/Business Wire/ -  Hyatt Hotels Corporation, which operates 123 Hyatt Hotels & Resorts in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean, and Hyatt International Corporation, which operates 84 Hyatt Hotels & Resorts in 39 countries throughout the world, announced today a series of management steps in furtherance of its "Global Hyatt" initiative. This initiative, which began last fall, is intended to improve coordination of Hyatt's U.S. and international hotel management operations, real estate activities and corporate functions. Its objectives are to improve the quality and consistency of Hyatt products throughout the world and better position the companies for future growth.

Thomas J. Pritzker, 52, Chairman and CEO of Hyatt Corporation, the parent of Hyatt Hotels Corporation, and AIC Holding Co., the parent of Hyatt International Corporation, has appointed Doug Geoga as President of Hyatt Corporation and AIC Holding Co. Both Hyatt Corporation and AIC Holding Co. are wholly-owned by various Pritzker family business interests. Mr. Pritzker expressed confidence in Mr. Geoga and Hyatt's senior management team and his enthusiasm for the Global Hyatt initiative and its objectives. He stated: "We are fortunate to have Doug Geoga and such an experienced team to direct Hyatt through these challenging times and to find in this environment the growth opportunities which we are committed to pursue."

Mr. Geoga's responsibilities will include direction of the Global Hyatt initiative. Mr. Geoga, 47, is a 20-year Hyatt veteran who had previously served as President of Hyatt Hotels Corporation from 1994 - 1999. He will report to Tom Pritzker. Since 2000, Mr. Geoga has been the President of the Hospitality Investment Fund, LLC, also wholly-owned by Pritzker family business interests. Hospitality Investment Fund has been engaged in various hospitality-related investments, including the acquisition in late 2000 of U. S. Franchise Systems, Inc, a franchisor of mid-level and economy hotel products including Hawthorn Suites Hotels and Inns which recently became a participant in the Gold Passport Program, Hyatt's highly regarded frequency program.

Mr. Geoga expressed his view that the timing of the Global Hyatt initiative in the midst of one of the most challenging periods in the history of the lodging business, was appropriate. He observed that, "one of the primary objectives of the integration of our global activities is to assure the quality and consistency of Hyatt's products and services, which is particularly important during these highly competitive times. We believe that we have the ability to accomplish that while preserving the unique cultural sensitivities that have allowed Hyatt to flourish in many different business environments around the world. In addition, it is my expectation that this process will produce synergies and efficiencies, the benefits of which can be particularly important to the owners of Hyatt-managed hotels throughout the world. Difficult times such as these present investment, acquisition and growth opportunities for organizations such as Hyatt. We are committed to the hospitality business for the long-term. We are fundamentally optimistic about its future and fortunate enough to enjoy the financial capabilities of acting upon those opportunities."

Bernd Chorengel, 58, a 33 year Hyatt employee, will continue to serve as President of Hyatt International Corporation and a member of the board of directors of Hyatt International Corporation. He will also become a member of the board of directors of Hyatt Hotels Corporation.

Scott D. Miller, 50, who had served as President of Hyatt Hotels Corporation since 2000, was appointed Vice Chairman of Hyatt Hotels Corporation where he will act as an advisor to the Global Hyatt Program.

Edward W. Rabin, 55, was named President of Hyatt Hotels Corporation. Mr. Rabin, whose tenure with Hyatt is 33 years, was previously Executive Vice President and COO of Hyatt Hotels Corporation.

Steven R. Goldman, 41, was named Executive Vice President - Development and Acquisitions of the parent companies of both Hyatt Hotels Corporation and Hyatt International Corporation, where he will oversee the development and acquisition activities of both companies. Mr. Goldman was previously Executive Vice President of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., and was previously employed by Hyatt Development Corporation from 1986 - 1990.

Thomas F. O'Toole, 45, was named Senior Vice President - Strategy and Systems of the parent companies of both Hyatt Hotels Corporation and Hyatt International Corporation. He will direct the information technology, distribution strategy and related functions of both companies. Mr. O'Toole was previously Senior Vice President - Marketing and Information Technology of Hyatt Hotels Corporation.

Kirk A. Rose, 43, was named Senior Vice President - Finance of the parent companies of both Hyatt Hotels Corporation and Hyatt International Corporation. He will oversee the finance and accounting functions of both companies. Mr. Rose was previously Senior Vice President - Finance of Hyatt Hotels Corporation.

Messrs Chorengel, Miller, Rabin, Goldman, O'Toole and Rose will each report to Mr. Geoga. More detailed information regarding the people addressed in this release is available upon request from the company.

CDL hotels posts bumper $17m profit

The country's biggest hotel operator, CDL Hotels New Zealand Ltd, today posted a bumper $17 million after tax profit for the full year to December.

The result - up 60 percent on the previous year - reflected strong performances by each of CDL's three divisions and a turnaround in its former loss-making New Zealand property investment subsidiary CDL Investments, managing director Tsang Jat Meng said.

Operating earnings at CDL's core New Zealand hotel group, where it manages or owns 28 hotels under the Millennium, Copthorne and Quality Hotel brands, were up 68 percent.

Revenue for the New Zealand hotel division was up 8.5 percent to $114.5 million and average occupancy increased by 5.9 percent compared with 2001 levels.

Group revenue was down slightly at $202 million ($190 million in 2001).

Queenstown, Rotorua and Christchurch were the standout performers, while yachting's Louis Vuitton challenger series provided a major, albeit brief, fillip to Auckland during the final quarter, Mr Tsang said.

However, with 2.25 million room nights of hotel and apartment accommodation available annually, Auckland still suffered from an oversupply of accommodation, Mr Tsang said - a fact that will hit home in coming months with the loss of the America's Cup to Swiss challenger Alinghi.

CDL Hotel's 60 percent subsidiary CDL Investments reported a net after tax profit of $6 million for the full year, compared with a $300,000 loss a year earlier, as it exited its loss-making property services division Knight Frank (NZ) Ltd. That sale was settled on March 28.

Its 51 percent-owned Australian hotel and property investor Kingsgate International Corp fared a little worse, posting a 6 percent drop in after tax profit to $10.2 million - due mainly to a fall in apartment sales at Kingsgate's Birkenhead Quays property.

Operating revenue for the Kingsgate division declined 33 percent to $50.9 million.

Mr Tsang said the outlook for the current year was positive.

"The New Zealand hotel market has recovered from the effects of September 11 (attacks in the United States) and visitor numbers are expected to remain robust.

"The 2003 year has started positively with good initial trading results throughout the group."

Shares in CDL Hotels, which will pay a dividend of 1.4 cents per share on April 8, last traded steady at 29c. CDL Investments was up a cent at 24c, while Kingsgate added 2c on the local market to 22c.

Accor 2002 profit drops in "challenging" environment

Sound Results in a Challenging Environment - Accor reported profit before tax of EUR 703 million in 2002, in line with the target of EUR 700 million announced during the year. Free cash flow improved by 7.5% to EUR 645 million, while the dividend to be approved by Annual General Meeting of Shareholders on May 20, 2003 is unchanged at EUR 1.05.

In an environment shaped by a slowdown in business in major cities worldwide, the Business & Leisure Hotels division maintained its margins thanks to good performance in France. In Economy Hotels (outside the U.S.), margins were adversely impacted in France by higher payroll costs and new contractual arrangements with independent operators of hotels.

Economy hotels margins rose elsewhere in Europe. In U.S. Economy Hotels, a significant cost savings program limited the decline in margins, despite lower sales.

Accor Services performed well in local currencies, but was negatively affected by South American currency devaluations.

Of the Group's other businesses, Travel Agencies saw a substantial improvement in profitability.

Overall, the consolidated EBITDAR margin held firm at 27.1% of sales, compared with 27.0% in 2001, thanks to tight management and efficient control over operations.

Priorities for 2003 - Despite the current unfavorable environment, Accor is committed to leveraging its unique strengths to increase its market share, streamline its organization and maintain its expansion, while pursuing a more selective investment strategy.

With 150,000 associates in 140 countries, Accor is the European leader and one of the world's largest groups in travel, tourism and corporate services, with two major international activities:

• hotels: 3,836 hotels (441,281 rooms) in 90 countries, casinos, travel agencies, and restaurants;
• services to corporate clients and public institutions: each day, 13 million people in 32 countries use a broad range of services (food vouchers, people care and services, incentive, loyalty programs, events) engineered and managed by Accor.

Five dead, 67 injured in Johannesburg hotel fire

Two of the five people who died when their residential hotel caught fire around 1am on Wednesday, leapt to their deaths, Johannesburg emergency services spokesperson Malcolm Midgley said.

Sixty-seven people were injured in the fire, most by smoke inhalation or falling glass shards.

Midgley said two of the injured also jumped from windows in the 21-storey building.

Six of the 67 people were seriously injured, but none of the dead or injured were children.

The fire, which allegedly started in the Rand Inn International Hotel's restaurant, was extinguished by 7am.

Speaking around 7.45am, Midgley said emergency services and traffic police would still be on the scene for "some time".

Firefighters were damping down "hotspots" in the building, on the corner of Bree and Klein streets in central Johannesburg, and also assisting traffic police in evacuating the bodies and injured.

Hotel Franchise Fee Calculator

Written By:   William D. Lee  HVS International

Now owners, operators, and developers can access a free online tool designed to calculate the costs associated with any of 89 franchised hotel brands.

Using the Hotel Franchise Fee Calculator, visitors can calculate all of the costs associated with a particular affiliation including initial fees, royalty fees, reservation fees, and marketing fees. It can currently be accessed by visiting the HVS International web site at http://www.hvsinternational.com, and then clicking on the Franchise Fee Calculator located near the bottom of the page.

Second only to payroll, franchise fees represent one of the largest operating expenses for most hotels. The Hotel Franchise Fee Calculator includes data on 28 economy brands, 37 mid-rate brands, and 24 first-class brands. Data for each brand was obtained through a Federal Trade Commission disclosure document known as the Uniform Franchise Offering Circular (UFOC).

The calculator includes four pages. The first page includes an introduction to the tool and detailed instructions. The second page is the Select Hotel Brand page, which includes a list of 89 hotel brands separated into three categories.

After selecting a particular brand name, users will be directed to the third page. This page presents users with the option to provide specific hotel data, such as room count; average room rate (year one); room rate growth (per year); occupancy in years one, two, and three through ten; percentage of rooms occupied by frequent travelers; and percentage of rooms occupied by Internet reservation travelers.

After entering a hotel’s data and clicking on the Calculate button, users are then directed to a Results page. Results include total ten-year franchise fees, franchise fees as a percentage of ten-year gross rooms revenue, initial fees, royalty fees, reservation fees, marketing fees, frequent traveler fees, and miscellaneous fees (such as training and commissions).

William D. Lee
HVS International
372 Willis Avenue
Mineola, NY  11501
516-248-8828 Ext 261
516-742-3059 Fax

ITC Hotels likely to perform well

ITC Hotels stands to benefit from the Budget sops for the hotel industry. With the abolition of expenditure tax for the industry, the stock is likely to perform well.

Market analyst Darshan Mehta is positive on hotel stock ITC Hotels in the light of this year's Budget sops for the hotel industry.

Speaking to CNBC India, he said, "With the abolition of expenditure tax and the focus on infrastructure, ITC Hotels will pay off well."  

At 3.35 pm IST, ITC Hotels was trading down 0.79%, or 45 paise at Rs 56.45 with a volume of 5291. The stock touched an intra-day high of 59, and a low of Rs 55.60, after opening at Rs 56.90. Its year-high is Rs 61, and year-low is Rs 36.05.

Plaza Athenee Bangkok  to Focus on Personal Touch

Bangkok Post  -  With the new five-star Conrad Hotel offering attractive room rates and advertising aggressively, the neighbouring Hotel Plaza Athenee is responding with more personalised service to build up loyal customers.

With increasing competition from new hotels and limitations on expanding its network, the Plaza Athenee has followed in the steps of The Oriental Bangkok in adopting personalised service in a bid to attract more repeat customers.

According to Plaza Athenee general manager Bruno Huber, the two-year-old property has attracted increasing numbers of repeat customers.

"We even had a customer who came back here 70 times," he said.

As a result, the hotel has decided to focus more on building customer loyalty by investing in a database that details individual guests' preferences as well as training staff to serve guests' unique needs.

Mr Huber said that unlike other worldwide hotel chains such as Hilton, Hyatt, Conrad and Sheraton, Plaza Athenee had limitations on its ability to expand. It has only one sister property, in New York City. As such, it must look to creating unique services to draw guests.

"Kurt Wachtveitl (general manager of The Oriental Bangkok) is a legend, I try to learn from him, he's my master," the Swiss general manager said.

Since the opening of the Conrad, occupancy rates at the Plaza Athenee have been lower, Mr Huber said.

The Conrad has been using a pricing strategy, offering room rates of US$ 87 (about 4,000 baht) per night while the average room rates at the Plaza Athenee are between $ 100 and $ 120.

But the Plaza Athenee did not have a policy to cut prices as it would make the hotel look "cheap", he said.

"We are not an international hotel chain that people know worldwide. They know what is a Hilton or Conrad but if we dump the price, we would be perceived as a cheap hotel."

At present, the hotel has about a 50 percent occupancy rate and projects an improvement to 60 percent by the end of the year.

The property on Wireless Road, along with its New York cousin, is owned by liquor tycoon Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi.

Involve Your Employees in Community Service Efforts

Many organizations support local charities and events as a way of "giving back" to the communities in which they do business. But the benefits of such activities are not one-sided: The company may, in turn, earn tax advantages, increased name recognition, and a reputation for being socially responsible.

While these programs can be successfully accomplished at the corporate- or executive-level, there are added bonuses associated with involving your employees:

• Increased loyalty, morale, and overall job satisfaction
• Enhanced recruitment and retention
• The opportunity for staff members to hone skills that may be transferable to the workplace

Even small organizations lacking the resources to staff a full- or part-time Volunteer Coordinator can easily implement one or more of the strategies described in this article.

"Drives"

These need not be monetary in nature. Besides fundraising for a specific charity, you can organize collections for canned food, used clothing, "Toys for Tots," and even blood!

Group Activities

Examples include participating in "walk-for-a-cause" events, tutoring or mentoring local high school students, and competing in a baseball game for which the proceeds benefit a specific organization.

Individual Activities

There are a number of steps you can take to support employees who perform community service outside the scope of company-sponsored initiatives.

• Volunteer Matching
  
  If possible, assign an individual to develop and maintain relationships with local charities, hospitals, schools, etc. This person can then match employees who express an interest in volunteering with current needs.
  
  A simpler alternative is to post these opportunities on a bulletin board or intranet and encourage employees to pursue them on their own.
  
  
• Time Off
  
  Consider implementing a policy whereby staff members may take a certain amount of paid time off for volunteer work each year.
  
  A strong written policy should be developed:
• Encouraging employees to limit their use of this policy to situations in which the volunteer work cannot be done outside of business hours. Furthermore, flextime should be utilized if available.
• Instructing employees to obtain advance supervisory approval as they would for any other absence. It should also be made clear that requests can be denied based on the business needs of the department at the time in question.
• Informing employees that time spent volunteering is not eligible for overtime pay.
  
  
• Matching Gift Program
  
  This initiative involves making charitable donations that correspond with those made by employees.
  
  The details of this program should be carefully documented in a written policy. For example:
• Are all employees eligible to participate or just full-timers?
• Will you match all donations, or just those to eligible organizations? If the latter, will your list include the name of every acceptable charity, or will only broad categories be specified?
• Is there a minimum and/or maximum donation that the company will match?
• What amount of the employee's donation will the company match (50 percent, 100 percent, etc.)?

Some of the programs described in this article are more administrative and labor-intensive than others, and may not be feasible in small organizations. Even those that require minimal effort, however, can have a tremendous impact on your staff. They will be proud to be part of an organization that cares about its "fellow man" and spreads good will.

Be sure to return the favor: Recognize and reward those who volunteer and publicize their efforts both internally and externally.

Copyright © 2000-2002 Christina Morfeld and Affinity Business Communications, LLC. Originally Published by Suite101.com. All rights reserved

About the Author:

Christina Morfeld is president of Affinity Business Communications, a provider of high-quality instructional design, technical writing, and content development solutions. Whether writing to instruct, inform, or persuade, our work is reader-focused, benefits-oriented, and results-driven.

Contact us at 1-203-445-9964 or info@affinitybizcomm.com , or visit our website at http://www.affinitybizcomm.com  to learn how we can increase your firm's sales and effectiveness!

Accor to sell and lease back five Budapest hotels

Accor-Pannonia Rt, a member of the French Accor group, plans to sell five Budapest hotels and lease them back for a more than 20-year period.

The five hotels - the Emke, Korona, Mercure, Metropol and one Ibis - are valued at around HUF 50bn.

Accor-Pannonia has already invited bids for the hotels, Monday's Napi Gazdasag reported. Accor plans to use the proceeds of the sales to fund its international growth, and the purchase of additional hotels in Hungary, Accor-Pannonia finance director David Sylberg told Napi Gazdasag.

According to Napi, Accor-Pannonia does not plan to sell any more of its Hungarian hotels.

In summer 2002, Accor-Pannonia sold the Budapest Hyatt Regency to HVB-Leasing Hungary, a subsidiary of Bank Austria Creditanstalt Leasing, and immediately signed a 22-year lease on the hotel. At this time, the two companies announced plans to continue cooperation to assist the growth of Accor-Pannonia.

Accor-Pannonia's latest hotel is the Novotel Budapest Centrum, which   has been operating under a 20-year lease since it opened last November. Emmerich Rosenberg owns the hotel.

Accor Pannonia operates more than 20 hotels in Hungary, some as franchises. Its hotels are part of the Etap, Ibis, Mercure and Novotel chains.

Preliminary figures show that Accor-Pannonia's annual turnover rose 5-6pc to EUR 72m last year. The company operates about 3,000 hotel rooms in Hungary, and has a market share of around 35pc. (HUF 100 = EUR 0.4110)

Curtis Nelson, 39, Named President and  Chief Operating Officer Carlson Companies

Marilyn Carlson Nelson, Chair and CEO of Carlson Companies, today announced the promotion of Curtis Nelson, 39, to  President and Chief Operating Officer of privately held global travel, hospitality and marketing giant Carlson Companies.  The announcement was made during a gala 65th Anniversary celebration at Minneapolis' State Theatre, held in conjunction with the company's annual executive conference. 

"I look forward to working more closely than ever with Curtis to chart the future of Carlson Companies," said Mrs. Nelson.  "Curtis is a dynamic leader who is uniquely qualified to lead the operations of our complex global organization."

"I am anxious to harness the full potential and power of the entire Carlson enterprise on behalf of our employees, customers, clients and shareholders," said Mr. Nelson.  "Working together as a unified team, our companies can and will come together and excel to new levels of success."

Carlson Companies is the parent of Carlson Wagonlit Travel, Carlson Marketing Group, Regent International Hotels, Radisson Hotels & Resorts, Park Plaza hotels, Country Inns & Suites By Carlson, Park Inn hotels, Cruise Holidays, Results Travel, Radisson Seven Seas Cruises, and T.G.I. Friday's and Pick Up Stix restaurants. 

President and COO Curtis Nelson will chair Carlson Companies' operating committee and implement the strategy within Carlson's business units, while Chairman and CEO Marilyn Nelson will continue to chair the Carlson executive committee and will be responsible for setting the company's strategy.

Mr. Nelson is the son of Mrs. Nelson and Dr. Glen D. Nelson, and grandson of company founders Curtis and Arleen Carlson. 

Favorable 2002 Results Announced

The company also announced at its executive meeting that it had weathered the tumultuous 2002 year well. 

Carlson's 2002 systemwide sales (including franchises) were even with the prior year, totaling $19.8 billion in 2002 versus $19.8 billion in 2001.  Sales in its owned and operated divisions trended similarly, totaling $6.7 billion in 2002 versus $6.8 billion in 2001.  Operating income was not disclosed, but was cited as having nearly returned to 2000 levels (preceding the 9/11 terrorist attacks) due primarily to significant increases in productivity. 

Presidential Role

Reporting to Mr. Nelson in his new post will be the presidents of all of the operating divisions of the company.  He continues to have responsibility for all day-to-day operations of Carlson's consumer division, which he has headed since 2000, but now adds oversight of the company's corporate client operations as well,  which include Carlson Marketing Group and Carlson Wagonlit Travel's business travel division. 

Mr. Nelson is active in leadership roles in various association, industry and philanthropic initiatives, and is a member of the Travel Business Roundtable and the World Travel Tourism Council. 

At the 2003 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Mr. Nelson was selected as a "Global Leader for Tomorrow." 

Preparation for Leadership and Career History

Mr. Nelson prepared for leadership of his family's company by learning it "from the sink up."

His first job in the industry was as a dishwasher in a Country Kitchen restaurant.  He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., followed by a Master of Business Administration degree from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota. 

Mr. Nelson embarked on a management career in the hotel industry, working for two industry-leading organizations, Hyatt Hotels and Four Seasons, then joined Carlson's hospitality division in 1989 as an executive with Radisson Hotels Worldwide, where he served in a variety of management positions in key company operations around the United States. 

He became Executive Vice President of Country Hospitality Worldwide in March 1993 and was named President and CEO later that same year.  At the time, Country Hospitality Worldwide included Country Inns & Suites By Carlson and Country Kitchen Restaurants – the same operation in which he had worked years prior.  Carlson sold Country Kitchens in 1997. 

While serving as President and CEO of Country Hospitality Worldwide, Mr. Nelson's innovative strategies and operational initiatives resulted in a 400 percent growth of Country Inns & Suites By Carlson. 

In 1995, Mr. Nelson was named Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Carlson Hospitality Worldwide.  He was the driving force behind the company's expansion into the luxury segment of the world's lodging industry, engineering the acquisition of the Regent hotel brand from Four Seasons Hotels. 

Mr. Nelson was named President and CEO of Carlson Hospitality Worldwide in 1997, and added the COO-Carlson Consumer Group title in 2000, when he assumed responsibility for the company's leisure and franchised travel operations.  He serves on the Board of Directors of Carlson Wagonlit Travel, Carlson's joint business travel venture with Accor. 

New Global Responsibility

Prior to the announcement, operations under Mr. Nelson's leadership included more than 3,315 hotels, resorts, restaurants, cruise ships and travel agency locations in 82 countries.  To that is now added the $1 billion, 20-country operations of Carlson Marketing Group, and the oversight of Carlson's collaboration with the $10.7 billion, 140-nation Carlson Wagonlit Travel business travel operation. 

Carlson Marketing Group helps corporate clients build better relationships with their consumers, employees and distribution channel partners, and is ranked by Advertising Age Magazine as the largest marketing services agency in the U.S. 

It also is a major player in the incentive travel and corporate meetings/events arena.  Carlson Wagonlit Travel operates in more countries than any other business travel company in the world, and currently ranks second globally in its industry.  Like CEO Nelson, President Nelson is a champion of technology, globalization and building relationships across the entire Carlson enterprise to increase customer value.  He supports a range of employee engagement strategies that are designed to create "a great place for great people to do great work." 

Mr. Nelson is a member of the Board of Directors of the Conrad Hilton College at the University of Houston and also serves on the advisory board of the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota.  He holds honorary doctorate degrees from Johnson & Wales and Niagara Universities, and serves on the boards of the Walker Art Museum and the Greater Twin Cities United Way. 

Carlson Companies is a global leader in corporate solutions and consumer services in the marketing, travel and hospitality industries. Ranked among the largest privately held corporations in the United States, Carlson Companies is based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. Carlson-related brands and services

The Caribbean Hotel Association Pulls  Together in Contingency Plan 

The Caribbean Hotel Association (CHA) is setting in motion a number of preparedness and response measures on  behalf of Caribbean hotels, in light of the conflict in the Middle East and the resulting impact on the tourism industry.   “From the experience of the Gulf War and the aftermath of September 11, 2001, a drop in demand is to be expected,” said Dominican hotelier Simón B. Suárez, President of CHA. 

“On the one hand, the industry as a whole must be well prepared to weather a difficult period – whose severity will be determined by how protracted or swift is the conflict. 
On the other hand, it is those that respond proactively with targeted strategies that will have the edge”.

The Caribbean Hotel Association is moving forward on two fronts.  First, CHA is encouraging its members to put in place policies that protect visitors whose trip is  canceled or who find themselves stranded in the Caribbean.   Secondly, CHA is developing a public relations contingency plan to minimize the negative impact  on the Caribbean hospitality industry, by underscoring the region’s key attributes in the current climate, such as its geographical proximity to the United States,  safety, and the diverse offerings for families to travel and spend time together.  As a part of the plan CHA has added a section in its website to serve as a forum for information exchange for members.

CHA is working in cooperation with the Caribbean Tourism Organization’s Response Center.   “In today’s turbulent times, we feel more committed than ever to work in conjunction with the public sector for a common approach,” said Berthia Parle, 1st Vice President of CHA and Chairperson of CHA’s Advocacy Committee.   “We are encouraging Caribbean governments to identify and implement support plans.   For example, if a hotel offers reduced room rates to a stranded guest, the government should waive the tax for that room as well.”

The Caribbean Hotel Association is dedicated to excellence in hospitality, leadership in marketing, and sustainable growth in tourism, to the benefit of its membership and that of the wider Caribbean community. CHA is headquartered is in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and maintains an office in Miami, Florida.
 

Mandarin Oriental, New York  Set to Open Late 2003

With its international reputation for outstanding service, as well as its restaurant and spa expertise, Mandarin Oriental is set to provide an unparalleled New York guest experience upon debuting its luxury new hotel in late 2003. With its exotic oriental origins, an individuality that is reflective of Manhattan’s culture and style and a holistic approach to service, Mandarin Oriental, New York will distinguish itself as the city’s most dynamic property.

As part of the AOL Time Warner Center, the hotel’s 251 superbly-appointed guestrooms and suites will be located on floors 38 through 54, with floor-to-ceiling windows offering sweeping panoramas of Manhattan.  Soaking tubs with picture windows located directly above, will provide a unique experience that cannot be duplicated elsewhere in the city. Each guestroom, with its oriental design accents, will also feature sophisticated technology, from surround sound DVD/audio equipment and a flat panel television to a highly personalized entertainment system.

Whether delivering 3,000 roses upon request, surprising couples celebrating an anniversary with a champagne breakfast in bed, or providing monogrammed pillow shams for returning guests, the luxury hotel group is committed to completely delighting and satisfying its guests and exceeding their expectations.