According to the recent news, The hotel industry could be bouncing back more quickly than originally expected.

Hotels may start hiking prices as a good sign of tourist arrival in almost all destinations worldwide.

On Tuesday, Smith Travel Research, a hotel-industry research and consulting firm, revised upward its outlook for 2010.

Because hotel occupancy levels currently look better than STR expected in the U.S., “we think the recovery will pick up its pace during the second and third quarters of this year, then it will moderate,” says Mark Lomanno, president of STR.

STR predicts that occupancy will increase 1.9% in 2010 to 55.8%. The company’s previous forecast anticipated occupancy would remain flat year-to-year.

Marriott is to introduce its mid-market Courtyard by Marriott brand in Vietnam, under a management agreement with CY – Ham Tan Resort Limited Company.

The 200-room hotel, scheduled to open in 2012, will be located on a pristine beachfront site boasting natural sand dunes in the area of La Gi, near the town of Ham Tan, about a three-hour drive along Vietnam’s southeastern coast from Ho Chi Minh City. It will be part of a mixed-used development that will be built in phases. The project will initially include a residential component and will later add additional hotels, more residential units, a golf course and golf villas.

Catering to leisure and incentive guests, the 200-room Courtyard by Marriott Ham Tan, Vietnam will consist of a mix of standard guest rooms in a series of low-rise buildings as well as semi-detached bungalows located across the expansive development.

At the Courtyard by Marriott Ham Tan, Vietnam, guests will have a variety of dining options including Courtyard’s signature MoMo Café, a pool bar & grill and an intimate lobby lounge.

Incentive groups will benefit from an outdoor area for catered functions and team-building activities as well as 500 square meters of flexible indoor space. Continue Reading

Courtyard by Marriott’s three resorts in Phuket have launched an “Hot Summer, Hot Offer” promotion which must be booked by 30 April 2010 for stays before 31 May 2010.

The resorts in Patong, Kamala and Surin are offering rates from THB3,199 net per room per night. The rate includes all local taxes and service charges.

Included in the package is accommodation in a Deluxe Room, free daily buffet breakfast in Momo Café, a THB500 credit for use at the resort’s food and beverage outlets and a 20% discount on all Spa treatments for the duration of the stay.

The three resorts have swimming pools, well-equipped gyms and are within easy walking distance from some of Phuket’s finest beaches and close to the island’s shopping and restaurants districts. The Patong Beach resort is also home to the internationally renowned Hard Rock Café.

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The luxury Peninsula hotel chain plans to build new properties in China and India, where expanding economies and rising consumer wealth promise demand for high-end lodging according to the chief executive officer of owner Hongkong & Shanghai Hotels Ltd.

Currently The Luxury Peninsula Hotel chain has nine locations around the world, Peninsula is also interested in a London location after making its Paris debut in 2012, Kwok said in an interview at the hotel’s Beverly Hills location.

The company’s five- to 10-year plan calls for operating a maximum of 15 properties, he said.

Peninsula signatures include Rolls-Royce limousine service in a market segment where luxury hotels have been hurt by declining business and leisure travel.

While the chain has had lower occupancy rates, Kwok said he generally expects the properties to pay back returns on their investment in the second decade of operation.

Ascott has expanded into Chengdu, China, with its latest serviced residence in the country – Somerset Riverview, Chengdu.

This increases Ascott’s portfolio in China to over 5,000 apartment units in 27 properties across 13 cities – Beijing, Chengdu, Chongqing, Dalian, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Shenyang, Shenzhen, Suzhou, Tianjin, Wuhan and Xi’an.