When Princess Diana walked through the front door at Kensington Palace, Chef Darren McGrady instantly knew she was very unhappy.
She slammed the door, which was not at all like her, and stormed into the kitchen where he was making a meal for her and sons, Prince William and Prince Harry.
She burst into tears. Angry tears. "I hate those paparazzi!" she sputtered.
McGrady, Princess Diana's personal chef for four years -- from the time of her split-up with Prince Charles in 1993 until her death in 1997 -- was often privy to her thoughts and feelings that could pour out during a heated moment like this one as well as when she just wanted to talk and chatted at the kitchen table.
He shares his insights into the heart of the People's Princess in his new cookbook, "Eating Royally."
But don't expect a juicy, scandalous "tell-all" from the man or his book. His descriptions of Diana, and the rest of Britain's royal family, create a picture that's as warm and delicious as Diana's favorite bread-and-butter pudding.
During a phone interview to promote the book, he offers the back story of the events that day as an example of Diana's struggles with life in a
fishbowl.
"She had driven to a friend's home for a visit. When she came out of the house, big yellow plastic cones had been set in front and in back of her car. "She moved them aside and got into the car. While she was getting in, a man put the cones back in place.
"Diana got out again and moved the cones again. When she got into the car, he put the cones back in position.
"The same thing happened a third time. And then a fourth time. Finally, Diana got out of the car, yelled at him to leave her alone, and burst into tears. That was the moment he was waiting for.
"A photographer, the man captured a photo of Diana in total distress, and probably got enough from selling that one shot to pay for his retirement. After all, there were millions of pictures of the smiling, happy Diana. Ones of her crying, in tears and distressed, were much rarer and fetched much higher prices," McGrady concludes.
But don't think for a moment that McGrady is using this book to finance his own retirement. Now working as a private chef for a Dallas, Texas, family, he has donated all of his advance and all profits from the sales of "Eating Royally" to the Elizabeth Glazer Pediatric Aids Foundation. Why? Because it embraces children and AIDS, which were two of Diana's most important causes.
Done in McGrady's spare time, the book took four years to write. But it is a treasure that mixes recollections with his recipes. It makes you laugh and it makes you cry, besides tempting you to cook from it.
Diana was real. "When she got home at night, the first thing she did was kick off her shoes and walk around barefoot," says McGrady.
He adds, "She never minded being photographed when she was raising funds for charity. She loved pictures then. There was a little vanity, too. She knew she was almost like a model and that she looked the best she had ever looked," McGrady adds.
Her sense of humor wasn't to be missed. Picture Princess Diana after she insists that Chef Darren prepare fresh beet juice for her, drinks it down without diluting it and then jokingly accuses him of trying to poison her when her cheeks literally turn beet-red for several hours.
"When Diana said, 'Darren, I've heard fresh juice is good for you. Please get a juicer,' I knew she wanted it right away. Not tomorrow or the next day. I was in a cab to Harrods within the hour. And the beet juice was pouring out of the juicer shortly after I got it into the kitchen," he recalls.
Although Diana liked trying new foods, she simply wasn't a cook. "When I prepared foods for her to reheat for herself over the weekends, instructions had to be very simple. Just microwaving in a single stage and at one power level. She couldn't handle preparations that went on for two steps or more," says the chef.
As proof, he writes of the time she tried to cook pasta for a visiting girlfriend. When the water boiled over, it extinguished the stove's pilot light. Diana didn't think anymore of it until she smelled gas the next morning and summoned help from the local fire brigade. "When I came back to work on Monday, the princess gleefully informed me that she had 12 hunky men in her house while I was gone."
He talks about rough times, too, like Diana alone in Kensington Palace on Christmas Eve. "She believed the boys belonged at Sandringham to celebrate the holiday with their father and the rest of the royal family. She also wanted her staff to be with their families, so I loaded up the refrigerator with goodies for her and then headed out of the door."
His poignant memories of learning of Diana's death while still eating his breakfast on Aug. 31, 1997, rekindle that same sadness all of us experienced a decade ago. But he keeps her candle burning as he recalls her spirit and style and how she inspired him to work for charities.
"The morning after some her gowns were auctioned off during a charity auction at Christy's in New York, she burst into the kitchen and said, 'Darren, you would not believe how many thousands we've made for charity, just by selling some of my old dresses.'
"I think her reaction to what I'm doing would be similar. Something like, 'Darren, tell me again how many thousands you think you can make for charity by selling your old recipes for the foods I really like.' "
But what would Queen Elizabeth say, since she and the rest of Britain's Royal Family also figure prominently in his stories and recipes? After all, he spent 11 years cooking for the Queen before moving to the Kensington Palace kitchen.
"I have no way to know if she'll even see the book," he says of the Queen, but thinks she probably wouldn't mind his telling people about queenly quirks, including her dislike of sandwiches cut into basic rectangles, ordering scones but never eating them, and being unable to resist chocolate.
"Rectangular sandwiches are shaped too much like a coffins.
"She always treats her Corgis to a scone she crumbles and drops on the floor for them after she finishes her tea.
"Give her a choice of desserts, and she'll always pick the chocolate one," he says. (He shares the recipes for her two favorite heavy-duty chocolate birthday cakes in the book.)
But writing a book about his years in service wasn't always in the chef's plans.
"People still are fascinated and inspired by Diana and the good work she did, from opening up about her bulimia and working to eradicate land mines to hugging an AIDS patient at a time when the disease still was misunderstood.
"When people found out I worked for her, they just kept asking questions. Their interest made me realize I needed to do the book," he says.
But what do people ask this palace insider?
"What her favorite foods were, whether she really was as nice as she seemed and whether I have Prince William's phone number," McGrady answers.
He doesn't have Prince William's phone number, or isn't telling if he does.
Diana's food choices often were simple, including stuffed eggplant and peppers, steamed trout, roasted vegetables and chicken. Besides the amaretto-flavored bread pudding she loved, she often opted for summer pudding if she was having lunch guests.
In stark contrast to Balmoral, where the royals went "stalking" and game often was on the table, the only "game" Diana permitted at Kensington Palace was the boys' PlayStation.
McGrady writes that she once asked him, while he was still working for Queen Elizabeth in the kitchen at Balmoral Castle, "Why does everyone in this family like killing things?" She hated the idea, he says.
She liked baked beans on whole wheat toast for breakfast because there was lots of protein and no fat -- just carbs she could work off at the gym. Baked potatoes often were on her plate but they were plain or sprinkled lightly with a little vinaigrette dressing. She snacked on yogurt and grain bars and fresh fruit. Fresh lichees were a favorite. "If I left a bowl of those out for her, she'd leave it looking like a bomb went off," says McGrady.
There was a great deal of contrast between the formal dinners and service at Buckingham Palace and mealtime at Kensington where Princess Diana and the boys sometimes even ate from snack tables while watching television.
Painting another picture of Kensington's more casual atmosphere, McGrady writes, "If Diana and the boys were visiting Granny and wanted ice cream, the Queen would call her page, who in turn would call the head chef. The head chef would call the pastry kitchen and the pastry chef would in turn call the silver pantry for some silver dishes to present it on. The ice cream would be formed into decorative quenelle shapes and placed in a silver dessert dish. Then it was off to the linen room to get the proper napkin. Eventually, a footman would arrive to take the ice cream up to the royal dining room some 15 minutes later."
At Kensington, the boys just walked into the kitchen and asked for ice cream. During one of those sessions, Prince William, the future king, shared his idea of a dream job with McGrady. Between frosty spoonfuls, he said, "When I grow up, I'm going to be a motorcycle policeman."
But what of Diana's public image? Did it match the "real" Diana? The chef's short answer: "Yes."
He shares warm memories of a woman who chose to have her lunch from a tray on the kitchen table whenever she wasn't entertaining guests. And she chatted about everything from soap operas to juicy tidbits she'd just heard from Fergie.
Besides the public compassion she showed for people who needed her help all over the world, she treasured her staff after they had earned her trust.
When she discovered McGrady was courting, she made sure he had longer weekends off by taking dinner "out" on Friday evenings. One day, she also gave him a huge and beautiful bouquet for Wendy, who is now his wife.
"Just tell Wendy they're from you, because we girls love flowers," she said. But McGrady answered, "No, I'll score more points with her if I tell Wendy they're from you."
Along with her caring ways, Princess Diana packed a mischievous sense of humor. Diana once told a Saudi prince that she liked mangoes after listening to him go on endlessly about the wonderful mangoes and other fresh fruit grown in his country. A week later, Diana struggled to carry a huge box of mangoes into the kitchen. She remarked: "Do you believe this, Darren? The man sent me a whole crate of mangoes because I mentioned that I liked them. Next time, I need to mention how much I like diamonds."
Once, she received an invitation for the boys to visit the set of "Mission Impossible" and meet Tom Cruise. "Darren, do you think William and Harry would like to meet Tom Cruise?" she asked.
McGrady's answer, "I don't know about the boys, but I think their mother might."
She laughed and headed off with the boys. When she returned, she picked up a banana and, between bites, said of Cruise, "There's another one off my list. He's too short."
"Diana really was tall and the royal family, including the Queen and Prince Charles, are short. The elevation of Diana's shoes became a way to tell how things were going between Princess Diana and Prince Charles. Flats? Good times. Super-high heels? Real trouble, according to the chef.
She was proud of Pr ince William's good looks and sometimes teased him. "One day when she was in the kitchen and William walked in she said, 'Look at him, Darren. Isn't he drop-dead gorgeous?' "
Prince William protested, "Oh, Mommy, stop it." But Diana added, "And look at his height. That's from my side of the family."
But what were Diana's real feelings about the royal family?
"The Camilla thing really weighed her down, but there was nothing she could do about it. She never told me she was still in love with Prince Charles, but I believe she still had strong feelings for him. To the last, she always referred to him as 'my husband' and never as 'him' or 'the prince.' "
Her biggest gripes weren't with the Queen and the other royals but with the Queen's advisers who were always stifling her spontaneity, says McGrady.
"If Diana decided she wanted to visit a homeless shelter, she wanted to go the same day or the next day. She did not want to wait months until the shelter could be cleaned up and painted and local dignitaries and their wives ("the blue rinses," as Diana called them) could line up to greet her," he adds.
Recalling a time when a bomb went off in Manchester and injured children, he said, "Diana was on the phone to Buckingham Palace as soon as she heard the news. I heard her say, 'Please send me. I really want to go.' "
Princess Anne was sent instead. Later in the day, as she and McGrady watched the BBC coverage of Princess Anne's visit on the kitchen telly, Princess Diana said to McGrady, "I should have been there. Look at her. You can tell she's more interested in horses than children. She doesn't get down to talk to them on their level. She should at least take off those white gloves so the children can feel the warmth, flesh-to-flesh, that makes the human connection.' "
Although Diana was known worldwide, she always was amazed by the reception she received in the United States.
During her visits, McGrady says, "She'd call and talk about the crowds. The shouting. The cheering. She loved the friendliness of Americans, along with their lifestyle and the weather. And she'd tell me, 'We've really got to move here!' "
That enthusiasm helped McGrady decide to move to the States shortly after her death -- despite job offers from Dodi Al Fayed's father and high-ranking British politicians, as well as Prince Charles.
"Besides," McGrady says, "With that wicked sense of humor that she had, I could just hear Princess Diana's voice saying 'Darren, you're really not going to cook for THAT woman, are you?' "
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Hospitality Properties Trust Sells 18 Homestead Hotels For $205.35 Million
Hospitality Properties Trust (NYSE: HPT) today announced that it has sold 18 Homestead Studio Suites hotels (2,399 rooms) for $205.35 million. HPT expects to recognize a gain on this sale of approximately $95 million.
HPT purchased these 18 hotels in 1999 from Homestead Village, Inc. (which was then a publicly owned company) for $145 million. The expected gain reflects depreciation expense realized by HPT since 1999. Simultaneous with this purchase, these hotels were leased by HPT to a subsidiary of that seller for minimum rent of $15,960,000/year plus percentage rent based upon increases in gross revenues at the hotels. In 2006, the percentage rent received by HPT for these hotels was approximately $509,000.
In 2001, an entity affiliated with Blackstone Group (NYSE: BX) purchased Homestead Village, Inc. and HPT's tenant for these hotels. On June 11, 2007, Blackstone sold Homestead Village, Inc. and the tenant entity together with a larger group of hotels to an affiliate of the Lightstone Group, a privately owned entity. This sale resolves outstanding disputes between HPT and Lightstone. Seventeen of these hotels were purchased by an affiliate of Lightstone for approximately $192.25 million. One hotel was purchased by HRPT Properties Trust (NYSE: HRP) for approximately $13.1 million, and this one hotel will be short term leased by an affiliate of Lightstone until that hotel property may be redeveloped as part of a larger project including adjacent property currently owned by HRPT Properties Trust.
HPT intends to use the net proceeds from the sale of these hotels to reduce amounts outstanding under its revolving bank credit agreement.
Hospitality Properties Trust is a real estate investment trust which owns 292 hotels and 186 hospitality and travel centers located throughout the United States, Puerto Rico and Ontario, Canada.
HPT purchased these 18 hotels in 1999 from Homestead Village, Inc. (which was then a publicly owned company) for $145 million. The expected gain reflects depreciation expense realized by HPT since 1999. Simultaneous with this purchase, these hotels were leased by HPT to a subsidiary of that seller for minimum rent of $15,960,000/year plus percentage rent based upon increases in gross revenues at the hotels. In 2006, the percentage rent received by HPT for these hotels was approximately $509,000.
In 2001, an entity affiliated with Blackstone Group (NYSE: BX) purchased Homestead Village, Inc. and HPT's tenant for these hotels. On June 11, 2007, Blackstone sold Homestead Village, Inc. and the tenant entity together with a larger group of hotels to an affiliate of the Lightstone Group, a privately owned entity. This sale resolves outstanding disputes between HPT and Lightstone. Seventeen of these hotels were purchased by an affiliate of Lightstone for approximately $192.25 million. One hotel was purchased by HRPT Properties Trust (NYSE: HRP) for approximately $13.1 million, and this one hotel will be short term leased by an affiliate of Lightstone until that hotel property may be redeveloped as part of a larger project including adjacent property currently owned by HRPT Properties Trust.
HPT intends to use the net proceeds from the sale of these hotels to reduce amounts outstanding under its revolving bank credit agreement.
Hospitality Properties Trust is a real estate investment trust which owns 292 hotels and 186 hospitality and travel centers located throughout the United States, Puerto Rico and Ontario, Canada.
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Smokefree England - one month on
97 per cent of premises inspected in the two weeks after 1 July were smokefree as required by the new law, data published today by the Department of Health reveals.
Minister of State for Public Health, Dawn Primarolo, said:
"When we introduced the smokefree law last month, we predicted that it would be largely self-enforcing based on experience elsewhere and the fact that three-quarters of the public supported the move.
"These figures confirm that, just as happened previously in Ireland then Scotland, England saw very high levels of compliance in the first few days. All the signs are that businesses and the public have taken the new law in their stride.
"These high levels of real protection from secondhand smoke in public places and workplaces are a testament to everyone involved. Efforts from enforcement officers in local authorities and businesses, especially those in the hospitality sector and also the public have all contributed to making this country a healthier place in which to work and socialise".
Removing secondhand smoke from enclosed public and work environments is an enormous step for public health. Thousands of lives will be saved. Others will be spared the misery of watching family and friends die prematurely from secondhand smoke-related illnesses.
So far, data has been collected from 88,899 inspections, which includes 1,090 hotels, 6,783 restaurants and 9,568 licensed premises. Enforcement officers found that 97 per cent of premises were respecting the requirement to prohibit smoking in enclosed premises and 79 per cent were displaying the correct no-smoking signage. Compliance was even higher in smokefree vehicles, with figures of 98 per cent and 84 per cent respectively.
Although these figures only relate to the first two weeks, compliance is already comparable to the high levels experienced during the first month of smokefree in Scotland and Ireland. A similar pattern has also emerged with regards to signage requirements, with 'other' premises less likely to be compliant than licensed premises, accommodation and restaurants.
Local authorities are continuing to work with businesses to ensure they understand the requirement for no-smoking signs to be displayed at the entrance to all public places and workplaces covered by the law.
During the first two weeks of inspections, it has only been necessary to issue one fixed penalty notice to an individual wilfully flouting the law by smoking in a smokefree place. Councils have instead ensured that businesses and individuals are given sufficient opportunity to comply with the law and have so far issued 142 written warnings following failure to prevent smoking (equivalent to 0.2% of premises inspected). There were no court hearings.
Graham Jukes, Chief Executive of the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health said: "The acceptance of the new law reveals the good planning and investment put in place by the Department of Health, local authorities and business leaders in the run up to 1st July. The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health is proud to have played a key role in the implementation of what has turned out to be popular legislation with a limited need for enforcement action to be taken."
Councillor Geoffrey Theobald, Chairman of the Local Authorities Coordinators of Regulatory Services, said: "The high level of compliance is testament not only to the businesses, landlords and members of the public who have wholeheartedly embraced the new law - but also to the council environmental health officers who have carried out their work with a light touch, an even-hand, and a commitment to advising people rather than punishing them."
Over the first month there has also been a steady downward trend in calls to the Smokefree England compliance line. In total, 2,342 calls were received during the first four weeks and 606 of these were passed on to local authorities to follow up. Calls peaked during the first week at 1,024, although only 232 of these were leads with sufficient information to pass
to local councils. However only 378 calls were received during the week of 22nd July, with 110 leads passed to councils.
Minister of State for Public Health, Dawn Primarolo, said:
"When we introduced the smokefree law last month, we predicted that it would be largely self-enforcing based on experience elsewhere and the fact that three-quarters of the public supported the move.
"These figures confirm that, just as happened previously in Ireland then Scotland, England saw very high levels of compliance in the first few days. All the signs are that businesses and the public have taken the new law in their stride.
"These high levels of real protection from secondhand smoke in public places and workplaces are a testament to everyone involved. Efforts from enforcement officers in local authorities and businesses, especially those in the hospitality sector and also the public have all contributed to making this country a healthier place in which to work and socialise".
Removing secondhand smoke from enclosed public and work environments is an enormous step for public health. Thousands of lives will be saved. Others will be spared the misery of watching family and friends die prematurely from secondhand smoke-related illnesses.
So far, data has been collected from 88,899 inspections, which includes 1,090 hotels, 6,783 restaurants and 9,568 licensed premises. Enforcement officers found that 97 per cent of premises were respecting the requirement to prohibit smoking in enclosed premises and 79 per cent were displaying the correct no-smoking signage. Compliance was even higher in smokefree vehicles, with figures of 98 per cent and 84 per cent respectively.
Although these figures only relate to the first two weeks, compliance is already comparable to the high levels experienced during the first month of smokefree in Scotland and Ireland. A similar pattern has also emerged with regards to signage requirements, with 'other' premises less likely to be compliant than licensed premises, accommodation and restaurants.
Local authorities are continuing to work with businesses to ensure they understand the requirement for no-smoking signs to be displayed at the entrance to all public places and workplaces covered by the law.
During the first two weeks of inspections, it has only been necessary to issue one fixed penalty notice to an individual wilfully flouting the law by smoking in a smokefree place. Councils have instead ensured that businesses and individuals are given sufficient opportunity to comply with the law and have so far issued 142 written warnings following failure to prevent smoking (equivalent to 0.2% of premises inspected). There were no court hearings.
Graham Jukes, Chief Executive of the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health said: "The acceptance of the new law reveals the good planning and investment put in place by the Department of Health, local authorities and business leaders in the run up to 1st July. The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health is proud to have played a key role in the implementation of what has turned out to be popular legislation with a limited need for enforcement action to be taken."
Councillor Geoffrey Theobald, Chairman of the Local Authorities Coordinators of Regulatory Services, said: "The high level of compliance is testament not only to the businesses, landlords and members of the public who have wholeheartedly embraced the new law - but also to the council environmental health officers who have carried out their work with a light touch, an even-hand, and a commitment to advising people rather than punishing them."
Over the first month there has also been a steady downward trend in calls to the Smokefree England compliance line. In total, 2,342 calls were received during the first four weeks and 606 of these were passed on to local authorities to follow up. Calls peaked during the first week at 1,024, although only 232 of these were leads with sufficient information to pass
to local councils. However only 378 calls were received during the week of 22nd July, with 110 leads passed to councils.
Delta Hotels Wins Manager Excellence Award from International Association of Reservation Executives (IARE)
SEATTLE --(Business Wire)-- Envision Telephony, Inc., a leading global provider of software solutions for the contact center and the enterprise, announced today that Perry Kendall, General Manager for Delta Hotel Global Reservation Service, has won the 2007 International Association of Reservation Executives (IARE) Manager Excellence Award.
IARE was founded in 1985 by a group of hotel reservation center managers to facilitate the exchange of ideas and opportunities relevant to the profession. Each year the association hosts the IARE Excellence Awards to honor those who have exceeded expectations in the areas of job performance, team development, customer service and even community service.
The recipient, Perry Kendall, has over 15 years of hotel industry leadership experience. He has held this position since 2001 and has worked in leadership roles with both Delta Hotels and Fairmont Hotels & Resorts.
"I am honored to win this prestigious award," said Kendall. "Using Envision's software has allowed our team to effectively evaluate, coach and develop agents to optimize their performance. Ultimately, this yields satisfied customers, which is our principal focus at Delta Hotels."
Delta Hotels implemented the Envision Performance Suite(TM) in 2004. With the solution, Kendall and his team have successfully improved customer service, agent productivity and call conversion rates while decreasing employee turnover.
About Delta Hotels
With a diversified portfolio of 40 city center and airport hotels and resorts, Delta Hotels is the leading first-class hotel management company in Canada. Widely regarded as Canada's brand of choice by guests and owners, Delta Hotels has also distinguished itself as an exemplary employer to its more than 7,100 employees. Delta Hotels is the only hotel company to be recognized by the prestigious National Quality Institute with two Canada Awards for Excellence, one for quality (2000) and the other for a healthy workplace (2004). It was also voted one of the 50 Best Employers in Canada by The Globe and Mail's respected magazine Report on Business from 2001 to 2003 and from 2005 to 2007. Delta Hotels is wholly owned by Fairmont Raffles Holdings International, which operates over 120 hotels worldwide under the Fairmont, Raffles, Swissotel and Delta brands.
About Envision Performance Suite(TM)
The Envision Performance Suite maximizes contact center efficiency and effectiveness through the seamless integration of Envision's core applications: quality monitoring, eLearning, workforce management and business intelligence.
About Envision
Envision Telephony, Inc. is a global, award-winning provider of software and services that improve performance from the contact center to the enterprise. The company's flexible, integrated solutions enable customers to consistently deliver legendary customer experiences by improving agent, contact center and enterprise performance. Envision's software includes analytics, performance management, workforce management and Click2Coach(R) (composed of Envision Quality Monitoring(TM) and Envision eLearning(TM)). The company's solutions are deployed across thousands of desktops in both a telephony and a back-office environment. Envision offers business consulting, implementation, training and support services using a proven, ROI-driven methodology that delivers rapid and reliable results. More information can be found at www.envisioninc.com.
Click2Coach is a registered trademark, and Envision, Envision Telephony, Envision Performance Suite, Envision eLearning, Envision Quality Monitoring and the Envision Telephony logo are trademarks of Envision Telephony, Inc.
IARE was founded in 1985 by a group of hotel reservation center managers to facilitate the exchange of ideas and opportunities relevant to the profession. Each year the association hosts the IARE Excellence Awards to honor those who have exceeded expectations in the areas of job performance, team development, customer service and even community service.
The recipient, Perry Kendall, has over 15 years of hotel industry leadership experience. He has held this position since 2001 and has worked in leadership roles with both Delta Hotels and Fairmont Hotels & Resorts.
Forge valuable relationships at The World's Only IP Communications Development Event. Communications Developer Conference is May 15-17, 2007 in Santa Clara."I am honored to win this prestigious award," said Kendall. "Using Envision's software has allowed our team to effectively evaluate, coach and develop agents to optimize their performance. Ultimately, this yields satisfied customers, which is our principal focus at Delta Hotels."
Delta Hotels implemented the Envision Performance Suite(TM) in 2004. With the solution, Kendall and his team have successfully improved customer service, agent productivity and call conversion rates while decreasing employee turnover.
About Delta Hotels
With a diversified portfolio of 40 city center and airport hotels and resorts, Delta Hotels is the leading first-class hotel management company in Canada. Widely regarded as Canada's brand of choice by guests and owners, Delta Hotels has also distinguished itself as an exemplary employer to its more than 7,100 employees. Delta Hotels is the only hotel company to be recognized by the prestigious National Quality Institute with two Canada Awards for Excellence, one for quality (2000) and the other for a healthy workplace (2004). It was also voted one of the 50 Best Employers in Canada by The Globe and Mail's respected magazine Report on Business from 2001 to 2003 and from 2005 to 2007. Delta Hotels is wholly owned by Fairmont Raffles Holdings International, which operates over 120 hotels worldwide under the Fairmont, Raffles, Swissotel and Delta brands.
About Envision Performance Suite(TM)
The Envision Performance Suite maximizes contact center efficiency and effectiveness through the seamless integration of Envision's core applications: quality monitoring, eLearning, workforce management and business intelligence.
About Envision
Envision Telephony, Inc. is a global, award-winning provider of software and services that improve performance from the contact center to the enterprise. The company's flexible, integrated solutions enable customers to consistently deliver legendary customer experiences by improving agent, contact center and enterprise performance. Envision's software includes analytics, performance management, workforce management and Click2Coach(R) (composed of Envision Quality Monitoring(TM) and Envision eLearning(TM)). The company's solutions are deployed across thousands of desktops in both a telephony and a back-office environment. Envision offers business consulting, implementation, training and support services using a proven, ROI-driven methodology that delivers rapid and reliable results. More information can be found at www.envisioninc.com.
Click2Coach is a registered trademark, and Envision, Envision Telephony, Envision Performance Suite, Envision eLearning, Envision Quality Monitoring and the Envision Telephony logo are trademarks of Envision Telephony, Inc.
Bulky Steel ruins may delay Bethlehem casino opening until '09
Aug. 7--Summit County Council is considering raising the county's hotel-room tax by 1 percentage point to pay for repairs and improvements to the John S. Knight Convention Center in downtown Akron.
The hike would raise the county's 4.5 percent tax on hotel rooms to 5.5 percent, bringing the total tax on hotel rooms in Summit to 14.75 percent.
The increase on hotel guests would be 71 cents per night "based on the average room rate in Summit County of $71," according to the legislation, which was introduced Monday night.
The additional tax would last through Oct. 31, 2017.
Overnight visitors to Akron would still be taxed less than they would be in Cleveland (15 percent), Columbus and Toledo (16.75 percent), and Cincinnati (17 percent), according to the legislation.
The Knight Center receives the bulk of county bed tax revenue $1.8 million for center operations. Susan Hamo, president of the Akron-Summit Convention & Visitors Bureau, told the Beacon Journal in March that the additional 1 percent is expected to raise about $500,000 a year. The legislation says "approximately $550,000" would be raised.
The University of Akron announced in June it will purchase the Crowne Plaza Hotel one of only two Akron hotels to convert into a student residence hall. On Friday, the city and UA announced an agreement to keep about 95 rooms (half of the total) available for the public and/or conventions through November 2009.
County officials did not know whether the $500,000 figure took into account the loss of the Crowne Plaza and Hamo could not be reached for comment Monday night.
But in an e-mail she sent to council President Nick Kostandaras Sr. on July 30, she said it would raise about $500,000 and warned that failure to pass the tax could hurt the "ability to attract another downtown hotel."
Kostandaras said the convention bureau lobbied the state legislature to grant authority to charter counties (Summit is the only one) to raise the bed tax by 1 percentage point for capital improvements, which it did.
The revenue generated by the hike would be reserved for capital improvements to the Knight Center, including repairs to the air conditioning and heating system, replacement of worn carpeting and kitchen repairs.
Kostandaras said county hotel operators support the increase. If approved, the increase would be the first for the Knight Center since it opened in 1994.
In other business, the council authorized the Summit County clerk of courts to accept payment via credit cards and debit cards for title fees and court costs.
The legislation establishes a nonrefundable "convenience fee" of 3 percent on each transaction for using such cards, with a minimum charge of $1.
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