Airbnb Opens Cuba Listings To The World

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Starwood Hotels and Resorts Chief of Latin American Operations Jorge Giannattasio speaks to... Read more

HAVANA (AP) — Online lodging service Airbnb is allowing travelers from around the world to book stays in private homes in Cuba after the San Francisco-based company received a special authorization from the Obama administration, Airbnb announced Sunday.

Airbnb was the first major American company to enter Cuba after Presidents Barack Obama and Raul Castro declared detente on Dec. 17, 2014. The service handles online listing, booking and payments for people looking to stay in private homes instead of hotels. Cuba has become its fastest-growing market, with about 4,000 homes added over the last year.

Airbnb had only been allowed to let U.S. travelers use its services in Cuba under a relatively limited Obama administration exception to the half-century old US trade embargo on the island. The expansion of that license gives Airbnb the ability to become a one-stop shop for travelers seeking lodging in private homes, which have seen a flood of demand from travelers seeking an alternative to state-run hotels.

Airbnb's new authorization was announced on the morning of an historic three-day trip by Obama to Cuba and a day after Starwood Hotels announced that it had signed a deal to run three Cuban hotels, becoming the first U.S. hotel company in Cuba since Fidel Castro took power in 1959 and took over the island's hotels. Airbnb said world travelers could begin booking in Cuba in April 2, the anniversary of the country's start of operations on the island.

All hotels in Cuba are now owned by government agencies and many are known for poor service and decrepit infrastructure. Foreign hotel chains operate some of the island's larger and more luxurious hotels, which are running at full capacity thanks to a post-detente boom in tourism that saw visitor numbers surge nearly 20 percent last year.

One of the first openings in Cuba's centrally planned economy came when the government allowed families to rent rooms in their homes for a few dollars a night, starting in the 1990s. That has become a full-blown private hospitality industry, with many Cubans using capital from relatives abroad and even foreign investors to transform crumbling homes into the equivalents of small boutique hotels.

Many websites allow foreigners to book Cuban private homes, known as "casas particulares," but none has emerged as a dominant player. Many travelers still find it hard to guarantee bookings and make electronic or credit card payments. Airbnb is promoting its service as a solution to those problems in Cuba.

By MICHAEL WEISSENSTEIN

Starwood To Renovate And Run 3 Cuban Hotels

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Starwood Hotels and Resorts Chief of Latin American Operations Jorge Giannattasio speaks to... Read more

HAVANA (AP) — Starwood signed a deal on Saturday to renovate and run three Cuban hotels, returning U.S. chains to the island more than 50 years after American hotels were taken over by Fidel Castro's socialist revolution.

All Cuban hotels are state-owned so the deal puts a major U.S. corporation directly in business with the Communist government under a special U.S. license that pushes Washington's legal dismantling of the Cuban trade embargo further than ever before. In a once-unimaginable arrangement, a hotel owned by the tourism arm of the Cuban military will become a Sheraton Four Points.

The deal comes on the eve of President Barack Obama's historic visit to Cuba, which will open a new era between the former Cold War foes that has American travelers and businesses eagerly eyeing opportunities on the island nation 90 miles (145 kilometers) south of Florida.

Starwood's chief of Latin America operations, Jorge Giannattasio, said the company will invest millions to renovate and rebrand the Quinta Avenida, Santa Isabel and Inglaterra hotels, train and hire new staff and reopen the hotels by the end of the year. The Quinta Avenida is owned by Gaviota, a military-run tourism conglomerate. The Santa Isabel and Inglaterra, which are run by other state agencies, will be operated as part of Starwood's Luxury Collection brand.

It's unclear, however, how long Starwood can be called an American company. On Friday, Starwood called off a $12.2 billion buyout agreement with Marriott in favor of an offer from a group of investors led by the Chinese insurance company Anbang.

Cuban hotels are notorious for their ramshackle furnishings and poor service. Giannattasio said the Cuban Starwood hotels would be refitted with everything from new mattress to improved kitchen equipment and safety measures and managed by teams of expatriate Starwood employees.

Cuban law prevents widespread direct hiring of Cuban workers by foreign firms. International companies complain that their inability to directly hire Cuban employees, and if necessary demote or fire underperforming staff, hinders their ability to provide satisfactory customer service.

Giannattasio said he was confident that Starwood would have enough flexibility and control to maintain the company's standards in Cuba, although he declined to comment on details of the firm's arrangement with the Cuban government. Starwood will receive a fee for its branding and management services.

The number of visitors to Cuba surged nearly 20 percent last year, with nearly 80 percent more Americans flying to the island. The surge has overwhelmed Cuba's decrepit tourism infrastructure and left hotels above capacity.

Numbers are expected to rise even more sharply this year with the start of as many as 110 commercial flights a day from the United States, one of dozens of moves the U.S. administration has made to punch holes in the trade embargo as part of a broader normalization of relations with Cuba since Obama and Raul Castro declared detente on Dec. 17, 2014.

On Tuesday, the Obama administration removed the last meaningful restrictions on travel to Cuba, announcing that it would allow individuals to visit the island for "people to people" educational trips. While the ban on U.S. tourism technically remains in place, it becomes an honor system that is essentially unenforceable.

Americans will have to keep records for five years about what they did in Cuba, but won't have to submit them unless asked. The Obama administration previously loosened requirements by allowing organized trips without advance U.S. permission and independent travel for specific purposes like religious activities or sports events.

By MICHAEL WEISSENSTEIN

CEO: Starwood Hotels Could Be Sold By Year End

NEW YORK (AP) — Starwood Hotels is nearing a deal to sell the company or merge with another hotel chain, its CEO said on an earnings call Wednesday.

"This has the company's highest attention," interim CEO Adam Aron said. "Our clear goal is to optimize the value for our shareholders."

Back in April, Starwood announced its board was exploring strategic options for the hotel company. At the time, Starwood didn't mention a sale, but analysts considered it a possibility.

Speculation about a potential buyer heated up this week. First the Wall Street Journal reported that three Chinese companies were seeking government approval to place bids for Starwood. Then Wednesday CNBC reported that Hyatt Hotels Corp. was close to purchasing Starwood in a cash and stock deal that would leave Hyatt management in control of the combined company.

Spokeswomen for both hotel chains declined to comment about any possible deal.

Starwood shares have rallied on the reports, gaining 9.1 percent Tuesday and rising 6.6 percent to $79.74 in afternoon trading Wednesday.

"Our progress is active and nearing conclusion," Aron told investors Wednesday afternoon. He wouldn't comment on any specific deal, but said: "I would be surprised if we don't have answers to these questions by the end of this calendar year."

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc., based in Stamford, Connecticut, has a market capitalization of $13.6 billion; Hyatt's is $7.1 billion. Starwood, which includes the Westin, Sheraton, W and St. Regis brands, has 1,271 hotels with a combined 362,623 rooms. Hyatt, has 618 hotels with a combined 160,205 rooms.

A merger of the two would help the new company better compete with hotel giants Marriott International, Hilton Worldwide and Intercontinental Hotels Group, all which have more than 4,000 properties and roughly 700,000 rooms each.

By SCOTT MAYEROWITZ 

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Starwood Preferred Guest And Sheraton Announce Exclusive Partnership with Major League Baseball

Partnership Benefits include Complimentary MLB.TV Access for Sheraton Guests, Booking on MLB.com, In-Room MLB Network and Access to One-of-a-Kind MLB Moments from Starwood Preferred Guest^®

Sheraton Celebrates Partnership with Special Screenings of 2015 MLB Postseason Games

Sheraton Hotels & Resorts and Starwood Preferred Guest^® (SPG^®) today announced an exclusive new partnership with Major League Baseball^® (MLB^®), designating Sheraton as the “Official Hotel of Major League Baseball” and SPG as the “Official Hotel Loyalty Program of Major League Baseball.”  The new partnership brings Sheraton guests, Starwood Preferred Guest® (SPG®) members and avid baseball fans closer to the action by providing them access to must-see games while on the road, as well as the opportunity to bid on once-in-a-lifetime experiences.  Sheraton will celebrate the partnership this fall by hosting special screenings of MLB Postseason games at select hotels across North America, leading off tonight with a star-studded event at the Sheraton New York Times Square. In addition, starting today, SPG members have the opportunity to redeem Starpoints® for pairs of tickets to each World Series game at spg.com/moments.

“We are thrilled to become the ‘Official Hotel of Major League Baseball,’ a sport we know is a true passion for a lot of our Sheraton guests,” said Dave Marr, Global Brand Leader for Sheraton Hotels & Resorts. “The partnership provides Starwood with the ability to connect with the MLB fan base, a large and highly engaged audience that will help support the brand’s repositioning and further drive loyalty.”

Starting with the 2016 MLB season, Sheraton will take guests and elite SPG members out to the ballgame by offering:

·         Complimentary access to MLB.TV, the only streaming service that enables fans to watch their favorite team live outside their home market;

·         Availability of MLB Network, the Emmy Award-winning 24/7 cable television network dedicated to baseball, as an in-room entertainment channel in the U.S.;

·         Custom Starwood booking widgets located on MLB.com and participating teams’ Schedule pages, providing fans a seamless process in booking travel plans to see their favorite teams on the road;

·         Enticing packages, promotions and sweepstakes that will make baseball dreams come true by sending guests off to see their favorite games in person or offering up chances to win exciting MLB prizes.

"This new partnership will provide MLB content and unique experiences to Sheraton guests and SPG members, offering baseball fans an attractive benefit when making a hotel choice," said Noah Garden, MLB Executive Vice President, Business.  "In addition, MLB will deliver enormous visibility to millions of passionate baseball fans, giving Sheraton an important platform to showcase its new brand positioning." 

SPG members can also take advantage of the new partnership beyond the World Series with exclusive access to once-in-a-lifetime baseball experiences throughout the entire 2016 season through SPG Moments. Starting with Spring Training, members can look forward to MLB experiences that include meet and greets, batting practice with players, premium game tickets inclusive of the All-Star Game and World Series, and much more. SPG members can access all of this at spg.com/moments.

“We know many of our members are loyal baseball fans and appreciate unrivaled access to amazing seats and exclusive experiences,” Mark Vondrasek, Senior Vice President of Commercial Services for Starwood Hotels & Resorts. “Through this new partnership with MLB, we can fuel our members’ passions with unforgettable moments tapping into the best that baseball has to offer.”

Four-time MLB All-Star José Reyes, SNY and WPIX broadcaster Keith Hernandez, a five-time MLB All-Star, and acclaimed chef Andrew Carmellini of Sausage Boss at MSG, will join fans to celebrate the new partnership at the Sheraton New York Times Square with a special screening of Game 3 of the American League Championship Series.  During the event, guests can take in the game while enjoying a ballpark-inspired version of the Sheraton brand’s new Paired signature lobby bar menu, served alongside premium wine and craft beer.  Reyes and Chef Carmellini will also face off in a live stadium-inspired culinary competition to see who can create the ultimate ballpark hotdog using unexpected toppings and sauces. Participating Sheraton Hotels will continue the party nationwide with their own Postseason screenings through the Fall Classic.  Guests can root for their favorite teams while enjoying savory and satisfying Paired options created especially for MLB game nights, such as Chorizo Chili Con Carne Potato Skins paired with White Zinfandel, Blue Crab Hushpuppies with Sauvignon Blanc, Pastrami Stack Pretzel sliders with Cabernet Sauvignon, and a specialty hot dog topped with beerkraut, apple & mustard, created especially for Sheraton by Chef Carmellini.

Free Valet Parking And 2 Signature Cocktails Now At W Hotels

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• Expiration: 12-31-15
• Travel Dates: Through December 31, 2015.

Stay at one of Starwood's W Hotels and receive free valet parking plus two signature cocktails upon arrival. From now to the end of 2015, stay at select W locations in Los Angeles, South Beach, Montreal, Puerto Rico and more. Mention mention rate planWPLAYPKG.

For more information and reservations visit the W Hotels website.

• Travel Dates: Through December 31, 2015.
• Advance Purchase Requirements: May apply.
• Expiration: 12-31-15
• Minimum/Maximum Stay: May apply.
• Blackout Dates: May apply.
• Additional Fees: Additional fees may apply.
• Further Restrictions: Further restrictions may apply.
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Source: http://www.independenttraveler.com/

The Top 10 Best Hotel Chains for Families

Budget-Friendly and Family-Focused Conveniences Offered Nationwide

 Parents magazine today revealed the top 10 Best Hotel Chains For Families, perfect for family road trips, holiday travels or weekend getaways. Parents’ magazine editors and travel experts evaluated 60-plus hotel brands across the country to identify chains offering families great space and comfort, high satisfaction ratings, affordable rates, and entertaining kids’ programs. The full list is available in the November 2015 issue of the magazine and on Parents.com.

According to Parents, the year’s best hotel chains for families include:

Best Budget Chains

1. Residence Inn

With 650+ U.S. locations, the hotel offers extensive in-room amenities and a seasonal “Residence Inn Mix” program, featuring food-truck fare, restaurant pop-in tastings, and a backyard BBQ, depending on the night and location. (Fall rates for a Studio Suite start at $84 per night; residenceinn.marriott.com).

2. Hyatt Place

Perfect for keeping kids healthy on vacation, these properties offer a free breakfast buffet which has expanded in most locations to include more nutritious options, many packed with fruit, veggies, and protein. (Fall rates for a room with two queen beds start at $134 per night; hyattplace.com).

3. SpringHill Suites

Known for its roomy living areas and creative breakfast options, the chain’s special touch lies in a showcase of more than 2,000 pieces of artwork displayed throughout its lobbies. (Fall rates for a suite with two double beds start at $79 per night;marriott.com/springhillsuites).

4. Hilton Garden Inn

The hotel’s redesigned rooms are more family-friendly than ever, providing more counter space, clothes storage, charging stations, and seating. Hate waiting in line? Use the HHonors app to check-in and choose your room from your smartphone – you may decide on a room near the indoor pool, for instance – then swing by the front desk for the key.  (Fall rates for a room with two queen beds start at $129 per night; hiltongardeninn.com).

5. Wingate by Wyndham

With starting rates of less than $100 per night (and free breakfast!) in many areas, you can’t beat the price of a standard room here. The brand also has a unique loyalty program that allows you to redeem some of your points for discounts on your stay. (Fall rates for a room with two double beds start at $129 per night; wingateatlanta.com).

Best Mid-Priced Chains

1.       Embassy Suites Hotel by Hilton

Every room is a suite here, so forget about splurging on an upgrade for more space and privacy. Additional perks include a free nightly snack and drink reception, training for all staff on interacting with kids, and a new program offering baby care essentials at some locations. (Fall rates for a suite with two double beds start at $189 per night; embassysuites.com).

2.       Loews Hotels & Resorts

From receiving early admission to Orlando theme parks so they can beat the crowds to attending “Farm School” at an organic farm to care for local animals and vegetables in San Diego, families take advantage of the coolest partnerships to keep the kids happy. (Fall rates for a room with two double beds start at $249 per night; loewshotels.com).

3.       Omni Hotels & Resorts

Omni has a knack for taking old, historic resorts and restoring them into family meccas with plenty of adventure. Kids will have tons of fun with the free photo book and game-filled backpack they receive at check in. (Fall rates for rooms with two double beds start at $229 per night; omnihotels.com).

4.       Hyatt House

Many locations offer two-bedroom, two-bathroom suites for what you’d pay for a single room at a higher-end chain. Plus, all room types come with a full kitchen and all the tools you need to cook and eat a great meal. (Fall rates for a one-bedroom suite start at $159 per night; hyatthouse.com).

5.       Sheraton Hotels & Resorts

Sheraton offers the same features as its pricier Starwood cousins, Westin and Aloft, like “sweet sleeper” beds and cribs, pools, and an all-inclusive dining program for kids 12 and under. (Fall rates for suites start at $249 per night and a room with two double beds at $189 per night; starwoodhotels.com/sheraton).

About Parents

Parents was founded in 1926 and, along with American Baby, FamilyFun, Parents Latina and Ser Padres, makes up The Meredith Parents Network portfolio of parenthood brands.   Parents is the leading voice for a community of more than 15 million moms who are engaged and inspired by the brand’s trusted content. In turn, these moms enlighten and inspire others by joining ongoing conversations about parenthood via Parents.com as well through Parents’ robust presence on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr.  Parents is dedicated to engaging and inspiring moms with the information they need, wherever they go.

The Definitive Ranking Of Hotel Chain Rewards Programs

It doesn’t take a lot of work to be loyal to Marriott, Hilton or IHG. If you stumble into a town – any town – you’re reasonably likely to wind up at one of their hotels. On the other hand, it takes work to be loyal to programs that are smaller like Starwood Preferred Guest and Hyatt Gold Passport. That’s why smaller programs have to try harder. They need to give you a reason to be loyal.

US News offers a ranking of the best hotel rewards programs. It isn’t very good. (In fairness, the attempt is better than their airline frequent flyer program rankings.)

JD Power also tries to rank hotel loyalty programs. (Here’s my strong critique of JD Power’s survey, to which JD Power offers a spirited defense in the comments.)

The key thing to understand is that different programs do different things well – to understand the value proposition of each, and pick the one whose strengths match what you value most.

• Hyatt Gold Passport has the best elite benefits, and the best value redemptions if you like to spend your points for suites, but has a small footprint. There are only about 500 hotels in the chain.
• Starwood Preferred Guest offers strong elite recognition and has some of the nicest hotels. The program isn’t nearly as rewarding as others for the spend you do at their properties.
• Hilton HHonors is everywhere. They have fantastic value awards for low-end hotels, with the best hotels much more expensive. Their mid-tier Gold elite level is the best combination of easy to get and rewarding (although their Diamond level is not comparatively strong, and can be had for just $40,000 in spending each year on their credit card).
• Club Carlson has the cheapest reward nights. The problem is that the chain is relatively small, and most of the hotels aren’t very nice. Their elite benefits aren’t competitive. Club Carlson is strongest in Europe.
• Marriott Rewards has hotels everywhere. They’re consistent. The program doesn’t promise very much, but what it does, it delivers.
• IHG Rewards Club is similarly ubiquitous, and offers average value but frequently runs strong promotions. It’s difficult to deliver on top elite recognition since the chain is skewed towards mid-tier brands like Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express.

Best Elite Recognition

The status recognition benefits that elite members value most are usually upgrades and club lounge access or breakfast. Here are the rankings of how each program does with those.

Suite at the Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur

Upgrades

1. Only Hyatt lets Diamond members confirm a suite at booking from any Hyatt rate (4 times per year, up to 7 nights each time).
2. Only Starwood promises to give Platinum members an available standard suite at check-in, if available. Starwood also lets their Platinums who stay 50 nights express priority for suite upgrades up to 10 nights a year, since members care about upgrades most when traveling on vacation with family and least on one night business stays when they’re alone.
3. While Marriott and Hilton allow hotels to upgrade elites to suites, no hotel is required to do so.
4. Club Carlson similarly only says that top-tier Concierge members “may be eligible for an upgrade to the next room category or to a standard suite, if available” which is pretty weak sauce.
5. IHG Rewards Club offers upgrades which are 100% ‘determined by the hotel’ and hotels areexplicitly not required to upgrade members to suites or even ‘specialty rooms.’

“Extreme Wow Suite” at the W San Diego

If you’re not an elite, you can still use your points to get into suites.

Club Lounge or Breakfast

Hotels generally give top elites access to club lounges where breakfast and evening snacks are served.

1. Hyatt wins as the only chain which guarantees a full (not continental) restaurant breakfast for Diamond members when no club lounge is available and for up to four guests registered to the room.
2. Hilton gives breakfast to mid-tier members at all of their properties where breakfast is sold.
3. Starwood lets Platinum members have continental breakfast when there’s no club lounge available.
4. Marriott doesn’t offer breakfast at Courtyard properties or at resorts.
5. Club Carlson gives continental breakfast for one person only to Concierge members.
6. IHG doesn’t offer breakfast at all.

Hotels can be more generous than the loyalty program promises. No hotel breakfast I’ve experienced was more over-the-top than the St. Regis Bali. But overall Hyatt does breakfast best.

Caviar for breakfast at the St. Regis Bali

Here are nice charts showing each chain’s elite benefits in one place.

Late Checkout

Late checkout is one of the most useful benefits of elite status. Both Starwood and Hyatt offer their top elites 4 p.m. late check-out (at non-resort properties, and excluding designated convention properties and dates). Starwood even guarantees it for their mid-tier Gold members and Hyatt offers 2 p.m. checkout for their mid-tier members. Those two programs do late checkout best.

By contrast, Marriott’s late checkout benefit is subject to availability, by request on the day of departure. That’s especially weak considering it takes 75 nights to earn Platinum with Marriott, compared to 25 nights or 50 stays at each of Starwood and Hyatt.. and both Starwood and Hyatt offer guaranteed late checkout even to mid-tier elites.

Overall Elite Ranking

1. Hyatt Gold Passport
2. Starwood Preferred Guest
3. Hilton HHonors
4. Marriott Rewards
5. Club Carlson
6. IHG Rewards Club

Best Value for Earning Free Nights

At its most basic level, here’s what hotel programs offer as their cheapest room redemption and how much you need to spend with the chain to have enough points for it.

(For Hilton I’m assuming that you choose to earn “points and points” rather than “points and miles”.)

Of course, most of us don’t want the ‘category 1’ hotels that are also cheapest to pay for with cash (and of which there also aren’t very many). Once you get into mid-priced hotels, the kind you’ll find plenty of in major cities, you’ll find that Club Carlson gives you the most bang for your buck (plenty of Radissons in Europe are quite nice) and that Hilton, Marriott, IHG and Hyatt all offer pretty similar value.

Starwood is an outlier in that it takes the most spending at their hotels to earn enough points for free nights. Starwood points are also the most valuable, though, and offer the best transfers to airline miles by far.

Find the Chain Which Best Matches Your Needs

What matters most is which chain has the hotels that match your redemption patterns — hotels in the right places (does Hyatt or Starwood have a big enough footprint for you) and at the right quality level (do you want to stay at most Radissons, and do Marriotts offer the local character you may be looking for).

You need to determine whether or not the rest of the features of a hotel chain work for you.

• Are you going to be an elite member?
• Does the chain’s benefits make sense for you — Will you get suite upgrades? What about breakfast? Will the chain even honor elite benefits on reward stays (IHG doesn’t require their hotels to for most benefits)?

I like Hyatt and Starwood best. I’m a Hyatt Diamond member and a Starwood Platinum. But their footprints mean that there are plenty of small towns where they just don’t have properties. By contrast, Marriott loyalists most often tell me what they like about the chain is “no matter where I go I can earn my points” and “I get a consistent experience every time.”

By garyleff , www.roadwarriorvoices.com