Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Interstate Hotels & Resorts has Opened and is Now Managing the New Crowne Plaza Charleston Airport Convention Center Hotel

  
 CHARLESTON, S.C./ARLINGTON, VA,  Jan. 19, 2011—Interstate Hotels & Resorts, the United States’ largest independent hotel management company, today announced that it has opened and is now managing the new 166-room Crowne Plaza Charleston Airport Convention Center (top left photo) in South Carolina. 

The hotel has completed a major, $13 million renovation and reflagged to become the first Crowne Plaza-branded hotel in Charleston.  The hotel is owned by Barclay Hospitality Services Inc., a subsidiary of Inland American Lodging Group Inc.

“This brings to 12 the number of hotels we now manage for Inland, and we consider this contract a gratifying vote of confidence in our ability to continue generating superior returns for them,” said Thomas F. Hewitt (middle right photo), Interstate’s chairman and chief executive officer.  “We look forward to building on our relationship with Inland with additional developments in the future.” 

“Interstate helped shepherd the hotel through the transition to a new brand,” said Craig Lambert, senior vice president asset management, Inland. 

 “The property has re-opened with a strong book of business, and, as the first Crowne Plaza hotel in Charleston, we expect it to rapidly assume a leadership position.”

Located at 4831 Tanger Outlet Blvd. in North Charleston, S.C., the five-story Crowne Plaza Charleston Airport Convention Center is convenient to the Performing Arts Center, Charleston Convention Center and Tanger outlets.  The hotel also is a short distance from Charleston’s beautiful beaches, world-class golf, historic homes and plantations. 

Additional information about Interstate is available at the company’s website:  http://www.ihrco.com/

For information about the new Charleston Crowne Plaza, visit the hotel’s website, www.crowneplaza.com/charlestonsc, or call the hotel direct at (877) 747-7301.
Contact:
Jerry Daly, Carol McCune, Media, Daly Gray, Inc., (703) 435-6293,                                                                                                                jerry@dalygray.com
Carrie McIntyre SVP, Treasurer, Interstate Hotels & Resorts, (703) 387-3320

23rd Hunter Hotel Investment Conference to Examine How to Take Full Advantage of Rebounding Hotel Economy


ATLANTA, GA,  Jan. 19, 2011—Officials of the upcoming Hunter Hotel Investment Conference, one of the four major national annual hotel investment conferences, today unveiled its agenda noting that it will focus primarily on strategies hoteliers can use to take full advantage of the rebounding hotel economy. 

The 23rd annual event will take place on March 6-8, 2011, at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis (lower right photo) in Georgia.

“Registration is strong, reflecting the rebounding hotel economy and the resultant positive attitude,” said Bob Hunter (top right photo), CEO of Hunter Realty and conference co-chair.

 “Owners are telling us they are anxious to step away from their hotels, where they have been hunkered down to survive the hard downturn. 

“They want to talk to other owners and hear industry experts help them determine how best to proceed to take full advantage of what they anticipate to be the beginning of a long-awaited turnaround. 

“In most sectors of the industry, there are growing signs of new activity; renovations are being considered and more real estate deals are getting done. 

“After two years of kicking the can down the road, people are ready to kick-start their hotels and acquisition activities.  We believe this will spark more deals to be initiated at this year’s conference than any in the past few years.”

“We are getting particularly strong positive response to the topics of hotel real estate values and finance,” said Lee Hunter (middle left photo), Conference co-chair.  “The speakers and timely topics, plus the networking opportunities, are very compelling at this phase of the cycle.”

 “Our conference is targeted to, and draws the greatest percentage of hotel owners of any of the major hotel investment conferences,” he noted.

 “The Conference content this year is especially targeted to that group to provide them with the creative strategies to take optimum advantage of the rebound.”

The Hunter Hotel Investment Conference will present more than 100 speakers from 27 states in 25 sessions.

For more information on the program and to register, please visit the conference website at http://www.hunterconference.com/

or contact Bob Hunter or Nancy Petenbrink, Conference Director, at 770-916-0300 or by email at nancy.petenbrink@hunterhotels.net
. 
The conference headquarters are located at 300 Galleria Parkway, S-620, Atlanta, Ga. 30339.

Contact: Jerry Daly, Chris Daly,  Daly Gray Public Relations, (703) 435-6293

Central Florida Commercial Association of Realtors hosts monthly luncheon to discuss Immigration and Real Estate

  
ORLANDO, FL - CFCAR members gathered at the Dubsdread Golf Club for their monthly luncheon to discuss Immigration and Real Estate — EB-5.

“This year, the CFCAR Board is making a diligent effort to continue to be relevant to our members,” says Chere Roane (top right photo), President of CFCAR.

“We are hosting monthly luncheons as a way to educate our members in ways that will help them become more effective real estate professionals.

“This month we focused on how visas and immigration trends are affecting our business. Other ideas for events include economic development initiatives that are being enacted, real estate accounting practices, and finding tenants, where no tenants seem to be.”

 February's speaker will be Edgar Kidd with the IRS to further educate our members on their investments and taxes. 

Highlighted by guest speakers were Richard Asta (top left photo), President and COO of CommerCenters, LLC and Richard Hostetter, General Counsel and Sr. Vice President of Capital Markets, CommerCenters LLC

Richard Hostetter revealed, “There were 1885 EB-5 Visas awarded in 2010. Capital raised over the last five years exceeds $2.5 billion.”

Also mentioned by George Livingston (lower right photo):  “In the capital stressed environment in which commercial real estate in the U.S. is operating, the EB-5 program is providing foreign capital for U.S. developers and creating much needed jobs”.

CFCAR Luncheons are held the 2nd Tuesday of the month at Dubsdread Country club. Details are at http://www.cfcar.net/

For more information,  contact:
Chere R. Roane,
CCIM, CIPS — Principal & Broker — Nicole Hudson Realty
CFCAR — 2011 President
(407) 872-0062 - Broker@NicoleHudson.com
Nicholas E. Ledvora,
CCIM, Managing Director - Equity Investment Services
CFCAR — Vice President of Operations — Marketing & Press Release Chair
(407) 573-0711 - NLedvora@EISRE.com
Whitaker Leonhardt,
Associate — Crossman & Company
CFCAR — Vice President of Admin — Marketing & Press Release Co-Chair
(407) 423-5400 - mailtop:WLeonhardt@CrossmanCo.com