Hospitality Portal

Blackstone Spends $1.9B, Checks In to 1,202 Motel 6 Locations

2012-05-23T12:29:14Z

From a single location in Santa Barbara where a room cost $6 a night – thus the “6” in the name – Motel 6 now finds itself under new ownership as The Blackstone Group L.P. purchased the entire hotel chain for $1.9 billion. Former owner Accor SA said the move to divest itself of the [...]

Thailand commits to sustainable tourism

2012-05-23T12:20:58Z

Thailand reiterates strong commitment to sustainable tourism development Thailand”s Prime Minister, Yingluck Shinawatra, has become the latest head of state to join the Global Leaders for Tourism Campaign, a joint UNWTO / World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) initiative aimed at rallying support for tourism among world leaders (Bangkok, Thailand, 2 May 2012). “The stance [...]

Hotel chain falls foul of advertising watchdog

2012-05-23T12:13:44Z

Intercontinental Hotels has been rapped by the Advertising Standards Authority for advertising hotel rates exclusive of VAT despite an admission by the ASA that many other hotels exclude the tax in their advertised prices. The ASA upheld a complaint from a consumer that London room rates featured on hotel booking websites crownplaza.com and ichotelsgroup.com were [...]

Tourists face shortages if Greece leaves euro, warns economist

2012-05-23T12:07:33Z

Holidaymakers visiting Greece this summer could face food and fuel shortages if the country exits the eurozone, a senior economist warned yesterday. Dr Brian Clark of Barclays told the bank’s annual Travel Forum that it was now “more than likely” that Greece would exit the eurozone, but he said the prospect was “quite frightening”. He [...]

Destination Hotels & Resorts Appoints Frank Leone General Manager of the Newly-Branded MileNorth(TM), A Chicago Hotel

2012-05-23T12:03:00Z

Destination Hotels & Resorts appoints Frank Leone as General Manager of the newly-branded MileNorth(TM), A Chicago Hotel. In this role, Leone will be instrumental in the rebranding of the property, building a culture on exceptional, genuine service, as well as the day-to-day operation of the hotel. Destination Hotels & Resorts puts an emphasis on integrating [...]

Agents reassured over Greek crisis

2012-05-19T20:59:59Z

Agents are being reassured that it’s still safe to sell holidays to Greece despite fears of the country leaving the euro and of further civil unrest. But as the country’s problems intensify, ABTA chief executive Mark Tanzer has issued advice to agents and operators about how to deal with enquiries from worried customers. “Their two [...]

Domino’s under fire for labeling crust ‘gluten-free’

2012-05-19T20:36:37Z

A group of experts on celiac disease on Thursday said Domino’s Pizza is exploiting and misusing the term “gluten free” and called on the restaurant industry to use proper labeling to avoid causing serious harm. Last week, Domino’s became the nation’s largest pizza chain to offer a “gluten-free” crust in its nearly 5,000 U.S. locations. [...]

City solicitor Kenneth Hunt jailed after £1m fraud

2012-05-19T20:08:07Z

A TRUSTED solicitor has been jailed after he siphoned more than £1m from his clients’ accounts, “driven by pride and vanity”. Kenneth Hunt and his legal firm Hunt Kidd LLP were caught in the “perfect storm” when the global economic crisis struck and the Government launched a bail-out package for the stricken Northern Rock. The [...]

Prominent Cancun Resort Takes Leading Role in Earth Hour Initiative

2012-05-19T19:34:55Z

Guests enjoying prominent Cancun hotel accommodations recently had the opportunity to participate in the 2012 world observance of Earth Hour as their lodging host proudly joined in the worldwide initiative. Taking a stand to draw global attention to the effects of climate change, the impressive CasaMagna Marriott Cancun Resort and its guests joined with more [...]

Paramount Pictures to build hotel chain with Hollywood and California themes

2012-05-19T19:23:53Z

Movie firm Paramount has announced plans to launch a chain of hotels. The firm, one of the most active studios in Hollywood and the name behind movies ranging from Breakfast at Tiffany’s to Mission Impossible, plans to create up to 50 hotels and resorts themed around Hollywood and California. The hotels will be luxury properties, [...]