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Industry news for the week of February 15, 2010
HIRINGS AND PROMOTIONS:
Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels Ltd., parent company of The Peninsula Hotels, is promoting Rainy Chan to area vice-president, Hong Kong and Thailand, while retaining her role as general manager, The Peninsula Hong Kong. In addition, Nicolas Beliard, currently resident manager of The Peninsula Hong Kong, is being promoted to be general manager of The Peninsula Bangkok. Both changes are effective as of May 1.
InterContinental Hotels and Resorts has named Andrew (Drew) Schlesinger general manager and Linda Hodgson director of sales and marketing for the 607-key InterContinental New York Times Square, a new-build, 36-story property slated to open in July.
Carlson Restaurants Worldwide has hired Ian Saunders as president and chief operating officer of its T.G.I. Friday's International unit. Saunders was previously regional vice president, Europe, Middle East and Africa, for Papa John's International Inc.
Sè San Diego Hotel has named Joe Velasquez director of sales and marketing, Nicola Gabriele general manager of suite & tender and Reg MacDonald director of nightlife and entertainment.
OPENINGS/RENOVATIONS/BRAND NEWS
Design Hotels has doubled its presence in the U.S. with the signing of four André Balazs properties: The Standard, Hollywood; The Standard, Downtown LA; The Standard Spa, Miami Beach; and The Standard, New York.
A 403-room Embassy Suites Denver-Downtown hotel is scheduled to open late this year adjacent to the Denver Convention Center. The new-build property is being developed by White/Peterman Properties Inc. and will be managed by Windsor Management Services, the hotel management arm of Windsor Capital Group.
The Residence Inn Fort Lauderdale/Pompano Beach hotel has opened in the converted Ocean Sands Resort & Spa, after undergoing a multi-million dollar renovation of its suites and public spaces. The Pompano Beach, Fla., property is owned by a joint venture that includes Aztec Group Inc., Mercury Investment and Concord Hospitality Enterprises Co. Concord oversaw the renovation and will continue to manage the property.
The 350-key Residence Inn Orlando SeaWorld/ International Center has completed a full renovation of all six of its floors.
ACQUISITIONS
Hersha Hospitality Trust has closed on the acquisition of three new hotels in New York’s Times Square. Total purchase price for the properties – a 184-room Hampton Inn, a 188-room Candlewood Suites and a 210-room Holiday Inn Express -- was $165 million.
BUSINESS BRIEFS:
Acentic, a supplier of digital interactive TV systems to hotels, announced it will open an office in the Middle East. The moves comes after PhilWeb Corp. and ISM Communications Corp. acquired a 65 percent stake in Acentic, which will allow the firm to extend its digital TV and high-speed Internet access services to another 200,000 hotel rooms across Asia and the Middle East. Acentic plans to extend its Panorama system, which provides hotel guests with an HD experience through a customizable graphical user interface, over the next 12 months to hotels across the Middle East.
The 2010 Vancouver Winter Games Olympic Committee has chosen Angela Cameron's fine art photography to decorate the VIP room and the Mayor's media office at the Olympic Village in Vancouver, B.C. Cameron’s "neon grass" images, which will displayed in the VIP room, compliment the Olympic colors of blue and green, while her "abstract circles" triptych that pay a tribute the Olympic symbol are in the mayor’s office.
The Washington State Hotel & Lodging Association has selected a consulting team led by Cascadia Consulting Group Inc. of Seattle as its professional partner to launch its Greening Washington's Lodging Industry Program.
COMPETITIONS:
Moz Designs, a fabricator of metal laminates for architectural and interior installations, has launched a photo competition to recognize the creative use of its decorative materials. The “Inspired by Móz 2010” competition is open to all industry professionals, including architects, interior designers, contractors and projects managers, who have completed Móz projects in the U.S. and abroad between January 2008 and April 2010. Three cash prizes will be awarded. Deadline for entry is April 30. For more information, go to www.mozdesigns.com.