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The Presidio is a park and former military base on the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula in San Francisco. A national park, the Presidio offers a lush green oasis that’s easily accessible from the East Bay and Marin, and is a breath of fresh air from the bustling downtown city. presidio social club

The area offers myriad outdoor activities that entice locals and vacationers alike, from hiking and biking to exploring museums and archaeological sites. And best of all: lots of parking, a characteristic hard to find in most San Francisco neighborhoods.

Each year, the Presidio Trust hosts the Presidio Celebration Showcase, a tour that allows guests to explore the different venues the neighborhood has to offer. Among them are the Presidio Social Club and the San Francisco Film Centre.

California Comfort at the Club

The Presidio Social Club opened its doors Sunday, Jan. 24 for a day full of friendly hosting, serving up cocktails and sampling small bites.

Guests could sample menu items, meet with photographers and florists, and chat with the club’s event team to plan every detail of their next dinner or event.

Mimosas, Ahi tuna tartare, winter citrus and roasted beet skewers, goat cheese and candied pecans were just some of the offerings available to guests exploring the venue (all of which have appeared on their hors d’Oeuvers menu). A fully set round table gave guests an idea of just what their next dinner might look like: Purple- and white-striped linen napkins over a crisp white tablecloth, silver votive candles, and colorful spring bouquet centerpieces created by Loop Flowers, a local florist often used by the venue.

presidio social club

The private dining room sits directly to the left of the restaurant, and can accommodate 40 for dinner and 50 standing. The back door leads to a patio than can seat an additional 50, complete with Adirondack chairs surrounding a fire pit, perfect for the brisk evenings San Francisco is known for. The patio is tented in December.

The restaurant itself can also be rented out for larger events of up to 120 seated or 200 standing. The daily menu features California comfort food for lunch and dinner, fresh local seafood, and classic cocktails with modern twists.

The journey to Ruger Street is nearly as charming as the destination. The maze-like roads unravel into Presidio National Park, where the smell of the towering eucalyptus trees take over.

It’s no wonder the venue attracts wedding parties, with its scenic landscape and rich history. But the venue has a lot to offer for small meetings, too.

The Presidio Social Club’s tagline is “All the comforts of a club without the dues.” And although the comfort is in part due to the delicious food and warm décor, the community vibe of being part of the club is owed entirely to the venue’s staff. Friendly, knowledgeable, patient, and laid back, the wait staff and venue team truly emulated the carefree ambiance of the club.

The San Francisco Film Centre

Just a mile down the road on Mesa Street is the San Francisco Film Centre, a venue with just as much history, and even more event space.

Built in 1938, the SF Film Centre is a 67,000 square-foot space overlooking the Presidio neighborhood and Golden Gate Bridge.

presidio social club

Featuring state-of-the-art acoustics, lighting, and a screening room, the historic building was designed for glamorous events.

The indoor reception space accommodates 150, and floor-to-ceiling French doors open up to a tile-decorated veranda perfect for smaller ceremonies and events; the adjoining lawn can seat up to 150.

“[The Presidio] is such a cool, private little niche in this big city we have,” says Lindsay Scheld, Event Sales Manager of Presidio Social Club. “Whenever I have someone visiting the city I feel like I have to show them the Presidio.” Of course, she admits, she might be a little bit bias.

new-york-city-tourism For the sixth-consecutive year, New York City tourism has set new highs, welcoming 58.3 million visitors during 2015. According Fred Dixon, president and CEO of NYC & Company, last year’s growth marked an increase of 1.8 million visitors over 2014.

“The city continues to evolve, always offering fresh reasons to visit again and again, with more new developments on the horizon,” Dixon said. “However, with the continuing pressure on the global economy and the strengthening dollar, we will all need to work even harder in 2016 to sustain our competitive edge.”

New York City’s 2015 visitation was dominated by domestic travelers at 46 million. International visitors accounted for 12.3 million. China showed the strongest growth among international travelers, with a 14 percent increase to an estimated 852,000 visitors. United Kingdom had the most impact on New York City tourism, estimated at 1.192 million, followed by Canada at 1.072 million and Brazil at 926,000.

Records for Hotel and Convention Demands

One of the direct beneficiaries of New York City tourism growth was the city’s hotel and convention industries. New York City had a record 33.7 million hotel room-nights sold, and meeting and convention attendees reached a high of 6.1 million.

“Through the hard work of NYC & Company, and their support of the City’s various attractions—from restaurants to the performing arts and more—2015 marked a new milestone for NYC tourism,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “As the safest and most exciting big city in America, we have so many rich offerings that continue to make the five boroughs a global draw.”

In 2015, NYC & Company called attention to a host of new attractions with a campaign called “new New York.” CVB representatives held events around the globe to promote the openings of such venues as Whitney Museum of American Art, Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration, One World Observatory, Brookfield Place, Kings Theatre, High Bridge and Staten Island Museum at Snug Harbor.

Commune Hotels & Resorts and Destination Hotels The Scottsdale Resort at McCormick Ranch in Scottsdale, Phoenix

It seems as if 2016 could be the year of the merger. Commune Hotels & Resorts and Destination Hotels are the latest hotel management companies to announce that they will combine their boutique and independent hotels and resorts under one operator. The merger was completed last Friday.

The new company will preside over 90 hotels and resorts in seven countries with approximately $2 billion in total property revenue. Destination owns several independent resorts and hotels, including The Scottsdale Resort at McCormick Ranch in Scottsdale, Phoenix and Eden Rock in Miami Beach, Florida. Commune Hotels & Resorts manages Joie de Vivre Hotels, Tompson Hotels, tommie Hotels and Alila Hotels & Resort.

Destination and Commune will be based in Denver with offices in San Francisco, New York, Singapore and Shanghai. Robert Lowe, Jr. will serve as co-chairman of the two companies, alongside John Pritzker, who is the current chairman of Commune.

“We are thrilled to join with Destination. Their team and the Lowe family share our passion and commitment for offering locally relevant, unique and personal experiences to our guests, while also delivering strong financial results for our property owners,” said Pritzker.

Both companies operate with little overlap in their respective markets. Commune offers properties in major urban destinations across North America, Asia and Europe, while Destination has a substantial domestic portfolio of resorts in suburban locations. All properties will retain their individual brand aesthetics.

In the wake of new challenges and competition in the marketplace, hotel brands are increasingly seeking stability in the form of partnerships and mergers. Marriott International’s unprecedented $12.2 billion acquisition of Starwood Hotels and Resorts padded its portfolio with higher scale and growth. Last year, AccorHotels purchased FRHI holdings—the parent company of the Fairmont, Swissotel and Raffles brand. Carlson Rezidor is also exploring possibilities of a merger, partnership or sale of its struggling hotel division, which includes Radisson and Country Inns and Suites brands.

hilton-worldwide Hilton Worldwide has launched Tru, a new budget brand targeting younger guests. Accommodations, priced from $75- $90 per night, are designed to compete with economy and midscale brands such as Comfort Inn, Fairfield Inn and La Quinta. It will join other limited service brands in the Hilton portfolio such as Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Inn, Homewood Suites and Home2 Suites.

Hilton Worldwide has more than 4,500 hotels globally. CEO Chris Nassetta says that although 40 percent of hotel demand is in the lower price bracket, many economy and midscale chains offer an “inconsistent product and service delivery,” giving Hilton a unique market opportunity.

Most Tru properties will be new construction or urban conversions of historic banks or office buildings. Currently 102 properties are planned, with 30 more in negotiation. The hotels will be located in urban, airport and suburban markets, including Atlanta; Dallas; Houston; Chicago; Denver; Portland, Oregon; Charlotte, North Carolina; San Antonio, Texas; and Nashville, Tennessee. They will typically feature 98 guest rooms and sit on 1.5 acres of land. In contrast, Hilton’s Hampton Inn brand typically has 130 guest rooms and occupies 2 acres of land. Tru guest rooms will feature open spaces with hangers and hooks on the wall instead of closets, no desks and platform beds without box springs.

Lower End Market is Growing

Hotel data benchmarking firm STR Global points out that although upscale luxury chain hotels have high occupancy rates, their growth is flat. Over the past year, they are experiencing a less than one percent increase in occupancy and less than 5 percent growth in revenue per available room. In contrast, midscale and economy chains are growing at a rate of 2 and more than 6 percent, respectively.

Carlson-Rezidor-Hotel-Group Carlson Cos Inc., the parent company of Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, is reportedly exploring a merger, partnership or sale of its struggling hotel division. Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group includes Radisson and Country Inns and Suites brands.

Carlson has made no official comment on the rumors, but as Nicole Norfleet reports in the Star Tribune, Carlson Cos Inc. has asked Morgan Stanley for assistance in exploring strategic alternatives. Norfleet adds that the move does not come as a surprise. She quotes HVS Hotel Management President Kirby Payne, who said, “While they’ve made improvements in their brand positioning for Radisson and they have done a lot of good things, it’s hard to keep up with hotel companies that have more capital and more traction and stronger loyalty programs.”

Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group operates more than 1,370 properties around the world. As Bloomberg Business reports, the company currently has 35 hotels under development in sub-Saharan Africa, more than any other brand in that region. In 2014, it had gross room revenue of $4.8 billion.

In North America, however, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group has struggled to attract and retain a loyal customer base. In J.D. Power and Associate’s 2015 hotel guest customer satisfaction index, its marquee brand, Radisson, placed second to last in the upscale hotel category and ranked below average in customer satisfaction.

Partnership Would Be a Possibility

Last year Marriott International Inc. acquired Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. in a blockbuster $12.2 billion deal. According to industry insiders, a similar scenario could be in store for Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group. Norfleet quotes Sam Winterbottom, senior managing director in the hotel investment sales group at Newmark Grubb Knight Frank and former executive vice president of development in the Americas for Carlson Hotels Worldwide as saying, “In the age of consolidation, it wouldn’t be surprising.”

Hotel guests might assume the quality of their accommodations improves as its star rating goes up. A stay at a five-star property is expected to come with top-quality amenities, luxury service and well-appointed rooms. But in terms of cleanliness, a study from Travel Math found that these kinds of properties tend to fall short. When compared to three- and four-star hotels, higher-end hotel rooms contain more germs across frequently touched surfaces.

From nine hotels, 36 samples were taken from three-, four- and five-star rated hotels. Across the board, bacteria levels assessed in colony-forming units (CFUs) were counted higher on average compared a typical home, an airplane and even a school. In all hotels, the average amount of bacteria per square inch ranked as follows:

–Bathroom counter: 1,288,817 CFUs
–Remote control: 1,211,687 CFUs
–Desk: 604,907 CFUs
–Phone: 4,252 CFUs

Out of all the properties, three-star hotels appeared to be the cleanest. But in every guest room, bathroom surfaces, especially counter tops, were the single dirtiest area among all other spaces. Various strains of bacteria (bacilli and cocci), yeast, gram-positive rods (bacteria that cause ailments, such as skin infections and pneumonia) and gram-negative rods (bacteria that cause respiratory and other infections) were concentrated in some places more than others.

Bacillus spp, which is associated with respiratory and gastrointestinal infections, was mostly found on remote controls in three-star hotels. Yeast was discovered in high quantities on bathroom surfaces in three-star hotels. In four-star hotels, remotes and phones also tested positive for Bacillus spp. In five-star hotels, the phone was full of gram-positive cocci strains.

Bacteria distribution in three-star hotels:

–Bathroom counter: 320,007 CFUs
–Remote control: 232,733 CFUs
–Desk: 4,687 CFUs
–Phone: 11,403 CFUs

Bacteria distribution in four-star hotels:

–Bathroom counter: 2,534,773 CFUs
–Remote control: 1,400,027 CFUs
–Desk: 1,800,003 CFUs
–Phone: 137 CFUs

Bacteria distribution in five-star hotels:

–Bathroom counter: 1,011,670 CFUs
–Remote control: 2,002,300 CFUs
–Desk: 40,030 CFUs
–Phone: 1,217 CFUs

Thankfully, there are some proactive measures hotel guests can take before getting comfortable in their rooms. The report suggests that visitors may want to pack a small bottle of disinfectant or alcohol wipes to sanitize those frequently touched areas. One solution for handling the remote control is to seal it in a plastic bag. But hotel guests’ best defense against germs is to simply wash hands as often as possible.

Anna Fortier

JW Marriott Grand Rapids promoted Anna Fortier to director of event management, where she will develop event programing for the hotel’s group business. In 2014, she was awarded High Performer of the Year for catering and events and Leader of the Month by the hotel. Fortier began her career at JW Marriott Grand Rapids in 2010 and graduated from Grand Valley State University.

Chad Schyvincht

Benchmark Hospitality International appointed Chad Schyvincht as global sales director of sports and entertainment. He will be based in the hospitality management company’s west coast offices in San Francisco. Prior to his new role, Schyvincht held the same title at Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, where he received three national sales awards including Group Salesman of the Year in 2013.

Isa Lee

Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotel has named Isa Lee as their new group sales account director. She will be responsible for supervising accounts in the Southeast market. Prior to her new role, Lee—a graduate of Seattle University—has worked with Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Hyatt Hotels Corporation, and PGA National Resort and Spa.

Robert Enriquez

Visit Spokane appointed Robert Enriquez as their new vice president of sales and marketing. In his new position, Robert will lead the sales and marketing departments and provide strategic input at Visit Spokane. For more than 15 years, Robert has held sales and marketing leadership positions with organizations such as Reno Tahoe and Palm Springs. Most recently, Robert worked at the Albuquerque Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Samantha Spurgeon

A 25-year veteran of the hospitality industry, Samantha Spurgeon joins Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort as Director of Sales and Marketing. In her new role, Spurgeon is responsible for overseeing business, sales and marketing strategies. She has held positions worldwide that include Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort & Villas, W Los Angeles, St. Regis Bora Bora Resort, Le Meridien Tahiti and Grosvenor House, a 5-Star iconic luxury hotel in Central London. During her time at W South Beach, Spurgeon was named one of the top 100 sales leaders in 2013.

George Herrera

Visit Phoenix has named George Herrera as tourism manager, responsible for Domestic and Canadian markets for travel trade. Beginning his hospitality career in Phoenix, he brings over 10 years of experience in the industry working for Hilton’s Waldorf Astoria Collection, Salt-River Pima Maricopa owned and operated Hotel & Casino, and Starwood Hotels & Resorts before joining Visit Phoenix.

Christopher Watson

Hyatt Regency Atlanta appointed Christopher Watson their new director of sales and marketing. Watson previously served as director of sales and marketing at Hyatt Regency Dallas, where he led his sales team to win Hyatt Corp.’s “Sales Team of the Year” award in 2013. He also worked for Hyatt Regency Louisville, under the same role, where he led his team through a successful multimillion dollar transformation. Under his leadership, Hyatt Regency Louisville’s sales team was named “Sales Team of the Year” in 2011.

Jeffrey Musumano

Connecticut Convention & Sports Bureau’s (CTCSB) Director of Sales Jeffrey Munumano was elected to the 2016 Board of Directors of the New York chapter of the Professional Convention Management Association (NYPCMA). Jeffrey has 20 years of sales management experience that includes the Homewood Suites Farmington in Farmington, Connecticut, the Marriott Hartford Downtown, the Crowne Plaza Cromwell, the Hilton Hartford Hotel, and the former Hastings Hotel in Hartford. Musumano was recently honored with NYPCMA’s “2015 Supplier of the Year Award.”

ethical-destinations The island of Cabo Verde off the coast of West Africa tops the 2016 list of the World’s 10 Best Ethical Destinations, as chosen by Ethical Traveler.

In the late summer of each year, the nonprofit organization surveys the world’s developing nations to determine how each is faring in environmental protection, social welfare , human rights and animal welfare—all while creating a lively, community-based tourism industry. A short list of 25 countries is established before the top 10 list is released.

Cabo Verde (aka Cape Verde) notched the top spot in the 2016 list, released this week, partly because of its steady progress in gender equality; many women now hold high-ranking leadership positions in the public and private sectors, and there is a strong possibility that it will select its first female prime minister (Janira Hopffer Almada) this year.

The countries rounding out the top 10, in successive order, are: Dominica (not to be confused with Dominican Republic, a much larger island also in the Caribbean), Grenada, Micronesia, Mongolia, Panama, Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu and Uruguay.

In creating the list, Ethical Traveler reviews not only the current state of each country, but how it has changed over time in each of the four categories. The goal is to encourage behaviors that are creating a safer and more sustainable world.

Each destination also needs to offer unspoiled natural beauty, great outdoor activities and the opportunity to interact with local people and cultures in a meaningful, mutually enriching way.

Ethical Traveler is under the umbrella of Earth Island Institute, based in Berkeley, California.

travel-agents Recent reports claim that the role of travel agents is a diminishing one, following the release of the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Outlook Handbook, which states, “Employment of travel agents is projected to decline 12 percent from 2014 to 2024.” The handbook cites the resourcefulness of travelers—thanks to the internet—to book their own travels as the main reason for the gradual decline.

A study conducted by Google in 2014 found that one-third of leisure travelers and half of business travelers preferred online travel agencies (OTA) for their site tools and options. Those surveyed claimed they could find better deals, compare options quickly, and aren’t concerned with the rewards and loyalty programs that may be offered at brick and mortar agencies.

^{(Source: Google Travel Study, June 2014, Ipsos MediaCT)}

On the contrary, Sandals Resorts CEO Adam Stewart just announced that the company’s expansion will depend heavily on its use of travel agents and not online booking agencies.

“There’s a lot of talk about OTAs, but it’s difficult to explain the complexities to the traveler. That’s where the travel agent comes into play,” Stewart said.

The all-inclusive resort packages company is currently operating 24 resorts with more on the way. Sandals Barbados is adding 186 rooms after an influx of demand in its first year.

Beaches, the company’s family-oriented brand – is scheduled to open a Barbados location in late 2016 to early 2017, and a resort in Cuba within the year.

According to Travel Market Report, Beaches Antigua is also in the process of opening, and will have 310 rooms, the majority of which will be family suites.

The Value of Travel Agents

A large portion of Sandal’s customer base is wedding couples and honeymooners—and that’s where the company sees the value of travel agents.

As many as five weddings per day take place on Sandals Royal Caribbean 251-room property. Agents can book customizable weddings and honeymoons in a single inclusive package, and work with couples’ wedding planners to ensure everything is on track when the couples arrive.

Sandals believes in the value of a travel agent, and offers several programs that aim to strengthen that partnership.

Certified Sandals Specialists (CSS) receive customized service, educational support, free resort stays and discounts on services.

The most exclusive program, the Chairman’s Royal Club, pays top-selling agents 16 percent commission rather than the standard 10 percent. To qualify, agents must sell more than 75 Sandals rooms per year, attend annual workshops, and participate in fam trips. There are currently 95 agents in the program.

Modernizing and Renovating

In addition to their many expansions, Sandals is putting much of their funds towards renovating existing properties as well.

Sandals Montego Bay, the company’s flagship property, is undergoing renovations to add modern amenities including Smart TVs and rain showers.

Sandals Royal Caribbean is expand with new “over-the-water suites” that will cost $1.6 million per room to produce.

Sandals Negril Beach Resort and Spa is the most requested of the six Jamaica locations, encouraging the company to invest an additional $20 million in renovations so far. 64 rooms have been renovated with new furnishings and tranquility tubs.

meeting-planners Facing more pressure to deliver but with fewer resources, conference and event organizers are looking to destination marketing organizations to provide them with more financial help and sponsorship opportunities, according to a survey released this month.

The Destination Marketing Insights from Meeting Executives survey, conducted by Fulcrum Marketing Company, included 398 meeting planners. The survey showed that 48 percent of them have worked more closely with DMOs during the past 12 months and that the two most appealing selling points for a destination are availability of financial incentives and broad meeting industry collaboration.

Driving these planner needs is the sharp rise in hotel, venue and food costs, among other things. This signals a need for DMOs to serve as strategic business partners with planners rather than to merely sell and market their destination.

DMOs in Denver, New Orleans, Melbourne and Vancouver, British Columbia and others have taken the lead in proactively differentiating their destinations by selling themselves as business partners to planners.

Fulcrum’s founders, David Kilman and Bruce MacMillan, contend that plenty of opportunities exist for DMOs and meeting planners to adopt new collaborative strategies by speaking the language of business rather than that of logistics and banquets.

MacMillan told Skift that if DMOs are either unwilling or unable to offer meeting planners increasing financial incentives, they can help to solicit in-destination sponsorship and industry-specific intelligence to add value to a business event, and assist planners in promoting conferences to potential attendees and exhibitors locally and worldwide.

Despite planners’ need for more support from DMOs, the hospitality industry, especially hotels in the upper-upscale segment, posted record numbers in 2015. STR hospitality analytics show that the average daily rate in that segment rose 4.3 percent in first 10 months of 2015. Revenue per available room (RevPAR) increased 5.2 percent, marking the 68th straight month that it showed positive gains.