IDeaS Revenue Solutions recently announced the second and final round of 2011 IDeaS Cornell Revenue Management Scholarship winners, according to a press release issued by the company.

Winners include Matthew Wilson, Director of Revenue Management, DoubleTree by Hilton Boston Downtown; Nicola McDougall, Revenue Coordinator, Apex Hotels, Edinburgh, Scotland; and Jeff Tang, Director of Revenue Management, Grand Hyatt Hong Kong. The recipients were selected by the Scholarship Panel at the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration for their exceptional skill sets and career aspirations within the field of revenue management.

“We are thrilled to award this scholarship to another round of hospitality professionals eager to advance their understanding of revenue management and advance the revenue management discipline within their teams,” said Vivek Bhogaraju, Senior Manager, Corporate Business Development, IDeaS. “Revenue management is a necessary function today, and Cornell’s curriculum offers an in-depth look at emerging ideas and current practices that benefit hospitality professionals in a variety of positions.”

The scholarship programme, funded by IDeaS, gives hospitality professionals access to five eCornell courses covering topics such as pricing strategy, overbooking practices and forecasting in relation to revenue management and allows both beginners and seasoned revenue management professionals from around the world the opportunity to evolve their knowledge of the industry.

“This scholarship provides a fantastic opportunity to learn from the best and brightest and further develop my skill set,” said Wilson. “Revenue management is a rather recent and constantly evolving role, and I look forward to discovering new management techniques to help me improve revenue initiatives within my organisation.”

“The continued teaching of revenue management is imperative to keep one step ahead of your competition and grow your business in tough economic times,” added McDougall. “I hope to take away an enriched knowledge of best working practices and utilise the information to educate my colleagues and create a more effective revenue department.”

“This programme has the potential to bring my hotel’s operating efficiency to the next level, and I trust that I will gain an understanding of new approaches and tools for optimising revenue across all levels of operations,” said Tang.

IDeaS Revenue Solutions, provider of pricing and revenue management software, services and consulting, today announces that global hotels group Millennium & Copthorne has extended the deployment of its IDeaS Revenue Management System (RMS) to five Millennium & Copthorne properties in the United States, according to a press release from IDeaS.

IDeaS has now been working with Millennium & Copthorne for over five years, initially with the company’s UK properties and later with the entire European portfolio. Since the IDeaS RMS was first implemented at Millennium & Copthorne in 2006, the relationship between the two companies has evolved to meet changing business needs with new modules and functionality, supporting management decision-making.

Nayan Peshkar, Regional Director of Revenue Management at Millennium & Copthorne Hotels, says “The past five years with IDeaS have been characterised by a strong working relationship. IDeaS supports us in achieving our revenue management goals. Not only do we continue to take great value from the IDeaS RMS, but we continue to benefit from their client centric approach, which is vital to us in our partnerships.”

“The collaborative relationship with Millennium & Copthorne is something in which both organizations are particularly proud. IDeaS continues to invest, not only in our technology, but also in providing unrivalled client support. The ongoing relationship with Millennium & Copthorne is a clear testament to that philosophy,” added Fabian Specht, IDeaS EMEA Managing Director.

Specht concluded: “We are pleased to be celebrating our long-standing relationship with Millennium & Copthorne Hotels – a hotel group for which revenue management sits at the heart of its business strategy. The longevity of the relationship validates the value of the revenue management solutions provided by IDeaS. IDeaS has a client retention rate of 95% over its 22 years of business and Millennium & Copthorne is further evidence of the many extremely satisfied clients in which we are proud to have long and continuing relationships”.

Teenagers terrified of racking up huge debts by going to university are being offered an alternative – running their own Travelodge, according to The Sun.

Five hundred are to be offered the opportunity as the expanding budget hotel chain launches a major shake-up in how it recruits potential managers.

School-leavers will be taken on as apprentices – earning up to £30,000 during the first two years of the programme.

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Design Hotels announces 35 new member hotels. With the latest new member, The Conservatorium Hotel in Amsterdam, Design Hotels increases its portfolio to 200 hotels. The Conservatorium, from the dream team behind Mamilla Hotel, Piero Lissoni and Moshe Safdie, joins Design Hotels together with an array of urban hubs and remote getaways. The 35 newest additions offer a mix of global influences, local flair and eclectic design, according to a press release issued by the chain.

“This is an exciting year with 200 member hotels and we are delighted that The Conservatorium Hotel marks this occasion,” says Claus Sendlinger, founder and CEO of Design Hotels. “More than a numerical milestone it reflects that with measured growth focused on quality, our portfolio has grown in terms of geography, diversity, and above all, the community of creative individuals who are the soul of the hotels and the DNA of our brand. The new destinations reflect that while European hoteliers are continuing the path of innovation, entrepreneurs in North America, Africa, Asia and Oceania are also forging ahead with creative new concepts.”

The Local Connection

Throughout 2010, Design Hotels welcomed a diverse range of hotels to its portfolio. While very different in concept, the new member hotels share one of the company’s most important criteria for membership: a deep connection to and awareness of their locality. This quality enables them to reflect, refine and even define their neighbourhoods. For instance, Georgi Akirov, owner of The Conservatorium Hotel is transforming Amsterdam’s former music conservatory, an iconic landmark building. In Stockholm’s central square, Italian-born brothers Alessandro and Stefano Catenacci have revived two glorious 19th century buildings to create Nobis Hotel. Also known as ‘Stockholm’s new living room’ the contemporary luxury hotel features many public areas for locals and travelers to interact.

Art Meets Design

Contemporary art is a key component of several new properties. In Athens Dakis Joannou, art collector and visionary hotelier, is opening a third iconic new property after Semiramis Hotel and Periscope. New Hotel, opening in May, will be a living piece of art by Brazilian design icons Humbero and Fernanda Campana. At The Met Hotel in Thessaloniki, Christina Chandris has left a very personal mark on her family’s property by fusing a gallery with a hotel. With the soon-to-open Templar Hotel in Toronto, exciting things are also happening in Canada. Local design hero Del Terrelonge and partner John Wee Tom are unifying custom-built furnishings by Italian brand Poliform and eclectic art installations within a modernist glass-front building.

The Rural Escape

Rural destinations are also on the rise. In Morocco, a restaurateur, an architect and a journalist will open their first hotel, The Great Getaway Marrakech Hotel & Spa in July 2011. Located on the legendary ‘Road to Amizmiz,’ which leads to the High Atlas Mountains, the complex of luxury tents, private lodge and riads invites guests to an adventure off the beaten track. At Kenoa-Exclusive Beach Spa & Resort in Barra de São Miguel, Brazil, first-time hotelier Pedro Marques has worked with emerging architect Osvaldo Tenório to create an edgy eco-chic retreat.

Photo: The Conservatorium Hotel, Amsterdam, part of the Design Hotels chain.

Once again two outstanding hotels of Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts made it to the Condé Nast Traveler Gold List. Swissôtel The Bosphorus, Istanbul and Swissôtel Berlin were voted among the world’s best places to stay by the readers of the prestigious luxury travel magazine, according to a press release from the hotel chain.

Swissôtel The Bosphorus, Istanbul, a member of the “Leading Hotels of the World”, is situated on the European side of the city and lies in a beautiful park, which is part of the former sultan’s palace, the Dolmabahce Palace. 600 spacious rooms and suites cater to the need of the most discerning guests and offer the highest level of service and privacy. Facilities offered include the Amrita Spa & Wellness, a “Leading Spa of the World”, extending over 4000 square metres, as well as the trendy Gaja restaurant, which has become a hot spot in town over the past years.

Located in the heart of West-Berlin, the Swissôtel Berlin combines traditional Swiss hospitality with a heartfelt service. The elegant and modern Business Hotel offers 316 rooms and suites as well as 10 conference rooms. Restaurant 44 with its amazing view to the city’s famous Kurfürstendamm is known for creative menus prepared by young chef Danijel Kresovic, who unfolds his culinary skills with his unique degustation menu concept.

Both deluxe hotels made it several times to the Condé Nast Traveler Gold List in the past.

Photo: Swissôtel The Bosphorus in Istanbul, Turkey (photo from Swissôtel)

ALTA, Norway—Ten students at the University College of Finnmark, Norway’s northernmost county, have received a head start in the job hunting queue upon completing training in the professional hotel management software suite PMI.

Since 26 October, ten students at the University College of Finnmark managed their own hotel using the online computer programme PMI. Today 65 percent of all hotels in Norway are using PMI, but it’s the first time that an educational programme in Norway offers this training to students. PMI keeps tabs on room bookings, budgeting, forecasting, accounting, staffing, procurement of food and beverages and everything else that the hotel management must keep track of to operate as efficiently as possible.

Impressed with the students

“It has been very educational and informative,” says student Lana Stock (21). She and her fellow students were first trained, then ran their own hotel for two weeks.

“In fact, they managed a real hotel, currently in full operation. We collected data from five hotels in Europe, including Norwegian chains Rica, Thon and two other chain hotels, as well as individual hotels. Students were told which hotel they ran,” says Chief Education Officer at d2o, Mr Kjell Gangdal, whose daily occupation is to educate hotel managers around the world in the use of PMI. He is impressed with the students’ efforts.

“They have been very clever and have operated hotels exceeding all expectations,” he continues. To motivate students to use PMI, the school had a competition where the best “Hotel Manager” among students receive a trip to a big hotel in Brussels to see how PMI is used to organise the operation.

“It has been a close competition and the students have really worked hard,” Gangdal adds. But it was  tourism student Trine Møller (24) from London who drew the longest straw. “It has been incredibly exciting to get an insight into hotel management,” she says. In the months of January–February she is going to Brussels. “It is very exciting,” she adds, looking forward to the journey. Text continued below photograph.

Valuable addition to the resume

“To teach students PMI is a really good initiative from the school,” continues Møller. This spring she finished her bachelor’s degree in tourism. She will be applying for jobs, and has plans to use the course diploma actively in the job application process. The same scenario with Lana Stock, which will receive a bachelor’s degree in hotel administration.

“This course will be added to my resume. I am very proud to know PMI. It is a boost for us that these students entered the programme,” she says. Silje Kjellmo Johansson (24) from Kirkenes currently works at Thon Hotel in Alta, also in Finnmark, at the front desk while studying. She sees only benefits of being able to use and understand PMI, as the hotel industry job competition is extremely tough. “Today there are only two persons at Thon in Alta who know PMI, and now I do, too,” she smiles, thinking it will give her a head start in her career.

Will continue the scheme

Associated professor Arild Røkenes, department head at the Department of Tourism, Hospitality and Media Studies, is pleased to hear of the positive feedback from students. “Experiences so far are entirely positive – the students have demonstrated that theoretical knowledge can be translated into practical skills and they have also been tested in their leadership skills. It has been gratifying to observe such high commitment from the students and, but not least, that the we can take pride in the results.”

“Teachers at the course have a clear goal to continue the scheme, which is also an expressed industry demand, to utilise this knowledge. We thank Rica hotels Finnmark, who have made the pilot project possible through financial support,” said Røkenes.

“I hope that the college will continue to provide this service to students. This is one of the most practice-oriented courses I have had over the years I have studied here,” says Lana Stock, from St. Petersburg, Russia. Now she focuses on a career in the hotel industry. “I have already hung my diploma on the wall,” she boasts proudly.

This article was originally published at the Finnmark University College website. Text (later translated) and all photographs by Ms Inger Elin Utsi.

Editorial disclosure: The company d20, appearing in the article, and HSMAI Europe currently maintains a partnership, while the article itself complies with our ethical standards, independently pre-published by the University College of Finnmark.

Top photo: Lana Stock (left) and Silje Kjellmo Johansen are studying for a bachelors degree in Hotel Management. This spring they completed their studies. Now they have learned to use the hotel management tool PMI, providing an advantage in their job search. PMI courses are only offered at the University College of Finnmark.

Middle photo: Kjell R. Gangdal giving lectures in the use of PMI. PMI is the computer programme most hotels in Norway use in the hotel administration.

Bottom photo: For the first time students in Norway received training in the professional hotel management utility of PMI. The students have provided feedback to the college that this is a very good measure.

The European hotel real-estate outlook is getting better with every trophy asset changing hands, according to a statement from Deloitte, covered in HotelNewsNow yesterday.

Nick van Marken, global head of advisory, tourism, hospitality and leisure at Deloitte, said in an interview things have “improved quite remarkably” but that then again, the hotel industry has always been resilient.

“From a transaction perspective, there is no doubt there is a view within the investment community that there is opportunity to put money back to work,” he said. “The slight challenge has been the absence of anything to buy.”

With an absence of leverage and finance, particularly debt, there hasn’t been much activity since 2007.

Read the article in full at HotelNewsNow

Although Poland was not spared from a slowdown in 2008 and 2009, with the economic crisis curbing the imbalances that had been growing since 2006, recent figures reveal steady growth for the hotel industry, mirroring better economic performances.

The Polish hotel industry is well and truly on the upturn, with RevPAR growth in September reaching 5% and stabilising for year-to-date.

“These results verify Poland’s better economic performance during the downturn, as we know RevPAR usually follows a similar trend to GDP growth. Indeed, the country recorded the best GDP growth performance among OECD countries in 2009,” states Director of Development, MKG Hospitality, Vanguelis Panayotis.

According to MKG Hospitality’s market monitoring benchmark HotelCompSet, RevPAR in Poland has progressively increased month-on-month since March this year. This was mainly driven by a swing in demand, with occupancy increasing by over 8 percentage points in September and over 7 points for yearto-date. The last three months, July to September showing most promise.

Not surprisingly, traditional leisure and business hubs Warsaw and Krakow are best performing. The capital is particular strong, with RevPAR growths of 24% in August, 15% in September and over 7% for year-to-date. In fact, Warsaw manages to record an increase in ADR over recent months, at 3% in August and over 4% in September. The upscale segment is also showing greatest recovery, with almost 12% RevPAR growth in September alone, and over 6% for year-to-date, further verifying a return in corporate and leisure spending. “These are good signs that things are recovering and returning to normal, albeit slowly. First, that there are better results in the upscale segment. And then, that the hotel cycle is moving into the next stage. Once occupancy stabilises and then begins to increase, hoteliers can afford to start increasing their rates and boost RevPAR,” added Panayotis.

These trends were further verified by local industry, as Starwood Hotels & Resorts Area Manager for Poland, Thomas Schoen explains: “Definitely 2010 is an interesting year. It started pessimistic due to the volcano eruption. Slowly but constantly the market situation improved. This was especially seen after the summer, when the entire hospitality market in Poland noticed an improvement. I am optimistic about our market in the future and think Q1 2011 will confirm what trend we can expect for the rest of the year.”

“The business environment is changing and heading in the right direction. This positive trend will be supported with major upcoming events, namely EU presidency in 2011 and the UEFA championships in 2012. Both events will be very beneficial for Poland in terms of brand awareness and in influencing future traffic,” adds Schoen.

Revenue Manager, Start hotel chain, Marta Hancock says hotels dropped their rates for the wholesale market in order to stimulate base demand, which did not help ADR much. “We see more activity starting in the MICE segment, which helps build up high occupancy, as well as the growing impact of internet sale (OTA’s). A positive change in ADR is only visible the last three months. We are expecting (continued) growth in terms of occupancy, which will come from business clientele and from Internet sale, with quite a modest grow in ADR.”

According to Head of Corporate Communications, Vienna International Hotel management, Elisabeth Scheiring, good economic growth, mainly from private consumption and new investments will drive tourism growth, and especially the MICE segment. This will be supported by the EU presidency in 2011. This is further verified by forecasts from the Institute of Tourism, with the total number of inbound arrivals predicted to continue rising, from 11.9 million in 2009, 12.3 million in 2010 and to 12.7 million in 2011 – and at the same time, only modest growth in supply/competition.

“In general we believe our performance in 2011 will increase by 8% to 10%. With an increase in tourism arrival, on-going marketing actions, renewed infrastructures and a higher recognition of Poland worldwide as a business and tourism destination we believe in a positive future,” states Scheiring. “This year, Krakow was especially strong with the FIT segment. In Warsaw, key drivers of performance in the last few months were a mix of corporate, individual and leisure groups.”

“Group Business has increased in terms of volume, as has FIT (leisure), corporate, negotiated (local company rate), MICE and all various Internet portals, including our own booking engine, but overall prices are still very competitive and comparable to last year (2009),” confirms General Manager, Polonia Palace Hotel, Alexander Huschka. «Regarding nationality mix, the previous few months have shown a remarkable increase in room nights from Germany, the UK, North America and Scandinavia. The Polish market has developed over proportional during the last 12 months and this will be driven even more, due to Poland’s presidency of the EU in the second part of 2011».

The Nordic countries’ hotel industries outperformed Europe as a whole during the first nine months of 2010, according to a press release from STR Global, the leading provider of market information to the global hotel industry.

The recovery of the Nordic hotel market after the worldwide economic downturn was evident in the year-to-date September performance results, with the region’s average daily rate (ADR) growing by 8.5 percent in Euro-terms and revenue per available room (RevPAR) by 10.7 percent. The European average showed higher occupancy growth (5.6 percent) resulting in a 9.5 percent RevPAR growth, as seen in the chart below.

However, when looking at the individual Nordic countries in their local currency, a different picture emerges. Sweden registered the highest rate of RevPAR growth through September, reporting an 8.0 percent RevPAR increase compared to Denmark (-5.9 percent), Finland (2.3 percent) and Norway (-2.5 percent).

Of the six Swedish markets tracked by STR Global, Malmo and Gothenburg showed RevPAR growth driven by improving average rates despite lagging occupancy due to new supply. Occupancy was the driver in Jonkoping, whilst both rate and occupancy growth played a part in the RevPAR growth of Stockholm, Helsingborg and Karlstad. Swedish RevPAR growth was supported by the country’s strong economic recovery and the related increase in consumer confidence.

In neighbouring Norway, three of the six markets tracked show RevPAR improvements so far this year. Oslo and Kristiansand are the only two Norwegian cities that reported declines in both occupancy and average room rates, declines that pushed down RevPAR by -3.5 percent and -7.7 percent, respectively. Oslo was also affected by a 9.6-percent room supply increase leading to a fall in RevPAR. Kristiansand is the only Norwegian market with a decline in demand compared to YTD 2009. In contrast, the market of Stavanger/Sandnes outperformed the rest of the country with growth in all three indicators, as seen in the table below. The recovering local economy led by the oil industry has helped improve the hotel performance of Norway’s “petroleum capital”.

Copenhagen suffered the highest declines in average rate and RevPAR of the Nordic markets reviewed, falling by 11.1 percent and 8.2 percent, respectively. It is the only capital that reported a decrease in RevPAR year to date. Copenhagen did have the strongest growth in demand year-to-date (12.4 percent), but this was insufficient to outweigh the 8.8-percent increase in supply year-to-date.

Helsinki’s demand for hotel rooms grew 9.8 percent year-to-date through September. Coupled with a slight decrease in supply (-1.2 percent), the city recorded the highest occupancy increase (11.1 percent) of the four Nordic capitals. However the growth in demand did not convert into average rate gains and RevPAR consequently only improved 3.6 percent year-to-date.

Scandic is continuing to grow in the Nordic region, adding three new franchise hotels and renewing an existing franchise agreement. Three of the hotels are located in the city of Bergen in Norway and the fourth is in Arvika, Sweden.

“As part of our focus on developing and growing in the Nordic countries, we will be opening more new hotels in exciting locations over the next few years. We are extremely pleased that three new hotels in Norway and Sweden have chosen to join Scandic, cementing our reputation as the leading Nordic hotel chain,” states Anders Ehrling, President and CEO of Scandic.

Scandic Bergen City is renewing its franchise agreement. At the same time, two new hotels are being added in the thriving Norwegian city; Bergen Neptun (130 rooms) and Bergen Strand (98 rooms) will both become Scandic hotels around New Year.

In Arvika, Sweden, Scandic is entering into a franchise agreement with Oscar Statt, a central hotel with 88 rooms, a restaurant, bar, spa and conference facilities. The hotel will rebrand itself as a Scandic in 2011.

Photograph: The Bergen Neptun, Bergen, Norway