| May 25, 2012 | News for hotel and lodging professionals |
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- Hospitality Properties will reflag 20 hotels under Wyndham brands
Wyndham Hotel Group's Wyndham and Hawthorn Suites brands will acquire 20 properties across the U.S. under a rebranding effort by Hospitality Properties Trust. Hawthorn Suites will gain 16 properties; the other four will become Wyndhams. The initiative will include renovations on all 20 properties and cost about $75 million, Hospitality Properties Trust says. Travel Weekly
(5/24)      
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- Hilton: Management pullout from Grand Wailea would cost millions
Hilton Worldwide has cautioned that efforts by a group led by Paulson & Co. to sever management contracts with Hilton for the Grand Wailea resort hotel in Hawaii and two other resorts would lead to payments of millions of dollars in damages. "Certain conditions would need to be met and approved by the bankruptcy court before these assets could be sold unencumbered by Hilton Worldwide management contracts. Among these conditions is a very large damages award to Hilton Worldwide, potentially in the hundreds of millions of dollars, which may render such a sale to be cost prohibitive," Hilton said in a statement. American City Business Journals
(5/24)
| Market Trends | | |
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- Tight lending tempers local equity boom in Latin America
A panel of hotel executives at the Hotel Opportunities Latin America Investment Conference this month noted a "huge mind shift" afforded by the availability of local equity in Latin America, hindered only by the general "lack of debt" from banks. "The problem folks like us faced is, even if we raised the equity or deployed our own equity, then what? Bankers have run for the hills," said Homi Vazifdar, managing director and CEO at Canyon Equity. "Today you look at a resort model, and if you [desire] a return of 15% to 20% you can find private equity. The problem is debt, debt, debt," Vazifdar said. HotelNewsNow.com
(5/24)
- Report: "Disney" is top keyword in searches for vacation destinations
An analysis by AdGooroo of keyword-search frequencies on the Internet has concluded that "Disney" is the most-searched travel destination from January through February 2012, at 7.3%. Las Vegas came in second at 6.3%, followed by Florida at 5.7% and the Caribbean at 3.2%. The study also showed a significant interest in deals, with 13.3% of keywords searched related to discounts. Hotel News Resource
(5/23)
| Best Practices | | |
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- Column: How to leave a lasting impression on guests
Hoteliers should strive to leave a good impression on guests by cultivating a relationship with them ahead of and throughout their stay, writes Caroline Cooper, founder of Zeal Coaching. "The quickest and easiest way to create an impression and get remembered by your guests after their stay is to send a thank-you note. A handwritten and personalized card or note will win hands down over an automated e-mail," Cooper writes. HotelNewsNow.com
(5/24)
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- Opinion: Visa-waiver programs could one day become integrated
The future of global travel could see all existing visa-waiver circles joining together in one vast network, provided that governments around the world make progress in easing their visa-application processes, Arnie Weissmann writes. An appeal for visa streamlining by attendees at the recent T20 summit in Merida, Mexico, serves as a step in that direction, Weissmann writes. Travel Weekly
(5/21)
| AH&LA News | | |
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New report examines top multicultural groups' spending power
AH&LA's foundation funded a study to quantify the travel and spending power of the top five multicultural groups: African-Americans, Asian-Americans, Hispanics, Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender (LGBT) and females. Providing a snapshot of the size and potential economic impact if harnessed, it also examines differences in media usage, leisure travel activities, and attitudes toward travel. AH&LA members can download for free.
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40% discount off FedEx Office
Double your savings at FedEx Office! As an AH&LA member you are eligible to save up to 20% on the materials you need most with FedEx Office® copy and print services. And now you can save up to 40% through May 2013. It's the perfect time to save big on color copies, posters, signs, banners, direct mail services and much more. To start saving, visit enrolladvantage.fedex.com and use passcode WSGPBB or call (800)-MEMBERS.
| Editor's Note | | |
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SmartBrief will not publish Monday
In observance of Memorial Day in the U.S., SmartBrief will not be published Monday. Publication will resume Tuesday.
| SmartQuote | | |
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| | Recent AH&LA SmartBrief Issues:
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- Tuesday, May 22, 2012
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- Friday, May 18, 2012
| | | Lead Editor: Katie Parks
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