Travel Franchise Industry News & Announcements
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May 25, 2012 // Franchising.com // IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) [LON: IHG; NYSE: IHG (ADRs)] announces that David Webster will retire on 31 December 2012. He has been Chairman of the Group since January 2004 and a member of the Board since April 2003. Patrick Cescau will become Chairman upon David’s retirement.
Patrick was Group Chief Executive of Unilever from 2005 to 2008 and previously held other senior positions with the company, including Finance Director and CEO of the Foods Division. He will join the Board of InterContinental Hotels Group PLC as Chairman on 1 January 2013.
David Webster said:
"My time with IHG has truly been a career highlight for me and I leave with a feeling of achievement for all that has been done since demerger in 2003... |
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Latest hotel addition marks dual strategic milestones as Hilton Worldwide’s tenth property and first DoubleTree by Hilton-branded hotel in Japan.
May 25, 2012 // Franchising.com // LIMA, Peru and MCLEAN, VA - Hilton Worldwide today opened the DoubleTree by Hilton, Naha in Okinawa, Japan - the tenth Hilton Worldwide hotel in Japan and the first in the fast-growing, upscale DoubleTree by Hilton brand portfolio. Located in Naha, the capital city of Okinawa, the 227-room hotel is directly opposite the Okinawa Monorail station in Asahibashi, 11 minutes away from Naha Airport by monorail and 500 meters away from the local ferry terminal.
"DoubleTree by Hilton is delighted to continue the expansion of our Asia Pacific presence by introducing another rewarding hotel experience with the DoubleTree by Hilton, Naha... |
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Aloft Leawood/Overland Park is Honored for Excellence Among North American Hotels
Leawood, KS, May 25, 2012 - (PR.com) - Famous for bringing “style at a steal” to Leawood, Kansas, Aloft Leawood/Overland Park has just earned another accolade, winning the Sales Team of the Year Award from parent Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT).
Aloft Leawood/Overland Park’s triumph came at an annual gathering of associates from Starwood’s Specialty Select Brand group across North America. At the Miami event, Starwood recognized top performers among hundreds of hotels in a range of categories. Starwood’s Specialty Select Brand group includes Aloft, Element, and Four Points by Sheraton hotels... |
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"Rockstar Yourself" Social Media Sweepstakes Offers One Lucky Winner the Chance to Bring Five Guests to one of Live Nation's premier music festivals in London's Hyde Park, featuring Bruce Springsteen & the E-Street Band, John Fogerty, Amy McDonald and more!
STAMFORD, Conn., May 24, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG(R)), the award-winning loyalty program from Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT), announces exclusive access to London's biggest music performances in Hyde Park this summer. Through On Tour with SPG members will have the opportunity to redeem Starpoints for tickets and access to an SPG VIP hospitality space in Hyde Park during festival performance dates in July. Artists include some of the world's most celebrated like Bruce Springsteen & the E-Street Band, Rihanna, Drake, Nicki Minaj, and many more... |
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Gift Card Redemption Sales Allow Priority Club Members to Redeem Their Points to Save On Gas, Restaurants and More All Summer Long
May 24, 2012 // Franchising.com // ATLANTA – Priority Club® Rewards from IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group), the world’s largest and fastest growing hotel loyalty program, is helping our members throw caution to the wind and hit the open road with greater ease and peace of mind. Starting May 25 through May 28, gas gift cards will be available for a 25 percent discount off their normal point redemption value. As we heat up our summer sale, members can allow points to do the talking and their hard earned money do the walking…right back into their wallets.
According to AAA*, 34... |
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What: Grand Opening for Memorial Day Weekend of New Waterslide
Where:
Poolside at Red Lion Hotel at the Park303 W. North River DriveSpokane, WA 99201
When: Thursday, May 24, 10am
Attached: Photo of 1983 opening with then part-owner Don Barbieri:Photo Credit - The Spokesman-Review
May 24, 2012 // Franchising.com // Spokane, Wash. - The Red Lion Hotel at the Park is proud to announce the grand opening of its new 28-foot waterslide, waterfall and updated pool area. In an attempt to recreate the original opening of the pool and slide on April Fools’ Day in 1983, the hotel general manager will be the first to slide into the pool fully dressed in a business suit. The inaugural ride down the slide is planned for May 24, 10am, at Red Lion Hotel at the Park, 303 W... |
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DoubleTree by Hilton St. Paul Downtown Now Welcoming Travelers to Minnesota’s Twin Cities
May 23, 2012 // Franchising.com // ST. PAUL, Minn. - DoubleTree by Hilton proudly announces the opening of a upscale, full service hotel in the heart of downtown St. Paul's thriving retail and business district, just miles from Minneapolis - St. Paul International Airport, blocks from the St. Paul River Centre Convention Complex and ten miles from the Minneapolis Convention Center.
The 251-room DoubleTree by Hilton St. Paul Downtown is located in one of the largest business and government corridors of the Twin City area. Offering many indoor skyway connections to numerous state, federal and corporate offices, the hotel is easily accessible to the Minnesota State Capitol, Minnesota Historical Center, Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, Saint Paul - RiverCentre Complex, Mall of America/IKEA, Minneapolis Convention Center, Hubert H... |
May 23, 2012 at 6:09AM PDT | Source: CruiseOne |
 Nation's Leading Cruise Retailer to Reward Five Veterans with Free Franchises Including Initial Fee, Six-Day Training at Fort Lauderdale Headquarters and More
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., May 23, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Just in time for Memorial Day, CruiseOne – one of the nation's top travel retailers as part of World Travel Holdings (WTH) – today announced the launch of an innovative new contest honoring the nation's military heroes. Dubbed 'Operation Vetrepreneur: Become Your Own General,' the campaign will award free franchises to former members of the U.S. military. The contest comes on the heels of CruiseOne's 'Second Chance at Success' initiative, which rolled out in 2010 and helped five unemployed educators launch new careers in the travel industry... |
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New Promotion Offers Guests of the Orlando Area Resort More Than a Free Night from Official Sponsor of Free Time
Orlando, FL (PRWEB) May 23, 2012 - Recognizing that people can be overworked and under-rested, Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress calls for travelers to use their well-deserved vacation days. The hotel is making it easy with a new promotion offering a free night and added perks.
Americans left 226 million vacation days unused in 2011, according to an Expedia survey. The average American worker earned 14 vacations days last year, but only took 12 of them. Why aren’t people getting away? A recent study showed 89 percent of adults said Americans want to take more leisure trips, but didn’t have the time or money to do so... |
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May 23, 2012 // Franchising.com // MINNEAPOLIS and BRUSSELS – Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, one of the world’s largest and most dynamic hotel groups, today announced the launch of the Park Inn by Radisson 1+1 Stay One, Get One offer, where the first 20,000 people to register will be eligible to receive 44,000 bonus Gold Points®, enough for a free night at any Park Inn by Radisson hotel worldwide.
“This year marks the one-year anniversary of Club CarlsonSM, our global hotel rewards program, and in celebration, we’d like to encourage new customers around the world to experience the bright, bold and fresh offerings that Park Inn by Radisson has to offer,” said Heather Passe, vice president, Marketing, Loyalty and E-commerce... |
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May 22, 2012 // Franchising.com // IHG’s (InterContinental Hotels Group) boutique hotel brand Hotel Indigo continues to grow in Europe with the signing of the first Hotel Indigo in Wales, Hotel Indigo Queen Street Cardiff.
Hotel Indigo Queen Street Cardiff will be managed by Sanguine Hospitality Ltd, who have four other Hotel Indigo properties in their portfolio, including Hotel Indigo Liverpool and Hotel Indigo Birmingham.
IHG’s Senior Vice President for Development and Design in Europe, Robert Shepherd, said that the signing in Cardiff continued the brand’s strong growth throughout Europe. The signing follows the opening of a second Hotel Indigo in Scotland (Hotel Indigo Edinburgh) and a second Hotel Indigo (Hotel Indigo Berlin Centre Alexanderplatz) in Berlin this month... |
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The "Key to Business Travel" Contest Will Reward a Deserving Small Business With a Year of Free Stays at Holiday Inn Express Hotels
WASHINGTON, May 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- This week in Washington D.C., the U.S. Small Business Administration's (SBA) National Small Business Week brings the economic need for small businesses and entrepreneurs into the national spotlight. Recognizing that business travel is a critical element of success, IHG's Holiday Inn Express hotel brand together with TV star and multi-talented entrepreneur Tabatha Coffey is launching "The Key to Business Travel" contest. Holiday Inn Express and Tabatha Coffey are searching for the small business or entrepreneur with the most compelling story of why a year's worth of free stays at Holiday Inn Express hotels will help grow their business... |
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LONDON, May 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Choice Hotels Europe, the company behind the Comfort, Quality and Clarion brands in Europe and part of Choice Hotels International, one of the largest and most successful lodging franchisors in the world, has launched a promotion enabling members of Choice Privileges, its award-winning rewards programme, to earn double points every time they stay in a participating Choice-brand property.
Between 17 May and 15 August, 2012 Choice Privileges members enrolled in Europe can now earn double bonus points for every qualifying stay at any hotel worldwide that participates in the Choice Privileges programme including the Quality Hotel Coventry, Comfort Hotel Finchley and Clarion Collection Birmingham in the UK, Quality Hotel Delfino in Venice, Quality Hotel Berlin Tegel in Germany, Clarion Hotel Park Avenue in New York and the Marque Sydney Clarion Collection in Australia... |
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May 22, 2012 // Franchising.com // Parsippany – Wyndham Hotel Group, the world’s largest hotel company with over 7,150 hotels and part of Wyndham Worldwide Corporation (NYSE: WYN), today announced an agreement with Hospitality Properties Trust (HPT) (NYSE: HPT) to brand 20 hotels with the Wyndham Hotels and Resorts® and Hawthorn Suites® by Wyndham brand names.
As part of the agreement, four of the hotels will become Wyndham Hotels and Resorts properties and 16 will become Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham hotels. All 20 properties will be managed by the Wyndham Hotel Group management company under a 25-year management contract. Wyndham Hotel Group will have two consecutive 15-year renewal options, which may be exercised for all of the hotels... |
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Completely Renovated DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Tucson Airport Now Welcoming Travelers to One Of Arizona’s Largest Cities
TUCSON, Ariz. - (BUSINESS WIRE) - DoubleTree by Hilton proudly announces the opening of an upscale full-service, all-suite hotel, situated near Tucson International Airport (TUS) and just minutes from downtown Tucson and the University of Arizona.
The 204-room DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Tucson Airport, is located in one of the largest business corridors of the Valley of the Sun, near many Fortune 500 companies, including Raytheon, Intuit and IBM. The hotel is easily accessible to the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, the Arizona Air National Guard, University Medical Center, Diamond’s Children Medical Center and the Tucson Electric Park/Kino Sports Complex... |
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Hyatt-branded hotels in Latin America expected to increase to 20 properties from eight.
CHICAGO (May 21, 2012) – Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) announced today that a Hyatt affiliate completed its previously announced acquisition of the 756-room Hotel Nikko Mexico from Japan-Mexico Hotel Investment Co., Ltd. for approximately US$190 million. The hotel has been rebranded as Hyatt Regency Mexico City. Ramping up its expansion in Latin America, Hyatt also announced plans for eight Hyatt-branded hotels in Latin America, in addition to four previously-announced hotels under development, for a total of 12 Hyatt-branded hotels under development in Latin America. When these properties open, there will be a total of 20 Hyatt-branded hotels in the region... |
May 21, 2012 at 6:47AM PDT | Source: Motel 6 |
Three Travel Fans will Win "Green" Excursions on Iconic American Highways this Summer
DALLAS, Texas, May 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Road-trip fanatics, get packing: In honor of its 50th Anniversary, Motel 6 is issuing a call for three "Open Road Correspondents" to travel and report on some of the best stretches of American highways. Honoring Motel 6's commitment to sustainability, Correspondents will travel "green" by using environmentally-friendly vehicles and digital map applications to help conserve fuel and energy. Winners also will stay at predetermined Motel 6 locations, several of which have been updated with earth-friendly features, like 80-percent recycled material flooring, low-flow toilets, high-efficiency heating and cooling units and energy-efficient lighting... |
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New Rooftop Culinary Experience Offers Innovative Mediterranean Cuisine and Breathtaking Views of the Arno River and City of Florence
FLORENCE, Italy, May 21, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) - Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Inc. (NYSE:HOT) today announced the re-opening of SE-STO on Arno, a new rooftop culinary experience at the iconic Westin Excelsior in Florence. Following a EUR 3.3 million restoration, SE-STO on Arno overlooks the Arno River and offers enchanting views of the city, rooftops, churches, bell towers of Florence, Ponte Vecchio and the picturesque hills of Tuscany.
Robert Koren, Vice President and Regional Director of Operations for Starwood Hotels Italy and Central Mediterranean, comments: "We are delighted to re-open SE-STO on Arno at the Westin Excelsior in Florence... |
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Online Contest Launches in Search of Final DJ to Join This Year’s Program, Hosted at W Retreat & Spa Bali – Seminyak
NEW YORK - (BUSINESS WIRE) - W Hotels Worldwide, in collaboration with burn studios, an innovative music platform developed by burn®, a globally leading energy drink from The Coca-Cola Company, today announced the new international DJs who have been selected to participate in the second annual W Hotels & burn studios DJ Lab. In addition, a global search has launched on whotels.com/music to find the final DJ, representing Asia, to join the curated group. The DJ Lab is designed to bring together the most exciting rising DJ talent from around the globe and provide them with unprecedented mentorship and valuable tools to help them realize their full potential... |
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Top Hotels Awarded "Hotel of the Year," "Premier Alliance" and "Developer of the Year" Recognitions
SILVER SPRING, Md., May 17, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH) recognized the cream of the hotel crop this year at its 58th Annual Convention last night in Las Vegas. The winning hotels, owners and developers of this year's award season for the franchisor represent the best of the best within the 6,100-plus property Choice Hotels family throughout the United States and worldwide. Among this year's award winners were three "Developer of the Year" recipients, five "Premier Alliance" winners, 14 "Hotel of the Year" hotels, and one "Woman of the Year".
"Selected as the winning hotels and owners from all our properties and franchisees across the globe, these properties and hoteliers have shown a strong commitment to extraordinary guest satisfaction—they represent the true meaning of hospitality to our consumers," said Stephen P... |
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