Hotel & Motel Management - November 3, 2008 - (Page 6)

Checking In PERSPECTIVE H&MM November 3, 2008 | HotelMotel.com EDITORIAL 600 Superior Ave. East, Suite 1100, Cleveland, OH 44114 Even the experts don’t have the answers IN THE details Investors are stumped Unsettled times are here What’s behind closed doors Next steps are uncertain By Paul J. Heney Editorial Director ast month’s The Lodging Conference, held at the Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix, was an informative event, full of updates from major players in the industry. There was a bevy of panel discussions that covered everything from ﬁnding hot hotel deals to turning around underperforming properties. The opportunity to see so many people from so many facets of the world of lodging all in one place was reason enough to be there. I went into the event expecting to hear gnashing of teeth over the economy, gas prices, federal bailouts, the airlines’ struggles and the other myriad problems that have played across the cable news channels L this fall. The timing of the government bailout and political wrangling over the proposed $700-billion ﬁx (if you can call it a ﬁx) only served to reinforce my expectations. Interestingly, many sessions held during the event’s ﬁrst day turned out to be subdued but not panic-stricken. The second day seemed a little more somber, but once again, there was no mass hysteria by any means. However, I sure didn’t come out of the conference with positive feelings, mostly due to what was said behind closed doors. This magazine has been a partner and sponsor of the Lodging Industry Investment Council for several years now. As such, our editors are invited to sit in on and participate in this fascinating roundtable event. Put together by Mike Cahill, president and founder of HREC–Hospitality Real Estate Counselors, and Jim Butler, partner at Jeffer Mangels Butler & Marmaro, LIIC is an invitation-only group of hotel owners, investors, brokers and bankers who get together to talk shop three times per year—at The Lodging Conference, the Americas Lodging Investment Summit and the New York University Investment Conference. H&MM | PAUL J. HENEY Paul J. Heney, EDITORIAL DIRECTOR . . . . . . pheney@questex.com Ph: (216) 706-3728 | Fax: (216) 706-3711 Stephanie Ricca, EDITOR IN CHIEF. . . . . . . . . . sricca@questex.com Ph: (216) 706-3791 | Fax: (216) 706-3711 Victoria Burt, MANAGING EDITOR . . . . . . . . . . . vburt@questex.com Ph: (216) 706-3743 | Fax: (216) 706-3711 Jason Q. Freed, SENIOR EDITOR . . . . . . . . . . . jfreed@questex.com Ph: (216) 706-3727 | Fax: (216) 706-3711 Jennifer Kovacs, SENIOR EDITOR. . . . . . . . . . jkovacs@questex.com Ph: (216) 706-3782 | Fax: (216) 706-3711 Heather Gunter, ASSOCIATE EDITOR . . . . . . . hgunter@questex.com Ph: (216) 706-3792 | Fax: (216) 706-3711 Emily Hanna, ASSOCIATE EDITOR . . . . . . . . . ehanna@questex.com Ph: (216) 706-3784 | Fax: (216) 706-3711 Chris Crowell, ASSOCIATE EDITOR . . . . . . . .ccrowell@questex.com Ph: (216) 706-3783 | Fax: (216) 706-3711 Patricia Sheehan, EDITOR IN CHIEF, Hotel Design Ph: (216) 706-3753. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .psheehan@questex.com Amy B. Witek, ART DIRECTOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . awitek@questex.com Rob Ghosh, ART DIRECTOR. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .rghosh@questex.com ADVERTISING/SALES/CIRCULATION Mike Cahill [right] and other members of the Lodging Industry Investment Council listen to a conversation about how economic conditions are affecting hoteliers at the panel’s recent meeting at the Arizona Biltmore. The roundtable is held in conjunction with The Lodging Conference. It was enlightening—and more than a little scary—to see how person after person said they hadn’t purchased any hotels in the past couple of years. Many described what’s happening in our country as a perfect storm in the economy. The main agreement in the room was 2009 is not going to be a fun year in our industry or any other. What was most concerning to me was none of them even pretended to know what is going to happen next. When the experts—the people with their ﬁngers truly on the pulse of the industry—are stumped, you know we’re in strange and unsettled times. pheney@questex.com 600 Superior Ave. East, Suite 1100, Cleveland, OH 44114 Matt Waddell, PUBLISHER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . mwaddell@questex.com 2835 N. Shefﬁeld Ave, Suite 236, Chicago, IL 60657 Ph: (773) 880-2240 | Fax: (773) 880-2241 Mary Malloy, NORTHEAST, INT’L. . . . . . . . . .mmalloy@questex.com Ph: (216) 706-3790 | Fax: (216) 706-3711 Brian Levine, SOUTHEAST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . blevine@questex.com 757 Third Ave., 5th Floor, New York, NY 10017 Ph: (212) 895-8285 | Fax: (212) 895-8215 Jason Wallace, WEST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . jwallace@questex.com 1461 S. 375 E., Kaysville, UT 84037 Ph: (801) 499-9999 | Fax: (801) 315-4137 Doug Kereszturi, CLASSIFIEDS, RECRUITMENT, DIRECTORY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . dkereszturi@questex.com Ph: (216) 706-3794 | Fax: (216) 706-3711 Heidi Spangler, DIR., AUDIENCE DEV. . . . . . . . hspangler@questex.com Ph: (216) 706-3705 | Fax: (216) 706-3714 BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Stacy Silver, BUSINESS DEV. DIRECTOR. . . . . ssilver@questex.com Ph: (954) 306-0747 | Fax: (954) 697-6265 J. Richard Casson, ASSOCIATE BUSINESS DEV. DIRECTOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . rcasson@questex.com Ph: (212) 895-8426 | Fax: (212) 895-8210 PRODUCTION 306 W. Michigan St., Suite 200, Duluth, MN 55802 Jamie Kleist, ASST. PRODUCTION DIR. . . . . . . jkleist@questex.com Ph: (218) 279-8855 | Fax: (218) 279-8812 Janelle Heller, SR. PRODUCTION MANAGER . . jheller@questex.com Ph: (218) 279-8834 | Fax: (218) 279-8815 MARKETING/MAGAZINE SERVICES MARKETING/MAGAZINE SERVICES Ilene Schwartz, Kroll Direct, LISTS . . . . . . . . .ilene@krolldirect.com Ph: (216) 371-1667 | Fax: (216) 371-1669 PERMISSIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . .questexpermissions@reprintbuyer.com Ph: (800) 494-9051 Ext. 100 REPRINTS . . . . . . . . . . .HotelandMotelManagement@reprintbuyer.com Ph: (800) 290-5460 Ext. 100 SUBSCRIPTIONS, CUSTOMER SERVICE. .hspangler@questex.com Ph: (847) 763-9594 | Fax: (847) 763-9694 BACK ISSUES, SINGLE CURRENT COPIES Ph: (847) 763-9594 | Fax: (847) 763-9694 Forgot to pack your favorite issue of Hotel & Motel Management? Visit www.HotelMotel.com and go to www.HotelMotel.com/ digitalarchive to download, browse through and search the text of each issue, click on links in the articles and advertisements and quickly navigate to any page. How to contact the H&MM editorial staff 600 Superior Ave. East, Suite 1100; Cleveland, OH 44114 Tel: (216) 706-3700 | Fax: (216) 706-3711 | www.HotelMotel.com PRESIDENT & CEO—Kerry C. Gumas EXECUTIVE V.P. & CFO—Tom Caridi EXECUTIVE V.P.—Tony D’Avino EXECUTIVE V.P.—Robert S. Ingraham EXECUTIVE V.P.—Jon Leibowitz EXECUTIVE V.P., CORP. DEV.—Claudia Flowers V.P., DIGITAL MEDIA—Seth Nichols V.P., HUMAN RESOURCES—Diane M. Evans Paul J. Heney Editorial Director pheney@questex.com Stephanie Ricca Editor In Chief sricca@questex.com Victoria Burt Managing Editor vburt@questex.com Jason Q. Freed Senior Editor jfreed@questex.com (216) 706-3728 (216) 706-3791 (216) 706-3743 (216) 706-3727 Jennifer Kovacs Senior Editor jkovacs@questex.com Heather Gunter Associate Editor hgunter@questex.com Emily Hanna Associate Editor ehanna@questex.com Chris Crowell Associate Editor ccrowell@questex.com (216) 706-3782 (216) 706-3792 (216) 706-3784 (216) 706-3783 .EDITORIAL MISSION STATEMENT. . HOTEL & MOTEL MANAGEMENT supplies the credible news analysis and operating resources the lodging industry needs to prosper amid constant change. Comprehensive reporting and research offer top-of-mind and quick-hitting insights while introducing the people driving the future of the hotel community. Strategies about marketing, ﬁnance, technology, design and product purchasing go beyond the bricks and mortar to bring readers closer to the fundamentals of operating in the lodging business. Copyright 2008 Questex Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopy, recording or information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Authorization to photocopy items for internal or personal use, or the internal or personal use of speciﬁc clients, is granted by Questex Media Group, Inc. for libraries and other users registered with the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Dr., Danvers, MA 01923; phone: (978) 750-8400; fax (978) 7504470; call for copying beyond that permitted by Sections 107 or 108 of the U.S. Copyright Law. For those not registered with the CCC, send permission request to questexpermissions@reprintbuyer.com; phone: (800) 494-9051 Ext. 100. Hotel & Motel Management does not verify any claims or other information appearing in any of the advertisements contained in the publication, and cannot take any responsibility for any losses or other damages incurred by readers in reliance on such content. Hotel & Motel Management welcomes unsolicited articles, manuscripts, photographs, illustrations and other materials but cannot be held responsible for their safekeeping or return. Questex Media Group, Inc. provides certain customer contact data (such as customers’ names, addresses, phone numbers and e-mail addresses) to third parties who wish to promote relevant products, services and other opportunities which may be of interest to you. If you do not want Questex Media Group to make your contact information available to third parties for marketing purposes, simply call toll-free (866) 344-1315 between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. CT and a customer service representative will assist you in removing your name from Questex Media Group’s lists. Outside the U.S., please phone (847) 763-9594. Printed in USA http://www.HotelMotel.com http://www.HotelMotel.com http://www.HotelMotel.com/digitalarchive http://www.HotelMotel.com/digitalarchive http://www.HotelMotel.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Hotel & Motel Management - November 3, 2008

Hotel & Motel Management - November 3, 2008 Contents The Rate Debate Accor Defines Motel 6 Prototype Rollout Holiday Inn Eyes Upscale, Timeshare Perspective Economy Sets Tone at The Lodging Conference Mellow Vibe Meets Bold Design at HD Boutique Expo IH/M&RS to Focus on Going Green Legally Speaking Sales Clinic On Finance Travel Trends Cornell Insights Franchise Law HotelWorld Update Trends & Stats Energy Star Update Energy Star Update An Industry Connected People on The Move Annual GM Survey Point-of-Sale Systems IH/M&RS Product Preview Outdoor Lighting Refrigeration Marketplace Ad/Editorial Index Classifieds Checking Out

Hotel & Motel Management - November 3, 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.