Hospitality Trends
Loews Hotels & Co | October 13, 2021
Loews Hotels & Co, a wholly owned subsidiary of Loews Corporation, has officially broken ground on the new $550 million Loews Arlington Hotel and Convention Center. Executives from the company were joined by Arlington Mayor Jim Ross, former Mayor Jeff Williams, Chairman & Managing Partner of the Texas Rangers Ray Davis, The Cordish Companies' Director of Communications, Cari Furman, along with members of the Arlington City Council and other community and business leaders, to recognize and celebrate this milestone.
The addition of the Loews Arlington Hotel and Convention Center, a full-service resort, will further strengthen Arlington's robust convention and tourism opportunities. The city is one of the premier sports and entertainment destinations in the United States, and a leading destination for meetings, events, and leisure travel.
"Loews Arlington Hotel and Convention Center will allow us to capitalize on what we do best – combine a unique meetings and events destination with a best-in-class leisure resort. This significant investment further underscores our confidence and commitment not only in the great City of Arlington, Texas but also in the strength of the travel and tourism industry and our belief in the recovery of post-pandemic travel."
Jonathan Tisch, Chairman & CEO, Loews Hotels & Co.
This property will be the second Arlington hotel for the hospitality company. Loews Arlington Hotel and Convention Center is scheduled to open in early 2024. This new hotel will be located across from Live! by Loews, which is a joint venture among Loews Hotels & Co, the Texas Rangers and The Cordish Companies, built on the former Texas Rangers' Lot J parking lot.
"Arlington has some of the best built-in demand generators in the country, such as AT&T Stadium and Globe-Life Field. These attractions, coupled with Loews Hotels' track record of offering distinctive experiences alongside operational excellence, will help establish the Loews Arlington Hotel and Convention Center as a centerpiece in The American Dream City," said Alex Tisch, President, Loews Hotels & Co. "Our goal is for Arlington, Texas to stand alongside Las Vegas and Orland as one of the preeminent family, sports and entertainment destinations in America."
This new project marks the first time that Loews Hotels & Co is acting as the developer as well as the owner and branded operator. The nearly $550 million project is financed with Loews Hotels & Co capital and a $300 million loan from MetLife Investment Management.
"Arlington continues to build on our incredible economic momentum, and today's groundbreaking is another exciting example of our commitment to job creation and providing world-class amenities to our residents and visitors," said Arlington Mayor Jim Ross. "Loews Hotels & Co is a best-in-class hotel brand and with innovative partners like Loews Hotels & Co, the Tisch Family, the Texas Rangers and The Cordish Companies, we're able to further establish The American Dream City as a premier destination for visitors around the globe."
Loews Arlington Hotel and Convention Center will feature:
888 guestrooms and suites
200,000 square feet of indoor meeting space
66,000 square feet of outdoor space, including an oversized event lawn
Five food and beverage outlets, including a three-meal indoor/outdoor restaurant featuring two wood-fire pizza ovens and homemade pasta made on-site and a soon-to-be-named third-party restaurant from a well-known restaurateur
1,550-space parking garage
Resort-style beach club with two pools, man-made beach, cabanas, fire pits and water slide
The Arlington Convention Center, also operated by Loews Hotels & Co, will be located within the hotel
Situated between Globe Life Field and AT&T Stadium, Loews Arlington Hotel and Convention Center will be accessible to the 300-room Live! by Loews via a Sky Bridge. The two hotels combined will offer nearly 1,200 guestrooms and more than 300,000 square feet of meeting and event space.
"The addition of the Loews Arlington Hotel and the Arlington Convention Center bring the development of the Arlington Entertainment District to another whole level," said Texas Rangers Chairman and Managing Partner Ray Davis. "The existing world-class sports and entertainment venues will now be complimented by incredible hotel and meeting facilities that will attract national and international events of all kinds. I want to thank our partners, the City of Arlington, Loews Hotels & Co, and The Cordish Companies for sharing our vision that has become a spectacular reality in a few short years."
Loews Arlington Hotel and Convention Center is part of phase two of the development of Arlington's Entertainment District. Continuing their public-private partnership with the City of Arlington, Loews Hotels & Co, The Texas Rangers and The Cordish Companies are building upon the momentum and success of Texas Live!, Live! by Loews, and the Rangers' new Globe Life Field. Additional features of the new expansion include a mixed-use residential building and a Spark coworking space, both developed by The Cordish Companies.
"It is an honor for The Cordish Companies to continue our partnership with the Texas Rangers, Loews Hotels & Co and the City of Arlington to deliver a transformative project for Arlington," said Blake Cordish, Principal of The Cordish Companies. "Loews is one of the preeminent hoteliers in North America and a leader in the convention and meetings industry. The groundbreaking of the new Loews Arlington Hotel and Arlington Convention Center is an important next step in our commitment to create a world-class, mixed-use development that will cement Arlington as one of the leading premier sports, entertainment, culture, hospitality and tourism destinations in the country."
Loews Hotels & Co is working with HKS as the architect and Looney & Associates on the interior design for this new development. Loews Arlington Hotel and Convention Center is being built by JE Dunn, who recently built the Loews Kansas City Hotel, which opened in June 2020. Arlington's Con-Real is also involved in the construction of the project.
About Loews Hotels & Co
Headquartered in New York City, Loews Hotels & Co is rooted in deep heritage and excellence in service. The hospitality company encompasses branded independent Loews Hotels, and a solid mix of partner-brand hotels. Loews Hotels & Co owns and/or operates 26 hotels and resorts across the U.S. and Canada, including the new Loews Kansas City and Universal's Endless Summer Resort – Dockside Inn and Suites, the eighth hotel in partnership with Comcast NBC Universal that opened at the end of 2020. Located in major city centers and resort destinations from coast to coast, the Loews Hotels portfolio features properties grounded in family heritage and dedicated to delivering unscripted guest moments with a handcrafted approach.
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Cruise
iCruise | October 11, 2021
Cruise travel is back, and so is the World's Largest Cruise and Travel Sale taking place from October 11 through 17, 2021. During the weeklong event, iCruise, the leading cruise booking platform for cruise-lovers, is offering unheard-of discounts on cruises, packages, and other travel inventory. Travelers can expect significant discounts of up to 60% off cruises from Carnival Cruise Line, Celebrity, Holland American Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Royal Caribbean, and a host of other cruise lines.
Now that US ports open again to cruise travel, bookings are on the rise. Travelers and cruisers can be assured that comprehensive health protocols and processes are in place and have made cruising as safe and hassle-free as possible. And many of the major cruise lines have launched brand new ships with new amenities.
"We're very pleased to be able to bring back the World's Largest Cruise and Travel Sale," "What better way to celebrate the return of cruise travel than by providing the ultimate travel savings for millions of cruise lovers across the U.S.? We can offer amazing travel deals to travelers, enabling them to enjoy the trip of their lifetimes and make cherished memories with their families."
said Uf Tukel, Senior Vice President and CoFounder of iCruise.
This year's sale inventory offers a wider network of cruise, resort and hotel suppliers, including significant deals on close-to-home hotels, resorts, car rentals and flights. Cruise operators and participating hotels and resorts are also making fully vaccinated itineraries available to health and safety-conscious travelers.
Available discounted itineraries include Caribbean, Mediterranean, Alaska and European river cruises in various categories ranging from budget/family-friendly to ultra-luxury. Additional deals may include free onboard credits, reduced deposits, cabin upgrades, exclusive shore excursions and in-room perks. Because iCruise is also a full-service online travel booking site, travelers will also be able to book their flights, car rentals and pre- and post-cruise hotel stays during the sale – and earn a $100 credit toward a future booking with the iCruise Travel Rewards program.
About iCruise
iCruise is a Florida-based travel company specializing in cruises resort vacations. Arrivia, Inc. acquired iCruise in December of 2019. Arrivia is a global leader in travel-based loyalty and reward solutions. With the acquisition of iCruise, Arrivia reaffirms its strategic commitment to the cruise industry and expands its capabilities to deliver unmatched cruise value and services to its business partners and consumers worldwide. Our travel partners include all major cruise lines including Carnival, Celebrity, Cunard, Disney, Holland America, Princess, Regent Seven Seas, and Royal Caribbean; and our cruise specialists are trained in all cruise destinations including Alaska, the Bahamas, Bermuda, the Caribbean, Hawaii, Europe and the Panama Canal.
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Industry Outlook
Jurny, Inc. | October 04, 2021
Jurny, Inc., the hospitality tech company powering operations and modern guest experiences for some of the world's most exceptional independent hotel brands, vacation and short-term rental (STR) properties, announced it raised an additional $9.5M in capital, in a round led by Mucker Capital. In part, the funds are being utilized to accelerate the global expansion of its latest product offering, Jurny Virtual.
The new offering provides a simplified, fully-connected tech stack by seamlessly integrating and connecting most major channel management (CMS), point of sale (POS), room management (RMS), facility management (FMS), marketing and smart home tech solutions in one, easy-to-navigate operator dashboard.
"Our mission is to help small- to medium-sized operators and hotel owners access a premium ecosystem that offers the benefit of economies of scale, not yet available to even some of the world's largest hotel chains, Jurny Virtual is revolutionizing the industry by providing a premier service at a much lower cost, including time, without requiring an upfront investment."
said Luca Zambello, Co-Founder and CEO at Jurny
"Operators using Jurny's best-in-class tech are seeing, on average, a 20% increase in revenue, 50% decrease in overhead costs and 2x net operating income (NOI) within the first 30 days of implementation," said Erik Rannala, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Mucker Capital. "These numbers are unmatched in the industry and illustrate that Jurny and its customers are positioned to dominate the global hotel, short-term and vacation rental management market."
Jurny Virtual provides hotel owners and property managers with a comprehensive solution to automate and streamline operations. In addition to the tech stack, Jurny provides additional services like 24/7 inquiry support and virtual concierge, access control, guest screening, review management, accounting and more - all easily accessible for owners in a single location to manage their entire operations.
"The unpredictable global events that unfolded over the past 18 months have undoubtedly changed the travel landscape forever, leaving in its wake an unprecedented number of property owners and operators struggling to recover losses and grappling with the complexities of change in the marketplace," said David Phillips, Co-Founder and President at Jurny. "Designed to help independent lodging operators and management companies navigate the shifting market demands, Jurny Virtual provides a single, affordable and easy-to-implement solution for the tools and technology required to compete and thrive in today's rapidly evolving environment."
The Jurny management team is composed of hospitality industry veterans and tech insiders, including former executives of Melia Hotels International, Eurostars Hotels, The Chateau Marmont Hotel and Galeno Group. Its investment team and board of advisors include former senior management from eBay, Intel Corp., Sun Microsystems, Mattel and TripAdvisor. Jurny is headquartered in Los Angeles, with offices around the world.
The company's vertically integrated model is designed to address redundancies, reduce overhead and increase profits for stakeholders. In the past year, Jurny has more than doubled the number of units under its platform with a growing presence in major cities across the globe.
About Jurny
Jurny is a hospitality tech company founded for operators, by operators. The company offers SaaS and hardware solutions for hotel owners and property managers designed to accommodate the modern traveler. From design to implementation, Jurny's one-stop solution enables an industry-first true automated experience from check-in to check-out for both guests and hosts, resulting in flawless operations and increased profits. Jurny is pioneering the next generation of tech-first, on-demand hospitality.
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