Ed Brock is an award-winning journalist who has worked for various U.S. newspapers and magazines, including with American City & County magazine, a national publication based in Atlanta focused on city and county government issues. He is currently senior editor at Asian Hospitality magazine, the top U.S. publication for Asian American hoteliers. Originally from Mobile, Alabama, Ed began his career in journalism in the early 1990s as a reporter for a chain of weekly newspapers in Baldwin County, Alabama. After a stint teaching English in Japan, Ed returned to the U.S. and moved to the Atlanta area where he returned to journalism, coming to work at Asian Hospitality in 2016.
The Aloft Chattanooga Hamilton Place is now open in Chattanooga, Tennessee. It is owned by Vision Hospitality Group led by Mitch Patel as president and CEO.
The 135-room Aloft by Marriott is the first hotel under the brand to open in Chattanooga. It is near the Tennessee Aquarium, Hunter Museum of American Art, Rock City and Ruby Falls. Each guest room has 9-foot ceilings, and the hotel has the area’s first rooftop bar and lounge.
Vision Hospitality, also based in Chattanooga, developed the hotel along with CBL Properties.
“Experiences are the new commodity, and Aloft Hotels get that,” Patel said. “The brand incorporates technology, design and culture to set it apart from the traditional hotel, and we look forward to bringing this new experience to our hometown of Chattanooga. We value our long-standing relationship with CBL Properties, as well as the opportunity to be a part of this special redevelopment at Hamilton Place. Our connection to the community and commitment to its success are significant, and we are excited to open this hotel as part of this area’s transformation.”
Stephen Lebovitz, CEO of CBL Properties, said the hotel is part of the Hamilton Place Sears redevelopment project.
“We are actively executing our vision to transform our properties into suburban town centers that offer visitors a variety of experiences,” Lebovitz said. “The addition of Aloft by Marriott complements the broader Hamilton Place redevelopment plans, which include the addition of The Cheesecake Factory, Dave & Busters as well as class ‘A’ office space, additional dining options and new retail.”
Last week, Vision Hospitality’s recently opened Kinley Chattanooga Southside boutique hotel, also in Chattanooga, announced a new partnership with the city’s new social club Common House. It provides a day pass to Common House’s co-working and event spaces, pool, gym, restaurants and other facilities.
16 percent of small accommodation businesses focus on attracting guests, SiteMinder finds.
40 percent cite knowledge gaps as a barrier to adopting booking technology.
Next-gen Little Hotelier adds tools once limited to larger properties.
ONLY 16 PERCENT of small accommodations worldwide spend more time attracting guests, while 49 percent focus on daily operations, according to a SiteMinder study. Although 53 percent would prefer to focus on guest acquisition, they remain occupied with property management tasks.
The study found that 40 percent of small operators cite a lack of knowledge as the main barrier to adopting technology that could attract more guests, while 29 percent maintain static room rates, changing them rarely or only once a year.
“Our conversations with accommodation providers show that managing daily operations such as check-ins and housekeeping remains essential, but it shouldn’t come at the expense of growing bookings,” said Leah Rankin, SiteMinder’s chief product officer. “Running a successful accommodation business today means giving hoteliers tools to work smarter, not harder.”
Meanwhile, SiteMinder launched the next generation of its Little Hotelier PMS, adding distribution and revenue tools previously limited to larger properties.
Small accommodation providers gain access to SiteMinder’s revenue solutions, Dynamic Revenue Plus and Channels Plus as part of the upgrade, the company said. Dynamic Revenue Plus is mobile-first and lets hotels act on live market data, including local events and competitor activity, optimizing bookings in real time. Channels Plus expands reach by connecting properties to multiple booking channels in a single setup.
Rankin said that as competition rises, small hoteliers have a prime opportunity to make their pricing and marketing more dynamic.
“By making Dynamic Revenue Plus and Channels Plus available through Little Hotelier, accommodation providers—from family-run B&Bs to independent hotels—can adjust rates as demand arises, maximize occupancy with more booking channels, and simplify operations within a property management system designed for their size.”
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City councilman criticized for anti-Indian comments