Corporate travelers are mixing business and pleasure, according a new survey.

Business travelers are eager to do more than pass through cities while working, they also want to experience the locale and take advantage of attractions and events that in the past were ignored.

With this in mind, hotels will need to start accommodating this change in behavior and offer their business guests options and information on how to make the most of their time in cities across the country.

Jean-Pierre Remy, President of Egencia said, “Today’s corporate traveler has more demands placed on them than ever before. As a result, the lines between business and leisure travel are blurring as business travellers are driven by balancing personal and professional needs.”

Source

The US hospitality industry took a hit of 0.8 percent in RevPar declines in August 2008, says the report released by STR.

According to STR, the monthly decrease in RevPar was precipitated by a decline in room occupancy.

Year-over-year measurements, however, showed the industry’s average daily rate increased 2.8 percent, ending the month at $107.01.

Commenting on the year-to-date industry picture, Garner added, ‘An increase in year-to-date supply of 2.4 percent contributed to a lackluster posted occupancy of 63.2 percent, down 2.6 percent from the previous year. Rate integrity inspired the 1.0 percent growth in industry wide RevPAR.’ He continued, ‘Most hoteliers and operators, as the data suggest, are putting into practice valuable lessons learned from rampant discounting in the previous downturn.

Read the report.

Best Western International has put in place an aggressive program of expansion into Laos, recently appointing an area development partnership that will be headed by Mr. Oudet Souvannavong.

Laos has experienced an increase in tourism and demand for hotel accommodation, and the global hotel chain has chosen the country and a part of its key strategic growth plans to expand in the region. Other areas on the slate being Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia the Middle East the Phillippines and Thailand.

“Laos is a beautiful country with myriad scenic attractions that are as yet largely untapped. A deeply ingrained tradition of hospitality, coupled with two world heritage sites and exquisite culture in Luang Prabang and Pakse and the country has understandably become an increasingly attractive tourism destination. Already, it ranks among the top five most visited countries in the Asean region and it undoubtedly has considerable potential to go much further. All this underlines the need for the international standard accommodation for which Best Western is recognized as an industry leader world-wide.”

-Glenn de Souza, Best Western Vice President International Operations Asia

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Wyndham Hotels and Results announced the introduction of their new environmentally friendly uniforms for hotel staff today as part of its ongoing and evolving “green” strategy.

The uniforms are made from recycled polyester fibers spun from plastic beverage bottles. Select Wyndham Hotels will be introducing the uniform this fall, expanding by job category until everyone is with their own environmentally-friendly outfit. By 2010 all front and back-of-house staff will be sporting the new uniforms.

The uniforms do not require a professional laundering, and minimize the use of chemicals during cleaning. In the end, it’s money saved in operations for the hotel chain.

“As part of our quest to find new and innovative green practices, we challenged Cintas to design a program that reflected our three Wyndham brand-defining pillars of innovation, personalization and flexibility,” said Faith Taylor, Wyndham Worldwide vice president of sustainability and innovation. “Cintas answered the call by selecting trendy, eco-conscious garments that are machine washable, easily modified and mixed-and-matched for a more personal look.”

Source

Ramada Inn at Laramie, Wyoming is a newly renovated hotel in the heart of Wyoming.

The new, spacious and comfortable hotel is close to all of Laramie’s attractions and universities, incluindg the University of Wyoming, the Laramie Regional Airport, and the historic downtown region of Laramie.

The hotel has everything business and leisure travelers require, including:

• Business center
• Business work desk in rooms
• High speed internet
• Gym and Fitness center
• Complimentary continental breakfast
• Inroom coffee makers and tea makers
• … and much more

JW Marriott, the Marriott International luxury brand, will be introduced to the Vietnam markets in 2011 in Danang under a long-term management agreement with VinaCapital Danang Resort, Ltd.

The Danang JW Marriott Resort will be part of a mixed-use development which will include residential villas, a Greg Norman-designed Golf Course, and other future items besides the hotel itself.

“We are excited to be part of the emergence of Vietnam’s central coast as an important global  leisure travel destination with what promises to be a premier example of our luxurious JW Marriott hotel brand,” said Ed Fuller, president & managing director of international lodging for Marriott International.

JW Marriot is the premier luxury hotel brand of Marriott International. The brand is designed to appeal to leisure and business travelers that appreciate an unpretentious approach to luxurious surroundings, services and amenities.

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Located in the heart of Casper, Wyoming, the Ramada Plaza Riverside Hotel is the destination of choice for business and leisure travelers visiting Casper, Wyoming.

The hotel is located right on the scenic North River Platte shores and just off of the I-25, which puts the Ramada Hotel in Casper, Wyoming right in the heart of the city and the crossroads of the historic Oregon, Mormon and Pony Express trails.

With a large selection of shopping and dining available nearby, guests will want for nothing while enjoying the following amenities and features:

• Airport Shuttle
• Free High Speed Internet
• Gym & Fitness Center
• Pool
• Restaurant
• Pets Allowed
• … and much more.

The Ramada Hitching Post Inn & Conference center is the stay of choice for business and leisure travelers in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

The historic property is conveniently located in the heart of Cheyenne, nearby major attractions, such as the Cheyenne Depot Museum, National Forests and the Historic Downtown area. Restaurants, shopping and other activities are also nearby.

The hotel is ideal for business travelers as well, and for hosting large conferences in the area. A business center, free high speed internet and a comfortable room make any business traveler right at home and with the tools they need to stay in touch.

All guests will enjoy the generous amenities and features:

• High speed internet
• Coffee maker
• Hair dryer
• Iron and Ironing board
• Cable TV
• Microwave
• Pool
• Restaurant
• Pets allowed
• … and much more.

A report by Research and Markets stated that China’s tourism industry will keep growing at a rate of 10.4%.

With the growth of a middle-class, incomes and the standard of living, tourist expenditure increases. Over the past few years, China’s growth in the tourism sector has outpaced that of the GDP, and the future continues to look rosy.

In the next few years, China’s tourism industry will keep growing at a rate of 10.4%. Revenue proportion of China’s tourism industry to GDP will jump to 8% in 2010 from 5.44% in 2002. China will become the world largest tourism destination and the fourth tourist exporter of tourists in 2020, and the number of Chinese touring overseas will hit 100 million by then.

The Chinese have been investing heavily in infrastructure and its investments directly into tourism have reached and estimated CNY150 billion in recent years, fostering the large 20% growth rate.

The report goes into a detailed analysis, and you can read it all here.

The Ramada Rocky Mountain portal gives you access to every Ramada Hotel in 6 states and dozens of cities in the Rocky Mountains.

This is a great resource for Nature and Outdoor Lovers planning a trip to the Rocky Mountains. The portal lists Colorado Hotels, Idaho Hotels, Montana Hotels, New Mexico Hotels, Utah Hotels and Wyoming Hotels, covering every region of the beautiful and inspiring Rocky Mountains.

The portal will take you directly to the Ramada Hotel in the Rocky Mountain city of your choice.

Visit the Rocky Mountain Hotel Portal.