Meeting News - July 7, 2008 - (Page 12)

Hotels & Resorts One Brand’s Loss Is Another Hotel Company’s Big Gain Top ‘W’ execs at Starwood defect to Hilton to boost its position in the luxury and lifestyle hotel segments Beverly Hills, CA—In a clear bid to become the leading brand in both luxury and “lifestyle” (or boutique) brands, Hilton Hotels Corp. has swiped a pair of Starwood executives who built the W brand, a chain that pioneered the concept of delivering boutique-like amenities and design within larger hotels. Additionally, Hilton promoted one of its top executives who oversaw franchising to become an overseer of both franchises and new development—suggesting ambitious growth plans for the company. Hilton last month appointed Ross Klein as global head of luxury and lifestyle brands and Amar Lalvani as global head of luxury and lifestyle brand development. Formerly at Starwood, Klein was president of the luxury brand group; Lalvani was senior vice president of development for luxury brands and global head of development for W. Klein also led the creation of aloft, a successful division of W hotels, while Lalvani expanded the W Hotels brand into several new markets globally. At Hilton, Klein will oversee the company’s global luxury and lifestyle brand portfolio, including the Waldorf=Astoria Collection and Conrad, and spearhead the company’s entry into the lifestyle segment. Lalvani will lead the global development of Hilton’s luxury and lifestyle segments. In addition, the company bumped William Fortier, senior vice president of franchise development in the Americas, up to senior vice president of development in the Americas. He is now responsible for developing both managed and franchised properties in the region. A Hilton spokeswoman declined a request to interview Klein. But in a written statement, Steven Goldman, president of global development and real estate at Hilton said: “Expanding Hilton’s global platform is a major strategic imperative and [these appointments] represents a significant step toward achieving that goal.” Edited by Rayna Katz rayna.katz@nielsen.com Each room at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach will feature an iMac. Fontainebleau Ups Ante On Hotel Tech Miami—Stepping far ahead of the curve on in-room technology at hotels, the potential Fontainebleau Resorts plans to provide an Apple iMac computer, for complimentary use, in each of the 5,300 rooms at its soon-to-reopen, remodeled flagship here and its $3 billion hotel-casino being built on the Las Vegas Strip. The in-room equipment will be preloaded with music playlists that can be downloaded to iPods or other portable music devices; include an interface for downloading photos from a digital camera to email, and offer digital versions of some guests’ hometown newspapers. Apple technology will also be used for many hotel operations, including check-in kiosks that will store customer details such as a prior request for a hypoallergenic pillow. Now putting the finishing touches on a $1 billion rebirth, the 54-year-old Fontainebleau in Miami Beach will have 1,504 rooms, 200,000 sf of meting space, 11 restaurants and lounges and a 40,000-sf spa when it reopens in September. The Las Vegas resort will have 3,889 suites, 400,000 sf of meeting space, 24 restaurants and a 60,000 sf-spa come October 2009. Coming Out of the Dark: A New Hotel by the Estefans Vero Beach, FL—Planners handling groups impressed by celebrity are in luck: singer Gloria Estefan and her husband Emilio opened a $50 million resort here last month. Featuring “the duo’s flair, keen style and multicultural sophistication,” according to an announcement of the property, the new Costa d’Este [meaning Beach Resort] Resort is managed by Benchmark Hospitality. The hotel offers 94 rooms—includ12 MeetingNews July 7, 2008 ing four one-bedroom suites—and a 1,170-sf function room. Also on property are a bar and restaurant, serving Cuban-fusion fare; an infinity-edge swimming pool and cabana bar; and a full-service spa and fitness center. Nearby, tennis courts, golf, sport fishing, snorkeling, as well as diving are available. A California Omni Makes It Easy for Groups to Go Green San Diego—Looking to minimize a meeting’s impact on the planet? Look no further; a new program at the Omni San Diego is making it easy for meeting planners to create earth-friendly programs. The 511-room hotel is providing meeting planners that book an event with the facility a menu of “green” efforts that the hotel is able to make for a group. Among the choices: airport transfers via hybrid cars; a waived valet charge fee for meeting attendees driving hybrid vehicles; an organic menu using seasonal fare sourced from local purveyors; recycling bins for plastic, paper, glass and aluminum materials; and energyefficient lighting for all meetings. While many other hotels regularly employ some, or all, of these earthsaving measures, few if any offer group customers a choice of steps to be taken by the hotel. Situated in the Gaslamp district, across the street from the San Diego Convention Center, the Omni San Diego provides its own 27,000 sf of meeting space. r www.meetingnews.com http://www.meetingnews.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Meeting News - July 7, 2008

Meeting News - July 7, 2008
What's Up @ MeetingNews.com
Inside the Meetings Industry
People Making News
Chef Talk
Hotels & Resorts
CVBs
Convention Centers
Transportation & Services
International
MN Exclusive Research
Destination Insider: Florida Gulf Coast
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Meeting News - July 7, 2008