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The World of Hospitality Issue 10 2015

Dining Innovation Group Opens First Japanese-Style BBQ Restaurant KINTAN in London

Holiday Inn Savannah Historic District Sold for $28 Million

INING INNOVATION GROUP, known for developing Japanese restaurants in various locations globally, has opened a KINTAN in the Holborn area of London. KINTAN is a ‘yakiniku’ restaurant (or Japanese-style BBQ) that has gained popularity not only in Japan, but in locations throughout the world as well. Numerous visitors have already been savoring its authentic yakiniku menu since opening in August.

KINTAN was born from the desire to provide Europe with authentic Japanese-style yakiniku that uses

carefully selected ingredients. The innovative restaurant was developed by Tomoyoshi Nishiyama, the talent behind creating Japan’s number one yakiniku restaurant chain. Thirty restaurants are already in operation in the US and have garnered significant popularity. The popular US menu’s full line-up has been adopted at the London location. Prices have also been set quite reasonably - lunch can be enjoyed from 9 pounds, and dinner ensembles from 29.5 pounds. “Yakiniku” refers to Japanese-style BBQs. This new dining style allows people to cook meat, seafood, and vegetables themselves right at the table to their desired doneness. The restaurant features state-of-theart smokeless roasters that keep the atmosphere smoke and odor free. KINTAN provides authentic Japanese yakiniku in an atmosphere that embodies the Japanese cultural concept of harmony.

INTEREL Wins TechOvation Award

eadquartered in Dubai, INTEREL, the world’s fastest growing manufacturer of integrated room technologies in the luxury hospitality industry, took first place at the 2015 TechOvation Awards held at the Hotel Technology Next Generation (HTNG) North American Conference in San Antonio, Texas. The Hotel Technology Next Generation (HTNG) TechOvation Award was created to recognize and reward technology innovation in the hospitality industry. The awards, which had a staggering 18 entries this year, saw contestants present their innovation before a live audience of registered conference attendees, investors and a distinguished panel of judges, comprising top hotel IT executives and consultants. Finalists had the opportunity to present their product in a second round with the winner being selected through live voting during the conference. The INTEREL ‘connectBsmart’ beacon framework enables today’s limited Bluetooth Smart Low Energy (BLE) beacon technology to be fully realized as truly networkable infrastructure. Traditional beacon technologies are offline, battery powered and non-upgradable. When embedded in INTEREL’s intelligent guest room control panels throughout a hotel, the ‘connectBsmart’ beacon framework enables INTEREL’s derivative Bluetooth Smart BLE beacons to be managed as infrastructure. The beacons are powered and online, remotely upgradable and configurable, deliver two-way communication and are fleet managed. The award-winning ‘connectBsmart’ framework enables hotels to subtly interact with guests through the hotel’s technology infrastructure, using the guest phone’s Bluetooth signal. This will allow hotels to further personalize the guest experience based on the guest’s location within the premises. In addition, hotels will be able to better manage their energy consumption by adjusting lights and temperature based on the guest’s presence and predicted behavior. As a Platinum Industry Partner, INTEREL has been an active member of HTNG since early 2012. This was the second time the company entered the awards competition, being named first runner up at last year’s awards for their Augmented Reality Room Control App.

ey International, a Miami-based real estate and investment firm, has closed on the purchase of a Holiday Inn Hotel in the Savannah Historic District for $28 million. Located at 520 West Bryan Street in Savannah, Georgia, Peter Lopez of Stearns Weaver Miller Weissler Alhadeff & Sitterson represented the development firm in the transaction. Holiday Inn Savannah Historic DistrictThe hotel recently underwent an extensive renovation and is now one of the crown jewels of this prominent historic district. Nested in the heart of Savannah, this is one of the most popular travel destinations in the nation thanks to its picturesque riverside scenery, historic homes, cobblestone streets, top restaurants, nightlife and charming boutiques. The hotel is located one block from Savannah’s famous River Street, adjacent to the Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum, and a short walk from the City Market, art galleries and the other historic attractions in the Savannah Historic District. “Our company is excited about breaking into the Georgia hotel market,” said Diego Ardid, Co-President of Key International. “With the Holiday Inn located in such a desirable neighborhood, we are pleased to add this hotel to our growing portfolio.” Key International’s hotel holdings include the famed Eden Roc Miami Beach Resort & Spa, the Marriott Stanton South Beach, and a resort property currently undergoing an extensive renovation in St. Augustine Beach, Florida. Since the 1970s, Key International has acquired and developed much of South Florida’s premier real estate including many of the area’s most high-profile locations such as the Marriott Stanton South Beach, Eden Roc Miami Beach Resort & Spa, 1010 Brickell, 848 Brickell, 400 Sunny Isles, and Mint. Key International has distinguished itself as one of the area’s most renowned developers, bringing an international focus to South Florida. From commercial property in all the right locations, to the most luxurious residential addresses, Key International is at the leading edge of Florida’s development community.

Temporary Jobs to Grow 13 Percent Over the Next Five Years

s the growth in temporary jobs here to stay? Temporary help services was among the first industries to add jobs when the recession officially ended, growing 15 percent from 2009 to 2010 and 57 percent from 2009 to 2014. Nearly 3 million people are employed in temporary jobs today, and new analysis from CareerBuilder shows that number will continue to rise in 2015 and beyond. Temporary employment is expected to grow 3 percent (75,384 jobs) from 2014 to 2015 and 13 percent (354,877 jobs) from 2014 to 2019. The study is based on data from Economic Modeling Specialists Intl (EMSI), CareerBuilder’s labor market analysis arm that pulls data from over 90 national and state employment resources. For more information, visit www.careerbuilder.com.