An ordinance that would require guests at Mesa hotels and motels to prove their identities came closer to reality Thursday.
The final wording is still in progress, however, and Thursday's discussion by the City Council's public-safety committee showed how complex such a seemingly simple idea can be.
The proposed ordinance, already in the works for a year, springs from the police department's concerns over crime at hotels and motels, some of which are used by career criminals as their bases of operations.
Last year, Mesa's lodging industry generated more than 4,600 calls for police service, and the worst 10 properties accounted for 49 percent of the warrant arrests and 64 percent of the drug arrests made at hotels and motels.
The ordinance's most basic provision would require guests to show a valid government-issued photo ID including address, date of birth, physical description and a signature. Guests also would need to provide vehicle information.
The property would not be required to record all that information, however. The person's name, address and signature would be kept on file for a year and be made available to public-safety officers if needed for investigations.
Properties could be fined $250 to $2,500 for failing to obey the law.
Councilman Dennis Kavanaugh noted, however, that technology is changing the way some properties register their guests, with some going to paperless systems.
Robert Brinton, president of the Mesa Convention and Visitors Bureau, agreed. He said his group just received a letter from the Hilton hotel chain stating that those properties will no longer require guests who have preregistered and pay with a credit card to show a photo ID when they arrive.
"Those aren't the people we're looking for," Police Chief Frank Milstead said. Many problem customers at hotels and motels pay with cash, and the places where they generally stay are lax when it comes to verifying IDs.
Noting that the quality of hotels is defined by national ratings systems, Brinton said low-end properties might be held to tougher rules than more expensive ones.
"Certain levels of properties, because that's where most of the crime occurs and the calls for service occur - that level of property may need to have a tougher set of regulations than those who aren't operating that way," Brinton said.
He also said a large hotel may be operating properly but have numerous calls for police service simply because they have far more guests than smaller, more seedy operations.
One new proposal that emerged Thursday is a hotel-motel review board, which would be established by the ordinance and join Mesa's other public-advisory panels.
Brinton said the board would have five members, four of whom would be recommended by the visitors bureau and one by the police department. The council would have the final say on appointments.
There probably would be at least two hoteliers on the board, Brinton said. Others would have experience in the hospitality industry. Their job would be to help the industry police itself and stay in compliance with the ordinance.
A property cited under the ordinance, for example, could be given 60 days to comply, Brinton said, the aim being to "help a property that wants to get better, to get better."Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2010/10/14/20101014mesa-city-council-hotel-motel-rules1015.html#ixzz12RzGeV8M
Friday, October 15, 2010
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Phoenix to welcome 1st Westin in February
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. announced Monday the 2011 opening of its first Westin hotel in Phoenix.
The 242-room hotel is slated to open in February and will take up nine of 26 floors at the Freeport-McMoRan Center in downtown Phoenix. The remaining floors are occupied by the building's namesake.
The nine floors the Westin Phoenix Downtown will occupy have been vacant since the building opened in November at Central Avenue and Van Buren Street, said Debra Barton, general manager for the Westin.
Central Park East Associates LLC, a subsidiary of the current owners, did not return calls Monday about how much was spent to build the hotel rooms, a hotel entrance and a pool deck. However, a 2009 study conducted by the National Electrical Benefit Fund, the building's majority owner, indicated it planned to spend $30 million to $40 million.
The announcement comes at a time when Arizona's tourism industry is attempting to recover from the economic slump. Arizona has been hit especially hard by travel boycotts brought on by the passage of SB 1070, said Debbie Johnson, president and CEO of the Arizona Hotel and Lodging Association.
According to data provided by Smith Travel Research, Arizona's revenue per available room, a key industry measure that takes into account room rates and occupancy, was down 4 percent in August from the year before. The rest of the U.S. fared much better, up 8.1 percent from a year earlier.
Despite that, Mark Vinciguerra, area managing director for Starwood Arizona, said he's confident the Westin will attract business and leisure travelers because of its proximity to the Phoenix Convention Center and downtown sports venues.
The Westin will be the second hotel Starwood opens in downtown Phoenix within the past three years. The company also manages the state's largest hotel, the Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel, which has 1,000 rooms and is owned by the city.
The Westin will have 9,000 square feet of meeting space, compared to the Sheraton's 80,000 square feet.
A study by the National Electrical Benefit Fund in 2009 estimates the Westin hotel will have a $32 million economic impact in the Valley.
The Westin has begun to hire managers for its staff of about 150 people, Barton said. Hiring for regular staffers will take place in January. Read more:
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/business/articles/2010/10/04/20101004phoenix-westin-hotel-opening.html#ixzz11VlB2Fbv
The 242-room hotel is slated to open in February and will take up nine of 26 floors at the Freeport-McMoRan Center in downtown Phoenix. The remaining floors are occupied by the building's namesake.
The nine floors the Westin Phoenix Downtown will occupy have been vacant since the building opened in November at Central Avenue and Van Buren Street, said Debra Barton, general manager for the Westin.
Central Park East Associates LLC, a subsidiary of the current owners, did not return calls Monday about how much was spent to build the hotel rooms, a hotel entrance and a pool deck. However, a 2009 study conducted by the National Electrical Benefit Fund, the building's majority owner, indicated it planned to spend $30 million to $40 million.
The announcement comes at a time when Arizona's tourism industry is attempting to recover from the economic slump. Arizona has been hit especially hard by travel boycotts brought on by the passage of SB 1070, said Debbie Johnson, president and CEO of the Arizona Hotel and Lodging Association.
According to data provided by Smith Travel Research, Arizona's revenue per available room, a key industry measure that takes into account room rates and occupancy, was down 4 percent in August from the year before. The rest of the U.S. fared much better, up 8.1 percent from a year earlier.
Despite that, Mark Vinciguerra, area managing director for Starwood Arizona, said he's confident the Westin will attract business and leisure travelers because of its proximity to the Phoenix Convention Center and downtown sports venues.
The Westin will be the second hotel Starwood opens in downtown Phoenix within the past three years. The company also manages the state's largest hotel, the Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel, which has 1,000 rooms and is owned by the city.
The Westin will have 9,000 square feet of meeting space, compared to the Sheraton's 80,000 square feet.
A study by the National Electrical Benefit Fund in 2009 estimates the Westin hotel will have a $32 million economic impact in the Valley.
The Westin has begun to hire managers for its staff of about 150 people, Barton said. Hiring for regular staffers will take place in January. Read more:
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/business/articles/2010/10/04/20101004phoenix-westin-hotel-opening.html#ixzz11VlB2Fbv
Monday, October 4, 2010
Arizona hotels, resorts ramp up hiring for tourism season
Several high-end hotels and resorts in Arizona are ramping up hiring for the 2011 tourism season, a welcome respite from the hiring freezes instituted last year because of the dour economy.
The InterContinental Montelucia Resort and Spa in Paradise Valley, the Phoenician in Phoenix, the Wigwam Resort and Spa in Litchfield Park and the Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix report they have jobs openings now or will in the near future.
Variety of hospitality-industry jobs available
It's a welcome turnaround for the hard-hit hospitality industry that curtailed most hiring in 2009 and the beginning of 2010, as hotels and resorts cut back in response to the significant dip in travel.
Arizona hotels and resorts attribute job listings to the upcoming leisure and convention travel season, a time when hotels historically increase employee numbers by as much as 50 percent, says Debbie Johnson, president and chief executive officer for the Arizona Hotel and Lodging Association. Arizona's tourism season typically begins in September and ends in late May.
Most of the new jobs are full-time posts with the possibility of significant hourly cutbacks during the slower summer months. "Hotels try to maintain their staff annually," Johnson says.
While the recent hiring spurtwon't be as significant as during the travel industry's golden years in 2006 and 2007, many front-of-the-house jobs, such as valet, hostess, cooks, servers and housekeepers, will be filled.
Also new positions likely will be added for the Insight Bowl in December, and the Fiesta Bowl and BCS National Championship game, both in January. "It couldn't come at a better time for our industry," Johnson says. "Those games are held at a time when traditionally there are very low occupancy rates because of the holiday season." Several high-end hotels and resorts in Arizona have or intend to post job openings in the coming months in anticipation of the upcoming tourism season. Some potential employers:
• Montelucia, a resort that hosts one of the Fiesta Bowl teams, will hire additional employees in the next few months to prepare for the football games and the upcoming convention season, says Greg Hanss, director of sales and marketing. Openings are in cosmetology, room service, banquet management, housekeeping and group-reservation bookings.
Many of the positions are seasonal through May but could be extended indefinitely, Hanss says.
Hanss says Montelucia will increase its staff by 20 percent by the end of the year.
The resort's hiring campaign began this month, less than a year after it emerged from foreclosure with a new owner, the property's original lender, German bank Eurohypo AG.
With better convention bookings and a much larger staff for the upcoming tourism season, Hanss says the resort expects to see significant revenue growth in 2011 to support the new hiring.
• The Arizona Biltmore began listing job openings on its website three months ago, anticipating an improved tourism season, says Andrew Stegen, the resort's general manager.
"For the last 11 to 12 weeks, we've had between 20 and 30 open positions per week," Stegen says.
The openings listed on Biltmore's website are for housekeepers and cooks.
Although Stegen says positions fill quickly, some spill over from week to week.
All job openings are full time and employees may be eligible for benefits, Stegen says.
• The Phoenician filled nearly all of its 70 positions in August and September to prepare for the launch of its second ballroom, which opened Friday.
While most positions are filled, the Phoenician still needs to hire additional banquet servers, says Denise Seomin, spokeswoman for the Phoenician.
• The Wigwam is currently undergoing a $7 million renovation which will lead to retraining of current staff members and a need for new employees.
While no jobs are posted yet, Frank Ashmore, director of sales and marketing, says various positions, such as bartenders, servers and room attendants,will be available in December.
New hires could be placed at the resort's outdoor bar, pools, restaurants and renovated outdoor spaces.
"We have not changed the square footage of the resort, but we've increased its useable space," Ashmore says. "We'll need to hire new employees and existing employees are going to be busier, working more than last year."Read more:
http://www.azcentral.com/business/articles/2010/10/02/20101002arizona-hotels-resorts-jobs.html#ixzz11PqSEYy5
The InterContinental Montelucia Resort and Spa in Paradise Valley, the Phoenician in Phoenix, the Wigwam Resort and Spa in Litchfield Park and the Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix report they have jobs openings now or will in the near future.
Variety of hospitality-industry jobs available
It's a welcome turnaround for the hard-hit hospitality industry that curtailed most hiring in 2009 and the beginning of 2010, as hotels and resorts cut back in response to the significant dip in travel.
Arizona hotels and resorts attribute job listings to the upcoming leisure and convention travel season, a time when hotels historically increase employee numbers by as much as 50 percent, says Debbie Johnson, president and chief executive officer for the Arizona Hotel and Lodging Association. Arizona's tourism season typically begins in September and ends in late May.
Most of the new jobs are full-time posts with the possibility of significant hourly cutbacks during the slower summer months. "Hotels try to maintain their staff annually," Johnson says.
While the recent hiring spurtwon't be as significant as during the travel industry's golden years in 2006 and 2007, many front-of-the-house jobs, such as valet, hostess, cooks, servers and housekeepers, will be filled.
Also new positions likely will be added for the Insight Bowl in December, and the Fiesta Bowl and BCS National Championship game, both in January. "It couldn't come at a better time for our industry," Johnson says. "Those games are held at a time when traditionally there are very low occupancy rates because of the holiday season." Several high-end hotels and resorts in Arizona have or intend to post job openings in the coming months in anticipation of the upcoming tourism season. Some potential employers:
• Montelucia, a resort that hosts one of the Fiesta Bowl teams, will hire additional employees in the next few months to prepare for the football games and the upcoming convention season, says Greg Hanss, director of sales and marketing. Openings are in cosmetology, room service, banquet management, housekeeping and group-reservation bookings.
Many of the positions are seasonal through May but could be extended indefinitely, Hanss says.
Hanss says Montelucia will increase its staff by 20 percent by the end of the year.
The resort's hiring campaign began this month, less than a year after it emerged from foreclosure with a new owner, the property's original lender, German bank Eurohypo AG.
With better convention bookings and a much larger staff for the upcoming tourism season, Hanss says the resort expects to see significant revenue growth in 2011 to support the new hiring.
• The Arizona Biltmore began listing job openings on its website three months ago, anticipating an improved tourism season, says Andrew Stegen, the resort's general manager.
"For the last 11 to 12 weeks, we've had between 20 and 30 open positions per week," Stegen says.
The openings listed on Biltmore's website are for housekeepers and cooks.
Although Stegen says positions fill quickly, some spill over from week to week.
All job openings are full time and employees may be eligible for benefits, Stegen says.
• The Phoenician filled nearly all of its 70 positions in August and September to prepare for the launch of its second ballroom, which opened Friday.
While most positions are filled, the Phoenician still needs to hire additional banquet servers, says Denise Seomin, spokeswoman for the Phoenician.
• The Wigwam is currently undergoing a $7 million renovation which will lead to retraining of current staff members and a need for new employees.
While no jobs are posted yet, Frank Ashmore, director of sales and marketing, says various positions, such as bartenders, servers and room attendants,will be available in December.
New hires could be placed at the resort's outdoor bar, pools, restaurants and renovated outdoor spaces.
"We have not changed the square footage of the resort, but we've increased its useable space," Ashmore says. "We'll need to hire new employees and existing employees are going to be busier, working more than last year."Read more:
http://www.azcentral.com/business/articles/2010/10/02/20101002arizona-hotels-resorts-jobs.html#ixzz11PqSEYy5
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