eHotelier Newsletter

Edited by Benoit Gateau-Cumin, President, The Boutique Search Firm

THE AMERICAS

John Chadwell has left us. One of the industry¹s friendliest faces and most even tempers, he had been battling pancreatic cancer for several months. Chadwell spent the past eleven years at Pebble Beach where he served as President of Hospitality under three successive owners. He previously worked briefly for Disneyland Paris after a long international career with Méridien Hotels. He will be missed.

Frank Bowling has resigned from his position of Managing Director at the Hotel Bel-Air. Bowling spent ten years at the Bel-Air, and was previously for several years at New York¹s exclusive Carlyle.

Michael Hoffmann has been named Director of Operations for the Shore Club on Miami¹s South Beach. He was most recently the Manager of the Ocean Club in the Bahamas. Hoffmann was also the Vice President and General Manager of Bacara in Santa Barbara, after a nine-year tenure with the Peninsula Hotel Group in New York, Hong Kong and Carmel.

Norm Rich is the new General Manager of Los Angeles prestigious Jonathan Club. A Cornell Hotel School graduate, Rich has had a global food and beverage management career with Hyatt, Amfac and Shangri-La prior to assuming the role of Senior Vice President for Universal Citywalk for a period of twelve years.

Seamus McManus has left his position of Managing Director at the spanking new St Regis Monarch Bay, in Orange County. McManus was at the property for one year and saw to its spectacular opening in the fall of 2001. He is being replaced by Ulrich Krauer, most recently the General Manager of the Sonoma Mission Inn. Krauer, like McManus, is a former Rosewood General Manager. In fact he was at the helm of the Hotel Crescent Court in Dallas a few years after McManus, who ran the property from 1988 until 1992.

Paul Pusateri has been named Chief Operating Officer of Turnberry Associates. He originally joined the company as it was planning a 3,000-room London-themed hotel and casino in Las Vegas, to be built next to its luxury high rise Turnberry and its exclusive Stirling Club. The hotel and casino project has since been shelved.

At the upcoming 2,010-room Borgata in Atlantic City, Peter Finamore will serve as Vice President of Hospitality. Prior to joining the Borgata, Finamore enjoyed a 14-year association with the prestigious Peninsula Group of hotels. He recently served as the opening General Manager of the Peninsula Chicago. His replacement there is Maria Razumich-Zec, until recently the Managing Director at the New York Palace. Razumich-Zec used to live in Chicago while working for Hilton Hotels for several years.

Victor Tiffany serves as Vice President of Food and Beverage of the Borgata. Prior to joining he was Director of Food and Beverage for the Boca Raton Resort and Club in Boca Raton. He also worked for fifteen years with Drew Nieporent of the Myriad Restaurant Group. Like Nieporent, Tiffany earned his Bachelor of Science in Hotel Administration from Cornell University.

The Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas has named Don Marrandino President & Chief Operating Officer. Marrandino was most recently President of Station Casinos East in Las Vegas, overlooking four hotel casinos. Prior to working at Station Casinos, he worked at the Rio Hotel and Casino for six years. Also at the Hard Rock, Yale Rowe was named Vice President of Marketing. He most recently was the Director of Marketing for Green Valley Ranch Resort & Spa in Las Vegas. Prior to this position, he worked as the Director of Sales, Marketing and Entertainment for the Sahara in Las Vegas.

Six Continents Hotels named Brian Quinn Regional Director of Development for the Northeastern United States. Prior to joining Six Continents, he held senior positions with Hilton Hotels Corporation and Bass Hotels & Resorts. Also at Six Continents Gordon Watkins, a Cornell Hotel School graduate, has been named Vice President of Development for the Western United States. Prior to joining Six Continents, Watkins held several senior positions in investment banking and hotel development with Tishman Hotel Corporation, Deloitte & Touche and the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company.

Michael Murphy, who was the Director of Catering at the Four Seasons Palm Beach, has been appointed Director of Food and Beverage at the exclusive Sleepy Hollow Country Club in Scarborough, New York

At New York's Boutique Hotel Group Vice President of Sales and Marketing Christopher Perry is assembling his team: Melinda Allen Bennett has been hired as Corporate Director of Sales. Prior to joining Boutique Hotel Group, she was Director of Sales and Marketing, North America, for Design Hotels International since June 1999. Lourdes Del Valle joins the team as National Sales Manager. She was most recently Director of Sales & Marketing at the Empire Hotel in New York. Veronica Popova has been named Corporate Sales Manager. She was previously Sales Manager at the Iroquois in New York.

Colm O¹Callaghan is the Director of Food and Beverage at New York¹s St Regis. An Irishman, O¹Callaghan had moved from California to New York as the Director of Food and Beverage at the New York Palace prior to being snapped up by the St Regis. In Los Angeles, O¹Callaghan had been the Director of Food and Beverage at Merv Griffin¹s Beverly Hilton.

At the New York Palace, Jeffrey Seldon is the new Director of Catering. He comes from the Pierre where he was the Assistant Director of Catering. He had previously worked at the St Regis with current Pierre Director of Catering Arthur Backal.

Ellen Miller is the General Manager of the newly renovated Hotel Oceana Santa Barbara, sister property to Santa Monica's Oceana. Miller was until the end of last year the General Manager of Avalon in Beverly Hills.

Six Continents Hotels has named Chris Ward Vice President of Strategy. Prior to joining Six Continents, Ward was for six years at the Boston Consulting Group.

At Miramonte in Palm Springs, Jean Pierre Alotte is out as General Manager after seven years with the Marcus Corporation. He has been replaced by Dana Holck, who comes from St Charles, Illinois. She has previously worked with Marcus Vice President Operations Paul Upchurch, at Adams Mark Hotels.

Douglas Kemp leaves Hershey where he was in national sales for both the Hershey Hotel and the Hershey Lodge, to become Director of Sales at Orient-Express' Keswick Hall in Virginia.

William Hall is the new Managing Director of the Century Plaza in Los Angeles. The peripatetic Hall has been going back and forth between the East and West coasts in recent years. Among others, he has held the General Manager position in Laguna Niguel, Pasadena and Naples with Ritz-Carlton.

Merril Yu has been appointed Executive Director for the Mansion, the posh ultra-luxury high-roller "secret" annex to the 5,000+room MGM Grand Las Vegas. Yu's international career took him to such properties as Peninsula¹s Kowloon Hotel, Regent International Hotels in Auckland and Jakarta and Pan Pacific Hotels in Auckland and San Francisco. He was also a rooms executive at the Clift when Four Seasons still operated that hotel.

Jason Lapin, a Cornell graduate, is the General Manager of Craft Steak at the MGM Grand Las Vegas. The new outlet, a joined venture between New York chef Tom Collichio and the MGM Grand, will be replacing the Brown Derby at the MGM Grand. Lapin was recently a partner in Jar, in Los Angeles with chefs Mark Peel and Suzanne Tracht. It is homecoming to Vas Vegas for Lapin who was, several years ago the opening General Manager at Wolfgang Puck¹s Spago Las Vegas.

Also at the MGM Grand, Deborah Evans has been hired as Food and Beverage Training Director. She was previously the Director of Food and Beverage at the W San Francisco.

Kim Beto has been hired as Director of Beverage Operations at the MGM Grand. A former Manager of Postrio in San Francisco, he was recently a Regional Director for the Avenir Restaurant Group in San Mateo, responsible for six restaurants.

Canadian (and US citizen) Jacques Villeneuve has been named General Manager of the Pan Pacific San Francisco, replacing Volker Ulrich who retired from the company. Prior to that, Villeneuve was the Hotel Manager at Bacara in Santa Barbara for almost two years. He also served four years at the Beverly Hills Hotel as Manager.

At the Bel-Air, the position of Executive Chef, which had been kept vacant since Gary Clauson left for health reasons more than six months ago, has been filled by Philippe Reininger. An Alsatian, the 41-year-old Reininger made his name working with Louis Outhier at his seminal restaurant L'Oasis in La Napoule as well as at the Grosvenor House in London and, at the Swissôtel Lafayette. Instead of following the tracks of colleague Jean-George Vongerichten who launched his own restaurant, followed since by many more, Reininger stuck with hotels. He recently logged eleven years with Ritz-Carlton where his last posting was at the former Ritz-Carlton Rancho Mirage, since sold to Rockresorts and renamed the Lodge at Rancho Mirage.

Speaking of the Bel-Air the property lost its Director of Sales Thulan Banh, who joined Rosewood's Los Angeles Regional Sales Office as Director. She had joined the Bel-Air merely one year ago, coming from Four Seasons' Los Angeles Regional Sales Office. Prior to that she had worked for Sterling, under new Rosewood Corporate Director of Sales Bob Boulogne. Bahn replaces Rob Roche, who has left the company to open the Los Angeles Regional Sales Office for Starwood¹s St Regis Brand.

Also at the Bel-Air, exit Director of Catering Deanna Maddalena, who had been there for a few years, following a comparably stable tenure at the Ritz-Carlton Huntington.

Randy Lewis is now the Executive Chef for Kendall-Jackson Wine Estates in Sonoma County. Lewis, 32, was running Indigo, his own New Orleans restaurant and was named one of the 10 best new chefs in America by Food and Wine Magazine. Earlier, he worked at Norman's in Coral Gables, Florida, under renowned Chef Norman Van Aiken. He was trained at the New England Culinary Institute in Vermont.

Sean Worker has been named Senior Vice President, Sales at MeriStar Hotels & Resorts. He reports to Hoyt Bacon, Chief Marketing Officer. An Irishman, Worker was previously an Area Director of Sales with Bristol Hotels & Resorts.

Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts have appointed Paul Iacovino as Regional Director of Sales and Marketing, Asia Pacific. He replaces Vice President Sales and Marketing Jonathon Sicroff, who is now based in San Francisco.

James Cecil, General Manger of Carmel Valley¹s tony Bernardus Lodge, now assumes the additional responsibility of Managing Director for Valley Resort Management, a joint management entity for Bernardus and the Peninsula Group¹s Quail Lodge, also in Carmel.

More changes at the St Regis Los Angeles: last month it was Food and Beverage Manager Kurt Wiksten who joined his former boss Henri Birmele at the Kor Group. Wiksten is now the General Manager of the Estrella Inn Palm Springs. Prior to joining the St Regis, Wiksten was the Director of Food and Beverage at the Omni Interlaken. Speaking of the Kor Group, Mark Neubert, Vice President of Operations, is no longer part of the group: his position has been eliminated. Also leaving the St Regis Los Angeles is Director of Catering Laurie Weil who takes a similar position at La Quinta in Palm Springs.

Gerard Van Grinsven, until recently the Vice President of Food and Beverage for the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, has been promoted to the position of Vice-President/Director in charge of new hotel openings worldwide. His successor in charge of food and beverage is Eric Steinbock, until now the General Manager at the Ritz-Carlton Cleveland. In Cleveland, he is being replaced with Elizabeth Mullins who found herself without a hotel when Vail Resorts/Rockresorts took over the former Ritz-Carlton Rancho Mirage in December. Vail Resorts appointed Herbert Spiegel as General Manager of the newly renamed Lodge at Rancho Mirage.

Tom Juliano has been appointed General Manager of the Rosario Resort on Orcas Island, a Rockresort. This came following the takeover of Rockresorts by Vail Resorts. Juliano, who once was a regional man for a major Embassy Suites franchisee, replaces Samuel Schorr, who left the company.

Bill Smith has been appointed President of Noble House Hotels and Resorts. He was previously for the last six and a half years the President and Chief Operating Officer of Silversea Cruises. An airline and cruise specialist, he held positions with Costa, Commodore, Princess and Sitmar cruise lines as well as the defunct Eastern and Braniff Airlines.

Adrian McNally has been promoted from Director, Front Office Services at the Fairmont San Francisco to Rooms Division Manager at the Fairmont San Jose.

At the Loews Santa Monica, Pat Clairmont has left as General Manager to be replaced by John Thacker. The latter¹s successor at the Loews Miami Beach is Mike Welly, who managed the Walt Disney World Dolphin at Walt Disney World in Orlando. Thacker is now also a Regional Vice President for Loews.

Christophe Rolland is the Head Sommelier at the soon-to-open Bastide, Alain Giraud's restaurant in Los Angeles. Rolland was previously the sommelier at Aqua in Las Vegas' Bellagio and at the famed Auberge de L¹Ill in Illhausern, France. He joins Bastide Restaurant Manager Donato Poto, formerly of the Water Grill in Los Angeles.

Roy Kretschmer has been named General Manager of the upcoming Hotel Valencia Riverwalk San Antonio, scheduled to open in the fall of 2002. Kretschmer was most recently Director of Rooms Operations for the Omni Houston Hotel. He also held rooms positions at the Four Seasons Austin.

Bonnie Best has been named Corporate Director of Sales & Marketing for the Valencia Group in San Antonio, currently building two luxury properties in that city. Prior to joining Valencia, she was the pre-opening Director of Sales & Marketing of the Westin Westminster in Denver. Best was also Director of Sales & Marketing for the Westin Mission Hills Resort in Rancho Mirage, California, from 1989 to 1992.

Emmanuel Guémon has been named Executive Chef at Grace Leo-Andrieu's Cotton House on Mustique. He takes over from Jean-Jacques Ugé. Guémon comes straight from equally posh Sandy Lane in neighboring Barbados where he was the Executive Sous Chef to Mark Patten. Prior to Sandy Lane, Guémon had held the same position, also under Patten, at the Anassa in Cyprus.

Jim Young has been named Vice President of Global Distribution for Six Continents Hotels and Resorts. Prior to joining Six Continents Hotels, Young was Managing Director, Distribution Planning, for Continental Airlines.

At Callaway Gardens in bucolic Pine Mountain, Georgia, Eric Scuiller has left as Director of Food and Beverage, and has been replaced with Michael Fleisen, formerly of the Opryland Hotel in Nashville.

Joe Henry has joined Callaway Gardens Resort as Director of Operations. He joins after a twenty-five-year tenure at Nashville¹s Opryland Hotel.

Tracey Ford is the Director of Food and Beverage at the Grand America in Salt Lake City where he takes over from Gérard Agid. Agid left a few months ago to become the opening General Manager of the 110-room Madison Hotel in Memphis, slated for an April opening. Ford once was the Director of Food and Beverage at the Ihilani in Hawaii as well as Maui's Grand Wailea Resort.

Olivier de Saint Martin is getting ready to open the 14-room Morris House and Restaurant Olivier in Philadelphia. The house was built in 1787. De Saint Martin was previously the Chef and a Partner in the Dock Street Brewery and Restaurant also in Philadelphia.

Christopher Holbrook was named General Manager of the 91-room Monticello Inn for the Kimpton Hotel Group. It is Holbrook¹s third posting with the group. He was most recently the Executive Assistant Manager at the newly opened Hotel Monaco New Orleans as well as the Hotel Monaco San Francisco. He also spent two years as the Assistant General Manager at the Sir Francis Drake Hotel and at the Galleria Park Hotel, both in San Francisco. Prior to joining Kimpton, Holbrook spent three years with Hyatt in San Francisco and Monterey.

David Maloney has been named Chief Financial Officer of Méridien Hotels and James Lamb has been appointed Chief Information Officer for the company. During the past two years, Maloney served as Chief Financial Officer for Thomson Travel Group. Previously, Maloney served as Chief Financial Officer of Avis Europe. James Lamb has over seventeen years of information technology experience, including the last twelve with Perot Systems.

Debra Shinn is the new General Manager of Fess Parker's Wine Country Inn & Spa. She joins from the Merv Griffin Hotel Group in Beverly Hills. Prior to that, Shinn was the General Manager of the Beverly Hills Inn for over five years. She also worked at the Hotel Bel-Air and was a Vice President of the Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce.

David Feder has been promoted to President and Chief Operating Officer of Boca Resorts. He replaces Richard Rochon who has resigned. Feder originally joined the Boca Raton Resort & Club in 1987 as Senior Vice President of Marketing and Sales, and was later named Senior Vice President and General Manager. In 1999, Boca Resorts, Inc. acquired the Arizona Biltmore Hotel and Spa in Phoenix and named Feder Senior Vice President and Managing Director. He returned to the Boca in October of 2001 shortly after the sale of the Arizona Biltmore to KSL Resorts.

Win Person has been transferred by Four Seasons from Director of Food and Beverage at the Four Seasons Houston to the same position at the Sports Club of the Four Seasons Dallas.

Ressul Rassallat is the new Chef de Cuisine at Dux, the signature restaurant at the Peabody Orlando. He replaced Christophe Gérard who left in August to take over as Chef at Park Plaza Gardens in Winter Park, Florida. Rassallat was most recently a Sous Chef at L'Orangerie in Los Angeles.

Brian Hardy has been promoted from Assistant Manager of Spice Island Beach Resort (a position he held for two years) to Resort Manager. Sheldon Keens-Douglas replaces Hardy as Assistant Manager. He comes from the Four Seasons Nevis. Also at Spice Island Michael Carroll is the new Executive Chef. He previously worked for Forte, De Vere and Swallows Hotels.

The new Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center in Kissimmee, Florida has promoted Jeanine Payne from Associate Director of Sales to Director of Sales. Payne has been with the resort nearly two years. She was also with the Buena Vista Palace Resort and Spa/Wyndham Palace, Orlando, as the Associate Director of Sales. She was also previously in management with the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress, Hyatt Orlando, Hyatt Regency Knoxville and Hyatt Arlington.

The Pinehurst Company has announced the appointment of William Van Loon as Vice President of Incentive Industry Sales. Van Loon most recently has served as Senior Travel Program Manager for Maritz Travel Company.

Peter Wirth announces the arrival in California of Swiss hotelier/chef Roberto Ruprecht, 52, once considered one of the most successful young chefs in Geneva, with his one star Michelin Restaurant called "Au fer à cheval". He has been named General Manager for the AAA 4 star Rocklin Park Hotel at Rocklin, California. He replaces Dirk Oldenburg who joined a hotel on the East Coast.

Frank Stocek left as General Manager of the Mandarin-Oriental Macau to take over as General Manager of the Mandarin-Oriental Bermuda, Elbow Beach. Stocek replaces Hartmut Zunk. Replacing Stocek in Macau is Jonas Schuermann, previously Resident Manager of the Oriental, Bangkok.

Full circle for Executive Chef Eric Brunel who is again the Executive Chef at the Grace Bay Club in the Turks and Caicos, after a two-and-a-half-year stint at Orient-Express¹ Bora Bora Lagoon Resort. Brunel was the top toque at Grace Bay from March 1997 to March 1999. Prior to that he served as Executive Sous Chef at Rosewood¹s Little Dix Bay.

Todd Shallan has been promoted by KSL Resorts to Vice President and General Manager of the historic Claremont Resort & Spa in Oakland, California. Shallan brings more than 22 years experience in the hospitality industry to the position, having most recently been Director of Operations at KSL¹s famed Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa. Shallan is replacing Ted Axe, who was appointed General Manager of KSL¹s newest hotel acquisition, La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California. Shallan¹s career has come full circle, since he began working in the hospitality industry over 18 years ago at the St. Francis in San Francisco. He then worked in catering and convention services at the Westin Hotel in Santa Clara, California as well as the Ritz-Carlton in Rancho Mirage. He next spent five years at the Boca Raton Resort & Club in Florida. He was transferred by then-owner Wayne Huizenga to the Arizona Biltmore, which has since then been purchased by KSL. Shallan holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Hotel Administration from Cornell University.

Eric Bourdales has been promoted to General Manager of the Hotel Melia Cohiba in Cuba. He previously was the Resident Manager at that same property. Prior to joining Melia, Bourdales was the Executive Assistant Manager in charge of Food and Beverage at the Conrad Rey Juan Carlos Primero in Barcelona.

Carlson Hospitality has named John Reynolds Vice President of Human Resources. A 15-year Carlson employee, he was promoted from the Carlson Marketing Group, where he was Vice President of Projects.

Executive Chef Hans Schadler, a renowned chef at Colonial Williamsburg for 15 years, has returned home. Schadler has become the Director of Food and Beverage and Executive Chef at the Williamsburg Inn and Historic Area Hospitality Operations, which includes Colonial Williamsburg's four dining taverns. The inn's current top chef, Calvin Belknap, will stay at Colonial Williamsburg and take on a newly created position Food and Beverage Director and Executive Chef at the Williamsburg Lodge, the Woodlands Hotel and Suites, the two Golden Horseshoe golf clubhouses and the Woodlands Conference Center. Schadler originally came to Colonial Williamsburg in 1982 as the inn's Executive Chef and later added the titles of Food and Beverage Director and Executive Chef at the Lodge and Inn. Belknap came to Colonial Williamsburg in 1997, when Schadler left to become the Executive Chef of the Caneel Bay Resort on St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Schadler had already worked as the top chef at the Caneel Bay Resort from 1968 to 1974.

Six Continents have transferred Philippe Schwartz to Regional Director of Finance for the West Coast and Controller for the company¹s Mark Hopkins Inter-Continental in San Francisco. Schwartz, a Frenchman, was previously a Regional Controller for Six Continents, based in Athens, Greece. He originally joined the company (then known as Inter-Continental Hotels) in 1983.

Maarten van Wijk has resigned his position as General Manager of the Hotel Hershey to take a "sabbatical", traveling to Utah where he worked with Heineken in the Holland Heineken House during the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. Van Wijk originally joined Hershey Entertainment & Resorts Company in 1991 as Director of Food and Beverage at the Hershey Philadelphia Hotel. He then became General Manager of the Hershey Country Club in 1992. In 1994, Maarten was promoted to Assistant General Manager at the Hershey Lodge and Convention Center. In 1996, he assumed his position of General Manager at the Hotel Hershey. A Dutchman, Van Wijk comes from a high profile family of hoteliers and is a graduate of the Maastricht Hotel School.

Gabriel Kreuther has been picked by Ritz-Carlton to be the Executive Chef at their new Central Park South New York flagship slated for a spring opening. Kreuther moves two blocks from Jean-George at Trump International where he was the Chef de Cuisine. Also at the Ritz-Carlton New York at Central Park South, Ronan Henaff will be in charge of the hotel's signature restaurant. He was most recently the General Manager of Aqua at the St Regis Monarch Bay. Henaff previously worked as Director of Operations for New York¹s Le Bernardin.

Thomas Zeisel is the new General Manager at the Lodge at Cordillera, a posh boutique property in Vail Valley. He replaces Jean-Marc Jalbert who was the interim General Manager since September. Zeisel joins Cordillera from the Chesterfield in Palm Beach. He had also been the General Manager of the Mayfair House in Coconut Grove and Vail¹s Mountain House. As for Jalbert, he is now the Director of Operations for the soon-to-open (June 2002) Sofitel Chicago. The 400-room property, where Patrick Filatre is the General Manager, also recently hired Olivier Bottois as Director of Food and Beverage Operations. A nine-year veteran of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Bottois was most recently the Director of Food and Beverage at Chicago¹s Ritz-Carlton. Rounding up the team as Executive Chef is yet another Frenchman, Frédéric Castan, who was most recently the Executive Chef at the Big Horn Country Club in the California desert. Castan's previous stints as Executive Chef included the Westin South Coast Plaza and the Ritz-Carlton Huntington.

Scott Mawhinney, former General Manager of the Hotel Bora Bora, is the opening General Manager for the Soho Metropolitan in Toronto. The boutique property will feature two restaurants and a spa, and is due to open at the end of the year.

Johnny So has been moved by KSL Resorts from his position of General Manager at La Quinta to that of General Manager at the Grand Wailea Resort on Maui. So had originally joined KSL in August 2000. He had previously logged five years with Starwood and fourteen with Loews Hotels.

ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

Franz Donhauser joined Shangri-la Group as General Manager of Island Shangri-La Hong Kong. Prior to joining the group, he was General Manager of ANA Grand Hotel Vienna. Franz has worked in hospitality for over thirty years, including stints in Australia, Austria, Korea, Singapore, Switzerland and Thailand. He has held three executive positions with Hyatt Hotels and Resorts.

Pierre Jochem is the General Manager of the Imperial in New Delhi, a privately owned top luxury hotel. Jochem, a Frenchman, had been the General Manager of the Oberoi New Delhi from 1997 to 1999 prior to joining Four Seasons as Hotel Manager at the aptly named Pierre in New York.

Jérome Carrouée is the new Executive Chef at the Sheraton Imperial (soon to be rebranded St Regis) in Kuala Lumpur. He replaces Willie Ruck who was transferred by Starwood to the Phoenix Seagaia Resort on Japan¹s Kyushu Island as Culinary Director, overseeing 56 restaurants. Ruck follows former Sheraton Imperial Managing Director Neil Palmer to Phoenix Seagaya.

Lothar Nessmann, who joined Shangri-La Hotels in 1995, has been promoted to General Manager of the Shangri-La Far Eastern Plaza in Taipei. He was previously the Resident Manager at the property. He also worked as Resident Manager at the Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur, and served with Hilton International in Abu Dhabi.

Christine Hodder, former Director of Sales and Marketing at the Four Seasons Singapore has become the Director of Hospitality Management for Hong Kong based Shun Tak Holdings.

Philippe Caretti, a nine-year Shangri-La veteran, has been transferred to Shanghai as General Manager of the Pudong Shangri-La. He spent the past two years as General Manager of Shangri-La's Far Eastern Plaza Hotel in Taipei, after over five years with Shangri-La in Hong Kong. Caretti is a Lausanne Hotel School Graduate.

Frenchman Philippe Charraudeau will be opening, as General Manager, the 210-room Hotel Serena in lovely Islamabad, Pakistan. Hans Henk replaced him at the Mumbai Leela Kempinski. Prior to Mumbai, Charraudeau was the opening General Manager of the self-touted "seven-star" Burj Al Arab in Dubai.

Richard Schilling is gone from the Park Lane Jakarta, replaced as General Manager there by Jon Richards.

Philippe Saunier is the Manager of Justine's, the French restaurant at the Jianguo Hotel in Beijing. He was previously in a similar position at La Rochelle, the French restaurant at the Oberoi in New Delhi, and at Ma Maison, the gourmet venue at the Bangkok Hilton.

Richard Masselin has been named General Manager of the Pan Pacific Manila. He originally joined the company in 1997 and spent four years as Executive Assistant Manager at the Pan Pacific Bangkok.

Okinawa-born Pattie Herman has been appointed Market Director of Sales Asia Pacific for Marriott and Renaissance Hotels in Hawaii. She previously held the positions of Director of Sales and Marketing at the Sheraton Kauai Resort, Director of Sales Asia Pacific for Hyatt Resorts Hawaii and Director of International Sales for Westin Resorts Hawaii.

Patrick Duff is the new Executive Chef of the Hotel Inter-Continental Hong Kong, (formerly known as the Regent of Hong Kong). Duff had barely unpacked as Executive Chef at the Ritz-Carlton Seoul (where he arrived in November 2001 to replace Jean-Paul Naquin) when he accepted the Hong Kong offer.

With the aftermath of 9/11 still being felt in Asia, a few positions have been made redundant in a number of properties. At the Oberoi in Lombok, Food and Beverage Manager Benoit Ghesquiere-Dierickx finds himself without a job as a result of a combination of duties.

The Great Wall Sheraton Beijing has named Jesselyn Koh Director of Sales and Marketing. She joins from the Sheraton Subang Hotel & Towers, Malaysia.

Susan Hoddap has been appointed Director of Marketing at the JW Marriott Hong Kong. She previously was responsible for global brand management for Marriott worldwide. The Renaissance Riverside Hotel Saigon has appointed Julian Wong as Director of Sales and Marketing.

At the Four Seasons Shanghai, which opened February 25, 2002 February, General Manager Jean-Pierre Dosse, a twenty-one-year Regent International veteran, called upon former colleague André Craps to be his Executive Chef. A 48-year Belgian, Craps worked under Dosse at Halekulani, then at the Regent of Washington, the Regent Beverly Wilshire and the Regent of Auckland. Craps was, for the past three years, the Executive Chef at the Hotel Conrad Dublin. Also key to the success of the Four Seasons Shanghai is Executive Assistant Manager in charge of Food and Beverage Alain Tsui. Franco-Chinois Tsui is Swiss-educated, and joins the Four Seasons Shanghai after four years at the former Regent of Hong Kong.

Philippe Bachman has been named Executive Chef for the soon-to-open (Sheraton) Bora Bora Nui Resort in French Polynesia. He moved to Polynesia from New York City in 1988, where he had been a Sous Chef at what became the Peninsula New York.

Edwin Gotto is the new Executive Chef at Mauna Lani, replacing Ryan Vargas. Gotto, who started his career at Halekulani, gained much acclaim in recent years as the Executive Chef of the Lodge at Koele and of its sister property the Manele Bay Hotel, both on the Hawaiian island of Lanai.

Yusa Aziz has been named Director of Sales of the Sheraton Laguna Nusa Dua. He was previously at the Sheraton Bandara Hotel, Jakarta.

Several announcements came from Accor Asia Pacific: Gilles Cretallaz has been named General Manager of the Sofitel Silom Bangkok. He was previously the General Manager of the Novotel Atlantis Shanghai. The Novotel Heifei has named Roger Mair as General Manager. He was previously Resident Manager of the Novotel Ambassador Kangnam Seoul. Gert Noorzdy has joined the Mercure Hotel & Residence Surabaya as General Manager. He held the same position for the past two years at Novotel Soechi Medan, North Sumatra. Lionel Moinard has been named General Manager of the Novotel Garden Plaza Saigon. He joins from the Ibis Arcadia Jakarta. Robert Rippon has transferred from the Sofitel Zhengzhou to the Novotel Atlantis Shanghai as General Manager. He has been with Accor for 10 years.

The JW Marriott Phuket Resort and Spa has named Fitz Aguilar Director of Operations, Jeff Crowe Director of Marketing, Lee Sutton Director of Sales and Anthony Tuttle Executive Chef.

Bob Rogers has been named Executive Chef at the Empire Hotel and Country Club, in the Sultanate of Brunei. Rogers is not new to Asia where he has been the Director of Food and Beverage at the Century Park in Bangkok, Executive Chef at Shangri-La¹s China World Hotel in Beijing and at Jakarta¹s Hotel Mulia.

Wolfgang Krueger is now the Hotel Manager at Makati Shangri-La in Manila, after a stint as Resident Manager at the Kahala Mandarin-Oriental in Honolulu.

MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA

Francesco Borrello has assumed his responsibilities as general manager of Le Royal Meridien Bahrain. The Italian-born hotelier, aged 42, has worked in the hospitality industry for more than 26 years from Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen to Indonesia, Singapore, Britain, Italy and Switzerland.

Pascal Prigent has been promoted to General Manager of the Beau Rivage in Mauritius, part of Naiades Hotels. He replaces Lionel Alvarez who left to become the General Manager of Amanresorts' Hotel Bora Bora in French Polynesia. Prigent originally joined the Beau Rivage last year as Resident Manager.

Rudolf (Rudy) Mack is the opening Resort Manager at the Four Seasons Resort Sharm El Sheik. Mack was previously at the Four Seasons Aviara for a number of years, and had also previously been the Director of Food and Beverage at the Four Seasons Biltmore in Santa Barbara.

Marc Dardenne, the General Manager of the wonderful Ritz-Carlton Bali is transferring to the Ritz-Carlton Dubai in the same capacity. His replacement in Bali has yet to be announced. Dardenne has previous experience of the Middle East, acquired while toiling for Hilton International in Kuwait in the eighties.

Millennium Hotels and Resorts have appointed Franz Zeller as the General Manager of the Millennium Hotel Abu Dhabi. Zeller was previously General Manager of the five-star Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel in Singapore and Senior Vice President of Operations for Asia Pacific at Millennium & Copthorne International.

EUROPE

Nicolas Béliard is the new General Manager at the very unique Chateau de Bagnols, outside Lyon, France, after a mere three months at the helm of the Montalembert in Paris. Prior to joining Montalembert in November 2001, Béliard had been the Director of Rooms at the Four Seasons George Cinq in Paris. A Cornell Hotel School graduate, he had transferred to Paris from the Pierre in New York. In Bagnols, he takes over from Karl Heinz Zimmermann, who is retiring.

At the Four Seasons George Cinq in Paris, Leah Marshall has taken the position of Rooms Director, to replace Nicolas Béliard who left to become the General Manager of the Hotel Montalembert. Leah Marshall was part of the pre-opening team at Four Seasons George Cinq, as its Director of Housekeeping. Lucas Johansson was promoted to the position of Assistant Rooms Director. He had joined the George Cinq from the Savoy in London in November 2000 as Front Office Manager.

At Monaco¹s Société des Bains de Mer, the operator of the principality¹s casinos and luxury hotels, former Méridien Chief Bernard Lambert just took over as President from Michel Novatin, another former Méridien honcho.

Orient-Express Hotels has appointed Patrice Glogg General Manager of the Hotel Quinta do Lago. Glogg replaces Sandro Fabris, who has moved to Quinta do Lago¹s sister property, the Lapa Palace in Lisbon. Glogg joins Orient-Express from his position of Managing Director of Bürgenstock Hotels & Resorts. He previously ran the Cape Sun Inter-Continental Hotel in Cape Town and the Vista Palace Hotel near Monaco.

Jacques Favre has been appointed General Manager of the Hotel d¹Angleterre in Geneva. He had been the General Manager of the Beaufort Sentosa Island Resort in Singapore.

Kristof Mares has been promoted by Mandarin-Oriental to General Manager of the Mandarin-Oriental Munich. Formerly known as the Hotel Rafael, the property features 73 rooms and suites. Mares was previously the Resident Manager at the Mandarin-Oriental London, the former Hyde Park Hotel. Prior to joining Mandarin-Oriental, he was the Resident Manager at the Nusa Dua Beach Hotel in Bali.

Silvio Bianchi has left his position of International Culinary Development Manager with Hyatt International (based in Lausanne) to join Movenpick in a similar position.

Michel Blanchi is gone as General Manager of the just-opened Ritz-Carlton Istanbul. Blanchi, a Frenchman, had started in that position in July 2000.

Christian Karaoglanian has been named Vice President of Global Development by Accor Hotels, taking over from André Martinez (who was moved to heading the budget division of Accor) He has been with the company since 1976. As for Martinez, who holds an MBA from France¹s prestigious HEC, he had joined Accor in 1997, after a successful tenure with Méridien. He was the President of Méridien Hotels of the Americas.

At Paris¹ Hotel de Crillon, Philippe Krenzer has been named General Manager, taking over from Philippe Leboeuf, who becomes Group Director of Operations for Concorde Hotels. Krenzer was previously the Hotel Manager at the Savoy in London. Laurent Van Hoegaerden, who was until now the Director of Food and Beverage at the Crillon, becomes the Hotel Manager.

Julien Carralero has been promoted to General Manager at the upcoming Four Seasons Budapest, in Hungary. His successor as Hotel Manager at the Four Seasons George Cinq has yet to be announced.

Jean-Luc Deguines is moving on with Mandarin-Oriental, from Executive Assistant Manager in charge of Food and Beverage at the Mark in New York (a position he held since 1996) to Hotel Manager at Mandarin-Oriental Hotel du Rhône in Geneva, Switzerland.

At the Ritz in London, Steven Boxall has been promoted from Restaurant Manager to General Manager. He reports to Managing Director Luc Delafosse.

In Brussels Philippe Got has been appointed Executive Chef of the Inter-Continental Europa, taking over from Laurent Dauvergne. Dauvergne was there fleetingly before returning to Restaurant Bruno in Monte Carlo, where he had worked previously.

Edited by Benoit Gateau-Cumin
President
The Boutique Search Firm
http://www.boutiquesearchfirm.com
benoit@boutiquesearchfirm.com

Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels Releases HISA 2002 – A Blue Print for Hotel Investment

Prudent hotel investors will have to pick their market exposure in Europe more carefully than ever in 2002, according to a report to be released this week by Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels.

Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels and LaSalle Investment Management will jointly issue the Hotel Investment Strategy Annual (HISA 2002), providing investors with recommended investment opportunities for the coming year.

According to the report a reasonable prospect exists of Europe’s economy outperforming the US in both 2001 and 2002. In turn Europe’s hotel markets stand to show stronger growth levels in 2002 than their US counterparts. “Dependant on their source markets, some cities will fare better than others, with the Southern European markets showing the most promise at this stage. New supply increases will be key” points out Arthur de Haast, Managing Director, Europe at Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels.

“Business demand is likely to come back first and strongest, whilst the long-haul leisure market will lag this recovery as the nervousness persists” adds Mr de Haast. The operating markets should demonstrate signs of stability in the first half of the year, and some hotel budgets set for 2002 in the aftermath of September 11 look to be overly pessimistic.

“The prospects for Europe appear to be strengthening rather than weakening which will bring renewed interest. This will be reinforced by current sentiment, which believes asset prices having softened will now harden, causing a greater convergence between buyer and seller expectations. As a result we believe that transaction activity in 2002 is likely to be similar to 2001, possibly showing a slight increase in single asset transactions. Corporate activity is also likely to pick up during the latter part of the year, with the consolidation of Europe’s small to mid-cap hotel companies likely to continue” stated Nick Marsh, Executive Vice President and head of the European Investment team.

According to Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels, these are the investment priorities for 2002:

¨ Investigate sale and leaseback opportunities in the current low interest rate environment

¨ Target the main gateway cities (ie London, Paris, Amsterdam) in the medium term, if product is available, as they will show the strongest growth over five years

¨ Utilise regional centres, less reliant on US and international demand, to support portfolio performance in the short term

¨ Focus on Southern Europe which is set to show the strongest GDP growth rates over the period 2001-04

¨ Gravitate towards high quality sectors or the budget sector – avoid mid-tier hotels

¨ Exercise caution towards Central and Eastern European markets where there have been significant supply increases eg Budapest and Warsaw

¨ Target cities that are well connected with both budget and full-service airlines

¨ Seek to add value in 2002 via restructuring and repositioning assets to take advantage of the upswing

¨ Look at individual assets operated by a mid-tier brand that is a possible take-over target, with the prospect of re-branding to a top-tier brand to realise a yield kick

¨ On a corporate level, look at hotel companies where there is a discount to net asset value.

Looking ahead, while London has fallen the furthest, it is also likely to be the first to recover and stability in the operating markets is in sight. The market should receive a boost in 2002 with the Queen’s Golden Jubilee. Of course the fate of the London market is inextricably linked to the forecast US recovery in the second half of the year. “Following the likely stabilisation of the operating markets in the first half of the year, investor interest should refocus on the capital. Owners holding assets over the past three months will see greater investor appetite and may come to the market towards the end of 2002” states Mr Marsh.

Spain is set to enjoy the strongest GDP growth in the EU over 2002 to 2004 which will have a direct impact on the country’s hotel markets given the high proportion of domestic demand. 2002 also gives Spain the EU presidency which should generate increased government and corporate hotel demand. Growth will be slower in 2002 in both resort and city markets compared to the phenomenal growth levels enjoyed in recent years, but Spain will be one of the stronger performers in 2002. “We see an increase in investment activity in 2002 as more product comes to the market and owners seek to take profits reaped over the past several years and are more motivated to sell. Domestic investors are turning to real estate as a safe haven as the Spanish stock market has suffered in the wake of the Argentinean crisis” states Mr Marsh.

An increase in motivated sellers is also likely to occur in Paris in 2002, particularly owners with short to medium-term investment horizons such as the US equity funds, according to the report. “These types of owners entered the market in the late 1990s and are unlikely to see further asset appreciation in the short term and may judge the time is right in the cycle” adds Mr Marsh.

2002 is likely to see limited growth in Germany’s major city markets, with Munich expected to be the strongest performer. Frankfurt and Hamburg should experience marginal growth, with Düsseldorf recovering from the poor performance in 2001. Overall the economic recession, cutbacks in corporate travel and lower attendance at trade fairs will impact hotel performance in 2002. However, German institutional investors are cash-rich and have become increasingly active in the hotel sector as a means of diversifying their portfolio.

Prague should be the strongest performer in Central and Eastern Europe in 2002 as the European conference market rebounds. Both Budapest and Warsaw are suffering from excess supply and falling demand in the current climate. “The investment markets in Central and Eastern Europe are not refined highly illiquid. It remains a market for opportunistic investors and for investors with a medium to long term horizon” stated Mr Marsh.

Despite the current hand wringing, US hotel markets are much better positioned than in past recessions, and high-income yields and relative stability will attract continued investor interest. Contributing to this are several factors:

¨ Because lenders required more equity and used tougher underwriting standards, the building cycle of the 1990s was more constrained. The greater equity contributions will prevent many hotels from sliding into foreclosure situations.

¨ Hotel yields remain high. The average cap rate for hotels is currently 11.0%, compared to general real estate at 9.3%. Since 1991, hotel cap rates have contracted 100 basis points, while 10-year treasuries have fallen by three times that amount.

¨ Many of the country’s metropolitan areas have diversified since the last recession, which should result in quicker recoveries for most cities.

With regard to investment opportunities, all major markets will post a recovery in 2002, therefore, investors who have focused on underlying asset values and not on existing cash-flow anomalies will benefit. Counter-cyclical investors who acquire properties in the current trough have the potential to enjoy significant capital gain by disposing of properties in the market recovery phase. Those cities expected to enjoy the most significant turn-around include Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Orlando and Atlanta.

The economic recovery that occurred post the 1997-1998 crisis faltered during 2001 as most Asian economies felt the effect of the global economic slowdown. However, the standout economies of Australia, China and India have remained relatively unaffected and continue to post economic growth. Recovery for most markets is anticipated by Q4 2002; however, the planned financial restructuring in Asia’s largest economies, which stalled during 2001, may be further tested in 2002 given the current economic climate.

For the Asia Pacific, investors expressed the strongest buy sentiment for Bali, Beijing, Phuket, Shanghai and Sydney. The region’s markets vary greatly in terms of availability of debt, treatment of non-performing loans and vendors’ price expectations. These factors impact on the feasibility of hotel acquisition and development across the

INDIAN INDUSTRY SURVEY REPORT 2000-2001 REPORT

Written by: Manav Thadani and Navjit Ahluwalia - HVS International

The Indian office of HVS International, a global hospitality consulting and hotel appraisal firm, has recently published the 2000/01 FHRAI Hotel Industry Survey - an analysis of the hotel industry in India. Commissioned by the Federation of Hotels & Restaurants Association of India the annual Indian Hotel Industry Survey, which brings together the industry's key statistics for the year is, possibly, the most authoritative source of data on the industry in the country. The recently released Indian Hotel Industry Survey 2000-2001,sponsored by CNN covers data from over 1,103 member hotels covering 59,330 rooms across 19 cities in India.

The survey indicates an upswing in occupancy levels in the year 2000-01. Having decreased consecutively for the last three years, the all India average occupancy per hotel increased by four percentage points to 55.6% this year. All India average room rates on the other hand, decreased slightly by 3.6% from Rs 2,123 last year to Rs 2,046 in 2000-01. Compared to the 16% decline in average rates the year before, hotels this year were able to generate higher occupancy levels without steep discounts on room rates.

According to HVS International, chain affiliated hotels (branded), which constituted 12% of the respondents had a lower occupancy level (48.4%) and a higher average room rate (Rs 3,459) as compared to independent hotels, which had a higher occupancy (57.5%) with a lower average rate (Rs 1,308). This is partly because all chain-affiliated hotels are in the higher star category with higher rack rates."

For the first time, trends in payroll and related expenses were analysed and reflected in the report. The all India average for Payroll & Related Expenses as a percentage of total revenue was 18.2% as compared to 32.5% for full service hotels and 24.3% for limited service hotels in the United States. Heritage hotels had the highest payroll expense at 22.7% of total revenue. Energy costs in India for hotels remain very high at nearly 12% of total revenue. Navjit Ahluwalia, Senior Associate, HVS International indicates that despite decreasing yields and increasing operating costs, the all India average net income as a percentage of total revenue decreased only marginally, standing at 27.2% as compared to 28% the previous year.

Chennai was the market occupancy leader with an occupancy level of 75.1%. Most southern cities like Bangalore (72.1%), Hyderabad (71.4%) and Cochin (68.2%) also achieved high occupancies. In terms of room rates, New Delhi, similar to last year, maintained its position at the top with an average room rate (ARR) of Rs 3,911. Mumbai was the second highest at Rs 3,591.

Compiled before the attacks on the World Trade Centre in New York on 11th September, the report does not incorporate the impact of the event on the hotel industry. Manav Thadani, Managing Director, HVS International, the world's leading hospitality consulting firm, responsible for the survey, indicated, however, that although international tourist arrivals had declined only by about 6% post September 11th, the decrease experienced by hotels was much higher, reflecting an equally large drop in domestic travel. Business appears to be picking up now, and is expected to get back on track in time for peak season - from October onwards in India. On another front, the ITDC disinvestments are expected to temporarily decrease hotel supply in New Delhi in the near future, which is likely to have a positive impact on the city's occupancy levels.

For more information on the current state of India's hospitality industry, click here (click here) to view the report.

Written by: Manav Thadani and Navjit Ahluwalia

Manav Thadani joined HVS International's New York office as a consultant and valuation analyst in September of 1995. Prior to joining HVS, he gained six years of operational experience in various hotels in New York City while completing his undergraduate and graduate education at New York University. In early 1997, he transferred to the HVS London office; from there, he planned the opening of HVS International's first Asian representative office in India. He was appointed Associate Director (India) in mid-1997, and the office in New Delhi was established in September of 1997. In 2000, he was promoted to Managing Director of the HVS International New Delhi office.

Navjit Ahluwalia has 13 years of experience in the hospitality industry. Formerly, Navjit served as Food and Beverage Manager for the Windsor Manor Sheraton and Towers hotel in Bangalore and the Hilton in New Delhi. Prior to joining Hilton, Navjit worked with the Oberoi Group for eight years in different management positions. In India, the HVS team has worked on projects ranging from market and feasibility studies; valuation of hotels; residual land values; management contract values; management contract negotiations; development strategies for new brands; impact analysis; research reports; and investment services. HVS assignments in the Indian subcontinent have covered 21 cities. Our clients in India include Indian Hotels, EIH Ltd., ITC Hotels, Hotel Leela Venture Limited, Forte Plc, Six Continents Hotels, Mandarin Oriental, Carlson Hospitality, Hyatt International, Hilton International, Choice International, and UP Hotels, among others.

STARWOOD EXPANDS IN JAPAN WITH REBRANDING OF THE HERITAGE
110-YEAR OLD MIYAKO HOTEL IN KYOTO TO THE WESTIN BRAND

Singapore, 4th March 2002....Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, Inc.
(NYSE:HOT) and Kintetsu Hotel Systems have announced a management agreement
to rebrand the Miyako Hotel in Kyoto to The Westin Miyako, with effect from
1 April 2002.

This marks a return of the landmark Miyako hotel in Kyoto to the
Westin brand. The hotel was previously affiliated with Westin Hotels &
Resorts from 1965 to 1995 under a marketing agreement. The new partnership
between The Miyako Hotel and Starwood signifies a closer co-operation as the
hotel will now be fully managed by Starwood Hotels & Resorts. Following the
rebranding, The Westin Miyako will be the only internationally branded and
managed hotel in Kyoto.

"We are extremely proud and delighted to welcome the famous Miyako
hotel back to the Westin family. This reinforces our commitment to the
development of the Westin brand," said Miguel Ko, President, Asia-Pacific,
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide. "The Westin Miyako in Kyoto, one of
the most popular destinations in Japan for leisure and convention travelers,
will complement our portfolio of properties in Japan very well," added Ko.
Other Starwood properties in Japan include Westin hotels in Tokyo, Osaka,
Nagoya, Awaji Island and now Kyoto, and Sheraton hotels in Tokyo Bay, Kobe,
Yokohama, Sapporo and Miyazaki.

Akio Hirao, Area Managing Director of Starwood for Japan, Korea and
Guam, stated "We have a historical relationship with The Westin Miyako, the
legendary home of dignitaries from around the world whenever they visit
Kyoto, and this agreement will further enhance our partnership and
co-operation. The 110-year old Westin Miyako marks a significant step
forward in the expansion of Starwood in Japan and reinforces our commitment
to grow in this key market."

As the ancient capital of Japan, Kyoto offers a rich cultural heritage with
historical preservation districts, over 2,000 shrines and temples and an
abundance of beautiful natural scenery. The Westin Miyako is a landmark in
the city of Kyoto, and is strategically located adjacent to the subway
station and just minutes from downtown Kyoto.

The Westin Miyako consists of 516 deluxe rooms and suites, six food
& beverage venues, 13 meeting rooms with two ballrooms which comprise 6
break out rooms and extensive recreational facilities including a 850 meters
bird-watching trailer, a Japanese landscaped garden and a Zen garden. The
hotel grounds spread over 550,000 square meters, covering five different
wings and offering a sense of spaciousness with complete privacy.
An extensive upgrading program is underway at The Westin Miyako,
covering the lobby, guest rooms and several restaurants. Internationally
acclaimed designer, Hirsch Bedner Associates, is working with the hotel to
ensure the highest product design and standards. Some of the Westin
Miyako's guest rooms will also showcase the famous Heavenly Bed(tm), a
signature product of the Westin Hotels & Resorts.

Westin Hotels & Resorts, with more than 120 hotels and resorts in 25
countries, is owned by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. Starwood
Hotels & Resorts (NYSE: HOT) is one of the leading hotel and leisure
companies in the world with more than 725 properties in 80 countries and
110,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. With internationally
renowned brands, Starwood is a fully integrated owner, operator and
franchiser of hotels and resorts including: St. Regis, The Luxury
Collection, Sheraton, Westin, Four Points by Sheraton and W Hotels, as well
as Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., one of the premier developers and
operators of high quality vacation interval ownership resorts.

Plenary Session 1 of the 2002 PATA Annual Conference, April 14-18 in New Delhi, will feature a panel discussion on "The Changing World and Its Impact on Tourism." Speakers include Mr. Michael Elliott, Editor-at-large, TIME; Dr. Surin Pitsuwan, Thailand's Former Foreign Minister; and Professional Futurist Mr. Richard Neville. The session will be moderated by Mr. Satinder Bindra, New Delhi Bureau Chief and Correspondent for CNN. Visit www.pata.org for PATA Annual Conference registration forms, airline discounts, programme information and pre- and post-Conference tour options. Fax: (66-2) 658-2010. E-mail: conference@pata.th.com.

Twenty-two government and state tourism offices have confirmed their participation at the 25th PATA Travel Mart, Singapore, April 9-12. Bahrain, Bali, Brunei, China (PRC), Chinese Taipei, Egypt, Fiji, Hong Kong SAR, India, Indonesia, Korea (ROK), Macau SAR, Malacca, Sabah, Sarawak, Malaysia, Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand will all be present. A few more NTOs including Mongolia and Sri Lanka have made enquiries. Singapore Airlines, China Airlines, Air-India, PT Garuda Indonesia and Cathay Pacific will be offering air discounts to sellers. Finnair and Garuda will also be bringing in a group of buyers respectively. Most of these airlines will be represented at the Mart. For further information and registration details, visit www.patatravelmarket.com. Or e-mail joanne.lim@reedexpo.com.sg for exhibition bookings.

All 45 seats for the two post-PATA Travel Mart buyer and media tours to Nepal have been fully booked. At least 10 more delegates have been waitlisted. Nepal is the Feature Country during the Mart, while Adventure Travel is the Feature Product. During the exhibition, there will be a Feature Product presentation each day. In addition, April 11 will be Corporate Travel Day, with OAG, the airline scheduling experts, running two sessions of a business travel planning course for corporate travel planners and buyers. For further information visit www.patatravelmarket.com. Or e-mail cynthia.ng@reedexpo.com.sg for details about attending the Mart as a buyer.

110 buyers currently registered at the Mart are new buyers. The Mart is expected to draw a total of 250 new and repeat buyers from the leisure segment while another 100 buyers are from the corporate market. Buyers from Europe constitute to 43% of the total numbers while buyers from Asia climbed a notch to number two as the second largest group while America is number three and Pacific buyers comprise 9 percent of the total numbers. For further information visit www.patatravelmarket.com

PATA has released the PATA Market Map: Airline Seat Capacity Trends to the PATA Region: 2Q 2002. The study shows the latest shifts in airline seat capacity which will come into effect April to June this year. The PATA region will see an overall decline in seat capacity compared to 2Q 2001, the first time in many years this has happened. But within the region different sub-regions fare differently, with some surprising results. The report costs US$100 for PATA members and US$250 for PATA Chapters and non-members. For further information or to order a copy e-mail: publications@pata.th.com.

The PATA Europe Division is organising a PATA stand at EIBTM in Geneva, Switzerland, May 21-23. EIBTM -- a leading international incentive, business travel and meetings event-- helps exhibitors identify new opportunities in the MICE market. PATA welcomes members to exhibit under its umbrella and take advantage of this cost-effective promotion. For information and to register please contact the PATA Europe Division. Tel: (377) 92 05 61 32. Fax: (377) 92 05 61 33. E-mail: europe@pata.mc.

The PATA Europe Division has three new e-mail addresses which replace pata@monaco.net. General office: europe@pata.mc. Ms. Michela Marcolina, Director-Europe: michela@pata.mc. Ms. Sonia Truchi, Administrative Assistant: sonia@pata.mc.

* Fear on the wane: a recent poll in the U.S. by ABC News found that just around one-third of respondents stated that they had concerns about travelling by air because of the threat of terrorism. This is down from approximately 60 percent just after the September 11 attacks and also down from 40 percent in October 2001.

* Religious divides can be straddled, as evidenced last week in Ambon, Indonesia, where Muslims and Christians joined forces in a mass rally promoting peace.

* Boeing has introduced its new 747-400XQLR (Extra Quiet Longer Range), which is a quieter airplane that will fly nonstop for 9,190 miles or 14,775 kilometres. This new technology will enable airlines to better meet the European noise regulations and operate new routes such as nonstop flights from New York to Bangkok. Boeing plans to deliver the new 747-400XQLR by 2004.

HONG KONG - Members of the Asian Hotels Alliance have moved one step closer by offering reciprocal benefits for loyal guests at over 60 participating hotels.

Members of the Dusit Gold Card, Landis Card, Meritus Privilege Card, Marco Polo’s Tai Pan Club and the New Otani Club will be able to enjoy reciprocal benefits, such as special rates which are extended by the host hotel to its own members, with immediate effect.

"This is one of our primary objectives in forming this alliance – and that is to reward our loyal patrons with added value over and beyond that which one single hotel group can offer," said Michael Ow, president of Meritus Hotels & Resorts.

Guests need to make their reservations in advance and show their membership card when checking in at any participating hotel to enjoy reciprocal rates and benefits. They will not be available in conjunction with other discounts such as group or special contract rates.

AHA, a marketing alliance, was formed last July by Dusit Hotels & Resorts from Thailand, Landis Hotels and Resorts from Taiwan, Marco Polo Hotel Group from Hong Kong, Meritus Hotels & Resorts from Singapore and New Otani Hotels from Japan

Change from being order takers to order makers – that’s what renowned “Hospitality Doctor” Dr Max Hitchins says hospitality sector professionals should be doing as they face the challenges of managing their business in a downturn.

“Have you noticed whenever a sporting team begins to lose, the usual cry is ‘They need to go back to the basics.’ This is also the case in business. You have to get the basics – the foundations – right before you can build on top,” he said.

The hospitality guru will be swinging by Asia in April on a speaking circuit, to dispense advice on hospitality skills, sales and marketing ideas.

TravelWeekly East together with Eventful Events is bringing Hitchins on the Asian roadshow covering Singapore (April 8), Kuala Lumpur (April 10) and Shanghai (April 15).

Hitchins has shared his hospitality skills, sales and marketing ideas with audiences in Switzerland, Iceland, Singapore, Malaysia, Fiji, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Australia and in many cities in the US.

Hitchins believes hotel sales and marketing professionals have never lived through a downturn and have no idea how to create or attract business in a downmarket.

“I plan for the attendees to walk away realising the power they have within themselves to affect the attitude of everyone they deal with...be it staff or customers,” he said.

One of the ways to prompt this ‘order making’ thinking, he said, is to focus on the opportunities offered by what he calls “Anniversary Marketing.”

“I think a company is likely to celebrate its 200th Anniversary – do you? The question is will they celebrate it at your place. Can you get a piece of the action?,” he said.

Newsletter - March 6, 2002