Trump, Kim to meet at Shangri-La. U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un are expected to meet at the Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore on June 12. “The Shangri-La Hotel is the venue for the Shangri-La Dialogue attended by international leaders so it would be a better choice since the staff there understands how international political events are managed,” Liang Tuang Nah, a research fellow at the Institute of Defense and Strategic Studies, told The Korea Times. “Also, they would be familiar with the security arrangements needed for world leaders,” he added.
Portland hotelier nominated as EU ambassador. President Trump nominated Provenance Hotels founder Gordon Sondland to serve as U.S. ambassador to the European Union. Provenance manages 10 hotels in Portland, Oregon, including the Heathman, Sentinel, Lucia and Deluxe. Sondland donated US$1 million to the Trump inaugural committee after the president’s victory in November 2016, after earlier distancing himself from candidate Trump, withdrawing from a fundraiser and citing “irreconcilable differences” with Trump’s politics. Sondland’s family fled Nazi Germany.
Mandarin won’t manage Las Vegas resort. Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group said its management agreement for Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas, is terminated, effective August 30. The hotel, a joint venture between MGM Resorts and Infinity World Development Corp., is being sold for US$214 million to an undisclosed buyer. Mandarin Oriental launched the property in 2009.
Four Seasons entering Dubrovnik. Investors in the Zupa luxury project announced a partnership with Four Seasons for the former military resort of Kupari. Avenue Group plans to invest around €100 million ($119.4 million) in the project. The investors initially had lined up a partnership with Marriott Ritz-Carlton but the deal fell apart. The government threatened to take away the concession as no work had been completed on the site for two years. But the agreement with Four Seasons has resulted in new deadlines for the project.
U.S. booked VIPs at Trump Scotland hotel. President Trump’s flagship golf club in Scotland received thousands of dollars from the U.S. government for VIP hotel stays, according to the Scottish newspaper The Scotsman. The payments amounted to more than US$7,600 and mark the first known instance of one of the president’s Scottish properties receiving U.S. government money. The newspaper reported that the hotel stays were connected to Trump’s upcoming trip to the U.K., which includes a stop in Scotland.
Beware Airbnb safety hazards. A new study found that an alarming number of Airbnb venues lack basic safety protections that are required of hotels. The study, published in the journal Injury Prevention, and conducted by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, examined more than more than 120,000 Airbnb listings in 16 major U.S. cities. While eight in 10 properties were equipped with smoke detectors, just over half had carbon monoxide detectors. A majority failed to offer fire extinguishers (42%) or first-aid kits (36%).
Aspen family business buying Hotel Colorado. Mountain Chalet Enterprises, which runs mountain resorts, agreed to buy the historic Hotel Colorado in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. A purchase price for the 134-room hotel wasn’t disclosed. The property was acquired by the Bastian family of Wichita, Kansas, for about US$1.3 million in 1990. The closing is set for May 30 and a company spokesman said the operators plan to do a “lot of remodeling in the next three to five years.” The hotel has been managed by Denver-based Providence Hospitality Partners.
Ashford Trust Sells Tampa Residence Inn. Dallas-based REIT Ashford Hospitality Trust completed the sale of the Residence Inn Tampa Downtown for US$24 million to an Atlanta investment firm. Noble Investment Group acquired the newly renovated 109-room property. Noble also owns the Courtyard by Marriott Tampa Downtown, which it acquired in 2014 for US$16.9 million.
Disagreement over direct bookings. HEBS Digital, which helps hoteliers boost direct bookings, objected to a new report that said hotels that direct book risk having lower occupancy rates with “no measurable” savings on costs. The study was released by The European Technology and Travel Services Association (ETTSA), which promotes the interests of global distribution systems and online travel agencies, and conducted by the consultancy Infrata. HEBS and Triptease, a direct booking platform, disagreed with the report, “Hotel Distribution Costs,” which examined the costs associated with direct and indirect distribution channels for hotels. The study said the main reason for hoteliers to push direct sales is to “reduce transparency for consumers.”
Vietnam’s BHMA in management deal. BHMS Hotels, based in Ho Chi Minh City, signed a deal with developer Ixora Real Estate to manage a new 5-star eco resort in central Vietnam. The X2 Resort & Residences is planned for the UNESCO World Heritage destination of Hoi An near Danang. The resort is to feature 70 private villas with two to four bedrooms and private pools, and a hotel with 31 loft units and 56 suites. The property will incorporate infinity swimming pools, a library, spa and health club, restaurants and bars, a canoe station, children’s play zone, and both organic and hydroponic gardens. The first phase of the project is scheduled to open in the first quarter of next year.
Research on IoT and Big Data. California technology research company O’Reilly Media recently completed a report on the state of IoT and Big Data. The report, which is available for download, highlights the top 50 companies that have adopted IoT and how IoT and Big Data adoption rates compare across industries and geographies.