Monday, September 30, 2013

Affordable Hotels In Carolina Beach|"Revealing The 2013 Fodor's 100 Hotel Awards Winners"

Source             :    fodors.com
Category        :    Affordable Hotels In Carolina Beach
By                  :     Fodor's Editors
Posted By     :    Hotels Carolina Beach NC

Affordable Hotels In Carolina Beach

We are bursting at the seams with excitement—today is the day we reveal our carefully selected picks for our annual Fodor's 100 Hotel Awards! Chosen by our trusted travel experts on the ground and our Fodor's editors, these 100 hotels represent 2013's biggest global hospitality trends. This year, we chose eight unique categories—including Enduring Classics, Culinary Gems, Sleek City Addresses, and more—touching down in 43 different countries.

This list covers every corner of the globe, from Amsterdam to Zambia, and every type of hotel experience from sleek design-y hotels to exotic, secluded hideaways. From the best stays in perennial favorites like The Peninsula in Hong Kong and the Hyatt Union Square in NYC, to choice sleeps in new and emerging destinations, like Casa San Agustin in Colombia and Uma by COMO, Punakha, in Bhutan, this list not only spans the globe but speaks to all manner of themes and travelers' desires.

As Arabella Bowen, Fodor's Travel executive editorial director, remarks: "At Fodor's, hotels are more than our lifeblood—they're our passion." Since we're constantly researching and updating more than 7,500 destinations, we see new openings as they happen and trends as they emerge.


Our founder, Eugene Fodor, believed that "you don't have to be rich to travel well." We take that mantra seriously. There's something for every budget here, from great values to once-in-a-lifetime splurges. Pick any of our Fodor's 100, and you will travel well.

Source : fodors.com/news/revealing-the-2013-fodors-100-hotel-awards-winners-7156.html

Hotels In Carolina|"Smokers Tokers Light Up Hotel Owner's Occupancy Rates"

Source             :    crainsdetroit.com
Category        :    Hotels In Carolina
By                  :    Valerie Vande Panne
Posted By     :    Hotels Carolina Beach NC


Hotels In Carolina

The Howard Johnson franchise on 28th Street in Grand Rapids has seen occupancy soar since owner Bob Sullivan made a seemingly unfashionable business decision: accommodate smokers. And not just the tobacco variety. Sullivan caters to marijuana smokers, as well. Twenty rooms already have been renovated to accommodate smokers. And by the time Sullivan's done, 60-80 of the hotel's 155 rooms will allow smoking -- accommodating medical marijuana patients as well as tobacco smokers. Michigan legalized medical marijuana in 2008, and Grand Rapids decriminalized marijuana last year -- making possession of a small amount a civil infraction, similar to a parking ticket. Occupancy at the Howard Johnson has seen an increase every weekend, Sullivan said. "Every weekend, every one of those rooms is sold." 

Sullivan, who himself does not smoke cigarettes or marijuana, estimates occupancy is up 50 percent since he started renovating the rooms. Renovations have included opening up each room with sliding doors and installing a patio with a tall fence around it to provide privacy -- "a little smoking area for each room right at the door," Sullivan said. "Otherwise, people have to go outside the lobby doors. "If you're a marijuana smoker, it's nice to have that privacy, wouldn't you say so?" Under the state's Smoke-Free Air Law, which went into effect in May 2010, tobacco smoking is prohibited inside places where people work, including hotels, bars and restaurants. But the law doesn't apply to smoking outside -- hence the patios. The law also doesn't mention cannabis smoke. "The tobacco-free act does not ban any other substance other than tobacco," said Steve Yencich, president and CEO of the Michigan Lodging & Tourism Association. "It's an interesting quandary. It's an interpretation of the statute that probably raises more questions than answers."

Sullivan doesn't aggressively market his smoking accommodations. Still, The Grand Rapids Press ran an article about the hotel's renovations and Sullivan has a large sign in front of the hotel welcoming smokers. Although nowhere does he advertise that marijuana smoking is permitted, Sullivan speaks candidly about it, word is out on the street and a medical marijuana group meets regularly at the hotel, he said.  Howard Johnson doesn't seem to mind Sullivan's approach to filling rooms. "As a franchise organization, each hotel within our brand's portfolio is independently owned and operated and required to comply with all local, state and federal laws," said Rob Myers, public relations manager of Wyndham Hotel Group, Howard Johnson's parent company. While no hard numbers exist on the growth of hotels catering to marijuana smokers in particular, Betty Aldworth, deputy director of the National Cannabis Industry Association, said "marijuana-related tourism is the fastest-growing sector of the marijuana industry."

Said Janet Korn, vice president of marketing for the Experience Grand Rapids tourism bureau: "We market all hotels in Kent County, and we let consumers choose where they stay. Our focus is on promoting the destination, not individual hotel amenities." Aldworth noted that 30 states still have not legalized medical marijuana. This makes states with both medical marijuana laws and a flourishing health care industry -- such as Grand Rapids -- destinations for ill people to legally use medical marijuana. Renee Monforton, director of communications for the Detroit Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau, said she had not heard of any hotels in metro Detroit marketing friendliness to medical marijuana use. At 83, Sullivan has a reputation around Grand Rapids as a man who does as he pleases. He started a rug-cleaning company at age 18. From there, he got into the carpet business and now owns Sullivan's Carpet & Furniture, as well as the former Radisson hotel, which he renamed the Riverfront Hotel. He was the owner of the Holiday Inn in downtown Grand Rapids until he sold it recently. 

Source:crainsdetroit.com/article/20130929/NEWS/309299981/smokers-tokers-light-up-hotel-owners-occupancy-rates

Hotels In Carolina|"Work Begins On New Exit 7 Hotel"

Source             :    tricities.com
Category        :    Hotels In Carolina
By                  :    Frances Leate
Posted By     :    Hotels Carolina Beach NC

Hotels In Carolina
Site work is Junderway for a new Hilton Garden Inn near Interstate 81’s Exit 7, and it is expected to open in late 2014. Workers are currently digging out the site for the building’s foundation on land directly adjacent to the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store at The Village at Exit 7. Construction was originally expected to begin during the summer, said owner Prakash Patel of Bristol Hotels Inc. “It took us a little while to go through all the red tape you have to go through, but we’ve started moving dirt now,” Patel said. “We have to put other material in there, do the foundations and – if the winter cooperates – we’re targeting 12 to 14 months to open the hotel up. So we’re looking at fall or winter 2014.” To attract the Hilton flag, the city previously agreed to divert $380,000 back to the hotel’s owners from usage taxes after the facility opens. That offsets the purchase price of the land.

The hotel will be five stories with 104 guest rooms and include a restaurant, lounge, 3,500-square-foot banquet facility, indoor pool and fitness center. It becomes only the second business to locate on the hilltop site, which was heralded for many years as a prime spot for development. “It’s very exciting. It took longer to start the project and we’re ready to go forward and open in the Bristol market,” Patel said. “We’re trying to work with all the local businesses to let them know the project has started. Cracker Barrel is very excited they’ve got a neighbor. They’ve been very lonely for a number of years. It will help Cracker Barrel and Cheddars.” Thomas Builders, of Athens, Tenn., a firm specializing in hotel construction, will build the 78,000-square-foot facility, which is The Hilton Garden Inn. It’s expected to employ about 35 people. “It is drawing a lot of interest,” he said. “I’ve heard others are looking to possibly do something on Village Circle.”

Source : tricities.com/news/local/article_d6a0e77c-2975-11e3-a372-001a4bcf6878.html

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Marriott Carolina Beach|"Five Luxury Hotels Set To Open"

Source             :    gulf-daily-news.com
Category        :    Marriott Carolina Beach
By                  :    Frances Leate
Posted By     :    Hotels Carolina Beach NC


Marriott Carolina Beach

HUNDREDS of millions of dinars are being invested in Bahrain's tourism industry with five new luxury hotels set to open in the next six months. Adding to the 14 already in existence, they are all expected to be fully up and running by April and will create hundreds of jobs across the country. The Four Seasons Hotel and Resort, in Bahrain Bay, is thought to represent a substantial investment in Bahrain's tourism industry, although the exact costs of the property have not been made public. The five-star, 201-metre-tall, 50-storey hotel complex is due to open in the $2.5 billion Bahrain Bay waterfront development in April, creating 700 permanent jobs. The Ramee Grand Hotel & Spa, in Seef, has already opened to guests and will be officially launched next month. The luxury multimillion dinar five-star hotel boasts a spa and wellness centre spread over an entire floor.The 318 room five-star Renaissance Bahrain is due to open in Amwaj Islands in January, while leading international hotel chain, Rotana, also plans to build a new five-star hotel in 2014 following the opening of the BD22 million dinar Majestic Arjaan in Muharraq earlier this year. The new Rotana Hotel will be built near Bab Al Bahrain.

The Swiss-Belhotel International will also open next March and is a four-star hotel promising to offer good value for money luxury accommodation. Marriott International is also building Bahrain's first JW Marriott Hotel in Bahrain Bay. The 50-storey property will have 274 rooms and suites and 102 residences and is set to open in 2016. The luxury Domain Hotel opened earlier this year in the Diplomatic area. The sleek 36-storey boutique hotel includes nine different social spaces and has the most expensive suite in the country, from between BD2,500 to BD4,230. According to Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry tourism committee chairman Nabeel Kanoo, the growth of the five-star hotel market is a sign things are looking up economically after the recession and political unrest of the last few years. "The feeling was that things had to get better eventually and developers would carry on with their plans to build these luxury hotels, no matter what," he said.

"Despite the troubles, the belief was, things should carry on as normal. "The events of February 2011, in the minds of many people, were just a small blip and although it did put visitors off at first, things are starting to get better now. "The numbers of people visiting from neighbouring GCC countries are increasing; it may take a while for that to filter through to the rest of the world as we get negative Press which doesn't help but it is all a matter of time. "For the hotel companies I suppose it is a bit of a gamble at the moment, most of them are not being filled to capacity and before February 2011 most of the hotels were getting packed out during the weekend and holidays, but the fact that they are up and running can only be a good thing in the long-term as things begin to improve. "We have to plan for the future and the good times that are ahead." Salvatore Ramano, managing director of the recently opened Ramee Grand Hotel and Spa in Seef, said he was confident that his new five-star hotel, which boasts the country's biggest hotel room at more than 45sqm, would attract plenty of customers.

"The Ramee Grand has 18 years of experience in the hotel industry in Bahrain and we know exactly what our clients are looking for," he said. "We have something special and unique to offer and that will always attract guests, whatever the climate, if you have a good name for yourself then people will come to you. "In the last year there have been a lot of developments in Bahrain, people are investing and we are starting to see a return to how it was in 2005, 2006 and 2007." Five-Star Hotels executive committee chairman Abdulnabi Daylami said there had been a 35 per cent improvement in the occupancy of the seven five-star hotels under the umbrella of the committee, which includes the Ritz-Carlton Bahrain Hotel and Spa and the Sheraton Hotel. "Compared to last year we are faring much better. The current year so far has been much better than 2012 going by the occupancy levels of these hotels which we monitor on a daily and monthly basis," he said. "As well as weekenders and travellers from other parts of the GCC we are getting more conventions and seminars taking place in Bahrain. "More companies are using Bahrain as a place to conduct business. This means they are not just occupying the rooms but there are also restaurants and outlets so our five-star hotels are doing well."

Source : gulf-daily-news.com/NewsDetails.aspx?storyid=361518

Hotels In Carolina|"Hundreds Of Storm Evacuees In Hotels Face Evictions"

Source             :    nytimes.com
Category        :    Hotels In Carolina
By                  :    MIREYA NAVARRO
Posted By     :    Hotels Carolina Beach NC

Hotels In Carolina

Almost a year after Hurricane Sandy, hundreds of displaced New Yorkers living in hotels face eviction.Many of them have or are applying for federal rental subsidies, but finding affordable apartments has proved daunting. A few of those still in hotels are homeowners whose houses have not yet been repaired.But saying there is no longer money for hotel stays, lawyers for the city went to court on Tuesday trying to evict the approximately 350 remaining evacuees by Oct. 1 and steer them into homeless shelters. The lawyers said that the Federal Emergency Management Agency would end reimbursements to the city for the hotel program on Monday and that the city did not have the money to put up the last evacuees while they look for housing.The hotels in the city program have cost the federal government more than $73 million so far.The prospect of moving to a shelter is unthinkable to evacuees like Nicole Neal, 39, a guest at a Holiday Inn in Brooklyn who said she and her teenage son had been homeless for two and a half years before moving to an apartment in Far Rockaway, Queens, that was left uninhabitable by the storm.

“I’m not going to no more shelters — I’ve been there and done that,” she said, breaking down in sobs during an interview. “I don’t know what I’m going to do. I don’t want to think about it.”That hundreds of evacuees remain without permanent housing underscores the slow pace of recovery for many low-income New Yorkers after the storm, from homeowners coping with a lack of flood insurance or inadequate insurance, to renters who were not able to return to their homes and have not been able to find suitable housing.Some housing experts say the long hotel stays point to the need for better federal and local disaster planning so that rental aid is available more quickly and cheaper temporary apartment rentals are an alternative to hotels.A more effective system for connecting people in crisis to housing is also needed, said Rosanne Haggerty, president of Community Solutions, a nonprofit organization working to end homelessness in New York.The city tried to end the hotel program in May after most of the more than 3,000 people in hotels had returned to repaired homes, secured public housing or found other permanent accommodations. City officials attributed the decision to budgetary concerns as well as the declining number of evacuees. The hotel program, officials said at the time, helped avoid the “severe strain” on the city’s shelter system from a sudden influx of evacuees.But lawyers with the Legal Aid Society sued to prevent the hotel evictions and Justice Margaret A. Chan of State Supreme Court in Manhattan sided with them. In her decision last May, Justice Chan said it did not seem reasonable to end the hotel accommodations just as New York was getting the first $2 billion in federal storm recovery aid, including money for rental subsidies.

And even with a rental voucher for a one-bedroom apartment in the $1,300 range in hand, Ms. Neal said that she had found apartments scarce and landlords unwilling to rent to her because they did not want to wait for aid disbursements for background checks, deposits and other typical charges.As they await the next court decision, advocates for storm victims say that the evacuees have been through enough. “It is not like they’re saying ‘We’ll just transfer these people to the shelter system, here’s a room for you,’“ said Judith Goldiner, a lawyer at the Legal Aid Society. “What they’re saying is you can go apply,” she said. “These families have been traumatized,” she said. “What they went through during the storm really impacted their ability to function.” Hundreds of thousands of people affected by Hurricane Sandy came from households with incomes of less than $30,000 a year, applications for government aid showed, and they were left with no home to return to and not enough income to qualify for available apartments.

Some lived in informal arrangements without leases and had difficulties proving their pre-storm addresses. City officials said a small number of people were uncooperative or hard to place because of criminal records and other problems that made them ineligible for whatever housing was available. Some are homeowners unable to move back home. When FEMA’s program in New York State ended last week, one aid recipient, Thomas Reddington, 65, had struck out trying to line up a temporary apartment to be paid for with federal aid. He decided to move into his 2002 VW station wagon with his wife and their dog and to stay close to his neighborhood in Queens. A United States Navy veteran, Mr. Reddington said he was not aware that his homeowner’s insurance had been canceled while he served as a helmsman in the Persian Gulf; he returned a month before Hurricane Sandy. He is now seeking city help repairing the roof of his two-story house in Far Rockaway, Queens, and replacing lost windows and appliances. His plan, he said, is to head south to rent an apartment in a cheaper state and wait out the winter if his house is still not habitable. The couple will stick it out in their car at least until November, he said.

Source:nytimes.com/2013/09/25/nyregion/hundreds-of-storm-evacuees-in-hotels-face-evictions.html?pagewanted=2&_r=0

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Affordable Hotels In Carolina Beach|"Hundreds Of Storm Evacuees In Hotels Face Evictions"

Source             :    nytimes.com
Category        :    Affordable Hotels In Carolina Beach
By                  :    MIREYA NAVARRO
Posted By     :    Hotels Carolina Beach NC

Affordable Hotels In Carolina Beach

Many of them have or are applying for federal rental subsidies, but finding affordable apartments has proved daunting. A few of those still in hotels are homeowners whose houses have not yet been repaired. But saying there is no longer money for hotel stays, lawyers for the city went to court on Tuesday trying to evict the approximately 350 remaining evacuees by Oct. 1 and steer them into homeless shelters. The lawyers said that the Federal Emergency Management Agency would end reimbursements to the city for the hotel program on Monday and that the city did not have the money to put up the last evacuees while they look for housing. The hotels in the city program have cost the federal government more than $73 million so far. The prospect of moving to a shelter is unthinkable to evacuees like Nicole Neal, 39, a guest at a Holiday Inn in Brooklyn who said she and her teenage son had been homeless for two and a half years before moving to an apartment in Far Rockaway, Queens, that was left uninhabitable by the storm. “I’m not going to no more shelters — I’ve been there and done that,” she said, breaking down in sobs during an interview. “I don’t know what I’m going to do. I don’t want to think about it.”

That hundreds of evacuees remain without permanent housing underscores the slow pace of recovery for many low-income New Yorkers after the storm, from homeowners coping with a lack of flood insurance or inadequate insurance, to renters who were not able to return to their homes and have not been able to find suitable housing. Some housing experts say the long hotel stays point to the need for better federal and local disaster planning so that rental aid is available more quickly and cheaper temporary apartment rentals are an alternative to hotels. A more effective system for connecting people in crisis to housing is also needed, said Rosanne Haggerty, president of Community Solutions, a nonprofit organization working to end homelessness in New York. “It begs the question of how information and that entire process could be improved,” she said. The city tried to end the hotel program in May after most of the more than 3,000 people in hotels had returned to repaired homes, secured public housing or found other permanent accommodations. City officials attributed the decision to budgetary concerns as well as the declining number of evacuees. The hotel program, officials said at the time, helped avoid the “severe strain” on the city’s shelter system from a sudden influx of evacuees. By now, city lawyers argued in court documents, “it makes no sense for the city to continue to house evacuees in hotels when they can be housed within the city shelter system for a fraction of the cost and can continue to receive the same support, services and access to programs they are provided while in the hotel program.”

But lawyers with the Legal Aid Society sued to prevent the hotel evictions and Justice Margaret A. Chan of State Supreme Court in Manhattan sided with them. In her decision last May, Justice Chan said it did not seem reasonable to end the hotel accommodations just as New York was getting the first $2 billion in federal storm recovery aid, including money for rental subsidies. That rental aid was not available until the summer, though, and most of the evacuees in hotels are still applying for rental vouchers, city officials said. And even with a rental voucher for a one-bedroom apartment in the $1,300 range in hand, Ms. Neal said that she had found apartments scarce and landlords unwilling to rent to her because they did not want to wait for aid disbursements for background checks, deposits and other typical charges. “I told them I was a Sandy victim,” she said. “They say they’re sorry to hear, but they want their money up front.” At the hearing on Tuesday, one of the city’s lawyers, Andrew Rauchberg, pressed for ending the hotel program because “we can’t know when households will leave.”


The city estimated that each of about 165 households that were scattered in 29 hotels last week cost about $16,300 a month in hotel room charges and city social services.EMA had its own hotel programs in the New York region; they ended April 30 in New Jersey and Sept. 16 in New York State. They cost $103 million in addition to $73 million for the city program.As they await the next court decision, advocates for storm victims say that the evacuees have been through enough. “It is not like they’re saying ‘We’ll just transfer these people to the shelter system, here’s a room for you,’“ said Judith Goldiner, a lawyer at the Legal Aid Society. “What they’re saying is you can go apply,” she said. “These families have been traumatized,” she said. “What they went through during the storm really impacted their ability to function.” Hundreds of thousands of people affected by Hurricane Sandy came from households with incomes of less than $30,000 a year, applications for government aid showed, and they were left with no home to return to and not enough income to qualify for available apartments.

Some lived in informal arrangements without leases and had difficulties proving their pre-storm addresses. City officials said a small number of people were uncooperative or hard to place because of criminal records and other problems that made them ineligible for whatever housing was available. Some are homeowners unable to move back home. When FEMA’s program in New York State ended last week, one aid recipient, Thomas Reddington, 65, had struck out trying to line up a temporary apartment to be paid for with federal aid. He decided to move into his 2002 VW station wagon with his wife and their dog and to stay close to his neighborhood in Queens. A United States Navy veteran, Mr. Reddington said he was not aware that his homeowner’s insurance had been canceled while he served as a helmsman in the Persian Gulf; he returned a month before Hurricane Sandy. He is now seeking city help repairing the roof of his two-story house in Far Rockaway, Queens, and replacing lost windows and appliances. His plan, he said, is to head south to rent an apartment in a cheaper state and wait out the winter if his house is still not habitable. The couple will stick it out in their car at least until November, he said. “The weather is good,” he said, “so it’s all right.”


Source : nytimes.com/2013/09/25/nyregion/hundreds-of-storm-evacuees-in-hotels-face-evictions.html?pagewanted=2

Monday, September 23, 2013

Hotels In Carolina|"Hotels Lobby To Impress"

Source             :    journalgazette.net
Category        :    Hotels In Carolina
By                  :    Associated Press
Posted By     :    Hotels Carolina Beach NC

Hotels In Carolina 

Hotels want you to stay a while – in their lobbies. Long treated as dead spaces that hotel guests raced through on the way to the elevator, lobbies are being transformed into places to work, surf the Web or meet friends for a drink. Large, traditional hotels are spending billions in renovations to try to mimic the style and financial success of luxury and boutique hotels, which have always drawn free-spending crowds to their lobbies. Walls are being torn down to make lobbies feel less confined. Communal tables are popping up. Wine lists are being upgraded. And quiet nooks are being carved out that give business travelers space to work but still be near the action. Companies like Marriott, Hyatt and Starwood are betting that more vibrant lobbies will leave guests – especially younger ones – with a better feeling about their stay, even if their room is bland. Hotel owners say the investments are beginning to pay off, not just in alcohol sales, but in their ability to charge higher room rates. “People want to go where people are,” says Michael Slosser, managing director of operations for Destination Hotels and Resorts, a group of 40 hotels in the U.S. “They want to go to be seen, to relax and to people watch.” The changes are meant to attract travelers like Michael Coscetta, a 31-year-old consultant from Wantagh, N.Y., who spends about 90 nights a year on the road.

“Working in a hotel room feels claustrophobic,” says Coscetta, who instead takes his laptop and heads to the lobby or a nearby coffee shop. Steve Carvell, associate dean for academic affairs at Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration, says younger guests “very much want that sense of not feeling alone, even though they are.” U.S. hotels are forecast to spend $5.6 billion on capital improvements this year, up 10 percent from 2012 and more than double the $2.7 billion spent in 2010, according to a study by Bjorn Hanson, dean of New York University’s hospitality school. The bulk of that money pays for new beds, showers and other room improvements. But Hanson says a “proportionally record amount” of money is going to reconfiguring lobbies. Marriott International Inc. is freshening up lobbies in its namesake brand with “Great Rooms” that feature free Wi-Fi, comfortable seats and menus stocked with small dishes and local craft beers. The concept was first tested in 2007 and is expected to be in 70 percent of the 550 Marriott hotels worldwide by the end of the year.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. – the company behind trendy W Hotels – launched a $4 billion lobby revitalization of its Sheraton brand in 2009. Nearly half of the 427 Sheratons worldwide now have lobbies with communal areas, modern rugs, improved lighting and flat-screen TVs at the bar. Additionally, Sheraton has tried to inject a bit of pizazz to all its lobbies by adding upscale wine lists, each rated by Wine Spectator magazine. Having better wines gives waitresses “something more to talk about than ‘Can I take your drink and where are you from?’ ” says Rick Ueno, general manager of the Sheraton Chicago. It also gives the hotel more revenue. In the first six months of this year, the hotel bar sold 18,000 glasses of wine. That’s 24 percent more than the same period last year. At $14 a glass, that adds up to $50,000 more in revenue.

Nearby, the Hyatt Regency Chicago spent $168 million to spruce up its lobby, adding clusters of chairs and couches, a grab-and-go marketplace and a restaurant that flows into rest of the lobby. Similar renovations have taken place at Hyatts in New York, Atlanta and San Francisco. Robert Mandelbaum, director of research information services at consulting firm PKF Hospitality Research, says the changes are “very much guest driven.” “It isn’t fun being one of 20 business people sitting by yourself in a hotel restaurant reading a magazine, eating the $19.95 steak special,” Mandelbaum says. While overall hotel food and beverage revenue has fallen 27 percent in the last five years, sales in hotel bars have grown 5 percent, according to Mandelbaum. Grand old luxury hotels, like New York’s Plaza and Chicago’s Drake, have long relied on their public spaces to help distinguish themselves.

But as hotel chains developed in the 1960s, designs became standardized and bland. Guests no longer selected hotels by the looks of the lobby but on the brand’s reputation. A brief lobby renaissance kicked off in 1967 with the Hyatt Regency Atlanta. The hotel’s 22-story atrium and rooftop revolving restaurant made it a tourist destination. Similar hotels soon popped up in San Francisco, Houston, Detroit and Los Angeles. But the oil crises of 1973 and 1979 made heating and cooling giant atriums impractical. Increased use of wheeled suitcases reduced the need for bellmen and the space they occupied. The lobby became a place to swipe a credit card, get a room key and leave. By the 1980s, they resembled bunkers, with low ceilings and few windows. “The industry really failed by letting the lobbies get hollow,” Marriott CEO Arne Sorenson says. Then in 1984, Ian Schrager and his business partner Steve Rubell – the men behind the famed 1970s nightclub Studio 54 – opened the Morgans Hotel in New York. The rooms were tiny. But its stylized lobby redefined the industry. Robert Mapplethorpe photographs were commissioned for the walls. Nightclub music blared. When it first opened, locals waited behind red velvet ropes to enter.

“The lobby established the pricing of the hotel,” NYU’s Hanson says. It would take more than a decade for chains to catch on. Then, in 1998, Starwood opened the W New York. The lobby became the “living room.” Forget food. The emphasis was on drinks with higher profit margins. Guests clamored at the bar to buy $14 cosmopolitans and sour apple martinis. Other hotel chains eventually followed with their own boutique brands, including Hyatt’s Andaz and InterContinental’s Indigo. Marriott partnered with Schrager to launch its own “lifestyle” brand. But traditional convention, airport and city center hotels were largely ignored until now. Revamping lobbies is a delicate balancing act: attract younger road warriors but don’t turn away baby boomers with loud, thumping music. Sheraton’s first lobby modernization came in 2006, when it partnered with Microsoft to provide free computers. Soon it was selling Starbucks to lingering guests.

“As people spent more time in the lobby, they were more willing to purchase food and beverages,” says Hoyt Harper, the senior vice president in charge of Sheraton. Nearly 15.1 million – or half – of Sheraton guests use the computers each year. Just 5.8 million use the gym. Pushing through costly renovations isn’t easy. Most chain hotels are owned by smaller companies that must meet the larger brand’s standards in exchange for using the Sheraton, Marriott or Hyatt name. Some need convincing to understand the benefits of spending millions on a lobby revamp. For proof that the investment works, look no further than Destination Hotels and the $26 million renovation of its seaside L’Auberge Del Mar resort in Southern California. Its new living room-style lobby features large doors that open out to the ocean, allowing the breeze to flow through. A fireplace warms guests on cold days as they enjoy $25 charcuterie plates and $12 hibiscus margaritas. Prior to the renovation, the hotel sold $450,000 worth of food and drinks in its lobby each year. Today, it sells more than double that. “If they are comfortable in the space and surrounded by others, they will stay and spend more money,” Destination’s Slosser says. “They become not concerned about the price. They’re much more interested in staying there and enjoying their life.”

Source : journalgazette.net/article/20130923/BIZ/309239988/1031/BIZ

Hotels In Carolina|"Room Prices Fall As Japanese Tourism Wanes"

Source             :    taipeitimes.com
Category        :    Hotels In Carolina
By                  :    Staff writer
Posted By     :    Hotels Carolina Beach NC

Hotels In Carolina

Average hotel room prices in Taiwan dropped 6 percent during the first six months of this year because of a reduced number of Japanese visitors, online booking service Hotels.com said yesterday. According to Hotels.com, travelers making bookings through its Web site spent an average of NT$3,693 (US$125) on hotel rooms per night between January and June, 6 percent less than the same period last year. Jessica Chuang, senior marketing manager of Hotels.com’s Greater China operations, attributed the speding decline to a decrease in the number of visits made by Japanese tourists, which in turn could be the result of the yen’s depreciation. The falling room prices were also the result of the growing amount of budget hotels available on the Web site, Hotels.com said. The drop seen in Taiwan was in line with a fall in hotel room prices in several major cities across the Asia-Pacific region, which are feeling the impact of the weakening yen and Australian dollar, Chuang said. The site’s data showed that visitors from several European countries were among the biggest spenders in Taiwan during the six-month period, with Danish tourists spending the most with an average of NT$4,372 per day, Hotels.com said. German travelers came in second, spending an average of NT$4,312 daily, followed by visitors from the Philippines at NT$4,287, US tourists at NT$4,225 and travelers from the UK at NT$4,221. According to Chuang, the figures reflect the purchasing power and preferences of visitors from different countries.

Source : taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2013/09/24/2003572846

Sunday, September 22, 2013

Carolina Beach Hotels|"Hotels Turn To Artists Touch To Lure Guests"

Source             :    thejakartapost.com
Category        :    Carolina Beach Hotels
By                  :    Nurfika Osman
Posted By     :    Hotels Carolina Beach NC
Carolina Beach Hotels

With escalating competition in the hospitality industry, hotel chains are going the extra mile to stand out among their rivals. Artotel Indonesia, for example, has added unique and colorful decorations to every hotel it operates, and claims to be the one player in Indonesia that makes the best use of art in its hotels. “We fully integrate art in our hotels since art can create an value added experience for our customers. By using art, we can create a new and different atmosphere that adds comfort and convenience,” Artotel Indonesia corporate general manager Eduard R. Pangkerego told The Jakarta Post. Hotel numbers have continued to increase in the country’s major cities. It is estimated that an additional 50,000 new rooms will open across the archipelago next year. According to the association of the Indonesian hotels (PHRI), there are currently about 285,000 star-rated hotel rooms available. “This is very important because in the end, when supply in the market is high and people have a lot of choices, they will pick accommodations that are unique and provide good service.”  During the Post’s site visit to Artotel Thamrin, the firm’s second accommodation currently under construction, contemporary art could be seen in the building’s rooms and lobby. 

The hotel’s exterior stood out along Jl. Sunda in Central Jakarta as it had the image of huge squid painted on it . Six local artists including Zaki Arifin, Oky Rey Montha and Eddie Hara painted as many as 107 rooms in the hotel. “Each artist designed a floor, so we have six different urban contemporary style themed rooms here. We are doing this because we want to really integrate the art in the hotel,” Artotel Thamrin public relations manager Heni Juniarti said, adding that the hotel would launch on Oct. 17 this year. Artotel Indonesia’s first property is Artotel Surabaya in East Java, a 106-room urban street-style accommodation that opened in July 2012. “Response from the market has been good as we have maintained on average a 84 percent occupancy rate till today,” Eduard said.The company is currently constructing two properties in Cikarang, West Java and Sanur, Bali, that are expected to open next year. It plans to expand the chain to Palembang, Makassar and Kendari over the next few years. 

Another player incorporating art in its hotels is Tauzia Hotel Management through its new brand Yello Hotel. Tauzia spokeswoman Yani Sinulingga said the company had decided to blend street art into its Yello accommodation as it was the perfect way to target the booming middle-class market in the country that sought freedom through arts. “We want to showcase freedom of expression in addition to urban art. Our artistic atmosphere with distinctive bright colors and cutting edge design will bring in a whole new market ,” she said. Just as with Artotel, Yello will incorporate street art in its lobby, rooms and meeting rooms. Fourteen Yello Hotel properties are being developed in major cities across Java and Bali, with its first one, Yello Seminyak (Bali), set to begin operations in the first quarter of 2014. The firm was optimistic that its art-themed hotel would pull in a 70 to 80 percent occupancy rate despite the highly competitive market, she said. 

A hotel in Jakarta that has included art to help enhance its services is the upscale Pullman Central Park in West Jakarta. It was distinctively designed with an “Industrial Raw” concept, a cross between a modern museum and a designer signature hotel. Pullman Central Park’s marketing communication executive, Arditiya Chandra Putra, said the art concept had been a success as the hotel was able to maintain its 80 percent occupancy rate on the weekends when most hotels had seen decreased rates.

Source : thejakartapost.com/news/2013/09/23/hotels-turn-artists-touch-lure-guests.html

Thursday, September 19, 2013

Affordable Hotels In Carolina Beach|"Burberry Raincoats & Other Cool Things You Can Borrow From Your Hotel"

Source             :    gadling.com
Category        :    Affordable Hotels In Carolina Beach
By                  :    Reena Ganga
Posted By     :    Hotels Carolina Beach NC

Affordable Hotels In Carolina Beach

London may be known for its rainy climate but one hotel in the British capital has decided loaning out umbrellas just wasn't cool enough for its elite clientele -- not when you could loan out Burberry trench coats instead. The Maybourne Hotel Group -- which runs a number of high-end hotels in London -- is placing the designer raincoats in suites so that guests can ward off the weather. Visitors can use the Burberry coats for free during their stay, but will have to cough up around $1,500 if they want to take them home. Trench coats are just one of many luxurious perks hotels are offering to woo guests. Over the years, we've seen all sorts of cool and surprising things on loan to travelers. If you're staying at the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills, there's no need to worry about picking up a cramped rental car. The hotel will set guests up with a nice set of free wheels -- all you have to do is decide if you want to hit the road in a Porsche, Lamborghini, Rolls Royce, Ferrari, Cadillac, Mercedes or Bentley.

Earlier this year, the Burj Al Arab in Dubai announced it was letting guests play with an iPad during their stay. Of course, being Dubai, they're not just handing out any old iPad -- their blinged-out devices are plated in nothing less than 24-carat gold. And finally, if you're tired of everything in your suitcase, you can put together a killer new outfit thanks to the Fred Segal lending library at the Loews Santa Monica Hotel. The program lets hotel guests borrow a range of accessories such as expensive purses, necklaces and sunglasses from the upscale clothing retailer.

Source : gadling.com/2013/09/19/burberry-raincoats-london-hotel/

Affordable Hotels In Carolina Beach|"Downtown Brooklyn Gets New Hip Hotels"

Source             :    usatoday.com
Category        :    Affordable Hotels In Carolina Beach
By                  :    Nancy Trejos
Posted By     :    Hotels Carolina Beach NC

Affordable Hotels In Carolina Beach

Brooklyn's year-old Barclays Center has drawn the likes of Jay-Z and Barbra Streisand, the Brooklyn Nets and this year's MTV Video Music Awards. The arena is part of a larger complex called Atlantic Yards, which will soon be filled with residential, office and retail space. Throw in a thriving arts and cultural scene anchored by the Brooklyn Academy of Music, plus a dozen or so universities, and you've got a hotel developer's dream. "It's an underserved market," says Hung Luk, chief operating officer of the Lam Group, which has developed InterContinental Hotels Group's Hotel Indigo, officially opening today in downtown Brooklyn. Brooklyn has become the hottest New York City outer borough in the last few years, but much of the activity has been concentrated in Williamsburg, a subway stop away from lower Manhattan. Now, development is spreading throughout the borough, making Brooklyn a primary destination rather than a second thought for travelers visiting New York City. For city residents, it can also be a more affordable place to live, with easy access to Manhattan."Hotel Indigo is just the latest in a series of new hotels exploding onto the Brooklyn scene, and it's easy to see why," says Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz. " Whether business or pleasure, Brooklyn is tops by any measure in offering memorable opportunities to guests, from shopping and dining to culture and the arts."

Right now, there aren't enough hotels to house those guests, city officials and developers say. Gregory Atkins, project manager of a 200-room lifestyle hotel near the Barclays Center planned by Second Development Services, says Brooklyn has 4,000 hotel rooms for 2.6 million people. "Take your average Midwestern small city. How many hotel (rooms) do they have? They have more than Brooklyn," he says. "There's a tremendous market demand for Brooklyn alone." From January 2011 through this June, 13 of the 53 hotels that opened in New York City were in Brooklyn, according to NYC & Company, the city's official marketing and tourism organization. Another eight are expected to open in Brooklyn by 2016. The New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge in downtown Brooklyn, a large full-service hotel, had long dominated the borough's hotel market. Then Williamsburg landed two boutique hotels: the 72-room Wythe Hotel and the 64-room King & Grove Williamsburg. Now, developers are looking to other parts of Brooklyn that are as up-and-coming as Williamsburg once was, such as Bushwick and Sunset Park, where the 76-room Hotel BPM, named for the musical term "beats per minute," opened last year.

That's partly because land is generally cheaper in Brooklyn, about 50% less than it would cost in Manhattan, says Scott Barone, president of Barone Management, which is planning a 204-room full-service hotel near the Barclays Center. And, says Luk of the Lam Group, land in Manhattan is getting scarce. "There's only so much you can build in Manhattan," he says. New York City travelers are attracted to Brooklyn because visitors can often get rooms for less. The average daily rate this year through August is $167.96 in Brooklyn, vs. $261.29 in Manhattan, according to STR, a hotel research firm in Nashville. Bijal Panwala, owner of Hotel BPM Brooklyn, says it's not just about the money. "Our guests choose Brooklyn for Brooklyn rather than it being a cheaper option," he says. In many ways, downtown Brooklyn has become the next frontier for hotel development in the borough. The neighborhood has 1,000 hotel rooms now, and another 500 on the way, says Tucker Reed, president of the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership. The latest addition is the 128-room Hotel Indigo on Duffield Street, IHG's boutique brand, where rates range from $179 to $300.

The design of the hotel pays homage to the neighborhood's history as a haven for artists and intellectuals, says Mary Winslow, director of Americas brand management for IHG's Hotel Indigo brand. In the early 1940s, the nearby February House became a boarding house for writers, poets and performers such as burlesque dancer Gypsy Rose Lee, author Carson McCullers and poet W.H. Auden. Walk into the Indigo, and you think you're walking into an old vaudeville theater. In the lobby is a mural of a red velvet stage curtain and numbered seats. Next to a red velvet chair that guests can lounge on is a stage light. Murals on hallway walls show theater steps. A second-floor fitness center has a picture of the legs of dancers covering one wall. Rooms have murals of stage curtains. Some have murals of chandeliers on their ceilings. The paintings and photographs hanging on the hallway walls were chosen by the Lam Group in collaboration with the Brooklyn Arts Council.

"The murals, the colors, the food and beverage … it has to be rooted very specifically to the neighborhood story; otherwise, you feel like you're in Disney," Winslow says. That neighborhood story will continue to evolve. In addition to the Barclays Center, there are other developments on the horizon, including the BRIC Arts Media House, an arts and media complex, and the Polonsky Shakespeare Center, the new home of the Theatre for a New Audience. "It provides visitors in the area with all sorts of things to do that weren't necessarily here a decade ago," Reed says. "These will only prove to drive up, in my opinion, occupancy rates and demand for rooms."

Source:usatoday.com/story/travel/hotels/2013/09/19/downtown-brooklyn-hotels-barclays-center-hotel-indigo/2830615/

Carolina Beach Hotels Deals|"Downtown Brooklyn Gets New Hip Hotels"

Source             :    usatoday.com
Category        :    Carolina Beach Hotels Deals
By                  :    Nancy Trejos
Posted By     :    Hotels Carolina Beach NC

Carolina Beach Hotels Deals

 Brooklyn's year-old Barclays Center has drawn the likes of Jay-Z and Barbra Streisand, the Brooklyn Nets and this year's MTV Video Music Awards. The arena is part of a larger complex called Atlantic Yards, which will soon be filled with residential, office and retail space. Throw in a thriving arts and cultural scene anchored by the Brooklyn Academy of Music, plus a dozen or so universities, and you've got a hotel developer's dream. "It's an underserved market," says Hung Luk, chief operating officer of the Lam Group, which has developed InterContinental Hotels Group's Hotel Indigo, officially opening today in downtown Brooklyn.


Brooklyn has become the hottest New York City outer borough in the last few years, but much of the activity has been concentrated in Williamsburg, a subway stop away from lower Manhattan. Now, development is spreading throughout the borough, making Brooklyn a primary destination rather than a second thought for travelers visiting New York City. For city residents, it can also be a more affordable place to live, with easy access to Manhattan."Hotel Indigo is just the latest in a series of new hotels exploding onto the Brooklyn scene, and it's easy to see why," says Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz. " Whether business or pleasure, Brooklyn is tops by any measure in offering memorable opportunities to guests, from shopping and dining to culture and the arts." Right now, there aren't enough hotels to house those guests, city officials and developers say. Gregory Atkins, project manager of a 200-room lifestyle hotel near the Barclays Center planned by Second Development Services, says Brooklyn has 4,000 hotel rooms for 2.6 million people. "Take your average Midwestern small city. How many hotel (rooms) do they have? They have more than Brooklyn," he says. "There's a tremendous market demand for Brooklyn alone."

From January 2011 through this June, 13 of the 53 hotels that opened in New York City were in Brooklyn, according to NYC & Company, the city's official marketing and tourism organization. Another eight are expected to open in Brooklyn by 2016. The New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge in downtown Brooklyn, a large full-service hotel, had long dominated the borough's hotel market. Then Williamsburg landed two boutique hotels: the 72-room Wythe Hotel and the 64-room King & Grove Williamsburg. Now, developers are looking to other parts of Brooklyn that are as up-and-coming as Williamsburg once was, such as Bushwick and Sunset Park, where the 76-room Hotel BPM, named for the musical term "beats per minute," opened last year. That's partly because land is generally cheaper in Brooklyn, about 50% less than it would cost in Manhattan, says Scott Barone, president of Barone Management, which is planning a 204-room full-service hotel near the Barclays Center.

And, says Luk of the Lam Group, land in Manhattan is getting scarce. "There's only so much you can build in Manhattan," he says. New York City travelers are attracted to Brooklyn because visitors can often get rooms for less. The average daily rate this year through August is $167.96 in Brooklyn, vs. $261.29 in Manhattan, according to STR, a hotel research firm in Nashville. Bijal Panwala, owner of Hotel BPM Brooklyn, says it's not just about the money. "Our guests choose Brooklyn for Brooklyn rather than it being a cheaper option," he says.

In many ways, downtown Brooklyn has become the next frontier for hotel development in the borough. The neighborhood has 1,000 hotel rooms now, and another 500 on the way, says Tucker Reed, president of the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership. The latest addition is the 128-room Hotel Indigo on Duffield Street, IHG's boutique brand, where rates range from $179 to $300.

The design of the hotel pays homage to the neighborhood's history as a haven for artists and intellectuals, says Mary Winslow, director of Americas brand management for IHG's Hotel Indigo brand. In the early 1940s, the nearby February House became a boarding house for writers, poets and performers such as burlesque dancer Gypsy Rose Lee, author Carson McCullers and poet W.H. Auden. Walk into the Indigo, and you think you're walking into an old vaudeville theater. In the lobby is a mural of a red velvet stage curtain and numbered seats. Next to a red velvet chair that guests can lounge on is a stage light.

Murals on hallway walls show theater steps. A second-floor fitness center has a picture of the legs of dancers covering one wall. Rooms have murals of stage curtains. Some have murals of chandeliers on their ceilings. The paintings and photographs hanging on the hallway walls were chosen by the Lam Group in collaboration with the Brooklyn Arts Council. "The murals, the colors, the food and beverage … it has to be rooted very specifically to the neighborhood story; otherwise, you feel like you're in Disney," Winslow says.

That neighborhood story will continue to evolve. In addition to the Barclays Center, there are other developments on the horizon, including the BRIC Arts Media House, an arts and media complex, and the Polonsky Shakespeare Center, the new home of the Theatre for a New Audience. "It provides visitors in the area with all sorts of things to do that weren't necessarily here a decade ago," Reed says. "These will only prove to drive up, in my opinion, occupancy rates and demand for rooms."

Source:usatoday.com/story/travel/hotels/2013/09/19/downtown-brooklyn-hotels-barclays-center-hotel-indigo/2830615/

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Marriott Carolina Beach|"Ritz Carlton Plans To Open 20 New Hotels"

Source             :    skift.com
Category        :    Marriott Carolina Beach
By                  :     Ritz-Carlton
Posted By     :    Hotels Carolina Beach NC

Marriott Carolina Beach

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company has announced plans to add 20 new hotels to its portfolio to bring the number to 100 hotels and resorts around the world by 2016. The expansion plans include capital cities and emerging tourist destinations, some of which will be debuts for the international hotel group. The Ritz Carlton has opened three new properties over the last 12 months – the Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, UAE; Dorado Beach, a Ritz Carlton Reserve in Puerto Rico; and the Ritz Carlton Vienna in Austria. Additionally, five more hotels are scheduled to open in the last quarter of the year, including two new properties in China – The Ritz Carlton Chengdu, and The Ritz-Carlton, Tianjin. Other hotels scheduled to open are The Ritz Carlton, Almaty in Kazakhstand; The Ritz-Carlton, Aruba; and The Ritz-Carlton, Bangalore in India.

Ritz-Carlton president and chief operating officer Herve Humler said: “The robust pipeline of hotel projects indicates a continued strong demand for Ritz-Carlton products and services. We are delighted at the company’s continued positive growth. Across the globe, and especially in Asia and the Middle East, we will be the undisputed top-tier luxury hospitality brand by 2016.” The group will also be adding more residences to its portfolio, following strong demand for the serviced apartments offering by The Ritz-Carlton. “The growth of Residences by The Ritz-Carlton has been impressive. Affluent customers are choosing these lifestyle options because they know that their condominiums and estate homes will be managed in the same exceptional way as our hotels. Whether as a second or third home, or a primary residence, it is a great testimony to the affinity our customers have for The Ritz-Carlton,” said Humler.


2014 will mark more hotel and resort openings for the group in cities such as Kyoto, Japan; Nanjing, China; Rabat, Morocco; Cairo, Egypt; Manesar, India and Bali, Indonesia, followed by more openings in Cabo San Lucas; Oman, Muscat; Bali, Indonesia; Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam; Tunis, Tunisia and Haikou, China in 2015.

Source:skift.com/2013/09/17/ritz-carlton-plans-to-open-20-new-hotels-by-2016-focuses-on-asia-and-middle-east/

Monday, September 16, 2013

Hotels In Carolina|"Hawaii Hotels Reach Record Room Revenue"

Source             :    bizjournals.com
Category        :    Hotels In Carolina
By                  :     Janis L. Magin
Posted By     :    Hotels Carolina Beach NC

Hotels In Carolina


Higher average daily room rates helped push room revenue at Hawaii hotels to $336 million in July, a new record for any single month, despite a nearly 3 percentage-point decline in occupancy for the month, according to a monthly report by Hospitality Advisors LLC and Smith Travel Research. The statewide occupancy rate in July was 78.9 percent, which was 2.9 percentage points lower than the rate in July 2012, the report said. The statewide average daily room rate for the month, however, rose 11.8 percent to $241.63, which was also a new record for any single month and helped to offset the decline in occupancy to push revenue per available room, or RevPAR, to $190.65, which was 7.8 percent higher than the same month last year and a new high for the month of July. Occupancy was highest on Oahu, where 87.7 percent of hotels were full in July, but that was a decline of 3.9 percentage points from the 91.6 percent rate set in July 2012. Waikiki hotels followed a similar trend with an occupancy rate of 89.1 percent in July, which was 3 percentage points lower than the 92.1 percent rate during the same month last year. Despite that, the average daily room rate on Oahu rose 13.4 percent to $221.42, while RevPAR rose 8.5 percent to $194.19.

Source:bizjournals.com/pacific/blog/morning_call/2013/09/hawaii-hotels-reach-record-room.html

Hotels In Carolina|"Israeli Hotels Report Sukkot Vacancies"

Source             :    globes.co.il
Category        :    Hotels In Carolina
By                  :     Michal Raz
Posted By     :    Hotels Carolina Beach NC
Hotels In Carolina

If you have not yet made a reservation for the Sukkot holiday, and you want to do so in Israel, there are still quite a few offers available at hotels nationwide. Hotels that are not yet fully booked are offering deals, such as the third night for free or at a discount. Nonetheless, a family of four will still pay NIS 6,000 for 3-4 nights at a hotel. A review of eight hotels found that, in most cases, a reservation through a travel agency (including specialized websites) is cheaper than making a reservation directly at the hotel (through the hotel's website). However, customer club members who make reservations via the hotel website earn substantial discounts (including reductions on the membership fee).

On one hand, it seems that hotels are "desperate" to make deals because of the drop in incoming tourism and the strength of the shekel against the dollar, and are offering especially good deals for customer club members (including new members). On the other hand, travel agencies which have unsold packages are no less desperate. Bottom line, it is recommended to examine both channels for reservations, and do not hesitate to bargain over the price. An empty hotel room profits no-one. "The holiday and the school vacation created expectations of high occupancy rates at Israeli hotels, but it seems that Israelis prefer spending the holiday eve at home, and the hotel occupancy rate is not high, at an estimated 70%," says Eshet Tours manager Galit Zakkai, "The large number of discounts that hotels have been offering in the past week make vacations at the height of the tourist season relatively cheap."

Walla Tours CEO Ariel Atias says, "Demand this year is even higher, because talk of a possible attack on Syria caused some wholesalers offering package tours overseas to cancel or reduce flights. This resulted in a shortage of package tours to foreign destinations compared with demand. Eilat is still an available alternative, so I expect that it will be full over the first and second Sukkot holidays. Demand will naturally keep prices high." What has happened to prices compared with last year? Ophir Tours VP Yehuda Zafrani believes that prices are similar to last year. "Hotels in Israel have not raised prices, in view of lower than usual incoming tourism during this time of the year. The security situation in Syria has caused a slowdown in incoming tourism. As a result, hoteliers are focusing on Israeli consumers and are offering better prices. Prices this year are similar, and, in some cases, even lower than last year, which is good news because prices usually rise during the peak season," he says.

Source : globes.co.il/serveen/globes/docview.asp?did=1000879649&fid=1725

Sunday, September 15, 2013

Oceanfront Hotels In Carolina|"Stamford Artist Inherits Hotel"

Source             :    stamfordadvocate.com
Category        :    Oceanfront Hotels In Carolina
By                  :    Eve Sullivan
Posted By     :    Hotels Carolina Beach NC
Oceanfront Hotels In Carolina

At his home in North Stamford, artist James Knowles is busy working on an aluminum sculpture for the marquee of his family's hotel in New York City. Knowles already created the base of the structure -- a set of aluminum pipes melded together in a unique shape -- and is now attaching separate pieces of aluminum. After placing the first couple pieces, Knowles said he hadn't planned where to put them or what the final outcome will look like. But, he said, it looked "rigid," and that's good. "They don't have a specific location in advance," he said. "But it comes up and it comes alive." Hustling back and forth from the pile of aluminum to the structure, Knowles continued placing aluminum pieces that he constructed earlier onto the base. They came in all different shapes and sizes, with some looking like an accordion.

Upon completion, Knowles stepped back for a moment to look at his masterpiece. "Come on, that's beautiful," he said. "Look at the complexity of it." The 69-year-old has been creating art for most of his career, while also running the Hotel Roger Smith on 47th Street at Lexington Avenue in New York City. He has joined his two interests together, turning the historic hotel into a showplace and meeting place for artists. "It's known in the city," he said. "It's a funky little hotel." On a recent day, Knowles was cutting elm trees in the backyard of his High Ridge Road home, which sits on nine acres of land. The wood from the trunks will not go to waste, as he uses a chainsaw to carve them into artwork. Knowles left the woods to discuss his family's history in Stamford and the chain of hotels they once owned. Heading toward an old barn which he uses as a workshop, Knowles said he and his wife purchased their home in the 1970s and raised a family there.

His father-in-law once owned a huge piece of property next door, stretching back to Trinity Pass, and also owned a hotel chain. He started with the Hotel Roger Smith in Stamford in 1929, then gradually bought out hotels in New York, until eventually acquiring 17 of them. Knowles graduated from Yale University and received a master's degree in fine art from the University of Pennsylvania, with the intention of being an artist. For many years, he focused on his sculptures, creating some for local churches, schools and businessmen. In 1987, his father-in-law died and Knowles took over the last remaining Hotel Roger Smith in Manhattan. The place was once called the Hotel Winthrop before being purchased by the Roger Smith Corp. in 1938, with plans to fill it with tourists for the 1939 World's Fair. These days, Knowles said the hotel -- which has about 130 rooms -- is booked every night and plays a part in the city's arts scene. He said he travels to the hotel almost every day and also works on his own artwork at home. Looking at a giant bronze bust sitting in the yard, he said the subject was a Jewish philanthropist who gave his money to Harvard Medical School. He said he made a statue for the man and one for himself, adding, "I don't think he particularly liked it."

Knowles showed several other pieces on the lawn before heading into his self-proclaimed "messy" workspace. Inside, chainsaws, hammers and other tools are strewn everywhere and various pieces of artwork can be found lying around. Picking up some of his work, Knowles said, "This stuff here is so lightweight that it intrigues me. They're aluminum tubes that we shape together." Sitting on a chair in the corner, he grabbed some small clay sculptures that he molded. Although the faces seem a little distorted, he said they really look like the subjects. Some small bronze sculptures were located overhead and on shelving around the barn. Knowles said he gets random visits to the workshop, sometimes by people who are driving by and notice his artwork on the lawn. He said he had one the day before.

Heading back outside, Knowles pointed out three replicas of pieces that are on display in public places. One is a giant bronze cross that's at Christ Church in Greenwich. The others are plaster pieces at the New Canaan Country Day School and New Canaan Presbyterian Church. Then, like a mad scientist, Knowles began working on the piece that will go over the marquee. He compared it to a piece of music, possibly by Mozart. Aside from the piece going on the marquee, Knowles said he usually doesn't show his own work at the hotel. "My stuff is around, but I'm not showing it much," he said. "I'm showing other people's stuff."

Source:stamfordadvocate.com/local/article/The-Dart-Stamford-artist-inherits-hotel-creates-4816796.php

Thursday, September 12, 2013

Marriott Carolina Beach|"Westchester May Join Hotel Tax Lawsuit"

Source             :    lohud.com
Category        :    Marriott Carolina Beach
By                  :    lohud
Posted By     :    Hotels Carolina Beach NC

Marriott Carolina Beach

Westchester County is considering whether to join a class action that alleges multiple online travel companies are not remitting all the hotel taxes they collect to local governments. The lawsuit, filed two years ago by Nassau County, claims Expedia, Priceline.com, Orbitz and similar businesses charge hotel taxes based on discounted rates they buy rooms for, not the higher rates they charge their consumers. “While Defendants charge and collect Hotel Taxes from occupants based on the marked up room rates, they only remit to the Class members, if anything, tax amounts based on the lower, negotiated room rates,” the filing said. “Defendants unlawfully pocket the difference.” The lawsuit, which was designated in April as a class action, comes at a time when local governments are struggling to find new revenues. All local governments that have imposed hotel taxes at any time since 1995 are plaintiffs unless they opt out by Oct. 11. Eighty local governments in New York have hotel taxes, the state Comptroller’s Office said.

Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino is recommending the county not opt out of the lawsuit. The county has a 3 percent hotel tax and collected $5.3 million in 2012. The Board of Legislators is reviewing his recommendation. “These companies are hitting taxpayers and visitors with a double whammy,” county spokeswoman Diana Costello said. “They collect a higher tax from consumers, and then put the profits in their own pockets instead of passing along what is due to Westchester.” Rye Brook, White Plains, New Rochelle and the city of Rye also have 3 percent hotel taxes. Rye Brook estimates it will collect $630,000 in taxes this year from its two hotels, the Hilton Westchester and Doral Arrowwood, said Chris Bradbury, village administrator. Rockland County is opting out because officials “figured it wasn’t going to benefit us in any real way,” said Stephen DeGroat, county finance commissioner. The county implemented a 3 percent hotel tax in April 2012, which yields about $1 million a year. Most people who stay in hotels and motels in Rockland book directly with hotels, he said.


Source : lohud.com/article/20130912/NEWS02/309120079/Westchester-may-join-hotel-tax-lawsuit

Marriott Carolina Beach|"Indonesian Drug Mule Arrested After Hotel Room Raid"

Source             :    thestar.com.my
Category        :    Marriott Carolina Beach
By                  :    Johor Baru
Posted By     :    Hotels Carolina Beach NC

Marriott Carolina Beach

Police have arrested a 41-year-old Indonesian drug mule who carried 3.1kg of syabu in a special compartment in his luggage while travelling from India. The substance with a street value of RM621,600 was seized when police raided a hotel room in Senai, Kulaijaya, at about 6pm yesterday. Johor deputy police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Ismail Yatim said that the suspect, believed to be working for an international drug ring, had brought in the drugs by hiding them in a special compartment in his luggage via the Senai International Airport. “We put the luggage under an airport scanner and the drugs could not be detected. We believe that the syndicate may have used this tactic many times before to avoid detection,” he said at a press conference here.

He said that the drugs could cater for some 15,540 addicts, adding that the suspect had tested negative for drugs and would be remanded until next Tuesday to assist in their investigations. In a separate case, DCP Ismail said that police had arrested six suspects including a 16-year-old girl who were part of a syndicate involved in at least three break-ins and eight robberies in the Johor Baru North area. He said that during the group’s latest spree, three of the suspects robbed a sundry shop in Taman Perling here at about 6pm on Monday. He said that police had seized a CCTV camera, an LCD television set, eight machetes, electrical tools and 63 cartons of cigarettes worth about RM20,000 from a Proton Waja that the syndicate used. “We believe that the syndicate used the money they got from their illegal activities to invest in contraband cigarettes before selling them at a higher price than what they had bought them at,” he added.

Source:thestar.com.my/News/Nation/2013/09/13/Indonesian-drug-mule-arrested-after-hotel-room-raid.aspx