- The Crowne Plaza brand is revived in Adelaide as new property opens in the city's tallest building
- New 'Peninsula Time' allows guests to check-in and check-out at their convenience
- Radisson signs with The High Street Group to deliver new Radisson RED Newcastle
- Data metrics - latest performance insights from STR
- News briefs - bitesize updates of latest industry news and developments
The Crowne Plaza brand is revived in Adelaide as new property opens in the city's tallest building
The Crowne Plaza Adelaide has officially opened, marking the return of the premium hotel brand from InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) to the vibrant Australian city of Adelaide. The property is housed in Adelaide's tallest building, Frome Central Tower One, standing at 138 meters tall at 27 Frome Street. The hotel's 329 guest rooms and suites feature the US-patented WorkLife Room design, a concept built around the blended lifestyles of travellers. They feature floor-to-ceiling windows, sweeping views of the city and beyond and offer connectivity with in-room streaming, charging stations and in-room Bluetooth speakers. Located on level 10, the hotel also features a s rooftop heated infinity pool with city views.
New 'Peninsula Time' allows guests to check-in and check-out at their convenience
Luxury hotel operator The Peninsula Hotels will launch its new 'Peninsula Time' initiative in Jan-2021, which offers guests a newly extended and flexible schedule for check-in and check-out. This distinctive programme allows for a fully flexible check-in and check-out experience permitting guests to arrange to have their room ready as early as 6:00am on their arrival date and check-out as late as 10:00pm on their departure date at no extra charge when they book directly or with their preferred travel advisor. "Especially now that travel has become somewhat more challenging, we understand that extra time is one of the most meaningful gifts we can provide to our guests," says Gareth Roberts, group director of brand and operations support for The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, Limited, owner and operator of The Peninsula Hotels. "By letting guests arrive earlier and stay longer, we hope to provide them with greater peace of mind - and an even more personalised experience." This is one of a number of new initiatives from the company that includes a new collection of eco-friendly, bespoke scented guest room amenities, guaranteed connecting rooms at the time of booking, reservation flexibility with Luxury in Advance and other bookings, a new online platform for gift cards, and contactless services.
Radisson signs with The High Street Group to deliver new Radisson RED Newcastle
Radisson Hotel Group will bring its fun, upscale hotel Radisson RED brand to Newcastle, one of the UK's most vibrant cities. Set to open in 2023, the innovative and style-savvy hotel will be located in the city centre within the One St James' development of The High Street Group in Strawberry Place, adjacent to St. James' Park home of Newcastle United Football Club. The new hotel will feature 200 guest rooms as well as a stylish sky bar and an open al fresco space on the roof, extensive conference and banqueting facilities, informal meeting spaces and a residents' gym. The One St James' development will feature a collection of more than 300 apartments and premium offices, alongside attractive public spaces, which will be bordered by a range of bars and restaurants. It is one of 18 projects The High Street Group has in development in the UK. The company already has a significant footprint in the North East of England, operating 21 hotels, bars and restaurants in the region.
Data metrics - latest performance insights from STR
- Hotel performance metrics in Canada showed slightly higher occupancy during the week ending 07-Nov-2020 when compared to the previous week. In comparison with the comparable week in 2019, occupancy was down -54.3% to 29.4% (an improvement on the previous week 29.2% but down on early weeks in Oct-2020), ADR declined -26.7% to CAD110.45 and RevPAR fell -66.5% to CAD32.53. In the analysis period, Nova Scotia recorded the highest occupancy level (36.1%) among the provinces, while Vancouver (31.9%) was the only major market at or above a 30% occupancy level.
- United States of America (USA) weekly hotel occupancy was relatively flat in the week ending 07-Nov-2020 when compared to the previous week. In comparison with the same week last year, occupancy was down -35.9% to 44.2%, down slightly from 44.4% the prior week, and the lowest level since the week ending 20-Jun-2020. ADR also fell -31.1% to USD91.40 and RevPAR declined -55.8% to USD40.36. Aggregate data for the Top 25 Markets showed lower occupancy (39.9%) but higher ADR (USD97.13) than all other markets. Only two of those major markets reached or surpassed 50% occupancy during the week: Phoenix, Arizona (55.1%); and New Orleans, Louisiana (53.9%).
News briefs - bitesize updates of latest industry news and developments
- With a resurgence of COVID-19 in the US and renewed travel restrictions enacted in many states, a new survey of American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) members shows that the hotel industry will continue to face devastation and significant job loss without additional relief from Congress. Seven in ten hoteliers (71%) said they won't make it another six months without further federal assistance given current and projected travel demand, and 77% of hotels report they will be forced to lay off more workers.
- The Bahia Principe Grand Tulum reopened on 15-Nov-2020 following a year of extensive renovations and a USD40 million investment. The former flagship property when Bahia Principe Hotels & Resorts first arrived to Mexico over 20 years ago, the property has been transformed, now placing its Mayan origin front and centre.
- Bartech, a provider of automatic minibar solutions for the global hospitality industry, has announced the launch of BarTouch Cloud, an advanced manual minibar management solution designed to address the needs of today's hotels in a post-COVID industry environment. The solution ensures that hotels with manual minibars can seamlessly adapt to this growing expectation by providing hotel staff with the ability to track inventory levels and issue restock requests using any smart device.
- BlueZoo, makers of Party Squasher, an occupancy people-counter designed expressly for short-term rental properties, has launched a new product for professional property managers. Party Squasher Pro is a new multi-property occupancy monitoring solution for short-term rental property management companies. It consists of a small sensor connected to a proprietary cloud service. The sensor passively counts the mobile devices in and around a home, even if they are not connected to Wi-Fi, to report the number of mobile devices at a property.
- Benchmark Global Hospitality, Davidson Hotels & Resorts, Noble House Hotels & Resorts, Pebblebrook Hotel Trust, Provenance Hotels, Springboard Hospitality, and Viceroy Hotels & Resorts have together launched the Curator Hotel & Resort Collection, a hand-selected collection of small brands and independent lifestyle hotels and resorts worldwide. Curator's seven founding members currently represent a collection of more than 120 independent lifestyle hotels and resorts throughout the United States.
- Since the beginning of 2020 Donohoe Hospitality has increased its portfolio by almost half (44%) and added an additional 800 guest rooms to its portfolio. Latest additions comprise the newly built 156 guest room Canopy Baltimore Harbor Point, MD, the 214 guest room Hyatt Place Washington, D.C., National Mall, and the 135 guest suite Homewood Suites by Hilton, Reston, VA.
- A new Holiday Inn property has emerged alongside an established InterContinental hotel on a landmark site in Lusaka's Government District in Zambia's capital city. The 162-key property has arrived following the refurbishment of the landmark InterContinental Lusaka which will now sees a dual brand offering.
- LXR Hotels & Resorts, Hilton's collection brand of independent luxury properties, has revealed plans for the Mango House Seychelles property on Mahe island, which is due to open in early 2021. The intimate and exclusive resort is situated on pristine beachfront in the southern part of Mahe, stretching along the edge of the Anse aux Poules Bleues. The property contains 41 guest rooms including nine suites. The new property adds to the Hilton Seychelles Labriz Resort & Spa, Hilton Seychelles Northolme Resort & Spa, and DoubleTree by Hilton Seychelles - Allamanda Resort & Spa already established in the Seychelles.
- The Preferred Hotel Group, which manages and operates global travel and hospitality brands including Preferred Hotels & Resorts, Historic Hotels of America, Historic Hotels Worldwide, PHG Consulting and Beyond Green Travel, has launched Beyond Green. The new hospitality brand debuts with a global portfolio of 24 founding member hotels, resorts, and lodges that "exemplify sustainable tourism leadership" supporting the group's commitment to build a better and brighter future for travel in a way that also helps to protect the planet for future generations.
- TLG Investment Partners has confirmed the opening of the Saranac Waterfront Lodge, a member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts, as the newest independent boutique hotel located in the heart of the Adirondack High Peaks. The only full-service waterfront property on Lake Flower in the village of Saranac Lake, the hotel offers unmatched views of the surrounding lake and mountains. Managed by Skyward Hospitality, it features 93 guestrooms, including nine suites, five of which offer separate living rooms and walk-out balconies overlooking the lake.
- Palladium Hotel Group will resume operations in the Dominican Republic this December with the reopening of TRS Cap Cana Hotel. The property, located in Punta Cana, is set to reopen on 04-Dec-2020 at a location in one of the most exclusive parts of Punta Cana, on the Dominican Republic's east coast and just ten minutes journey from Punta Cana International Airport.
- Liberty Investment Properties has selected Sandpiper Hospitality to manage the currently under construction WoodSpring Suites Charlotte - University Research Park property in North Carolina. The extended stay hotel is scheduled to open early next year and will feature 123 rooms, all offering a full kitchen with table, a flat-screen TV and a workspace. General hotel amenities will include a fitness centre, free Wi-Fi and guest laundry and vending machines.