From the International Hotel Investment Forum (IHIF) in Berlin, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT) today announces plans to open 50 new hotels in its Europe, Africa and Middle East (EAME) division by 2012. And with the recent opening of the Sheraton Bratislava Hotel - along with 13 additional hotels slated to open this year - the division is firmly on track to reach this goal.

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From February to March 2010, the average price of hotels in Europe stayed constant at 93 pounds. Compared to March 2009’s average of 100 pounds a night, this represents a seven percent drop. Prices in 34 of the top 50 European cities also decreased in comparison to last year. In contrast, prices in London have increased by six percent. These are the findings of the trivago Hotel Price Index (tHPI) which is published monthly by the hotel price comparison site www.trivago.co.uk.

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Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH) is proud to announce that Brian Parker, vice president of emerging markets and new business development, was named to SaVoy Magazine’s “Top 100 Most Influential Blacks in Corporate America.”

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This is a tough time for the accommodation industry. Tourism and business travel are down significantly as consumers and businesses have tightened their budgets due to job losses and slower business activity. On the top of that, the high exchange rate makes Canadian destinations more expensive for foreigners and encourages Canadian to travel abroad. As the economy begins to improve this year, so too will the fortunes of the industry.

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Hilton Worldwide’s portfolio of brands was honored across multiple categories in the Business Travel News 2010 U.S. Hotel Chain Survey. In the results that were announced yesterday, Hampton Hotels was honored as the best hotel brand in the Midprice Tier and won an unprecedented 11 of 12 categories out of the individual criterion segments.

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Hotel Technology Next Generation (HTNG) awarded the first ever Most Innovative Hospitality Award to MTech for their REX Room Expeditor product at its Members Meeting in Orlando on March 3.

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Marriott International Inc., the leading world-wide lodging company, announced the launch of the Courtyard by Marriott, Gurgaon. The launch marks the foray of the ‘Courtyard by Marriott’ brand into the National Capital Region.

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Among other victims of the recession, brands have taken a beating. Private labels have gained market share. Consumers are cutting back. Retailers are turning up the heat. According to panelists who gathered to discuss brand strategy at a recent Wharton Marketing Conference titled, “Connecting with the Evolving Consumer,” marketers need to be especially innovative when it comes to making sense of the shifting economy — and profiting from it.

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Officials of The Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites which is independently owned by Today’s IV, Inc. and operated by Interstate Hotels & Resorts, Inc. under a license issued by Westin Hotel Management, L.P. announced that the hotel’s four restaurants—Lake View Bistro, Lobby Court Bar, Bonavista Lounge, L.A. Prime and its valet parking operations may have suffered a data security breach between April 2009 and December 2009.

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MarketResearch.com has announced the addition of Unity Marketing Inc.’s new report “Luxury Consumers’ Attitudes & Motivations Report: How The Mindset Of The Affluent Consumers Has Changed In The Current Recession And What It Means For The Retailers And Brands That Market To Them,” to their collection of Affluent Market reports.

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