Starwood expands in Latin America: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide signed two new Aloft properties in Peru: Aloft Lima Miraflores and Aloft Lima Costa Verde. Both properties are set to open in 2018.
Read more at Starwood’s website
Wyndham reports Q1 results: Wyndham Worldwide reported Q1 2016 revenue was US$1.3 billion, an increase of 3% from the prior year period. First quarter adjusted EBITDA was US$291 million, compared with US$279 million in the prior year period, an increase of 4%.
Read more at Wyndham’s website
Norway hotel strike: Norway’s biggest trade union federation, LO, will support a strike by hotel and restaurant workers in Norway. Labor officials accuse the employers’ organization of “cynical” methods of trying to force a settlement. The strike is set to spread on Saturday morning.
Dusit names COO: Dusit International appointed Lim Boon Kwee chief operating officer. Kwee joined Dusit International in March 2013 as president of Dusit Fudu Hotel Management Co. Ltd.
Scandic grows in Finland: Scandic Hotels Group will take over operation of the former Kantarellis hotel in Vasa, Finland. The 68-room hotel will be expanded to include about 140 rooms, and conference and congress facilities will be expanded. The expansion is expected to be finished at the end of 2017.
Scandic launches new digital platform: Scandic Hotels launched a new e-commerce digital platform. The platform aims to improve the customer experience and service level as well as further increase the site’s conversion rate. The first step is today’s launch of a commercial website in seven languages.
Hilton Garden Inn coming to Johannesburg: Vantage Group will provide R80 million (US$5.6 million) to United Africa. The funding will support the group’s equity contribution for the construction of a new Hilton Garden Inn in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Read more at the African Press Organization
Space rental, ride-sharing to drive sharing economy: New data from Juniper Research fund show that shared space providers, including Airbnb and WeWork, will see revenues surpass those taken by Uber and Lyft by 2019. Sharing Economy: Opportunities, Impacts, and Disruptors 2016-2020 found that shared space platforms, such as Airbnb, are allowing users to rent rooms in residential properties at rates often undercutting traditional hotel rooms. Revenues are set to grow from an estimated US$2.3 billion in 2015 to US$6.1 billion globally by 2019.