Global Hospitality Report (February 9, 2015)

In Focus: Tokyo 
By Lara Sarheim and Casper Wong

This article summarizes the recent tourism trends in Tokyo.

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Five Key Takeaways | ALIS Conference The Americas Lodging Investment Summit 
By Tanya Pierson, MAI, and Susan Furbay

Presentations and conversations at the 2015 ALIS conference touched on everything from new brands and supply to how falling oil prices, a rising dollar, and stability in the capital markets are affecting prospects for U.S. hotels.

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In Focus: Rome - Why the Eternal City Could Become the Next Hotspot for Luxury Hotels? 
By Christof Bertschi and Sophie Perret

Rome, one of Europe’s most historical and cultural cities, looks set to be one of the next hotspots for hotel investors drawn by improvements to the city’s luxury hotel market and recent transaction activity.

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In Focus: Spain - The Tourism Sector is Heading the Recovery 
By Ezio Poinelli, and Nikolas Pavlidis

This article showcases the recent historical performance of the Spanish tourism industry and its leading role towards the recovery of the Spanish economy.

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Phuket Light Rail System 

Phuket, one of the region’s most popular tourist destinations, will see improvements to its transportation infrastructure in an attempt to ease congestion. The new 24 billion bhat (US$736.2 million) light rail system will consist of 20 stations spanning 60 km across the island. The system, due to commence operations in 2021, will traverse from Tha Noon, across Sarasin Bridge, to Phuket Town and to Chalong Circle; the line will also be connected to the Phuket International Airport. Commuters will benefit from a much reduced travel time of about 1.5 hours from Tha Noon to Chalong. Concerns have been raised over the rising number of tourists to the resort destination and the lack of adequate infrastructure to cope with this influx of visitors. This new development is expected to ease congestion and improve visitor experience.

HVS APAC HOSPITALITY NEWSLETTER.
Wyndham's Sweet New Purchase  

Wyndham Hotel Group has purchased US-founded group accommodation and meeting space firm Dolce Hotels and Resorts for US$57 million in cash. Dolce's portfolio comprises 24 hotels (5,500 guest rooms) and 750,000 ft² of meeting facilities (hosting around 100,000 events a year) across seven countries in Europe and North America. "Dolce is a terrific fit for us," commented Geoff Ballotti, Wyndham Hotel Group's president and chief executive officer. "We look forward to continuing the growth of the Dolce brand and leveraging these Dolce attributes across the Wyndham global system while enhancing the Dolce owner and guest experience," he added.

HVS EMEA HOSPITALITY NEWSLETTER.

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