WATG Renews Partnership with Cornell Center for Hospitality Research
Hotel Design Firm
ITHACA, NY, February 18, 2008. WATG, the world's leading hotel and destination design firm, has renewed its partnership with Cornell's Center for Hospitality Research. As part of the new three-year partnership, Raj Chandnani, WATG's director of strategy, will continue as a member of the center's advisory board. Chandnani has been a strong and consistent participant in the center's activities, including the advisory board and industry roundtables.
"Meeting with the researchers at the advisory board meetings allows us to share our insights from a design perspective," said Chandnani, who is a graduate of the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration. "The roundtables also are valuable, as shown in the Cornell Hospitality Quarterly articles that have come out of those roundtables." (The February 2008 Cornell Quarterly article discussing the recent Employment Law Roundtable is available at no charge from www.chr.cornell.edu.)
"We really appreciate WATG's financial support and the high-level participation in our advisory board and roundtables by Raj Chandnani," said David Sherwyn, academic director of the center. "The industry perspective that he brings to our meetings has been remarkable."
Renowned for its renovation of the Royal Hawaiian Hotel in 1945, WATG has designed hotels and destinations in 157 countries in the past six decades. By focusing not only on design but on how a building will be used, WATG has now designed more hotels and resorts than any other firm. The firm has principal offices in Honolulu, Irvine (California), Orlando, London, Seattle, and Singapore. As director of strategy, Raj Chandnani brings diverse expertise to both his job and to center activities.
About the Center for Hospitality Research
A unit of the Cornell School of Hotel Administration, The Center for Hospitality Research (CHR) sponsors research designed to improve practices in the hospitality industry. Under the lead of the center's 70 corporate affiliates, experienced scholars work closely with business executives to discover new insights into strategic, managerial and operating practices. The center also publishes the award-winning hospitality journal, the Cornell Hospitality Quarterly (formerly the Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly). To learn more about center and its projects, visit www.chr.cornell.edu.
Center partners and sponsors: AIG Global Real Estate Investment, American Airlines Admirals Club, Davis & Gilbert LLP, Deloitte & Touche USA LLP, Denihan Hospitality Group, Expedia, Inc., Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Fox Rothschild LLP, General Growth Properties, HVS, InterContinental Hotels Group, JohnsonDiversey, Inc., Jumeirah Group, LRP Publications, Marriott International, Inc., Marsh's Hospitality Practice, Mobil Travel Guide, Nestl'e, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Proskauer Rose LLP, Smith Travel Research, Southern Wine and Spirits of America, Inc., SynXis (a Sabre Holdings Corporation), Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces, Thayer Lodging Group, TIG Global, Travelport, WATG, and WhiteSand Consulting.
Center friends: 4Hoteliers.com o American Tescor, LLC o Argyle Executive Forum o Caribbean Hotel and Restaurant Buyers Guide o Cody Kramer Imports o Cruise Industry News o DK Shifflet & Associates o ehotelier.com o EyeforTravel o Fireman's Fund Insurance Company o Gerencia de Hoteles & Restaurantes o Global Hospitality Resources o Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP) o hospitalityInside.com o hospitalitynet.org o Hotel Asia Pacific o Hotel China o HotelExecutive.com o Hotel Interactive o Hotel Resource o International CHRIE o International Hotel and Restaurant Association o International Hotel Conference o International Society of Hospitality Consultants (ISHC) o iPerceptions o KPMG Japan/Global Management Directions o Lodging Hospitality o Lodging Magazine o Milestone Internet Marketing o MindFolio o PKF Hospitality Research o The Resort Trades o RealShare Hotel Investment & Finance Summit o Resort+Recreation Magazine o RestaurantEdge.com o Shibata Publishing Co. o Synovate o The Lodging Conference o TravelCLICK o UniFocus o WageWatch, Inc. o WIWIH.COM
Contact:
Jennifer Macera,
607.255.3101, j
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