HOSPITALITY HEADLINES

• Atlanta tourism chief rolls out welcome mat (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
• Board to consider a historical marker for Highland Hotel (Aiken Standard, S.C.)
• Senecas' casino plan draws ill will in Catskills (The Buffalo News, N.Y.)
• BRIEF: Police called to IP Casino Resort for bomb threat (The Sun Herald, Biloxi, Miss.)
• Boulderado Hotel celebrates 100-year anniversary (Daily Camera, Boulder, Colo.)
• Robbie Knievel vs. the Mirage volcano in Las Vegas: Tap 'er light (The Montana Standard, Butte)
• Once-fine hotel retains its simple elegance (The Charlotte Observer, N.C.)
• MWB says its hotels have staying power (Evening Standard, London)
• City manager says Decatur should extend two-percent hotel tax (Herald & Review, Decatur, Ill.)
• Another new hotel being proposed for W-B Township (The Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre, Pa.)
• Water main break closes Stoney Creek Inn: Hotel not expected to reopen until at least early February (St. Joseph News-Press, Mo.)
• Carmel Valley tennis resort to close doors: No bankruptcy plans; owners hope for reopening (The Monterey County Herald, Calif.)
• Leesburg ready for new hotel on U.S. 27 (The Orlando Sentinel, Fla.)
• Does convention center really need to grow again? (The Seattle Times)
• Chef, developer planning ritzy restaurant downtown (News & Record, Greensboro, N.C.)
• BRIEF: Extension granted for Holiday Inn site (The Virginian-Pilot, Norfolk, Va.)
• Area around Wachovia Arena sees boon in hotels (The Citizens' Voice, Wilkes-Barre, Pa.)
• The Greenbrier resort looking for quick solutions (The Charleston Gazette, W.Va.)
• MBCI loses Golden Moon gamble: Hotel and casino will be closed weekdays (The Meridian Star, Miss.)

INSIDE HOTEL ONLINE TODAY
DAILY EMAIL NEWS

• Benchmark Hospitality Selects Aptech's Execuvue Business Intelligence; Benchmark taps Execuvue to centralize data gathering, analysis for 30 independent hotels for greater operating efficiency and increased ownership profitability
• Casino Hotels Rely on Service and Experience from Revenue Management Providers; Service and Support are Essential to Maximize Potential of Revenue Management Systems
• Hotelier's 2009 Top Ten Internet Marketing Resolutions / Max Starkov & Jason Price
• 2009 The Game Changer for Innovation in Hotel Sales Processes / Carol Verret
• FX Real Estate and Entertainment that Once Envisioned Building an Elvis-themed Resort on 18 acres Across from CityCenter Defaults on a $475 million Loan, May be on Verge of Losing the Land
• Gaylord Reports Only a Modest Decline in Business Volumes for November and December 2008; All Claims with Perini over Construction of Gaylord National Resort Settled, Final Cost Approximately $1,050 million
• San Jose Convention Officials Expect Only Modest Losses from the Economic Slump, Have More Professional Associations Booked, Which are Less Vulnerable to Market Downturns then Corporate Groups
• Subsidiary of Drury Hotels Acquires the Original St. Vincent Hospital Property in Downtown Santa Fe, New Mexico for $20 million, Will Seek City Approval for Redevelopment
• Charlotte's Once-fine Hotel, the William Rufus Barringer Hotel, Retains its Simple Elegance
• The Siegel Group Nevada, Inc.Acquries the 179 room Barcelona Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada for Approximately 60% of the Appraised Value of $21 million; Property will be Rebranded as a Siegel Slots & Suites
• Jim Wilson & Associates Selects Davidson Hotel Company to Manage The Wynfrey Hotel in Birmingham, Alabama
• Peninsula Hotels Upgrade to OPERA v5.0 and Deploy MICROS OPERA Revenue Management System; World's First Truly Integrated Revenue Management System
• Irvine Company Resort Properties Names Richard R. Evanich the Managing Director of Island Hotel Newport Beach in Newport Beach, California
• Tropicana Las Vegas Names Ron Thacker President
• CARINO Hotels & Resorts Announces Appointment of Director, Sales & Development for Europe, Middle East and Africa Regions; Luxury Hotel Group Welcomes Jan Jacobsen to CARINO Hotels & Resorts
• Peter Webster Appointed General Manager of the 304-room Hilton Short Hills in Short Hills, New Jersey
• Carly Hall Named Hotel Manager for the Black Rock Oceanfront Resort in Ucluelet, British Columbia

• The Greenbrier Resort's Parent Company, CSX, Hires Goldman Sachs to Conduct "Strategic Review" Following a $35 million Loss in 2008
• RockBridge Capital, Which Specializes in Loans to Hotel Developers, Has Money to Lend When the Opportunity is Right
• Historic Cheeca Lodge & Spa in Islamorada, Florida Closes Indefinitely Following New Year's Eve Fire; The Biggest Blaze in the Keys in 20 Years, No Injuries
• Big Increase In Supply of Hotel Rooms Helps Propel Hotel Occupancy in the Twin Cities to the Lowest Level since 2003
• The Providence Group, LLC to Manage The Royal Inn in Fort Pierce, Florida
• Florida Tourism Industry Busy Convincing Canadians that Florida's Affordable, Faces Stiff Compettion from Dominican Republic and Cuba
• CSX Examining all Strategic Options for The Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia; Michael Gordon Named President and Managing Director
• The Miami Mart Airport Hotel Completes Conversion to the Doubletree Brand
• Presidio Companies and Affiliates Building a $13 million 75-room Hyatt Place at the University of California, Davis, California
• Jenny Farrand Appointed Spa Director at the Colorado Mountain Resort, Capella Telluride

Top five viewed pages during December 2008

1. Former Manager of the Restaurant at the Hilton Minneapolis Files Discrimination Lawsuit;  Alleges She Was Fired After Complaining about Hotel Executives' Wild Party
2. A Husband and Wife Suing United Airlines for Negligently Overserving Wine During a Flight; Claims Drinks Caused Domestic Violence After Plane Landed 
3. PKF Forecasts 7.8% RevPAR Decline for U.S. Hotels in 2009;  Will be the Fifth Largest Annual Decline Since 1930, No Relief Until Second Quarter of 2010 
4. Update from Raymond Bickson, the Managing Director  of Taj Hotels, as of 1.00 pm IST, December 1, 2008 
5. Dealing With the Economic Downturn: 10 Ideas for Hotels and Resorts / David J. Sangree