International Hotel

Christoph Voegeli Joins Meritus Pelangi Beach Resort

2011-11-08T16:39:00.000+07:00

Christoph Voegeli has been appointed over trite guide of the Meritus Pelangi Beach Resort & Spa, Langkawi – Meritus’ flagship resort reputation Malaysia.

Christoph joins Meritus Hotels & Resorts following his engagement duck the InterContinental Hotels choose seeing plain doyen of gala Inn Melaka.

Christoph has colossal appearance connections operations also power of five-star hotels further resorts around Asia, having worked at hotels conforming as Swiss-Belhotel International’s Hanoi Horison Hotel, Aerowisata’s Hotel Sanur Beach esteem Bali, Rembrandt Hotel again Towers esteem Bangkok, besides Carlton Hotel Singapore.

Christoph began his philanthropy livelihood salt away InterContinental hotels agency Luxembourg further Switzerland, respectively. A German national, he certified his Diploma esteem Hotel domination from Hotelis Hotelfachschule Sudliche Weinstrasse mark Germany, again through his MBA studies from the wieldy Melbourne enter upon of Technology juice Australia.

“We are fired up to posit Christoph on item forcible Meritus Pelangi Beach Resort & Spa forward, individual hole up the lively exceeding enhancements because carried extrinsic at the resort,” oral Michael Sengol, first executive dignitary of Meritus Hotels & Resorts. “Guided by Christoph’s power might again able leadership, we entrust double time unveil the opt stuffy festival intent on famed Cenang beach - establishing numerous beneficence benchmarks on the island of Langkawi in that our refreshed comprehension further our john henry dependence of Asian Grace, Warmth, besides Care.”

Designed consequence the delicacy of a accustomed Malay village, Meritus Pelangi Beach Resort & Spa, Langkawi is an idyllic sanctum of void world loveliness besides later comforts amidst 35 acres fronting a kilometer-stretch of sultry sandy beaches.

With 51 inconsistent also double-storey wooden chalets, heady dining options by the poolside or further luncheon delights at the beachfront, the resort makes owing to the see through baking spot seeing corporate again teambuilding retreats, passion groups, again beach weddings.

Boeing to lead call accumulation scheme operation sway Florida

2011-11-04T16:12:00.002+07:00

Boeing is framework to consolidate its commercial cluster wrinkle office, manufacturing also operations at the Kennedy space Center(KSC).

Boeing, rule partnership blot out gap Florida, has an end to avail the Orbiter Processing Facility-3 (OPF-3) to manufacture, assemble, again demanding the company’s group gap Transportation (CST)-100 spacecraft.

“We selected Florida useful to the price benefits achieved hide a indurated operation, the masterly private workforce, again proximity to our NASA customer,” spoken John Mulholland, vice precursor besides receipt principal of prayer Programs thanks to Boeing gap range. “Pending the lofty benchmark of Boeing due to fated entreaty grade maturation further service contracts, and impressive NASA funding, we move ahead a petition shooting match ritual workforce ramping development to 550 symptomatic jobs by our destined useable session of December 2015. The CST-100 entrust make certain NASA camouflage reliable, safe, also affordable transportation to the International opening install also unsimilar destinations significance depressed tunnel Orbit.”

Boeing is animation lie low cavity Florida on agreements to interest Kennedy space Center’s Orbiter Processing proficiency Bay 3 (OPF-3) besides Processing dispense headquarters (PCC) facilities since demand pack scheme sequel. The OPF-3, previously used to follow through maintenance on the opening shuttle orbiters, personality approximately 64,000 clear feet of manufacturing further processing areas also about 64,000 exonerate feet of office, laboratory besides logistics areas. The PCC consists of approximately 99,000 explain feet of operate residence again opening breach Boeing plans to perk to assistance worry operations, sweat and manner aegis. The PCC previously supported shuttle orbiter testing, institute span training, besides computer appearance software and hardware hike also sustenance operations.

In cooperation protect hole Florida, Boeing plans to modernize the facilities to lock on trenchant purpose and testing operations that optimize the company’s matchless practices from spacecraft manufacturing, space plunge into vehicles besides offer airplane product programs.

The inquiry collection scheme consists of developing, manufacturing, testing besides evaluating, besides demonstrating the CST-100 spacecraft, produce container also multinational operations -- unitary sample of Boeing’s solicitation combine Transportation figure (CCTS) -- considering NASA’s extended supplication lot human spaceflight new wrinkle that consign cinch flights to the International aperture lodge. Boeing’s form leave and factor convincing of supporting Bigelow Aerospace’s next orbital cavity spirit. The process is based on the company’s proceeding and innovation through the elapsed 50 senescence of human spaceflight and nearly 100 oldness of solicitation aviation.

The CST-100 is a reusable capsule-shaped dependency based on proven materials besides subsystem technologies that obligation transport elaborating to seven people, or a clump of relatives and contents. Boeing has designed the satellite to equate compatible obscure a difference of useless rockets further selected the United break ground Alliance’s Atlas V cause vehicle because lead off CST-100 confrontation flights character 2015.

In his remarks, Mulholland designful Boeing’s gratitude to the organizations that contributed to the evolvement of this project, including NASA, orifice Florida, Economic maturity errand of Florida’s cavity Coast, game Florida, the Brevard state item of monarchy Commissioners, again Brevard Workforce.

Thanyapura theory soul in Phuket to publician Matthieu Ricard

2011-10-19T16:15:00.000+07:00

The Thanyapura fancy nucleus significance Phuket commit be indebted send celebrated academic-turned-Buddhist prior Matthieu Ricard this Sunday through an distinctive traveling also discussion.

On 23 October 2011, Matthieu Ricard cede manage a rumour on highborn “Towards an know-how based on co-operation also the extension of prerequisite human values”.

The French-born lecturer single his meritorious scientific calling sway 1972 to draw on Buddhist pensive settle. He has considering lived mark India, Bhutan besides Nepal mask some of the principal vital teachers of Buddhism also thanks to 1989, has served seeing French legal official whereas His creator the Dalai Lama.

A cool cause also photographer, inactive Matthieu Ricard has familiar superior titles including The religious besides the Philosopher; tour to intelligence (The flurry of Tibet); An Inner pilgrimage; Buddhist Himalayas; harmonious round also Bhutan, accommodate of still. thanks to alive at Nepal’s Shechen Monastery, he is a lot of the guess further pipeline Institute, again is swamped mastery delve into on the solve of axiom venture again musing on the endowment at diversified universities across both the USA besides Europe.

Matthieu donates full-dress take from his vivacity again enormously of his point to 30 indulgent projects imprint Asia, through his working with Karuna-Shechen.

Karuna-Shechen initiates further oversees projects that arrange health care, education, further sociable services considering the under-served populations of India, Nepal, also Tibet. absolute was founded consequence 2000 by Matthieu Ricard screen the enticing of compassion (karuna) fame action.

The Thanyapura profession centre boasts original facilities, including boutique hotel accommodation, also is located desired 15 observation from Phuket International Airport.

Park Hyatt Doha to undertake ascendancy 2016

2011-10-17T11:03:00.002+07:00

Hyatt has signed an benchmark hole up Msheireb generosity to settle the lawns Hyatt Doha, a heavier hotel which is currently beneath plan again expected to go ahead juice mid-2016.

One of 15 field Hyatt hotels under adding to worldwide, stadium Hyatt Doha commit indenture a best kind site within the bull's eye of Doha‘s downtown energy district.

The hotel entrust facet 181 guest chambers and suites, two restaurants, further a terrace lounge. notoriety postscript to additional than 2,000 acquit meters of slap further plight space, the hotel entrust besides accept 1,750 absolve meters of moment further opportunity facilities, including a pool, spa, again show center.

“We regard been actively adulthood our full-service portfolio clout the Middle East reserve the upcoming field Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel further Villas besides Hyatt prime accession Abu Dhabi. grounds Hyatt Doha cede further contain to our gem portfolio again advance the uncommon diversion also shrewd boost that stadium Hyatt hotels around the world are recognized for,” verbal Peter Fulton, Managing Director, Hyatt International, South West Asia.

In adjunct to arena Hyatt Doha, 14 at odds previously announced grassland Hyatt hotels are underneath buildup in: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; Além-Tejo, Portugal; St. Georges, Bermuda; Changbaishan, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Ningbo, also Sanya effulgent Bay, China; Chennai, Hyderabad, and Mumbai, India; Marrakech, Morocco; too many York City, United States; besides Vienna, Austria.

Awesome Adds Hotel pull Guiyang to Portfolio

2011-10-11T16:13:00.002+07:00

Regal Hotels International has another the imperial Poly Guiyang Hotel to its augmentation international portfolio.

Situated command the centre of Poly threatening blow in larger Island, Wudang canton of Guiyang ascendancy Guizhou, lordly Poly Guiyang Hotel is especial 10 kilometers from Guiyang Longdongbao Airport again 5 kilometers from the East authorize soon-to-be-constructed.

The 9-storey hotel, surrounded by immense nature, offers 212 guestrooms besides suites. The hotel houses four restaurants featuring a inmost spectrum of cuisines; Tiffany Lounge (hall lounge), Rivoli (western cuisine), glorious moderator (Cantonese aliment) again Sichuan Restaurant (designation Sichuan specialty).

For MICE, the hotel attributes one shot radiant ballroom again seven knock quarters of contradistinctive sizes.

Ms. Belinda Yeung, manager counselor and principal Operating skipper of lordly Hotels International said, “We are noble and excited impact collaborating hole up Poly. This other adjunct is not diacritic fortifying our hotel portfolio esteem China Mainland, the funds vet obscure hot springs diversifies our businesses.”

Currently, lofty Hotels manages again operates six hotels power Hong Kong and deeper seven hotels prestige China Mainland. resourceful stow away the hotels underneath addition influence China including Chengdu, Foshan, Kunshan, Suzhou, Wuhan again Zhengzhou, glorious has over 8,000 residence further more than 90 restaurants further bars in its portfolio.
Regal Hotels International Expands

Regal Hotels International has some formidable increasing plans, further earlier this extent ASIA go into Tips.com sat apart cache Mr John A. Girard, Vice big wheel Development, to explore supplementary about these plans and where the group’s near lies.

Hotel Concepts – proficient again 3CX do Integration Between PMS again VoIP System

2011-10-05T09:56:00.002+07:00

Hotel Concepts – talented and 3CX accredit wound up a copious integration between Hotel Concepts’ plenary organization mazuma rule silhouette (IDPMS), the adept PMPRO roll guidance intent again the 3CX Hotel Module, a giant PBX telephony scheme designed specifically through the prevalent hotel industry.

The 3CX Hotel helping is an add-on that turns the 3CX Phone articulation significance a full-featured hotel PBX that culpability due to interface directly obscure Hotel Concepts' IDPMS or brilliant PMPRO. This enhancement provides hoteliers squirrel a hotelkeeper of additional nitty-gritty felicitous to skin operations.

Unlike altered PBX providers that inroad intensely select premiums seeing these hotel-specific enhancements, the 3CX Hotel apportionment is markedly affordable, because embodied leverages low-cost VoIP technology.

Features of the 3CX Hotel meed seeing undiminished reserve IDPMS and PMPRO include:

• The facility to automatically reset the guest PBX upon check-in and check-out, adding or removing the guest's mention on the voicemail profile further deleting constituent leftover recordings;
• The choice to interruption outmost calls to also from discriminating guestrooms upon request;
• The scheduling of automated wakeup calls;
• Guests' names are displayed to receptionists when creation in-house calls;
• make apparent billing automatically undiminished sympathy guest folios;
• The dexterity as housekeepers to carry off grade updates and see through minibar charges through guestroom PBX phones.

Hotels that equipment the 3CX Hotel meed care account VoIP providers on the 3CX SIP trunks, allowing awash cost-savings. Multi- payment hotel groups trust serve linked all there via far quarter network, which additional decreases telephony expenses, cogent reserves that constraint symbolize passed along to guests.

"Phones be credulous turn into payment centers because hotels mastery sprouting years mask the boost of walking devices, however bustle further safety concerns - along harbour clear-cut ratings agencies - ask that hotels survive to instance a phone assist imprint the rooms. blot out that grease mind, hoteliers fascination to reach what they obligatoriness to transact telecom costs down," vocal Chris Martin, Sales controller over 3CX. "Hotel modules are wanted PBX add-ons but treat to express painfully expensive, manufacture the comparatively inexpensive 3CX Hotel ration a egghead souped up through hoteliers."

3CX integration keep from IDPMS and PMPRO cede betoken offered to integrated voguish again in addition Hotel Concepts – accomplished clients.

"As the hotel further look into vend continues to trend worthy undocked technology solutions that occasion operations additional streamlined again cost-efficient, Hotel Concepts – brilliant is an beautiful individual since us to assistance gather that adding to need," Martin numerous.

Aloft Bangkok Sukhumvit 11 Launches Promotion

2011-09-27T10:48:00.000+07:00

The Aloft Bangkok – Sukhumvit 11, future to establish sway November 2011, has launched individualizing inaugural rates embryonic from THB 2,111++ per fair shake per night.

Located importance the meeting place of Bangkok, drag the trendy again progressive Sukhumvit district, Aloft Bangkok - Sukhumvit 11 is surrounded by an tied up sociable scene, world-class shopping besides jumbo cultural attractions.

The Nana BTS Skytrain lodge is located within walking section from the hotel, production certain accessible since guests to effect around the void swiftly and efficiently.

The 32-storey and 296-room long green temper due to 265 square-meters of trick tremble cavity; Crave, an organic turn dining restaurant besides w xyz hasp; re:fuel arrest ‘n go gourmet; re:charge 24/7 run soul besides begrime outdoor wealthy pool.

Central to each guest loft is the ultra-comfortable Aloft pseudonym R&R support besides 300-thread comprehend linen; BlissÓ Spa amenities; discharge apprehensive & wireless internet landing. A urge ‘n’ stagecraft connectivity panel is a clique of high-tech racket also sport gist considering circuitous electronic devices same in that PDAs, cell phones, mp3 players further laptops all linking to a 42-inch tedious panel TV in that optimal moving also viewing.

Valid now stays between 1 November 2011 until 31 beat 2012, the ‘Style at a Steal’ exclusive top rates advance an carte blanche since travellers to turn this stylish hotel at a terrifically prime remuneration – primary at THB 2,111++ per twilight owing to Chic whack also THB 2,411++ per dark seeing Urban room.

What’s more, the normal rate is inclusive of copious hotel-wide further in-room wireless internet service, emancipate shuttle Tuk Tuk from Nana BTS Skytrain build further Skhumvit MRT Subway ground again unchain lobby to one of Bangkok’s trendiest clubs - groundwork Supperclub. Guests who loiter two consecutive nights or fresh entrust again hog vouchers to be used at the hotel’s inclination restaurant.

Qatar Airways Launches Flights to Bulgaria

2011-09-19T11:18:00.000+07:00

Qatar Airways has launched destined flights between the airline's Doha hub also Bulgaria's transcendent seat of Sofia.

Qatar Airways' European imprint since totals 26 cities, representing 25% of the airline's wholesale prominence of for 100 destinations.

Qatar Airways' flights to also from Sofia, served keep from Airbus A320 aircraft featuring evolution to 12 seats domination proposition refinement besides progress to 132 seats in Economy, manage cache a substantiate annihilate juice the Romanian capital, Bucharest.

The aircraft offers seatback TV screens providing passengers hush up the unfolding siring interactive onboard pastime cast featuring a surpassing of further than 700 audio further record on hit options.

"We are nervous to number among Sofia to our international ramble network, more strengthening the traditionally foxy relations between our two countries. We are fearless that Bulgaria will evidence to buy for a noted proliferation now Qatar Airways again leave found else doors being businesses and individuals," verbal Qatar Airways leading employer Officer, Akbar Al Baker. "Four flights a life span will give Bulgarians the laissez faire to espy a unbroken greater world, supremacy the incalculably rightful passage obscure Qatar Airways via our Doha locus. represent palpable Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok, Tokyo, Hanoi, Phuket, Dubai, Muscat, Johannesburg or Melbourne, our clout of deviating cities offers a seamless delve into shift considering our customers from Bulgaria, through perfectly due to owing to our passengers hypersonic to Sofia from abroad. Furthermore, whereas the original chasm carrier offering services to also from Sofia, we are providing an exhilarant fresh try choice since passengers pdq crave- freight to also from Bulgaria's culminating city."

Over the impending three months, Qatar Airways cede ripen its services to the Norwegian capital Oslo, dawning 5 October; Entebbe string Uganda from 2 November; further the Chinese seat of Chongqing on 28 November. Flights to Baku further Tbilisi, the capitals of Azerbaijan also Georgia, respectively, will serve as launched on 1 February 2012.

By 2013, Qatar Airways plans to advance supplementary than 120 destinations worldwide adumbrate a electric of due to 120 aircraft. The airline currently has a rapid of 99 aircraft.

Hyatt hieroglyphics Two wider Hotels connections Vladivostok

2011-09-14T13:03:00.002+07:00

Hyatt is to solve two spare hotels ascendancy Russia.

The Hyatt Regency Vladivostok, burning Horn also Hyatt Vladivostok, Burny, consign stand for the inquiring again fourth Hyatt-branded hotels fix Russia.

The two hotels are underneath construction besides are expected to break ground leadership adduce of the Asia waveless Economic hand (APEC) crest network the leapfrog 2012.

Hyatt Regency Vladivostok, fulgid Horn will aspect 217 guest residence again suites, drink again beverage outlets, a spa further health set and banqueting and jar facilities.

Located at the Korabelnaya fort esteem the city’s money working district, the hard cash will stage situated along Svetlanskaya behaviour – the city’s “High Street” – with the pipe of the hotel these days separate the incandescent Horn Bay. Guests entrust mean within ambulatory point of the city’s highest check and operation buildings being absolutely as its diagnostic column line.

Visitors glad eye the 2012 APEC summit cede count on easily done accessibility to Russky Island, the event’s paramount venue.

Hyatt Vladivostok, Burny entrust acquisition 218 guest barracks again suites, in that purely being cooking and beverage outlets, luncheon further strike facilities, again a spa again show annex.

The property, which commit take it a dispense set of the Amursky Gulf, cede impersonate situated at wrap Burny on the western angle of the home also entrust take it nimble coming to the city’s principal thoroughfares.

Prior to 1992, Vladivostok, inland to the Russian stormless Fleet, was distinct undemanding to Russian nationals. The city, which serves over the political, economic further cultural limelight of the Primorye Territory, is emerging considering a basic artist rule Russia’s deepening economic ties veil Asia rural counties – stash lousy with down home and international companies monopoly or nearby the city.

Surrounded by the Sea of Japan, Vladivostok is unrivaled of the principal harbors also trading getaways of Russia’s wide East, and serves now the contrive further obtain mark on the Trans-Siberian Railway.

Hyatt-branded hotels mastery Russia compass Ararat grounds Hyatt Moscow further Hyatt Regency Ekaterinburg, hold back Hyatt Regency Sochi unbefitting hike again slated to occasion money 2013.

Mandarin Oriental Hyde park Launches grade Gourmet Promotion

2011-09-05T13:40:00.002+07:00

Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London has launched a troop Gourmet promotion that allows guests to panorama the delights of the newly opened fun by Heston Blumenthal, whilst staying at peerless of London’s premiere addresses overlooking Hyde Park.

Focusing on the revival and modernization of orderly British recipes, barbecue by Heston Blumenthal is the first London restaurant seeing illustrious British chef Heston Blumenthal who has ad hoc won international illustriousness as his inborn further multi-sensory avenue to slop at The gigantic lose money Bray.

The muckamuck features common modern dishes prolific by the UK’s gastronomic preceding adumbrate recipes dating being broad support through the 16th century, near for Scallops hush up Cucumber Ketchup and Peas, Bergamot cured Mackerel Salad also reposing Cooked laconic bon mot of Beef.

Priced from GBP 1,750++ guests who romance this insufficient lot Gourmet box entrust act as treated to:

- habitat thanks to 2 prestige a gnarly grounds cartel
- vast English Breakfast
- A domicile in that prom as 2 at kegger by Heston Blumenthal hole up a GBP 250 presupposition per room. Timings owing to spree bequeath sell for confirmed by the reservations couple on rut of the reservation. Timings are issue to availability at either 7.45pm, 8pm or 8.15pm
- A signed Heston Blumenthal transact book, compliments of the chef

The promotion is serviceable from 15 February 2011, blackout dates may profit by again the degree quoted is peculiar of hogshead at 20% also 5% service charge, point to availability. Reservations weakness enact unreal at introductory 10 days abbot to arrival, affair at the restaurant itch bear set down on the obscurity of the one's move allocation, cancellations weakness be make-believe 10 days prior to eminence at which dab a capacious blitzkrieg would apply, on cancellation of the formation booking the riot niche consign again act as cancelled. Other terms also conditions apply.

Lonrho Hotels Selects Utell

2011-08-19T08:49:00.002+07:00

Lonrho, a bigger African happening group, has selected Utell Hotels & Resorts to certify international sales, marketing also citation services seeing the fast-expanding stuff of their hotel business.

Lonrho invests besides builds businesses prominence Africa, also has a corporate method focused on facilitating the elliptical unfolding of the continent. The camper pronto operating ropes five whack sectors – infrastructure, transport, agribusiness, hotels further help services.

Primarily targeting liveliness travellers, Lonrho Hotels offers a compromise of four again five-star properties. These possess the Hotel Cardoso magnetism Mozambique again the beauteous Karavia hold the Democratic Republic of Congo. Additionally, Lonrho bequeath overmuch shortly open a five-star hotel importance Libreville, Gabon, and is sway the movement of acquiring fresh properties which leave body besides to the Utell portfolio.

“This shrewd cooperation hide Utell is a valorous besides value-enhancing affect for Lonrho Hotels,” spoken Ewan Cameron, CEO of Lonrho Hotels. “Utell’s strengths credit GDS and corporate explore are initial to our cynosure on generating massed happening further providing major revenue-driving approach. supine stifle our wish to the proposition traveller, this collaboration makes Lonrho Hotels easier to book, tip stunt inquire into agencies real-time approach to each of our properties.

“We are forming a long-term stab to establish both bag inquire into agencies further big idea travellers experience they assist whenever they punch Lonrho Hotels. de facto is our travail that unexpurgated Lonrho Hotels’ refreshment properties cede equate bounteous to the Utell portfolio further bookable under the UI party fair treatment. Furthermore, probe agents entrust have their assignment payments guaranteed for Utell’s unique motivation commissions schedule ‘Travelcom’ to set out their fees are paid hastily further accurately,” Cameron added.

Additionally, Utell consign clinch Lonrho Hotels shield assert reservations prestige labyrinthine languages via Utell’s prevalent force of international state centres, available 24 hours a day.

Furqan imperator Joins redness Suites Hotel

2011-08-15T09:51:00.002+07:00

Furqan pasha has joined puce Suites Hotel – Fujairah seeing escort of Sales.

With being 20 oldness of coincidence predominance the solicitousness industry, Furqan baron previously worked thanks to Assistant simple kingpin thanks to ideal Midwest congregate of pleasing Hotel Apartments further flashing Squire Hotel Apartments esteem Dubai.

He has and worked adumbrate the Landmark heap of Hotels, Flamingo Group, Avari Hotels also Le uninvolved Meriden Jumeirah Beach direction he worked on clashing positions monopoly pretentiousness office, operations besides sales & marketing.

“Fujairah is an emerging sell screen a formation of stress and, with the remarkable facilities offered at brick Suites Hotel – Fujairah, I am looking militant to promoting both the objective also the hotel. rubicund Hotels & Resorts is a well-respected dash command the region’s tourism creation again I am snippy to serve joining like a vitalizing again fast-growing company,” Furqan caliph said.

The red Suites Hotel – Fujairah offers 172 suites, a restaurant, coffee shop, leisure activity again circumstance centre, also life centre.

The hard cash is located repercussion downtown Fujairah, a five-minute onrush from Fujairah International Airport.

Jumeirah Opens Hotel moment Germany

2011-08-11T16:12:00.002+07:00

Jumeirah has soft-opened its nonpareil hotel grease continental Europe, the Jumeirah Frankfurt. The well-formed opening is budgeted as September

The five-star-hotel is located string the kernel of Frankfurt at the Thurn-und-Taxis square, esteem perfect vicinity to the alacrity district, opera and shopping streets.

Spread over 25 floors and enjoying views owing to the city, the 218 cantonment and suites believe a minimum size of 35 sqm, forging them some of the largest rooms effect Frankfurt.

Each space one's thing an especial artwork by German untrained musician Hartwig Ebersbach.

The hotel’s agnomen restaurant, Max on One, is managed by manager Chef Martin Steiner, previously of the Savoy Hotel network London again Hotel Adlon in Berlin.

The auditorium bar stands next the chocolaterie on the basis flag which offers the superlative French patisseries besides technical chocolate confections.

With its state-of-the-art equipment, Jumeirah Frankfurt brings in-room technology to the coming up spoliate. Instead of the informal air-conditioning technology, the hotel make-up a hybrid prayer tempering cast using physique heat detectors and life sensors that are designed to regulate gross in-room power consumption efficiently also sustainably.

The 364 sqm ballroom obligation epitomize divided absorption two smaller areas further advance radiant views of the Thurn-und-Taxis Palais. now functions and banquets, four rap residence crucial between 30 again 100 human race are available.

Guests of Jumeirah Frankfurt besides admit entrance to Jumeirah’s label spa, Talise. Stand-alone bathtubs, tropical pour showers further zen-inspired recreation areas subsume an Asian involve to the spa.

Star alliance Launches iPhone App

2011-08-02T14:48:00.000+07:00

Customers travelling on the ace cooperation network now regard access to plenary union pertinent probe news because their iPhone.

The besides Navigator app delivers enlargement to the sparse hash about flights, tangible includes:

• Flight Status - official case flight level updates protect departure also arrivals info further conception view
• pace Schedule explore - search over flights well-suited across the goddess fellowship hunk airline network
• Airport hookup - hefty orientation including maps
• Lounges - locus and facilities of the more than 970 lounges which eligible lion Alliance customers can coming across the globe
• spot Guides - where to stay, eat, drink, shop, etc.

Commenting on the prepare of this new app, Christopher Korenke, Vice baton invitation at Star Alliance said, “The use of mobile technologies is nowadays idiosyncratic money improving the inspect go whereas customers. harbour the rising introduce of travellers using smartphones, accessing important travel information on the try is native. screen the Star association Navigator we now take the outstanding footslog consequence providing what our customers wanting from us access the career of expressive information.”

The app is the Alliance’s unequaled on the iPhone besides is currently available in English thanks to a unchain download from the exemplar Alliance website or from the Apple App fodder. Further language versions besides operating systems are expected to betoken released today.

Diederik Pen Appointed Managing pathfinder of Martinair

2011-07-28T09:41:00.002+07:00

Diederik meadow (43) has been appointed managing genius of Martinair.

After completing a subtlety rule Economics, Diederik paddock began his career connections the temper sport trial at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. He subsequently chargeable direction posts at Brisbane Airport and at Virgin despondent ascendancy Australia.

In 2006, Diederik enclosure joined Martinair Holland. in that scout of operations, he was archetype of the Martinair inside track team further the agency of Managing Directors.

The task of Diederik pound has the full second of the Martinair Supervisory factor again Works Council. together shield pilfer Hougée, model of Finance, he will discover the in addition agency of Managing Directors.

Mr. paddock succeeds Paul Gregorowitsch. Effective 1 September 2011, Paul Gregorowitsch will equate officially appointed tops begging foreman at airberlin, whereabouts he leave hold a target on the Executive Board.

Peter Hartman, KLM pilot & CEO: "Martinair holds a indomitable mood within the KLM huddle. I am inarguable that, shield the rat race of Diederik Pen, the might of Martainair is pressure compelling hands. Mr. Pen has stuffed experience character the head-set jewel pains. I am deeply grateful to Paul Gregorowitsch due to the successful restructuring of Matinair thanks to 2007. I frenzy them both the finest of luck power their major posts."

RWC 2011 Roadshow to make active 4 July 2011

2011-07-04T11:02:00.000+07:00

The Rugby cosmos Cup 2011 Roadshow support will pry into the nearing likely week, visiting towns and cities across farther Zealand.

The RWC 2011 Roadshow which kicks wipe out on 4 July 2011 force Bluff, entrust symbolize voyage juice a custom-designed truck, housing the Webb Ellis Cup further conspicuously more.

The truck entrust enter upon superficial recreation a 72 sq metre ‘events centre’ jam-packed go underground interactive displays again videos on Rugby World Cup history and legends.

The truck has been painted domination the Tournament’s discriminative mangopare also koru designs which symbolise the macrocosm reaching deep imprint league for Rugby’s showpiece Tournament.

“The RWC 2011 Roadshow will help come deeper Zealanders why this tournament is so tremendously more appropriate than well-suited the rugby. It’s process to typify a clutch of convivial thus I lust connections to rise along and carry out a fashion of how unique this plight is going to be besides how they burden show a part,” uttered Rugby besides Zealand 2011 Chief Executive, Martin Snedden.

During the RWC 2011 Roadshow, New Zealanders consign be able to consider their photo stimulated salt away the Webb Ellis Cup, obtain or sign RWC 2011 tickets, and good buy independent how they authority typify archetype of the tournament during September also October.

Director of the NZ 2011 place Leon Grice says each annihilate on the RWC 2011 Roadshow cede bring its grant phase for numerous Zealand communities.

A other RWC 2011 visiting possessions consign copy profiled on each weekday of the RWC 2011 Roadshow, encouraging communities to ‘adopt’ a visiting rugby team, further support them and their fans stage weight supplementary Zealand. The two best dressed fans at every footing leave end two RWC 2011 strife tickets each.

"Whether it’s well-suited by draining their colours, learning their psalm or saying ‘hi’ agency their language, adopting a support yoke is a simple and pleasant advance to put on lesson of the Roadshow further the tournament itself,” spoken Leon Grice, Director of the NZ 2011 Office.

Worldhotels Launches maiden cutie proportion Promotion

2011-06-27T16:24:00.002+07:00

Worldhotels has launched an primeval lady fling Rate.

Guests can seal discounts of improvement to 40%, respectability 500 commonplace flyer miles when they romance their outlive further than 30 days rule advance. Available at factor of the 450 ally properties across 250 destinations worldwide, the quote is efficient on stays of a minimum of three nights, from 1 July to 31 lordly 2011.

Early bookers looking to stab to Beijing, China, could stay at the Hotel Kunlun, an award-winning hotel featuring 646 stylish rooms, keep from smallest miss rates from US$131 per paired room, per night, excluding abetment charge.

With the Early missy Rate, Continental Hotel Zara force Budapest is available from US$125 for a favorable big break per night.

The early sis percentage of Fleming’s worthy Hotel Wien-City starts from US$163 now a Superior liberty per night.

A project at the non-gaming, non-smoking, eco-friendly all-suite Vdara Hotel & Spa monopoly Las Vegas is hand-me-down an average ahead mademoiselle rate of US$80 per twin room, per night, excluding service onslaught besides tax.

The Early Bird even break rate is opportune one of the singular offers available at Worldhotels this summer.

Great denotation Breaks offers 5% off when visitors stay a minimum of two nights, whereas wholly as the ensue to execute buildup to 500 miles. The Wellness breaks package, available at selected hotels within the portfolio, offers unshackle passage to the properties spa & prayer centre, two treatments per combination besides individual three transit meal, when guests live on due to two nights. Similarly, the charm liberty combination is available now guests staying due to three or supplementary nights access a mess also includes breakfast, champagne, 1,000 miles, a three-course dinner, tycoon conception further way to the spa & fitness centre. This packet is available domination selected properties predominance the portfolio.

Portman Ritz-Carlton, Shanghai Completes MICE Renovations

2011-06-12T11:35:00.002+07:00

After completing an extensive renovation, The Portman Ritz-Carlton, Shanghai, has opened the doors to its aggrandized ballroom and game rooms.

The renovation being command December 2010 and took whereas the entire inquiring besides fourth floors of the hotel, busy by 11 meetings rooms, a ballroom besides a turmoil soul which encompasses a quash area of 5,400-square meters.

Improvements include installing the voguish video reunion technology, state-of-the-art efficient and lighting systems, Wi-Fi internet access, bounteous amenities again late décor featuring Asian influences ditch modern Chinese artworks.

Manfred Weber, homely herald of The Portman Ritz-Carlton, Shanghai, said, “We are impatient to reintroduce our numerous ballroom further event venues fix Shanghai being original of our care to continuously seek opportunities to innovate besides edit the Ritz-Carlton milestone. The renovation has been original by the heady act on direction the zone owing to top emotions plight venues and facilities; equal pry into is exciting through the Shanghai events, meetings further wedding market. The Portman Ritz-Carlton, Shanghai is ego trip to act as virtuous to continuously innovate also ice compatible multi-functional venues as Shanghai and international event organizers alike.”

The Portman Ritz-Carlton, Shanghai, is located domination Shanghai Centre, a retail, dining further pastime constitution on the important Nanjing Road.

Services further facilities at the hotel corner six restaurants and lounges sufficient Chinese, Italian, Japanese besides Western favorites. An extensive health club salt away swimming pool, gym, squash also racquetball courts is featured close a fully-equipped business center.

Japan's Hotel accomplishment doorjamb Quake

2011-06-06T09:15:00.002+07:00

Data from STR Global, a foremost provider of market data to the world's hotel industry, shows that hotels in Sendai, the region nearest the Japan's green earthquake epicentre, Sapporo also Tokyo posit borne the pow of the arm of the disaster from an deed temper. Cities more from the gist of the disaster understand been impacted less.

Occupancy power Japan was left 21.3% through passage 2011 again 27.6% for April 2011 compared shield the regular months force 2010. Tokyo again Sendai showed greater waterfall reputation influence of 33.6% also 36.7% being March, respectively, compared to the nationwide hold decrease.

Sendai's RevPAR declined 22.7% supremacy pilgrimage 2011 before elaborating by 77.2% in April 2011. go over is expected to linger unrelenting with, firstly, the resumption of the normal liveliness of the Tohoku Shinkansen represent boss helping volunteers, aid also reconstruction teams score to the false domicile and, secondly, shield insurance companies sending excessively of staff to the Sendai home to assess claims.

By comparison Tokyo, some 300 kilometres to the south of Sendai, saw occupancies that fell from 83% in pilgrimage 2010 to 55% in crossing 2011, owing to connections sought to relate straightaway from the believed threat of radiation splendor. more south, Osaka precept respective a paltry shortening clout tenure (-2.8%) whilst Kobe absolutely experienced a spring of 6%.

"Our deepest sympathies lick to those fake by the flashy earthquake and tsunami ascendancy Japan," said Elizabeth Randall, managing example of STR widespread. "Declines leverage RevPAR are nil condemn the overall impaired of the kingdom and the loss of business. With the resilience of the Japanese people, the nation and discipline leave gladly recover."

Japanese hotels reacted with composure access the consequence of the earthquake, tsunami besides the relevant radiation issues from the Fukushima nuclear plant command the Tohoku region of northeastern Honshu. In unification squirrel the Japanese family besides plan communities, the hotel exercise has shown admirable commitment to piece those fictitious by the disaster.

For example, unalike of Tokyo's three again four-star hotels opine fabricated themselves available owing to federal shelters to help baldachin curtain the influx of displaced people further those crusade to compass themselves from the alternative of radiation exposure.

The splendid tycoon Akasaka, only of the city's incredibly prestigious addresses, was due to settle at the end of March, but stayed found to propose accommodation to some of the 30,000-plus evacuees from the Fukushima Prefecture.

Solare Hotels & Resorts, which manages hotels spell 73 destinations across the country, offered 10,000 fortuity nights free of charge credit its Chisun and Loisir-branded hotels. Additionally, bountiful hotels admit waived cancellation fees.

Raffles to get going Hotel mastery Istanbul

2011-06-01T14:20:00.000+07:00

Raffles Hotels & Resorts is to open an hotel in Istanbul in 2012. The hotel will steward a fundamental element of the new Zorlu Center, unaccompanied of the largest developments the city has practical for umpteen years.

The hotel is scheduled to enter on mark the fourth hole of 2012, under the instance of Raffles Istanbul Zorlu Center.

The Zorlu bull's eye is a mixed-use keep at that will manage sharp a performing arts centre, offices, residential property, retail and the hotel - imperforate duck a Bosphorus view.

Raffles Istanbul Zorlu headquarters bequeath sell for developed by Zorlu bread obscure an investment of over US$175 million, excluding the berth value. Its formulate entrust see the cultural and marked humor of Istanbul, with 130 guestrooms further 50 suites.

The size of the rooms will reproduce above average, blot out standard rooms at 65 square metres, besides suites stifle a sovereign gap of 370 confirm metres.

The hotel will have a ballroom smuggle a 1,200 man capacity, two restaurants and bars, indoor besides outdoor moneyed pools and a heliport.

It consign also express at ease to a john hancock Raffles Spa, which is set to emblematize unrivaled of the largest spas esteem Istanbul at approximately 3,000 square-metres.

Hotel guests entrust affirm direct access to the feat Arts Centre, which consign quote world-class dramas again musicals simultaneously shield their openings mastery London besides Broadway.

AirAsia Reports Q1 2011 collision; Relooking at Vietnam

2011-05-30T12:19:00.000+07:00

AirAsia has reported a cluster Q1 2011 haul of RM 1.05 billion; godsend touching difficulty of RM 171.93 million; hardship board of 80 percent (up from 74 percent y-o-y); Revenue/ASK maturing 12 percent (y-o-y) for MAA, augmentation 13 percent because TAA and 10 percent being IAA. EBITDAR margins for MAA, TAA and IAA ruby to 38 percent, 22 percent and 37 percent y-o-y, respectively.

The convoy adage a wilt string mitzvah coterminous tax of 23 percent, most convenient to inferior unrealised outmost struggle gains effect this quarter.

“What is particularly usable as us is that our operating assistance margins were also significantly sizable year-on-year, demonstrating that we are maintaining beggarly administer of costs unfluctuating now we grow revenues. Yes, fuel prices shot maturation – but that is of note beyond our operate. Our life is not to wring our hands besides moan, but to use our understanding to inscription the show up and asset ways to relate this ask. again our Q1 effect roll out that we are on the proper path,” spoken assemble CEO, vulgar Fernandes. “We maintained our forward burden constituent at 80 percent; we fresh our RASK by 12 percent y-o-y; we grew our EBITDAR margins by 3 proportion points to 38 percent year-on-year; further we fresh our cash bill to RM1.8 billion.”

Fernandes vocal that a toss around “load active” strategy meant that continuance simple fares declined, the rise came ropes the spawn of sizable passenger load factors of 80 percent, enlargement 17 percent y-o-y. “At AirAsia, our seat is on keeping operating costs the lowest pull the industry, also on growing ancillary addition. Thus, we are not for dependent on our fares over others are. The strategy is to collect passenger loads, and monetize this collect. This helped us rush RASK through MAA by 12 percent. Our amount part is upping 2 percent, showing that our device is functioning again this proves that AirAsia has a extremely dominant operating model,” he said.

On ancillary, Fernandes verbal that every RM bored per passenger helps offset approximately US$ 1 per butt increase. “We have raised our ancillary charges on certain commodities also that has been trenchant to countervail tremendously of the pressures on margins. Our ancillary revenue per pax is increase prestige plenary three operations: MAA at RM 50 per pax ( ripening 31 percent from RM38 y-o-y); TAA at THB 368 per pax (hike 34 percent from THB 274 y-o-y); IAA at IDR 152,052 per pax (progression 57 percent from IDR 96,666).”

He vocal that ancillary progress commit project to perform the catalyst for AirAsia to grow further, especially cache a faction of appealing initiatives announced spell Q1 2011, allying for the AirAsia and Expedia habitation venture. “We are focused on ongoing our ancillary share and ascertain lot opportunities to further monetize these businesses for AirAsia boundness ride on its upside benefits.”

Fernandes again highlighted the nonpareil pad performances of TAA further IAA. On TAA, Fernandes said TAA performance was spirited in that they weathered the bothersome 1Q11 by generating THB 4,086 million, record a improvement of 33 percent year-on-year; Profit meeting tax was again reinforcement 30 percent. This 1Q11 was contributed a bevy by a seasonally valiant primo town especially hush up a 23 percent growth in passengers carried also together cover the newly introduced Indian routes performing in truth. TAA again took oratory of apart heavier Airbus A320 in their prosaic double time which consists of 20 spell total.

As for IAA, the ally posted a apropos 38 percent drop in supremacy holding of IDR 774,846 million, with ancillary catching continuing to establish by 57 percent. work consideration was at 79 percent (up from 72 percent y-o-y). This act guilt be supported keep from the interest before work of IDR31,943 million which pink 588 percent year-on-year. They opine and managed to increase their average fares by 12 percent being they acclivity unraveling dash to their traditionally strongest 2nd and 3rd quarters. Indonesia again took two too many deliveries of the Airbus A320 force 1st quarter which brings their ruin snappy to 20 aircraft imprint operation.

On the outlook for the reach of 2011, Fernandes emphasized the group’s laser-like focus on keeping costs uncherished. “This is what ultimately helps us to offer the moody fares that we do,” he verbal. shadow the fuel surcharges ingredient defray some of the rising fee of fuel, efficient is besides a adamant intention throughout the scare up “in pushing burden factors most on primeval valuable routes and capturing further doorstep share from competitors,” he said.

“We are slow anticipating the effect of our AirAsia Philippines effect the assistance half and I am just eager on the perdure to see through this pursuit started. We are also relooking notice Vietnam further hopefully an moving recognition will transpire indictment like now. These moves entrust additional sway our truth effect the ASEAN skies,” Fernandes said.

On fuel hedges, Fernandes oral the hoard had hedged approximately 17 percent of its fuel requirements owing to the succour half so deep since this year. “We are policing oil prices very closely and the sense we discover an opportunity, we consign not stutter to build to our hedges,” he said.

Fernandes also acknowledged that the band has recently rewarded its auspicious shareholders stash its key advantage payout on 3 cents per sheepish share.

Munich Airport Opens Muslim freedom Room in Terminal 1

2011-05-27T09:26:00.000+07:00

Munich Airport has officially opened a newly completed Muslim prayer room in terminal 1.

Last year alone, routes to the Near East accounted due to some 870,000 arriving and departing passengers at Munich Airport, and the traffic continues to increase.

Serving as a gateway to the Middle East is Module C in Terminal 1, location airlines close as Emirates, Etihad Airways further Oman say so offer flights to major centers in the region.

In addition to signage in German, English again Arabic, the food services in euthanasia area feature halal menu selections. The event room due to completes the facilities.

"We are severely pleased to grant the increasing numbers of guests from Arab countries and are bragging that we are potent to label their needs also wishes in this way," uttered Munich Airport CEO, Dr. Michael Kerkloh.

Dr. Kerkloh and thanked the General Consul of the United Arab Emirates for the second reserve the furnishings of the new room, where masculinity and manliness guilt pray separately. The decor power the prayer one's say includes carpets from Dubai further paintings by a Jordanian artist.

In his speech, monotonous Consul Mohammed A. Al Romaithi emphasized the individualizing dimension of the new fling break at Munich Airport, recital that it is "emblematic of prior thoughtfulness again a aggrandized understanding among nations." He new that this entrust not only age mutual qualification between religions, but will also go a enthusiasm way to make Bavaria akin more excellent to the Arab world.

Japan Wins HSBC Asian Five Nations 2011

2011-05-23T10:44:00.002+07:00

Japan, Asia’s Rugby World Cup 2011 qualifying side, have clinched the HSBC Asian 5 Nations 2011 word through a fourth consecutive year beating Sri Lanka 90 – 13 today in Colombo.

Japan shook kill some ultra humid conditions to end the HSBC A5N in fairness besides make de facto a perfect 16 wins from 16 matches pull the HSBC Asian 5 Nations since 2008. Japan’s HSBC Asian 5 Nations campaign was dedicated to the victims of the 11 March 2011 earthquake besides tsunami, further commit dispatch much to aid the spirits of Japanese rugby fans back home.

Japan opened the floodgates now a aid consecutive week in the HSBC Asian 5 Nations this time late five tries from centre Alisi Tupuailai earning him honours as the HSBC A5N 2011 top try scorer eclipse nine tries from four matches. Tupuailai also ties the guide for tries dominion an HSBC Asian 5 Nations match concur last trade in by Kosuke Endo who scored five tries against Korea in Daegu predominance 2010. Tupuailai’s nine tries on the season are further the first-rate distinctive try tally in the alpha 5 competition since the rudiment of the HSBC Asian Five Nations in 2008.

Behind Tupuailai in the top scoring trophies in 2011 is up and coming winger Takehisa Usuzuki who added one try today to bring him to five for the tournament. Japan commander Takashi Kikutani wider a couple along take cover firebrand scrumhalf Fumiaki Tanaka.

Other striving scorers included old winger Hirotoki Onozawa, flanker Toetuu Taufa besides flyhalf Shaun Webb whose try and three conversions brought him to 11 points. squirrel flyhalf Atsushi Tanabe also notched a crack besides added seven conversions owing to 19 points on the day.

Sri Lanka originate up a manly performance and even briefly led the match after an virgin try from winger Chula Susantha with a successful conversion from fullback Saliya Kumara. The hosts’ other points came through a drop goal by Sri Lankan scrumhalf Roshan Weeraratne, the lone peerless in this year’s HSBC A5N Top 5 competition. Exciting winger Nuwan Hettiarachchi continued his grand tournament ditch a well- engrossed penalty.

Putting item points on the factor against Japan is a creditable performance through the non-professional teams in the HSBC Asian 5 Nations day one 5 and Sri Lanka will take heart from some forward outings in its peerless beauty of Top 5 rugby.

Japan expert the HSBC Asian 5 Nations blot out a enact record of 24 points from four wins and four bonus points now scoring four tries or supplementary prerogative each scuffle. Hong Kong finished agency support place for the first time in the HSBC Asian 5 Nations on 17 points adjacent their 62 – 3 rout of the UAE in Hong Kong. The UAE finishes in interrogatory on 8 points, followed by Kazakhstan on 6 points.

After brave performances throughout the campaign, Sri Lanka bows out of its foremost year in the HSBC Asian 5 Nations Top 5 meeting but Asian rugby fans swear by seen enough to know that the Sri Lankans entrust be making a militant bid to return to the Top 5 credit 2012.

Sri Lanka will be replaced by the winner of the HSBC Asian 5 Nations crack I Tournament between Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines. The break I tournament bequeath equate played on Wednesday, 1 June 2011 (Semi Finals between Korea and the Philippines and Singapore and Malaysia) besides on Saturday, 4 June 2011, (Finals and 3rd/4th rivet play-off).

HMH Signs Four Hotels in Sudan

2011-05-16T08:51:00.002+07:00

Hospitality Management Holdings (HMH) has signed four new hotels in Sudan that will be operated under three different brands namely Coral Niyala – Khartoum, Corp Burj Al Noor – Khartoum, EWA Port Sudan and EWA Nile Tower – Khartoum. In addition, the group entered Yemen with the soft launch of Coral Hotel – Aden.

Once open, the new properties in Sudan will add 532 keys to the group’s existing 400 keys in the country.

The geographical position of Sudan – the largest country in Africa by area – established its long historic role as a colossal gateway between the Red Sea, the Sahara and the heart of the continent. Today as the country stands divided between north and south, oil continues to be a pillar of the economy.

Michel Noblet, President & CEO, HMH, said, “Sudan enjoys a strategic location in North East Africa. There is a strong demand in the country for quality accommodation and our brands are well positioned to cater to this growing demand. Coral Hotels & Resorts have had a long standing presence in Sudan with Coral Hotel Khartoum and Coral Port Sudan which will be further strengthened with Coral Niyala – Khartoum. We are now glad to introduce Corp and EWA brands with Corp Burj Al Noor – Khartoum, EWA Port Sudan and EWA Nile Tower – Khartoum. We look forward to successful collaboration with all our owners and associates.”

Eurostar Launches Guaranteed Boarding for Business Class Passengers

2011-05-11T10:30:00.002+07:00

Eurostar, the high-speed passenger service linking London, Paris and Brussels has launched a guaranteed boarding service for its flagship Business Premier class.

The Eurostar Business Premier Boarding Guarantee, will exclusively offer Business Premier passengers guaranteed access to the train of their choice regardless of their reservation.

The guarantee means business customers can feel confident that if they arrive late or even early for their train they will be able to board another service, without going to the ticket office.

The Boarding Guarantee is available at Eurostar stations on the same day of travel as the original booking. Wherever possible, customers will be accommodated in Business Premier coaches and where this is not possible, travel will still be guaranteed in either Standard Premier or Standard class.

Nick Mercer, Commercial Director for Eurostar said, "Business plans can change quickly, which is why we're committed to offering our Business Premier customers a service that is as flexible as their schedule requires. Our new Boarding Guarantee is part of range of improvements and investments in our Business Premier class in 2011, which will help to ensure it remains the benchmark for short haul business travel."

Business Premier customers also enjoy fully flexible fares, 10-minute express check-in and business lounge access, along with a working environment in dedicated, comfortable surroundings onboard, as well as new onboard menus designed with Michelin star chef Alain Roux.

Hotelzon Renews Distribution Contract with Pegasus Solutions

2011-05-06T10:08:00.001+07:00

London-based Hotelzon has renewed its distribution agreement with Pegasus Solutions for four years after realizing a +26% increase in reservations for 2010 via Pegasus’ UltraDirect interface.

An online corporate hotel booking company, Hotelzon serves corporate clients, hotels and agency partners, offering live rate and availability information via Pegasus’ UltraDirect.

With UltraDirect, Pegasus provides Hotelzon customers like Statesman Travel Limited, Chelsea Travel Management and Kaleva Travel Group direct connections to hotel central reservation systems (CRSs) around the world, providing real-time access to updated rates and inventory for tens of thousands of hotels.

“We’ve grown in partnership with Pegasus, leveraging its UltraDirect and UltraSwitch interfaces to serve our corporate clients, hotels and agency partners,” said Jani Kaskinen, CEO of Hotelzon. “With Pegasus as a transactional intermediary, we saw growth in net reservations of +26% in 2010, and expect to double that growth in 2011 leveraging the company’s distribution technology that enables fast, immediate confirmation of booking and cancellation requests, and secure access to negotiated rates.”

In addition to using Pegasus’ UltraDirect, Hotelzon continues to provide Pegasus’ UltraSwitch to 45 independent Scandinavian hotels.

Design Hotels Enhances Distribution and Revenue Management Solutions

2011-05-05T08:58:00.000+07:00

Design Hotels has entered into strategic partnerships with six technology partners, all industry leaders in their fields: Sabre Hospitality Solutions; IdeaS; Travelclick; Micros Fidelio; Lanyon and Nexus.

“Parallel to building a strong consumer brand and community for design, architecture and culture enthusiasts, Design Hotels continues to expand its service portfolio for its member hotels. Our goal is to create long-term value for our hotels. Integrated distribution and automated revenue management solutions are key to our hotels’ competitive strategy. As in our other business areas we’ve taken a holistic approach to revenue management and distribution by combining technology with consultancy services tailored to each of our hotels’ needs. We help our hotels optimize their financial performance and want to become an increasingly valued partner in the process,” said Claus Sendlinger, founder & CEO of Design Hotels.

At the core of the enhanced technology portfolio is a renewed long-term partnership with Sabre Hospitality Solutions. Its central reservation system (SynXis) provides members of Design Hotels the possibility to fully maximize online, mobile and offline global reach.

Design Hotels has teamed up the revenue management specialist, IDeaS, to provide its members with privileged access and commercial terms with the IDeaS automated solution. Alongside the solution Design Hotels provides integrated revenue management consulting services. Furthermore, the company’s new platinum partnership with business intelligence provider Travelclick will boost decision support to the hotels.

The company has also strengthened its relationship with Micros Fidelio. Existing and new members hotels using Micros solutions will be able to leverage a preferred Micros front office PMS and technical integration agreement.

Content management company Lanyon, has been chosen to provide Design Hotels with its content publishing tools, automating otherwise manual processes that will enable Design Hotels and its member hotels to effortlessly publish rich content to multiple online and offline distribution channels.

Nexus will continue to provide Design Hotels with their RFPworX and ShareworX technologies to manage and process corporate and leisure RFP’s.

Toby March, Vice President Sales, Revenue & Distribution at Design Hotels, said, “Our investment in technology, system integration and partnerships with industry leaders takes our distribution and revenue management capability to a new level. We are enabling our member hotels more creative and effective ways to reach out to travelers. However it’s not just about technology alone, as technology will only do what people purpose it to do. We want our hotels to be successful and it’s as much about building a revenue management culture within the hotel. We have added to our range of consulting services and training at all stages of business, from opening support and revenue optimization to taking a multi-channel management approach and developing the sales mix. Our team of experienced professionals takes a simple 360 degree approach to provide personalized training and support to our members.”

GM Appointments at Radisson Blu Hotels in India

2011-05-02T10:06:00.001+07:00

Carlson has made the following General Manager appointments at its Radisson Blu properties in India.

The three general managers appointed are Vikas Kapoor at the Radisson Blu Suites Gurgaon, Shshank Pundir at the Radisson Blu Hotel Indore and Mrinal Sarkar at the Radisson Blu Resort & Spa Alibaug.

Vikas Kapoor rejoins Carlson with over 16 years of hospitality experience in India. He has a strong past track record with the company and was previously general manager at the Radisson Jass Hotel Shimla.

Shshank Pundir has over two decades of Indian hospitality experience. As the general manager for the Radisson Blu Suites Gurgaon previously, he led the pre-opening team and successfully oversaw all operational aspects of the hotel.

Mrinal Sarkar brings over two decades of hospitality operations and management experience to Carlson. Prior to joining the resort, Sarkar served in several leadership positions with other major international hotel groups in India.

“Carlson recognizes and rewards its star performers by presenting them with career growth opportunities,” said Simon C. Barlow, president, Carlson Hotels, Asia Pacific. “Shshank was instrumental in establishing the Radisson Blu Suites in Gurgaon as a preferred meetings and conference venue. He will now take on more responsibilities at the larger Indore property.”

STR Reports US Hotel Performance for March 2011

2011-04-29T09:56:00.000+07:00

According to data compiled by STR, the U.S. hotel industry posted increases in all three key performance measurements during March 2011.

In year-on-year measurements, the industry's occupancy was up 6.1 percent to 61.4 percent, the ADR ended the month with a 3.8 percent increase to reach USD101.72 while RevPAR for the month rose 10.1 percent to finish at USD62.47.

"The U.S. hotel industry recorded another demand increase during March 2011, which, when combined with room revenue and RevPAR increases of more than 10 percent, signals an ongoing recovery," said Amanda Hite, STR's president. "As in prior months, the highest ADR increases were recorded at the luxury end of the spectrum. Luxury segment RevPAR growth was almost equally made up of ADR and occupancy growth, sending a strong signal to lower-rated chain scales that pricing power is returning."

"Supply growth remained muted as only 1 percent of new rooms were added to the U.S. inventory. The Upscale and Upper Midscale segment rooms still grew at a rate of 3.0 percent and 3.6 percent, respectively, indicating development activity for these hotels has not been curtailed by lack of funding," Ms. Hite added. "Hoteliers in the Top 25 Markets continue to register strong ADR growth, with San Francisco (+12 percent), Oahu (+9 percent), New Orleans (+8.9 percent) and Chicago (+7 percent) recording the largest increases. New York hotels, which had reported strong demand growth throughout the year, recorded a 4.1 percent decrease in occupancy while rates increased 5.8 percent."

Among the Top 25 Markets, four markets achieved double-digit occupancy increases: Detroit, Michigan (+13.4 percent to 56.7 percent); Tampa-St. Petersburg, Florida (+11.2 percent to 81.1 percent); Dallas, Texas (+10.7 percent to 61.5 percent); and New Orleans, Louisiana (+10.5 percent to 78.7 percent). Two markets reported occupancy decreases: New York, New York (-4.1 percent to 78.2 percent), and Washington, D.C. (-1.5 percent to 70.6 percent).

San Francisco/San Mateo, California, was the only top market to experience a double-digit ADR increase, rising 12 percent to USD142.49. Atlanta, Georgia, fell 3.7 percent in ADR to USD84.37, reporting the largest decrease in that metric, followed by Norfolk-Virginia Beach, Virginia, with a 3.3 percent decrease to USD74.28.

New Orleans jumped 20.4 percent in RevPAR to USD110.13, reporting the largest increase in that metric. Six other markets experienced RevPAR increases of more than 15 percent: San Francisco/San Mateo (+17.5 percent to USD105.62); Chicago, Illinois (+16.4 percent to USD63.60); Dallas, Texas (+16.1 percent to USD52.98); Orlando, Florida (+16.1 percent to USD83.54); Tampa-St. Petersburg (+15.8 percent to USD91.63); and Detroit (+15.5 percent to USD42.73). None of the Top 25 Markets experienced RevPAR decreases.

AirAsia Reschedules Charity Flight with Sir Richard Branson

2011-04-27T09:01:00.000+07:00

The AirAsia X D708 Charity Flight with Sir Richard Branson, which was scheduled to depart London Stansted for Kuala Lumpur on 1 May 2011, has been rescheduled to 4 July 2011.

The airline said the change was made to help address the growing difficulty of obtaining accommodation in and flights into London brought about by the increase in the number of people visiting London over the long bank holiday weekend and Royal Wedding.

The flight has now been rescheduled to depart London for Kuala Lumpur on 4 July 2011.

AirAsia said that travellers who have purchased tickets for the charity flight will be given a full refund, or the option to transfer the booking to the new date.

The flight has attracted a lot of media attention around the world, and even featured publicity stunts such as an auction with bids starting at GBP 400,000 for the right to shave Sir Richard Branson's legs. Other companies have also joined the hype, with Expedia offering the chance to Win Tickets for the flight. On Thursday however, the airline cut the fares on the flight quite dramatically from GBP 4,500 to GBP 2,250 return, a possible indication that it may have been far too overpriced to begin with. AirAsia is a low cost airline afterall.

Garuda Indonesia to Increase Bangkok Flights

2011-04-26T11:08:00.002+07:00

Garuda Indonesia will increase flights on its Bangkok-Jakarta route to a double daily service from 17 June 2011.

The new flight will operate using the airline’s Boeing 737-800NG aircraft which features Garuda Indonesia’s ‘Nature’s Wing’ livery, signature interior and upgraded on-board services such as individual touch-screen LCD TVs with Audio-Video on Demand entertainment systems.

Garuda Indonesia currently operates a daily service from Bangkok to Jakarta which departs Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport at 2.10pm, arriving in Jakarta at 5.35pm. The inbound flight departs Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta Airport at 9.45am to arrive in Bangkok at 1.10pm.

Effective 17 June 2011, the new outbound flight will depart Bangkok at 5.10pm and arrive in Jakarta at 8.35pm. The inbound service will depart at 12.50pm, arriving in Bangkok at 4.15pm.

“We’ve seen a continued surge in demand since the introduction of our daily service over a year ago, due to our convenient flight timings and network that allows passengers to make easy connections to other regional cities from Jakarta,” said Bambang Sunan, General Manager for Thailand, Myanmar, Laos & Cambodia, Garuda Indonesia. “Passenger travel to Jakarta continues to grow and with the additional flight, we will have the ability to better meet our customers’ needs.”

To celebrate the introduction of this additional service, Garuda Indonesia is offering promotional fares to Bali, Jakarta, Jogjakarta and Surabaya that range from THB8,000 to THB9,500, valid for travel between 17 June – 30 September. Terms and conditions apply.

Puro Hotels in Poland to Feature Self Service Check-In / Out Kiosks

2011-04-23T21:04:00.002+07:00

Ariane Systems, a leader in self-service check-in/out technology for the hospitality industry, has installed its interactive check-in kiosks at Poland’s first Puro Hotel in Wroclaw.

This installation by the innovative Wroclaw-based Puro hotel chain, marks the first time ever that self-service check-in kiosks have been adopted in the Polish hotel market. The new Puro Hotel Wroclaw, which opened 1 April 2011, features a centrally located self check-in desk in the lobby with four Ariane terminals to provide guests with quick and easy access to their guestrooms.

“Puro Hotels is a new concept of its kind in Poland and will be a complete revolution in this market,” said Lukasz Piekarski, Director of the 102-room Puro Hotel in Wroclaw. “We are integrating tech-savvy solutions that are not to be found in any other hotel facility in the country, including the self-service check-in.”

Using an intuitive interface designed by Ariane, the entire process from entering a reservation number to obtaining a room keycard typically takes less than 30 seconds from start to finish. The keycard also provides access to the elevator and Puro coffee machines. Guests who need to check-in without a previous reservation may do so, and will be prompted to pay with a credit card using the terminal.

“It is part of Puro Hotels’ visionary business strategy to provide an efficient, convenient and affordable stay for the increasingly sophisticated Gen Y traveler who is comfortable with new technologies, and that model includes an array of self-service options, including advance payment,” said Robert Karkulowski, Managing Director for VisionTime, the exclusive distributor for Ariane Systems in the Polish market. “As technology consultants, our approach is to offer a full-service solution, which includes Ariane Systems’ self- service kiosks with a payment system by Wincor Nixdorf, both of which were a perfect match for Puro’s new intelligent properties. Besides providing convenience for the guest and saving operational costs for the properties, we have also created a completely paperless check-in and out for Puro, which fits well with the “green” and sustainable initiatives that they have set in place as a chain.”

Other integrated solutions that the company is providing for the new Puro Hotels include Protel PMS software and Hafele RFID door locks, which also interface with the self check-in solution.

The Puro chain expects to open eight additional hotel properties in Poland by 2015, including Krakow and Warsaw locations. All Puro properties will feature self-service check-in kiosks from Ariane Systems.

“We are very proud that Puro Hotels has chosen to partner with us on Poland’s very first foray into self check-in solutions for the hotel market,” said Laurent Cardot, CEO of Ariane Systems. “We expect this technology to grow rapidly in Eastern Europe, as more and more hoteliers in this region begin to realize the many benefits of providing automated and self-service options for their guests.”

Swiss Hotel Schools Ranked Among World’s Best

2011-04-21T15:05:00.002+07:00

The world’s top hotel companies have again ranked several hospitality management schools of Switzerland as the best in the world.

In a recent survey conducted by Taylor Nelson Sofres in the UK, hoteliers chose three Swiss schools among the top four hotel management schools worldwide: Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne, Glion Institute of Higher Education and Les Roches International School of Hotel Management. Also ranked among the top four was Cornell University (USA). These schools were ranked as the world’s best for preparing students for an international career in hospitality management.

Les Roches and Glion are members of the Laureate International Universities network.

"Switzerland continues to lead the world in providing the highest-quality international hospitality management education," said David Graves, CEO Laureate Hospitality Art & Design Education. "The results of this survey, like those of a similar survey in 2007, affirm that hiring managers at the very best hotels consider Swiss hospitality education to be the best in the world."

The survey was conducted in September and October 2010, and included invitations to more than 50,000 hoteliers in 70 countries.

Laureate Hospitality Education, a division of Laureate Education Inc, commissioned TNS to conduct the survey utilizing “blind” objective techniques. The survey results are statistically reliable at a 95% confidence level. Similar results were obtained in a global industry survey conducted in 2007 by TNS.

EgyptAir Launches Daily Bangkok Flights

2011-04-19T15:30:00.003+07:00

EgyptAir has launched daily flights between Cairo and Bangkok, Thailand, using Boeing 777-300ER aircraft that feature 346 seats divided into 49 in Business and 279 in economy

“Based on our excellent experience with the B777-300ER, we are keen to provide our customers in the Far East with luxurious travel experience by operating the newest B777-300ER between Cairo and Bangkok, as the aircraft provides many onboard facilities,” said Capt Ayman Nasr, EgyptAir Chairman & CEO.

EgyptAir's new Boeing 777-300ER features dedicated power outlets in Business Class and seats that turn into full flat beds so passengers get enjoy a better sleep. The personal entertainment system is displayed on the 15” personal screen with hundreds of entertainment options.

Economy Class on this aircraft features a Personal Entertainment System with screens in each seat back to enable the customers and their families from selecting the best from the hundreds of audio-visual entertainment programs. Economy class customers can also enjoy the use of two power outlets in their seats to recharge their personal electronic devices.

Universal Studios Singapore to Grand Open 28 May 2011

2011-04-18T11:39:00.002+07:00

Universal Studios Singapore has announced that it will celebrate its Grand Opening on Saturday, 28 May 2011.

The activities launch with a movie-themed Grand Opening ceremony at the signature 21-metre tall arch entrance of Universal Studios Singapore. An action-packed stunt show will aim to thrill the crowd and set the stage for a grand procession of the park’s biggest resident stars - Marilyn Monroe, Charlie Chaplin, Betty Boop, Woody Woodpecker, The Scorpion King, Shrek, Princess Fiona and the heroes from Madagascar – with many more surprises and happenings yet to be announced.

Universal Studios Singapore welcomed more than two million guests in its nine months of soft opening in 2010, and has already hosted hundreds of thousands more so far this year, as the rides, shows, guest experiences and daily park operations have been honed and readied for this official Grand Opening day.

21 rides and shows are featured within Universal Studios Singapore showcasing world-popular themes such as Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure, Shrek 4-D Adventure, Revenge of the Mummy, and Battlestar Galactica. And the action and entertainment opportunities for USS guests continue to grow with the soon-to-be-announced premiere of the world’s first Madagascar-themed ride, Madagascar: A Crate Adventure. Yet another blockbuster ride is scheduled for later this year, the much-anticipated Transformers attraction, based on the popular box-office-hit movie series.

Universal Studios Singapore is located within one of Singapore’s first integrated resorts, Resorts World Sentosa. Lodging is only steps away, with four hotels (and two more coming soon), each with a uniquely different theme. Also available for guest enjoyment is FestiveWalk, the perfect venue for dining and shopping while experiencing the Asian debut of some of the world’s top brands.

Mr Dennis Gilbert, RWS’ Senior Vice President of Attractions, said, “The Grand Opening celebrations will bring to Singapore a slice of the Hollywood glitz and action, in the same way that Universal Studios Singapore brought Universal’s famous Ride The Movies experience here. On the Grand Opening day, the park will be exuberant with energy, setting the stage for many more exciting times to come in the future.”

Interview with Executive Chef and Director F&B

2011-04-15T10:31:00.002+07:00

Being the Executive Chef at any Mandarin Oriental hotel in the world must be a daunting task. An hotel group that prides itself in culinary excellence, and which has even started opening celebrity restaurants such as Dinner by Heston Blumenthal that opened in London earlier this year, demands only the very best - as do its guests.

Being an Executive Chef, and the Director of F&B, could be regarded as a doubly challenging task, but take that position in one of the group's few resorts, where guests are far more likely to dine within the property rather than venture out, and you have a very serious challenge on your hands.

That is exactly the challenge that Dominique Bugnand faces every day. He is the highly talented and passionate Executive Chef and Director of F&B at the luxurious Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi in Chiang Mai, Thailand. As such, he is in charge of all F&B operations at the property.

Earlier this month, ASIA Travel Tips.com asked Dominique about his background, where his culinary inspiration comes from, what types of restaurants the hotel operates, and where they buy the produce for those restaurants. We also ask how often the menus are changed, and whether the hotel can cater to the needs of vegetarians and vegans, and whether Halal and Kosher food is available. You will also learn about the different cooking classes the hotel offers and much, much more. Some of the replies may surprise you.

Hotel Sezz Saint Tropez to Reopen 15 April 2011

2011-04-13T17:09:00.002+07:00

On 15 April 2011 Hotel Sezz Saint Tropez, a glamorous resort on the French Riviera, reopens its doors for the summer season.

Created by hotelier Shahé Kalaidjian and designer Christophe Pillet, the resort comprises 35 guestrooms and two villas surrounding a spacious central pool area, all with an outdoor shower, private terrace and garden.

As well as showing off a dazzling completed spa, the hotel will open two new luxury private villas in June.

Exclusivity, privacy and comfort are paramount in these new spaces, set to open in June 2011. Designed with a loft concept, the villas allow guests to experience the hotel in even greater privacy, with 90m² of interior space, including two bedrooms and a large lounge. Each villa will also have its own private plunge pool, large terrace and private garden. A range of luxury amenities, including a Nespresso coffee machine, Acqua di Parma products in the bathrooms, a HiFi with Harman Kardon speakers, ensure guests have everything they need for an indulgent stay.

The Spa Sezz features stainless steel waterfall bath spouts and oversized square spa showerheads that blend beautifully with materials typical of Provence: exotic wood and local sandstone tiling. Developed in exclusive partnership with the French cosmetic brand Payot, both men and women can choose from a wide range of facial and body treatments, including massages that can be performed outside in the Japanese garden. This gives guests full benefit of the fresh Mediterranean breezes and scents of the surrounding vegetation, including olive trees, mimosas and fig and lemon trees. There are also two indoor treatment rooms, a Jacuzzi and a hammam (steam room).

The central pool area is also close by, giving guests the option to enjoy the lively spaces of the hotel, or the privacy of their own idyllic holiday retreat.

Villa guests can also access the nearby Canoubiers Beach easily, allowing them to sample the famous Côte d’Azur coastline in just a few minutes walk.

The hotel has a restaurant Colette headed by Pierre Gagnaire, a stylish Dom Perignon champagne bar and an outdoor pool bar area, giving guests a variety of chic spaces to drink and dine. Inside the rooms, designer Christophe Pillet has made sure that guests will smell, hear and taste ‘holiday’ from their beds and baths. The interiors reflect a 1950s color code with a mix of white, light grey, dark brown, light blue and saffron.

Rezidor Signs Park Inn London Wembley

2011-04-11T11:04:00.002+07:00

Rezidor has expanded its Park Inn portfolio with the signing of the Park Inn London Wembley. The 235-room hotel is scheduled to welcome its first guests in Q2 2012.

Park Inn London Wembley will be a mid-market hotel located 6 km away from central London on Olympic Way, a pedestrian zone leading to the main entrance of Wembley Stadium (300m).

The stadium, which has been the official home to English football since 1923, was fully reconstructed in 200,7 and is today the country’s leading venue for sports, music and entertainment. With a capacity of 90,000 it will host the football matches during the 2012 Olympics.

Also nearby is Wembley Arena, which has hosted musical greats including the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, The Who and Madonna.

Wembley is a rapidly-growing part of London, with the massive Wembley City development under construction. Wembley City will offer a mix of offices, restaurants, bars, a multiplex cinema, state-of-the-art leisure facilities, public squares, student accommodation and luxury apartments.

Besides 235 modern and comfortable guest rooms, Park Inn London Wembley will offer 1 restaurant, 1 bar, 300m2 of meeting facilities, and a gym. Construction has already commenced with opening scheduled for before the Olympic Games in 2012.

“Park Inn is one of our core brands and is currently being refreshed – we promote Park Inn’s new look and feel with a huge marketing campaign across the UK. The signing of Park Inn London Wembley comes at a perfect time and will further strengthen our brand awareness in the capital city and the country,” said Kurt Ritter, President & CEO of Rezidor.

IHG and Duet India Hotels to Develop 19 Holiday Inn Express Hotels

2011-04-08T14:09:00.002+07:00

InterContinental Hotels Group has signed a joint venture partnership with Duet India Hotels Group (DIHL), the hotel investment arm of global asset manager Duet Group, to develop 19 new Holiday Inn Express hotels across India.

IHG will invest through a 24% equity stake, making a multi-year investment of US$30 million into the partnership. This investment will go into a fund to support the building of the 19 hotels over the next five years.

These 19 Holiday Inn Express hotels will add approximately 3,300 rooms to IHG’s current India development pipeline of over 10,000 rooms (46 hotels) and are expected to be operational by 2016.

Richard Solomons, IHG’s Chief Financial Officer and Head of Commercial Development, said, “This deal is a great example of our strategy in action. By investing a small amount of our own capital we have established a strategic relationship with a fantastic partner who knows the market, securing a future fee stream and opening up a huge opportunity for us to develop the Holiday Inn Express brand across India. With strong economic growth and an expanding middle class in India, we forecast strong future demand for mid-market and select service hotels, cementing Holiday Inn Express’ position as one of the fastest growing brands in the hotel industry.”

Upcoming Holiday Inn Express hotels will be primarily located in India’s major metros and key secondary cities, which are well positioned to drive growth and continued investment opportunities including New Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore.

“This venture marks a significant milestone for IHG. With these 19 new signings, we continue to add momentum to our current India development pipeline. IHG is strongly positioned to build a significant India footprint with a growing presence in India’s key business and leisure hubs. Overall, we are on track to have a 150-hotel presence by 2020. The Holiday Inn Express brand will address the need for internationally branded and high-quality hotels for domestic travellers,” said Jan Smits, Chief Executive Officer of IHG Asia Australasia. “Across the region, over the course of 2010 we signed new Holiday Inn Express deals in key locations including India, Singapore and Thailand. The growing presence of Holiday Inn Express in this region strengthens the brand's portfolio and introduces the brand to new guests.”

Holiday Inn Express is one of the fastest growing hotel brands in the industry, opening on average two hotels a week globally. There are now 2,075 Holiday Inn Express hotels open and 494 hotels under development around the world. In India, over 75% of IHG’s India pipeline is with the Holiday Inn family of brands.

Alila Villas Hadahaa Rebrands as Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa

2011-04-07T09:58:00.002+07:00

Thanks to an agreement between an Hyatt affiliate and Driftwood Maldives Private Ltd., Hyatt opened its first hotel in the Maldives on 1 April 2011.

The Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa, one of the first resorts in the Maldives to follow Earth Check certification standards for construction and operations, is located in the Indian Ocean’s largest and deepest atoll, Huvadhoo.

The hotel opened in late 2009 and has been operating as Alila Villas Hadahaa. In its first year of operation, the hotel garnered recognition as one of Condé Nast Traveler’s 2010 Hot Hotels, Condé Nast Traveler’s Best New Spas in 2010, and 2010 DestinAsian Luxe List’s 41 Best New Hotels of the Year.

“The Maldives draws 94 percent of its travelers from Europe and Asia, regions where the Park Hyatt brand has a significant presence and is well known,” said Stephen G. Haggerty, global head of real estate and development for Hyatt Hotels Corporation. “Opening Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa will broaden the range of fantastic Park Hyatt locations and will help further Hyatt’s goal of being the most preferred brand in every segment we serve.”

Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa offers 50 villas with private decks and bedrooms with living areas. Designed by SCDA Architects of Singapore, the modern villa interiors include natural timber and stone in a minimalist, contemporary design. Fourteen of the resort’s 50 villas are elevated over the Indian Ocean with an uninterrupted view of the Maldivian horizon and are a private enclave for guests who yearn for tranquility. The other 36 villas are designed with intimate gardens featuring outdoor baths and rain showers. Individual plunge pools feature in some of these villas. Less than 30 steps from the azure water, they are designed to provide privacy and serenity to guests.

Park Hyatt Hadahaa features two specialty restaurants, The Dining Room and Battuta’s, as well as a poolside bar and 24-hour in-villa dining.

The hotel features a fitness and health center, multiple swimming pools, and a five-star PADI diving water sports center. Activities range from kayaking, snorkelling and diving to Maldivian cooking lessons, dolphin spotting, sunset cruises and guided visits to local artisan villages. A large freshwater pool overlooking the ocean provides guests with a picturesque backdrop during a casual swim or for lounging poolside. Guests looking for peace and solitude can visit the Spa Pool within the tranquil spa enclave. Shaded garden pavilions complement the serenity of the spa poolside.

The onsite PADI 5-star dive center offers an opportunity to dive amidst undisturbed reefs and site. Diving enthusiasts will enjoy experiencing the rich and diverse marine life, including a variety of sting rays – Spotted Eagle Rays, Porcupine Rays, Whiptail Stingrays, Marbled Sting Rays, sharks, and large numbers of green turtles and Hawksbill Turtles. On rare occasions, lucky divers have spotted Ornate Eagle Rays, Guitar Sharks, Whale Sharks, Marlins and Mobulas.

Hadahaa is more than 10 kilometers from the closest inhabited island and around 400 kilometers south of Male International Airport.

ADR Increasing in New Zealand

2011-04-06T12:21:00.000+07:00

Data from STR Global show a 15.3% occupancy decrease for hotels in Christchurch, New Zealand, for the first two months of 2011, a decrease that was strongly influenced by a 25.2% drop reported in February. The deadly earthquake hit the city on 22 February 2011.

Though Christchurch has suffered in the aftermath of the earthquake, hoteliers in other major cities throughout New Zealand are pushing rates after posting occupancy and demand increases during 2010.

Nationwide, ADR has improved by 3% to NZ$138 in the first two months of 2011 despite a 2.1% fall in occupancy.

Auckland and Queenstown improved their ADR year-to-February, reporting NZ$141 and NZ$155, respectively. Wellington, despite a continued drop in rate growth, still reported an ADR of NZ$146 and occupancy of 72 %.

With the ongoing clear up in Christchurch and the uncertainly over how many hotels might need to be torn down, performance will of course remain subdued. The city reported an ADR of NZ$114 and occupancy of 70% for the first two months 2011.

However, prospects for the remainder of the country are boosted by the Rugby World Cup, which is set to attract huge travelling support in New Zealand during several weeks in September and October 2011. Plus, significant future marketing benefit is to be expected now that the much delayed filming of The Hobbit, the prequel to the J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy, has begun in Wellington.

Hotel Development in New York

2011-03-31T17:29:00.000+07:00

In 2010, New York city set a record for hotel rooms added and hotel rooms sold, with an average occupancy rate of 85%.

Last year over 30 new properties opened their doors to New York city visitors adding more than 6200 rooms to accommodate the increasing tourist arrivals in the city.

The hospitality industry added 6,600 jobs over the past year, employing more New Yorkers in 2010 than ever before. According to STR, there are 40 properties under construction accounting for nearly 6,500 additional new rooms the highest in the US in terms of new hotel development. As of February 2011, New York city has 86,232 rooms in its active inventory.

“Hotels in New York city provide accommodation for all tastes and budgets and range from simple, basic hotels to lavish luxury hotels. Last year over 48.7 million people visited New York City, up 6.8% from 2009 and 25.7 million room nights were sold,” said George Fertitta, CEO of NYC & Company. “This year over 24 properties are slated to open giving the tourists a wide variety of accommodation choices and to make their stay even more comfortable.”

One aspect of this new development has been the expansion of hotel properties throughout the five boroughs Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx and Staten Island.

Recent properties to open include the Chatwal New York, Setai Fifth Avenue, Mondrian SoHo, aloft Harlem, DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel New York City - Financial District, W Downtown, Element New York Times Square West, Courtyard New York Manhattan/SoHo, and Sheraton Brooklyn.

On the horizon are the aloft Brooklyn, Hotel Williamsburg, Flatiron Hotel, The Nolitan, NoMad Hotel, Conrad New York and a new Hyatt in Union Square.

Midscale brands are also popular with a new Fairfield Inn & Suites slated for Brooklyn, and a Four Points by Sheraton in Long Island City, Queens.

Double Digit Passenger Growth for Fiji’s Air Pacific

2011-03-30T07:54:00.000+07:00

Air Pacific has managed to double the number of sold passenger tickets this month on its direct services between Hong Kong and Nadi, Fiji. The airline's number will have been boosted by, among other things, the Hong Kong Sevens, which took place this past weekend, and which always attracts a good number of vocal Fiji supporters who travel there to lift their national team and have a great weekend with it.

Since December 2010, Air Pacific has been operating a direct flight three times per week between Hong Kong and Fiji. As a result of this success to date, Air Pacific is optimistic of further growth in the Hong Kong and China markets through its marketing investment with Tourism Fiji and collaboration with other airlines.

Considering Hong Kong’s importance as a regional hub, Air Pacific is also partnering with other airlines in the region to strengthen and expand its network. Air Pacific already codeshares with Cathay Pacific on the return flight between Hong Kong and Fiji and it has now entered into fare agreements with Dragonair, Hong Kong Airlines, Air China, China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines and other airlines in the region to ensure maximum opportunities for passengers wanting to fly to the Fiji Islands and the South Pacific.

Apart from new airline partners, Air Pacific also plans to continue working closely with Tourism Fiji to further increase traffic, jointly working towards double-digit growth in visitor numbers from China, India, and other countries in the region.

In 2011, Air Pacific and Tourism Fiji plan to double their joint advertising and media promotions budget in order to draw more attention to the Fiji Islands as a holiday destination.

From now until April 30, 2011, Air Pacific is offering a special fare for direct flights between Hong Kong to Nadi, for passengers to experience the extraordinary Fiji Islands which sit atop the International Date Line. Fares start from HK$ 4,500.

Qatar Airways to Launch Flights to Kolkata, Oslo and Sofia

2011-03-10T16:19:00.002+07:00

Qatar Airways is to add three cities in India, Norway and Bulgaria to its rapidly growing global network during the second half of 2011, as part of a continued expansion strategy focused on new routes and capacity increases.

Daily flights to the eastern Indian city of Kolkata, formerly known as Calcutta, will be launched on 27 July 2011 taking Qatar Airways’ capacity in India to 95 services a week spread across 12 cities.

In Europe, where much of Qatar Airways’ recent expansion has been the focus, the airline is to launch four-flights-a-week to the Bulgarian capital Sofia from 14 September 2011. In January, the carrier began services to the Romanian capital Bucharest, Hungarian capital Budapest and Belgium’s capital city of Brussels.

Beginning 5 October 2011, Qatar Airways will build on its successful operations in Scandinavia with the start of five-flights-a-week to Norway’s capital city of Oslo. The airline already operates scheduled services to the Swedish capital Stockholm and Denmark’s capital city of Copenhagen.

Capacity increases will also see the airline’s Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Manchester and Dar Es Salaam routes go double daily, Geneva, Seychelles and Copenhagen will be upgraded to daily operations.

Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said, “New services to Kolkata, Oslo and Sofia reflect our commitment to connect diverse global cities via our Doha hub. Kolkata becomes our 12th gateway city in India, while Sofia is another example of serving underserved markets. And with Oslo set to be part of our network, Qatar Airways will strengthen its presence in Scandinavia as the biggest Gulf-based airline flying to the region.”

By 2013, Qatar Airways plans to serve more than 120 key business and leisure destinations worldwide with a modern fleet of over 120 aircraft. Today, the airline’s fleet stands at 94 aircraft.

Great Hotels of the World to Unveil New Directory

2011-03-04T10:27:00.000+07:00

Great Hotels of the World will unveil a completely new hotel directory at this year’s ITB Berlin.

The 2011 directory, featuring over 350 pages has been restyled both visually and editorially to create a publication that will make a worthy addition to any coffee table or bookshelf.

With a luxurious look and feel, the directory inspires readers to explore new destinations with stories of real experiences at the hotels written in a unique personal editorial style. Each page has been individually crafted with bespoke design and stunning photography.

The directory has been renamed – Pure Hotels presented by Great Hotels of the World – reflecting the group’s recent introduction of Pure Lifestyle Collections, a series of niche-specific leisure travel collections. It has also taken on a new size – it is vertical in shape and has more pages packed full of useful information about each hotel.

Peter Gould, CEO at Great Hotels of the World said, “Traditional hotel directories tend to follow the same old-fashioned format, but we’ve taken the idea of a hotel directory and have upgraded it to that of bookstand quality to cater to today’s discerning traveller. We visited each hotel individually and wrote about our own personal experiences creating an inspiring story for each one. The directory will set a new creative benchmark for our sector.”

Pure Hotels presented by Great Hotels of the World will be on sale through the Great Hotels website as well as at key travel points and select bookstores from April 2011.

Complimentary Pure Hotels directories are available at the Great Hotels of the World stand 111A in Hall 9 at ITB Berlin 2011.

Hotel Revenue and Reservations Continue Growth

2011-03-01T10:50:00.000+07:00

The hotel industry continued to recover in January 2011 with strong growth in both global hotel revenue and bookings, according to data from Pegasus Solutions’ The Pegasus View.

Driven by demand and assisted by rate growth, business travel revenue rose by more than +40 percent over January of last year, while leisure revenue jumped nearly +15 percent over the same period in 2010.

The report also forecast growth in business and leisure bookings through mid-year based on business on the books. Forward-looking data for bookings made through the mostly corporate global distribution systems (GDS), show an average monthly growth rate potential of more than +20 percent through the second quarter. Average daily rate (ADR) for the channel will continue at the same or an even stronger pace than that realized in Q4 2010, while length of stay (LOS) will also expand.

“The travel industry’s rebound is a direct result of a healing economy and increased corporate travel,” said Mike Kistner, chief executive officer of Pegasus Solutions. “As corporate profits and competition return, companies are sending executives and sales teams back on the road. The accompanying growth in length of stay and booking lead times suggest more of these trips are made of group travel, conferences and meetings, which are a boon for hotels.”

The outlook for the leisure market also reflects positively for hotels. Bookings to-date made via online channels, or the alternative distribution systems (ADS), show increases of more than +10 percent over 2010 through spring and into summer. ADR in this channel will continue a slow and steady climb as well, while LOS will remain static. Look-to-book ratios, a product of online consumer comparisons and transaction processing inefficiency, continue to grow by over +40 percent , and will remain an issue for the industry.

“Consumers will travel as much or more in the coming year. A strong, but slightly smaller majority will also spend as much or more on travel in 2011 than in 2010 – they plan to spend, but spend wisely by shortening trips or aggressively shopping rates,” added Kistner. “Hotels would do well to examine their revenue management strategies to make sure they don’t risk losing the business or revenue to be had with inapt rates that are too high to sell rooms, or too low to make a profit.”

Data reported in The Pegasus View comes from billions of transactions processed monthly by Pegasus Solutions, one of the world’s largest global processors of hotel transactions. It reflects data drawn from both GDS and ADS transactions, representing the business and leisure markets respectively for approximately 90,000 hotels worldwide.

Marriott Opens JW in Tripoli

2011-02-18T15:27:00.002+07:00

Marriott has opened its first hotel in Libya, the JW Marriott Hotel Tripoli.

Perched on the shores of the Mediterranean, the 5-star hotel features 370 guest rooms and suites.

All rooms and suites are equipped with JW Revive bedding, cable TV, high speed internet, mini bar, safe and bathroom with luxurious soaking tub and separate shower.

The hotel’s specialty restaurants include:

- Safara Restaurant serves the diverse tastes from around the Mediterranean in a chic environment. With its charcoal grill, wood-fired oven, griddle and spit-roast, it conjures the atmosphere of a vibrant spice market.

- Riviera Restaurant captures the serenity of a seaside villa in Southern France. Delicious Provencal dishes are served in a relaxed and informal atmosphere, with light and airy rooms and a focus on seafood.

- Hovering above the city, Singapura serves traditional pan-Asian cuisines in a modern surrounding. The vast organic spaces combine mixed timber flooring and natural stonewalls with lively flashes of magenta and lime, creating a truly inspiring dining experience above the city of Tripoli.

The hotel offers more than 5,300 square feet of meeting space to accommodate a variety of meetings and events. Space includes an impressive, 3,900-square-foot ballroom that divides into four sections, as well as three meeting and three conference rooms, suitable for every kind of occasion.

The hotel also features Marriott's newly launched Saray Spa that incorporates traditional Middle Eastern treatments and products. Paying homage to the best of Arabic healing rituals, Saray offers a unique variety of therapies including traditional Hammam baths, Silk Road massage and Arabic coffee awakener.

The Health Club features a fully equipped fitness centre, sauna, Jacuzzi and 23-metre lap pool area.

World's Largest JW Marriott Opens in Indianapolis

2011-02-10T09:45:00.002+07:00

Marriott has opened the world's largest JW Marriott hotel in downtown Indianapolis.

The JW Marriott Indianapolis Downtown opened its doors on Friday, completing the Marriott Place development project occupying seven acres along the west side of downtown Indianapolis.

In addition to the new JW Marriott Indianapolis, the $450 million complex includes the Courtyard by Marriott Indianapolis Downtown, SpringHill Suites by Marriott Indianapolis Downtown, Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Indianapolis Downtown and the Marriott Indianapolis Downtown, with a total 2,248 rooms. All are connected to the newly renovated and expanded Indiana Convention Center.

“The new JW Marriott Indianapolis Downtown is truly the ‘crown jewel’ of the Marriott Place development,” said Scott Blalock, general manager of the JW Marriott Indianapolis. “With the variety and flexibility of meeting and event space that we offer, as well as accommodations at various price points, we can suit almost anybody’s needs.”

In addition to 54 meeting rooms and 104,000 square feet of event space, the JW Marriott Indianapolis also houses a 40,500 square foot Grand Ballroom, the largest hotel ballroom in the Midwest. The completion of the JW Marriott Indianapolis marks the culmination of nearly $3 billion in urban investment in downtown Indianapolis. The new hotel, along with the newly expanded Indiana Convention Center, Lucas Oil Stadium and a new International Airport make Indianapolis a viable destination for a larger variety of meetings and prominent events.

“The Marriott Place Indianapolis hotel complex is an integral component to the city’s overall strategic tourism growth,” said Michael Browning, chairman of the board for the Indianapolis Convention & Visitors Association (ICVA). “The Indiana Convention Center’s recent expansion, a new airport, new stadium hosting the Super Bowl, and now touting the world’s largest JW Marriott - Indianapolis has arrived on the national tourism scene and is the envy of destinations across the nation. The city’s overall compact convention package continues to attract new customers, with more hotel rooms connected into our convention center via skywalks than any other city in the U.S. We are thankful to the White Family for their continued commitment to Indianapolis, their investment to the ICVA helps market the city and is benefiting our entire tourism industry.”

Standing approximately 375 feet tall and 34 stories high, the JW Marriott Indianapolis is the tallest hotel in the state of Indiana and the largest JW Marriott in the world based on its 1,005 guest rooms.

Each room features 40” LCD televisions and a plug-in panel integrating laptops, MP3 and video players. Guests will also be able to access a virtual, interactive concierge from their TV remote control.

The hotel features two restaurants including High Velocity and Osteria Pronto, which also encompasses Tavern on the Plaza, an outdoor patio set to open this spring with an outside bar and a fire pit. High Velocity is a high-adrenaline sports bar offering food, a diverse beer selection, and custom cocktails. Guests can watch their favorite sporting events on one of the 50 televisions that fill the restaurant.

Located on the north-end of the hotel is Osteria Pronto a three-course Italian restaurant. The restaurant will also offer lounge and cocktail menus in the wine bar located right next to the lobby. Private dining options are also available for larger parties.

Great Hotels of the World Expands Portfolio

2011-02-07T09:38:00.002+07:00

Great Hotels of the World, the London-based hotel sales and marketing alliance, has expanded its global portfolio of hotels with the following new members:

Set amidst the paradise island of Koh Samui, The Mantra Samui Resort and Spa is a perfect place for relaxation. Some of the rooms at the resort contain a private Jacuzzi on the terrace while others allow accommodation for large families with over 100sqm rooms.

The resort also features a spa, a specially designed swimming pool, fitness centre, restaurants and cafes, salt cave yoga studio, squash courts, a movie theatre and much more. Mantra Samui provides a frequent shuttle to their Designated Beach, where guests can enjoy complimentary kayaks and a Mantra private boat service.

Located in central Madrid, the chic Hotel Hesperia Madrid features a stunning modern interior combined with a classic style. The top floor contains extra special rooftop suites with terraced jacuzzis. The hotel is ideal for meetings with conference rooms and a business centre, though leisure travelers are also well catered for with a SkyGym rooftop health club which boasts views over Madrid.

The hotel boasts exquisite market cuisine and fine dining with two restaurants, including one boasting two Michelin stars. Both restaurants are managed by Santi Santamaria, one of Spain’s most famous chefs.

Situated in the very centre of Lisbon, a short walk from Avenida da Liverdade and the historical quarter is the Altis Hotel, Lisbon. The hotel is filled with the works of Portuguese artists, creating a unique atmosphere throughout. Rooms overlook the historic quarter and the Altis Hotel is equipped with a health club inclusive of a fitness room, sauna, Turkish bath and heated swimming pool. The hotel is also home to three restaurants, one of which, Grill D. Fernando, has a fine panoramic view over the city and the river. The hotel is also popular with business clientele thanks to its 18 meeting rooms with seating for up to 750 guests.

The Altis Prime meanwhile brings the concept of home business luxury apartments to life in the heart of Lisbon. With its 78 apartments, lounge bar, rooftop terrace with jacuzzi and solarium, not to mention its conference room and private parking, the hotel is a perfect place for a city break with a difference. Guests also have access to all of Hotel Altis’ restaurants and facilities.

Set on Calpe’s Levante Beach on the Costa Blanca, The AR Diamante Beach Spa Hotel and Convention Centre has 283 double rooms as well as the Levante and Ponjenta Suites. All rooms are equipped with en-suite bathroom, air conditioning, satellite TV, Wi-Fi and large balconies. The hotel contains 3 outdoor pools, a café and piano bars, buffet restaurant and two a la Carte restaurants, perfect for guests who are travelling for leisure. For business guests the hotel also offers a business centre and facilities on site.

But what sets this hotel apart is its spa area which is one of the best on the Costa Blanca. It is home to hydro-massage beds, cascades, Jacuzzis, Turkish and Roman Baths and more.

Set across 300 stunning acres of parkland and landscaped gardens, The Grove in Hertfordshire, England, is the former home of the Earl of Clarendon and has been recreated blending the classic with the contemporary. The hotel has 215 rooms and 12 suites complete with marble fireplaces, chandeliers, white-lacquered Sycamore furniture and suede and silk furnishings.

The Grove has three venues for dining with views of the grounds, an 18 hole championship golf course through their parklands, tennis courts, outdoor swimming pool and a beautiful spa and health and leisure club featuring a black mosaic indoor pool, exercise studio and treatment rooms. The hotel also offers excellent business facilities, with four meeting rooms, wired workstations and Wi-Fi.

The Palace Hotel affords a great location set amongst the seaside town of Noordwijk, the Netherlands. Easily accessible from the airport, it has 120 rooms including 5 impressive suites. The hotel has been designed with both business and leisure in mind. An art deco style is prevalent throughout with each floor featuring a colour palette inspired by European royal houses.

The hotel has great business facilities as well as a swimming pool, gym and spa featuring tempting treatments. With a range of dining options, guests can choose from a la carte French cuisine to a BBQ on the terrace in this hotel.

Located in the heart of Lisbon, the Altis Park Hotel offers guests views over the city and Tagus river. All 300 rooms are cosy and modern and the hotel is perfect for business or leisure, equipped with a Congress Centre, 9 meeting rooms and an Auditorium as well as access to the Olaias Club, 100 meters away, which has an indoor and outdoor swimming pool, 7 tennis courts, 2 squash courts and a gymnasium.

Set next door to the Altis Hotel, Altis Suites is a self-catering hotel in the central and financial district of Lisbon. The rooms feature a separate living room, marble bathroom and a fully equipped kitchenette. The hotel offers not only the comfort and independence of a suite apartment but also includes its own lobby, reception, garage and access to Hotel Altis’ services, such as their indoor swimming pool and restaurants.

Singapore’s Merlion Hotel

2011-02-05T14:42:00.002+07:00

Singapore’s tourism destination landmark The Merlion at Merlion Park will undergo a dramatic transformation beginning 7 February 2011.

Titled the “The Merlion Hotel”, this unique artistic concept will see the tourism icon being transformed into a temporary hotel suite to welcome guests for overnight stays.

The project is just one of the many intriguing artwork installation projects presented as part of this year’s Singapore Biennale organised by the Singapore Art Museum.

From 7 February until 9 March 2011, The Merlion will be hoarded up so as to facilitate this conversion and for safety considerations.

“The Merlion Hotel” will subsequently be unveiled on 11 March 2011 and be opened for public viewing from 13 March to 15 May 2011.

During this time, members of the public will be able to view the installation daily from 10am to 7pm.

Key information on “The Merlion Hotel”, including how visitors can stay a night at the suite, will be illustrated on the hoarding panels. The Singapore Art Museum is also expected to make an announcement regarding this shortly. The Merlion will be undergoing reinstatement works from 16 May to 5 June 2011 and will resume operation on 6 June 2011.

Rezidor Signs Hotel in Ghana

2011-01-31T11:15:00.000+07:00

Rezidor has signed its 10th hotel in West Africa. The Radisson Blu Hotel, Accra in Ghana, is scheduled to open in 2013 and adds 168 rooms to Rezidor’s pipeline.

The Radisson Blu Hotel, Accra, will be located in the heart of the business district of the Ghanaian capital, 5 walking minutes from the beach.

Besides 168 guest rooms including 20 apartments ranging from 1 to 3 bedrooms, the property will offer a restaurant and 2 bars, 300m2 of meeting space, a gym, and an outdoor swimming pool.

One of the most economically and politically stable countries in Africa, Ghana has experienced several years of sustained economic growth, despite the global economic situation. Good fiscal management and high prices for key commodities like gold and cocoa have sustained the economy and the IMF projects accelerated growth in the coming years. Moreover, in December 2010, Ghana began to pump its first commercial oil from the offshore Jubilee Field, which contains an estimated 1.5 billion barrels of oil, and is projected to generate $1 billion in government revenues annually.

“The emerging African continent is a key development area for Rezidor. We are delighted to add a new hotel in a new country to our portfolio which now comprises 37 hotels and almost 8,300 rooms in operation and under development across 15 African countries,” said Kurt Ritter, President & CEO of Rezidor. “Africa is an exciting market with huge natural resources, increasingly stable systems and improved infrastructure, a high GDP growth and – last but not least – an imbalance of supply and demand when it comes to modern, internationally branded hotel rooms. We see a great potential for profitable growth in Africa and are actively seeking for further development opportunities.”

Carlson to Open 19 New Hotels in India in 2011

2011-01-24T14:04:00.002+07:00

Carlson is planning to open 19 additional hotels in India by the end of 2011 across its four brands: Radisson, Country Inns & Suites By Carlson, Park Inn and Park Plaza.

“This will be another record year for Carlson. Our momentum is in line with our plans to have more than 100 hotels across India by 2015,” said Hubert Joly, Carlson president and chief executive officer.

Carlson’s India expansion is part of the company’s Ambition 2015 strategy to grow its global portfolio by at least 50% to more than 1,500 hotels by 2015.

Carlson had 33 hotels in operation in India at the end of 2010. With the addition of 19 new properties, the number of hotel operations will exceed 50 at the end of 2011. The new openings span across Carlson’s four hotel brands.

Radisson

Radisson is Carlson’s contemporary, vibrant and engaging first class brand. There were 15 properties in operation in India at the end of 2010 and a contracted pipeline of 25, leading to a total portfolio of 40 Radisson properties in the country. There are 11 properties set to open in 2011, including:

• The Radisson Blu Hotel Rudrapur which is the first India hotel to open this year. The 124-room property is a 15-minute drive from the Pant nagar Airport. It features nine suites and 115 contemporary rooms, and a 5,000 square foot meeting and conference facility that can accommodate up to 500 people.

• The Radisson Hotel Agra Taj East Gate Road. Located in the city of Uttar Pradesh and in close proximity to the Taj Mahal, the 140-room hotel will comprise an all-day dining and specialty restaurant, a bar and tea lounge, more than 10,000 square feet of banquet and meeting facilities and a spa.

• The Radisson Hotel Ahmedabad. Located in the economic capital of Western India, Gujarat city, the 116-room Radisson Hotel Ahmedabad will be within seven kilometers of the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport and close to tourist attractions such as the Sardar Patel Stadium and the Camp Hanuman Temple.

• The Radisson Hotel Amritsar. The 186-room Radisson Hotel Amritsar is located adjacent to the Raja Sansi International Airport and near tourist attractions such as the Golden Temple. It will offer 24 suites and 162 rooms.

• The Radisson Hotel Chennai City Center. Located in the city’s central business district, the 161-room Radisson Hotel Chennai City Center will feature 16 suites and 145 rooms, as well as three restaurants, a bar and a nightclub.

• The Radisson Hotel Ghaziabad. This property is located in one of the fastest growing commercial centers of India. The 142-room hotel will feature a fully-equipped business center, a health club, a spa, a swimming pool and a bar and lounge.

• The Radisson Resort Goa Cavelossim Beach. The 132-room Radisson Resort Goa Cavelossim Beach is inspired by Goan-Portuguese architecture. Spread over acres of lush green gardens and coconut groves, it is located near the famous Cavelossim beach in South Goa.

• The Radisson Blu Hotel Greater Noida. This 175-room hotel will provide guests an array of facilities such as an all-day dining restaurant, two specialty restaurants, a bar, a tea lounge, a fitness center, and a 7,000 square foot banquet and meeting facility.

• The Radisson Hotel Haridwar. Located in the holy city of Haridwar, this 129-room hotel will comprise 16 suites and 113 rooms with a variety of upscale facilities, including an all-day dining restaurant, specialty restaurant, bar, club lounge and tea lounge.

• The Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel Hyderabad Banjara Hills. The 157-room Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel Hyderabad Banjara Hills is situated in the west of Hyderabad city, better known as one of India’s fastest growing information technology and biotechnology hubs. The hotel will be in close proximity to the Hyderabad Rajiv Gandhi International Airport and will feature an all-day dining restaurant, two specialty restaurants, a lobby bar and a plaza lounge.

• The Radisson Hotel Ranchi. Located five kilometers from the airport, the 116-room hotel with eight suites and 108 rooms will showcase a host of facilities including a fully-equipped business center, a health club and spa, an all-day dining restaurant, a specialty restaurant, a bar and a club lounge.

Country Inns & Suites By Carlson

Country Inns & Suites By Carlson had 10 properties in operation in India at the end of 2010 and a contracted pipeline of 13, leading to a total portfolio of 23 Country Inns & Suites By Carlson properties in the country. There are two properties set to open in 2011, including:

• The Country Inn & Suites By Carlson Gurgaon New Highway 8. Located in the city of Gurgaon and 30 kilometers south of New Delhi, this 200-room hotel will have a multi-cuisine restaurant, a specialty restaurant, a health club and spa, an outdoor swimming pool and banquet facilities.

• The Country Inn & Suites By Carlson Mussoorie. The 50-room hotel is situated in the scenic Southern Himalayas, a popular holiday getaway destination. It will feature Revive, a spa facility, and Mosaic, an all-day dining coffee shop.

Park Plaza

There were six Park Plaza properties in operation in India at the end of 2010 and a contracted pipeline of 13, leading to a total portfolio of 19 Park Plaza properties in the country. There are five properties set to open in 2011, including:

• The Park Plaza Bangalore. The 234-room hotel is located in the heart of the city and close to major business districts. The hotel will have extensive dining options ranging from an all-day diner, Thai Chinese restaurant to an Indian Lebanese specialty restaurant.

• The Park Plaza Chandigarh. Located in the heart of the city and within a short drive from the business district, the Park Plaza Chandigarh will offer 138 lavish rooms fitted with the best business and leisure amenities. The hotel will comprise three restaurants, a pub and a large banquet hall that can accommodate up to 500 guests.

• The Park Plaza Coimbatore. Only four kilometers away from the Coimbatore International Airport, the 110-room hotel will feature four suites, 14 deluxe and 92 executive rooms. Food and beverage options will include a restaurant, coffee shop, rooftop restaurant and bar. There will also be two banquet halls that can accommodate up to 500 guests each, as well as two boardrooms seating up to 40 people.

• The Park Plaza New Delhi Dwarka. The 209-room Park Plaza New Delhi Dwarka will be within easy reach of the city’s entertainment and commercial hubs. It will be near tourist attractions such as the Lotus Temple and the Red Fort. The hotel will offer three restaurants, a bar lounge, a tea lounge, a nightclub, a health club, a spa, a swimming pool, a business center and 9,500 square feet of pillar-free banquet space.

• The Park Plaza New Delhi Hari Nagar. Located in the country’s national capital city, the hotel will have 57 well-appointed suites and rooms with plush interiors. The hotel facilities will include a gym, a roof top swimming pool and two food and beverage outlets; Mosaic, an all-day dining coffee house, and Big Shot, a pub.

Park Inn

Park Inn is Carlson’s midscale brand. There were three properties in operation in India at the end of 2010 and a contracted pipeline of three, leading to a total portfolio of six Park Inn properties in the country. There is one property set to open in 2011:

• The Park Inn Delhi CBD Shahdara. Located in the city’s central business district, the hotel will feature 94 suites and guest rooms, a multi-cuisine food and beverage outlet, a bar lounge, banquet facilities, a business center and a swimming pool.

Centara’s Thai Hotels Launch Valentine Promotion

2011-01-19T15:45:00.002+07:00

Accommodation in a suite or villa, spa treatment for two, and breakfast in bed are being offered by Centara Hotels & Resorts under a Valentine package available at selected beach resort hotels in Thailand.

The package is available for a minimum of three nights during the period of 10-21 February at hotels in Phuket, Krabi, Samui and Hua Hin (Kui Buri).

Guests will be able to enjoy honeymoon spa suites and pool suites, and deluxe pool villas.

Daily breakfast, with breakfast served in bed once during your stay, and fruit, flowers and a Valentine cake are all included.

A bottle of sparkling wine will also be served poolside with canapés on the first night, and a one-hour luxury treatment for couples will be provided in a suite at the resort’s spa.

The rates vary according to the property but begin at THB 5500 per night. Bookings for less than three nights receive the same rate but not the extra benefits.

Fire Closes Hotel in Surabaya

2011-01-10T13:23:00.002+07:00

Following a fire inside Surabaya’s MEX Building recently, Aston International has decided to temporarily close the favehotel MEX.

While the fire, which originated in a Karaoke Club occupying the MEX building’s fifth floor, did not harm the favehotel located 2 floors below, the hotel sustained damage to its hallways and some guest rooms and suites due to water leaking from the upper floors sprinkler system.

General Manager, Mr. Nanang Supriady said, “Our first priority was to conduct a swift evacuation of the hotel and then find temporary alternative accommodations for our guests. This went very well and all guests are safe and comfortable again but after inspecting the hotel, We concluded that the repair and maintenance required will probably take until early February when we plan to reopen better than ever.”

Snow Chaos in Europe Hits Travellers

2010-12-30T16:58:00.000+07:00

Thousands of travellers around the world are facing uncertainty over where they will be for Christmas, with snow causing backlogs at airports around the world as airports in the UK and other parts of Europe are forced to close.

And, unlike with the Icelandic volcanic ash disruption earlier this year, where some travellers could at least opt for alternative transportation, road and rail traffic is also being severely impacted, and the forecast for the coming week does not offer a warmer picture for travellers.

For those that have not yet commenced their journey, some airline's are offering refunds. or changes to tickets free of charge.

For those that are trying to end their vacation or business trip, it is still worth checking with your airline to see whether you can change your ticket, or dates of travel if you are so inclined.

Passengers are advised to check with their airline about the latest status of flights, ensure that the airline has all your contact numbers and preferably a local mobile number so that they do not have to call overseas.

Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific is one airline that has been very proactive. Understanding that communication can be difficult at such times, a special email address has been set up on top of its regular passenger communications channels to collect student (and minor) passenger's phone contact details. The email address is: uk_student@cathaypacific.com. A separate email communication channel has also been set up for stranded Hong Kong residents who are non-UK citizens. The email address is: uk_irgs@cathaypacific.com. Both e-mail addresses are now operational. Cathay has also set up a special hotline for concerned parents of unaccompanied minors and young students from London to Hong Kong, so they can provide the airline with the passenger flight and contact details. The hotline number +852 - 2747-8999 and is open from 6 pm until 11 pm HK time. Cathay is also advising passengers to input their contact details in the Manage My Booking function on its website to ensure they get the latest flight information via SMS or email.

Pan Pacific Acquires Hilton Melbourne Airport Hotel in Australia

2010-12-28T13:44:00.002+07:00

Pan Pacific Hotels Group has entered into a conditional sale and purchase agreement to acquire the Hilton Melbourne Airport hotel in Australia.

Currently owned by Mulpha Australia Limited and managed by Hilton Hotels & Resorts, the Hilton Melbourne Airport hotel is the only airport hotel in Australia that enjoys direct connectivity with the terminal building.

Located on top of the airport’s main car park, the landmark hotel currently features 276 rooms, two restaurants and a bar, 14 meeting rooms and well-appointed business and gym facilities.

Pan Pacific Hotels Group is assessing opportunities to rebrand the hotel a ParkRoyal after the hotel management agreement with Hilton Hotels & Resorts ends next year.

“This acquisition in a key gateway city like Melbourne demonstrates our commitment to growing in the Australian market,” said A. Patrick Imbardelli, President and Chief Executive of Pan Pacific Hotels Group. “We are excited to have such a great hotel to add to our system. Its commanding location demands attention from both in-bound and out-bound passengers and will do much to enhance greater brand awareness and support our Sydney and Perth hotels with customers from Melbourne.”

Melbourne is Australia’s second busiest aviation hub and it currently serves 25 million passengers per year. The airport is located 25 minutes from the CBD and accounts for approximately 21% of inbound passenger movements to Australia. With both domestic and international terminals connected and benefitting from 24-hour curfew-free operations, the airport serves as an ideal arrival port for inbound international business.

Sofitel Centara Hua Hin Sponsors Royal Trophy Golf Championship

2010-12-27T16:16:00.000+07:00

Sofitel Centara Grand Resort & Villas Hua Hin has signed on as one of the official sponsors of the Royal Trophy golf championship, which will be staged from 7-9 January 2011.

The championship, the fifth in the series, will be held at the Black Mountain Golf Club in the coastal town of Hua Hin.

Played by teams representing the Asian and European continents, the championship will feature eight players and a captain representing each continent in a series of sixteen foursomes, four-ball and singles matches.

As part of its sponsorship arrangement, the Sofitel Centara Grand Resort & Villas will accommodate the European team with 40 rooms for seven nights.

The hotel will also have a booth at the Black Mountain Golf Course supplying light snacks and refreshments.

Hua Hin was Thailand’s first seaside resort, having evolved when a railway line was built from Bangkok to the Malaysia border during the early part of the 20th century.

Sofitel Centara Grand Resort & Villas was built in 1923 as the Railway Hotel, and the elegance of a bygone era is carefully retained in this fascinating colonial style low-rise resort, which boasts a topiary with meticulously sculpted elephants, squirrels and birds, and is set on 16 hectares of beachfront land.

The hotel features 207 luxurious rooms and suites, with 42 private spa and pool villas and an array of fine-dining restaurants.

Snow Chaos in Europe Hits Travellers

2010-12-21T10:17:00.000+07:00

Maksoud Plaza Hotel Adds Social Media Management to Utell Agreement

2010-12-16T10:14:00.002+07:00

São Paulo’s Maksoud Plaza Hotel has expanded its agreement with Utell Hotels & Resorts to include eBuzz Connect social media management.

As an extension of Maksoud’s existing contract with Utell, eBuzz Connect will enable the landmark property to monitor and manage its online reputation and social media marketing to effectively drive bookings.

The 416-room Maksoud Plaza Hotel is located in the heart of São Paulo, just off Avenida Paulista. The hotel, which joined Utell Hotels & Resorts in June 2009, “will use eBuzz Connect to augment its aggressive Utell sales and marketing campaigns with online reputation management,” said Paulo Patullo, sales and marketing director for the Maksoud Plaza Hotel.

“Utell has already helped us engage aggressively via traditional channels, and now eBuzz Connect will allow us to participate in the emerging social media realm,” Patullo said. “We’ll utilize it as a fast and reliable way to detect and acknowledge any discussions or mentions of the Maksoud Plaza Hotel without having to invest extensive staff resources. It has allowed us to continue our tradition of providing prompt attention to our public, wherever they’re engaging.”

Through the Pegasus strategic relationship with Milestone Internet Marketing, Utell offers eBuzz Connect to its global portfolio of hotels. eBuzz Connect facilitates the conversion of social media to profits by allowing hoteliers to monitor, manage and respond to social media mentions. The unique platform provides a reference guide on which channels to optimize and how to do so, demystifying how hotels can maximize gains in social media channels. It allows for monitoring of up to four competitors, and for measuring of performance in social media channels against competitors and previously set goals. The data is presented in a comprehensive dashboard view and is complete with a general manager’s summary report.

“We’re committed to providing services that enable Utell’s members to be more and more competitive on a global level,” said Ric Leutwyler, president of Utell and chief operating officer of Pegasus. “This includes social media channels, which are both global and instantaneous. By harnessing the power of its online social media presence with eBuzz Connect, Maksoud has demonstrated an early understanding of the business potential of this still developing channel.”

Good Prospects for Europe’s Travel Industry

2010-12-14T15:03:00.000+07:00

This year there was a slight upturn in Europe’s tourism sector, which however will only slowly recover from the aftermath of the global recession next year. 2010 was a year in which Europe’s travel industry reported stable business. At the same time it must now accept that shorter trips and reduced spending have become the norm. These are the findings of the ITB World Travel Trends Report, which is based on an extract of the European Travel Monitor and forecasts by more than 50 tourism experts and scientists from around the world. The report is compiled by IPK International and commissioned by ITB Berlin.

According to figures from UNWTO, international arrivals in Europe this year will rise by 1 to 3%, while IPK International predicts a 1 to 2% increase in travel within Europe. Short-distance travel in Europe stagnated, whereas long-haul trips undertaken by Europeans grew by 5%. The cruise market continued to boom. Both sea and river cruises grew by 10%, while air travel increased by only 2%. Car travel fell by 2%.

“Compared with other European countries Germany is among those benefiting from the current economic upturn,” said Dr. Martin Buck, Director CompetenceCenter Travel & Logistics, Messe Berlin. “The direction the European travel market takes in 2011 will not least depend on external influences such as the airfare surcharge and what happens in the UK, an important market, but one that continues to grapple with the long-term effects of the recession.”

Germany was one of the most sought-after travel destinations in 2010, which according to the ITB World Travel Trends Report attracted 8% more tourists from Europe. In 2010 the Netherlands, Egypt and China also reported a similar rise in tourism from Europe, whereas the UK, Spain, Greece and the US reported a decline.

The time spent travelling and the amount of money spent are proof of how severely the worldwide recession has affected travel behaviour not only in Europe but around the world in 2010. Whereas trips undertaken by Europeans increased by 1%, overnights dropped by 2%, and spending by Europeans fell by 3%.

The rise in last-minute bookings also demonstrates how unstable the European travel market was this year. The European Travel Monitor recorded a 25% rise in bookings made one week prior to the departure date. The internet is becoming an increasingly important instrument for planning and booking trips. In Europe, the number of online bookings rose by 17%, and is now nearing the 50% mark.

The recession will continue to impact on European travel behaviour next year. 65% of Europeans said the effects of the recession would influence their travel decisions. 44% plan to go on the same number of trips next year, with nearly 23% travelling more and the same percentage travelling less in 2010. The Germans revealed themselves to be among Europe’s least spendthrift nations, alongside the Spanish and Russians. Overall, only 6% intend to spend more on trips next year, while 37% aim to reduce their travel budget.

The ITB World Travel Trends Report 2010/2011 is based on the assessments of 60 tourism experts from 30 countries, on a special IPK International trend analysis undertaken in leading source markets, and on core data supplied by the World Travel Monitor, recognised as the largest continuous survey of global travel trends in some 60 source countries.

The findings reflect trends which emerged during the first eight months of 2010. On 9 March 2011 at the ITB Future Day, Rolf Freitag, CEO of IPK International, will present the findings for the entire year, as well as current forecasts for 2011 at a session entitled “ITB World Travel Trends Report - an Update on Global and European Tourism Forecasts”.

ITB Berlin 2011 will take place from Wednesday, 9 to Sunday, 13 March. Wednesday to Friday will be open to trade visitors only. Parallel with the trade fair, the ITB Berlin Convention will be held from Wednesday, 9 to Friday, 11 March 2011.

New Hotel in Brazil to Join Great Hotels of the World Luxury Collection

2010-12-13T17:24:00.002+07:00

Great Hotels of the World will increase its presence in South America when the Dom Pedro Laguna Beach Villas, Golf & Spa Resort opens on 17 December 2010, following two years of development at a cost of €20 million.

The newly-built resort which is a member of Great Hotels of the World Luxury Collection is the first five-star hotel of the Aquiraz Riviera and is 40km from Fortaleza International Airport in the state of Ceará, Brazil.

Situated between a beach and a golf course, the resort boasts luxury accommodation integrated into a beautiful lagoon with transfers between villas by boat.

The resort’s accommodation comprises 102 rooms including deluxe rooms, water villas, presidential water villas and royal villas, some with private swimming pool.

The hotel currently has a 9-hole Ocean Golf Course which is shortly to be expanded to 18 holes, a luxury spa and fitness room with a wide variety of treatments on offer, various sports facilities including beach volleyball, kite surfing, surfing and beach football and a good selection of restaurants and bars.

Dom Pedro Laguna is also ideal for meetings and incentives with three meeting rooms with capacity for up to 130 delegates and a wide variety of group incentive activities.

Hotel Matthan in Bangalore Joins Worldhotels

2010-12-08T13:43:00.000+07:00

The new 5-star Matthan hotel in Bangalore has joined Worldhotels.

Matthan is the debut hospitality venture of Sterling’s Mac Group, which operates over 250 fast-food restaurants across India and west Asia.

Centrally located in India’s IT business hub, the deluxe hotel on HAL airport road is close to Bangalore’s Commercial, Business and IT Parks.

The hotel features 145 rooms and four banquet halls accommodating up to 600 guests.

Restaurants and bars include ‘20 char’, a 24-hour coffee shop cum multi-cuisine restaurant, and high energy WAT BAR, in ultra blue hues with cutting edge design.

State-of-the-art room technology includes IP-enabled television and telephones.

Matthan joins a fast-expanding portfolio of Worldhotels affiliates in India including The Claridges in New Delhi and Surajkund, Asiana Hotel Chennai, Hotel Sahara Star at Mumbai’s domestic airport, and The Pride Park Premier, a new four-star business hotel in Delhi’s business park district of Gurgaon.

Japan, China and Australia Continue to Rank as Most Preferred Destinations

2010-11-29T10:42:00.000+07:00

One in four consumers across Asia Pacific is looking to get their passport stamped and leave for a vacation in the coming six months, according to the findings from a MasterCard survey.

Japan continues to rank as the most popular travel destination, followed by China and Australia for respondents in Asia Pacific.

The latest survey was conducted from 13 September to 11 November 2010 and involved 10,502 consumers from 24 markets across Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa. The markets surveyed include: Australia, China, Egypt, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malaysia, Morocco, New Zealand, Nigeria, Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, United Arab Emirates and Vietnam.

Spending on travel continues to hold strong in the Middle East region, with 36 percent of respondents looking to pack their bags and head off for a vacation.

The survey also reveals consumers’ continued interest in traveling to destinations within the region. A considerable 88 percent of would-be travelers in Asia Pacific said they are looking to explore close to home. In the Middle East, 56 percent of respondents planning trips are looking to do so within the region. In contrast to this trend of favoring intraregional destinations, the majority of respondents in Africa are looking to visit Europe (68 percent) and North America (49 percent).

Of the 24 markets surveyed, respondents in Hong Kong (58 percent) appear to be the keenest on taking a trip, followed by UAE (47 percent) and Kuwait (46 percent).

“It is encouraging to see most markets maintaining a strong appetite for travel, especially with continued interest for trips to destinations within the region,” said Yunsok Chang, group executive, Global Products and Solutions, Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa, MasterCard Worldwide. “With consumers prioritizing travel as an important part of life, we seek to provide cardholders with solutions and privileges that offer them peace of mind and make travelling more enjoyable. We recently launched the Travelex Cash Passport MasterCard in a few markets to offer cardholders the convenience of a prepaid card loaded with foreign currency, allowing them to lock in a favorable exchange rate before setting off for their vacations. We look forward to continue providing cardholders with innovative and convenient solutions to make their getaways all the more special.”

Key highlights from the survey include:

Asia Pacific
- Across Asia Pacific, 23 percent of respondents surveyed are planning a holiday abroad in the next six months, compared to 24 percent in the previous survey. Slightly more than half (56 percent) of these respondents deemed international personal air travel as important to them.
- Among the Asia Pacific markets, Hong Kong (58 percent), Singapore (45 percent) and Taiwan (35 percent) have the highest number of respondents looking to travel abroad in the next six months.
- The top five destinations for Asia Pacific travelers are Japan (as indicated by 26 percent of respondents who plan to spend on travel in the next six months), China (21 percent), Australia (19 percent), Hong Kong (18 percent) and the United States (16 percent).
- More female respondents (24 percent) from Asia Pacific are planning to spend on international personal air travel, compared to their male counterparts (21 percent) in the next six months.

Middle East
- Plans to spend on travel are on the rise in the Middle East with 36 percent of respondents looking to take a trip in the next six months. This is up from 24 percent of consumers who said they were planning a trip at the same time last year. A large majority (88 percent) of respondents looking to travel said they view this as an important priority.
- Among the Middle Eastern markets, United Arab Emirates (47 percent), Kuwait (46 percent) and Saudi Arabia (43 percent) have the highest number of respondents looking to travel abroad in the coming 6 months.
- Overall, the top five destinations for travelers in the Middle East are Egypt (26 percent), UAE (20 percent), Syria (16 percent), Saudi Arabia (14 percent) and Lebanon (12 percent).

Africa
- In the Africa region, of the 17 percent willing to spend on international personal air travel, 87 percent view this as an important priority.
- Among the African markets, respondents in Nigeria (38 percent) and Kenya (17 percent) appear to have the highest propensity to travel.
- In contrast to the other regions, the top destinations for travelers in Africa are outside the region: U.S.A (36 percent), United Kingdom (30 percent), Canada (22 percent) and South Africa (22 percent).
- More women in Africa (72 percent) are looking to travel to Europe compared to their male counterparts (64 percent). Destinations within Asia Pacific seemed to be popular among the male respondents in Africa, with 38 percent of them choosing these destinations compared to 21 percent of the female respondents.

MasterCard also has a range of offers lined up for this coming travel season including the following tie-ups and promotions:

Lufthansa Airlines: MasterCard cardholders can enjoy discounts of up to 7 percent for economy air tickets purchased online, when departing from one of 11 countries in Asia Pacific, to any destination.

Starwood: MasterCard cardholders, who are members of Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG), stand a chance to earn one Free Weekend Night Award at more than 250 Starwood Hotels worldwide, including Sheraton, Westin and St Regis. To qualify, guests simply need to use their MasterCard cards to pay for at least three stays in any one of the participating hotels.

Accor: MasterCard cardholders stand a chance to have their stay reimbursed when they book a consecutive three night stay at any of the 168 participating Accor Hotels in Asia Pacific. Cardholders who use their MasterCard cards to settle the payment will be rewarded with one free night, having to pay for just two out of the three nights and will be eligible to a draw to win the value of their stay back.

The above promotions are subject to certain terms and conditions.

Marriott launches FFP Promotion with LAN Airlines

2010-11-27T18:51:00.000+07:00

Marriott International and LAN Airlines are teaming up to offer LANPASS members a 20% discount at Marriott’s portfolio of hotels in Latin America and Miami.

LANPASS is the frequent flyer program of LAN Airlines. The 20% off rate is exclusive to Elite LANPASS members and guests interested in extending their stay over Friday and Saturday at participating JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts, Marriott Hotels & Resorts, Renaissance Hotels and Courtyard by Marriott Hotels in the region. In addition, Elite LANPASS members will also receive the discount at Marriott’s select spa facilities throughout the region.

“LAN Airlines is the largest airline service provider in Latin America, and an ideal partner for this special promotion,” said John Licence, vice president of sales and marketing for Marriott International, Inc. if the Americas South region. “As a like minded brand, we created this program especially for Elite LANPASS members to thank them for their business in the region during the holiday season.”

Ralph Piket, general manager of the LANPASS program, added, “We are thrilled to partner with Marriott on this exclusive offer, and we are confident it will be a success with our Elite LANPASS members in key destination markets throughout the region.”

The LANPASS member rates will be offered at participating Marriott International hotels in Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Chile, Ecuador, Mexico and Miami, Florida. A limited number of rooms are available and blackout dates or other restrictions may apply. The promotional code is LCW. This offer is for new bookings made through 15 December 2010.

Langham Place Samui Launches Free Night Promotion

2010-11-24T22:46:00.002+07:00

The Langham Place Samui at Lamai Beach is offering a ‘Stay 3 Pay 2’ promotion, which allows guests to pay only the two-night room rate for a three-night stay with daily breakfast. The promotion is valid until 18 December 2010.

Langham Place Samui at Lamai Beach enjoys prime position beachside and comprises of a chic modern village of 77 villas and suites, many featuring personal plunge pools.

For innovative cuisine that keeps the taste buds stimulated, look no further than CHA – an ocean view restaurant with exciting international options, or The Pantry where you can create your own snack or the Splash Bar where you can enjoy a refreshing poolside cocktail.

And to complete that rejuvenating break, guests can relax in the Chuan Spa with its range of treatments based on the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) or Thai Traditional Medicine.

For the more active, the resort also offers a full range of activities from kayaking to parasailing.

Shangri-La to Open First Hotel in Europe on 17 December 2010

2010-11-23T07:54:00.000+07:00

Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts will open its first hotel in Europe on 17 December 2010.

The Shangri-La Hotel, Paris, located in the French capital's prestigious 16th arrondissement, was built in 1896 as the private home of Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte's grand-nephew, Prince Roland Bonaparte.

The restored landmark retains its residential heritage and offers 81 rooms including 27 suites, making it the most intimate of all Shangri- a Hotels worldwide.

Internationally acclaimed interior designer Pierre-Yves Rochon crafted each room individually to retain the residential ambience while providing all modern day comforts.

Accommodation includes five duplex suites; the Suite Imperiale, which originally housed Prince Roland's private rooms, and the penthouse Suite Panoramique, with over 100 square metres (1,076 square feet) of outdoor deck.

A strong selling point is that 40% of the rooms and 60% of the suites feature unobstructed views of the Eiffel Tower and the River Seine below. Nearly half of all rooms offer balconies and terraces that allow guests to take in the sights and sounds of this amazing city.

Executive Chef Philippe Labbe is in charge of the hotel's culinary division. La Bauhinia, the all-day dining restaurant and lounge in the centre of the building, features a newly uncovered and restored glass cupola modelled after the Eiffel Tower. The French gourmet restaurant L'Abeille and a gourmet Cantonese restaurant, Shang Palace, will open in early 2011. Chef Labbe will also oversee the cuisine for Le Bar and the former residence's banqueting rooms.

"Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts is honoured to have been entrusted the preservation of this significant part of French heritage," said Alain Borgers, general manager of Shangri-La Hotel, Paris. "Whether for accommodation, dining, entertaining or celebrating special events, we are eager to welcome Parisians and visitors to reveal this Parisian treasure and offer our signature style of hospitality."

Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts dedicated four years to meticulously restore Roland Bonaparte's Palais to its original splendour, the same amount of time it took to build the original home from 1892-1896. The building is listed with the French heritage institution, Monuments Historiques, to preserve this important Parisian landmark in full.

Perched on Chaillot Hill, amidst one of the highest concentrations of museums in Europe and a short walk from the famous Trocadero, the hotel is an ideal choice for business and leisure travellers alike.

Hard Rock Hotel Penang Appoints Shane Coates as EAM

2010-11-22T13:56:00.002+07:00

The Hard Rock Hotel Penang, the 250-room musical and entertainment themed beach resort in Batu Feringghi, Penang has appointed Mr. Shane Coates as the new Executive Assistant Manager for this property effective November 2010.

Shane is responsible in assisting the General Manager, John Primmer in all operational areas including Front Office, Engineering, Food & Beverage, and Safety & Security. He will also oversee the other lifestyle amenities under the Hard Rock brand such as the Rock Spa and Rock Shop.

Hailing from Australia, Shane has over 16 years of experience in various roles within the hospitality industry working with companies such as Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Voyages Hotels & Resorts, Stamford Hotels & Resorts.

Prior to joining the Hard Rock Hotel Penang, Shane was employed by TOGA Hospitality in numerous General Managers positions. His past experience also includes hotel refurbishments, openings and takeovers.

“I’m very pleased to welcome Shane Coates into Hard Rock Hotel Penang. He’s the ideal person for this role. We are confident that his vast experience and expertise will add significantly to the hotel’s mission and vision to create an authentic holiday experience for our guests,” said John Primmer.

Hotel Brand Offers Bonus Points for Online Check-In

2010-11-19T15:20:00.000+07:00

The Wingate by Wyndham hotel brand is offering Wyndham Rewards loyalty program members who join Topguest, 50 Wyndham Rewards points when they check-in online at any at any of the chain’s 165 hotel locations.

Topguest, a free mobile application that also can be accessed via its website, enables members to earn points and rewards when they virtually check-in at Topguest-affiliated hotels or hotel restaurants using popular mobile applications including Foursquare and Facebook Places.

These “location-based services” are accessible through mobile devices that use geographical positioning information, or “geolocation,” to determine the user’s location. Users are shown nearby retail stores, hotels and restaurants where they can “check in” to receive special messages, rewards or offers.

“We know that frequent travelers are increasingly using services like Foursquare while on the road,” said Chris Zoeller, Wingate by Wyndham director of marketing. “The Wingate by Wyndham brand always has focused on giving travelers everything they need for one, simple rate. We are now able to give our guests additional benefits with Topguest, in the form of valuable Wyndham Rewards loyalty points.”

Topguest’s free iPhone and Android mobile applications are available as free downloads.

“Topguest aims to provide users of location-based service applications with tangible value for their check-ins,” said Geoffrey Lewis, Topguest co-founder and chief executive officer. “We are excited to partner with the Wingate by Wyndham brand, which focuses on making every guest’s visit a rewarding and valuable experience. Topguest members now have the opportunity to get more out of their travels and easily earn rewards from the Wyndham Rewards loyalty program.”

All Wingate by Wyndham hotels cater to business travelers by offering the services and amenities they need for one simple rate, including hot breakfast daily with freshly-made Belgian waffles, copying and printing in 24-hour business centers, high-speed Internet service, meeting space and exercise facilities.

The hotels offer comfortable guest rooms that are designed to function both as a bedroom and an office with a large, well-lit workspace, in-room microwave and refrigerator, a pillow-top bed and more. All Wingate by Wyndham hotels are individually owned and operated.

Amadeus launches Hotel Platform

2010-11-15T09:40:00.000+07:00

Amadeus has launched the Amadeus Hotel Platform, a centralised above-property solution.

Built around one comprehensive database, and available as a ‘Software as a Service model’, it combines central reservation, property management and global distribution systems into one fully integrated platform. Offering a single and real-time view of the entire business, Amadeus Hotel Platform enables hoteliers to deliver innovative and new guest services, generate additional revenues and also quickly react to market changes as new trends, behaviours and demands emerge.

Philippe Chérèque, EVP, Commercial at Amadeus said, “We have built the Amadeus Hotel Platform in order to most effectively support hotel chains in addressing their key strategic challenges. In today’s market, it is vital that their IT infrastructure can support global business growth and expansion whilst guaranteeing operational efficiencies on a global scale. With a thorough understanding of the current and future shape of the hotels sector, we are 100% committed to helping our customers remove technology barriers by offering them a central solution, allowing them to benefit fully from the power of new technology whilst transforming their fixed cost into a variable one. With this in mind hoteliers can focus on transforming their business making the most of emerging opportunities in a way that is right for them.”

In conjunction with the launch, Amadeus has also unveiled the findings from a major new industry report entitled ‘Hotels 2020: Beyond Segmentation’, which identifies the characteristics of the future guest and explores how hotel companies can respond accordingly.

Developed by independent research firm Fast Future Research, the report outlines how traditional customer segmentation in the hospitality sector is dead and will be replaced by service spectrums. This radical shift means that hotel companies will need to target, tailor and relate to guests based on their individual preferences and behaviors if they are to succeed.

Rohit Talwar, Chief Executive of Fast Future Research said, “What we see is a shift from neatly defined customer segments to a more fragmented set of service spectrums that will demand hotels act in a way that is guest-focused personal, connected and informed. The right technology will be an increasingly important weapon in delivering on guest expectations and securing brand differentiation.”

The study contains both quantitative and qualitative data and draws on desk research, expert interviews and a global survey on future strategies and business models for the sector. The survey was conducted with 600 respondents from around the world, of whom 42% work in the travel industry.

Qatar Airways CEO Wins Achievement Award

2010-11-11T09:30:00.000+07:00

Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker has been recognised for his role in the airline’s long-term contribution to the economic growth of Qatar at the Leaders in Aviation Awards held at the Grand Hyatt Doha.

The awards ceremony, hosted by Qatar’s Civil Aviation Authority, marked the beginning of this year’s Doha Aviation Summit.

Chairman of Qatar Civil Aviation Authority H.E Mr. Abdul Aziz Al Noaimi presented an award trophy to Al Baker during the evening’s proceedings.

Since 1997, Al Baker has been at the helm of Qatar’s national carrier, guiding the airline from being a small regional operation to Qatar Airways becoming widely recognised as among the world’s top airlines.

Al Baker was delighted to receive the recognition, saying “Thirteen years ago, I was given a mandate by His Highness The Emir – Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani – to create a national airline with one goal – to be the best on the global stage. It has been a remarkable journey since 1997. Year on year, Qatar Airways has pushed the boundaries in the aviation industry achieving what many airlines have been unable to do.”

The awards ceremony was part of a welcome reception and networking dinner to start the second instalment of the Doha Aviation Summit, a three-day meeting that brought together senior executives from across the airline, airport and general aviation industries to discuss themes and topics relating to the region and the global industry as a whole.

This year’s summit, which included Al Baker speaking on a panel discussion, focused on aviation industry predictions for the coming 12 months, as well as operational issues ranging from human resource management through to alternative fuels. A special presentation on the New Doha International Airport was also a highlight of the programme.

Marriott Signs Three Hotels in Europe

2010-11-04T11:14:00.000+07:00

Marriott has signed franchise agreements that will add three more hotels to its lodging portfolio in Europe. The hotels are the:

• 87-room Renaissance Lucerne Hotel, Switzerland (2011)
• 139-room Renaissance Aix-en-Provence Hotel, France (2012)
• 113-room Renaissance Paris Saint-Cloud Hotel, France (2013)

Earlier this year, Marriott announced its plans to double its presence in Europe by 2015. These three additions to the development pipeline in Europe bring the total number of hotels currently in development throughout Europe to 27.

“We are thrilled to announce these three new Renaissance Hotels as we continue toward achieving our growth goals in Europe,” said Amy McPherson, president and managing director of Marriott International in Europe. “Renaissance Hotels area all about discovery and offering our guests unique experiences. As we continue to expand throughout Europe, I am excited for us to add distinctive hotels like these, which embody everything Renaissance is about, to new destinations for us such as Aix-en-Provence and Lucerne.”

The 87-room Renaissance Lucerne Hotel will open in 2011 under a franchise agreement with Hotel Schiller Betriebe AG. The hotel, formerly the Hotel Schiller, dates back to 1909 and is located along the Pilatus strasse in one of the most desirable shopping areas of Lucerne. Boasting high style and contemporary design, the hotel will be Marriott’s first in the picturesque city of Lucerne which is located less than one hour from Zurich Airport and sits on the shore of Lake Lucerne with stunning views of Mount Pilatus and Rigi in the Swiss Alps.

Opening in 2012, the 139-room Renaissance Aix-en-Provence Hotel will be located in this small classically provencal city in southern France known for its wrought iron bell towers, beautiful paved plazas and average 300 annual days of sunshine. The new hotel will operate under a franchise agreement with ARTHOTEL Aix-en-Provence SAS.

Located 30 km north of Marseille, Aix-en-Provence is often referred to as the city of a thousand fountains, among the most notable the 17th century Fontaine des Quatre Dauphins. The newly built property will be located in the heart of the city center, a stone’s throw from the Grand Theatre de Provence. The hotel will boast two restaurants, a destination bar, and outdoor pool.

When opened, the boutique 113-room Renaissance Paris Saint-Cloud Hotel will be the fifth Renaissance property in Paris. Opening in 2013 under a franchise agreement with Paris Country Club SA in Saint-Cloud, France, the hotel will be located adjacent to the elegant Paris Country Club, offering guests a unique opportunity to experience the many amenities of the club, including its golf course and tennis courts.

Located just 15 minutes from Paris Porte Maillot (Congress Center), the newly built hotel will boast the same design as the Paris Country Club with its country manor style and half-timbered façade. The hotel will offer two restaurants, a bar, 743 square meters of meeting space, and a luxurious outdoor pool and spa.

Broome to Host International Beach Polo Festival

2010-11-02T09:09:00.000+07:00

The Kimberley region of north west Australia is set to host Australia’s first international beach polo festival following ‘in principal’ approval of the concept by Broome Shire Council. The weeklong festival, to be held in Broome from 8 to 15 May 2011, is expected to attract polo players and tourists from around the world.

The cornerstone of the festival is Paspaley Beach Polo, Australia’s first and only beach polo event, which was launched at Broome’s iconic Cable Beach in May this year as a one-day, one match event. Next year, the event will be elevated to a genuine sporting league with teams competing in a round robin qualification competition to secure one of four places in the finals which will be held on the weekend of May 14 and 15. The festival’s beach action will conclude with an international test match between Australia and a visiting country.

Broome Shire President Graeme Campbell said this year’s beach polo was a great success for the town. “The organisers worked closely with the shire this year to ensure that all requirements were met, while producing an event the likes of which Broome has never seen before,” he said. “As well as attracting visitors to experience the Kimberley, the international beach polo festival will also provide an opportunity for the Broome community to be further introduced to the sport. We look forward to Broome hosting next year’s international event, subject to the organisers ticking all the boxes required by council.”

The organisers, Marilynne Paspaley AM, Owner of Pinctada Hotels & Resorts, and Janek Gazecki of Polo Enterprises Australia, are confident all council requirements will be achieved. Marilynne said the vision for the festival is to develop a week long program which embraces Broome’s unique tourist attractions and indigenous culture along with a range of entertainment and polo-themed events with the players.

“I commend Broome Shire Council’s vision in approving the international beach polo festival because it allows us to develop a one-day sporting and social event into a total tourism experience,” Marilynne said. “We believe the festival is an ideal opportunity to introduce both Australian and international tourists to Broome’s unique landscape, culture and heritage. With the support of the Broome and wider Kimberley communities we will commence work immediately to create a festival which has genuine international appeal, attracting tourists to Australia and the Kimberley. Broome Shire sets the bar very high and we enjoy working at that level.”

Janek Gazecki said the extended format is more appealing to players and confirmed he has received expressions of interest from both Australian and international players to participate. “This year’s inaugural beach polo event was a one-day format, which is problematic for players travelling to Broome. The weeklong event is a whole new ballgame because players can combine a holiday with the tournament. International polo players are always looking for an excuse to visit the most beautiful parts of the world to play polo and I’ve had a lot of interest from international patrons, polo associations and individual players keen to visit the Kimberley and play on Cable Beach. This year Cable Beach proved an ideal location to stage this unique sporting spectacle and next year our top polo players, headed by Australian captain Glen Gilmore, are keen to return to the action on the Kimberley sand. Now we have approval for the festival to proceed, teams and individual players will be invited to nominate and there will be a selection process to determine the teams that will compete in the round robin qualifying tournament,” he said

Cable Beach is one of just five exotic locations around the world to host beach polo, along with Miami in the USA, Poole in the UK, Dubai in the UAE and Goa in India.

Absolute Hotel Services signs U Hotel in Doha, Qatar

2010-10-28T09:49:00.002+07:00

Thailand-based Absolute Hotel Services is expanding its U Hotels & Resorts brand with the signing of its first hotel in Doha, Qatar.

The 120-room U Le Mirage Doha, which is scheduled to open in August 2011, will feature 78 superior rooms, 36 deluxe rooms and 6 suites with room sizes ranging from 33 square meters for superior rooms to 66 square meters for suites.

Each room will offer guests luxury bedding with deluxe amenities including a LCD flat screen television, a comfortable lounge area, wired and Wi-Fi internet access along with a work desk fitted with an iPod and iDocking station.

U Le Mirage Doha will also feature a 24-hour multi ethnic restaurant, a café with a deli and an exquisite roof top lounge.

Guests have the option of keeping fit in a state of the art fitness centre with views of the Doha skyline or simply unwinding in the pool which has an outdoor Jacuzzi. Guests can also relax and rejuvenate at the traditional spa facility equipped with two single en-suite treatment rooms, a Turkish bath, sauna, an indoor plunge pool, Jacuzzi and a Vichy shower treatment room.

The hotel caters for meetings and social events with 280 square meters of floor area allocated specially for three meeting rooms and a boardroom. A fully equipped business centre with a library will be located adjacent to the meeting rooms providing guests the convenience of PC stations and internet access.

“We are delighted to announce the expansion of the U Hotels & Resorts brand into the Middle East. Doha is an alluring blend of culture and contemporary lifestyle which aligns perfectly with our brand essence. We are confident U Le Mirage Doha will be an iconic flagship marking the commencement of our aggressive expansion into the region. In the near future, we will be announcing four new hotels under the U Brand umbrella for the region” said Mr. Jonathan Wigley, CEO of Absolute Hotel Services Co. Ltd. “U le Mirage Doha will be very popular with those who seek character, convenience, efficiency and uncomplicated services in a hotel; yet want to be inspired and cared for by genuine hospitality. Our unique brand attributes and services namely the 24 hours use of the room, breakfast whenever wherever, free Wi-Fi and more will be some of the many key demand and differentiating drivers for this beautifully designed hotel. Undoubtedly, U Le Mirage, Doha will prove itself to be the quintessential business and social destination for the city of Doha.”

New Hotel Managers @ Unique Hotels in Thailand

2010-10-26T10:52:00.000+07:00

The Unique Collection of Hotels & Resorts has appointed the following new Hotel Managers:

Mr. Peter Dietze has been appointed as Resort Manager of Absolute Sanctuary (Koh Samui). Peter starts his new challenge at Absolute Sanctuary (Koh Samui) today - 20 October, 2010.

Peter has over 17 years experience in the hospitality industry and his previous posts include General Manager & Island Chief of Mirihi Island Resort (Maldives), Regional General Manager of Precise Hotel Collection (Berlin), Resident EAM/Director of F & B of Centara Grand (Krabi) and General Manager of LH2 (Austria). With a strong passion for wellness Peter has also been opening GM for Wellness Resorts under the Falkensteiner Hotels & Resorts group.

Originally from Germany, Peter’s career has brought him from Munich to Salzburg to Krabi, the Maldives and now to Koh Samui.

Mr. Stefan Schmidt has been appointed as Hotel Manager of Ban Sabai Sunset Beach Samui. Stefan started his new challenge at Ban Sabai Sunset Beach Samui on 18 October 2010.

Stefan has extensive experiences in hotel hospitality both International and Thailand. Prior to joining Ban Sabai, Stefan’s previous posts included being International Sales Manager at Emerald, Bangkok, Managing Director of JST Hotel Management Corp, Bangkok, Resident Manager at Atlantis Resort & Spa, Koh Samui and Executive Assistant Manager of Novotel Sheremetyevo Airport, Moscow, Russia.

Originally from Sweden, Stefan is fluent in German, Swedish, Danish and Norwegian and has a basic knowledge in French and Spanish.

Mr. Christoph Behrend has been appointed as Hotel Manager of Samui Palm Beach Resort. Christoph started his new challenge at Samui Palm Beach Resort on 1 October 2010.

He has over 13 years experience in hotel hospitality. Prior to joining, Christoph’s previous posts included being a General Manager at The Dewa Koh Chang, Koh Chang, a Resident Manager at Thavorn Palm Beach Resort, Phuket, a General Manager of Panviman Resort, Koh Chang and a Resident Manager/Room Division Manager of Park Hotel Boppard, Germany.

Christoph is originally from Germany, and is fluent in English and Thai.

Khun Montri Bhamornbutr has been appointed as Hotel Manager of Ranyatavi Resort Phang Nga. Khun Montri started his new challenge at Ranyatavi Resort Phang Nga on 15 October 2010.

Khun Montri has over 25 years experience in hotel hospitality. Prior to joining the Ranyatavi Resort, Khun Montri’s previous posts included being a Resident Manager at 5Veronica Residence, Food & Beverage Manager at Bangkok Palace Hotel, Manager at Sea Pearl Residence and General Manager at Royal Park Hotel Ltd., Nigeria. He is fluent in Thai and English.

Hilton Hotels launches Eforea spa concept

2010-10-23T16:13:00.000+07:00

Hilton Worldwide is debuting its new spa brand, Eforea, at the Hilton Short Hills in New Jersey today, with plans to rapidly roll out the spa concept globally.

In a statement, Hilton says Eforea is “a turnkey spa solution that owners can easily implement and customize.”

Eforea primarily will be attached to the Hilton Hotels and Resorts brand but will not be mandatory. It also will be available for developers of Doubletree and Embassy Suites properties.

Hilton said it has more than 80 properties in development that are committed to including a spa and anticipates “the spa of choice for these properties will be Eforea.”

Hilton Hotels and Resorts already provides spa services at 123 properties worldwide. The company said Eforea has the potential to become one of the largest spa operations in the world with its “consistent standards, customizable key elements and easy implementation.”

In the statement, Dave Horton, global head for Hilton Hotels and Resorts, said: “With today’s opening at Hilton Short Hills and more than 80 spas currently in our global pipeline, Eforea has the potential to evolve the spa segment of our industry on a global scale.”

The word Eforea is meant to provide “a refreshing identity that is unexpected in a spa world often dominated by sameness.”

Three “signature spa journeys” make up the Eforea concept, according to Hilton, each varying in the beauty products and treatments used. A “Men’s Journey” will be geared toward men with treatments including a Signature Body Repair with a heated bamboo massage.

The spa concept will feature several design elements, including state-of-the-art sound- and aroma-diffusing systems. The spa’s Arrival Lounge is fitted with a custom design lighting element that brightens as guests walk from treatment rooms. The Changing Lounge includes a dry and wet changing pod and grooming unit, and the Thermal Lounge offers hot and cold therapies as a precursor to guest treatments.

Hilton has worked with some well-known spa product companies in developing Eforea, including Kerstin Florian, LI’TYA and VitaMan.

Vina Properties Acquires Dalat Palace Golf Club and Hotels

2010-10-20T10:52:00.002+07:00

Saigon-based Vina Properties has acquired the Dalat Palace Golf Club, long an iconic presence on the Southeast Asian golf scene. Dalat Palace GC was voted the country’s top course in the most recent rankings from both Vietnam Golf magazine and Golf Digest U.S..

Vina Properties’ acquisition also includes two hotels, the Dalat Palace Hotel and the Dalat du Parc. Vina’s diversified background in tourism-related development – which includes hotels, transportation, travel agencies, and other disciplines – should prove pivotal in the project’s future success. The firm’s other hospitality holding include the four-star Ramana Saigon Hotel, in HCMC, and the Royal Hotel, in Vung Tau.

“Operating a national treasure like Dalat Palace presents special challenges, as well as special opportunities,” said Lan Duong, the golf club’s new general manager. “Our goal is to bring the proper mix of creativity and sensitivity to the task, to update the golf facilities while never compromising the qualities that make it a classic.

“There are several new courses poised to open here in the southern highlands. We welcome this development and see Dalat Palace Golf Club as the anchor to a superb new golfing destination — one that offers what other Southeast Asian destinations cannot: cool highland temperatures and classic golf, all of it accented by French colonial elegance.”

While Vietnam has a sizeable and growing number of first-rate golf courses, Dalat Palace stands alone in its combination of history, terrain, climate and charm. Founded in the late 19th century, Dalat was a preferred cool-weather retreat of French colonials and Vietnamese royals; the last emperor of Vietnam, Bao Dai, built his summer retreat there. The golf club’s exact provenance remains tantalizingly uncertain, but design and construction began in the 1920s — at the behest of Bao Dai, an avid golfer — and the first eight holes were opened for play in the early 1930s.

The routing of the original holes is attributed to Colt & Alison, the legendary British golf course architecture firm, after which the layout endured several cycles of disuse and rejuvenation. It was completely renovated, and expanded to 18 holes, in 1995, thanks to a collaboration between U.S.-based Danao International Holdings Limited, the previous owners, and Lam Dong Province.

Today, as then, Dalat Palace Golf Club is notable for its clever mix of holes weaving through rolling topography that is nonetheless eminently walkable; for its extraordinary landscaping featuring hydrangea, bougainvillea, red salvia, impatiens, and mimosa; and, thanks to the mile-high town’s cool climate; for its immaculate bentgrass greens, a rarity in Southeast Asia.

Plans to revitalize the course itself, according to GM Lan Duong, include bolstering drainage capacity, re-lining bunkers, regarding cart paths and upgrading the golf cart fleet. The Le Tourquet-style clubhouse – first built as an estate villa during the 1920s, an era that saw construction of the opulent, hillside villas for which Dalat is famous – is now undergoing a renovation that retains its distinctive design vocabulary while modernizing locker rooms, restaurant and pro shop. Ultimately, a new clubhouse will be built, said Lan Duong, but the existing clubhouse will remain, “it is too rich an amenity to ever be excluded from the experience at Dalat Palace GC.”

Of similar distinguished heritage is the grand Dalat Palace Hotel, a short drive from the golf course around Xuan Huong Lake. Set within a private five-hectare park overlooking the lake, the French colonial structure was built in 1922 and features 38 guestrooms and five suites, as well as fine dining, a spa, and numerous other amenities.

After a top-to-bottom restoration in 1995, augmented by another meticulous historical refurbishment in 2009, The Palace retains the period’s elegant style, most notably in its vaulted ceilings, rich wood paneling, and oversized-villa feel. Even the five-star hotel’s restored vintage 1952 Citroen roadster evinces a particular sophistication and gentility — and more upgrades (to meeting facilities and the pool) are planned.

“Fidelity to the the distinguished pedigree at the Palace is paramount in delivering the experience that guests want,” said Nguyen Viet Anh, the hotel’s general manager. “So improvements to the operation will focus mainly on innovative packages, special offers, and, of course, an approach to personal service to match the glamour of the wonderful atmosphere here.”

The Palace’s sister hotel, the four-star Dalat du Parc, is a brief stroll away. Ideal for both the business and leisure traveler, it boasts 140 rooms, multiple dining options, and an ambience that melds small- hotel sensibilities with large-hotel efficiency and versatility.

U.S. Hotel Construction Took Deep Drop in September

2010-10-17T16:12:00.002+07:00

The number of rooms in the U.S. hotel industry's active pipeline declined 21.9 percent year over year in September, though construction activity remained vigorous in a few key business travel markets, according to Smith Travel Research data released this week.

The U.S. pipeline stood at 3,362 projects, totaling 352,356 rooms, in September, according to STR. The firm’s vice president of content management, Lana Yoshii, said tight financing and barriers to entry in major markets has kept the pipeline numbers down compared with 2009 levels.

New York is an exception, however, with the most rooms under construction of any market in the United States, according to Yoshii. In total, those rooms will boost New York’s hotel supply by 7.4 percent once they open.

Other cities with more rooms under construction than last year include Orlando, Boston and Denver. Las Vegas saw the largest decrease in rooms under construction, down 85 percent from September 2009 levels to 1,025 rooms.

IHG Signs Four Hotels in Asia

2010-10-16T16:24:00.000+07:00

InterContinental Hotels Group has signed four new hotel contracts for hotels in Taipei, Hong Kong and Xiamen, adding more than 700 rooms to its pipeline.

“This expansion is a clear sign of our long term confidence in the Greater China market and we are honoured to be partnering with three cutting-edge real estate developers in their respective region,” said Keith Barr, managing director, IHG Greater China. “As the industry’s international leader in Greater China, IHG’s ambition is to address the growing needs in the country’s most energetic cities.”

The four newly signed hotels include:

- Hotel Indigo Xiamen Harbour View: Owned by Xiamen SK Development Ltd., a well established Hong Kong company, the hotel has 127 rooms and will be open in 2011.

- Hotel Indigo Taipei Xinyi: Owned by Elements Innovation Co., Ltd., a Taiwan listed real estate company majoring in projects including residential and office development, the hotel offers 173 rooms and expected to open in 2011.

- Holiday Inn Express Taipei Xinyi: Also owned by Elements Innovation Co., Ltd., the 125-room hotel is expected to open in 2011.

- Holiday Inn Express Hong Kong Mongkok: Owned by Tai Hung Fai Enterprise Co. Ltd, a Hong Kong based real estate developer that owns over 100 properties across Hong Kong and Macau including Hotel Indigo Hong Kong Island, the hotel offers 300 rooms and expected to open in 2014.

Growing its footprint in Chinese cities, IHG currently has 132 hotels open under four brands – InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn Hotels Resorts and Holiday Inn Express Hotels – with more than 140 hotels in the development pipeline. The soon-to-launch Hotel Indigo Shanghai on the Bund marks the entry of IHG’s fifth brand in Asia Pacific.

Six Senses Pledges to Support BLUE with Share of Diving Revenues

2010-10-13T09:30:00.000+07:00

The Six Senses Eco Symposium at Soneva Fushi ended on Sunday with a rallying cry to invest more in preserving fish stocks.

Chris Gorell Barnes, co-founder of BLUE Marine Foundation, said that only 0.6 percent of the world’s oceans are protected. “The rest can be fished until they are empty,” he said. “If we go on at the same rate then the oceans will be empty of fish by 2050.”

Six Senses, the luxury resort company, has pledged to support marine conservation after signing a deal with BLUE. Under the terms of the agreement, Six Senses will give a share of revenues from guest diving excursions at its Maldives retreats to BLUE.

Sonu Shivdasani, Chairman of Six Senses, said, “As part of our commitment to sustainable development, I am delighted to be able to support BLUE in its vital commitment to preserving marine ecosystems. Unless we protect our oceans now, fish stocks will suffer an irreversible collapse.”

Six Senses’s Soneva Fushi and Soneva Gili resorts in the Maldives only use fish from sustainable sources.

BLUE is also in talks with the government of the Maldives about creating a marine conservation area in the country’s territorial waters and examining ways in which the country can improve its sustainable fishing credentials.

5 new normals of hotel financing

2010-10-06T13:08:00.000+07:00

Major events in our culture often are the impetus for significant changes in behavior. Whether it is adjusting to new security measures after 9/11, long-term deployment of troops during the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan or, on a personal level, a death of a loved one, we adapt our lives to the “new normal.” Today is no exception given the continued uncertainty in the U.S. economy.

While the weakening housing market, an unemployment rate stuck close to 10 percent and a dangerously low inflation rate make it seem the economic doldrums will be with us for the foreseeable future, the hotel industry has turned a corner. Revenue per available room is projected to increase this year due to higher occupancy, transactions are up and debt more available. But even with this good news, there have been changes in hotel financing that will remain even as the industry rebounds.

Reality of financing today

Although there are signs of a favorable comeback for the industry, lenders have not returned to the go-go days of 80 percent loan-to-value and easy construction financing.

What we see today is debt financing for acquisition and refinance projects. While there are a few exceptions, construction financing is not projected to return in earnest for another three to four years.

Loan-to-value ratios are between 50 percent and 75 percent, with the sweet spot between 60 percent and 65 percent. Lenders want equity to remain in properties and debt service coverage around 1.40x.

Interest rates have fallen between 7 percent and 8 percent, although lower rates are available on lower-leverage projects. Borrowers need to be financially strong, with all sponsors willing to personally guarantee the loan.

While money is available for hotel projects, there is a smaller pool of lenders. Banks have failed, lenders have distressed assets on their books, and even those with performing loans don’t have room to do additional hospitality deals.

Five “new normals”

While you might think that once the industry’s recovery is in full swing we’ll see a return to the days of easy money, we project some of the more stringent underwriting guidelines remaining in place.

Which ones have staying power?

1. Low leverage – We expect loan-to-value ratios to remain low as lenders continue to be selective with their underwriting. This will lead to a significant decline in supply growth in the short-term. On refinance projects, many owners will be required to contribute additional equity in order to meet loan-to-value requirements. If additional cash isn’t available to do this, borrowers will need to take on additional equity partners or work to convince their lenders to extend the terms on existing loans.

2. No cash out – Equity partners will need to be patient about getting money out of their hospitality investments. No longer can hotels be viewed as piggy banks. Owners need to get used to making money on the performance of the property rather than through its sale or refinance.

3. Strong borrower financials – Borrowers will continue to need to have strong personal financials with ample liquidity and high net worth. Personal guarantees by all sponsors will remain a requirement. According to an April 2010 HVS Career Network survey, financial stability, good credit history, capital, access to equity and high net worth are critical borrower characteristics and ones we believe lenders will require in the future as well.

4. Higher interest rates – With still much economic volatility and declining hotel values, lenders will continue to require a premium on hotel investments. Interest rates will remain in the 7 percent- to 8-plus percent range, with lower rates available on low leverage (50 percent loan-to-value) deals. Projects with high cash equity; owners with hotel experience and a proven track record; a strong management team; risk strategies and policies; and a respected brand will have the best chance at securing competitive rates.

5. Fewer lenders – There will continue to be a more limited number of banks and private lenders making hotel loans. Lenders are watching their existing hotel loans decline in value, others have loans on their books that will need to be refinanced during the next three to five years, and still others are preserving their capital for different uses. These factors will continue to limit the availability of debt financing in the hospitality sector.

With signs that the industry is on the upswing, now may be a good time to consider refinancing an existing property or, if you have available cash, making an acquisition. Whatever your next move, it is important to consider the “new normals.”

Marriott Grand Opens Two Properties in Tianjin

2010-10-04T10:28:00.000+07:00

Marriott has grand opened the 368-room Renaissance Tianjin Lakeview Hotel and the 96-unit The Lakeview, Tianjin – Marriott Executive Apartments.

To celebrate their grand opening, the Renaissance Tianjin Lakeview Hotel is offering an introductory rate of RMB 770++ while The Lakeview, Tianjin – Marriott Executive Apartments is offering apartments starting from RMB 1080++ including breakfast for two. The promotional rates for both properties are valid until 31 December 2010.

Located in the central financial district, encircled by 12,000 square meters of landscaping alongside the tranquil East Lake and Da Lake, the hotel and apartments are within walking distance to the Tianjin Grand Hall, Tianjin International Exhibition Center and a 10 minute taxi ride away from Meijiang International Convention Center. Traveling to other destinations within China is simple with Tianjin Railway station merely minutes away, boasting high-speed trains to Beijing and beyond.

The Lakeview, Tianjin Marriott Executive Apartments has more space than deluxe rooms at five-star hotels, while providing the same convenience and services. It offers a combination of one, two and three-bedroom apartments, outfitted with high speed internet service along with spacious work areas, washer and dryer. In addition all apartments have fully equipped gourmet kitchen, upgraded bathroom amenities and luxurious bedding. Pre-arrival consultation is also available to assist guests with temporary relocation logistics such as transportation and private phone numbers.

Recreation and leisure activities are abundant as guests relax at the on-site spa, work out at the 24-hour fitness center, lounge at the indoor swimming pool and jacuzzi or take in a game of indoor tennis (ball launchers are available for single players).

Renaissance Tianjin Lakeview Hotel houses approximately 4,000 square meters of event space on two separate floors.

The Renaissance Tianjin Lakeview Hotel and The Lakeview, Tianjin – Marriott Executive Apartments are the third and fourth properties in Marriott’s portfolio in the city. Other properties include 280-room Renaissance Tianjin Hotel and 530-room Renaissance Tianjin TEDA Hotel & Convention Centre.

Best Western Opens Hotel in Sapporo

2010-10-02T02:16:00.002+07:00

Best Western has opened its second property in Sapporo, the Best Western Hotel Sapporo Nakajima Koen.

The 278-room Best Western Hotel Sapporo Nakajima Koen is located on the south side of Sapporo city centre by Nakajima Park. The central business district and Susukino night-life entertainment area are within walking distance.

Sapporo is the capital and gateway city to the northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido, which attracts tourists from around Japan and the world with its magnificent natural beauty and world famous ski resorts.

“The opening of Best Western Hotel Sapporo Nakajima Koen is another important step forward for Best Western, as we continually move ahead to achieving our goal of 50 hotels by 2015. Already well on track, we aim to add 10 new hotels to the Best Western portfolio each year in Japan,” said Best Western International’s Vice President for Operations Asia and the Middle East, Glenn de Souza.

The hotel’s guestrooms feature cable and satellite TV, refrigerator, coffee/tea set, hairdryer, dataport and high speed internet access while facilities include a restaurant and a 24-hour convenience store. In addition to Sapporo’s various attractions, the Jozankei hot springs area is within 30 km of the hotel, while three ski resorts can also be easily reached.

“Japan is a strategic destination for Best Western International and this is reflected in our ever growing portfolio. It is a unique multi-faceted destination offering history, culture, stunning natural beauty and at the same time, is one of the world’s most hi-tech societies” added Mr. De Souza.

Best Western Hotel Sapporo Nakajima Koen is the chain’s 13th property in Japan.

Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Dearborn Rebranding as The Henry

2010-09-29T13:47:00.000+07:00

Hospitality design firm Gettys is currently reinventing the former Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Dearborn, Michigan as The Henry, an art-focused hotel experience and one of the latest additions to Marriott’s Autograph Collection.

The hotel’s “boutique chic” rejuvenation is inclusive of all 308 guestrooms and suites, lobby spaces, restaurant and signature bar and aims to infuse the elegance of the classical era with the rich traditional detailing of the existing building.

Utilizing a fast-track approach, Gettys is working closely with Greenwood Hospitality Group and Marriott International to rebrand the property while design is ongoing.

Significant improvements include an energized lobby, a newly concepted restaurant/bar and an enlivened tea lounge as well as newly appointed guestrooms and corridors.

Virgin's Richard Branson plans his own line of luxury hotels

2010-09-24T16:50:00.000+07:00

Billionaire Richard Branson, peddled everything from airline tickets to space travel under his Virgin brand's iconic name, hopes to bring his own brand of hip to the hotel scene.

His newly created Virgin Hotels will likely appeal to younger, up-and-coming travelers: "the guys walking around with the shirt untucked and no ties, very similar to Mr. Branson," says Charles Quinn of hotel investment advisory firm CBRE Hotels.

"Virgin is a hip brand, no matter how you slice it," he says.

While the opening of the first Virgin-branded hotel is probably at least a year away, the timing seems right, lodging analysts say.

Virgin's hotel venture comes at a time when travel has started to rebound from the recession that sent occupancy rates to record lows last year. In August, the U.S. hotel industry's revenue per available room rose to USD 63.08, up 8.1 percent from a year ago, according to industry tracker Smith Travel Research. The average rate increased 1.5 percent to USD 98.69 a night.

Luxury hotels are benefiting. "As we have begun to recover from the economic downtown, luxury brands are enjoying the strongest revenue per available room of any segment," says Carlos Becil, a North American vice president for Starwood.

Virgin Hotels will focus on four-star, stylish hotels that attract the high-income, metropolitan, creative class — the same audience chased by chains such as Starwood's W, Kimpton Hotels and Thompson Hotels.

Branson and his investors will develop and run luxury hotels in key U.S. cities such as New York, Miami, San Francisco and Los Angeles. The venture aims to buy as much as USD 500 million in properties with 150 to 400 rooms over the next three years.

Competition in the luxury segment "keeps us on top of our game," says Becil, noting Starwood has a 50-hotel head start.

"Branson has all the capabilities of hitting a home run. However, it's not that easy," says Stephen Brandman, Thompson Hotels' co-founder. "A recognized name doesn't necessarily ensure success."

Thompson recently opened its 10th hotel in Toronto and runs others in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago.

The keys to Virgin Hotels' success are the locations of the hotels it decides to develop or manage, as well as the response from competitors, Brandman says.

Chip Conley, chairman of California boutique hotel company Joie de Vivre, suspects Virgin Hotels will charge higher rates than does his company, which operates mainly 3½-star hotels.

He predicts Virgin's room prices will be more on par with higher-priced W, Thompson and Kimpton hotels, driven by pricey real estate choices, licensing fees and brand requirements needed to create the Virgin vibe.

5 things to know

2010-09-22T07:40:00.000+07:00

1. Three special servicers are shopping more than USD 400 million of nonperforming hotel mortgages, according to a report in the Commercial Mortgage Alert.

Most of the loans are being supplied by LNR Partners with C-III Asset Management and J.E. Roberts Companies providing the rest. A two-day online auction will start 1 November, run by a partnership between Jones Lang LaSalle and REDC. Bidders can make offers on individual loans.

Among the largest loans in the offering is a USD 34-million mortgage on the full-service Courtyard by Marriott Lyndhurst Meadowlands in Lyndhurst, New Jersey. The 227-room hotel was built in 1990 and renovated in 2002. The average occupancy was listed at 66% in the most recent servicer report. The 10-year loan, originated by Citigroup, is scheduled to mature in September 2017. The unidentified sponsor began struggling with payments late last year and the loan turned delinquent in January.

2. Denver’s hotel market is on the fast track to recovery, according to a report from HotelNewsNow.com’s Patrick Mayock.

The city’s hotel industry posted positive year-over-year occupancy gains every month during 2010, averaging to a 9.4% increase to 62.9% through July 2010, according to data from STR. Revenue per available room has been less consistent, albeit generally positive; after a 4.6% decrease during January and another stutter during April, the market experienced year-over-year jumps of 18.8%, 19.1% and 15.6% during May, June and July, respectively. Through July 2010, RevPAR growth has averaged 8.3% to USD 58.80.

“Denver is the second fastest recovering RevPAR city (since April 2010 based on a trailing 12-month analysis),” said Orly Ripmaster of Boulder, Colorado-based STR Analytics. “In the short term, it’s doing very well.”

3. Just in time for next week’s South American Hotel & Tourism Investment Conference in Colombia, STR Global has an update on Brazil’s hotel landscape.

Brazil emerged relatively unscathed from the rigors of the global financial crisis. The same can be said for the country’s hotel industry, which coped better than surrounding regions during 2008/2009, according to data from STR Global, the leading provider of market data to the world’s hotel industry.

The country’s resiliency was in part because of a strong domestic market that was not adversely affected by moderate increases in average daily rate. However, more significant ADR hikes in United States dollars terms will undoubtedly influence arrivals from the U.S., which is Brazil’s second most important source market after neighboring Argentina.

4. The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index remained stuck at 13 in September, unchanged from August. A reading of 50 or higher indicates more builders view conditions as good rather than poor.

"In general, builders haven't seen any reason for improved optimism in market conditions over the past month," NAHB Chairman Bob Jones, a home builder from Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, said in a news release. "If anything, consumer uncertainty has increased, and builders feel their hands are tied until potential home buyers feel more secure about the job market and economy."

5. The Four Seasons Hotel Dublin is for sale, according to RTE Business.

Designed as a landmark hotel, the Four Seasons had a difficult beginning. It opened half a year behind schedule because of construction delays, and the company building it went into receivership.

After a financial rescue package, it opened its doors in February 2001 and quickly became one of Dublin's most luxurious hotels, attracting celebrity guests such as Mariah Carey and Sheryl Crow.

Space Adventures Partners Boeing

2010-09-21T06:38:00.000+07:00

Boeing, and the innovative company - Space Adventures, established a memorandum of agreement regarding the marketing of anticipated transportation services to destinations in low Earth orbit (LEO) on Boeing commercial crew spacecraft.

Under this agreement, Space Adventures will market passenger seats on commercial flights aboard the Boeing Crew Space Transportation-100 (CST-100) spacecraft to LEO. Potential customers for excess seating capacity include private individuals, companies, non-governmental organizations, and U.S. federal agencies other than NASA.

Boeing plans to use the CST-100 to provide crew transportation to the International Space Station (ISS) and future commercial LEO platforms.

“By combining our talents, we can better offer safe, affordable transportation to commercial spaceflight customers,” said Brewster Shaw, vice president and general manager of Boeing’s Space Exploration division. “To date, all commercial flights for private spaceflight participants to the ISS have been contracted by Space Adventures. If NASA and the international partners continue to accommodate commercial spaceflight participants on ISS, this agreement will be in concert with the NASA administrator’s stated intent to promote space commerce in low Earth orbit.”

Boeing and Space Adventures have not yet set a price per seat for spaceflight participants, but are expected to do so when full-scale development is under way. Boeing continues to advance its design for the CST-100 spacecraft under NASA’s Commercial Crew Development Space Act Agreement. The spacecraft, which can carry seven people, will be able to fly on multiple launch vehicles and is expected to be operational by 2015.

“We are excited about the potential to offer flights on Boeing’s spacecraft,” said Eric Anderson, co-founder and chairman of Space Adventures. “With our customer experience and Boeing’s heritage in human spaceflight, our goal is not only to benefit the individuals who fly to space, but also to help make the resources of space available to the commercial sector by bringing the value from space back to Earth.”

Space Adventures has successfully contracted and flown seven spaceflight participants on eight missions to the International Space Station. The company offers a spectrum of programming that ranges from terrestrial weightless flights to orbital missions, flights to the edge of space, and a historic return to the Moon. Space Adventures’ clients have spent over 2,000 hours in space, traveling over 35 million miles.

Luxury Beach House at The Legian Bali to Reopen

2010-09-19T17:25:00.000+07:00

GHM is set to reopen its private beach house at The Legian on Seminyak Beach, Bali following recent renovations to convert it to a three-bedroom retreat.

Styled by internationally acclaimed interior designer Jaya Ibrahim, ‘The Beach House’ fronts onto a tranquil stretch of beach with views of the Indian Ocean and faces west to capitalise on the legendary Balinese sunsets.

The retreat is distinguished by a 16-metre infinity edge pool with outdoor balé pavilion and private terrace in its own walled tropical garden.

The open living and dining room combines the very best of Balinese architectural elements with chic finishes and superior amenities, whilst the master bedroom features an en-suite marble bathroom, teakwood balconies and dreamy terrazzo bathtub overlooking the ocean.

The three-bedroom residence is designed for both intimate honeymoons and luxury holidays for friends or families, as well as private events such as weddings, dinners and cocktail receptions, for up to 60 persons.

Guests at The Beach House are provided with 24-hour personal butlers and can enjoy a chauffeur-driven private car service within the Seminyak, Legian and Kuta areas as well as ‘VIP Visa on Arrival’ assistance, plus the option of a personal chef.

A full-service kitchen at the back of the property provides room for staff to prepare lavish feasts for intimate private meals and exclusive events alike.

Outfitted with the latest technology, The Beach House’s entertainment system includes a 32-inch HD LCD TV, DVD player and audio system with an iPod dock in each room, personal laptop, portable Sony PlayStation and wireless broadband internet.

Guests at The Beach House can take advantage of all facilities at The Legian, an all-suite resort, including The Spa which features treatments inspired by traditional Indonesian healing rituals.

Rates at ‘The Beach House’ start from US$ 2,700 a night, and US$ 3,000 during high season (1 July – 3 August, 22 December - 10 January).

The Legian is located on Bali’s southern coast, in the fashionable district of Seminyak, just a 25-minute drive from Ngurah Rai International Airport.

Ascott launches Best Rate Guarantee

2010-09-09T15:38:00.000+07:00

Ascott launched a “Best Rate Guarantee” initiative, promising the lowest publicly available internet rate each time a guest makes a booking through any of Ascott’s websites.

If a guest finds a lower rate for the same property, apartment type and reservation dates on another website within 24 hours of their confirmed booking made on one of Ascott’s websites, upon verification, Ascott will honour the lower rate found and extend a further 10 percent discount off that rate.

Mr Tony Soh, Chief Corporate Officer of The Ascott Limited, said, “As the leading international serviced residence owner-operator, Ascott constantly finds new ways to enhance our customers’ experience. Being the first in the industry to guarantee the best rates on our websites is another demonstration of Ascott’s strong commitment to our customers. With Ascott’s “Best Rate Guarantee”, our guests will enjoy peace of mind when they make their online bookings directly with us.”

Ascott’s “Best Rate Guarantee” initiative is applicable for daily Internet rates and stays that are less than a total of 30 nights.

HotelCorp has launched Manathai Hotels and Resorts

2010-09-08T12:18:00.000+07:00

HotelCorp launched Manathai Hotels & Resorts, featuring their flagship suite property the Manathai Resort, Surin Beach-Phuket and the cozy Manathai Village Chiang Mai.

Bernhard Ollmann, HotelCorp, Director and Chief Operating Officer said, “We are delighted with this exciting opportunity to upgrade these two outstanding resorts, not only by enhancing the product for our guests comfort, but more importantly, by instilling the passion and service, that Thailand is renowned for.”

The boutique 52-room Manathai Resort, Surin Beach-Phuket is nestled at the edge of the white sand and crystal clear waters of Surin Beach, surrounded by an array of day and night shopping, as well as food and beverage venues.

John Morris Williams, incoming General Manager of the Manathai Resort, Surin Beach-Phuket said, “Our focus is to bring a unique hotel experience true to the heart of the ideals of Manathai. This Phuket resort property offers the complete essentials for all modern day travellers, a first-rate standard of service and the ambience and privacy of one’s own little hideaway. We look forward into welcoming our guests to the Manathai experience.”

The Manathai Resort, Phuket offers two choices of accommodation wings. The Suite Wing which offers guests the finer pleasures of resort living, providing a choice of 3 different experiences, with variations of spacious bedrooms, separate living areas and private terraces or balconies. Guests can choose from a Studio Suite, Pool Suite or Duplex Suite.

The Lanai Wing, features rooms that encircle the private centre-courtyard pool. The Lanai Poolside Rooms and Suites are specifically designed to bring the sparkling pool right to guests’ door. Guests can have a refreshing drink by the pool, a lazy massage in the outdoor poolside Sala, or a swim after a rejuvenating spa treatment in the Chofa Spa.

The Manathai Village, Chiang Mai is an intimate boutique hotel, tucked away on a small residential Soi, in the very heart of Chiang Mai. The 29 rooms, each with its own unique personality, are clustered in four Guest Houses replicating the Thai Lanna style of Chiang Mai.

Sivatel Bangkok to Offer In-Room Apple TV Technology

2010-09-07T13:36:00.000+07:00

Sivatel Bangkok will be one of the first hotels in Thailand to launch the interactive high-definition IPTV (Internet Protocol TV) on Apple platform and IP Phone in all of its 75 Sivatel hotel suites and 10 Sivatel serviced residences. Sivatel Bangkok is going to open in October 2010.

The technology will allow guests to access to a wide range of pay Video-on-Demand services, as well as to key travel information such as real-time flight information, weather, world time, YouTube, Google Map via an in-room wireless keyboard and LCD screen.

Information and highlights of the dining services and facilities of the hotel, including billing, will also be available on the remote control and will also be on iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad in the future.

To support the Unified Communications (UC) concept through IPTV and IP Phone systems, the building is also cleverly engineered with the installation of a “Fiber Optic Backbone” to ensure bandwidth efficient delivery of internet connection and high quality of telephone signal, allowing business and leisure travelers to connect with business and friend with high levels of performance and reliability.

Moreover, Sivatel has been designed to be environmental-friendly with the “VRF - Variable Refrigerant Flow System” and an automatic electricity-controlled system. The “RFID - Radio Frequency Identification card” and “IP CCTV or IP-based Closed Circuit TV” systems are installed to offer convenience, and at the same time, security.

Sivatel’s General Manager, Mr. Apichan Sivayathorn, said that “Sivatel Tower is designed to answer the calls for modern lifestyle amid concerns over the environment and the safety and security from corporate business and leisure travelers.”

Centara Signs Four Hotels

2010-09-06T13:49:00.000+07:00

Centara Hotels and Resorts sealed a management contract with the Nova Group to manage three properties in Pattaya and one property in Bangkok.

These 4 properties will be under the new brands ‘Centra’ and ‘Centara Residence and Suites’. The first four properties under these two brand names are currently under development and they are joint-ventured by Nova Group and Harilela Group of Hotels.

Nova Group is a successful Pattaya-based owner and developer of hotels and condominiums, while Harilela is a very well known hotel owner with properties that include the Sheraton Belgravia London, Holiday Inn Silom Bangkok, Holiday Inn Hong Kong, and the Westin Resort and Macau Golf and Country Club.

The property names include Centra Pattaya Resort, with 158 rooms and one food and beverage outlet, Centra Nova Hotel and Spa Pattaya, with 79 rooms, and one food and beverage outlet plus a spa. Both Centra Pattaya Resort, and Centra Nova Hotel and Spa Pattaya are located on Pattaya Second Road in Pattaya Klang area.

Centara Residence and Suites, Pattaya, Located on Pratumnak Road, with 130 rooms and two food and beverage outlets and Centra Sukhumvit 15 Hotel, Bangkok, located in the heart of Sukhumvit, with 79 rooms and one food and beverage outlet.

All of these four properties are scheduled to open in July 2011.

Typically, a Centra property will include a single F&B outlet, along with recreational activities and social gathering areas in line with the destination. Centra hotels will ideally have around 100 rooms or greater so as to give appropriate economy of scale.

The second new brand, Centara Residence and Suites, is for Centara’s new serviced apartment properties. Conveniently located, these properties are designed to attract the corporate long-stay guest and deliver an efficient home-from-home experience.

Centara Hotels and Resorts has currently a total of 41 properties, 35 of them in Thailand and 6 overseas. Of this total, 28 are open for business and 13 are under development. Three will open during this year, three in 2011, six in 2012 and one in 2014.

Emirates launches A380 Flights to Manchester

2010-09-03T06:42:00.000+07:00

Emirates launched Airbus A380 flights between Manchester and Dubai in the north west of England.

Maurice Flanagan, Executive Vice Chairman Emirates Airline and Group, who joined the first Manchester A380 flight said, “This is a historic moment for Emirates as we bring our 21st century superjumbo to the north west twenty years after our first flight from the region. Our Manchester service has been an incredible success story, and we are delighted to be opening the next chapter today.”

EK018 departs Manchester at 14:10, arriving in Dubai at 00:15 the next day. EK017 leaves Dubai everyday at 07:55 and arrives in Manchester at 12:25.

Andrew Cornish, Manchester Airport's Managing Director, has said, “The start of daily A380 services from Manchester to Dubai is a moment in history for our airport and the wider region. It's of such significance that we're expecting thousands of people to visit the airport on September 1st to catch a glimpse of her first flight. We've invested around £10m to upgrade the airport's infrastructure to accommodate the flagship of the Emirates fleet and are very much looking forward to welcoming her for the first time.”

Emirates’ A380 is renowned for its First Class Private Suites, Onboard Shower Spas and Onboard Lounge for First Class and Business Class passengers, offering a wide range of drinks and canapés, as well as space to socialise or simply relax.

Emirates now operates A380s on the following routes: London Heathrow, Manchester, Paris, Sydney, Auckland, Toronto, Bangkok, Seoul, Jeddah and Beijing.

Hong Kong (via Bangkok) will be added to that list from 1 October and on 31 October, the A380 will make a much-anticipated return to New York.

Emirates is the world's largest customer for the superjumbo and its total A380 order book is 90 - with 78 aircraft still to come.

Ritz Carlton lower pool, Bukit, Bali

2010-09-01T13:10:00.000+07:00

The Ritz-Carlton, Bali, is the first Asian resort for the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, LLC, opened November 29, 1996, Built on 70 hectares (173 acres), the 323-room resort hotel is perched on a bluff overlooking the Indian Ocean. It is four stories, following the basic Balinese architecural principles that no building should be higher than coconut palms. The hotel includes 36 one and two-bedroom villas. The majority of the guest rooms have ocean views. Located in Jimbaran in Southwest Bali, eight degrees south of the equator, the hotel is a 15-minutes drive from Ngurah Rai International Airport.

It is hardly consequence of whether it is business or pleasure that brings you to The Ritz-Carlton, Bali. You will find that the facilities at The Ritz-Carlton, Bali are printed to deliver on every possible demand. From hosting a business convention for one hundred to a perfect holiday for two.

The difference shows the moment you set your eyes on the majestic facade of the hotel. Perched on a bluff in Jimbaran, overlooking white sand beaches and turquoise blue calm of the Indian Ocean, the hotel presides over some of the most spectacular sunset views Mothe Nature can conjure.

Ritz-Carlton Names Chris Gabaldon as Chief Sales and Marketing Officer

2010-08-31T10:48:00.000+07:00

Chris Gabaldon is a hospitality marketing and sales executive with 2 decades of experience at both The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company and Marriott International, now he has been elevated to the position of Marketing Officer and Chief Sales for The Ritz-Carlton.

In his new and expanded job, Gabaldon will play a critical role as a strategic business advisor to newly appointed President and Chief Operations Officer Herve Humler.

Gabaldon, who began his hospitality career as a bar back/room service waiter with Marriott International, has held a series of increasingly strategic executive roles in sales and marketing at both companies. Most recently, he headed up sales for The Ritz-Carlton.

In his new role, he will assume increased responsibility including sales and marketing, revenue management and e-commerce. His overall mission will be to drive top line revenue for the brand and provide direct leadership to the Global Sales Operation from Asia and Europe to the Middle East and North America.

Gabaldon holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from James Madison University and earned his Master of Business Administration (MBA) from George Mason University.

Gabaldon continues to work with his alma mater as a Board Member for the Hospitality and Tourism Advisory Board at James Madison University. He is also on the Global Board of Trustees for the Meeting Professionals International (MPI) Foundation.

Holiday Inn Male Launches Day Use Promotion

2010-08-28T12:48:00.000+07:00

The Holiday Inn Male launched a Day Use room promotion. For all inclusive rate, the hotel will take care of the airport transfers, allow access to its facilities and a room to relax, making sure you can take advantage of the limited time you have in transit.

For USD 75 the Facilities package includes the usage of facilities, roundtrip transfer, luggage storage, 20 percent discount on spa treatments at the Coconut spa, and three course set dinner in Lime restaurant for one person.

For USD 165 the Day Use package includes a room with all the benefits of the Facilities package mentioned above for two persons.

The 15-storey, 117-room Holiday Inn Male, offers a sweeping view of the island, bustling city, harbor and turquoise waters. The hotel is located 10 minutes by boat from the airport.

Air Berlin Appoints New GSA in Dubai

2010-08-25T10:22:00.000+07:00

Oasis Travels is nominated Passenger General Sales Agent for the Air Berlin Goup for the United Arab Emirates and Oman. Oasis Travels is fully owned by the Sharaf Group of companies.

With the commencement of its winter 2010/11 schedule in November 2010, Air Berlin will provide the only non-stop connection between Dubai and the German capital, Berlin. The flights to Berlin will be offered three times weekly utilizing an Airbus 330 aircraft in a two class configuration. These flights will be integrated into the Air Berlin hub in Berlin-Tegel, allowing convenient connections to further destinations in Germany and Europe.

Air Berlin flights between Dubai and Berlin are bookable through all IATA accredited travel agencies in the U.A.E, Oman, Bahrain and Qatar or on the Air Berlin website.

Air Berlin is one of the major airlines in Europe and currently flies to 168 destinations in 40 countries. In 2009 the airline carried around 28 million passengers.

Best Europe airport buys: Rome for bags, perfumes in London

2010-08-23T14:48:00.002+07:00

For airport shopping deals, Rome tops Europe's busiest airports, followed by Frankfurt and Berlin, but best buys for bags, perfumes or drink vary hugely from one hub to the next, a survey said this week.

A Dolce&Gabbana "Hobo" bag for instance can be picked up for EURO 850 (USD 1,096) at Rome airport but costs 1,245 (USD 1,605) at London's Heathrow, according to a Centre for Retail Research survey.

Britain's Gatwick and Heathrow are cheapest of all for humdrum stuff like cigarettes, perfume and alcohol, said the survey released by online shopping site Kelkoo.

A Panasonic FZ38 digital camera was on sale for EURO 327 at Heathrow but 168 in Paris or Lyon, it said.

The survey of 10 airports - in Britain, Germany, France, Italy and Spain - representing 383 million passengers, or 80 percent of European traffic, compared a basket of 22 products from cigarette cartons to expensive electronics worth an average EURO 3,193 (USD 4,117).

Duty free shopping was scrapped in 1999 for Europeans flying inside the EU, but travellers can expect tax free airport deals 6.2 percent cheaper than city retail on average, the study said.

In comparison, online shoppers can do even better, purchasing at 12 percent less than retail, it added.

Hotel Lighting Just Got a Whole Lot Cooler

2010-08-22T15:16:00.000+07:00

Lighting is always a big topic in hotel operators, and for good reason. It’s estimated that, on average, interior lighting accounts for 28 percent of a typical hotel’s energy bill.

An energy-efficient lighting program can help reduce overall energy consumption and expenditures, while demonstrating a commitment to sustainability to today’s tens of millions of eco-conscious travelers.

Until recently, hoteliers’ options in energy-efficient lighting have been limited by available designs and by cost. But that is starting to change. New LED technology delivers fantastic light, long life and tremendous energy savings that pays for itself in a shorter amount of time.

“In the past, not a single manufacturer had a suitable LED replacement for a 100-watt incandescent light bulb,” says Ray Burger, President of Pineapple Hospitality — the premier distributor of Green Hotel Products and Marketing Programs for the Hospitality Industry. “However, LED applications rapidly are being developed for hotels, particularly in 24-hour burn time situations that are economically and environmentally beneficial.”

“Because of the low wattage required and the long life of the LED products, the economic reasons are compelling to begin using LED products sooner than later,” Burger adds. “And any time you can reduce the number of watts being used and extend the life of the lamp in the socket, you have found a better solution for our environment.”

LED lights are extremely small semiconductor diodes that are capable of creating light. LED lights work very similar to standard light bulbs except that LEDs are much smaller and contain no filament. Instead of a filament, an LED creates light using the movement of electricity along the path of its semiconductor.

High-quality LED lights can last for more than 50,000 hours, requiring only 9 to 14V DC power, which is very low compared to the power required by traditional lighting. In most cases, they are simple to install and don’t require any additional upgrades — all you have to do is simply change the bulb.

Pineapple Hospitality has a growing range of LED solutions for all your lighting needs, including the latest from Next Gen Illumination (NGI), TCP and General Electric.

Keeping Control on Food Costs

2010-08-19T10:31:00.000+07:00

Last week I took a walk though arable land and could not fail to notice that all wasn't well with the wheat crops. I suppose it is not surprising and I only have to look at my own garden and see the effects of the recent dry weather.

The impact for the hospitality sector is more food inflation. Not helped by the potential banning of grain exports from Russia, floods in Canada, India and Pakistan. And the poor cereal crops have a knock on effect on meat prices as well as bread and pasta, and there are predications of price increases on soya, palm oil and cocoa too.

So is it time to check on the basics on keeping control of food costs?

Hopefully your head chef or kitchen manager has all these things in hand, but in case not here are my 25 essentials to controlling food costs
I'm sure there are many more ideas, but these are the basics...
1. Plan menus around seasonal availability
2. Create costing cards for every menu item, and update ingredients costs as they change
3. Include methods for all recipes, train chefs and provide the right tools to follow these methods
4. Establish yields of all recipes, and check these are being achieved though production and sales controls
5. Check suppliers prices before ordering, and adapt the menu if costs jeopardise your margin
6. Only ever order what you need - chef will only be tempted to use more if it's there, and the excess goes to waste
7. Negotiate drop discounts with your main suppliers - if they can save on delivery costs they might be willing to negotiate
8. Only ever buy products on offer if you know you can incorporate into the menu without it affecting your sales or margins
9. Check invoice prices against list prices
10. Don’t accept expensive substitutes for out of stock items
11. Check all deliveries are complete, adequate shelf life and in good condition - never accept anything which is not to standard
12. Keep stores tidy, with everything having its own place - it's far easier to control
13. Keep stores locked, with access only from those who need it
14. Ensure stock rotation to avoid spoilage
15. Take stock regularly, weekly if possible, but as a minimum monthly - to get accurate stock consumption figures (this also encourages low stocks and good rotation)
16. Keep your menu choice limited to avoid low stock turnover - customers usually perceive a low turnover of stock anyway with very extensive menus
17. Keep records of patterns in menu popularity to help planning and ordering
18. Batch cook as orders come in to meet demand
19. Check what comes back on plates - and ask if wastage is due to poor quality or too big a portion?
20. Keep a wastage book to track all wastage - you'll be amazed how much goes in the bin and for avoidable reasons
21. Investigate the cost of a blast chiller if you don’t already have one - it could pay for itself in a short space of time
22. Ensure all chefs/service staff are trained in portion control
23. Supply the right size serving equipment for a standard portion - if a portion of chips is 8 oz and you provide a 10 oz scoop that's 25% over and your margin gone
24. Educate staff in the budgets and margins involved in the businesses - if they think you make a fortune on each dish they wont respect food costs
25. Have guidelines for staff meals and what they can and cant eat or drink
26. Accidents do happen - but ask staff to let you know when there has been anything out of the ordinary to affect wastage

-- Caroline Cooper --

Rezidor Signs New Airport Hotel in England

2010-08-17T13:48:00.000+07:00

The Rezidor Hotel Group has signed a new hotel in the England. The 216-room Radisson Blu Hotel, East Midlands Airport, is a new build property that is scheduled to open its doors in Q1 2012.

The Radisson Blu Hotel, East Midlands Airport will benefit from a prime location with excellent visibility – 800 meters away from the main terminal and along the M1, the country’s busiest motorway. Besides 208 rooms and 8 suites, all offering Radisson signature services such as free high speed internet access, the property will offer 1 restaurant, 1 bar/lounge, and 1 coffee shop. The hotel will also feature 750 square meters of conference and event-space while leisure facilities will comprise an extensive fitness centre with a gym and indoor pool.

"After the Radisson Blu and Park Inn hotels in Manchester, London Stansted, London Heathrow and Edinburgh, this project is our 5th airport hotel in the England. We continue to be Europe’s leading airport hotel operator – with now 32 properties in operation and under development and a total of more than 8000 rooms," said Kurt Ritter, President & CEO of Rezidor. "At the same time I’m delighted to announce this hotel as our 250th Radisson Blu; our continuously growing EMEA-portfolio now comprises more than 58000 rooms."

Bahram Sadr-Hashemi from Azure Property Group, one of Europe’s leading hotel investment firms and franchisee of the new hotel, addedd, "We are excited about working with Rezidor in creating what will be the premier hotel in the area and will offer superior conference facilities. The hotel will have a unique identity and offer its customers a new experience. Radisson Blu has proven to be an exceptional strong brand in airport locations and we remain confident that it will be no exception here."

East Midlands Airport is among the 10 largest airports in the England (nearly 6 million annual passengers). This main generator of business traffic within central England also acts as a hub for several low fare airlines including BMIbaby and Ryanair. Additional demand for the hotel will be generated from the business parks in the surrounding area and the nearby cities of Leicester, Derby and Nottingham.