Hilton to join Blackstone empire Jul 5, 2007 By: Stacey Mieyal Higgins

Beverly Hills, Calif.—In a July 3 announcement, Hilton Hotels Corp. entered into an agreement to be acquired by The Blackstone Group. Steven Bollenbach, co-chairman and c.e.o. (who is retiring at the end of the year and will be succeeded by Matthew Hart, current president and c.o.o.), said in a conference call the purchase price represents an excellent value for shareholders.

New York–Hard Rock Hotels wants to at least quadruple its current portfolio. The iconic brand synonymous with its "Love all. Serve all." motto plans to aggressively develop its lodging concept outside of the United States after the success of its first handful of properties, said Trevor Horwell, chief hotels officer for Hard Rock Hotels and Casinos.

The all-cash transaction valued at approximately $26 billion represents a premium of 40% over the previous day's closing stock price.

Washington–"Real clothes that real people wear" are what employees at Hampton Inn and Hampton Inn & Suites properties will be dressed in as part of the brand's new uniform standard.

Baccarat Hotels and Resorts will debut in Wailea, Hawaii with locations to follow in the U.S., the Caribbean, Europe and the Far East.

British entrepreneur Simon Woodroffe launches 46-cabin Yotel inside Gatwick Airport Jun 21, 2007

The new, in-airport hotel concept provides travelers a solution for early-morning flights, long transfers, unexpected flight delays or cancellations. A second Yotel will open at Heathrow Airport and other international airports later this year.

On the Road: Researcher challenges revenue managers to change their assumptions Jun 26, 2007 By: Lynne Brakeman

At HSMAI's Revenue Management Strategy Conference in Orlando this week, Garrett van Ryzin, a professor and researcher at the Columbia University Graduate School of Business, presented cutting-edge research into the use of customer behavior to model demand and set prices. Van Ryzin (left) suggested revenue managers consider changing their perspective from the focus on the product, to a focus on customer behavior.

The parties plan to enter into immediate negotiations, with a view to concluding a definitive agreement in the third quarter of 2007.

National Report–In the race for guests, the hotel industry has added amenities and touted customer focus. Has the effort paid off in customer satisfaction?

On the Road: HITEC 2007 Jun 27, 2007 By: Lynne Brakeman

Between educational sessions and a super-charged trade show floor, attendees had a lot to digest at this year's Hospitality Industry Technology Expo and Conference. This visual essay skims the surface of this year's signature hospitality technology event. Check out our snaps from GuestRoom 2010, the trade show floor and just a few of the concurrent educational sessions. [Left: attendees admire the full-wall morphing artwork in GuestRoom 2010.]

One of my favorite sayings these days goes something like: "Technology is great ... as long as it works." Never mind that operator error is the most likely cause of most of my problems—the inanimate equipment gets the blame every time.

Lodgian sold the group of properties representing approximately 3,100 rooms with annual sales approaching $60 million.

The HVI tracks and discusses hotel values in each of the 66 major U.S. markets and for the United States as a whole.

Cambrian Development has unveiled luxury designers on its $160 million Grand Cambrian Resort.

The Wyndham Vacation Ownership property is under expansion and when completed will include up to 1,596 proposed vacation ownership units.

The trend is unmistakable—generations X and Y are driving change in the hotel industry. Make no mistake, their parents' hotel won't cut it with the new generation. More travelers are demanding not just a bed, but an individualized "experience." Expectations are shifting, and some hotel companies are responding by trying to tweak their product to meet those demands. More prevalent, however, is the launching of new brands that cater to the younger, more hip guest.

The 253-room property will undergo a multi-million dollar renovation to guestrooms, restaurants, meeting space and public areas to be completed by year-end.

The Dallas-based 900-property chain announces the roll out of the first national fluorescent light bulb and battery recycling program within the hospitality industry.

When it comes to teaching college students about the timeshare industry, universities have a number of different approaches.

The police officer's incident report quoted in The Miami Herald read, "As I approached the man, I could see his pants were down to his knees, and his penis was stuck in a suction pipe located on the north side of the hotel's swimming pool." This was not your standard hotel pool mishap, but it certainly qualified as my type of story.