Essential news from around the world...
Sodexho hit by discrimination case fears
Shares in French-owned contract caterer Sodexho Alliance fell this week after the US Supreme Court said it would allow a lawsuit against the company to proceed. The claim was filed in 2001 by 10 current and former employees of Marriott Management Services, which later became Sodexho Inc. It alleges that they and other African-American staff were discriminated against on the basis of race. Sodexho firmly denied the allegations and said it considered the case entirely without merit. It added: "Sodexho has never tolerated any form of discrimination and has always been vigilant in offering each of its employees an equal opportunity."
Felcor sells four hotels in Canada
Felcor Lodging, the US hotel real estate investment trust, has sold four "non-strategic" hotels in Ontario, Canada, for $32m (£19.2m). The hotels are Holiday Inn-branded properties in Sarnia, Kitchener-Waterloo, Cambridge and Peterborough, with a total of 630 bedrooms. Fortis Properties has taken over both the ownership and management. Felcor will use the proceeds to invest in urban hotels in Canada.
Sol Meliá sells Malaga hotel
Spanish hotel chain Sol Meliá has sold the three-star, 277-bedroom Sol Patos Hotel in Benalmádena, Malaga, for €16.8m (£11.8m). From November the hotel will be operated by the Symbol Hoteles chain.
Olympic hotels racing ahead
Accor's Novotel and Ibis hotels at Sydney Olympic Park, Australia, have recorded their highest occupancy rates since the Sydney Olympic games three years ago. The 267-bedroom Novotel and Ibis hotel complex recorded an average occupancy of 82.4% in September. Accor put the good figures down to the strength of the conference and incentives market.
Top New York hotel accused of race harassment
The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has filed a lawsuit against New York's Plaza Hotel, alleging that after 11 September 2001 Muslim, Arab and South Asian employees were subject to offensive comments about their religion and/or national origin. This included being called "terrorist", "Osama", "Al Queda", "Taliban" and "Dumb Muslim". The hotel has said that as soon as it learned of the allegations it took swift and decisive action, including suspending some managers and sacking another.
Indian additions for Le Méridien
Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts has added three new properties in India in Ahmedabad (Gujarat), Kovalam (Kerala) and Jaipur (Rajastan). The company already manages properties in six major Indian cities: Bangalore, Chennai, Cochin, Mumbai, Pune and two in New Delhi. It plans to double the number of hotels in the Middle East and West Asia region by the end of 2004.