Novotel Saigon Centre will be open in 2012 in the centre of Ho Chi Minh City, Saigon. The 350 room hotel will be located in the same area where the current Metropole Hotel is.

Patrick Basset -Vice President for Accor Vietnam, Philippines, South Korea and Japan, commented: “Accor is delighted to be continuing its expansion in Vietnam with this strategically located Novotel, which will be developed by The Que Huong - Liberty Group.”

He also said that: “Currently, Accor operates 4 Novotel’s throughout Vietnam - the most extensive network for any international 4 star brand in the country. The hotel will fulfill a demand for upscale international quality hotels, which has existed in Ho Chi Minh City for some time.”

Hilton Worldwide has announced the signing of the First Doubletree by Hilton in Saudi Arabia.The new
management agreement with Hamad Bin Abdulaziz Almousa Trading Group of the 304-room building will be open in 2012.

The Doubletree Hotel by Hilton will be located in the Kingdom’s Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Jean-Paul Herzog, President, Hilton Worldwide, Middle East & Africa commented:”The Eastern Province is the industrial heart of the Kingdom’s oil and petrochemical industries, resulting in ever-increasing business opportunities and an exponential growth in the number of international and regional visitors.”

This hotel will feature “244 guest rooms and 60 suites, as well as four food and beverage outlets including all-day dining and specialty restaurants, a lobby lounge and a juice/snack bar.”

The School of Hospitality Business at Michigan State University has a new agreement with the Univeristiy of Macau, Macao, SAR.

“The People’s Republic of China, has been signed to foster cooperation in education and research between the two institutions.” The goal is to extend its reach globally and to encourage academic collaboration between faculty members and students from both universities.

Dean James Rainey, The School’s director of Academic Programs, commented: “The Agreement provides a wide variety of possible linkages for our faculty and students. I am particularly hopeful that Study Abroad opportunities will continue to develop.”

Morgans Hotel Group has recently announced a new management contract for the Hotel Las Palpas in Playa del Carmen, Riviera Maya in Mexico.

The hotel is at the present time owned by affiliates of Walton Street Capital, but as today, Walton and Morgans have joint venture partners in the ownership of the Las Palpas Hotel and two other more properties.

Las Palpas is a 75-key beachfront hotel located in the heart of Playa del Carmen, Riviera Maya in Mexico.

Marc Gordon, President of Morgans Hotel Group commented: “We are pleased to be working with Walton Street Capital on another international hotel. The beachfront Hotel Las Palapas in the popular resort destination of Playa del Carmen has great potential.”

Most Americans use internet to research places and when it comes to travel, they definitly use the internet to search for the best airline price, hotel discounts and car rentals.

Thrifty offers great discounts  in association with hotels. They use the online industry to promote the best prices ever when you stay in one of their associate hotels.

Carroll Rheem, director, research at PhoCusWright, said:”In September, PhoCusWright and Compete reported that traffic and conversion was up year over year in most travel categories in Q2 2009.”

She also said:”Consumers are certainly spending less, but they are not giving up travel, nor are they turning away from the Web sites that offer them the selection and convenience they value.”
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The former Royal Scottish Automobile Club building has been remodeled to be opened as a luxurious five star hotel on Tuesday, November 10th, 2009.

The development investment was £25 million and it has transformed the area. Peter Taylor, Chairman of the group, said: “Our aim was to capture the glamour of a bygone era whilst showcasing the latest in designer styling as befits this vibrant and sociable city. We are absolutely delighted with the outcome.”

He also said: “It has been our privilege to have the opportunity to restore this landmark Glasgow property into a contemporary hotel, retaining the unique features and personality for which it became famous.”

The hotel is open and its staff is welcoming guests from all over the world.

New Choice Hotels and d’Orleans Hospitality Training have recently announced the launch of the new comprehensive Choice Hotels Effective Sales System workshop.

This workshop will be available for use by its franchisees and their associates to provide Choice-brand hotel management to perform in today’s economic environment.

Bob Kerr, project director of certification programs for learning and performance solutions at Choice Hotels commented: “This new program that we’ve made available to our franchises is yet another way that we at Choice Hotels are constantly looking to provide useful and informational resources that can help our properties succeed in today’s environment.”

He also said:”The CHESS workshop gives franchisees effective take-away tactics and strategies that they can immediately implement at their properties.”

It has been officially announced that Aqua Hotels & Resorts has licensed eBuzz Connect TM Social Media Management Tool under their own brand.

eBuzz ConnectTM allows hotels to monitor, manage and respond to reviews and comments in online channels from their guests.

Amber Watt, Director of Internet Strategy for Aqua commented: “Aqua has been monitoring social media and online guest reviews for some time and the process has been piecemeal and time-consuming. We evaluated several solutions in the market and selected eBuzz ConnectTM because of its powerful reporting and its ability to provide actionable reports that can help improve service to our guests and eventually increase profitability.

He also said that: “Milestone is the ideal provider for Aqua’s internet marketing strategies as the company stays current with the latest online marketing trends and offers cutting-edge technology for the hotel and travel industries.”

Red Lion Hotels Corporation has announced that George Schweitzer is the new Senior Vice President, Hotel Operations.Mr. Schweitzer is 54 year-old and he has more than 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry.

Anupam Narayan, Red Lion’s President and Chief Executive Officer commented: “Red Lion has received kudos from analysts and investors for how successfully it has managed its hotel portfolio during this economic downturn, and George has been a large part of that success.”

He also said that: “George has a wealth of management experience, both with Red Lion and with other organizations, and the Board of Directors wanted to recognize George and further demonstrate the company’s support for him as the person accountable for the success of our hotel operations.”

Pineapple Hospitality has recently partnered with EcoGreenHotel to distribute Green Hotel Products. The main goal is to supply environmentally friendly products for its new online store.

EcoGreenHotel President Scott Parisi said: “We want EcoGreenHotelStore.com to be the go-to source for quality, affordable eco-hotel products and services. To achieve that aim, we have partnered with Pineapple Hospitality, a superior distribution and marketing company dedicated to providing innovative products and services to the lodging industry.”

He also added that: “Pineapple President Ray Burger built his company and his stellar reputation by providing hoteliers exactly what they want, when they want it - quickly, efficiently and at very fair prices. We couldn’t ask for a better partner in this new endeavor than Pineapple Hospitality and Ray Burger.”