Embassy Suites Planned in Atlanta Suburb (1/5/2009)

KENNESAW, GA. —Embassy Suites Kennesaw here is slated for completion this October.

The 192-suite property will include 9,580 square feet of meeting space. Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse will be located in the hotel. The restaurant will prepare room service meals and will cater meetings and events held at the hotel.

The property is located in The Village at Town Park, a mixed-use development about 20 miles northwest of Atlanta.

Joie de Vivre’s Silicon Valley Hotels Certified Green (1/5/2009)

SAN FRANCISCO—Joie de Vivre’s properties in California’s Silicon Valley were certified green by Santa Clara County.

The properties certified as Green Businesses are The Domain Hotel and Wild Palms Hotel in Sunnyvale, Hotel Avante in Mountain View, The Moorpark Hotel in San Jose and Hotel Los Gatos in Los Gatos.

Joie de Vivre is working toward green certification for all of its 30 properties through its Joie de Vivre Green Dreams initiative. So far, eight Joie de Vivre hotels are green certified by their city or county authorities.

New CC Delayed in Memphis (1/5/2009)

MEMPHIS, TENN. —A new convention center will not be built in Memphis in the next five years, city councilman Shea Flinn announced.

Flinn sits on the convention center committee, created in early 2008 by Mayor Willie Herenton, to study the feasibility of building a new $600 million facility. Flinn cited financial constraints and a desire to focus on reducing crime as reasons.

Revamped Doubletree Opens in Motor City (1/5/2009)

DETROIT —The 204-room Doubletree Guest Suites Fort Shelby/Downtown Detroit is up and running after a $90 million renovation.

The property was built in 1917 in the Beaux-Arts style and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The refurbished hotel includes 21,000 square feet of meeting space. A sushi bar, steakhouse, lounge and fitness center are some of the amenities at the modernized property.

Cancun Resort Set to Host MPI Conference in 2010 (12/31/2008)

MIAMI—Moon Palace Golf & Spa Resort in Cancun, Mexico, will host the MPI’s MeetDifferent conference Feb. 20, 2010.

Moon Palace boasts the largest convention center in Cancun, with 142,000 square feet of meeting space. The resort offers 24-hour room service, non-motorized water sports, a 27-hole golf course and a spa, among other amenities

Hilton Americas-Houston Hires Sales Manager (12/31/2008)

HOUSTON—Alicia Miller joined Hilton Americas-Houston as senior sales manager. Miller previously served on the sales team at the Hilton Palacio del Rio in San Antonio.

Hilton Americas-Houston boasts the greatest number of rooms in Houston, with 1,203. The facility is connected to the George R. Brown Convention Center and includes 91,500 square feet of meeting space.

Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Completes Facelift (12/31/2008)

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ.—Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort and Spa at Gainey Ranch completed the third and final phase of a $50 million renovation.

Refurbishments at the 27-acre resort include upgrades to all 492 guest rooms, the 14,000-square-foot Vaquero Ballroom and executive boardroom, among other improvements.

More Event Space Coming to D.C. (12/31/2008)

WASHINGTON, D.C. —The Walter E. Washington Convention Center here will add an additional 40,000 square feet of meeting space by the end of 2009.

The center already offers 150,000 square feet of meeting space. Work is scheduled to begin in spring 2009. Construction is not expected to affect scheduled meetings.

Baton Rouge Cambria Suites Debuts (12/30/2008)

BATON ROUGE, LA. —The Baton Rouge Cambria Suites is up and running.

The 127-suite facility is the first Cambria Suites property in Louisiana, Choice Hotels International announced. The hotel offers more than 1,000 square feet of meeting space.

Hilton Toronto Names G.M. (12/30/2008)

TORONTO —Edwin Frizzell was appointed general manager of the 600-room Hilton Toronto, effective Jan. 19.

Frizzell will be responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the facility, which launched a renovation in 2008 that included the refurbishment of the lobby area, various guest rooms and suites, the fitness center and its convention space, including the hotel’s 9,300-square-foot ballroom.

Frizzell previously served as general manager at the W Chicago City Center.

Hotel Industry Posts Declines (12/30/2008)

HENDERSONVILLE, TENN.—The U.S. hotel industry posted double-digit declines in two of the three key performance measurements for the November 2008 reporting period, according to data from Smith Travel Research.

The industry’s revenue per available room in November fell to $52.86 from $60.68 in 2007. Average daily rate declined 2.5 percent to finish the month at $101.81 (compared to $104.47 in 2007). Occupancy for the month dropped 10.6 percent to finish at 51.9 percent (compared to 58.1 percent in 2007). Year-to-date, the U.S. hotel industry’s occupancy dropped 4 percent.

“Like most industries during this recession, the lodging industry began experiencing tough times rather quickly during the second half of 2008, and there are no signs that the deterioration in business will stop in the short term,” said Mark Lomanno, president of Smith Travel Research. “However, we still believe that after a very bumpy first half of 2009, the hotel industry will begin to see a light at the end of the tunnel as the second half of the year unfolds.”

Viceroy Miami Set to Open in 2009 (12/30/2008)

MIAMI —Viceroy Miami is set to open here in February 2009.

The 168-room hotel will include a rooftop pool, a 28,000-square-foot spa and a two-acre outdoor “living room,” according to the developer. The facility’s signature restaurant will focus on Latin and Asian flavors.

HTA Seeks New President After Controversy (12/29/2008)

HONOLULU—The Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) narrowed its search for a new president down to 10 candidates. The new president will replace Rex Johnson, who resigned in October after it was discovered he forwarded offensive e-mails on his work computer to personal acquaintances.

The authority chose an executive recruitment firm to make a recommendation on a new president.

The HTA decided to cut Johnson’s salary and the length of his employment contract to one year, but refused to fire him, Pacific Business News reported. The e-mails Johnson had forwarded were later released, and they included jokes referring to Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Gov. Linda Lingle called on Johnson to resign or be fired.

New Hotel Tax Approved in San Francisco (12/29/2008)

SAN FRANCISCO—City lawmakers voted to levy a special hotel room tax to fund capital projects at Moscone Convention Center and boost the San Francisco CVB’s (SFCVB’s) marketing efforts, the Associated Press reported.

The tax, scheduled to take effect Jan. 1, would add $3 to the cost of a $200 hotel room in the area around Moscone Center and $2 to the cost of a room elsewhere in the city.

Currently, visitors pay a 14 percent hotel tax, according to the SFCVB.

Orlando, Key West Hotels Earn Green Marks (12/29/2008)

TALLAHASSEE, FLA. —Four new properties recently earned Two Palm status in the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) Florida Green Lodging Program.

The Rosen Shingle Creek, Rosen Centre and Rosen Plaza, all located in Orlando, and the Banyan Resort and Spa in Key West recently achieved the designation. In addition, 21 other facilities—including Sanibel’s Blue Dolphin Cottages and the Country Inn & Suites Sanibel Gateway—achieved initial One Palm designation in the program.

Properties can achieve up to three levels within the program, ranging from One Palm to Three Palms based on increased reductions in waste, water and energy consumption.

Phoenix CC Ready for Official Debut (12/29/2008)

PHOENIX —The new Phoenix Convention Center will officially debut Jan. 7, when it hosts its first meeting in the completed site.

The American Meteorological Society and Professional Photographers of America are scheduled to use the facilities starting Jan. 7. The center hosted meetings throughout its construction period.

The new three-building, 900,000-square-foot complex has enough room to host 80 percent to 85 percent of meetings held in the U.S.

Playa Hotels Revamps and Rebrands in Mexico, D.R. (12/29/2008)

Playa Hotels & Resorts announced it has rebranded three of its resorts and completed renovations on two additional resorts in Mexico and the Dominican Republic.

The rebranded resort in Mexico is Dreams Puerto Aventuras, formerly the Sunscape Puerto Aventura. The two renamed resorts in the Dominican Republic are Dreams La Romana and Dreams Palm Beach, formerly the Sunscape Casa del Mar and the Sunscape Punta Cana.

Renovations are complete at Preferred Tower at the Dreams Puerto Vallarta and the Barcelo La Jolla de Mismaloya Hotel, also in Puerto Vallarta.

Tucson CVB Offers Up to a $20,000 Incentive (12/29/2008)

TUCSON, ARIZ. —The Metropolitan Tucson CVB is offering up to a $20,000 credit to groups booking meetings in Tucson in 2009.

Earlier this month the bureau launched a direct and electronic mail campaign offering between $1,000 and $10,000 in credit per meeting to a group’s master account, dependent upon the number of peak room nights booked. Groups booking consecutive multiyear events (2009 and 2010, for example) will receive incentive funding for both meetings.

Program criteria and restrictions are outlined at www.visittucson.org

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