Hilton Worldwide Introduces New Brand: Curio – A Collection by HiltonGlobal Collection to Include Highly Anticipated SLS Las Vegas Hotel & Casino

The SLS Las Vegas Hotel & Casino will be one of the first hotels to join Curio.

MCLEAN, Va. – June 2, 2014 – Hilton Worldwide today announced the launch of Curio – A Collection by Hilton, including plans for the first hotels to join the new brand.

Created for travelers who seek local discovery and authentic experiences, Curio will be a carefully selected, global collection of distinctive four to five star hotels. Just as the word “curio” can refer to something of interest, unique or even rare, each Curio hotel will be different from the next, with individuality being a common thread, along with the quiet reassurance of the Hilton name behind every location. Letters of intent have been signed for the following properties: SLS Las Vegas Hotel & Casino; The Sam Houston Hotel in Houston, Texas; Hotel Alex Johnson in Rapid City, S.D.; The Franklin Hotel in Chapel Hill, N.C.; and a soon to be named hotel development in downtown Portland, Ore.

“Our customers and owners have expressed strong interest in a brand from us that includes hotels that can retain their unique identity but also deliver the many benefits of our system, including our Hilton HHonors guest loyalty program,” said Christopher J. Nassetta, president and CEO of Hilton Worldwide. “That desire, combined with the current size of the independent hotel market and demand for differentiated hotel stays around the world, made for the right timing for this launch. Curio is an exciting new brand for us — one of two unique concepts we’ll introduce this year.”

Jim Holthouser, executive vice president, global brands, Hilton Worldwide, said, “Curio expands our portfolio to a total of eleven exceptional brands and creates additional opportunities to serve our existing customers even better, attract new customers and grow our pipeline. With Curio, we can help owners leverage our scale, scope and expertise while keeping intact each hotel’s individual character.”

SLS Las Vegas, owned and operated by SBE, is located on the northern end of the Las Vegas Strip at the site of the former Sahara Hotel & Resort — a location steeped in Las Vegas history. The hotel and casino will open following a three-year, $415 million renovation, which includes the total redevelopment of three existing Sahara towers. Billed as a high-style collaboration between SBE Chief Executive Officer Sam Nazarian, renowned design icon Philippe Starck and James Beard Foundation award-winning chef José Andrés, the re-imagination of this 2.5 million square foot development will feature an all-encompassing, mixed-use resort and casino with more than 1,620 guest rooms and suites, 30,000 square feet of flexible meeting space and a collection of SBE’s acclaimed dining and nightlife brands when it opens later this year in time for the September U.S. Labor Day holiday weekend.

Nazarian said of SLS Las Vegas being one of the first Curio hotels, “Today’s announcement marks the beginning of an important relationship between SBE and Hilton Worldwide and an opportunity for me to work alongside a mentor and good friend in Chris Nassetta. Our mission to redefine excellence in hospitality to our guests at SLS Las Vegas aligns perfectly with the Hilton Worldwide vision for Curio. We have a proven record of creating brands that provide memorable guest experiences, whether in the hospitality, dining, nightlife or real estate sectors. Partnering with Hilton and Curio allows us to maintain the SLS brand identity while offering the benefits of Hilton Worldwide’s commercial engines and the strength of the Hilton HHonors loyalty program.”

Additional Details for Planned Curio Hotels

• Originally opened in 1924, The Sam Houston Hotel is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. For 90 years, “The Sam” has treated guests to an authentic Texas hospitality experience in downtown Houston. American Liberty Hospitality will maintain management of the hotel when it joins the brand later this year.
• Located near the Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Hotel Alex Johnson is also on the National Register of Historic Places and has been a well-known fixture in downtown Rapid City since 1928. Prior to joining Curio next year, the hotel will update its guest rooms, public areas and meeting rooms as part of a multi-million dollar renovation. Hotel Alex Johnson is owned by Cortez LLC, and operated by Isis Hospitality LLC.
• Owned and operated by Wintergreen Hospitality, The Franklin Hotel is located in downtown Chapel Hill, one block from the University of North Carolina campus. It is expected to join the brand in late 2014.
• Construction is planned to begin in early 2015 on a hotel development by The Widewaters Group Inc., in downtown Portland, Ore. The hotel is anticipated to debut as part of the collection in late 2016.

As members of the Hilton Worldwide portfolio, Curio hotels will offer guests the benefits of Hilton HHonors, the award-winning guest-loyalty program serving more than 40 million members. Hilton HHonors offers more ways to redeem points than any other guest-loyalty program.

Press Release

09 Jun 2014

CATHIC BEGINS WITH STRONG INTERNATIONAL PARTICIPATION

Now in it’s fourth year, this premier event for the hotel investment community has brought together over 1000 delegates from across the globe since starting, and offers the opportunity to gain valuable insights into the current investment climate within the region while also fostering valuable new business partnerships.

Over the next two days, regional and international investors, operators, developers and government officials will gather to discuss the latest trends, opportunities, and challenges in this exciting market; and these discussions will be lead by a speaking faculty of over 70 industry veterans.

As a growing tourism hotspot, Turkey offers a ripe environment full of potential for hotel investors and developers. The nation currently sits at 6th in the world for number of tourism arrivals and the industry includes many sub-segments of tourism from the sun and sand product, to winter sports tourism, golf tourism and health tourism. In Turkey, the number of international visitors has increased by 40% since 2007 and reached 32 million in 2013. This is estimated to climb to 37 million by 2017. 

TURKEY STILL NEEDS 35 5-STAR HOTELS

The first day commenced with a plenary session on “The Future of Tourism Infrastructure in Turkey”. TYD (Tourism Investors Association) Chairman Murat Ersoy said "We identify regions that are strategically important for Turkish investors and we invest in airlines in these regions, we are trying to build a large network by completing our investments in these countries.” Ersoy also noted that Turkey still needs 35 5-star hotels and advised to cooperate with the international chain brands.

Ersoy, noting that the bed capacity in Istanbul needs to be increased, stated that in this case airlines can  increase their operatins more courageously. Ersoy said “In this regard, there must be no reservation. Tourism areas, where tourists can take comfort, need to be created. The biggest problem in metropolitan is safety. Urban transformation should be accelerated, and safe areas should be increased. If safe tourist areas, where tourist can move very comfortably and not disturbed by immigrants, and new tourism areas are opened, we are ready to fly.”

TURKISH AIRLINES PLANS TO FLY TO  SYDNEY WITH THE 3 THIRD AİRPORT

Turkish Airlines Sales and Marketing Vice President Fatih Cigala said: "In the first quarter of 2014, we have achieved a growth of 16 percent. Today we operate in many regions and we fly to every continent except Australia, however it is constantly on our radar. Aircraft infrastructure does not currently allow this. With the 3rd Airport, direct flights to Sydney will take place. In the past 10 years, we achieved an aggressive growth rate and aim to keep double-digit growth figures untill 2023."

50 PERCENT OF INVESTMENTS IS DIRECTED TO ANTALYA AND ISTANBUL

Ministry of Culture and Tourism Undersecretary Özgür Özaslan, who attended the conference, said: "Tourism is a giant industry, which constitutes about 10 percent of the world economy. It has made progress for nearly 60 years. With the arrangements made in Tourism Incentive Law No. 2618 progress has been made and Turkey has become a global player for tourism investments. It plays an important role in the Balance of Payments creating one-fifth of our income from exports. The law issued 30 years ago must be evaluated as it is today. Public' must do his homework and these laws need to be revised. Turkey's incentive law must be arranged as to reach 2023 targets.''

Özaslan continued his speech: “We, as Turkey, have achieved a success story by creating a variety of markets. Successful implementation of the all inclusive system was efficient in the success of coastal tourism. Of course, it also needs to be improved. In terms of the tourism sector, 50 percent of financial investment is directed to Antalya and Istanbul. Investors prefer these areas. We must implement incentive policies according to the types of tourism and regions. Turkey has the 2nd highest efficiency of tourism in the economy after Italy. It is the industry with 2nd highest employment rate. It is an industry with investments in 61 provinces. There is a dynamism in Anatolia. We observe that investment incentive certificates are in increase in these areas. Two new mosaic museum in the provinces next to the Zeugma Museum will be opened. Maybe we create a  mosaic museum destination, which isn’t present in the world. City hotels must be at the quality to serve.”

Patrick Fitzgibbon, Senior Vice President, Development, Europe & Africa, for Hilton Worldwide, said, “Turkey offers considerable opportunities as a hotel growth market, with 43 million visitors expected to travel here this year. As an important forum for our industry, CATHIC brings together leading influencers to discuss key themes and explore emerging investment trends in the region. It’s a pleasure to welcome our partners and peers to Istanbul and host the forum for the first time at the recently opened Hilton Istanbul Bomonti Hotel & Conference Center.”

All discussions are designed to help guide those who are looking to, or are currently investing in the Turkish hotel industry, and strategies for capitalizing on the growth and development of Turkey’s burgeoning tourism industry will be covered at depth.

How can hotels adjust service levels to meet Chinese travellers' needs?

How can hotels adjust service levels to meet Chinese travellers' needs?

As a follow on from the Attracting the Chinese Guest educational networking session hosted in 2013, we asked David how hotels from luxury boutique to international chains, can adjust service standards to meet the needs of the Chinese traveller visiting their hotel?

Since Chinese tourists have become a main source of global tourism income, spending $102bn abroad in 2012. The average Chinese shopper in London's West End spends an average of £1,688 GBP shopping in the UK, and British stores are hiring Mandarin speakers and retraining existing staff to be able to serve their new Chinese clientele. But while a luxury fashion retailer may be able to bring in these skills, how does a hotel with numerous staff spread over different operations departments, ensure its employees are able to communicate effectively with Chinese guests cost effectively?
The solution is not simple. Hospitality businesses are constrained by costs, difficulties in arranging employee schedules and the lack of classroom space. This is set to change with a new web-based solution provided by Qooco, which the company states delivers improvements in spoken Mandarin by 85 percent at a cost that is 80 percent lower than traditional methods.  With better language skills, staff are able to speak the same language as their guests - both literally and figuratively - providing better service, increasing upsell opportunities and ultimately guest loyalty.
"A key additional Qooco online offering is the versatility to help hotel staff who aren't sufficiently competent with the English language to quickly learn and ultimately improve their guest communication and service, where necessary too" says David.
Qooco's cloud-based mobile hospitality training solution uses the latest educational technology and proven teaching methods. This includes speech recognition systems, tailored content for the hotel industry via PC, tablet or mobile and an analytics platform.
"More and more hotels are looking to reduce training costs and staff turnover, whilst improving productivity and consistency of service, and there are substantial savings to be achieved via regular tailored online learning" he added.