Kauai hotel: Hawaii developer Jeff Stone plans to develop an 80-unit hotel at the Princeville Resort master-planned community in Hanalei on Kauai’s North Shore. It’s a smaller version of a project that also included bungalow units and home lots.
Read the story in the Pacific Business Journal
Cornell valuation study: A new study from Cornell University’s Center for Hospitality Research concludes a hotel valuation model based on property characteristics performs as well as a model that only includes income-related variables.
Deutsche in Oman: Deutsche Hospitality is developing its second InterCityHotel in Oman, in Muscat. The agreement was signed with Muscat National Development and Investment Company; the hotel is projected to open by 2020.
Sarovar in Zambia: India’s Sarovar hotels signed its first property in Zambia. The 82-room Sarovar Premiere Lusaka is scheduled to open in 2018. It’s the fifth African country for the company.
No Trump in Austin: A hotel development announced last fall that was linked to the Trump Organization’s development team will move ahead instead with Capella Hotel Group, according to developer Empyrean Development. The 33-story hotel doesn’t have a start date yet.
Read the story from mystatesman.com
Saudi tourism: Domestic tourism in Saudi Arabia is forecast to increase by 40% between 2015 and 2020, according to the Euromonitor International Tourism Forecast Report, in a report prepared for The Hotel Show Saudi Arabia 2017.
Oberoi direct booking: Oberoi Hotels & Resorts is getting into the direct-booking game, offering a 10% discount on web-exclusive rooms.
Marriott career development: Marriott International announced an initiative with career advancement startup Amavitae. The mobile-first career-advancement platform is aimed at younger job seekers.
Expedia analysis tool: Online travel company Expedia introduced Guest Review Insights, a sentiment analysis tool to help hotels manage their online reputation. The tool aggregates and analyzes reviews, offers a competitive comparison and identifies trends.