Concur and Starwood Hotels & Resorts in August announced an agreement for Starwood to provide electronic folio data directly to Concur's expense reporting tool. Starwood now will provide electronic receipt data—breaking out room charges, taxes, food and beverage charges including room service, business services and parking charges—into Concur clients' expense reports, eliminating the need for paper receipts, the company said. The agreement includes full participation of all U.S. Starwood brands: St. Regis, the Luxury Collection, Sheraton, Westin, Four Points by Sheraton, W, Le Meridien, Aloft and Element. Concur already can import electronic folio data from Accor, Choice Hotels International and Hilton Hotels Corp., said Christopher Juneau, Concur's senior director of segment marketing. Starwood first began providing e-folio data through American Express in 2007
(BTNonline, Sept. 24, 2007).
Upscale Hotel Rates Drop, Lower-Tier Revenue Climbs In FranceUpscale hotels in Paris and the Riviera have taken the hardest hit in revenue declines in the first half of 2009, while lower-tier properties are faring better, according to a report released in August by Deloitte. Revenue per available room for four-star properties dropped by 19.2 percent year over year in France, and the average daily rate dropped by 8.7 percent, according to the report. Three-star properties had RevPAR drop by 9.9 percent and rates down 1.6 percent. Rates at two-star properties actually increased by 4.5 percent for the period, but RevPAR was still down by 2.6 percent. Meanwhile, budget hotel RevPAR grew, the report indicated.
Chicago, Savannah Hotels Add In-Room Technology OfferingSix Chicago hotels and one in Savannah, Ga., in recent weeks have installed interactive television and business technology tool Roomlinx in their properties. That's in addition to previous deals Roomlinx announced with both InterContinental Hotels Group and IBM. Roomlinx provides interactive technology through the television, including high-speed Internet, business tools, world radio and television, as well as assistance with room service, reservations and event planning. Hotels that recently installed the tool include TheWit, a newly opened Doubletree property in downtown Chicago, and the Bohemian Hotel in Savannah. "We've spent time in Chicago building our customer base as part of a targeted U.S. expansion," according to Roomlinx CEO Mike Wasik. "The continued rapid growth of our platform serves as a strong validation for our business model and the value that a converged media platform can add for hotel customers." IBM also has adopted Roomlinx as part of its "hotel-in-a-box" technology suite for hotel managers, and IHG has approved the company as a supplier of interactive TV.
Supertel Reorganizes Senior Management TeamLimited service hotel owner Supertel Hospitality on Aug. 31 announced a restructuring of its management team, including the appointment of a new chief operating officer. Steve Gilbert, formerly the senior vice president of capital expenditures, is now COO. The company also promoted chief accounting officer Connie Scarpello to chief financial officer and appointed new heads of corporate accounting and human resources. "We are now transitioning in a new strategic direction and are restructuring the company in support of that change," Supertel president and CEO Kelly Walters said. Supertel owns 117 hotels in the United States under such economy and midprice brands as Hampton Inn, Ramada Limited, Holiday Inn Express, Comfort Inn and Days Inn.
Holiday Inn Adds Bathroom Amenities To Brand RelaunchInterContinental Hotels Group's Holiday Inn brand on Aug. 27 announced the latest element to its $1 billion relaunch: a new bathroom amenity partnership with mall mainstay Bath & Body Works. The partnership will bring the bath product retailer's Coconut Lime Verbena line to all U.S. and Canadian Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Resort and Holiday Inn Express hotels. Holiday Inn is in the midst of overhauling more than 3,200 hotels, a project the brand expects to complete next year
(BTNonline, March 16).