Hotel Industry News – Week Ending 12.16.06

AthleticMindedTraveler.com announced their picks of the best hotel fitness centers in the US.

Hilton Hotels plans to open 5,000 new rooms in China. The prospective areas are: Shanghai, Beijing, Tianjin, the Yangtze River delta (to facilitate driving the Yangtze River Dolphins completely in to extinction?! If they aren’t already) and Bohai Bay regions.

Hyatt has begun installation of new self-service kiosks at all Hyatt Place hotels.

Marcus Hotels and Resorts announced the opening of The Platinum Hotel and Spa, a luxury condominium hotel in Las Vegas. The Platinum offers one and two bedroom suites, dining at The Restaurant at Platinum, the STIR café and lounge and the WELL Spa. All 255 suites are furnished with living rooms, fully-stocked kitchens and private terraces. The rooms include 42-inch wall-mounted plasma HDTVs, electric fireplaces, Bose radios and whirlpool baths. Many suites are also equipped with washers and dryers. Guests have access to flexible and functional event and strategy rooms, a 24-hour business center, high-speed Internet access, a complimentary health and fitness studio and Wi-Fi capabilities throughout the property.

Marriott International, Inc. announced the Hilton Burbank Airport and Convention Center has been officially re-branded as the Burbank Airport Marriott Hotel & Convention Center. The 488-room hotel, with 50,000 square feet of meeting space is currently undergoing a $24 million renovation of all guest rooms, as well as the hotel’s exterior, pool areas, and other public spaces.

Novotel opened a new property in Balikpapan in East Kalimantan. Along with rooms designed for comfort, the hotel offers Novotel Balikpapan features two food & beverage outlets, a swimming pool, fitness center, kids club and karaoke bar.

Regent South Beach has launched a nightly turn down service for cars, as well as an overnight car-sitting service. The turn down, which includes a wash, wax, vacuuming, tire pressure check and gift for the driver, is available to all guests. However, the car-sitting service will be offered only to qualifying luxury vehicles, such as Aston Martins, Bentleys, Ferrari’s, etc. To apply for the car-sitting service, guests must provide information on make, model, year and condition of the automobile at check-in. The car-sitting service offers guests a “dedicated and doting valet who will closely monitor their car in the hotel’s on-site parking garage until sunrise.”

Solare Hotels & Resorts will begin construction this month of the Chisun Inn Tosu, a roadside-type hotel, as the start of a plan to operate 18,000 hotel rooms in Japan by 2010. The first will be in Tosu City, Saga Prefecture, scheduled to open in July of 2007. The second will be the Chisun Inn Kagoshima in Kagoshima City, Kagoshima Prefecture, scheduled to open in May of 2008.

Starwood is offering a great deal at Westin Hotels with the WestinWORKOUT room. The WestinWORKOUT Room provides customized in-room fitness solutions for guests. You can choose either a cycle or a treadmill for cardio. A “wide array of accessories” will be provided by the hotel as well. This means you don’t have to suffer through another episode of 60 Minutes just because the guy on the treadmill got to the fitness center before you. In addition, Starwood plans to install PluePoint Energy’s EnviroGen™ Energy Modules in two Sheraton Kauai properties in Kauai, Hawaii. The installation will then be continued to other properties. The projects will feature BluePoint’s newly designed, environmentally responsible, continuous-duty diesel-driven combined cooling, heat and power EnviroGen™ Energy Modules with ultra-clean emissions. Way to be ecologically responsible and save a buck at the same time. Finally, they’ve launched a new book borrowing/purchasing program at Sheraton Hotels.