Marriott/Starwood clears antitrust review in US: Marriott International and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide announced Tuesday that the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 has passed regarding Marriott’s proposed acquisition of Starwood, according to a joint news release from Marriott and Starwood.
With the expiration of the waiting period, Marriott and Starwood have cleared the antitrust review in the United States, which satisfies one of the closing conditions of the pending combination transactions, according to the release. The companies announced that the premerger waiting period under Canada law has also expired.
Shareholders of both companies are set to vote to approve the transaction on March 28.
- Read 15 takeaways from Marriott/Starwood’s December 2015 filing with the Securities Exchange Commission.
Hyatt launches The Unbound Collection soft brand: Hyatt Hotels Corporation announced the launch of a new soft brand, The Unbound Collection by Hyatt, according to a news release from Hyatt.
Properties within the collection will include historic urban hotels, boutique hotels, resorts and more, according to the release. Each property in the collection will have its own individual brand identity.
The collection includes properties around the world, including The Driskill Hotel in Austin, Texas; the Hôtel du Louvre in Paris; the Carmelo Resort & Spa in Carmelo, Uruguay; and the Coco Palms Resort in Kauai, Hawaii.
HTNG: Tech trends changing meeting spaces: Experts on a panel at the 2016 HTNG North American Conference said the expectations for meeting spaces and events in general have changed because of shifts in technology, HNN’s Sean McCracken reports.
Consultant Bob Cohen said technology is changing what guests and planners can accomplish during meetings and social events, and that means hoteliers have possible new revenue streams.
“One of the things that is paramount is looking for incremental revenue,” Cohen said. “And one of the ways of doing that is using the latest technologies.”
Panelists said hoteliers need to come up with unique meeting spaces and accommodate virtual meetings to fulfill the expectations of different generations and conduct productive meetings.
Indonesia hit by 7.8 magnitude earthquake: Indonesia earlier issued a tsunami warning on Wednesday after a massive and shallow earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8 struck off the west coast of the island of Sumatra, according to the BBC.
Although there were no immediate reports of damage or fatalities, shallower quakes are said to be more likely to cause damage, the BBC reports.
The Associated Press now reports Indonesia has lifted its tsunami warning.
Zika-free destinations in Caribbean offering hotel deals: Hotels in the Caribbean are offering hotel deals during peak season because of the number of cancelations due to Zika virus fears, according to The New York Times.
Marco Franck, GM of the Amanyara resort in the Turks and Caicos Islands, told the New York Times that the resort had a number of cancelations in February because of the Zika virus.
“What we’re seeing is that travelers hear about Zika being in the Caribbean and think all of the Caribbean is impacted and cancel their plans,” Franck told the newspaper.
Deals at Caribbean hotels aren’t being promoted as Zika virus deals, but some hotels are introducing annual offers earlier than usual, according to the Times.
Compiled by Danielle Hess.