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This article provides information about a sustainable renovation that has revamped the Sheraton Suites. The HVAC technology that was constructed in the guest rooms has restored a fan coil unit refurbishment project. AirRevive, according to the article, is the leader in sustainable HVAC refurbishment and re-commissioning services. A 1989 IEC guest room fan coil was restored for the guest room renovation project. It is supposed to add about 1 decade to the lifespan of the units. Doing this renovation adds to guest satisfaction and comfort. These are the some of the most important factors in the hospitality industry. The indoor air quality is no loner compromised and will no longer leave guests susceptible to harmful allergens. The President of AirRevive states that this renovation is a cost efficient way to tune up. It saves energy and reduces operating expenses. There is an attractive ROI associated with the effective and efficient completion of the project.

The financial crisis of 2007-2008 is considered by many economists to be the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. It resulted in the threat of total collapse of large financial institutions, the bailout of banks, and downturns in stock markets around the world. The bursting of the U.S. real estate bubble, which peaked in 2006, caused the values of securities tied to U.S. real estate pricing to plummet, damaging financial institutions. Prior to this crisis strategies to develop new hotels or acquire existing assets with a small percentage of cash out of pocket were plentiful. Today to secure funding it may take 30%-40% of hard cash to move a deal forward. The Small Business Administration (SBA) is offering a way to leverage funds at well below market rates for major renovations and new construction with as low as 10% cash down. The catch? Some money-saving energy efficiency or renewable energy measures must be in the mix. Millions of dollars in SBA 504 loans have been available for decades to help small businesses grow. The greening of the program began when the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 added 3 public policy goals that could qualify businesses for a loan for construction, renovation, or refinance to: 1.Build a new facility (or retrofit an existing building) that consumes at least 10% less energy. 2.Incorporate sustainable design such as LEED into the new construction or renovation projects or building purchases. 3.Incorporate the production and use of renewable energy onsite for the business and/or for the local utility. Another area the 504 green loan program can assist the hospitality industry is to bring cash to the table for major renovations. Hotel franchise companies have been lenient over the past several years on product improvement, as not many hoteliers have had the financial ability to perform major renovations. In the past several months the need for franchise companies to protect their brand have

The Atlanta Airport Marriott just completed event space renovations that will enable event planners to host any size party/ meeting with the most updated technology. The Georgia hotel features 28,300 square feet of event space, including two ballrooms and 27 breakout rooms. The hotels lobby features a complex monitoring system for flight tracking information and departures by Delta Airlines. Touch screen kiosks have also been installed at concierge stands that will allow planners and people attending events to search for nearby restaurants and attractions. Additionally, the most recent renovation included in the installation of multi-use TV screens in the rooms. The screens allow guests to hook up iPods and other music devices. Guests may also use the new TV's as computer monitors. This connectivity is becoming more common in event spaces and visitor centers. I personally know that similar technology was recently installed in New York City's Central Park. Touch monitors enable park visitors to navigate their way around more efficiently. Additionally, tour guides have been equipped with handheld devices to track visitor usage and access information quickly.

This is great, This hotel is certainly utilizing technology that will be most convenient for meetings and events. Multi -use TV screen are very nice. More and more hotels now are investing in Ipod docking stations. Love the idea of the touch screen kiosk at the concierge stand.

The hotel event planning business is a very lucrative business for hoteliers. Renting out space for special events such as weddings, birthdays, graduations parties and conferences are all ways hotels can earn extra revenue. In this article, "Hospitality & Event Planning: The Ingleside Hotel, provides a brief overview of the 40,000 square feet renovated meeting and banquet space. The Ingleside Hotel in Wisconsin created a new program called 'Experience Ingleside that will create unique opportunities for guests to explore both the property and the local community. For the frequent business traveler, this space is great as it offers guests rooms and suites that include a work station with complimentary wireless internet.

This article summarizes the findings taken from research done within the Expedia Group's global hotelier panel consisting of 1,215 hotelier participants that used a choice-based study to compare technology investments between defined hotel chains and small independent hotels. In summary, chain hotels were likely to invest twice as much in technology when compared to small independent hotels. Conversely, small independent hotels were likely to invest more in rooms reservations than chain hotels. The I.T investment strategy varied among the two hotel segments. Small independent hotels choose technology based on affordability, value, and complexity of technology, whereas chain hotels bought technology based on its ability to integrate into their existing systems, the price was not mentioned.

My opinion on this article surrounds my personal experience in the way I have been able to experience third party extranet portals and because of these enhancements that Expedia has developed for hotel partners, I have seen a tremendous amount of return on investment that goes into technology development. Many consumers have been influenced by these third party sites because they offer a type of experience that is different from traditional booking methods and often times consumers are able to snag cheaper rates than they would with booking hotel direct. I would like to see how this trend goes on in future years because I have seen more third party bookings in recent months and it should follow that trend for years to come.

The article focuses on applying technology in the hospitality industry, based on the study conducted by Expedia Group (Big Think). The article summarized the research study conducted on 1215 hoteliers worldwide, assessing the focus and prioritization of technology investments by these businesses. The study provides that Chain of hotels are twice as likely to invest in technology than SME in the hospitality industries, with these SMEs being 1.5 times more likely to invest in renovations. In the year 2019, approximately 54% of hotels focused on increasing their technology investments, with only 8% focusing on reducing the same. This provided that more hoteliers were willing to "stay ahead of the curve" than those that focused on adopting the "wait and see" approach. In this respect, hoteliers identified that their main technology investments were influenced by the value and affordability of the same and the capacity to integrate them with existing technologies. On the other hand, the main challenges associated with the technologies were complexity, affecting 25% of the respondents, and ease of use, affecting 33.33% of the respondents (Big Think). In focusing on technological advancement, the Expedia Group focused on technological elements such as Partner Central Mobile Application improvements, new "rooms and rate," page improvements, new "marketing" improved pages, new homepages adaptive, as well as multiple-property portfolio dashboards. With regard to the market perspective, digital marketing/website optimization, smart room, reputation management, revenue management, guest check-ins, and payment solutions were the main technological focuses for the hoteliers. Focusing on the reasons hoteliers were motivated to invest in technology, the study established that improving productivity, improving loyalty and repeat visits, improving guest experiences and reviews, reducing costs, and improving revenue generation topped the list.  

Grand Hyatt San Francisco has selected a package of VingCard Elsafe solutions for installation during renovation of its 659 guestrooms. The renovation features the addition of VingCard's Orion energy management system and Signature RFID locks powered by the VISIONLINE wireless online access management system.

Article discusses the recent large scale IT investment in green friendly security for the Grand Hyatt San Francisco. The hotel recently upgraded 659 of its hotel guestrooms to feature energy management software as well as RFID enable security features for guests. This represents a significant investment in green technology for the use of energy conservation which in the long run will lower energy costs for the hotel in addition to making the hotel a more secure atmosphere for the guests. Hotel staff can monitor all forms of these upgrades which all communicate and work together with each other one a room has been reserved.

The Swissotel Chicago hotel was renovated this spring with a total investment of $10 million. The hotel decided to invest in new technology to attract more business and improve the overall performance of the hotel. "Updates to the lobby include a new earth-tone color palette and check-in pods in place of a central front desk. All front-desk agents are now equipped with laptops that allow them to roam and check guests in even when they're not stationed at the pods." This new renovated hotel offers a soundtrack of DJ beats, televisions, and multimedia plug-ins. The meeting space also provides the best in technology. "The hotel is the first Chicago property to offer Nervana's Bonfire Events Management app for meeting planners and attendees." This allow event planners to work more efficiently with schedules, flights, meetings and presentations "connects meeting participants through a social media site, and sends alerts for any schedule changes."

By using this augmented reality-driven app, hoteliers can clearly see the effect of some decoration products during renovation of rooms. Thus hoteliers can do a better financial control and avoid unnecessary losses since they have got a better idea of what the brand's products will look like before they really put them in the room. This products also remind me of the improper or ugly decorations in some hotels. I guess if they apply this innovation, they can avoid this effect to a large degree so they can express a better outlook to their customers.

The article discusses how the physical plant of a hotel is important to consider during the early phases of building the establishment because it can get much more expensive later on if it is not dealt with from the beginning. The author believed that this simple detail is what separates a prosperous hotel a part from a retired hotel company. They also noted that trying to take care of the physical plant during a remodeling phase or a major renovation project would be a good alternative to ensure that the physical plant is thought out appropriately.

according to the survey, the trend of using the new technology to order food is accepted by most of consumers. they are curious and want to try it. It is a good news for the restauran to renovate and upgrade. Such technology can attract more young guests who follow the fashion.  

In the United States, hotels represent more than 5 billion square feet of space, nealry 5 million guest rooms and approxiamtely $4 billion in annual energy use. As of January 2010, there were only 40 hotels that were LEED certified. The acronym LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. LEED is a voluntary, third party green building certification program that awards points to buildings depending on their sustainable practice being implemented which includes building improvements, environemntal footprint and water and energy use. LEED was developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, a nonprofit organization. Its main purpose is to provide building owners and operators with a basic framework for developing and implementing sustainable practices. The first hotel to ever be certified according to LEED criteria was the Proximity Hotel in Greensboro, NC. This hote received Platnium status for being able to recycle 87% of its construction debris, purchasing 40% of the building materials and 90% of its furniture locally. Installation of 100 solar panels, use of geothermal energy for the restaurant's refrigeration equipment and instllation of a Regenerative Drive model for its elevators made the Proximity Hotel a benchmark hotel. There are several practices that can make a hotel conserve energy and make it sustainable such as using flourescent lightbulbs, offering linen and towel reuse programs, paving parkig lots with highly reflective materials or open grid pavers, installing high-efficiency plumbing fixtures, landscaping with native plants and using local materials and goods. These will not necessarily lead to LEED certification but will definitely earn points towards obtaining that accredidation. The use of sustainable practices not only helps conserve the environment but also saves money in the long run. Through water conservation techniques, recycling and linen and towel reuse programs, the hospitality industry wins two-fold,

this is a old article but there is a good view for future marketing of hotel. that is mobile marketing. with more and more people using the smartphone, the apps for marketing will be a great way to expand your markets. airilines already use this technology to provide travel alerts concerning weather changes and flight schedules. why hotel can not provide such apps for customer. we can see that ther are several third part apps for booking and resevation already popular. so, how about a hotel creat their own apps for customers for the renovation and promotions. i think it will attrack more people to focus on you and bring more business for the hotel.

With many clients desiring to stay in "green" hotels, the industry is currently looking for ways to slash waste and promote sustainable practices. Hotels are now conscious of the impact they are having on the environment, and they are looking to minimize this impact.

It was recently brought to my attention that Donald Trump has expanded his portfolio with the $150 million dollar purchase of Miami's Doral Hotel & Country Club. I was casually watching the coverage of the 2012 World Golf Cadillac Championship on NBC and saw Ivanka and Donald on the screen but just brushed it off because of their well known passion for golf. To be honest, it was more exciting for me to see Watson fall to Rose after missing a birdie putt in the playoff round. Anyways, after searching Market Watch for 'IT Investment' and 'RFP' I stumbled upon this article and it all made sense. I am now pleased to summarize the exciting $200 million dollar investment Mr. Trump made with intentions to "reposition all aspects of the resort" resulting in a "greatly enhanced guest experience." Although not explicitly stated, I assume this investment will also include a 'renovation' of the current IT structure of the hotel and country club to increase productivity, revenue and ultimately ROI. Linda Robertson, from the Miami Herald, reported on March 8th that Mr. Trump stated, "to have 800 acres in a city like Miami -that opportunity will never arise again." It will be interesting to see how The Trump Organization follows through on their investment and achieves their goal of making Doral a "world-class facility benefiting of the resort." This article also mentions that The Trump Hotel Collection had been selected by GSA as the preferred developer for Washington D.C.'s The Old Post Office after an "exhaustive" Request For Proposal review. After researching the topic I could not find for what exact reasons he won, besides money. I will take a further look into the news. A lot of exciting new developments for The Trump Organization in the recent few months.

This article shows the importance of guest reviews in a hotel through online websites like TripAdvisor. Before purchasing the antique St. Ermin's Hotel in Central park, management decided to take a look of what customers thought about the property. People said the location was fantastic and it had beautiful physical assets but it needed a major renovation. TripAdivisor played a huge role for the hotel to recover and maintain high level of guest satisfaction raking their property from 480 to number 25 in TripAdvisor's Central London rankings and later jumped to number 18. Websites like TripAdvisor enables management to be informed and up-to-date of what customers are looking for before they travel. At the end, customers are they reason why we are still in business.

This article shows the importance of guest reviews in a hotel through online websites like TripAdvisor. Before purchasing the antique St. Ermin's Hotel in Central park, management decided to take a look of what customers thought about the property. People said the location was fantastic and it had beautiful physical assets but it needed a major renovation. TripAdivisor played a huge role for the hotel to recover and maintain high level of guest satisfaction raking their property from 480 to number 25 in TripAdvisor's Central London rankings and later jumped to number 18. Websites like TripAdvisor enables management to be informed and up-to-date of what customers are looking for before they travel. At the end, customers are they reason why we are still in business.

USA TODAY assembled five of the industry's top executives last month at the Americas Lodging Investment Summit in Los Angeles in the LA Live JW Marriott hotel for a discussion of the industry's latest developments. They were: Marriott International CEO J.W. "Bill" Marriott Jr.; InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) CEO Richard Solomons; Carlson CEO Hubert Joly; Choice Hotels CEO Steve Joyce; and Eric Danziger, CEO Wyndham Hotel Group. The discussion ranged from hotel Internet fees to iPad apps, new lobbies and chainwide hotel renovations. The hour-long event was moderated by USA TODAY's Barbara De Lollis . The text has been edited for clarity and length.

Thought this was a great article from the perspective of five of the top industry executives. Of particular note was about the issues of catering to the newer wireless data hungry traveler. Interesting to see all of their comments and concerns. Seems like this is an issue that is across the board and there is no consensus at the point about how to tackle.

The Peninsula Hong Kong has launched a $58 million dollar renovation to get up to date with their in-room technology.  They have chosen to add touch screen tablets to each room.  These tablets will control all functions of the room.   They have also added a dvd library of 3D movies that you can watch on their new in-room HDTVs.  You can switch room modes at the click of a button.  They have added VOIP calling from the rooms as well.  This is a huge upgrade and they have become relevant in the tech world.

Hotels are jumping on board the hypo allergenic train. Many hotels are transforming some of their rooms to allergy free rooms. Redesigning the rooms from the ground up is difficult, and quite expensive, but many hotels think it will pay off. The air filtration systems are the first to be replaced. The carpet is removed and mattress casings are put on the beds to remove any chance of bed bugs, dust mites, or any other allergy causing agents. At the Hilton in Chicago, one room renovation is about $12,000, and they charge an extra $25 a night. The cost of being healthy may be worth it. The recycled air and dust affect many people daily especially at hotels. If the pillows can be altered and little steps to increase the air quality, then I believe the payoffs will greatly surpass the initial costs.

Hyatt Hotels Corporation has been in the green initiative game for over five years now. Hyatt plans to set higher goals to benefit the environment by 2020. They have set up three focus areas which are done by each sole property. Firstly, they have goals regarding the consumption of less water, less waste and opportunities to recycle. Additionally, corporate sets goals for individual properties to follow. Secondly, Hyatt wants to make sure that they are building environmentally conscious hotels that are efficient. They will start new construction in 2015 and continue with renovations. They hope for every property to reach LEED certification. Thirdly, Hyatt wants to innovate and inspire, they want to create awareness about environmental sustainability and the benefits to society it can have. Hyatt hopes to create waves in the hospitality industry and at the rate they are going they should be seeing success in the future. Hyatt is definitely going in the right direction when it comes to green initiatives. Setting goals and reporting deadlines will help Hyatt and there large number of properties reach the goals they have in place for a more sustainable future.