Sunday, November 18, 2007

Bavaria Hotels to add 5,400 beds to Dubai's Hotel Apartments Inventory

Bavaria Hotels International will be adding an inventory of 5,400 beds in 2,100 luxury suites to the rapidly expanding hotel apartments market in Dubai when the Bavaria Executive Suites Dubai opens on Sheikh Zayed Road at Dubai Media City in 2008.

Attending the World Travel Market 2007 in London this week, Ms Claudia Siebecker, Corporate Director of Sales & Marketing, said, "Judging by the number of enquiries we are receiving for 2008 from both the UK and European markets, arrivals will certainly reach if not exceed the 1.4 million visitors from the UK and Ireland forecast by the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) by 2010. Whilst we are not issuing contracts and allotments at this stage in our preopening, the reception for Bavaria Executive Suites Dubai has been excellent and we look forward to being an integral part of the tourism development in the UAE in the coming years."

Ms Siebecker has been meeting with many of the 200 tour operators featuring Dubai in the UK, and with potential new operators interested in large scale properties for the growing group and incentive market. She said, "Bavaria Executive Suites Dubai is targeting not only Dubai’s existing travel industry partners, but also looking at ways of developing new relationships that will benefit the city as a whole. Many of these new relationships will be operators looking for large scale properties to accommodate groups, meetings and incentives that the city has previously been unable to welcome due to high demand for existing accommodations and function rooms. We are all working together to promote the destination, which makes this a very exciting time to be opening hotels!"

Saturday, November 17, 2007

City hopes to revive hotel

The storied Baker Hotel that symbolized Mineral Wells' booming past as a resort hasn't booked a guest in more than three decades.

Through the years, various developers have unsuccessfully attempted to redevelop the 13-story structure, which looms over Mineral Wells' downtown.

But this time, the city of Mineral Wells is taking the lead.

With the creation of a tax increment finance district and a 14-month agreement with the Baker's owner, city officials will market the building to potential customers, they said Thursday.

"We're taking an aggressive posture to get out in front of the development community," said City Manager Lance Howerton. "We're hoping to identify a developer and be proactive rather than reactive."

Last year, Dallas developer Bill Pratt Jr. attempted to revitalize the Baker with a mixed-use development that would have included a hotel, condominiums and retail space but he eventually pulled out.

City officials said he could re-enter the picture with the city's latest incentives.

The Baker, which was built during the height of the mineral-bath craze of the 1920s, entertained revelers during Prohibition and soldiers during World War II.

In a 1993 Star-Telegram article, former assistant manager Roy D. Walker said: "Back in those days, the Baker would probably rival anything in Las Vegas today. Big-name stars like Lawrence Welk, Sophie Tucker, the Dorsey brothers. You couldn't find a parking place for blocks."

Former employees recalled all-night poker games with plenty of liquor flowing.

"It was cheap rotgut whiskey," Clifford Linsey, a former night bellhop, said in the 1993 article. "All I had to do was reach under the stoop of a building and there would be a pint. I would leave $2 and then sell it for $10. It was quite a markup, but I was the only game in town."

But in recent years the Baker has been known more for ghost hunters sneaking into the hotel than for bringing tourists to the city 45 miles west of Fort Worth.

Mayor Clarence Holliman said bringing back the Baker would help revive Mineral Wells' downtown. He said it's a top priority for residents.

"I've always heard, 'When are you going to do something about the Baker?'" Holliman said. "Now we have the chance to put something together. We have the cooperation of the owner. We just need to sit down and put a packet together that is attractive to investors."

City officials will be conducting feasibility and architectural studies over the next 60 days.

"It's a beautiful, historic building," said Steve Butcher, director of economic development. "We don't want to see it rot away."

Redeveloping the Baker

Asking price: $2.2 million.

Redevelopment costs: Expected to be between $30 million and $50 million.

Opened: In 1929 by T.B. Baker at the height of the mineral-water craze.

Amenities: Mineral baths, a golf course, three dance floors, including one in a rooftop nightclub with doors that would swing open on summer nights.

Closed: 1963. The Baker reopened two years later and ceased operations for good in 1972.

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Starwood to manage New Sheraton Hotel in Mysuru City, Karnataka, India

Starwood has signed an agreement with Brigade Enterprises to manage a 220-room new-build Sheraton hotel in the central city area of Mysuru City, Karnataka, India. The Sheraton Mysuru Hotel is targeted to open in 2011.

Sheraton Mysuru Hotel will be part of a 4-acre development that will include top end retail and office space, in addition to the hotel. The hotel's facilities will include 220 rooms, over 21,000 square feet of meeting space, 4 restaurants and bar, a health club and spa and a business center. Mysuru, also known as the "Garden City" or "City of Palaces", is the second largest city in the state of Karnataka, and is amongst the fastest growing cities in India. The Sheraton Mysuru Hotel marks another major step in the Sheraton brand's growth in India. Other new Sheraton hotels announced recently include Sheratons in Bangalore and New Delhi.

"We are delighted to strengthen our presence in India with the signing of Sheraton Mysuru Hotel! Mysuru city is envisioned to be the extension of Bangalore as another commercial hub, with significant investments in information technology, infrastructure and housing projects pouring into the city in the last few years. We are indeed excited to be the first international hotel chain to enter Mysuru city and look forward to welcoming travelers to this commercial destination of the future," said Miguel Ko, President, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Asia Pacific.

Mr. M. R. Jaishankar, Chairman & Managing Director of the Brigade Group added, "Sheraton Mysuru Hotel will be a great convention destination. Being a part of the proposed 4 acre mixed use project comprising a top end retail and office space, we are confident that the hotel will create a niche for itself in the premier segment. With the implementation of a number of government proposals aimed at considerably reducing the travel time in future between Bangalore and Mysuru, we expect a fairly decent patronage for this hotel from Bangalore as well."

Saturday, November 10, 2007

Fairfield Inn replacing DeGroen's brewery

A Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott will open in a former brewery in Jonestown near Little Italy, one of a raft of new hotels either under way or planned for downtown Baltimore.

The developers expect to start demolition next month to clear the way for the 154-room hotel, which will front on President Street. It is the former site of Baltimore Brewing Co., which brewed DeGroen's German-style beer in its restaurant there for 15 years before closing in 2005.

The hotel will be developed and owned by Raleigh, N.C.-based Summit Associates LLC, a hotel developer; Baltimore-based A&R Development, which will oversee construction; and Bethesda-based Hospitality Partners Hotel Management, which will operate the hotel.

A record 1,192 hotel rooms are under construction in the center city, including the 757-room convention Hilton, according to the Downtown Partnership of Baltimore. Another 1,891 rooms are planned at 15 hotel projects, including Fairfield Inn.

Gene Singleton, president of Summit Associates, termed the President Street location ideal, given its proximity to Little Italy, museums, the Inner Harbor and the city's business district.

He anticipates that the Fairfield brand will appeal to families and older visitors on weekends and business travelers during the week.

"It was an exceptional location for a hotel," Singleton said.

The development team has a contract to purchase the former brewery and the adjacent Brewer's Park from Baltimore Brewing Co. owner Theo DeGroen, Singleton said.

He did not disclose the purchase price but said development costs, including the site, will be an estimated $23 million.

The developers have agreed to restore the facades of three rowhouses, one on Lombard Street and two on Albemarle Street, that had been part of the brewery. They will be used for specialty suites and a fitness center.

Thursday, November 8, 2007

Nigel Taylor joins Empire Hotel and Country Club as new Golf Course Superintendent

The Empire Hotel and Country Club has appointed Nigel Taylor as its new golf course superintendent.

Mr. Taylor's past exploits include working at the Pinehurst Resort and Country Club in North Carolina, USA, the Congressional Country Club in Maryland, USA, Westmoreland Resort and Country Club in Barbados and Royal Blackheath Golf Club, England. This globetrotting golf enthusiast continued sharing his knowledge and expertise in Australia, where he worked as Golf Course Superintendent at Peregian Springs. After which he was appointed as the Golf Course Manager at the Sriracha Golf Club in Thailand.

While in Brunei, asides from supervising the Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course at The Empire Hotel & Country Club, Mr. Taylor will also be supervising the Royal Brunei Golf & Country Club (RBGCC) at Jerudong. The RBGCC is well known for its prestigious eighteen holes golf course which stretches over 6,172 metres.

"My plan for the Empire is to continue to improve the quality of the golf course for all the members and guests to enjoy. The Empire Hotel & Country Club has a jewel of a course in its 18-hole Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course and I am delighted to be part of it," said Nigel Taylor.

Saturday, November 3, 2007

Hilton beats out Marriott for hotel to serve Broward Convention Center

Promising an iconic waterfront tower, Hilton bested Marriott on Tuesday for the right to build a 1,000-room upscale hotel that will serve the Broward County Convention Center.

Tourism executives hope Hilton's selection ends a two-decade struggle to ensure conventioneers a nearby place to stay. The hotel is to be built on the northern edge of Port Everglades just off 17th Street in Fort Lauderdale -- with no commitment of taxpayer money.

Details of the deal between county commissioners and Hilton's development team are to be ironed out by February. One major hurdle lies ahead as well -- winning approvals from Fort Lauderdale, which has been concerned about traffic and has objected to the size of similar projects.

"A tale that began in 1989 now has a happy ending," said Nicki Grossman, president of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau. "I absolutely believe that. We have a committed hotel development team and a committed Board of County Commissioners. Everything we were lacking in the past, we have today."

County analysis of the two competing proposals priced Hilton's hotel as $100 million less than Marriott's: $398.2 million compared with $506.8 million. Hotel consultants told county officials that Hilton's financing and construction costs were lower even though Marriott disputed the degree of the differences.

In the end, the decision came on a 6-4 vote by a county contract negotiating committee. Grossman was joined by Port Director Phil Allen and commissioners Ken Keechl, Suzanne Gunzburger, Kristin Jacobs and Stacy Ritter in favoring Hilton. Mayor Josephus Eggelletion and commissioners Lois Wexler, John Rodstrom and Ilene Lieberman favored Marriott.

The convention center hosts about 280 events a year and relies on as many as 50 hotels to provide rooms to meeting attendees. Tourism officials have long maintained that the lack of an on-site hotel has driven away business, and some of the center's largest conventions have expressed concern about returning because they are growing and need a convenient and reliable place to stay.

Hilton's plan is for a 27-story building that rises in a series of waves undulating toward the waterfront in a style that its architects said creates a "signature image through its whimsical silhouette." The hotel would be oriented so all rooms have a view of the Intracoastal Waterway.

The hotel is to include an infinity-edge pool overlooking the water, outdoor dining and a 12,000-square-foot spa. Visitors would arrive at the hotel by circling around the fountain in front of the convention center.

In their bid, Hilton executives projected opening in mid-2011 with room rates averaging $224 in the first full year of operation.

Hilton proposed the county issue tax-exempt bonds to finance construction, which it and its partners would then buy. That would forego the traditional route of lining up underwriters and investors, a step that Hilton said could be problematic given recent troubles in the financial markets.

The deal was the subject of a heavy behind-the-scenes lobbying war with both sides touting lengthy experience running similar hotels around the country.

Marriott offered 1,000 rooms spread over a two-tower structure that would reach 33 stories with a more limited mix of restaurants, meeting rooms and health facilities. Its room rates would have averaged $266 in the first full year of operation.

County officials said the details of the plan could change significantly in the course of negotiating permits with the city of Fort Lauderdale. Although they said they saw Marriott and Hilton as equals, the majority favored Hilton because of its vision for the hotel and a feeling that the hotel was more likely to be built on schedule.

Thursday, November 1, 2007

NYC hotels average $303 a night. Yeouch!!!!

Anyone who has tried to book a Manhattan hotel lately knows they're pricey. I had to calm a friend from California who complained about a $200 rate in Midtown; she was lucky to get a room at all, I told her.

Anyway, third quarter figures are just out from hotel-tracking Smith Travel Research. They're pretty for the industry, ugly for cost-conscious travelers. New York City-area hotels had a $303 average daily rate in September, up 11.3% from last September, Smith vice president Jan Freitag tells me. He says Manhattan rates (which aren't broken out) tend to be even higher.

The average daily room rate in the USA was $103.56, up 6% over the third quarter of 2006 and the highest ADR ever. Occupancy was up just .4% over 2006, but because of high room rates, revenue per available room rose to $71, up 6% over last year.

OK, readers. Let's cheer up fellow travelers. Please tell us a great nightly rate you've gotten lately. Where are they? Has anyone scored a decent room in Manhattan for less than $150? (Another friend of mine just got a $189 group rate -- $219 with tax -- at the Belvedere.)