Worldwide briefing
Hilton to sell Red Lion
Hilton Hotels Corporation is to sell its chain of 42 Red Lion hotels and five Doubletree hotels to Westcoast Hospitality. The sale, which is still being negotiated, will be completed by the end of the year. The hotels are mainly in the western United States.
Cendant profits rise
Cendant Corporation reported a 76% increase in profits in its hospitality sector for the three months to 30 September. Cendant said the increase was due primarily to the acquisition of Fairfield Resorts. The increases were slightly offset, it said, by a fall in occupancy.
Wyndham cuts staff benefits Dallas-based hotel chain Wyndham International has suspended its contributions to workers' pension plans. Wyndham has already cut more than 1,500 employees from its workforce and reduced working hours for many of its remaining 26,400 staff. It has not closed any hotels but has shut rooms and restaurants to save money. Occupancy across the group is just above the 65.1% break-even point.
McDonald's slims down
McDonald's is cutting between 500 and 700 jobs in the USA. The burger chain recorded a 1% fall in earnings during the third quarter of 2001. Net profits for the group were down from $548.5m (£380m) in 2000 to $545.5m (£378m) this year.
The deal of the Century
Accor and Century International Hotels are opening five new hotels in Hong Kong, Malaysia, and China. The hotels are: the 516-bedroom Novotel Century Hong Kong, the 276-bedroom Novotel Harbourview in Hong Kong, the 210-bedroom Ibis North Point in Hong Kong, the 418-bedroom Novotel Century Kuala Lumpur, and the 152-bedroom Novotel Watergate Shenzhen.
Wendy's opens 6,000th restaurant
Burger chain Wendy's International has opened its 6,000th restaurant. The 224-seat restaurant in Tijuana, Mexico, is owned by franchisee Wenco Mexico, which operates 12 Wendy's in Mexico.
Accor to open second hotel in Marseilles
Hotel company Accor has signed a 15-year contract with Société Hoteliére du Palm Beach to manage the 145-bedroom Palm Beach hotel in Marseilles, France. The hotel is set to open in April next year as a four-star hotel under the Sofitel brand.
Marriott pulls out of Sweden
Marriott International has withdrawn from a €155.5m (£97.4m) project to build a hotel and conference centre in Stockholm, Sweden, in an effort to minimise its exposure to risk after the attacks on the USA.
Mövenpick sets its sights on Bahrain Swiss-based hotel and restaurant group Mövenpick Hotels and Resorts is to manage a 120-bedroom hotel and conference centre in Bahrain, in the Persian Gulf. The hotel is set to open next summer.
Four Seasons heads for warmer climes
Four Seasons, the Toronto-based hotel company, has signed an agreement to manage two hotels in South America. Four Seasons will manage the 165-bedroom Park Hyatt Buenos Aires and the 44-villa Madison Resort, Golf & Spa in Carmelo, Uruguay. Management of the hotels, which will be renamed the Four Seasons Hotel Buenos Aires and Four Seasons Resort Carmelo respectively, is expected to start on 1 December.
