Hotel & Motel Management - September 15, 2008 - (Page 4)

4 News H&MM September 15, 2008 | HotelMotel.com www.HotelMotel.com/digital_edition Microtel, Hawthorn settle in at Wyndham By Stephanie Ricca EDITOR IN CHIEF HAWTHORN Two top hotel groups announced leadership changes: Steven A. Rudnitsky, president and CEO of the Wyndham Hotel Group, is leaving the company to pursue other interests. A search for his replacement is underway. Also, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide announced that Matthew E. Avril has been named president of Starwood’s Hotel Group. He succeeds Matt Ouimet, who is leaving the company. Despite the down economy, results from two popular hotel surveys show people still plan to travel. In a worldwide TripAdvisor survey, 92 percent of respondents said they are planning to stay at a hotel or bed-and-breakfast in the next year and 19 percent will stay more than 10 times in the coming year. A recent Expedia survey revealed that 59 percent of U.S. adults said they plan to take a trip at least 100 miles from their homes in the next six months. The number of deals and total transaction volume through Q2 2008 in the upscale and luxury segments is one-fourth the amount during the same period last year, according to Hospitium’s Lodging Ledger. Transactions totalled roughly $3 billion during the ﬁrst half of 2008. Hotel rates for corporate travelers leveled off in North America for the ﬁrst half of 2008, according to six-month surveys released by Hogg Robinson Group. The surveys said North America has been the ﬁrst region to see rates begin to level off. For updated breaking news, visit www.HotelMotel.com. The Hawthorn Hotel Deira in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, adds 133 guestrooms and 21 suites to the Wyndham portfolio. International Hawthorn properties are located in Australia, Canada and the Middle East. PARSIPPANY, N.J.–It’s been a little more than three months since Wyndham Worldwide announced it would acquire the Microtel Inns & Suites and Hawthorn Suites brands from Global Hyatt Corp., and already the brands feel like part of the family, leadFlora ers said. In August, Wynd- WYNDHAM ham Hotel Group ﬁnalized its plans for who would lead the brands. Roy Flora, longtime executive VP and CEO of US Franchise Systems, parent company of Microtel and Hawthorn, was named president of both brands and will remain based in Atlanta. The transition has had its challenges, Flora said, but he is conﬁdent the essence of the Microtel and Hawthorn brands are intact and stronger. He attributed a smooth transition to the open door of communication he always has maintained with his team. “In any acquisition process, there’s always apprehension from employees, from prospective franchisees, even from suppliers,” Flora said. “I told our employees [when Global Hyatt decided to explore buyers for the brands] that there would be a number of suitors. Some would be ﬁnancial, some strategic. All I See Wyndham | page 84 Is it black or red for green hotels? By Paul J. Heney EDITORIAL DIRECTOR DESIGN FOCUS MEMPHIS–Attendees at the sixth annual Memphis Hotel & Lodging Industry Summit felt green from the start, as the meeting featured recycled cup insulators, notepads, tissues, pens and handouts; chocolates made from sustainable organic processes; and even lunchtime tablecloths crafted from recycled water bottles. The trend continued with a major panel discussion on how to make environmentally friendly hotels pay financial dividends. Moderator Peggy Berg, president of The Highland Group, noted the way people use resources changes over time, from the cars driven to recycling in homes to selecting locally grown or organic foods. She said the green movement is popular for many reasons, both large and small. See Memphis | page 84 The CityCenter from MGM Mirage adds a new dimension to the Las Vegas Strip with its sustainability plans and modern design aesthetic. New City on the Strip A sophisticated, urban sensibility sets the tone for MGM Mirage’s CityCenter By Gina LaVecchia Ragone CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Douglas Gamble, owner of The Q Hotel + Spa, tells attendees at the Memphis Hotel & Lodging Industry Summit to write down a green plan and analyze its pros and cons. H&MM | PAUL J. HENEY LAS VEGAS–When MGM Mirage opens its $8.8-billion mixed-use CityCenter development in Las Vegas next November, it will be unlike anything else the iconic desert metropolis ever has seen, both in its scale and its design aesthetic. In a city defined by over-the-top, thematic construction, CityCenter’s 10 high-rises on 76 acres—which includes four hotel properties—is modern, urban and refined in contrast to its flamboyant neighbors on the Vegas strip. MGM Mirage and project partner Dubai World launched CityCenter in 2004 with a master plan developed online by Ehrenkrantz, Eckstut and Kuhn Architects and Gensler of Nevada. The hotels of this “city within a city” include the 4,000-room ARIA Resort & Casino, the 400-room Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas, the 1,500-room Vdara Condo Hotel and a 400-room The Harmon Hotel, Spa & Residences. In describing the properties and their relation to one another and the overall development, Sven Van Assche, VP of design for MGM Mirage, said, “They are at once quite varied and individualistic, but also collectively a family that is very homogenous within the CityCenter See Vegas developments | page 92 MGM MIRAGE 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 - September 15, 2008

Hotel & Motel Management - September 15, 2008 Contents Microtel, Hawthorn Settle in at Wyndham Is it Black or Red for Green Hotels? New City on the Strip When in Doubt, Purchase some Seashells Legal FAQ Consultant's Corner Sales Clinic On Finance Travel Trends Franchise Law Guest Column Events Cornell Insights HotelWorld Update Trends & Stats Top Hotel Companies Survey Awards Lending Requires Knowledge, Preparation Casegoods Minibars Historian to Keynote Leadership Forum at IH/M&RS Fitness Equipment The Lodging Conference Preview Accent Lighting Awards Vacuums Supplier News Transactions People Ad/Editorial Index Marketplace Classifieds Checking Out

Hotel & Motel Management - September 15, 2008

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