The West Coast’s leading boutique hotel company, San Francisco-based Joie de Vivre Hospitality, has merged with Thompson Hotels — a New York-based collection of 12 lifestyle hotels in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Miami, Toronto, and Washington, D.C. — to create a new multi-brand lifestyle hotel group, provisionally called JT Hospitality, the two companies announced this week.

Equal partners in the merger, Thompson and Joie de Vivre will combine their hotel-management operations and brands, but not their real estate assets. The result will be a joint collection of 45 properties with combined annual revenues of approximately $500 million.

Click here to read more about the merge.

—
Get the latest hotel news from HotelBlogs.com.

The first hotel in the history of San Francisco’s 235-year-old Presidio military base will open in April 2012.

The Inn at the Presidio will be built at the base’s Pershing Hall and will include 22 rooms whose rates will range from $195 to $350 a night.

The Inn’s stylish design and contemporary furnishings will pay tribute to the Presidio’s history while offering all the comforts of modern lodging. The Inn’s furnishings will reference the building’s history and its art program will use historic memorabilia and photographs, as well as modern regional art, to exemplify the unique national park experience found at the Presidio. Presidio artifacts will also be integrated into the design. The Inn will be operated in accordance with green hotel standards and the Trust is pursuing LEED Gold certification for the building.

—

Read more about the latest in hotels at HotelBlogs.com.

The Grand Del Mar resort in Carmel Valley became the first hotel in San Diego County to receive the coveted five-star rating from the Forbes Travel Guide, making it one of nine hotels in the state with such a distinction.

The Grand Del Mar hotel in San Diego joins its spa and restaurant counterparts, The Spa at The Grand Del Mar and Addison, which were awarded their five stars in 2011 and 2009 respectively. The triple five-star rating makes the Grand Del Mar triple the luxury for traveling guests.

Making the cut for the first time in the four-star category were nine hotels, nine restaurants and five spas. A total of 539 establishments in the United States, Canada, Beijing, Macau, and Singapore made the 2012 Forbes Travel Guide honor roll, which for the first time can be found on Startle.com, the guide’s new interactive Web site launched today.

—

Hotel Bel-Air has been closed since 2009 for renovations. After two long years, Hotel Bel-Air now offers 12 more rooms, a new fitness studio, a 4,100-square foot spa, and a restaurant by celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck. The property’s new presidential suite has more than 6,700 square feet of indoor and outdoor space.

The 65 year old property was redesigned by Alexandra Champalimaud, whose other work includes New York’s Algonquin and San Francisco’s Fairmont hotels, and the Rockwell Group, which has worked on Starwood’s Aloft boutique hotels as well as Hollywood’s Kodak Theatre.

A popular celebrity get-away, Hotel Bel-Air is back in business for guests to lodge and lounge in luxury.

—
Visit HotelBlogs.com today.

Renowned style leader Hotel Diva, a Personality Hotel located in San Francisco, is currently undergoing a $2 million reinvention, slated for completion in November 2011. Led by Edmonds + Lee Architects, all guestrooms, common areas and the exterior are being re-envisioned with the dramatic yet clean, modern style signature of the San Francisco-based designer. Inspired by a theatrical and fashionable evening out, Hotel Diva’s new performance is simultaneously classic and modern.

Exclusive to the hotel, Perrier Sparkling Natural Mineral Water is quenching Diva’s thirst for creativity with a one-of-a-kind Perrier Lounge, slated to open in January 2012. Designed around the iconic green bottle and other elements of the brand, this visionary space will have custom glass bottle light fixtures, intimate seating/meeting space and a Perrier vending machine stocked with a variety of flavors. Hotel guests will also receive a complimentary bottle of Perrier Sparkling Natural Mineral Water upon check-in.

The exterior of the hotel has been freshly painted in charcoal grey with bright white windows, resembling the look of a dashing tuxedo. A complete showstopper, passersby are treated to a small peek of the custom window shades, as their shapely silhouettes can be seen from the hotel’s exterior guestroom windows. Hotel Diva’s lobby will be redesigned as an open, airy lounge with a sexy new look.

Hotel Diva is located in the heart of San Francisco’s Union Square, with all of the excitement of the city’s finest shops, theaters, art galleries, restaurants and nightlife just right outside the door. For guests who want to see a show, two of the city’s best performing arts theaters, the American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T) and the Curran Theater, are located directly across the street from the hotel.

About Personality Hotels:

Founded in 1982 by pioneer Yvonne Lembi-Detert, Personality Hotels is San Francisco’s first boutique hotel company. Celebrating individualism, each distinctive Personality Hotel offers comfort and outstanding service infused with inventive, forward-thinking style and amenities. Personality Hotels is an affiliate of HotelTravelCheck.com, the hotel internet marketing company of its four eclectic San Francisco boutique properties: SEXY Hotel Diva, GRAND Kensington Park Hotel, AUTHENTIC Hotel Union Square and TIMELESS Steinhart Hotel. From a sleek urban abode in the center of it all to a relaxing seaside escape, Personality Hotels can oblige. For more information and to book reservations, call 800.553.1900 or visit www.personalityhotels.com.

—
Visit HotelBlogs.com today.

It costs 5 to 8 times more to gain new guests than to retaining existing guests. The cost in advertisement, marketing, sales people, etc. is far more than what it costs to make existing guests keep coming back. 68% of guests will not return if they feel unappreciated. These facts cannot be ignored in the hotel industry.

Here are 10 tips that hotels should emphasize with their guests:

1. Lasting Impressions
2. Keep in Touch
3. Reward Loyalty with Exclusive Deals
4. Understand Your Guests’ Needs
5. Ask for Feedback
6. Remember Your Guests
7. Consistent Services in Excellence
8. Train Your Staff to Meet Guest Expectations
9. Know Your Competitors
10. Wow Your Guests by Going the Extra Mile

Caroline Cooper outlines the basic know-how’s that all customer service based industries should take to heart. A little effort can go a long way for your guests. If getting new guests is the hard part, why not do the easy part by keeping them?

—
HotelBlogs.com

Discriminatory taxes are taxes that are applied specifically to travel services above and beyond general sales taxes.

The U.S. cities with the lowest discriminatory travel tax rates in central city locations are:

1. Orange County, CA
2. San Diego, CA
3. San Jose, CA
4. Burbank, CA
5. Ontario, CA

The cities that impose the highest discriminatory travel taxes on travelers are:

1. Portland, OR
2. Boston, MA
3. Minneapolis, MN
4. New York, NY
5. Chicago, IL

Knowing the tax rates will help businesses determine where they will save in their next travels. Looks like this study makes California a good hot spot for business travels.

The full report is available exclusively to Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) members and offers detailed insight for travel managers interested in understanding the impact that these taxes have on their business travel spend. Non-members can purchase this study through the GBTA Foundation website:

http://www.gbta.org/Lists/Resource%20Library/Forms/Foundation_Research_and_Surveys.aspx

Pineapple Hospitality, the newly formed hotel management division of Columbia West Properties in Bellevue, Washington, is pleased to announce the opening of its newest property, Hotel FIVE. Previously the downtown Ramada, Hotel FIVE is an urban industrial-inspired boutique hotel located on 5th and Blanchard in the heart of downtown Seattle.

Pineapple Hospitality unveiled the first of two phases of its renovation to the downtown property in May 2011.The first phase of renovations included an updated lobby area and 60 completely renovated guest rooms now featuring hardwood floors, urban industrial art and furnishings designed by Interior Design International in Seattle. The second phase is scheduled to be completed in early 2012.

Read Full Article at Hotel News Resource

With their website launch for west coast travels, Ramada has made it easier for travelers to complete their one-stop-shop for their west coast travels. Choose from Alaska, Arizona, Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Hawaii, Northern California, and Southern California. Find destinations, attractions, specials, things to do, and hotels!

Discover exciting West Coast attractions from Lake Tahoe to Waikiki Beach. Enjoy adventures at Disneyland, tour the Sonoma Wine Country, and ski Washington’s Crystal Mountain. Go boating on the Columbia River Gorge or Lake Havasu, and relax on the West Coast’s beautiful beaches from San Diego to Ocean Shores.

Visit Ramada’s Pacific Website to plan your next west coast travels. Get the best of the west coast!

In 1976 this region won worldwide acclaim in Paris when two Napa Valley wines outscored a venerable collection of French Bordeaux in a blind tasting. Today, there are over 500 wineries in the Napa and Sonoma Counties, specializing in different varieties. If you’ve hired a bike and feel a bit tipsy, take West Dry Creek Road – it’s been labeled the safest road on which to fall off your bike.

The Napa Valley has a wonderful collection of resorts, hotels, and motels. These hotels include the Gaia Napa Valley Hotel & Spa, known for creating the new standard in environmentally responsible lodging. As the only green hotel in California and “the greenest hotel in the United States”, Gaia Napa Valley Hotel is generating excitement and buzz in both the travel industry and the green building industry nationwide.

This cutting-edge, eco-operational hotel offers guests the ultimate experience of harmony with nature; a swan filled lagoon, a koi pond surrounded by a lush garden, and much more. Enjoy the ultimate luxury experience on four acres of the beautiful American Canyon, the gateway to the Napa Valley wine country, one of the most highly desirable destinations in California.

Their onsite catering works to reduce their carbon footprint in everything they do by using available, locally produced food and using organic and environmentally sustainable practices. They also offer a wide range of delightful cuisine to tempt any appetite. You’ll work closely with Executive Chef Marco Fiorini to design the perfect menu for your perfect event. Otherwise, you will enjoy a world class meal as a guest.