Hospitality Trends
PR Newswire | October 17, 2023
The legendary Hotel del Coronado, part of Curio Collection by Hilton, has announced plans to restore and revitalize the hotel's historic Victorian building with a more than $160 million investment, marking the next and final phase of Blackstone Real Estate's more than $550 million development plan to preserve and enhance the National Historic Landmark property for the enjoyment of guests, visitors and the community alike. The upgrades will encompass all Victorian guestrooms, suites and event spaces such as the iconic Crown Room, with a targeted completion date of Spring 2025.
"We are thrilled to embark on this exciting and final journey of Blackstone's investment in this one-of-a-kind resort," said Harold Rapoza, managing director, Hotel del Coronado. "The Victorian building holds a special place in the hearts of our guests, and we are dedicated to preserving its historical significance while elevating the bespoke guest experience to new heights."
Rob Harper, head of real estate asset management Americas at Blackstone added, "Since our more than $550 million investment plan began in 2018, we have worked diligently to preserve The Del as a National Historic Landmark while cementing the property's status as an iconic and timeless destination for generations to come. We are immensely proud of the thoughtful work completed to date and look forward to partnering with the local teams to make this next phase of the project a reality."
For more than 135 years, Hotel del Coronado has welcomed travelers from all over the world to experience the best of Southern California coastal lifestyle. The Victorian building is the original, iconic beachfront hotel established in 1888, and is renowned for evoking a bygone era, with a star-studded legacy and magic of nearly two centuries.
Led by Wimberly Interiors in partnership with WATG's California architecture studio, the design for the Victorian building celebrates the legacy of the property, ensuring the public areas remain truly Victorian with original finishes remaining intact, but with contemporary design enhancements to bathrooms, furnishing, artwork and state-of-the-art technologies to elevate the level of comfort and luxury. David Marshall of Heritage Architecture & Planning is leading The Victorian guestroom redesign effort with the same vigor and attention to detail that awarded the firm a "Preservation Project of The Year" honor from the Save Our Heritage Organisation, as well as a "Preservation Design Award" from the California Preservation Foundation following their extensive and diligent reconstruction of the hotel's front porch and lobby areas.
Beginning in 2018, Hotel del Coronado embarked on a renovation and development plan, facilitated by Blackstone Real Estate, to ensure the resort remains a sought-after destination.
Ocean Concierge Club — A modern and refined take on the classic concierge club experience, housed in the renovated historic Windsor Cottage, which has been preserved with historic elements dating back to its original conception in 1905. Debuted this summer.
Beach Village at The Del — An enclave of cottages and villas, which is set to unveil a full makeover by the end of 2023.
Shore House at The Del — The newest neighborhood inclusive of 75 new residential-style accommodations on the south end of the resort, which debuted in 2022.
Fitness Center — Expanded fitness center with a variety of equipment, certified trainers and a range of classes including Beach Spin, Yoga, Pilates, Paddleboard Yoga and more.
Ice House Museum — Showcasing The Del's history with behind-the-scenes moments and legendary guests.
Shops at The Del — A completely new comprehensive retail experience with specialty shops and apparel.
Victorian Building Entrance — A completely reimagined front drive—reorienting the guest arrival experience to restore it to mirror The Del's original arrival experience at its grand Victorian Lobby.
Vista Terrace — One of the hotel's most popular outdoor event venues that can host up to 900 guests, which re-launched in 2019.
Serẽa Coastal Cuisine — The sustainable sea-to-table restaurant concept debuted in 2019, with James Beard Foundation's Smart Catch Leader Executive Chef JoJo at the helm.
The Cabanas & The Views – Renovations of guestrooms in the Cabanas and Views neighborhoods, which added 97 and 217 rooms respectively
Cabana Pool — New main pool, heated year-round, accompanied by shaded chaise lounges, umbrellas, Premium Cabanas and Cabanettes.
Culinary Upgrades — Upgrades and re-concepting of multiple dining outlets including the Sun Deck, Babcock & Story Bar, and ENO Market & Pizzeria.
Spa & Salon at The Del — Completely reimagined spa with ocean-inspired treatments that tap into the healing power of the sea.
During the reimagination of The Victorian, accommodations continue to be available in The Del's other four neighborhoods: The Views, The Cabanas, Beach Village and Shore House. Exciting guest experiences will debut and The Del's popular signature programming will continue.
About Hotel del Coronado
Set on one of America's most iconic beaches, the legendary Hotel del Coronado and Beach Village at The Del have welcomed discerning travelers for more than 135 years to experience the Southern California coastal lifestyle at its best. Here, the magic and nostalgia of the property's storied past blends seamlessly with contemporary luxury in overnight and day experiences that offer every amenity imaginable. Hotel del Coronado offers five distinct neighborhood experiences, including Shore House at The Del, the hotel's new residential-style villas, which complement the luxurious Beach Village; The Cabanas, where refined coastal design complements the newly refreshed pool, serving as the social center of the hotel; The Views, the hotel's home-base for coastal adventure experiences and activities; and The Victorian building, which will re-emerge in Spring 2025. For more information please visit hoteldel.com.
About Curio Collection by Hilton
Curio Collection by Hilton is a global portfolio of more than 140 individually remarkable hotels hand-picked to immerse guests in one-of-a kind moments in the world's most sought-after destinations. Each hotel in the Curio Collection evokes a bespoke story through distinctive architecture and design, world-class food & beverage and curated experiences, while providing the benefits of Hilton and its award-winning guest loyalty program Hilton Honors. Experience Curio Collection by Hilton by booking at curiocollection.com or through the industry-leading Hilton Honors app. Hilton Honors members who book directly through preferred Hilton channels have access to instant benefits. Learn more about Curio Collection by Hilton at stories.hilton.com/curio, and follow the brand on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
About Blackstone Real Estate
Blackstone is a global leader in real estate investing. Blackstone's real estate business was founded in 1991 and has US $333 billion of investor capital under management. Blackstone is the largest owner of commercial real estate globally, owning and operating assets across every major geography and sector, including logistics, residential, office, hospitality and retail. Our opportunistic funds seek to acquire undermanaged, well-located assets across the world. Blackstone's Core+ business invests in substantially stabilized real estate assets globally, through both institutional strategies and strategies tailored for income-focused individual investors including Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. (BREIT), a U.S. non-listed REIT, and Blackstone's European yield-oriented strategy. Blackstone Real Estate also operates one of the leading global real estate debt businesses, providing comprehensive financing solutions across the capital structure and risk spectrum, including management of Blackstone Mortgage Trust (NYSE: BXMT).
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Hospitality Trends
Cendyn | October 13, 2023
Cendyn, a leader for digital transformation in the hospitality industry, has significantly expanded its capabilities by strategically acquiring PUSHTech, a pioneering force in hotel Customer Relationship Management (CRM) services and marketing automation technology. This acquisition represents Cendyn's dedication to elevating the future of CRM within the hotel sector, driven by innovation, customer-centric solutions, and empowering hoteliers to optimize revenue through advanced CRM strategies.
Jack Blaha, CEO of Cendyn, commented,
"By seamlessly integrating PUSHTech's next-generation technology into Cendyn's portfolio, we are poised to elevate the industry's standard for hoteliers seeking to amplify their sales and marketing CRM capabilities."
[Source –Cision PR Newswire]
The company's core mission centers on refining the guest experience through sophisticated technology and services, with a strong focus on customer-centricity. Jack further expressed enthusiasm for the acquisition, highlighting its potential to further realize their mission.
PUSHTech, a cloud-based Customer Data Platform (CDP) and CRM platform excels in marketing automation, guest journey automation, and sales CRM, offering a unified solution tailored to the hospitality industry. Built on a modern tech stack, this platform empowers hotels to enhance direct bookings, boost guest loyalty, and automate guest journeys across various channels, including email, SMS, WhatsApp, social media, and more.
The acquisition signifies a significant milestone in Cendyn's evolution, symbolizing a pivotal stride for the industry. Cendyn is resolute in its aim to deliver a next-generation CRM platform for the hospitality sector. With this acquisition, Cendyn doubles down on its dedication to innovation and its core mission: enabling hoteliers to reshape how they engage with guests, foster enduring loyalty, and ultimately enhance profitability.
Amid the growing challenge of fostering guest loyalty in the modern era, Cendyn's acquisition of PUSHTech reaffirms the company's strong commitment to advancement in the CRM sector. This strategic decision underlines Cendyn's unwavering dedication to providing hoteliers with the means to cultivate long-lasting guest relationships, ultimately leading to enhanced loyalty and more lucrative revenue streams.
About Cendyn
Cendyn, a leading digital transformation provider in the hospitality industry, specializes in assisting hotels worldwide. The company empowers businesses to enhance profitability and cultivate guest loyalty through an integrated technology platform. It harmoniously aligns key hotel departments, including revenue, eCommerce, distribution, marketing, and sales, by providing centralized data, applications, and advanced analytics. This convergence allows hotels to capture more demand and expedite their growth efficiently. With a global presence, Cendyn’s mission is to drive excellence and innovation in the hospitality sector, enabling hotels to thrive and achieve enduring success.
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Hospitality Trends, Hospitality Management
Brittain Resorts & Hotels | September 27, 2023
Brittain Resorts & Hotels (BRH), the leading full-service hospitality management company in the Southeast, today introduced an industry-leading AI-driven business intelligence technology matrix, putting the company at the forefront of AI-led efforts within the industry. The move comes as BRH increases its service offerings as it expands further into third-party management for hotel owners seeking improved values and satisfaction measurements.
“While the hospitality industry traditionally has taken a ‘wait and see’ approach to new technologies, we have taken a much more aggressive approach at Brittain,” said Christy Jernigan, chief development officer, BRH. “AI and business intelligence are major data and analytics initiatives for Brittain, and we have integrated AI into its strategy. The business intelligence component allows us to understand and interpret our data across all channels for ongoing analysis and simplified reporting back to our owners. For the new systems we’ve added, the integration of AI, machine learning or business intelligence not only automates tasks but also offers predictive insights, optimization suggestions and enhanced user experiences.”
The new matrix includes multiple platforms, including guest data, social media management, guest messaging communication, revenue management, CRS, customer relationship management, market data, parity management, payroll and HR systems. For each, AI has been applied to improve the respective processes. For example, AI can analyze guest preferences and behaviors to automate and personalize marketing campaigns or optimize rate management by analyzing vast datasets, predict market demand, and adjust pricing strategies in real-time to maximize revenue. The system will run under Power BI, a robust data visualization and business analytics tool developed by Microsoft that connects to multiple data sources, allowing users to aggregate, analyze, visualize and share insights through interactive dashboards and reports.
“We are applying our Business Intelligence capabilities to provide multiple, tangible benefits to the hotels we operate,” Jernigan added. “From integrating with a hotel's property management system (PMS) to provide insights into guest demographics, preferences and behaviors to analyzing operational data to uncover inefficiencies in housekeeping, maintenance or F&B operations, this platform represents a cutting edge approach to working with the newest technologies available. These tools produce meaningful improvements to operations, which in turn lead to increased values for our shareholders.”
About Brittain Resorts & Hotels
Brittain Resorts & Hotels (BRH) is a full-service hospitality management company providing multi-layered expertise in all disciplines of hotel and resort operations. Since 1943, BRH has been enriching the lives of its team members, guests, partners, and the communities they serve by providing exceptional guest experiences, a supportive work environment, and superior returns. With over 4,000 rooms, suites, and condos in the portfolio, the company currently operates 22 hotels and resorts and 45+ restaurants & bars within the United States.
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Travel Technology
point.me | September 07, 2023
point.me, a real-time flight search and booking engine using loyalty program reward points on 150+ airlines, has announced a Series A fundraise completion of $10 million. This investment is led by Thayer Ventures and backed by notable investors, including PAR Capital Ventures and Plug and Play Ventures, and will fuel point.me's expansion.
The company plans to enhance its partnerships with leading the US card issuers, grow its premium concierge service, and scale its consumer subscription business. point.me’s platform currently operates in collaboration with major credit card providers like American Express, Chase, and Capital One, offering seamless searches and bookings. This funding will enable deeper integrations with current partners and the establishment of new collaborations, ultimately delivering enhanced accessibility for users.
point.me has amassed over 1.5 million registered users in the initial year, reflecting its remarkable growth. The company's annual recurring revenue has surged by an impressive 1860%. With this latest Series A funding, the company will be strengthening its integration with loyalty rewards programs across all its product offerings. This strategic move will further elevate the user experience and accessibility, cementing point.me's position as a leader in real-time flight booking using loyalty rewards points.
This Series A funding marks milestone in point.me's rapid ascent within the travel industry. In addition, the company had previously secured $2 million in seed funding, led by PAR Capital Ventures, with participation from WndrCo Holdings, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Sujay Jaswa, and a group of executives from Meta and DoorDash.
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