"The Culinary World of Chef Brad"

Are you the kind of traveler who hates wasting energy, yet can’t shake the habit of keeping your hotel-room TV turned on at all hours even when you dash out for dinner? Starwood thinks it’s possible for you to have it both ways.

via Can you curb energy use in your hotel even if you leave your TV turned on all day? Starwood says yes – Hotel Check-in: A road warrior’s guide to the lodging landscape – USATODAY.com.

Statewide occupancy in October rose 1.2 percentage points to 68.3 percent. Still, the statewide average daily room rate fell by 8 percent to $163.46, and revenue per available room (RevPar), the best measure of hotel industry performance, contracted 6.4 percent to $111.64.

via Group travelers give hotel occupancy a lift – Hawaii Business – Starbulletin.com .

Though in the past we’ve had a few quibbles with the carpet selection at the new J.W. Marriott and Ritz-Carlton at L.A. Live in downtown, we got to go on a top-secret hard-hat tour (yes, there was an actual hard hat involved, as well as protective glasses, a hideous orange vest, clomping work boots, and a release form!) inside the new property to see how construction is going and what progress is being made so that the hotel can open on-time in mid-February.

via A Sneak Peek of the J.W. Marriott and Ritz-Carlton at L.A. Live || HotelChatter.

In 2009, social media Web sites completed the transition from being a source of procrastination for young adults to a mainstream cultural phenomenon. With Twitter—and to a slightly lesser extent, Facebook—leading the way, 2010 will see social media become firmly entrenched as a powerhouse marketing platform. At both the brand and property levels, even the most conservative of hotel companies are dipping their proverbial toes into the social media waters.

via ‘Twend’: Social Media Evolving Into Social Marketing – 12/1/2009 – Hotels.

For the first time, Lodging Econometrics (LE) has compiled and announced its forecast for New Hotel Openings for 2011. New hotel openings are projected at 759 hotels/74,493 rooms. LE has also adjusted its forecasts for 2009 and 2010. The 2009 forecast has been reduced to 1,425 new hotels/156,653 rooms, down by 5,036 rooms, a decrease of 3%. The 2010 forecast has been adjusted to 1,073 projects/124,439 rooms, down 21,277 rooms or 15%.

via 2011 U.S. Pipeline Forecast From LE – 7/27/2009 2:20:00 PM – Hotels.

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Interstate Hotels & Resorts has successfully appealed a NYSE ruling in March under which Interstate’s stock was suspended from trading for failing to meet the minimum $15 million market capitalization requirement. The NYSE has now determined that Interstate’s stock will resume trading on Wednesday, July 29 under its previous symbol IHR.

via Interstate Hotels Successfully Appeals NYSE Ruling – 7/27/2009 2:21:00 PM – Hotels.

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MINNEAPOLIS, MINN.  (July 28, 2009) – Carlson, the parent company of Carlson Hotels Worldwide, today announced that Hubert Joly, Carlson President and Chief Executive Officer, will now also personally lead Carlson’s hotel business, supported by a global hotel management team.

via Joly To Head Carlson Hotel Business, Too – 7/28/2009 9:42:00 AM – Hotels.

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