Orbitz Worldwide (NYSE: OWW) is a leading global online travel company that uses innovative technology to enable leisure and business travelers to research, plan and book a broad range of travel products. Orbitz Worldwide owns a strong global portfolio of consumer travel brands that includes Orbitz, CheapTickets, ebookers, HotelClub, RatesToGo, the Away Network, Asia hotels, and corporate travel brand Orbitz for Business.

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company operates 100 luxury hotels in some 20 countries offering premium accommodations and amenities for both business and leisure travelers. Its hotels can be found in prime destinations and are consistently rated among the best in the world. The company operates about a dozen time-share properties under the Ritz-Carlton Destination Club and Ritz-Carlton Residences brands. Ritz-Carlton was established in 1983 when real estate mogul and former CEO William Johnson acquired the rights to the name made famous by Swiss hotelier Cesar Ritz. Today it is a part of hotel giant Marriott International.

In 1974, Randy Norton and Jim Farley opened a 16 table pizza place in Fairfax City, VA. Mike Ranney joined them a year later, and with the opening of Fantastic Fritzbe’s Flying Food Factory (now Silverado) in 1976, Great American Restaurants was born. Over the past 34 years, their partnership has thrived as a result of their entrepreneurial spirit, enthusiasm for hospitality, and a ton of hard work by thousands of the best team players in the industry. “GAR is fun because our people take pride in being part of something special and love what we do. Our restaurants are filled with guests and staff that want to have a good time. GAR helps everyone feel great. GAR cares about our people on a whole different level than anyone else… and is also obsessive about the details. A unique combination.”

Western hospitality has really spread. Begun in 1946 by hotelier M. K. Guertin and named for its California origins, Best Western has more than 4,000 independently owned and operated hotels (including 2,200-plus in the US, Canada, and the Caribbean), making it the world's largest hotel brand (by number of rooms). Hotels sport its flag in about 80 countries and territories; Australia and the UK have the most outside the US. The company has about 100 Best Western Premier branded hotels in Asia and Europe, which offer a higher level of amenities and services. Best Western is organized as a not-for-profit membership association, with most of its sales coming from monthly fees and annual dues.

De Vere Group (formerly Greenalls Group) is finally getting around to flattening some of the very beer bellies it created. The hotel operator (and erstwhile pub owner) operates the De Vere Collection, which includes a hotel portfolio of about 12 upscale properties throughout the UK, some of which offer not-so-ordinary leisure activities such as hot air ballooning, clay pigeon shooting, and paintballing. De Vere Group company also offers seasonal and fractional ownership of its Collection hotels, as well as lodge rentals. Its De Vere Venues offers about 30 spaces for training, meeting, and conference needs. De Vere's remaining spirits operation, G&J Greenall, makes vodka and gin.

La Quinta...Spanish for "Next to Denny's?" LQ Management is owner of the La Quinta (which is Spanish for the villa) hotel brand. The company has hotels throughout the US (about 45 states), Canada, and Mexico under the La Quinta Inns and La Quinta Inn & Suites brands. LQ Management franchises the majority of its properties. The growing company has more than 750 hotels, which encompass some 65,000 guest rooms; in addition, it has some 250 properties in the development pipeline. La Quinta hotels operate in the limited service, midscale segment. It targets a mix of corporate and leisure travelers. LQ Management is owned by investment firm The Blackstone Group.

Harry Caray’s Restaurant Group (HCRG), led by Grant DePorter, has proven to be one of Chicago’s most dynamic and successful restaurant management companies. The enterprise currently operates eight restaurants and an off-premise catering company. HCRG opened its first restaurant, Harry Caray’s Italian Steakhouse in Chicago’s River North neighborhood in 1987. The restaurant has since become a Chicago legend, and now offers additional locations in Rosemont and Lombard. Also located in Lombard, adjacent to Harry Caray’s, is Holy Mackerel!, HCRG’s fresh seafood concept. In 2008, HCRG found a long-awaited home in Wrigleyville, when it opened Harry Caray’s Tavern, a more casual version of the original Harry Caray’s. HCRG expanded its presence in Wrigleyville in 2009 with the opening of the Captain Morgan Club at Wrigley Field. A second Harry Caray's Tavern opened on Navy Pier in March 2010.

ClubCorp is one of the world's largest operators of golf courses and private clubs with more than 150 facilities throughout the US and in a small number of international locations. Its resorts and golf courses include such well known venues as Firestone Country Club (Akron, Ohio), The Homestead Club (Hot Springs, Virginia), and Mission Hills Country Club (Rancho Mirage, California). ClubCorp also operates private business and sports clubs. Robert Dedman started the company in 1957. It is owned by private equity firm KSL Capital Partners.

Here's a company clawing its way to the top in the basketball world. Bobcats Basketball Holdings, which does business as Bobcats Sports & Entertainment, owns and operates the Charlotte Bobcats professional basketball team. The newest member of the National Basketball Association, the franchise was awarded in 2004 to Robert Johnson, founder of cable broadcaster BET, and replaced the Hornets team that had left Charlotte, North Carolina, for New Orleans in 2002. The Bobcats play host at the Time Warner Cable Arena. NBA legend Michael Jordan, who played for the Chicago Bulls, purchased control of the team from Johnson in 2010

Juventus F.C. is one of the most popular soccer clubs in the Italy's Lega Nazionale Professionisti (National Professional League) as well as the most successful: Juve has won a record 27 Serie A league championships since its founding 1897. In European competition, it has won two Champions League titles and the UEFA Cup three times. Italy's Agnelli family, which started and continues to own 30% of automaker Fiat, has controlled the team since 1923. In 2006 Juventus was relegated to Serie B competition after an investigation into match fixing but returned to Serie A competition in the 2007 season.

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