Business Travel News - May 5, 2008 - (Page 14)

LODGING Choice Chooses Marriott’s Joyce To Follow CEO Ledsinger BY MICHAEL B. BAKER Choice Hotels International in May is bringing in longtime Marriott executive Stephen Joyce to work under and eventually succeed its CEO of 10 years, Chuck Ledsinger. Effective May 1, Joyce, 48, becomes president and chief operating officer at Choice, which operates such midprice brands as Comfort Inn, Quality Inn and Clarion. Joyce will work alongside Ledsinger and take over as CEO in October, and Ledsinger will stay on as Choice’s vice chairman. “The great thing about this transition is that I get to spend a lot of time with Chuck and get guidance on what makes this company click,” Joyce said. “I’ll work with him closely over the next six months and get a fair amount of mentoring.” Though this will be his first chief executive position, Joyce is no stranger to the hotel industry, having worked with Marriott for 25 years, most recently as executive vice president of global development and owner and franchise services. He began at Marriott working in corporate internal audit and operational consulting, and also has held positions in finance, franchising, operations and development. “After conducting a comprehensive, deliberate and thoughtful search, we ultimately found what we were looking for in Steve Joyce,” Ledsinger said. “I am confident that Steve has the operational acumen and strategic vision to lead Choice to the next level of its journey.” STEPHEN JOYCE Choice CEO-to-be Under Ledsinger’s leadership, Choice saw the greatest level of growth in its history, said board chairman Stewart Bainum Jr. Business Travel News’ 2007 Business Travel Survey showed Choice was the second-largest hotel company in terms of number of hotels and sixth-largest in terms of number of rooms (BTNonline, June 25, 2007). Joyce said he intended to continue that growth pattern. “The platform that’s been built is what really attracted me to come to Choice in the first place,” he said. “They’re in a terrific position today. I’m going to take what Chuck has done, execute that and build on that. Most of what they’re doing is working, so my goal is to make that even bigger.” ■ mbaker@btnonline.com ■ Starwood’s Sheraton Brand To Undergo A Nearly $4 Billion Upgrade BY MICHAEL B. BAKER be replaced with wood-paneled wardrobes. over the next few years. The brand currently Sheraton Hotels & Resorts soon will begin an “We have the highest percentage of women has 406 hotels in 71 countries, slightly less than almost $4 billion makeover, including renova- travelers of all the Starwood brands, and that sig- half of Starwood’s overall portfolio of about 900 tions, new properties and other initiatives. nificantly impacted our design efforts,” he said. properties. During the next several years, the upscale “We’ve moved the design head of the Westin The brand’s development pipeline now is the brand, part of Starwood Hotels & Resorts World- brand to Sheraton with the mission of upgrading largest in its history, with 54 hotels, or 20,000 wide, plans to invest $1.3 billion for renovation the quality of design work, but we want to make new rooms, expected to be added by 2009. This of 50,000 guest rooms and the redesign of more sure we’re distinctly different from Westin.” will include properties in Dallas, Denver, Minthan 100 new lobbies. SheraThe upgrades also will in- neapolis, Phoenix and Washington, D.C., as well ton vice president Hoyt Harpclude new in-room entertain- as Argentina, China, Egypt and Ireland. er II said the renovations are Beyond 2008, Sheraton plans to open two new ment options, Harper said, inbeing done with corporate cluding such proprietary New York City properties in 2009—in Brooklyn travelers in mind. on-demand content as first- and in the Tribeca neighborhood of Manhattan— “Corporate travel is critical run television programming. and will add about 70 total properties by the end to us, and our initiatives are Lobby renovations will in- of 2010, 30 of which will include spas. Global losignificantly focused on atclude a new communications cations for new properties include Italy, Poland, tracting and retaining corpohub with free wireless Inter- Russia, Taiwan, Turkey and Vietnam. The plan rate travel buyers,” Harper net access and Internet-en- also includes more than a half-dozen big-box said. “We did extensive reabled computer stations, as properties with a large amount of meeting space, well as a centrally located including new properties in Phoenix and Macau search on what we need to do community table for to increase the amount of loyas well as added meeting group work. “Some Access the 2008 alty from business travelers, space to the existing Dallas U.S. Hotel Chain Survey guests told us that they and the number-one factor and Denver properties. see btnonline.com/hotelsurvey don’t want to go to the was consistency.” In an effort to ensure the room until it’s time to sleep,” brand’s quality is consistent, Harper said SheraElements of the new room HOYT HARPER II design include movable desk according to Harper. Shera- ton will remove about 33 current properties from Sheraton vice president space, flat-screen televisions ton also will alter lighting and its system by the end of next year. and a charging station for other design elements to cre“We’ve raised the benchmark,” Harper said. guests’ electronics. The bathrooms will be refur- ate more of an outdoor feel. “All must meet or exceed our expectations of bished with new lighting, a freestanding vanity In addition to the renovations, Starwood also quality and maintenance.” and water-saving plumbing fixtures. Closets will plans to spend $2 billion in new hotel openings ■ mbaker@btnonline.com ■ 14 Monday, May 5, 2008 www.BTNonline.com Business Travel News http://btnonline.com/hotelsurvey http://www.BTNonline.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Business Travel News - May 5, 2008

Business Travel News - May 5, 2008
Contents
Inside Track
Profile
BTN Research
Aviation
Lodging
Travel Management
Travel Management Tech
Executive Dashboard
Corporate Travel World
Destinations

Business Travel News - May 5, 2008