Newsletter - May 9, 2002

GLOBAL STAFF MOVEMENTS:   WHO’S WHERE AND DOING WHAT – MAY 2002

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

THE AMERICAS

Gerard Van Grinsven has been named General Manager of the Ritz-Carlton Dearborn, replacing Michel Goget who transferred to the Ritz-Carlton Tysons Corner. Van Grinsven, quite recently, had  been appointed to the position of Director of Openings, in charge of setting up all new properties for Ritz-Carlton worldwide. Van Grinsven joined Ritz-Carlton in 1995, from Inter-Continental Hotels in Berlin.
     
Richard Adie, a Cornell Hotel School graduate, as the new General Manager of the Statler Hotel at Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration in Ithaca, New York, effective July 2002. Adie will first finish a 27-year career with Hyatt Hotels. A General Manager since 1983, he served in that capacity in Hyatt properties in Houston. Denver San Francisco Chicago and his current appointment with the Hyatt Regency Crown Center in Kansas City.
     
Steve Bello has been named General Manager of the Hotel Hershey, replacing Maarten Van Wijk, who had left several months ago to get involved with the winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. Until recently Bello served as General Manager of the Ritz-Carlton Philadelphia. Prior to that, he was General Manager at The Ritz-Carlton Rancho Mirage, and at The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai, Steve has spent the past nine years with The Ritz-Carlton organization, which he joined following four years with the former Rockresorts.
     
Jon Kimball has been promoted from General Manager of the Westin at Los Angeles International Airport to the soon-to-open 700-room Westin at the convention center in Charlotte, North Carolina. Kimball a Cornell graduate was previously the Director of Operations at the Westin Century Plaza. At the Westin LAX, Kimball is being replaced by Mary Casey, a Brit who comes from the Sheraton Skyline Heathrow. Casey was previously the Vice President Sales Europe for Sheraton.
     
At the St Regis Los Angeles exit General Manager Arash Azarbarzin, dispatched in the same capacity to the much hipper W New York Times Square.
     
Bruno Brunner is back from the Orient as Vice President Operations for St Regis. He worked with St Regis President Atef Mankarios and the rest of his team at Rosewood, prior to joining Shangri-La in Hong Kong.
     
Six Continents Hotels Appointed Isaac Collazo as Vice President, Operations Strategy & Planning. Most recently, he was Vice President of Strategic Brand Knowledge with Marriott International. Prior to his four-year tenure at Marriott he also served with Promus Hotel Corporation. 
     
Frank Ashmore is Director of Sales and Marketing at the Ritz-Carlton Phoenix. He held the same position previously at the Ritz-Carlton Dearborn. In Phoenix he replaces Steven Janicek who is now the pre-opening Director of Sales for the much anticipated Laguna Beach Colony Hotel, an "independent" being built as Marriott Corporation's first "Marriott luxury Division" property. You know that Luxury Division in which some properties will be branded Bvlgari, and some won't.
     
Michael McMahon has rejoined Ritz-Carlton eleven years almost to the day after leaving that company. Now in charge of marketing the two Ritz-Carlton properties in Naples, Florida, (replacing Frank Cavella, who left the company) he comes from Boca Resorts, for whom he marketed their two Naples properties, the Registry and the Naples Grande. McMahon spent seven years with Ritz-Carlton from 1984 to 1991, holding the top sales and marketing spot in Houston, Rancho mirage and Atlanta.
     
Josephine Claytor is the new Executive Housekeeper at Auberge du Soleil in Napa Valley. Claytor used to own a restaurant in England, prior to engaging in a hotel management career in the Caribbean (Curaçao, Virgin Gorda, Grand Cayman).
     
Bruno Lopez has been promoted to Executive Chef at Raffles L'Ermitage in Beverly Hills. He originally joined the property in January as Executive Sous Chef, after a ten-year career with Ritz-Carlton. 
     
Jim Kostecky, a Cornell graduate, has left Island Outpost's Tides on Miami's hot South Beach after an eighteen-month tenure. He previously was at the Peaks in Telluride for five years
     
Robert Koren was named Vice President of Operations for W Hotels, in charge of spreading the concept worldwide. He most recently served as the Area Manager for Starwood's famed Costa Smeralda and Malta hotels, and as General Manager of the Hotel Cala di Volpe in Porto Cervo.
     
Six Continents Hotels appointed Jeff Senior as Vice President, Inter-Continental Hotels, The Americas. His most recent position was Vice President, Sales and Marketing for Kimpton.
     
Carlos Molinet has been appointed General Manager of the Wyndham Bel Age, in West Hollywood. He joins from a similar position at the Westin Providence hotel. He was previously with Wyndham as General Manager of the Wyndham Old San Juan Hotel & Casino in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. 
     
Joe Vina has joined Evans Hotels of San Diego as Director of Sales at the Catamaran. He previously held a similar position with the cool Shore Club on Miami's South Beach for seven months. Vina also was Associate Director of Sales for the Ritz-Carlton Tyson's Corner.
     
Holger Frohlich is joining the Mirage in Las Vegas as Assistant Executive Chef. He was most recently the Executive Chef at the Brazilian Court in Palm Beach.
     
Craig Mueller has been named Vice President of Development for the Northeastern and Midwestern United States for Six Continents, based in Chicago. Prior to joining Six Continents Hotels, Mueller held several senior positions with Lend Lease Real Estate Investments, Deloitte & Touche, Ritz-Carlton, and Laventhol & Horwath. 
 
David Siguaw is the new Director of Sales and Marketing at Le Méridien at Beverly Hills. He joins from the Park Hyatt Highlands Inn in Carmel.
     
Brian Whitmer left the Lodge at Sonoma to be the General Manager of Paradise Foods, a very high-end gourmet retailer in Corte Madera.  Whitmer, who also was the Chef at Montrachet, Pacific Edge and Moose's, is leaving the kitchen after 26 years. His successor at the Lodge at Sonoma is his former Chef de Cuisine for Carneros, Michael Bilger.
     
Brian Webb is the new General Manager at Stonehaven Villas in Tobago. The Caribbean veteran is a former General Manager of Jumby Bay.
     
Speaking of Jumby Bay, it has been reflagged Rosewood, and Dan Reid is expected any day now to take over as General Manager. Reid, also a Caribbean veteran, comes from Amanresorts, where he was the Regional Director for Indonesia, based out of Amanusa in Bali. Reid originally joined Amanresorts as the General Manager of its most secluded property, Amanpulo, in the Philippines. His Caribbean career included stints as General Manager of Galley Bay in Antigua and of Richard Branson's Necker Island.
     
Conrad Wangeman, a Cornell hotel school graduate, has been named General Manager of the New York Hilton & Tower, after five years in a similar capacity at the Pittsburgh Hilton. He has been with Hilton Hotels for 23 years. His father, a distinguished and respected hotelier, was the Managing Director of Hilton's Waldorf-Astoria for many years.
     
At Napa Valley's Domaine  Chandon, Executive chef Robert Curry is leaving. He had taken over from Philippe Jeanty when the latter left a few years back to open his immensely successful Bistro Jeanty in Yountville (to which he since added Jeanty at Jack's in San Francisco) Curry is going to Disneyworld where he will be the Executive chef at the Flying Fish Café at the Boardwalk.
     
Jean-Francois Houdré, Executive Pastry Chef at the Sutton Place (formerly Le Meridien) Newport Beach is leaving after ten years to run his own pastry shop, Pat-A-Chou, in Cap Feret, France. The 30-year boutique makes ice creams and sorbets, candy, ice  creams and also features  a tea room.
     
Ken Jesina has been appointed General Manager for Benchmark Racine, in Racine Wisconsin, property of the Johnson Foundation; Jesina was previously the Rooms Division Director at Bald Head Island Resort, North Carolina, and prior to this was General Manager for Glade Springs Resort in Daniels, West Virginia.
     
Christina Torok has been hired as Spa Manager at the Royal Bahamian in Nassau, Bahamas. She previously held a similar position at l'Auberge del Mar for Destination Hotels and Resorts.
     
Elegant Hotels of Barbados has named Kenneth Kerr Chief Financial Officer. He was previously Vice President Finance for Inter-Continental Middle East and Africa Division.
     
Charles Lennox III is the new Director of Food and Beverage the Regent Beverly Wilshire. He takes over from Kaleed Mirca who was transferred to the Middle East to open a new Four Seasons property. Lennox logged just a little less than one year at the St Regis Monarch Beach, the opening of which he performed. 
     
Mark Ansteth has been appointed Director of Sales and Marketing for Cheyenne Mountain Resort. He comes to Colorado Springs from Steamboat Springs, Colorado, where he was Director of Sales and Marketing for the Steamboat Grand Resort Hotel & Conference Center. He also used to be the Director of Marketing at the Scottsdale Princess Resort (now The Fairmont Princess).  
     
Herb Faulkenberry has been appointed Director of Sales and Marketing of the Steamboat Grand Resort Hotel & Conference Center. Prior to joining the Steamboat Grand, he was National Director of Sales for American Skiing Company.  
     
Starwood Hotels & Resorts has appointed Elaine Fenard as Vice President, Spa Development & Operations. Most recently Fenard served as a consultant for Steiner Maritime Services where she directed all phases of daily operations for the Disney Magic and Wonder Vista Spas.

Christopher Garcia has been named Director of Sales for Hyatt Regency Pittsburgh International Airport. He comes form the Hyatt Regency Chicago where he was employed from 1994 to February 2002.  Prior to that he worked for Hyatt Hotels in Cambridge and Hilton Head Island.  

Hugues Jaquier is gone as General Manager of Le Méridien Chicago, replaced by Lisa Mipagliazzo. A Swiss, Jaquier was a twenty-year Méridien veteran, who had held General Manager positions in Méridien properties in Guadeloupe, Boston, Lisbon, Jakarta and Cancun, prior to opening the Chicago property.
     
At the Ritz-Carlton Montreal General Manager Carel Folkersma has been replaced by Alan Federer, formerly of the Wyndham Montreal.
     
There is a new Executive Chef at San Francisco's popular Kuleto's. She is Sharyl Seim, a former lieutenant to Cindy Palcyn at Mustard's and Miramonte. Also in San Francisco and also with Kimpton, the new Manager at the Fifth Floor at the Hotel Palomar is John Jasso, who comes from Gary Danko's.
     
At the Hotel Bel-Air, Director of Catering Deanna Maddalena has left after seven years. She has been replaced with Niles Deegan, previously a Catering Manager at Shutters on the Beach, in Santa Monica.
     
Margaret Chow has been named Director of Corporate Sales at the Pan Pacific Vancouver. She had joined Pan Pacific Hotels and Resorts in 1994 as Regional Director of Sales covering the Asia Pacific markets.
     
Also at the Pan Pacific Vancouver Maged Gubr was named Director of Revenue Management. Most recently, Gubr was Regional Revenue Manager for Crowne Plaza Hotels in Dubai. 
     
Robert Cornell has been promoted to Managing Director for Preferred Hotels & Resorts Worldwide. Cornell joined Preferred in 1994 and most recently served as Senior Vice President of Development for the brand's parent company, IndeCorp Corporation. Prior to joining Preferred, he was senior sales and marketing executive with Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts.
     
Yves-Pierre Gérondeau is leaving his position of Executive Assistant Manager at Ritz-Carlton's Hotel Arts Barcelona to become the Hotel Manager for the future Ritz-Carlton Santiago, in Chili. His replacement in Barcelona will be Joseph "Pep" Lozano. Ass for the General Manager of the Ritz-Carlton Santiago, he is James Hughes, a former Hyatt man.
     
Rebecca Abbott is the Controller at the just-opened Standard LA, part of André Balasz' hip group of hotels (as in Mercer, Chateau Marmont..etc..) She joins from Inteletek, a temporary accounting service, and had been the Assistant Controller at the Ritz-Carlton Marina Del Rey.
     
Cristina Romero-Peri was named Director of Sales and Marketing for Rosewood's Las Ventanas al Paraiso in Los Cabos. She replaces Leila Thorne who had held the job since 1997, and since left the company.  Romero-Peri has been for the last four years with Las Ventanas. She joined the resort in 1998 as Sales Manager and in 2000 became Las Ventanas' Assistant Director of Sales and Marketing.  Previously, she was a Sales Manager with L'Ermitage in Beverly Hills. 
     
Wyndham announced the appointment of Matthew Sparks as Vice President of Development and Acquisitions. He was most recently Vice President of Acquisitions and Development for Starwood. Sparks is a graduate of the School of Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management at Michigan State University. 
     
At the Peninsula New York, Brice Kemper is gone as Front Office Manager, replaced by Tina Liu, who was previously the hotel's Front Desk Manager.     
     
New Vice President & General Manager at the Lodge & Spa at Cordillera is Tomas Zeisel, a Cornell Hotel School alumnus. He comes from the Chesterfield in Palm Beach. Also at Cordillera the new Food & Beverage Director is Noel Broadhead. She comes from Champion Hills-Fazio Home Course Country Club in Hendersonville, North Carolina.
     
At the spanking new Ritz-Carlton New York Central Park South, Matthias Terrettaz is Director of Club, transferred from the Ritz-Carlton San Francisco in the same capacity. Also at the Ritz-Carlton Central Park South, Jean-Francois Bonnet is the Pastry Chef. He came from Cello, also in New York.

ASIA/PACIFIC

At the Ritz-Carlton Kapalua, General Manager John Toner has left. A legendary hotelier (in Hawaii anyway), he is fully credited for making the resort such a success. Toner is now consulting for the Ko'Olina Resort, East of Pearl Harbor where the JW Marriott Ihilani and Ko'Olina golf club may be expanded with two additional luxury hotels, another gold course, luxury retail outlets and luxury villas. 
     
Also gone from the Ritz-Carlton Kapalua is Director of Sales and Marketing Steven Sampson. His successor is Mark Benson, who was previously the hotel's Director of Sales. 
     
Bradford Jencks, a former General Manager of Halekulani, has been named General Manager of the Turtle Bay Resort at Kahuku. He most recently was Area Vice President for Hilton Hotels in Washington State and Alaska. The Turtle Bay Resort, formerly known as the Turtle Bay Hilton (and prior to that as the Hyatt Kuilima) is now a Benchmark Hospitality property. Alex Doyle joins Jencks as Director of Sales and Marketing at Turtle Bay, coming from the Outrigger Wailea (previously known as the Aston Wailea and the Hotel Inter-Continental Wailea.) Doyle and Jencks worked together in the past at the Inter-Continental Wailea and at Halekulani.
     
At age 52, Jean-Pierre Dosse is probably the youngest retiree we know.  After over twenty years with Regent International and later Four Seasons, the Frenchman from Annecy has decided to call it quits. Dosse just recently successfully opened the Four Seasons Shanghai (after a two-year gestation) as General Manager. He previously held the same position for the Regent Grand Formosa in Taipei for ten years. Dosse also worked with Regent in Hawaii (Halekulani and Kapalua) Auckland, Okinawa, Washington DC, Beverly Hills and Bangkok. His successor at the helm of the Four Seasons Shanghai is Peter Weber whose most recent assignment has been as General Manager of the Regent KualaLumpur since March 1999. Weber has previously been stationed in Shanghai in the eighties when Regent was involved with the old Peace Hotel.
     
Randy Shimabuku is taking over from Peter Weber in his first General Manager assignment at the Regent Kuala Lumpur. For the past two years, Shimabuku was the Hotel Manager at the Regent Bangkok. Once the Director of Food and Beverage at  Halekulani, Shimabuku joined Four Seasons in 1988 in Toronto as Assistant Food and Beverage Director. 
     
Murray Aitken has joined Raffles International Hotels & Resorts as Director of Food & Beverage of Raffles The Plaza and its sister hotel, Swissôtel The Stamford in Singapore. He previously was with Rosewood Hotels & Resorts for three years as Director of Food and Beverage, first at the Dharmawangsa and then at Carénage Bay in the Caribbean (which is no longer operated by Rosewood). Aitken had previously worked with Raffles Senior VP MV Puri when the latter was the Vice President Food and Beverage for Rosewood.
     
Tracy Ford has recently been named Director of Food and Beverage at the Kapalua Bay Hotel and Villas Maui, Hawaii. Ford formally was the Director of Food and Beverage at the Grand America Hotel, Hotel Hana Maui, Ihilani Resort and Spa and The Grand Wailea Resort and Spa.
     
Director of Housekeeping Ariane Iken is semi-retiring after a stellar twenty-year career in the Five Star hotel world (including the Excelsior Hotel Ernst in Cologne, the Savoy in London, Noga Hilton Geneva, Four Seasons and Berkeley in London and finally the Peninsula Hong Kong.  She is relocating to Sydney to spend quality time with her family and three-year old daughter. 
     
Sharon Garrett has been appointed Director of Communications at the Grand Stanford Inter-Continental Hong Kong. She was previously responsible for group Public Relations for Jumeirah International in Dubai.
     
Italian Chef Alessandro Colombis has been appointed Sous Chef of Mistral the restaurant at Grand Stanford Inter-Continental Hong Kong. Colombis was previously in charge of La Gondola restaurant at the Kempinski Beijing and Rossini's at the Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit Bangkok (which he opened). Colombis' Asia Pacific career in fact started at the Sheraton Princeville on the Hawaiian island of Kauai.

Mark Wesson has been appointed Director of Revenue Management for both Grand Stanford Inter-Continental Hong Kong and Hotel Inter-Continental Hong Kong. He previously held senior management positions at regional office and hotel levels, in finance, marketing and operations with Starwood and Pan Pacific Hotels in Australia, New Zealand, China, and Asia-Pacific.

Willy Luk has joined the Grand Stanford Inter-Continental Hong Kong as Assistant Director of Sales, coming from was with the Westin Tai Ping Yang Hotel in Shanghai

EUROPE

Peter Bennett has joined Le Méridien as Vice President Human Resources, based out of the company's corporate headquarters in London, Most recently, he served as Human Resources Director at Thomas Cook.  Prior to joining Thomas Cook in 1999, Bennett spent seven years with Boots Company as Director of Personnel for Boots Healthcare International. 
     
Former Sales and Marketing Director Geraldine McKenna, 46, was appointed Executive Vice-President of the Savoy Hotel Group and is the Group's first female boss. McKenna joined the Savoy Group in 1996, before which she spent 10 years with Inter-Continental. Jean-Jacques ("JJ") Pergant, the former Four Seasons man who single handedly built the Berkeley into one of London's finest and most profitable luxury hotels, has become Senior Vice President of the Savoy Group, and is the Managing Director of three properties: the Berkeley, the Connaught and the Lygon Arms. We know that Duncan Palmer has resigned from the Connaught (after seven years with the group) Palmer's successor is Anthony Lee, his former Deputy General Manager, who has been at the Connaught for many years. All food and beverage at the Connaught has been concessioned out to Gordon Ramsay. At the Berkeley Eric Père has been promoted to Hotel Manager. He joined two years ago from Orient-Express' La Samanna as Director of Rooms Operations.
     
John Wood has been transferred to Le Méridien Moscow Country Club, as the new General Manager, having been General Manager at Le Royal Méridien Chennai, India since January 2001. Before that he was the General Manager of Le Méridien Limassol Spa and Resort on Cyprus. 
     
Yves Giacometti is the Hotel Manager at the Four Seasons George Cinq, replacing Julien Carralero. Giacometti has been with the company since
1984.

Dimitrios Zarikos has been appointed General Manager of the Four Seasons Terre Blanche, effective July 2002. Since August 1998, he has been the Hotel Manager at the Four Seasons Hotel Cairo First Residence. Zarikos joined Four Seasons in 1997 as Hotel Manager at the Four Seasons New York, after several years at the Essex House then under Nikko ownership and management.   

Edited by 
Benoit Gateau-Cumin
President
The Boutique Search Firm

Heads Above the Rest
The Newsletter of The Boutique Search Firm
http://www.boutiquesearchfirm.com
benoit@boutiquesearchfirm.com

HONG KONG HOTEL CHAIN SEES OCCUPANCIES RISE

iMail.com  -  Discount rates and a gradual recovery in tourism have helped Hong Kong and Shanghai Hotels (Peninsula Group)  record a higher occupancy rate in four of its nine hotels in the first quarter of this year compared with the same period last year.

Company chairman Michael Kadoorie said tourism had bottomed out and a recovery was around the corner.

``We are now experiencing a rise in the industry,'' he said. ``However, we must remember there's a cycle in the industry, which is generally quieter in the summer months.''

The Peninsula Hong Kong's occupancy rate reached 63 per cent in the first quarter, up from 58 per cent from a year ago.

In the same period, the Kowloon Hotel's occupancy rate rose from 90 per cent to 92 per cent. More rooms were also filled in the company's Quail Lodge Resort in California (up 4 percentage points to 59 per cent) and Peninsula Manila (up 10 percentage points to 57 per cent).

The Peninsula New York, however, reported a drop in its occupancy rate from 66 per cent in the first quarter last year to 64 per cent in 2002.

Kadoorie also said it would take time for the newly opened Peninsula Chicago to improve on its low occupancy rate of 34 per cent.

``The signs are hopeful for better prospects for the rest of the year. In parallel industries such as airlines, there have been staff rehires, reinstated routes and increased frequencies, pointing to a revival in travel,'' company chief executive officer Clement Kwok said.

The year-to-date average room rates for The Peninsula Hong Kong dropped from HK$3,004 in 2001 to HK$2,596. Rates for The Kowloon Hotel also slid to HK$455 from HK$532.

Kwok confirmed that the company was still seeking an appropriate site in Shanghai for the expansion of its Peninsula chain into the mainland.

``We're interested in the China market. We'll look at the supply and demand characteristics of other cities,'' he added. 

NEWS@PATA

May 7, 2002

US ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN DEADLINE MAY 31

PATA members who are interested in participating in the 2002 edition of PATA's "See You in Pacific Asia" advertising supplement have until May 31 to request advertising space. The supplement will reach more than 5 million US consumers when it appears next September in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle and National Geographic Traveler. For details please contact Mr. Bill Hastings, Managing Director-PATA Americas Division: bill@pata.org. Or contact Mr. Paul Cohen at Enten & Associates: paul@enten.com.

LUXURY TRAVEL MARKET FOR ELITE TRAVEL SUPPLIERS

The PATA Europe Division is pleased to announce the organisation of a PATA stand at a brand new event focussing on luxury travel, the International Luxury Travel Market (ILTM) to be held in Cannes, France, December 10-12, 2002. ILTM will offer exhibitors the opportunity to pre-schedule appointments with fully hosted VIP buyers who cater to high-end clients including individuals and groups, corporations, royalty, governments and celebrities. The event is organised by ILTM in partnership with Reed Travel Exhibitions. For more information on participating in the PATA stand or to register, please contact PATA Europe at europe@pata.mc.

PATA-GULF OPPORTUNITIES

At the Arabian Travel Market tomorrow in Dubai, PATA President and CEO Mr. Peter de Jong will hold a media briefing on "Travel and Tourism between Pacific Asia and the Gulf Countries: A Growing Opportunity." The Middle East continues to be one of the world's fastest growing travel and tourism markets, and there are many opportunities for strengthening ties between PATA and that region. Mr. de Jong's briefing will take place at 1300 on Wednesday, May 8 at the ATM media conference venue. At 1400, Mr. John Koldowski, Managing Director of PATA's Strategic Information Centre, will deliver a presentation on "Retaining International Visitor Markets -- Profiling the Adventure Traveller" in the East Hall of Airport Expo, Dubai.

COMMUNICATORS' WORKSHOP IN DHAKA

A PATA Communicators' Workshop will take place in Dhaka, Bangladesh at the NTO office May 11-12, following an opening ceremony at the Dhaka Sheraton Hotel on May 11. Subjects to be covered include, "The Art of Constructing a Professional Press Release," "How to Maintain a Favourable Relationship with the Press," "Promoting Bangladesh to Overseas Markets," "Mastering the Art of E-mail Distribution," and "Crisis Communications." Speakers include Mr. Imtiaz Muqbil, Executive Editor of Travel Impact Newsire, Mr. Steve Joel, Managing Director of Bangkok-based Joel Publicity and Mr. Ken Scott, PATA Director-Communications. For further information e-mail: ken@pata.th.com.

PATA ANNUAL CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS

Speeches from the 51st PATA Annual Conference are available at www.pata.org in the members-only area (non-member delegates, please send your requests to conference@pata.th.com). If you did not attend the Conference, you may purchase proceedings from publications@pata.th.com.

PATA LOGO AVAILABLE ONLINE

All PATA members in good standing are entitled, and encouraged, to use the PATA logo on letterhead, business cards, Web sites, brochures and other forms of collateral. Logos may be downloaded after logging into the members-only area of PATAnet (http://www.pata.org/frame.cfm?pageid=13). Or contact communications@pata.th.com for assistance.

PATANET QUICK LINKS

View special promotions at http://www.seeyouinpacificasia.com

Register for the Pacific Tourism Exchange at http://www.pata.org/frame.cfm?pageid=2&ebid=31

Register for the 1st PATA Sustainable Tourism Conference at http://www.pata.org/frame.cfm?pageid=2&ebid=33

Visit PATA-member airlines at http://www.pata.org/frame.cfm?pageid=4

Explore our destination links at http://www.pata.org/frame.cfm?pageid=3

Order PATA publications at http://www.pata.org/frame3.cfm?pageid=6

Check out our press room at http://www.pata.org/frame.cfm?pageid=12

Post a job opening or find a position at http://www.pata.org/frame.cfm?pageid=7

BUDGET LODGING

Hotels and motels across the U.S. started to feel the recession crunch in March 2001, six months before Sept. 11. After that date, they experienced even sharper declines in revenue and profits. But budget inns and lodges weathered the travel downturn with relatively little damage. How so?

"Americans are staying closer to home and doing more traveling by car," says Bobby Bowers of Smith Travel Research, a lodging-data research firm based in Hendersonville, Tenn. "Economy chains--chains which are generally located on or near major highways and suburban areas--are perfectly situated to take advantage of the increase in traffic."

Another reason for the relative strength of the bargain chains is that many of their guests have no choice but to travel for a living. Bargain chains have lower fixed costs and break-even thresholds on occupancy rates. Employee expenses are also lower because most of these outfits don't have restaurants, bars or meeting space on the premises. These hotels are also less costly to develop.

Silver Spring, Md.-based Choice Hotels' (nyse: CHH - news - people ) first-quarter revenue in March increased 12% to $75 million, compared with the same quarter last year. Earnings for the quarter jumped 25% to 20 cents per share. Choice Hotels franchises 4,541 hotels in 46 countries under the Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Econo Lodge, MainStay Suites, Quality and Rodeway Inn brand names.

"Choice Hotels has balanced their growth through adding new units and increasing sales at existing units," says Michael Rietbrock, lodging and gaming analyst at Salomon Smith Barney. Rietbrock is impressed by the firm's balance sheet, cash flow and management, and he recently upped his 2002 estimated earnings per share for Choice from $1.37 to $1.41.

The overall hotel industry sells for 28 times estimated 2002 profits, but Choice Hotels--despite a 79% price gain from a year ago--sells for a relatively modest 18 times expected earnings.

The table below lists five economy-lodging companies. As a group, these stocks sell for an average 21 times estimated 2002 profits. Depending on location and hotel brand, some rooms start as low as $39 per night.

Extended Stay America (nyse: ESA - news - people ) owns and operates 443 hotels across the U.S. The company caters to consultants and executives whose business trips often run several weeks at a time. "The company is a pioneer in the extended-stay category and has done a great job at building their brand," says Rietbrock.

Extended Stay America's net profit margin of 11.8% is more than double the industry's average of 5.3%. How do they do it? The company offers such amenities as fully equipped kitchens, coin-operated Laundromats and cable-TV channels. Such perks are attractive to long-staying guests but are relatively inexpensive to provide and don't require a lot of maintenance. And because guests stay longer, the company has a constant revenue source.

Spartanburg, S.C.-based Extended Stay earned 66 cents per share last year, and only a modest increase in profits, to 69 cents per share, is expected for 2002. But next year Wall Street analysts expect the company to post earnings of 88 cents per share. Over the long term (three to five years), analysts expect the company's profits to average annual gains of 16%.

THAILAND VISITORS UP 7.2 PERCENT IN FIRST QUARTER

Foreign tourist arrivals to Thailand in the first quarter of 2002 rose 7.2 percent year-on-year to 2.8 million, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand.

The TAT said February was exceptionally strong, with a growth of 19 percent, during which time the country promoted the traditional Chinese New Year celebrations.

Predictions for foreign tourist arrivals in 2002 are for 10.5 million visitors, up six percent on 2001.  TravelWeeklyEast.com 

CORNELL UNIVERSITY HOTEL SCHOOL EXECUTIVE EDUCATION

The Hotel School has been presenting executive education programs for professionals in the hospitality industry for over 70 years, on the Cornell campus and in over 90 different countries. Today the Office of Executive Education offers programs, which serve a broad spectrum of industry needs at every managerial level. Participants receive certificates of completion for courses attended.

Programs

On-campus programs open to any hospitality professional in the world who meets the appropriate experience qualifications.

* The Advanced Management Program (AMP) focuses on managing the future. Exploring key questions about the hospitality industry five to ten years out, participants will strive to create a vision of the future and develop strategies to keep their business on target with that vision. This intensive program is for all corporate level executives who have multi-unit responsibility for guiding their business into the years to come.

* The Anheuser-Busch Professional Development Program (PDP). Fast-tracking young managers, seasoned executives, and owners of international resort chains, among others, choose from approximately fifty intensive one-week courses in eight fields of study: food, beverage, and restaurant management; general and strategic management; human resources management; managerial accounting and finance; marketing; operations management and information technology; property-asset management and real estate; and rooms management. The Professional Development Program is supported in part by a generous endowment from the Anheuser-Busch Foundation.

* The General Managers Program (GMP) tackles strategic property-level issues with depth and precision, while challenging participants to learn from a new network of colleagues who bring a worldwide perspective to the table. This program is designed to transform decision-makers into strategic thinkers. Focused on the specific issues of the full-service hotel, participants will work together to expand their knowledge base, alter viewpoints, and create new solutions to their challenges.

* Custom Programs are developed for companies that require individualized attention. The Office of Executive Education is equipped to tailor specialized programs to meet the specific needs of clients and match them with the talents of the Hotel School faculty. These programs may be offered on the Cornell campus, or at other sites around the world, depending on the client's preference.

For additional information contact:

Office of Executive Education

School of Hotel Administration, Cornell

University, 149 Statler Hall Ithaca, NY 14853-6902 U.S.A.

Fax: 607 255-8749,

E-mail: exec_ed_hotel@cornell.edu

Phone: 607 255-4919