Loews Hotels Launches New Brand Campaign

Loews Hotels has launched “Welcoming You Like Family,” a dynamic multi-channel brand campaign, utilizing video, photography, digital-experience platforms, and on-property touchpoints.

The Welcoming-You-Like-Family brand message stemmed from a positioning exercise Loews Hotels conducted through internal-stakeholder interviews, external focus groups, and a multi-disciplinary internal workshop.

On property, the campaign is further reflected as part of the “new normal” with signage and touchpoints throughout hotels to guide guests through their stay.

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Billionaire Royal Caribbean Co-Founder Dies

Norwegian billionaire businessman Arne Wilhelmsen, the co-founder of Royal Caribbean Cruises, died Saturday, April 11, 2020, in Palma, Spain.

Wilhelmsen was a constant influence on the company from its founding, serving more than three decades on the company's board of directors. Together with the company's first CEO, the late Edwin Stephan, Wilhelmsen saw possibilities for the nascent cruise industry that others did not.

"At a time when the rest of the world thought cruising was a niche use for old transatlantic liners, Arne was already seeing glimmers of the growth that was possible," said Richard Fain, RCL's chairman and CEO. "He had a vision of the modern cruise industry when the 'industry' might have been a dozen used ships, total."

Wilhelmsen saw the potential for cruising to become the fastest growing segment in a growing vacation industry.  A believer in economies of scale, he once recalled, "My initial challenge was to convince my partners and management in Miami to build bigger and more efficient ships in order to grow the company."  True to his vision, the company now sails 61 ships calling on all seven continents and its fleet features the largest cruise ships in the world.

Accor to reduce pay, furlough 75% of global head office teams

 Accor reviewed its recurring investment plan for 2020, resulting in a €60m reduction in capital expenditure. The company is further streamlining all other costs, such as sales, marketing and IT, in line with lower systemwide revenues.

Given the current situation, Accor is reducing schedules and/or furloughing 75 percent of its global head office teams for Q2, as well as implementing a travel ban and a hiring freeze. These actions, it estimated, will result in a minimum €60 million reduction in general and administrative expenses for 2020 to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on business.

Accor said it currently has more than €2.5 billion in cash on hand and an undrawn revolving credit facility of €1.2 billion.

Accor is also withdrawing its proposal for a 2019 dividend payment of around €280 million. It decided to allocate 25 percent of the planned dividend to the launch of the ALL Heartist Fund, which will assist:

• The group’s 300,000 employees, pledging to pay for the COVID-19-related hospital expenses of those who do not have social security or medical insurance

• On a case-by-case basis, furloughed employees “suffering great financial distress”

• On a case-by-case basis, individual partners facing financial difficulty

• Health-care professionals and nonprofit organizations

  Accor board members have collectively decided to reduce their attendance fees by 20 percent to the benefit of this fund. Additionally, Chairman/CEO Sebastien Bazin will forgo 25 percent of his compensation during the crisis with the cash equivalent to also be contributed to the fund.

Radisson Hotel Group Names Jim Alderman CEO of The Americas

Radisson Hotel Group (RHG) has announced the appointment of Jim Alderman as Chief Executive Officer for the Americas. Alderman will be based in the company’s U.S. headquarters in Minnetonka, Minn. and will be responsible for the corporate offices and more than 680 hotels in the company’s portfolio throughout the Americas. He will report to Federico J. González, Chairman, Global Steering Committee for Radisson Hotel Group, as the representative of the company’s Board of Directors.

“As the COVID-19 pandemic evolves daily, Jim will immediately begin to provide guidance and support for addressing the needs of the business in the Americas while continuing to deploy appropriate resources to help maintain a healthy environment for our customers and team members,” added González.

Prior to joining ESA, Alderman held various senior leadership positions with Kimpton Hotels, Wyndham, Starwood Capital, IHG and Ernst & Young. With more than 34 years of experience in hospitality, Alderman has an extensive background in hotel and restaurant development, private equity fund investment, management contracts, franchises, public/private partnerships and investor relations