hotels articles

Hotel Piet Hein*** offers you a pleasant nautical atmosphere and is located at the Vondelpark in the heart of Amsterdam. The Van Gogh museum, Rijksmuseum, the Modern Art museum and the lively Leidseplein with casino are located within walking distance. You can find the PC Hooftstraat, the most exclusive shopping street in Amsterdam, behind the hotel and the Concertgebouw is only 300 metres from the hotel.

Come and stay in the hotel which currently has the most media-coverage! This remarkable hotel offers an experience in itself. Renowned Dutch architects, designers and artists have transformed this monument dating from 1921 in a hotel where many inhabitants of Amsterdam, international artists, tourists and business people feel at home.

The Lloyd Hotel is very well situated: it is near the city centre (direct public transport connections), access from the ring-road is easy and from the rooms lovely views over the fashionable Eastern Docklands area are to be had. The hotel has parking facilities of its own in a parking garage. Lloyd Hotel has a restaurant, a bar, a soundproof music room, a library and even a “corner” shop.

All 116 rooms in the Lloyd Hotel -ranging from one to five stars- offer a different experience. These entail a difference in design, surface area and therefore rate. Much attention has been given to the interior of the rooms. A number of exciting Dutch Designers (Claudy Jongstra, Hella Jongerius, De Bazel, Marcel Wanders, Richard Hutten, to name but a few) have created several of the furniture pieces. All guests can enjoy free high speed internet access as well as satellite television with a unqiue selection of channels. Our full menu is available in your room with our 24 hour room service.

For privately held RLJ Development, the move to acquire 100 hotels from White Lodging Corp. for approximately $1.7 billion marks a strategic shift. Instead of targeting full-service hotels in large urban markets, an approach that RLJ has followed since 2000, this mega-deal will net the company 90 select-service hotels, primarily in the Midwest.

RLJ is one of a growing number of companies that view select-service hotels as favorable yield plays. According to Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels, the average cap rate on select-service assets in the Midwest and Great Plains registered 9.50% in 2005 versus just 7% on a national basis. Lagging growth in the manufacturing and auto sectors has tempered pricing on many hotel assets in the Midwest, reports Jones Lang LaSalle. RLJ declined to disclose the going-in cap rate on the deal.

“This is one of the best hotel portfolios that we’ve seen in a long time,” says Tom Baltimore, president of Bethesda, Md.-based RLJ Development, the nation’s largest African-American-owned hotel investment firm. Black Entertainment Television (BET) founder and billionaire Robert L. Johnson founded RLJ in 2000, which closed on 63 of the hotels in June. RLJ expects to close on 24 more hotels this month. The remaining 13 hotels in the acquisition are in the development pipeline.

“One reason we liked this portfolio is that there has been a much broader acceptance of select-service hotels from both a consumer and investor standpoint recently,” says Baltimore, adding that one-third of the assets are less than 3 years old and located in recovering markets. The 90 select-service hotels are chiefly Marriott and Hilton-branded properties.

The acquisition will more than double the dollar value of RLJ’s hotel portfolio (see table). RLJ is one of a growing number of hotel owners vying for select-service hotels, defined as mid-priced properties that offer limited meeting space and dining facilities. Courtyard by Marriott and Hilton Garden Inn are among the most prominent select-service chains.

Jones Lang LaSalle reports that $3 billion worth of select-service hotels traded hands in 2005, an increase of more than 30% over the previous level in 2004. The Chicago-based brokerage also expects 2006 to meet or exceed that sales volume. Widespread room demand that is no longer narrowly limited to the full-service segment has also bolstered the select-service market, which posted an 8.8% RevPAR increase last year, up from 6.7% in 2004.

“For the past few years, there has been an incredibly strong market for full-service hotels, but most of it was going into the luxury end of the sector,” says Al Calhoun, managing director of the select-service division at Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels. “That’s why I thought that the RLJ acquisition [of the White Lodging portfolio] was so surprising.”

Calhoun says that the deal proves that investors are disillusioned by puny yields for higher-end assets. Indeed, several large investors have moved into select-service. In 2004, Blackstone Group bought select-service operator and owner Prime Hospitality for $790 million.

The following year, Encore Enterprises bought nine Hampton Inns from Mercury Investments for more than $100 million. Blackstone then returned again to the select-service market earlier this year when it spent $3.4 billion to buy LaQuinta Properties Corp.

Based in Merrillville, Ind., White Lodging has 40 new hotels in the pipeline. Under terms of the deal, White Lodging will also continue to manage the 100-hotel portfolio that it recently sold to RLJ. “The timing was right to sell these properties,” says Judy Bronowski, White Lodging’s vice president of business planning. “More investors see the true value of these assets now than they have in the past.”

The condo hotel industry is coming to grips with its first-ever construction boom. Ground-up developments — virtually non-existent five years ago — are outpacing conversions three to one as hotel developers build projects in Las Vegas, Orlando, Chicago and other prime markets. The run-up is occurring even though the concept’s complex operating strategy has yet to prove itself on a large scale.

Condo hotels enable individuals to buy hotel rooms, occasionally use them, and pocket income by renting the units to hotel guests. The concept surfaced some 30 years ago in the U.S., and until recently the niche industry operated predominantly in Florida.

But after the 9/11 attacks and a foundering economy drove the hospitality industry to the brink of depression early this century, hotel developers have increasingly embraced condo hotels to fill a financing void left by reluctant lenders: By selling units, developers raise more equity and require less debt in projects.

Even in today’s healthy hospitality industry — Smith Travel Research reports that profits rose 35.3% to $22.6 billion last year — luxury developers are chasing condo hotel deals to help pay for their projects. In fact, 80% of the 50 luxury hotels in the construction pipeline include condo hotel units, private residences or timeshare interests, according to Lodging Econometrics, a real estate research and consulting company.

But more questions than answers surround condo hotels, including whether there is enough demand to support the proposed developments, and how condo hotel unit buyers will react to their first taste of declining income when tourism begins to slow at some future point.

At the very least, real estate experts predict, disgruntled condo hotel unit owners will barrage the industry with lawsuits within the next three years, particularly if they bought the units anticipating a return on investment (See sidebar p.95).

“Well-capitalized, well-thought-out and properly managed condo hotels that work as a hotel first make sense,” says Jim Butler, an attorney and chair of the global hospitality group with Jeffer Mangels Butler & Marmaro, a law firm based in Los Angeles. “But developers have become over-enthusiastic and have wandered away from some basic sound principles.”

White Lodging Services Corporation has announced plans to develop a 1,000-room, $185-million hotel project in downtown Austin, bringing together three leading brands in the largest hotel development in Austin’s history.

Located on Congress Avenue between 2nd and 3rd streets, two blocks from the Austin Convention Center, the major hotel development will feature a 650-room, full-service Marriott convention center hotel, a 200-room upscale, boutique Renaissance Hotel and a 150-room all-suite Springhill Suites by Marriott.

The project is scheduled to open in Summer 2009 and will incorporate 26 stories of total construction, approximately 50,000 square feet of meeting space including two ballrooms (24,000 sf and 14,500 sf) and 18 additional meeting rooms, street-level retail on 2nd Street, up to five food and beverage outlets and an underground parking garage with 500 spaces.

“White Lodging is extremely excited about developing Austin’s largest hotel project to date, and it illustrates our ongoing commitment to the city and our intent to be here well into the future,” said Deno Yiankes, White Lodging Services President and COO, Development and Asset Management. “We believe that adding 1,000 upscale hotel rooms to the downtown market will help attract additional convention business to Austin, enabling the city to compete more effectively with other convention destinations.”

At full staffing, the three hotels combined will add 600 new, full-time jobs to the Austin market, doubling the number of associates currently employed by White Lodging in Austin. The hotels will generate more than $2.0 million annually in property tax and in excess of $4.0 million annually in bed tax for the City.

“The interest in capital investment in downtown Austin is currently at an all-time high, and our industry is also enjoying a strong economic period,” said Bob Lander, President and CEO, Austin Convention & Visitors Bureau. “This project, anchored by three of Marriott’s leading brands, will certainly produce more demand for our city. With White Lodging, we have a strong partner in marketing Austin, and we applaud their continued confidence in the future of downtown.”

White Lodging, already Austin’s largest hotel owner/operator, currently operates 16 hotels in the Austin market including the Marriott Austin South and three hotels opening this fall — the combined 450-room Residence Inn and Courtyard Downtown featuring Champions Sports Bar, located adjacent to the convention center, and the Courtyard by Marriott Airport. In addition to the 16 hotels, White Lodging’s Western Division offices are also headquartered in Austin.

The National Restaurant Association (NRA) was joined today by Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley and leaders in the city’s convention and hospitality industry in announcing that the annual National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show will remain at Chicago’s McCormick Place through 2011. After thorough evaluations of other possible host cities, the NRA signed a new five-year agreement with the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority (MPEA) and the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau (CCTB).

“Chicago is a world-class destination which provides outstanding business facilities and services coupled with the great culinary, cultural and entertainment attractions that our exhibitors and attendees expect. That unsurpassed combination forms the platform we need to provide the best possible annual marketplace for restaurant and hospitality industry professionals and suppliers,” said Steven C. Anderson, president and chief executive officer of the National Restaurant Association. “No other city tradeshow venue can, at this time, better satisfy the needs of the growing restaurant industry like McCormick Place.”

The nation’s restaurant industry is the cornerstone of the U.S. economy with a workforce of 12.5 million employees - a dynamic $511 billion industry that entered its 15th consecutive year of solid growth in 2006.

“NRA’s commitment to Chicago is welcome news for the 130,000 Chicagoans who work for hotels, restaurants, attractions and other businesses that serve our visitors,” said Mayor Richard M. Daley. “It is truly a Chicago institution and one that I hope will remain in Chicago for many years to come.”

The National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show - already the Western Hemisphere’s largest foodservice and hospitality event - has been in Chicago for 56 consecutive years.

“After comparing our world-class city to others like Las Vegas and Orlando, we are proud that the NRA has decided to keep its landmark show at McCormick Place through 2011,” said Leticia Peralta Davis, chief executive officer of the MPEA. “We are committed to providing the NRA exhibitor and attendee with a first-rate experience every time they visit our state-of-the-art facility. We are excited with this positive outcome and look forward to hosting this internationally-recognized show for many years to come.”

Key aspects of this agreement include:

• McCormick Place commitment to improve service. McCormick Place, through structured focus groups, surveys and other measurement methods, will access where, and to what degree, changes need to be made to meet targeted improvements.

• Chicago hotel community commitment. Chicago hotels have agreed to increase the number of rooms and room blocks.

• Continued CCTB marketing support. CCTB will continue to help us grow our audience with their industry-leading marketing and attendance building initiatives.

Originally spearheaded by Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich and Mayor Daley, the recent labor agreement between McCormick Place contractors and the Riggers union-which included new flexibility in work rules-was also factored into the NRA decision-making process. Talks with other unions are in process.

“This is a very important day in Chicago’s meetings and convention history. Chicago’s entire hospitality community has come together and delivered the NRA a citywide package that meets and exceeds their current needs and future growth,” said Tim Roby, president of the CCTB. “Chicago’s growing hotel community has agreed to work hand-in-hand with NRA on delivering more rooms and significant blocks to NRA’s attendees and exhibitors, and the CCTB will continue to work with the NRA on growing their attendance and exhibitors through our industry-leading marketing and attendance building programs.”

The 2006 National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show attracted more than 73,000 attendees and exhibitors from all 50 states and 110 countries, and generated more than $106 million in direct expenditures for Chicago. The new five-year agreement allows the show to grow and become an even better value to both attendees and exhibitors.

Now in its 88th year, the annual National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show is the Western Hemisphere’s largest single gathering of restaurant, foodservice and lodging professionals. As the industry’s premier business venue, it offers attendees the best opportunities of the year for networking and exploring new trends, as well as insight on myriad industry issues via seminars and special events. NRA Show 2006 hosted 73,500+ attendees from 110 countries and a record breaking 2,080 exhibitors in 600,000+ square feet of display space. The 2007 Show is set for May 19 through May 22 at McCormick Place in Chicago, Ill.

Located in the City of Maracaibo, the Crowne Plaza Maruma will be a Significant Addition to IHG’s Portfolio in Venezuela
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) signed a letter of agreement with Hotel Maruma, C.A., to manage the Crowne Plaza Maruma Maracaibo Casino & Convention Center. The 380-room hotel is located in the city of Maracaibo, the second largest city in Venezuela with a population of 2.5 million people and the center of the oil and petroleum industry.

Formerly known as the Hotel Maruma Internacional, the Crowne Plaza Maruma Maracaibo will be the first Crowne Plaza in Venezuela and another exciting addition to the already widespread IHG portfolio in Latin America. The property sits on ten acres of gardens, amidst the surrounding residential and commercial areas. It is ideally situated near the main business and shopping districts and is the closest hotel in the city to La Chinita International Airport.

Additionally, the Crowne Plaza Maruma Maracaibo is located next to the largest convention center in Venezuela called the Palacio de Eventos (Palace of Events). The six-story center offers a range of multi-purpose rooms for every type of event, such as corporate and social functions. There are 15 multi-purpose rooms with a capacity to hold 6,500 people, and amenities including audiovisual rental, taxi services, catering and an on-site florist.

“We are delighted to continue our expansion of the Crowne Plaza portfolio in Latin America,” says Alvaro Diago, Area President, InterContinental Hotels Group, Latin America. “We’re more than ready to have a Crowne Plaza here as IHG has been present in this country for over 50 years. Venezuela is a country in which we have always believed in, and we will continue to believe in the growth potential of its hospitality and tourism industry,” adds Alvaro Diago.

The hotel’s official conversion to a Crowne Plaza is scheduled for completion by late 2006, and will be consistent with the Crowne Plaza brand amenities such as “The Place to Meet” program, which offers comprehensive meeting packages to ensure a seamless planning process; hence, an exceptional meeting experience. The program consists of three key components: a Two-Hour Response Guarantee, Crowne Meetings Director and a Meetings Daily Debrief. With meeting rooms that can accommodate up to 800 people in addition to the Palacio de Eventos Convention Center, the hotel provides the perfect venue for business meetings and social functions.

Guestroom amenities include: high-speed Internet access, dual-line data port phones with voicemail, coffee maker, hair dryer, mini bar, cable TV, refrigerator, iron and ironing board. In addition, the hotel will feature three restaurants, a lobby bar and pool bar and 24-hour room service. The Crowne Plaza Maruma Maracaibo will also feature Crowne Club floors, an outdoor swimming pool, fitness center, a sauna and a Casino.

“We are thrilled to become a Crowne Plaza Hotel, as the brand is known globally for its quality and excellent service, as well as its great programs and standards,” says Mr. Giuseppe De Pinto, President, Hotel Maruma, C.A.

The hotel features the Crowne Plaza Sleep Advantage which encompasses the entire sleep experience, from training staff on how to create and maintain a restful environment to providing innovative products and services. Program components include new bedding, guaranteed wake-up calls, designated quiet zones, night lights, drape clips, sleep CDs, sleep tips and amenities such as eye masks, ear plugs and lavender spray.

“This is a very important agreement for us as it is a wonderful addition to our IHG portfolio. Hotel Maruma C.A. is an exceptional owner, and I look forward to a fruitful future doing business with them. As well, we know this property will have great success because it fits perfectly within the profile of the Crowne Plaza brand and its hotels, which are renowned around the world as the ideal place for meetings, conferences and conventions,” concludes Alvaro Diago.

The Crowne Plaza Maruma Maracaibo Casino & Convention Center will participate in Priority Club Rewards, the world’s first and most global hotel loyalty program spanning more than 3,600 hotels in nearly 100 countries. Members earn their choice of points toward free hotel nights, or earn frequent flyer miles with more than 40 domestic and international airline partners. Enrollment in Priority Club Rewards is free. Guests can enroll online at http://www.priorityclub.com or at the front desk of any Crowne Plaza hotel.

As part of the InterContinental Hotels Group global portfolio, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts has 243 hotels in 48 countries, and are located in major urban centers, gateway cities and resort destinations.

In this article, we hope to share with you the many aspects on how to find the best hotel deals and still feel comfortable on your vacation.

When it comes to hotels, things come down to a tradeoff between cost reduction and a fitting location. In a lot of cases especially when traveling to major cities and well-liked attractions, the nearer the hotel to the city or attraction the more you should expect to pay. The greatest way to save money, particularly in big cities, is often to reside in the suburbs.

Of course, this means that you will spend more time getting to the locations you would like to visit, and this will mean paying out additional money on gasoline, etc. It is imperative to calculate all these costs to ensure that you will really be paying out a smaller amount on a less convenient hotel room.

There are of course a number of methods to put aside money on hotels and motels without compromising quality. For one thing, a membership in AAA or a related auto club also allows you to get lower prices on hotel rooms, as does military service and senior citizen status. When inquiring about a hotel room, remember to inquire about discounts that may be presented.

For the remaining of this article, we will continue to discuss how to find the best hotel deals without sacrificing comfort.

Additionally, shopping early for a hotel room can regularly yield the greater deals. That is because hotels regularly reserve a block of low cost rooms and when there are no more remaining then they are gone. Therefore the final room at a hotel may be a great deal more costly than the first. Receiving the best hotel room deal is regularly a matter of timing.

Of course receiving a great deal on a hotel will mean nothing if the place is an unattractive place. Searching for a budget hotel should not mean staying at a hotel that is dirty, poorly run or in an unsafe location.

Fortunately, finding a good budget hotel has been made a great deal easier with the help of the Internet. What used to take weeks or even months to investigate can now be done in a matter of hours or even minutes. Most hotels, even budget properties, include pictures of the property and the surrounding area, so be certain to investigate the property you are thinking about if you have never stayed there before.

It is important to investigate the area in which the hotel is situated as well. Be certain to assess things like restaurants and attractions within walking distance of the hotel. Completing some investigations of the area will help ensure you do not end up staying in a dangerous neighborhood just to put away a few bucks.

The Internet also provides a number of review web sites where those who have vacation in different hotels reveal their experiences and their impressions of the hotel properties. These review web sites can be very helpful for travelers, particularly those traveling to a new area for the first time.

In addition, the Internet hosts a number of comparison web sites where travelers can simply find and evaluate hotel properties for their individual dates of stay and destinations. These comparison web sites present a number of ways to research, including distance from a particular tourist attraction, price, star level and more. The only caveat to think about when using such a web site is its independence. Some comparison web sites include only properties that pay an advertising fee, so using a comparison site does not necessarily promise the best price. It is best to use a number of such web sites to get a better picture of all the smallest prices available.

As they say, knowledge equals power, so continue to read information on this topic until you feel you are adequately educated on how to discover the best hotel deals.

With beautiful beaches, warm gulf waters, bird watching, unlimited opportunities for fishing, boating, shopping, and a variety of other year-round activities, South Padre Island is one of the leading seaside resort destinations in the United States. It is a year-round destination with accommodations to everyone from families to honeymooners. Also, it is a popular spring break destination for college students and is an ideal place for adventure and recreational activities. South Padre Island hotels give visitors luxurious beachfront accommodations and convenient access to shops, restaurants, and clubs.

South Padre island has a wide range of lodging options including condos, hotels, and rental houses are available to suit every budget and taste. Most South Padre island hotels provide clean, comfortable lodging, ensuring customer satisfaction. Hotels generally boast splendid cuisine, luxury housing, and exciting nightlife. There are many hotels with private balconies overlooking sandy beaches. A number of discount hotels are also available.

Most South Padre island hotels offer all the amenities of home plus all the luxuries of an excellent lodging establishment. In addition, they provide a variety of outdoor recreational activities such as golfing, bird and butterfly watching, swimming, and sightseeing. Sheraton Resort Hotel, Holiday Inn Express and Suites, La Copa Inn Resort, Howard Johnson Express Inn, Bahia Mar Resort and Conference Center, Best Western Fiesta Isles, and Holiday Inn SunSpree Resort are among the more upscale hotels.

In addition to hotels, a wide selection of seaside cottages, family motels, campgrounds, single-family homes, resorts, and marinas are available for visitors on daily, weekly, and monthly rates.

Who says that discount hotel rooms are only available at shabby motels? With a little creativity and a whole lot of patience, you book a room in a posh hotel and enjoy luxury at a big discount. Get everything you have always wanted – 24-hour room service, comfortable bed linens and a concierge without all the bills.

The Internet works wonders

A tight budget is no excuse for a cheap hotel room. Use the Internet to your advantage to find the lowest rates available for the best rooms in town. Log on to your favorite travel agent website – you will be surprised at what you may find.

Be on the lookout for nontraditional categories such as ‘hip hotels,’ or ‘spa favorites’ and ‘seaside retreats.’ Your travel websites may be ‘hiding’ discount rooms in these categories.

Are you planning to stay long? If you are, take advantage of discount rates available for tourists who intend to stay for an extended period. You can typically get as much as 30 percent off the regular rates.

During off-season, many travel agencies offer first-class hotel rooms for 40 percent less than regular rates. What’s more you can take advantage of first rate vacation packages, cruises, spa stays and car rentals – all at discount prices.

Take advantage of the hotels where your travel agency has ‘special deals.’ When you book in these hotels, you get huge discounts. You should also use the “sort by hotel class” function on your travel agent’s website, because you will immediately zoom in on the discount hotel rooms you can afford.