HOSPITALITY HEADLINES

• Work on hotel may be forced to stop (High Point Enterprise, N.C.)
• Casino quest gets help: Seneca tribe enlists aid from Michigan group toward a large-scale Catskills project (Albany Times Union, N.Y.)
• Ontario hotels keep pace with growth: Arena, offices bring customers (San Bernardino County Sun, Calif.)
• BRIEF: Columbus' Doubletree Hotel needs 200 workers: Recruiting Jan. 7 and 8 (Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, Ga.)
• Mixed signals from holiday tourism: Results strong but down from last year (Florida Keys Keynoter, Marathon)
• Folio Hotels is saved by home house deal (Evening Standard, London)
• Hotel lender ready to deal: Banc One spinoff has cash available for good projects (The Columbus Dispatch, Ohio)
• Tourism industry busy convincing Canadians that Florida's still affordable: Hotels, airlines offering deep discounts to entice vacationers to South Florida (Sun Sentinel, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)
• BRIEF: 26/11 Effect: hotels in multi-layer security (Hindustan Times, New Delhi)
• Ecotourism is on the rise and the Valley's biological diversity has us Banking on Birding (Valley Morning Star, Harlingen, Texas)
• New hotel planned for Emerald Isle (The Daily News, Jacksonville, N.C.)
• Trailblazing hospitality students look to break barriers (Jordan Times, Amman)
• BRIEF: New Body to Promote ?Tourism in UAE (Khaleej Times, Dubai, United Arab Emirates)
• Elvis plans could be on way out door (Las Vegas Review-Journal)
• Gambling companies poised to turn page after year of sharp declines (Las Vegas Review-Journal)
• Tourism slump has leveled off (The Sun News, Myrtle Beach, S.C.)
• Fire closes Cheeca Lodge in Islamorada indefinitely: The historic Cheeca Lodge caught fire on New Year's Eve, sending guests fleeing with just the clothes on their backs. The resort will be closed indefinitely while repairs are made. (The Miami Herald)
• Prince William Visitors Bureau has new interim director (News & Messenger, Manassas, Va.)
• Three cities may opt out of tourism group: Blaine, Coon Rapids and Shoreview plan to explore alternatives to the Visit Minneapolis North convention and visitors' bureau. (Star Tribune, Minneapolis)
• Room at the inns: The faltering economy is resulting in declining hotel occupancy rates here and across the country. (Star Tribune, Minneapolis)
• WVU hospitality costs top $900K: Money split evenly between Lakeview, Waterfront Place (The Dominion Post, Morgantown, W.Va.)
• Hotels, game organizers have plan for double-duty: Two college-football teams will leave South Florida and two more will arrive Friday as the host hotels remove any trace of the previous occupants. (The Miami Herald)
• The News & Observer, Raleigh, N.C., Real Deals column: Triangle gets a new suite spot (The News & Observer, Raleigh, N.C.)
• Two styles blend in Santa Fe's convention center (The Santa Fe New Mexican)
• San Jose expects only modest convention cancellations (San Jose Mercury News, Calif.)
• Eagan Visitors Bureau targeting in-state 'staycationers' this year: In-state, cost-cutting vacationers are new target (Pioneer Press, St. Paul, Minn.)
• A blizzard of ski dollars: Recession? ? Not at Utah resorts this holiday season (The Salt Lake Tribune)
• St. Pete Hotel Ranked In Top 500 (Tampa Tribune, Fla.)
• Burned Cheeca Lodge closed indefinitely: Hundreds of guests have to be relocated (The Reporter, Tavernier, Fla.)
• Virginia's tourism slogan hits middle age (The Virginian-Pilot, Norfolk, Va.)
• ENVIRONMENT: DEC says hotelier's request for information is under review. (Lockport Union-Sun & Journal, N.Y.)

INSIDE HOTEL ONLINE TODAY
DAILY EMAIL NEWS

• The Greenbrier Resort's Parent Company, CSX, Hires Goldman Sachs to Conduct "Strategic Review" Following a $35 million Loss in 2008
• RockBridge Capital, Which Specializes in Loans to Hotel Developers, Has Money to Lend When the Opportunity is Right
• Historic Cheeca Lodge & Spa in Islamorada, Florida Closes Indefinitely Following New Year's Eve Fire; The Biggest Blaze in the Keys in 20 Years, No Injuries
• Big Increase In Supply of Hotel Rooms Helps Propel Hotel Occupancy in the Twin Cities to the Lowest Level since 2003
• The Providence Group, LLC to Manage The Royal Inn in Fort Pierce, Florida
• Florida Tourism Industry Busy Convincing Canadians that Florida's Affordable, Faces Stiff Compettion from Dominican Republic and Cuba
• CSX Examining all Strategic Options for The Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia; Michael Gordon Named President and Managing Director
• The Miami Mart Airport Hotel Completes Conversion to the Doubletree Brand
• Presidio Companies and Affiliates Building a $13 million 75-room Hyatt Place at the University of California, Davis, California
• Jenny Farrand Appointed Spa Director at the Colorado Mountain Resort, Capella Telluride

• Restructuring Distressed Condominium Hotel Projects / Jim Butler and Peter Connolly
• Las Vegas Room Rates for New Year's Eve Are As Low as They've Been in Recent Memory
• Resort Developer and Operator Ginn Cos. Unable to Refinance $675 million in Debt, Files Chapter 7; Will Liquidate Tesoro Development in Port St. Lucie and Quail West near Naples, Florida
• Some Bright Spots in a Tough Year for Atlantic City Resort Casinos
• Once 'Shameful', Being a Chef Now Acceptable in Amman, Jordan - One of the Oldest Inhabited Cities in the World
• Kalahari Resorts Confident a $230 million Financing Package Is Imminent for 700 room Resort in Fredericksburg, Virginia
• State of South Carolina Fines Daufuskie Island Resort $6,900 for Failing to Pay 69 Laid-off Employees $130,000 In owed Vacation Time
• Despite Economy, Upstate New York Hotels Renovate - to Capture Larger Share of Smaller Pie
• Profile: Japanese Hotelier Naoki Yamanaka, President Shiki Resorts Co.
• Number of Foreign Visitors to Japan Plunges Nearly 20% in November 2008
• Todd Cleveland Named General Manager for Hilton Garden Inn North Alpharetta, Georgia
• M Hotel Singapore Appoints Alice Ee Executive Assistant Manager in Sales and Marketing

Top five viewed pages during December 2008

1. Former Manager of the Restaurant at the Hilton Minneapolis Files Discrimination Lawsuit;  Alleges She Was Fired After Complaining about Hotel Executives' Wild Party
2. A Husband and Wife Suing United Airlines for Negligently Overserving Wine During a Flight; Claims Drinks Caused Domestic Violence After Plane Landed 
3. PKF Forecasts 7.8% RevPAR Decline for U.S. Hotels in 2009;  Will be the Fifth Largest Annual Decline Since 1930, No Relief Until Second Quarter of 2010 
4. Update from Raymond Bickson, the Managing Director  of Taj Hotels, as of 1.00 pm IST, December 1, 2008 
5. Dealing With the Economic Downturn: 10 Ideas for Hotels and Resorts / David J. Sangree