Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - (Page 4) 4 News H&MM September 1, 2008 | HotelMotel.com www.HotelMotel.com/digital_edition Element LEEDs brand-wide movement Northcott Hospitality International, the privately held parent company of AmericInn Lodging System, which owns and franchises 216 hotel properties across the United States, has retained an investment banking firm to evaluate the company and market it to potential buyers. SEE RELATED STORY: For more about the recent openings of both aloft [shown below] and Element hotels in Lexington, Mass., see page 24. Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels reported that $13.9 billion worth of hotels traded globally in the first half of 2008, representing a decline of 76 percent from the record levels seen in this same period of 2007. Despite the down economy, two brands announced aggressive growth strategies: NYLO Hotels seeks to have 50 franchised, branded hotels open or out of the ground by early 2011 and has enlisted Charles Armstrong to lead franchise development. Also, Embassy Suites Hotels is experiencing its strongest development pipeline in the brand’s history. Sixty-two franchised hotels are scheduled to open in the next three years. A recent HVS Global Hospitality Report shows a clear connection between supply and demand for office space and hotel rooms. The HVS Employment-Hotel Growth Index demonstrates how one new job can translate into 14 more rooms filled at area hotels. A recent PKF Hospitality Research report finds that, after a strong 2007, the Caribbean hotel industry faces challenges ahead due to increased competition and the slow U.S. economy. For updated breaking news, visit www.HotelMotel.com. H&MM | HEATHER GUNTER By Heather Gunter ASSOCIATE EDITOR LEXINGTON, MASS.–There’s a lot of talk about eco-friendly hotels and how to know whether a property is green or just greenwashed. The Element brand is defining green for its guests with the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification. Thirteen hotels in the U.S. have been LEED-certified, with many more in the process. Element hotels will be raising that number— by four this year—as the first to require brand-wide certification. The new extended-stay brand from Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide opened its first property in July in Lexington, Mass., near Boston. Starwood liked the LEED criteria, said Brian McGuinness, VP for the Element and aloft brands. “We felt we could achieve that and get our owners and developers on board by at least making the building green,” he said. The cost premium for the green measures is 1.2 percent to 1.3 percent for the average build, McGuinness said. The payback from an operations standpoint comes in four to five years. The move to LEED certification re- McGuinness STARWOOD quired a bit of retrofitting because some projects were in the pipeline, said Denise Coll, president of North America for Starwood. The company worked with developers to support the transition. “Developers are really knowledgeable of LEED because so many of their projects require them to incorporate it or aspects of it,” she said. The brand always was focused on being sustainable, but the decision to move to certification was the defining moment, Coll said. “We’re Coll very excited to STARWOOD have the first brand to be fully LEED certified, but we also believe that ultimately it will be a requirement. From our perspective, we believe we’re simply ahead of the curve,” she said. “In the long term, we’re looking across all our brands to see what sustainability looks like and how we ensure all our properties are socially responsible.” Marc Heisterkamp, who manages USGBC’s work with commercial real estate, said the hospitality market is one of the fastest-growing segments. “The growth of interest in LEED is led by the need to have a credible, independently verified performance measurement for the environmental footprint of hotel properties,” Heisterkamp said. “The hotels also use LEED as a framework for how to best minimize environmental impact as they design, construct or operate the facility.” He expects to see more commitments like Element’s. Robin Korman, VP of marketing for aloft and Element, said See Element | page 24 NABHOOD speakers: Hold rates By Paul J. Heney EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Andy Ingraham, president and CEO of NABHOOD, led the association in its annual multicultural tourism summit and trade show. ATLANTA–Attendees at the 12th Annual International AfricanAmerican Hotel Ownership & Multicultural Tourism Summit & Trade Show were encouraged to fight through the sluggish economy and keep looking for deals that make sense. Hosted by the National Assn. of Black Hotel Owners, Operators and Developers, the conference attracted about 350 people. Jan Freitag, VP of global de- velopment for Smith Travel Research, reminded attendees that the industry has made it through tough times before. He explained that between 1996 and 2001, the U.S. hotel industry saw 46 consecutive months of occupancy declines while rates increased above the level of inflation. “We can do it,” Freitag said, “Occupancies will decline, yes, big deal. What happens to rates is the question you have to hold rates; you have done it before.” Thomas J. Baltimore Jr., pres- ident of RLJ Development LLC, presented his thoughts on the economy and the hotel industry in general. He noted that Continental Airlines made profits of about $4.50 per share last year and is now expected to lose about $4.50 per share for 2008. “Dramatic swings like that are going to impact us,” he said. He also noted that there are opportunities, even in a depressed market. “Brand matters, and it matters even particularly more in today’s See NABHOOD | page 23 H&MM | PAUL J. HENEY ALOFT Element hotels feature a 16-foot window wall in the lobby, reflecting the brand’s green design. A nocompromise philosophy also means guestrooms include Westin’s Heavenly bed and bathrooms with oversized showers and water-efficient rain showerheads. http://HotelMotel.com http://www.HotelMotel.com/digital_edition http://HotelMotel.com
Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 Contents Element LEEDs Brand-wide Promise NABHOOD Speakers: Hold Rates Perspective Letters to the Editor Legally Speaking Satisfaction Trends AAHOA Update Energy Star Update Marketing Matters Events HotelWorld Update Trends & Stats Coffee Services Business Equipment Ad/Editorial Index Marketplace Classifieds Checking Out Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 (Page 1) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 (Page 2) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - Contents (Page 3) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - NABHOOD Speakers: Hold Rates (Page 4) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - NABHOOD Speakers: Hold Rates (Page 5) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - Letters to the Editor (Page 6) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - Letters to the Editor (Page 7) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - Satisfaction Trends (Page 8) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - Satisfaction Trends (Page 9) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - AAHOA Update (Page 10) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - AAHOA Update (Page 11) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - Energy Star Update (Page 12) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - Energy Star Update (Page 13) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - Marketing Matters (Page 14) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - Marketing Matters (Page 15) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - Events (Page 16) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - HotelWorld Update (Page 17) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - Trends & Stats (Page 18) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - Trends & Stats (Page 19) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - Trends & Stats (Page 20) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - Trends & Stats (Page 21) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - Coffee Services (Page 22) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - Coffee Services (Page 23) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - Coffee Services (Page 24) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - Coffee Services (Page 25) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - Business Equipment (Page 26) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - Business Equipment (Page 27) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - Business Equipment (Page 28) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - Business Equipment (Page 29) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - Ad/Editorial Index (Page 30) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - Ad/Editorial Index (Page 31) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - Marketplace (Page 32) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - Classifieds (Page 33) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - Classifieds (Page 34) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - Classifieds (Page 35) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - Classifieds (Page 36) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - Classifieds (Page 37) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - Checking Out (Page 38) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - Checking Out (Page 39) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - Checking Out (Page 40)
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