Tuesday, July 13, 2010

“Texas Hotel & Lodging Association Endorses Heartland Payment Systems For Payments Processing Solutions” plus 3 more

“Texas Hotel & Lodging Association Endorses Heartland Payment Systems For Payments Processing Solutions” plus 3 more

Texas Hotel & Lodging Association Endorses Heartland Payment Systems For Payments Processing Solutions

Posted: 13 Jul 2010 11:15 PM PDT

PRINCETON, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

The Texas Hotel & Lodging Association (TH&LA) has selected Heartland Payment Systems, one of the nation's largest payments processors, as its exclusive endorsed provider of card processing, gift marketing, payroll services, tip management and check management services. The TH&LA is a non-profit trade organization that represents all aspects of the lodging and tourism industry in the state of Texas. With more than 1,800 members, the TH&LA is the second largest hotel association in the country.

"The savings and value that Heartland offers hotels has resulted in Heartland becoming the official endorsed vendor for the members of the Texas Hotel & Lodging Association," said Scott Joslove, president/CEO of the TH&LA. "We are joining forces with Heartland because it offers a comprehensive suite of business products and services — including the first-ever unified payments processing platform in the lodging industry. Our membership will benefit greatly from the expertise and service Heartland provides."

The TH&LA is the 38th state hotel and lodging association that endorses Heartland. Heartland is the official preferred provider of card processing, gift marketing, payroll services, tip management and check management for the American Hotel & Lodging Association.

"Heartland's payments and related business solutions provide hotel owners and operators with the ability to improve their bottom lines and their businesses," said Dennis Carpenter, Heartland's director of association alliances. "We look forward to serving properties throughout Texas — from the largest hotel and conference center to the most charming bed and breakfast."

To learn more about Heartland's lodging solutions, visit HeartlandPaymentSystems.com/Lodging.

About Heartland Payment Systems

Heartland Payment Systems, Inc. (NYSE: HPY), the fifth largest payments processor in the United States, delivers credit/debit/prepaid card processing, gift marketing and loyalty programs, payroll, check management and business solutions to more than 250,000 business locations nationwide. Heartland is the founding supporter of The Merchant Bill of Rights, a public advocacy initiative that educates merchants about fair credit and debit card processing practices. For more information, please visit HeartlandPaymentSystems.com, MerchantBillOfRights.org, CostOfABurger.com and E3secure.com.

About the Texas Hotel & Lodging Association

Based in Austin, the Texas Hotel & Lodging Association serves over 2,300 member bed and breakfasts, guest ranches, inns, hotels, motels, resorts, and hospitality-related businesses across the state by providing governmental affairs representation, operational, marketing, educational, and communications services.


Copyright Business Wire 2010

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City council mulls lodging tax proposal

Posted: 13 Jul 2010 11:15 PM PDT

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In other news

At its Tuesday meeting the Craig City Council:

• Approved, 7-0, June bills totaling $651,943.87

• Approved, 7-0, to renew the tavern liquor license for Mathers' Bar, Inc.

• Approved, 7-0, to proclaim the week of July 24 as disability awareness week.

• Approved, 7-0, to award curb and gutter work on Steele and Fourth Streets to Precision Excavating totaling $37,240.62.

• Approved, 7-0, to award the Craig water plant improvement project to Connell Resources in the amount of $128,048.95 and to add an additional $54,000 and $17,950 for additional asphalt work to the contract.

• Approved, 7-0, resolution No. 9 amending article 14 of the City of Craig Personnel Policies manual.

• Approved, 7-0, a bid for the Craig/Moffat Airport runway project from Hi-Lite Marking totaling $98,244 and a draft grant agreement with the Federal Aviation Administration for $75,000.

The Craig City Council addressed the proposed 6.9-percent lodging tax ordinance and ballot question developed over the last few months at its regular meeting Tuesday.

The council heard two sides of the issue — one from the lodging tax committee that developed the ballot question and ordinance, and the other from several residents of the Craig lodging industry who opposed the tax percentage.

The committee is proposing the tax be collected in the city and be divided into four categories related to the improvement of tourism in the area. The committee is also proposing two entities manage the lodging tax money.

Lodging committee chairman Dave DeRose introduced the ballot question and ordinance to city council.

"You have got to market (Craig) so that all the hotels will fill up," he said. "I realize that they never all will, and that's OK.

"But if you don't do something, as an industry and as a community, this industry will be in trouble. We are overbuilt."

After the lodging tax's introduction, the city council weighed in on the issue.

The council reached general agreement that the tax is a good idea, although some members took issue with certain items contained in the ordinance.

A group of representatives from the lodging industry then presented a signed petition opposing the rate of the proposed tax to the council.

The petition, which was signed by 15 area hotel representatives, states the group would support the lodging tax up to 4.9 percent.

"Any percentage over that amount we feel would be detrimental to the lodging business in Craig," the petition states. "The majority of our customers are business travelers who will be passing any increases to their clients as a cost of doing business to those within our community."

Randy Looper, who co-owns the Elk Run Inn, led the group who presented their individual cases to the council to lower the proposed tax.

"In ten years, the small mom and pops will be out of business, I'll tell you that right now," he said. "If you pass this at that rate, and the economy stays the way it is, we'll be gone."

Tammie Thompson-Booker, regional director of sales for Candlewood Inn & Suites, attended the meeting to voice her concerns.

She said if the 6.9 percent tax is approved, it would make the total taxes collected on hotels in Craig higher than other cities in the region.

"Us getting this tax now, if it passes in November, not seeing the collection of that until mid-year next year, is not going to save my business or anyone else's business in the meantime," she said. "It could certainly force people to go other places."

Craig voters will ultimately decide if the tax is passed in November's general election.

City council members are required to approve the ordinance and ballot question twice after its introduction before it can be placed on the ballot.

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New Classification For Defining Boutique And Lifestyle Lodgings To Be Set By Hospitality Industry Leaders

Posted: 13 Jul 2010 11:15 PM PDT

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

The Boutique & Lifestyle Lodging Association (BLLA, www.blla.org), a newly formed association dedicated to uniting the world's boutique and lifestyle properties and the suppliers that sustain them,announced plans for developing a universal standard and criteria for defining boutique and lifestyle lodgings. Initiated by BLLA's Founder and hospitality industry veteran Frances Kiradjian, and in coordination with its Board of Advisors, hospitality industry leaders, and worldwide boutique property owners and suppliers, the new classification will create a differentiation for this fragmented sector within the hospitality industry.

Says Kiradjian, "Having a special classification specifically for this sector will allow boutique hotels to compete on a more level playing field with major hotel companies and give them the opportunity to better market themselves. It will also meet the increasing demand of discerning travelers to find unique properties and help them distinguish the individual traits that lured them to searching out the boutique hotel category in the first place."

BLLA is an association created to be the unifying voice of this distinctive hospitality sector. Its goal is to champion the needs of the boutique and lifestyle property industry worldwide through collaboration, communication, advocacy, and education. BLLA guides its members including property owners, managers, suppliers, as well as travelers, through educational events and builds a sustained community that exchanges ideas, shares information and has common goals.

According to Kiradjian, association members benefit from a number of powerful distribution channels that BLLA offers that can deliver incremental upscale revenue streams. Members will receive marketing tools, industry information, networking opportunities, corporate exposure and recognition.

John Russell, CEO of NYLO Hotels and a BLLA Board Member, said, "The classification system will help to better define boutique and lifestyle property types, standards, characteristics and attributes, addressing the differences within each region, affording boutique properties a means with which to market themselves within their niche, and travelers, a simpler decision-making process when choosing their boutique stay."

To date, there is no standard definition for boutique properties and lifestyle lodgings. Vague definitions define these properties by numbers of rooms, rather than by their uniqueness of character – whether charming, distinctive, quirky, cutting-edge, avant-garde, trendy, funky or classic – all characteristics that are of interest to travelers.

Kiradjian said, "We look forward to the professional input of our Board of Advisors together with our selected team of industry professionals, to collectively decide on the parameters for a new classification, survey properties as feasibility and acceptance, and then develop the new classification earmarked to be the new universal standard."

Adds Kiradjian, "There is no entity today better suited for such a charge than BLLA, since in essence, it is the only available professional and personal resource to this hospitality industry sector and has become its voice."

About The Boutique & Lifestyle Lodging Association (BLLA)

The Boutique & Lifestyle Lodging Association is the first and only association dedicated to uniting the world's boutique and lifestyle properties. Created to be the unifying voice of this distinctive subset within the hospitality industry, its goal is to unite the world's collection of boutique & lifestyle properties and the suppliers that sustain them, offering them the opportunity to successfully compete on a level playing field with major hotel companies, as well as market themselves to meet the ever-increasing demand from discerning boutique-seeking clients. For more information, or to become a member, visit: www.blla.org.


Copyright Business Wire 2010

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Craig lodging reps opposing tax

Posted: 12 Jul 2010 11:45 PM PDT

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Craig City Council agenda

5:30 p.m. Workshop on energy impact grant application

7:30 p.m. Council Meeting

Agenda:

• Roll call

• Pledge of Allegiance, moment of silence

• Approve June 22 meeting minutes

• Approve June bills

• Approve agenda

• Consent agenda:

— Renewal of tavern liquor license for Mathers' Bar, Inc.

• Audiences

— Re-appointment of Sid Arola to planning and zoning commission.

— Proclamation of disability awareness week.

— Darcy Trask presentation of business survey results and update on Craig/Moffat Economic Development Partnership.

• Other business:

— Ordinance No. 1006 to submit a ballot question to city voters of whether city should collect a 6.9-percent lodging tax in Craig.

— Craig lodging group presentation of petition regarding proposed lodging tax.

— Review bids for Craig/Moffat airport runway project.

— Award of bid for 2010 Steele and 4th street curb and gutter project.

— Award of bid for the 2010 water plant site improvements.

— Resolution No. 9 amending article 14 of the City of Craig personnel policies manual.

• Staff reports:

— Craig police department monthly report for June

• City manager/city attorney reports

— City attorney report regarding political signs.

• Council reports

• Audience comments

• Adjournment

Local lodging representatives are scheduled to present a petition today to the Craig City Council opposing a portion of the city's proposed lodging tax measure.

Craig residents Cindy and Randy Looper, who own the Elk Run Inn, organized the petition and the group opposing the lodging tax.

The petition includes signatures from 15 lodging representatives who would be impacted by the proposed 6.9-percent lodging tax.

City voters could decide on the tax in November's general election.

The city council, which meets at 7 p.m. today at Craig City Hall, 300 W. Fourth St., is scheduled to introduce the lodging tax ordinance, which was recently finalized by the Craig lodging tax committee.

City council members are required to approve the ordinance and ballot question

language two more times after its introduction for it to be placed on the November ballot.

Cindy Looper said she invited all of the lodging industry representatives who signed the petition to attend the council meeting, but wasn't sure how many would attend.

The lodging tax committee, comprised of Craig residents, finalized the lodging tax ordinance and ballot question June 30.

The committee is proposing the levy be collected in the city and divided into four categories related to the improvement of tourism in the area. The committee is also proposing two entities manage the lodging tax money.

Randy Looper said lodging tax representatives who signed the petition agree that 6.9-percent is too much for the tax.

"We are not against this tax," he said. "Personally, originally, and as a hotel lodging group, we think that tourism needs to be promoted. And yes, we agree there needs to be a hotel tax and maybe it does need to be increased, but not to this extent."

Cindy said the 6.9-percent tax would make taxes on hotel rooms in Craig higher than most other cities in the area.

Randy agreed.

"The feelings are that because we are isolated, people will just pay (the taxes) and go on," Randy said. "Yet talking to guests, which numerous of us have been doing, they're feeling is, 'We'll be going somewhere else.'"

Another reason the Loopers said they are opposing the tax is due to the type of travelers who stay in local lodging establishments.

Randy said about 80 percent of his business comes from business travelers.

He said the hotel might have to lower rates if the measure passes due to the spending constrictions on most business travelers.

"I'm assuming that we are going to end up lowering our prices," he said "They're not going to eat it. … What they are going to do is say, 'We (will) go somewhere else or you lower your price. You eat it.'"

Tammie Thompson-Booker, regional director of sales for Candlewood Inn & Suites, also signed the Looper's petition, and said she would attend the city council meeting in support of the petition.

She said she would support up to a 5-percent tax, but the 6.9-percent tax would put a strain on business travelers who stay at her hotel.

"For people who travel for a living and are given a per diem, they try to live as far under that so they can put a few extra bucks in their pocket," she said. "That $2 may not seem like a lot to you or I, but when you travel and for the length of term that you travel, it is a big deal."

Passing an increase in the lodging tax, Cindy said, would put stress on the lodging industry considering the bad economy and occupancy rate of area hotels.

"One more percent drop in occupancy could put some of these places, maybe not the Holiday Inn or the Best Western, but it could put some of the little guys out of business," she said. "It's not a time where we can afford to lose anything."

Council member Terry Carwile said he thought the lodging industry had several opportunities to weigh in on the matter before the tax percentage was finalized.

"I recall distinctly that the topic was discussed on those first two meetings and we came away with 100 percent support for that amount," he said.

Carwile said he would consider the group's input, but he is "not going to recommend to council that we move away from the hard work that the committee did."

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