Open for Business: The NEW Tallest Hotel in North America

New York City is now home to the tallest hotel in North America with the opening of the Courtyard by Marriott/ Residence Inn Central Park hotel on January 7th, 2014. Standing at 752 feet, 9 inches the building which includes no office or residential space beat out another Marriott for the title: Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center.

Guests can enjoy the 378 rooms at the Courtyard on floors 6-33 and 261 suites at the Residence Inn on floors 37-65. The 35th floor houses the fitness center with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Central Park and the Hudson River. To top it off, Marriott has made wifi complimentary throughout the entire hotel.

For more information, check out Marriott's recent press release: http://news.marriott.com/2014/01/marriott-opens-north-americas-tallest-hotel-in-new-york-city.html

Travel Hacks

With the New Year comes new opportunity to travel for business or pleasure. Here are some of our favorite travel-themed life hacks to get you there cheaper, faster, smarter and more comfortably:

• Avoid airport pickup hassles by taking a free shuttle to a nearby airport.
  
• Try asking for an upgraded room at check in. Chances are there's a nicer room than yours sitting empty, so why not enjoy it? Consumer Reports recently published that while only 28% of the survey’s respondents ask for upgrades, 78% got what they asked for! Even if you don’t get an upgrade, you might get free wifi or other perks.
  
• Always pack a power strip. It comes in handy when you’re waiting around in an airport and when your hotel room hides all the outlets behind the headboard.
  
• If you’re traveling for a special occasion, always let the hotel know in advance. They might have special packages available or they might make a small gesture to make your special trip even better.
  
• Consult SeatGuru to see if your plane offers outlets: http://www.seatguru.com/articles/in-seat_laptop_power.php
  
• Save a good quality image or scan of your passport, driver’s license and boarding pass… just in case…
  
• Change your attitude about the airport. It doesn't have to be so painful! Go have a drink, find an ice cream, discover a new book, or scout out the observation lounge. Just don’t miss your flight.
  
• If you’re checking bags, mark your luggage fragile, that way your baggage is more likely to be on top and the first one out.
  
• Watch this video for 11 packing hacks http://lifehacker.com/this-video-shows-11-travel-hacks-for-packing-more-effic-1450811321
  
• Mount your tablet to the seat back in front of you using the headrest Velcro: http://www.instructables.com/id/Tablet-airplane-seat-mount/

Value City Suggestions for 2014 Groups

At the end of each year, Meetings Focus Magazine conducts a trends survey focusing on industry growth and performance for the prior year and expectations for the year to come. Responses from 600 meeting planners predicted a “temperate climate” in 2014. You can read the full report which covers everything from meeting planner demographics and career satisfaction to causes in job function changes and individual challenges faced here: http://www.meetingsfocus.com/tabid/162/ArticleID/22440/ViewAll/True/Default.aspx

Perhaps the most interesting portion of the article is data and analysis provided by Bobby Bowers, Senior Vice President of Smith Travel Research (STR) about the state of the industry. Bowers summarizes: “It seems like consumer confidence is continuing to edge up a bit, but business confidence is a little sluggish with the shutdown and healthcare.”

According to Bowers, the luxury segment, which was the hardest hit, has returned to the peak performance levels seen in 2008. Bowers states “If you look at the nominal—not factored in for inflation—RevPAR [Revenue per Available Room] rate, we’re pretty much back to where we were, but if you factor in inflation we’re about a year off.”

Bowers expects that occupancy rates, which have been steadily climbing in the last two years, will hold firm causing ADR (Average Daily Rate) increases of 5.4% for high-end luxury properties and about 4.6% for upscale properties.

Suggestions for 2014 values? Bowers suggests the middle of the country, away from coastal areas, like Detroit, Minneapolis and Cincinnati. “…they haven’t seen the rate growth of markets like San Francisco and Miami,” he says. Planners might also find great values in markets where new construction will increase city room counts by at least 2%: Orlando, Houston, Long Beach, Seattle, Washington, D.C., and Miami. Even better values can be found in Denver (4.5% increase) and Nashville (over 3% increase).  New York, New York will see a 12.2% increase, although NYC can hardly be considered a ‘value’ city.

2014 Hotel Openings to Watch

No matter what your group is looking for, they are sure to love these new construction and reflagged hotels opening in 2014!

Streamsong Resort - Streamsong, Florida
Opening January 2014

Renaissance Denver Downtown - Denver, Colorado
Opening February 2014

The Westin Cleveland Downtown - Cleveland, Ohio
Opening April 2014
















Le Meridien Chicago - Oakbrook, Illinois
Opening April 2014
(No Photo Available... Yet)

Le Meridien Charlotte - Charlotte, North Carolina
Opening April 2014
(No Photo Available... Yet)

Marriott Marquis - Washington, DC
Opening May 2014












Great Wolf Lodge New England - Fitchburg, Massachusetts
Opening Second Quarter 2014













JW Marriott Houston Downtown - Houston, Texas
Opening June 2014























Four Seasons Resort at Walt Disney World Resort - Lake Buena Vista, Florida
Opening Third Quarter 2014
















Delano Last Vegas - Las Vegas, Nevada
Opening Third Quarter 2014
(No Photo Available... Yet)

Hotel Monaco - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Opening Fourth Quarter 2014
(No Photo Available... Yet)

The Ritz-Carlton, Rancho Mirage - Rancho Mirage, California
Opening 2014

The Westin Jekyll Island - Jekyll Island, Georgia
Opening December 2014




Pearl Hotel - San Antonio, Texas
Opening 2014
(No Photo Available... Yet)

The Westin San Jose - San Jose, California
Opening December 2014

Top Ten National Park Hotels to Visit This Winter

Looking for great get-away ideas this winter? Whether you want to enjoy the winter sports outdoors or escape the cold weather, you'll love this top ten list of national park hotels from The Active Times:

1. The Ahwahnee Hotel - Yosemite National Park



2. Volcano House - Hawaii Volcanoes National Park



3. Hotel Terra, Jackson Hole, WY



4. Kennicott Glacier Lodge, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park



5. The Stanley Hotel, Estes Park, CO



6. Sorrel River Ranch, Moab, UT



7. Old Faithful Inn, Yellowstone National Park



8. Paradise Inn, Mount Rainier National Park



9. Many Glacier Hotel, Glacier National Park



10. Furnace Creek Resort, Death Valley, CA