Essential news from around the world...
French budget hotel chain sold
French budget hotel chain Galaxie has been sold to private equity group Duke Street Capital for about €200m (£139m). Galaxie owns about 100 one-star hotels in France and a further eight in Germany. Duke Street Capital plans to double the number of sites to about 200 over the next seven years.
InterContinental upgrades in Canada
InterContinental Hotels & Resorts is spending Cdn$21m (£9.5m) upgrading its 586-bedroom Crowne Plaza Toronto Centre hotel. The hotel, which will be renamed as the InterContinental Toronto, opens in September.
Sales rise at McDonald’s
Sales at McDonald’s restaurants open for more than a year increased by 2.1% in June, boosted by the fast-food giant’s new range in salads and its summer promotions. But business in Europe remained difficult, with sales falling by 2.2%.
Starwood takes over Le Méridien hotel
Starwood Hotels & Resorts has taken over management of the Le Méridien Dallas hotel. The 407-bedroom hotel, owned by LaSalle Hotel Properties, will now be reflagged as the Westin City Center Dallas. Including the new Westin, Starwood operates eight hotels in the Texas capital.
Sars cuts revenue at Malaysian hotels
Hoteliers in Malaysia lost more than M$224.7m (£36m) in earnings in the three months to the end of June. The Malaysian Association of Hotel Operators said the loss was a result of the Sars epidemic.
Hilton to open in Thailand
Hotel group Hilton is to manage a 200-bedroom hotel in Krabi, south-east Thailand. The Hilton Krabi Resort & Spa opens at the end of 2005.