Hotel Lodging News

Back in late 2009 at the semi-annual management meeting for the company, the General Managers of the hotels listened to a presentation by Charisse Hilchey about charity options.  Many of the employees of the company have requested that the company pick an appropriate charitable organization for the company to support.

In July Lodging Host Hotel Corp entered into a contract with “Clean the World” for a test property, The Holiday Inn Express in Marshall, TX.  Clean the World collects used soap, shampoo and lotion products to be reprocessed and distributed at no cost in third world countries to needy people.  The managers liked this charity because it accomplished a number of goals at one time:

- It allowed the employees to reach out to those in need

- It allowed the hotel to be more “Green” as it will take hundreds of pounds, per hotel, of hazardous materials out of landfills

- It was a program that all of the employees in the hotel could participate in

- There was little to no operational cost to the hotel outside of a small amount of time actually used in the recycling effort

 Louis C. Christian III, General Manager of the Holiday Inn Express in Marshall, TX, discussed the charity with his employees and volunteered to be the test hotel for the program. The test program will run until Fall of 2010 when the General Managers will be able to, at their Fall meeting, review the results of the test and determine if this is the charitable program company would like to adopt.

Lodging Host, seven years ago, was one of the first hotel management companies to adapt to on-line access for clients’ records.  This technology, while challenging at first to some, quickly became very popular with clients. 

Through a secure server, clients are able to access all of their hotels up to date and sometimes up to the minute information.  Revenues, deposits, contracts, property tax information, financial reports, franchise reports and inspections are just some of the information available to Lodging Host’s clients and their CPAs.  But as with any technology, as it becomes more popular and more flexible, more and more demands are put on it.  This requires additional storage space, ever larger programs requiring more memory and greater speeds.

So recently Lodging Host installed a complete new computer server system.  Don’t worry though, it all still works the same.  Just as easy as before.

But lets not forget to be green! We did not dispose of the old system but reconfigured it to be the back up system for the new one!

The Hotel Phillips was a majestic hotel in it’s day.  With almost 40 years of service to the Bartlesville Community the Hotel Phillips celebrated its last day on June 9th 2010.  Owned by Conoco Phillips Petrolium company, the hotel for many years provided the Full Service hotel option for travelers to Bartlesville and the only downtown hotel.  Time finally tooks its toll on the hotel.  Renovated many times during its years of service, it was no longer able to remain competitive in times of changing guest preferences and technology updates.

In just the style of a Southern Lady, all of the hotels surplus food was donated to a local homeless shelter.  Plans are to reopen the building as an Assisted Living facility in the near future.

Replaced by a smaller, new, latest generation HIlton Garden Inn opened on June 9th, 2010 the hotel was retired.  Many will miss it majestic presents.

Come and stay with us and enjoy a mini-vacation where Bartlesville will be hosting their SUNFEST ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT FESTIVAL at 420 Madison Blvd. on June 4th through the 6th. You are invited to the biggest outdoor picnic in Oklahoma! The festival brings fine art and handmade crafts and a wide range of musical entertainment, strolling clowns, skydivers, children’s games, ethinic food, and down-home cooking and much more!
The 19TH ANNUAL ANTIQUES & COLLECTABLES FAIR & SALE, will be held on June 5th at 115 N. Delaware in Dewey, just a couple of minutes away from Bartlesville. There will be antique dealers from 5 states. 106 booths presenting quilts, books, furniture, toys jewelery, just to name a few. Country & Victorian Advertising items “The Good, The Bad & The Ugly”. Largest,Day Show in the area!
After a long day of family fun, relax at our unique and historical hotel. Enjoy dinner at our “Grill 66″ which is famous for thier Prime Rib and excellent customer service!

Hotel Phillips will soon close its doors after 60 years of hospitality to countless number of guests from all over the world. We appreciate all of the great guest comments we have received over the last couple of months from so many wonderful guests who have enjoyed staying with us throughout the many years. You still have a few weeks to come back one last time, or enjoy our hospitality for the first time.
On May 22nd at the Bartlesville Community Center will be presenting “The Blink of An Eye”, featuring The Art of Motion Dancers. Performance includes ballet, tap, jazz, point and lyric pieces that remind audience how quickly time has passed. Shows will start at 7 pm with one 10 minute intermission.

Lodging Host Hotel Corp President, Kevin P. Hilchey announced today that effective December 11th 2009 Lodging Host had assumed the management of the Staybridge Suites at the Austin Airport in Austin, Texas.  The hotel opened for business earlier in 2009 and houses 161 guest suites. 

The Staybridge is the newest hotel at the Austin Airport and offers studio, one bedroom and two bedroom/two bathroom suites, all with full cooking facilities.  It also offers complementary breakfast 7 days a week,the brand’s “Sundowner” dinner 3 nights a week, free high speed Internet access, the Bridgemart, meeting space, outdoor pool, exercise facilities, complementary guest use laundry facilities and a sports court.

According to Denise Arnold, Director of Marketing for Lodging Host, “We are proud to add this sixth IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group, parent company of Holiday Inns) product to our portfolio of managed hotels.  Lodging Host Hotel Corp has been in business for over 25 years, providing quality property management services to lenders, federal agencies and private owners.  This hotel is a superb addition to 14 hotels and we look to provide the Austin Airport Market with the same exceptional guest service that has separated our hotels from our competitors.”

Intercontinental Hotels Group, Parent company of Holiday Inns and Staybridge Suites, last week honored the Las Cruces location with a request for them to submit information and photographs to be considered for a Brand Design Award for 2008.  In 2008 the hotel added 28 additional long term stay suites, an additional guest use laundry area, a communal dining table in the Great Room, a Home Theater Room, “public-private meeting space” and an Internet Cafe.

The Communal dining table is a High top table that seats up to eight persons.  It has a granite top and custom pendant lighting. It has become a popular gathering point at almost any time of day for singles or groups.

For those groups that need just a little more privacy, the hotel installed “public-private meeting space”  on the 4th floor.  It is a public space that was designed so that small groups, not wishing to purchase private meeting space, could meet in a semi-private atmosphere for informal meetings.  The space is arranged with flexible seating and in separate pods.  Each of the pods has a CRT for displaying laptop presentations and a meeting board is available for brainstorming sessions.

For singles and couples the hotel designed an Internet Cafe on the third floor.  The area contains a modern coffee shop atmosphere and decor, a complimentary coffee maker that makes 25 varieties of coffee, teas and cocoas, background music, seating for singles and couples, wired and wireless Internet access and a complementary full body massage chair.  The staff even keeps the area stocked with biscotti.

The second floor contains the Home Theater.  This area is for public use and can be reserved for private showings.  The room contains plush recliner seating with drink holders, a state of the art surround sound system, special sound deadening walls, an extra large Digital High Definition screen, DVD player, Blue Ray player and a popcorn machine.

The winner of the Design award for the Staybridge Brand will be announced at the IHG Annual Investor’s Conference in the Fall of 2009 in Washington DC.

Hotel Phillips has been awarded the Green Eco-Leaf Rating this week by completing a 70 point comprehensive eco-audit survey administered by iStayGreen.org - the online social network of environmentally friendly travel.

Bartlesville, OK January 07, 2009 - Hotel Phillips becomes one of 1st lodging properties in Bartlesville, OK to receive the Green Eco-Leaf Rating. Currently Hotel Phillips is first of the hotels in Bartlesville to complete the comprehensive environmental audit administered by iStayGreen.org. The property earned 1 Green Eco-Leaf, which is a great start toward becoming more environmentally friendly.

All Green Eco-Leaf Rated properties are committed to environmentally friendly initiatives. Richard Varner, founder of iStayGreen.org states: “Simple changes helped Hotel Phillips earn their Green Eco-Leaf Rating and become one of 1st lodging properties rated. It’s great to see they’re intent on insuring a more sustainable future in travel.”

To insure a more sustainable future some of the eco-initiatives put in-place at the property include: low energy lighting initiatives are in-place - energy efficient lighting is installed when replacing old lighting - sheets reuse option for multiple night stays - towels reuse option for multiple night stays - eco-initiatives are actively promoted to the public - water conservation initiatives are in-place - water conserving devices are installed when replacing old fixtures - reusable food & beverage service is used in lieu of disposable service items - the entire property is non-smoking - bulk amenities and soaps are dispensed in guestrooms - plus much more. The complete audit can be viewed at Hotel Phillips Environmental Self-Audit (http://www.istaygreen.org/ecoaudit.cfm/hid/11373702).

The lodging industry recognizes the need to create a sustainable future for travel. While the Hotel Phillips is one of 1st Bartlesville lodging properties to achieve the Green Eco-Leaf Rating, it is anticipated that many other properties in the area that are promoting eco-friendly initiatives also will seek to be rated. This eco-rating allows the public to know the specific environmental initiatives in place at a property, which enables the environmentally conscious traveler to make informed lodging decisions.

For additional information about Hotel Phillips contact them at  1-800-331-0706 or visit www.hotel-phillips.com. To find out how a property can earn the Green Eco-Leaf Rating, contact Richard Varner at 602-864-5553 or visit http://www.iStayGreen.org.

With the opening of the Residence Inn at the Airport on December 23rd 2008 in Albuquerque NM, Lodging Host Hotel Corp has opened it’s first Marriott franchised product.  The hotel consists of 110 guest suites all of which have full cooking facilities.  Other amenities of the hotel include indoor pool, hot tub, exercise facility with equipment each with their own televisions, guest Market, guest laundry facilities, airport shuttle service, business center, meeting room to accommodate 40 persons and a Boardroom for 8 persons.

The hotel is a Generation 7.5 Residence Inn and incorporates the InnFusion Guestroom design of the new Generation 8 Residence Inn product.

Lodging Host Hotel Corp intends to develop 4 more Marriott products in the next 4 years and has executed franchises for a 75 room Fairfield Inn and Suites in Forney, Texas and a 110 suite Residence Inn in Longview Texas.  Construction is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2009 on both of those hotels.

According to Kevin P. Hilchey, President of Lodging Host Hotel Corp “We will be developing other product as well during that time as the economy and lending environment allow.”

Lloyd Quinn, the General Manager of the Hotel Phillips and LHHC’s 2008 General Manager of the Year, was arrested December 9th for having a Big Heart. The MDA Police picked him up at 9:43am and delivered him to “Jail” to start doing time for Jerry’s Kids. After an hour and $400 worth of donations, he was released for good behavior. The employees of Hotel Phillips were concerned about the release date. Some were expecting overnight accomodations. Lloyd is very happy and thankful for all of the generous donations in such a short period of time. “The employees of Lodging Host Hotel Corp has really stepped up and hit a homerun for this cause.” said Lloyd after his release.