US RevPAR highest since Aug. 2008: New figures from Smith Travel Research show RevPAR in the U.S. in June finished at its highest level since August 2008, an indication of how the industry has recovered since the financial crisis and subsequent recession hit.
Read more at Meetings & Conventions
Spanish hotel stays up 10%: New figures from the Spanish National Institute of Statistics show the recession-battered country’s hotel overnight stays were up 10% year-on-year in June. The biggest increase in foreign visitors came from Russia at 72% year-on-year.
Read more at the Spanish National Institute of Statistics
Park Plaza announces Thai venture: Park Plaza Hotels announced on Friday that it was entering a joint venture with Kitaria Holdings Limited to develop a 40,000 sq m (430,000 sq ft) mixed-use development that will feature a 100-room hotel in Pattaya Bay, Thailand.
Read more at The Wall Street Journal
Google blocks third-party reviews: Internet giant Google axed the display of third-party hotel reviews from websites such as Yelp and TripAdvisor from its Google Maps and Google Places applications. Now only Google reviews are shown.
Bacara sold to investment firm: The sale of 311-room Bacara Resort & Spa in Santa Barbara, California to Ohana Real Estate Investors was announced on Thursday by the previous owner ADCO Group. The amount of money involved was not disclosed.
Hard Rock to open in Atlantic City in 2014: Hard Rock International revealed on Thursday that it plans to open a US$275 million casino hotel in Atlantic City in the spring of 2014 during a public hearing at city hall.
Read more at Press of Atlantic City