASSOCIATE EDITOR NEW YORK–“It would be wonderful to have a brilliant c.e.o., but it’s much more important to have a smart organization,” said Frits van Paasschen, president and c.e.o. of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide. Van Paasschen, who joined the hospitality industry last September, shared thoughts on his new role during a general session at the 30th NYU International Hospitality Industry Investment Conference. He was interviewed by Jonathan Tisch, chair of the con- See Starwood c.e.o. | page 40 A handful of companies made personnel moves recently: Sunstone Hotel Investors named a new president, Arthur L. Buser; Pegasus Solutions named Ric Leutwyler president of representation services after his departure from a senior v.p. role at Best Western; and JAL Hotels named Katsumi Chiyo president and c.e.o. For updated breaking news, visit www.HotelMotel.com. New brand leaders share hits, misses Abrahamson Anhut Edmundson Sacco By Stephanie Ricca EDITOR IN CHIEF Jim Abrahamson, head of development, the Americas, Hyatt Hotels Corp. Hyatt Place, opened in 2007 116 properties, 14,190 rooms Hyatt Summerﬁeld Suites, opened in 2007 28 properties, 3,801 rooms Jim Anhut, senior v.p., franchise development, the Americas, IHG Hotel Indigo, opened in 2004 14 properties, 1,888 rooms William Edmundson, president, Cambria Suites Cambria Suites, opened in 2007 7 properties, 762 rooms Paul Sacco, senior v.p., development, select-service hotels Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide aloft, opened in 2008 2 properties, 272 guestrooms Element, opening planned in 2008 NEW YORK–Brand leaders from Global Hyatt Corp., InterContinental Hotels Group, Choice Hotels International and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide gathered recently in New York to share some lessons learned during the new brand launch process. Of the brands primarily discussed—Hyatt Place, Hotel Indigo, Cambria Suites, aloft and Element [see information box at left]—some have openings in the double digits while others have only a handful open. Regardless of size, these brands See New brand launches | page 35 H&MM | HEATHER GUNTER ference and chairman and c.e.o. of Loews Hotels. Van Paasschen talked about the transition from his position as president and c.e.o. of Coors Brewing Co. and his past experience at Nike and Disney Consumer Products. Branding execution is everything, he said, adding it’s about repeated great guest experiences. Van Paasschen has immersed himself in the industry, visiting 132 hotels in 20 countries since his arrival. Now he is taking employees on the Starwood Journey, which is Frits van Paasschen, who joined the industry last September as president and c.e.o. of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, spoke at NYU. LARKSPUR HOTELS LARKSPUR, CALIF.–Larkspur Hotels & Restaurants is further segmenting its portfolio with Larkspur Hotels, a three-star brand. The Larkspur Hotels brand joins Larkspur Collection, the company’s four-star independent hotels, and Larkspur Landing, its extended-stay Hoagland brand. “Our company LARKSPUR is in a real transition point,” said Karl Hoagland, chairman and c.e.o., who co-founded http://HotelMotel.com http://www.HotelMotel.com/digital_edition http://www.HotelMotel.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Hotel & Motel Management - July 21, 2008

Contents Larkspur Hotels Branch Out with New Brand Starwood’s C.E.O. Maps Out Journey New Brand Leaders Share Hits, Misses Perspective Letters to the Editor Legal FAQ Training Trends Sales Clinic HotelWorld Update Trends & Stats Special Report: 2008 Construction Companies Survey Guest Column Events Technology: Telephones Hotel Operations: Building Exterior Design: Televisions Transactions Awards Hot Products: Mattresses Supplier News Ad/Edit Index Marketplace Classifieds Checking Out Hotel & Motel Management - July 21, 2008

Hotel & Motel Management - July 21, 2008

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