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The Travel Career Connexxions Opportunities Newsletter
12/08/04 The only weekly newsletter detailing essential trends, news and top executive moves in travel. Opportunities is a free newsletter that provides you with the vision to "see" travel industry opportunities in the making. Whether you are in sales, business development, guiding your company's growth or managing your career, reading opportunities will give you the advantage to succeed. Opportunities is another innovative tool brought to you by Travel Career Connexxions. For more information, visit http://www.TravelExecutive.com This week in Opportunities:
Cendant Scoops Up Another Online Travel Agency To ensure that you always receive this newsletter and other communications from Travel Career Connexxions, please add our address to your Address Book (newsletter@travelexecutive.com). This will keep most email filters from misinterpreting and discarding these emails. Did you know? As of 12/08/04 there are 120 executive-level travel jobs published in the Travel Career Connexxions employment report. Positions include Director of Interactive Merchandising (12/07), Vice President of Leisure (12/04), Director of Airport Business Practices (12/03), Vice President of Destination Services (12/02), Regional Vice President (11/05), CEO, Chief Marketing Officer and more. It only takes one person to fill the job of a lifetime - and that someone could be you! http://www.TravelExecutive.com OPPORTUNITIES NEWS & TRENDS Cendant Scoops Up Another Online Travel Agency What's the hottest trend in travel industry acquisitions? The answer if consolidation in the online booking business. Cendant Corporation has agreed to buy Europe's ebookers for $404.3 million. The acquisition is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2005. ebookers is a leading European online travel agency with web sites serving 13 European countries--Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, The Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. It specializes in the mid- and long-haul leisure segments of the European travel industry. ebookers current CEO will stay through a transition phase, but then will leave the company. "ebookers will serve as the foundation for Cendant's online travel consumer vertical in Europe. The addition of ebookers to our portfolio of travel distribution businesses immediately strengthens Cendant's position as one of the world's leading online travel distributors, and provides a foundation for significant growth opportunities in the fast-growing European online travel segment," said Samuel Katz, chairman and CEO, Cendant Travel Distribution Services Division. Cendant plans to build on ebookers' strength by augmenting it with Cendant's long-haul destination ground product, such as hotels and rental cars, through its other travel businesses, including Travel 2, HotelClub.com, Lodging.com and Orbitz, which it purchased earlier this year. In fact, Cendant is suddenly a formidable power in online booking with ebookers, Orbitz and Cheap Tickets among its online brands. So if you're interested in the online travel segment, Cendant may a good place to start looking. WestCoast Hospitality to Launch Red Lion Makeover Here's a brand that's set to grow and get a makeover, but first it's going to consolidate. WestCoast Hospitality Corporation will sell 11 of its properties, as well as other non-core assets to pay off debts and invest in a makeover of its Red Lion brand properties. WestCoast will spend $40 million to revitalize Red Lion Hotels throughout the company's 12-state and British Columbia operating region. The investment will enhance 31 hotels over the next 18 months. The company plans to raise capital for the investments by selling 11 hotels, including three in Oregon, and other non-core properties. WestCoast said it would sell eight Red Lion hotels, two WestCoast hotels, a Budget Inn and four non-hotel real estate assets that are not part of its future business plan. The Oregon properties to be sold are hotels in Bend, Hillsboro and Klamath Falls. Washington hotels to be sold are in Yakima, Aberdeen and Spokane. Other hotels are in Idaho and Montana. The company, based in Spokane, Wash., said it expects the properties to collectively bring in between $68 million and $74.8 million, though after selling expenses and paying off $23.3 million in mortgage debt the net proceeds are expected to be between $39.4 million and $43.6 million. WestCoast plans to sell all of the properties by the end of 2005. The company said it will offer retention compensation plans to certain employees at the affected properties. Hilton Hotels Reaches Milestone in Online Bookings Hotel companies are seeing a major shift in booking patterns. So where's the evidence. Hilton Hotels just reported that online bookings on its branded web sites during October 2004 exceeded call center bookings from 800 numbers for that month, representing a company first since the advent of web site reservations. During October, Hilton branded sites overall reported more than 972,000 room nights, compared with roughly 863,000 room nights booked from 800 numbers through the 16 Hilton Family call centers worldwide. The company also has reported record-breaking revenues through its brand sites. Nevertheless, call center bookings year-to-date, including 800 and consolidated hotels, are up 8 percent over 2003.The Hilton Family of Hotels brand web sites include hilton.com, conradhotels.com, doubletree.com, embassysuites.com, hampton-inn.com, hiltongardeninn.com, hgvc.com and homewoodsuites.com. The company attributes the increase in online bookings to such guarantees as the assurance that guests who book on online will receive the best rates; access to Net Direct Rates; discounted online hotel, air and car rental packages, and the ability to earn more loyalty points for HHonors members. First Executive Earns Travel Institute's CTIE Chris Dane, CTC is the first executive to earn The Travel Institute's new Certified Travel Industry Executive (CTIE) certification. Dane, a 30-year veteran of the travel industry and a past member of The Travel Institute Board of Trustees, earned the certification through a one-time conversion for long-time CTCs. The Travel Institute launched the CTIE in September in response to requests from industry executives and CTCs in leadership positions for an additional certification option that more appropriately reflected a leadership or management role. To date, more than 40 industry leaders and long-time CTCs are pursuing this new designation. Dane is currently a consultant for a variety of traditional and new economy travel related entities. These assignments have included interim COO for two dot-com travel related start-ups, strategic planning for companies like Sabre and Cendant, and numerous sales, marketing planning and implementation functions for a variety of travel related companies. In one of his consulting assignments, he serves as executive director of Travel Management Alliance, an alliance of nine major regional, non-competing agencies. He has also held key executive positions in the airline, travel agency, tour operator, and consortia sectors of the travel industry. Prior to founding his consulting company, Dane held executive positions in such industry leading organizations as Vacation.com, Certified Vacations, Sabre, American Airlines, Frontier Airlines and Eastern Airlines. Dane's travel industry roots were planted in the retail sector when, 1982, he managed the largest commercial travel agency in Dallas-Ft. Worth. Dane earned the Certified Travel Counselor (CTC) certification from The Travel Institute in 1995. He was required to submit a white paper to earn the CTIE certification. He focused on the future of the airline industry, a subject quite close to his heart, having spent over 22 years in the airline business. Dane's paper, and those of other CTIE graduates, will be available for view by members of The Travel Institute on www.thetravelinstitute.com beginning in 2005. For more information, call 800-542-4282 or visit www.thetravelinstitute.com. Stein Kruse Officially Takes Over Holland America CEO Mark it up in the "momentous transitions" category. Effective Dec. 1, Holland America Line President Stein Kruse gained the extra title of CEO, succeeding the legendary Kirk Lanterman, who remains as chairman in a non-executive role. "I look forward to having his counsel, experience and knowledge available to me," Kruse told the online newsletter Seatrade. "Not a day has gone by when I haven't reflected on how intelligent he is, and his depth of knowledge of this business, and how much I have learnt from him during this time. Kirk often says that if you can't measure something, you can't manage it. So we measure a lot at Holland America Line, which means we know a lot about our business. This allows us to address variances quickly and pointedly, and minimizes surprises. This is something I certainly will take with me as I now have the opportunity to lead this great company." Holland America's new CEO brings more than two decades of industry experience and is highly regarded by other top executives in the business. Kruse also seems well-prepared for his new role, with a hotel school education, experience on a cruise ship early in his career up through the ranks to hotel director, and his role in starting Seven Seas Cruises and ultimately helping merge it with Radisson Seven Seas, and his stint as CFO of K Line USA. Boyd Gaming Sets Even More Expansion for Vegas Strip If you think major development by Steve Wynn and MGM Mirage is the end of expansion in Las Vegas, think again. Boyd Gaming recently spent $43 million to purchase a 13-acre parcel that is contiguous to its Stardust casino-hotel property. The deal, which also includes the assumption of approximately $16 million in debt, gives Boyd control of 63 acres on and near the Strip--a land parcel almost equal in size to MGM Mirage's recently announced $4 billion Project CityCenter. The Stardust land, which is bordered by Las Vegas Boulevard, Stardust Drive and Industrial Road, has about 1,000 feet of Strip frontage. MGM Mirage's Project CityCenter site has 1,130 feet of Strip frontage between Bellagio and Monte Carlo. Boyd had previously announced its intent to redevelop the Stardust, one of the Strip's oldest resorts, but most likely will not make any announcements concerning the Stardust and its adjoining land until after the new Wynn Las Vegas Resort opens April 28. Indeed, the growth in Vegas is probably never going to end! Carnival Officially Takes Delivery of New Carnival Valor More on the big ship watch! Carnival Cruise Lines last week took delivery of the new 110,000-ton Carnival Valor, which will be the largest Carnival "Fun Ship" ever based in Miami when it launches year-round seven-day Caribbean service Dec. 19. The $500 million SuperLiner, which was constructed by Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri, departed Monfalcone, Italy, Dec. 1 and is expected to arrive in Miami on Dec. 13 then operate a special two-day Bahamas cruise Dec. 15-17. On Dec. 17, Carnival Valor will be "officially" named in ceremonies presided over by Katie Couric, longtime co-host of NBC News' "Today," who will serve as the ship's godmother. Carnival Valor will then launch a year-round schedule of alternating weeklong eastern and western Caribbean cruises from Miami Dec. 19. Of the ship's 1,487 staterooms, 60 percent will offer either an ocean view or a balcony. The Ritz-Carlton to Open in Grand Cayman October 2005 The Ritz-Carlton chain just keeps expanding-even though it can be delayed by hurricanes occasionally. The Ritz-Carlton will open its Grand Cayman Island resort in October 2005. Originally scheduled to open in December 2004, construction was delayed after Hurricane Ivan. The Residences at The Ritz- Carlton, Grand Cayman, 69 luxury condominiums adjacent to the Seven Mile Beach hotel, will open in June. The $400 million resort is situated on 144 acres. Upon completion, the resort will count 365 guestrooms and suites, a La Prairie Spa, five dining venues including two restaurants by Eric Ripert of top-ranking New York restaurant Le Bernardin, several bars and lounges, a 6,000-square-foot retail emporium featuring premium brands, the island's largest ballroom, a tennis center by Nick Bollettieri, the Ambassadors of the Environment by Jean-Michel Cousteau children's program and a Greg Norman-designed nine-hole golf course. Gaylord Details Plans for D.C. Hotel-Convention Center Gaylord Hotels unveiled plans for what will be the largest combined hotel and convention center in the nation's capital region, the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center on the Potomac. Situated on the scenic banks of the Potomac River in Prince George's County, Md., the $565 million Gaylord National will be located less than 10 miles from the national landmarks and federal buildings of Washington, D.C. Company officials expect the property to open in March 2008. The property will feature: 1,500 luxurious guest rooms, including more than 100 lavish suites; 400,000 square feet of exhibition and meeting space; a soaring 18-story glass atrium that will crown the hotel, with spectacular views of national monuments, historic landmarks, and the Potomac River; a private marina offering sailing, fishing and other water sports; Relache, a 20,000-square-foot spa and fitness center with indoor lap pool. It will create an estimated 1,850 permanent jobs and 1,135 indirect jobs in Prince George's County. Gaylord National will be part of the planned 300-acre National Harbor development led by The Peterson Companies. For more information, visit www.gaylordhotels.com. Mandarin Oriental to Develop New Luxury Hotel in Prague Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group is another luxury hotel chain on the expansion path. Last week it said it will manage a new luxury hotel currently under development in the historic centre of Prague in the Czech Republic. The project provides the Mandarin a unique opportunity to establish its luxury brand in one of Europe's foremost travel destinations. Mandarin Oriental, Prague will be a 98-room hotel, to be housed in a building that began life as a monastery in the 14th century. Opening in early 2006, Mandarin Oriental, Prague has been designed as an intimate hotel featuring a contemporary, yet elegant interior style, with exacting attention to detail, reflective of the group's oriental heritage. The project represents a further step in Mandarin's development strategy of operating over 10,000 rooms in major business centers and key leisure destinations around the world. For more information, visit www.mandarinoriental.com. Arlington Hospitality Retains Search Firm for CEO Post Arlington Hospitality, Inc. has retained HVS Executive Search (HVS) to direct the search for a new president and chief executive officer, and that it will hold its annual shareholder meeting on December 22, 2004. HVS Executive Search is a search firm that specializes in the lodging industry. The search will be led by Keith Kefgen, president of HVS. During the search process, the company will seek and consider qualified candidates from both outside as well as inside the company. The company's board of directors has formed a search committee composed of four directors who will evaluate candidates presented by HVS and make recommendations to Arlington's full board. The company expects to begin the search as soon as practicable. Meanwhile, the board has appointed Stephen Miller, senior vice president real estate and business development, to serve as the company's interim CEO, upon the departure of current President and CEO Jerry Herman on Dec. 31, 2004, until a permanent CEO is hired. Miller, a 25-year hotel industry veteran, has been with Arlington since August 2003 and, as a key member of its business strategy committee, has been involved in all facets of the company. Prior to joining Arlington Hospitality, Miller held executive level hotel development positions at Carlson Hotels Worldwide and Wyndham International. Penn State Hospitality Seeks Penn Stater General Manager Penn State Hospitality Services is seeking a dynamic hospitality professional as general manager for The Penn Stater, one of two premier properties located on the Pennsylvania State University main campus in State College, Pa. The successful candidate will be responsible to lead, oversee and manage all hotel operations, including Food and Beverage, Front Office, Guest Services, Housekeeping, Maintenance, Property Sales, Catering and Reservations. The recently expanded Penn Stater features a new entrance and lobby, 300 guest rooms, banquet operations for events from private buffets to seated dinners for up to 1,000 people, VIP off-premise catering, two full service dining/lounge establishments and a state-of-the-art Conference Center with 58,000 square feet of meeting space. The post requires a masters degree or equivalent, plus seven years of work-related experience. Excellent written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills required. A crisp image, a dynamic and positive attitude, and a team player with an entrepreneurial spirit are valued components for the position. Send cover letter and resume to Employment & Compensation Division, Pos. #: I-19021, The Pennsylvania State University, 120 S. Burrowes St., University Park, Pa. 16801 or fax 814-865-3750. The application deadline is Jan. 31, 2005. OPPORTUNITIES EXECUTIVE MOVERS! AIRLINES: Dutch airline KLM, part of the world's biggest airline by sales, Air France-KLM, named an Air France executive to the post of chief financial officer. KLM said it planned to appoint Frederic Gagey, who currently holds the position of vice president-finance for Air France. He will join KLM on Jan. 1, 2005, and will succeed Rob Ruijter, who will leave KLM on Dec. 1, 2004, to join media group VNU. Next to the appointment of an Air France executive to the KLM Board, a KLM executive will be appointed as a member of the executive committee of Air France. The latter appointment will be announced in due course, according to KLM. CRUISE LINES: Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. named six executives to key positions. The appointments relate to marine operations, new-ship construction, shipboard hotel functions, sales and marketing, and internal auditing. They also involve a change in leadership at company affiliate Island Cruises. The company promoted Harri Kulovaara to executive vice president, maritime. Kulovaara will report to company President and COO Jack Williams. He will have oversight responsibility for technical operations fleetwide--covering all 29 ships in the Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises fleets. He also will lead all new-building activity, and direct all safety, environment and security functions for both cruise brands. He will join the company's Planning Committee in his new role. Kulovaara now serves as senior vice president, Fleet Operations, for Royal Caribbean International. Prior to this, he was senior vice president, Marine Operations, for the brand. The company named Captain William Wright senior vice president, Marine Operations, for Royal Caribbean International. Wright will direct all nautical and technical operations for the brand's fleet. Wright now works as senior vice president, Safety and Environment. The cruise line also appointed Michael Bayley senior vice president, Total Guest Satisfaction, for Royal Caribbean International. Bayley will have hotel and food and beverage responsibility for the brand. Bayley currently works as managing director of UK-based Island Cruises, the company's joint venture with First Choice. Both Wright and Bayley will report to Royal Caribbean International Executive Vice President Adam Goldstein. Royal Caribbean also appointed Maria Sastre vice president-sales and marketing, Latin America and Asia Pacific, serving both brands. Sastre has been serving as vice president, Hotel Operations, for Royal Caribbean International. She will report to Royal Caribbean International Senior Vice President, Marketing and Sales Dan Hanrahan. In a related announcement, Island Cruises named Patrick Ryan as new managing director, taking over from Bayley. Ryan now serves as managing director of Royal Caribbean and Celebrity's international organization in Europe. Finally, the company named Tony Macias vice president of Internal Audit. Macias will be responsible for auditing the operations and monitoring the financial integrity of the company, working in close coordination with its chief financial officer and the audit committee of its board of directors. Macias will report to Royal Caribbean Chairman and CEO Richard Fain. HOTELS & RESORTS: Arlington Hospitality, Inc., a hotel development and management company, said that Jerry Herman has stepped down from the board of directors effective immediately but will remain as the company's president and CEO until the end of 2004. Arlington's board has appointed Stephen Miller, senior vice president real estate and business development, to serve as the company's interim CEO, upon the departure of Herman, until a permanent CEO is hired (see item above)... Interstate Hotels & Resorts, one of the nation's largest independent hotel management company, promoted Sean Worker to executive vice president, international operations and development, Continental Europe, effective Jan. 1, 2005. In this newly created position, Worker will be responsible for managing the company's international operations and sourcing business development opportunities. He will report to Hank Ciaffone, president of international operations and development, and will be based in London...Edward Garruto, interim general manager of Caesars Indiana, the Midwest's premier riverboat casino resort, has been named general manager of the property. Garruto joined Caesars Indiana in 1997, prior to its opening, as chief financial officer...Noble Investment Group named three executive management team members for its newly acquired properties in Winston-Salem, N.C. Timothy Loughman has been named managing director of the complex that includes the Benton Convention Center and the Adam's Mark hotel, which is currently under conversion to a Marriott hotel and Embassy Suites hotel. Loughman will oversee the overall operations and conversion of the Adam's Mark hotel to the two first-class hotel brands that will include 15,000 square feet of street front dining, retail, spa and fitness. In addition, Beryl Rice has been named general manager for the Marriott hotel and James Williams has been named the director of marketing for the complex. Loughman, a 20-year veteran of the hospitality industry, recently joined Noble...Tom McLoughlin, managing director, Per Aquum Resorts & Spas, announced the appointment of Scot Toon as general manager of The Fortress, a new resort being developed in Galle, Sri Lanka. Toon will oversee both the pre-opening stages of The Fortress and continued management once the property is launched in the final quarter of 2005. He brings with him a wealth of experience having been with Per Aquum Resorts & Spas for the past two years. His most recent position was general manager for Dhoni Mighili, the Maldives' holiday resort.... The Mashantucket Pequots of Connecticut have appointed a gaming industry veteran to lead Foxwoods Development Company: Gary Armentrout, who has been working as the tribe's chief development officer for the past two months, said Tuesday that the Mashantuckets have a preliminary agreement with an Arizona tribe he would not yet identify and are putting documents in order for a final agreement. The tribe that developed and operates the largest casino in the world wants to help other tribes break into the gaming business and to invest in and manage commercial gaming opportunities in emerging jurisdictions. The Mashantuckets formed the Foxwoods Development Company earlier this year, with tribal members and casino executives serving on the board of directors...Kim Pang, interim general manager for California's Treasure Island Resort and Casino since March, has been named general manager, ending a one and a half year search by the Tribal Council for the Prairie Island Indian Community for a permanent top executive. Pang will lead a staff of 1,548 full-time, part-time and seasonal employees at the entertainment and lodging complex along the Mississippi River north of Red Wing....Jonathan Kreuter has been appointed director of group sales for the Eastern Region by Concorde Hotels. The Concorde Hotels Group consists of more than 80 luxury properties worldwide, most in Europe...Michael Polese has been promoted to general manager of the Westminster Hotel in Livingston, N.J., by Westminster Hospitality Group. Westminster Hotel was recently awarded the elite four-diamond rating from AAA. Polese joined the hotel shortly before its grand opening in November 2002 as director of rooms...Strategic Hotel Capital, Inc. named James Mead as chief financial officer. Prior to joining Strategic Hotel Capital, Mead served as chief financial officer of Irvine Apartment Communities (IAC), where his responsibilities included strategic planning, fund raising, accounting and oversight of property operations. TRAVEL AGENCIES: American Express has appointed new general managers of its American Express Business Travel North America and its Consumer Travel Network, U.S.A., to replace outgoing executives. The company selected Andy McGraw as senior vice president/general manager for American Express Business Travel North America, effective Jan. 2. McGraw, who is vice president for global travel sales, replaces Pam Arway, who moves on to become country manager of Australia. McGraw will oversee the unit that operators American Express' corporate travel agency. American Express also named Lynne Biggar as senior vice president and general manager of its Consumer Travel Network, U.S.A., effective Jan. 3. Biggar succeeds Cynthia Valles, who was recently named executive vice president, customer services international for American Express, based in London. Biggar will oversee the unit that includes American Express' representative network of travel agencies...Atlas Travel International, Inc., a $65 million dollar travel agency in New England, has hired Kerin McKinnon in the newly created position of executive vice president of new business development. McKinnon was the top salesperson in her last month with her former employer, Alexandria, Va.-based Outtask, and prior to that had served as the vice president of business development for VTS Travel Direct, Inc. in Boston. DESTINATIONS: One of Spain's most accomplished tourism professionals has been named to head the Tourist Office of Spain in New York. In the space of only 10 years, Javier PiÒanes has been director of the Tourist Office of Spain in Germany, deputy director of marketing in Madrid and later, director of TurespaÒa. He is now charged with promoting the country in the U.S., a market with excellent potential for Spain. Spain is the world's second most important tourism destination in terms of visitor arrivals and tourism revenues. As the country's second largest industry, tourism represents 12 percent of the GDP (gross domestic product) and provides one and a half million jobs. PiÒanes began his career in tourism in 1994 as deputy director of the Tourist Office of Spain in Frankfurt and three years later was named director of Spain's Tourist Office in Berlin. During that time he was also tourism attachÈ for the Spanish Embassies in Warsaw and Moscow. He has extensive marketing and advertising experience which he gained as the deputy director of marketing in TurespaÒa and most recently, as director of TurespaÒa in Madrid. TurespaÒa is the organization in charge of the worldwide marketing and promotion of Spain's tourism. In his new position, he will be responsible for coordinating the efforts of Spain's three other tourism offices in Miami, Chicago and Los Angeles and directing all of Spain's marketing efforts in the U.S. Before beginning his career in tourism, PiÒanes held several prominent positions in the Spanish Ministries of Industry, Transportation and the Interior.
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