Worldwide Briefing
Dallas goes dull
Hotels in Dallas, Texas, last month had fewer than half their bedrooms occupied, and revenues dropped by 35%, said consultancy PKF. Last month's occupancy was just 47.4%, the lowest in the city since the mid-1980s.
Kimpton lay-offs
San Francisco-based boutique hotel and restaurant group Kimpton has laid off 600 staff, about 10% of its total. Occupancies up
US-based Hilton Hotels Corporation said that, after a drop-off in occupancy immediately following the attacks of 11 September, the number of bedrooms sold has been gradually rising and is approaching 1999 levels. But occupancy at the beginning of October was still 20% below that a month earlier.
Sydney cutbacks
The 531-bedroom Regent Sydney Hotel has closed 120 bedrooms and laid off 37 employees because of a downturn in business. The after-effects of the attacks on the USA and the collapse of domestic airline Ansett led to a 20% slip in occupancy.
Profit warning
Grand Hotel Group, the Australian chain that runs properties under the Hyatt and Chifley banners, expects a 15% drop in operating profit after the collapse of domestic airline Ansett and the US terrorist attacks.
Ukraine new-builds
Accor is to build a 250-bedroom, three-star Novotel hotel in Kiev, in the Ukraine. The €21.8m (£13.5m) project will be the first of a three hotels Accor hopes to build in the Ukrainian capital.
