Big Fat Hotel Wrap

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Here is all your weekly Hotel News wrapped up in one place. Now go forth and show off your newfound knowledge!

Vail Resorts’ CEO Speaks out Following USA Pullout from Paris Agreement

One of Vail Resorts’ core values is to ‘DO GOOD’ which includes preserving the natural environments where we live, work and play. This decision by their federal government is something that affects the company deeply.

“We are deeply saddened by the decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement. As a global company, Vail Resorts believes we have a unique responsibility to protect the incredible natural landscapes and environment that surround our mountain resorts and those across our planet,” Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Vail Resorts ROb Katz said.

“Climate change is a global challenge that requires global cooperation, and it is disheartening to see the United States pull away from working with the other 194 countries that were part of the Agreement. Vail Resorts will redouble our efforts to find significant ways to minimize our carbon footprint through reducing our energy use to help address one of the most serious challenges facing our worldwide community.”

Ibis Styles Hobart to open July 2017

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Hobart will welcome its largest hotel next month following the signing of an agreement between AccorHotels and Singapore developer, Fragrance Group who will open a new-build hotel under the internationally-renowned ibis Styles brand.

The $50million new-build ibis Styles Hobart, located in a prime position on Macquarie Street within close proximity to major tourism attractions, is currently in final stages of construction and due to open in July.

With 296-rooms spanning 10 floors, the hotel will be the largest in the Tasmanian capital city and bring much needed design-led affordable quality accommodation to Hobart. Ibis Styles Hobart will boast a rooftop indoor heated lap pool, two saunas, a gymnasium and free wifi throughout. A number of rooms will have stunning views over the River Derwent.

Hobart locals and hotel guests will enjoy a ground level bar and restaurant, named Mr Good Guy which will serve up Asian street food and quirky drink menus. A meeting room is also available in the hotel for intimate gatherings and there is onsite car parking.

Switzerland’s Most Welcoming Hotel

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The Prix Bienvenu, an award for Swiss hospitality has been presented for the fifth consecutive year, where Switzerland Tourism honoured the most welcoming Swiss hotels in five categories.

Based on jury visits and online guest ratings, hotels with more than 70 reviews that achieve the highest hospitality scores according qualify for entry in the Prix Bienvenu. Judged on many aspects and especially on soft factors including the attention to detail, empathy and helpfulness of the staff and warmth, the hotels awarded the Prix Bienvenu  2017 in their respective categories were:

Cosy leisure hotel (up to 40 rooms): Hotel Gädi, Grächen
Large leisure hotel (from 41 rooms): Chasa Montana Hotel & Spa, Samnaun
City hotel (up to 4-star Superior): Hotel Uzwil, Uzwil
Luxury city hotel (5-star/5-star Superior): Four Seasons Hotel Des Bergues, Geneva
Luxury hotel (5-star/5-star Superior): Hotel Suvretta House, St. Moritz

As part of the award, the “Presenting Partner” American Express has also waived its commission on credit card bookings at the five winning hotels (up to CHF10,000 for the rest of the year). The hotels have also been integrated into the service’s online platform americanexpress.ch/selects.

Centara Breaks opens Centara Muscat Hotel in Oman

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Centara Hotels & Resorts, Thailand’s largest hotel operator, continues to expand internationally with the opening of the four-star, 152-room Centara Muscat Hotel, the first of three planned for the Middle East.

It is ideally located in the Omani capital’s bustling Ghala Heights business district, close to the convention centre, Royal Opera House, and the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque. It is conveniently located midway between the airport and historical district, about 15 minutes from each.

The hotel is a modern new building featuring three restaurants, a spa, and a rooftop pool and terrace with views out over the Gulf of Oman. Its premium lounge, banquet and meeting facilities, complimentary Wi-Fi, plus proximity to Muscat’s shopping and historical sites, are designed to serve both business and leisure travellers.

The new Muscat hotel features Akdeniz, an authentic Turkish restaurant, signature SPA, and rooftop pool is complemented by a children’s pool and fitness centre.

Update to Airbnb’s check-in instructions  feature

Guests and hosts communicate directly with each other about checking-in/out. In order to streamline this process for guest arrivals, Airbnb has developed a set of check-in instructions making it easier for hosts and guests alike to communicate.

In this updated flow, guests will receive clear, visual, step-by-step guides on what to look for (e.g., what door to enter via, where the lockbox is located, what the code is) and what to expect when they arrive.
Guests will also be able to access the updated check-in flow within the Airbnb app even without internet access. Check out the step by step guide here.

Grand Hotel Tremezzo reveals new L’Escale Trattoria & Wine Bar, and luxury Venetian boat tours. 

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The magnificent Grand Hotel Tremezzo, on the shores of Italy’s Lake Como, has redesigned its restaurant L’Escale Trattoria & Wine Bar. The newly renovated restaurant has re-opened as the new L’Escale – a modern concept of a traditional Italian trattoria – led by talented Chef Martin Vitaloni.

The space encompasses a charming terrace overlooking Lake Como in addition to a romantic garden setting for alfresco dining, or the cosier cantina room, with bare brick walls carved into the rock alongside elegant modern details that decorate the hotel’s more informal restaurant and vast cellar of Italian wines. The new menu is a celebration of the best food and wine Italy has to offer, traversing the country’s regions for inspiration, from north to south. Guests can book private cooking lessons with chef Martin Vitaloni in L’Escale’s refurbished kitchen.

The Grand Hotel has also launched its newest Venetian Lancia boat, Batt. The new boat is at guests’ disposal for exclusive and enchanting private tours of Lake Como.

What’s Inside The Langham Sydney’s Private Art Collection?

The Langham Sydney is home to one of the most sophisticated collections of modern and contemporary art of any hotel in Australia.

Curated in collaboration with Sotheby’s, the collection features some of the country’s most iconic artists including Sir Sidney Nolan, Brett Whiteley, Albert Tucker and Andrew Browne, with over $1 million worth of art on view within the hotel.

The Langham Sydney art collection brings to life the public areas of the hotel from the reimagined Australian landscape works of Albert Tucker, striking figurative portraits from Sir Sidney Nolan and lyrical paintings of the Sydney Harbour by Brett Whiteley.

Other significant artists to feature in The Langham Sydney’s collection include Asher Bilu, Sally Ross, Peter Cooley, David Larwill and Judith Van Hereen.

 

Crowne Plaza Melbourne launches an Australian-first Escape Game in a hotel room

Crowne Plaza Melbourne has launched an Australian-first accommodation experience, offering guests the chance to play an Escape Game whilst enjoying the comfort and enviable views from a King Suite.

The hotel has partnered with Rush Escape Game, to install a captivating series of puzzles in the hotel’s King Suite. The storyline transports guests to a new world full of mystery, intrigue and excitement. The puzzles tell the gripping tale of a young traveller who has been kidnapped and fallen in love with the magical beauty that stole his heart.

The challenge for guests staying overnight in the suite is to solve the series of unusual puzzles to uncover clues, keys and codes within a 45 minute time limit to find the young traveller. Guests can undertake this experience at anytime during their stay in the exclusive Escape Suite.

The Escape Experience is exclusive to Crowne Plaza Melbourne and available for bookings from 1 June – 31 August 2017. Prices start from $399 including overnight accommodation in the King Suite and a full buffet breakfast for two.

AccorHotels’ Super Sale is back with 30% off
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Enjoy 30% off plus free breakfast at over 2,600 participating hotels and resorts worldwide. AccorHotels cater to every taste and budget from luxury to economy, operating in 95 countries, with 17 brands worldwide and 12 in Australia.

Explore Western Australia’s endless coastline and stay at Novotel Perth Langley from $122*, or fly South and savour South Australia’s finest regional wines staying at the award-wining ibis Adelaide from just $97.*

Bring back summer and head North for a tropical escape at Novotel Cairns Oasis Resort from $160* or hunt down the best rooftop bars in Brisbane and stay at Pullman King George Square from $171* per night.

Shop till you drop in Melbourne and base yourself at Hotel Lindrum, MGallery by Sofitel from $185* or experience Sydney in Winter staying at Mercure Sydney from $181.*

For a European summer, experience the luxurious Fairmont Monte Carlo on the Côte d’Azur, which has just unveiled a new suite dedicated to racing legend Ayrton Senna.

Tangalooma celebrates 30 years of whale watching

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The whale watching season has officially kicked off at Tangalooma Island Resort, with a record-number of whales projected to pass by Moreton Island during the year. This year also marks 30 years of Tangalooma whale watching glory.

Tangalooma is home to Queensland’s largest and longest running whale watching tours, afloat Australia’s largest whale watching vessel – The Tangalooma Jet. What was once a whaling station in the 1950s is now an eco-conservative tourism destination and an environmentally sustainable paradise.

Just a mere 75 minute ferry ride from the island, it is also the closest whale watching experience available to Brisbane residents – The ultimate day out for those wanting to escape the hustle and bustle of the city and enjoy one of nature’s greatest gifts, island-style!


Sofitel’s Largest Luxury Hotel in the Middle East, to Open in Dubai

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Sofitel has announced the largest Sofitel property in the Middle East with development partner MKM Commercial Holdings LLC. Expected to open in early 2019, Sofitel Dubai Wafi will join the luxury brand’s growing portfolio of 14 hotels and 4,400 rooms in operation and under development in the Middle East.

Sofitel Dubai Wafi will feature 501 luxury guestrooms, inclusive of 86 suites, ranging in size from 55 square meters to 625 sqm, in addition to 97 studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom serviced residences to be operated on an extended-stay basis. The property will offer a number of dining concepts, spa, gymnasium, outdoor pools, private cabanas and a kids club. Business travelers will have access to 10 meeting rooms in addition to a 1,115 square meter ballroom.

Sofitel Dubai Wafi is in close proximity to Wafi Shopping Mall, Downtown Dubai, Business Bay and the Dubai International Airport. Corporate clientele will have convenient access to primary business and exhibition centers including the Dubai International Financial Center, Dubai Healthcare City and the Dubai International Conference and Exhibition Centre.

 

Belmond Grand Hotel Europe’s iconic Krysha Ballroom reopens

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Belmond Grand Hotel Europe in St Petersburg has thrown open the doors to its famous Krysha Ballroom after an extensive renovation. First designed by architect Fyodor Lidval in 1909, the ballroom continues its legacy of hosting dazzling parties for presidents, aristocrats and luminaries.

London-based interior designer, Robert Angell Design International, was selected to take the ballroom, a vision of timeless glamour, into a new era. Located on the top floor of the hotel, the centerpiece of the ballroom is a stunning neoclassical stained glass ceiling which gives guests the feeling of soaring over the city, as natural light fills the 300sqm space. Adjoining the ballroom, the Krysha Terrace has been transformed into a glamorous cocktail bar, decorated with intricate, locally-made floral bas relief and a patterned marble floor.

The light-flooded rooms high above the streets of St Petersburg are the perfect setting for weddings, parties and banquets, holding up to 250 people in a reception or theatre-style setting, 180 persons in a banquet or 160 in a classroom configuration. The ballroom can also be fully darkened for audiovisual presentations during conferences and corporate meetings.

Best Western Report on Strong Growth

Rapid international tourism growth combined with excellent corporate and government demand propelled Best Western Australasia to a strong result for the year to March 31.Leading the charge were international guests buying BWA’s ‘Hotel Pass’, sales of which rose 35% over the previous year, the best for a decade. This result is well ahead of the inbound market and down to the global strength of the Best Western brand which is now in 100+ countries.

Best Western’s focus on the business market has also paid dividends with a 10% lift in corporate agency sales while Best Western Rewards achieved 9% regional growth and increased guest loyalty. BWR now has more than 30 million members.

Other performance highlights include the addition of seven new properties, including the first Best Western Plus in New Zealand, growing member revenue by 9%, the record-breaking Free Breakfast campaign and the ‘Not Just a Hotel’ brand refresh.

Growing the Australasian network, which currently numbers 125 properties, is a major priority with more than 50 potential properties in the current pipeline.

 

TFE Deal of the Week is Rendezvous Hotel Perth Scarborough

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From just $159 per night*, travellers can indulge in a coastal escape this winter at the iconic Rendezvous Hotel Perth Scarborough. With this special deal, guests can forget the winter blues with a warmer climate, the soft white sand, and the sparkling waters of Scarborough Beach and the Indian Ocean on offer, at the doorstep of this idyllic hotel.

Travellers can also enjoy a two-for-one breakfast with ocean views at the hotel’s signature restaurant, Straits Café, before taking the time to relax with a handy late check-out.

Just thirty minutes drive from Perth Airport and fifteen minutes from the CBD, winter escapees can take advantage of the attractions and activities on offer in the vibrant city, or stay on site and relax at the hotel’s impressive lagoon-style pool, play a round of tennis on the courts, or enjoy a pampering massage at Vanilla face + body spa.

Stay Dates: 1 May, 2017 – 31 July, 2017, and book By: 31 July, 2017

Mozambique’s Hottest Beach Honeymoon Destination

Honeymoons in Mozambique are brimming with real romance and relaxation, sunny days and starry nights. The Southeast African country is currently enjoying a boost in popularity that is sure to be enhanced by the recent availability of 30-day tourist visas on entry

At the luxury hotel White Pearl Resorts, spectacular long white beaches, romantic sunsets and an attractive array of ocean-related activities and wildlife experiences are the order of the day. Located in a protected marine reserve on the pristine Lagoon Coast on Mozambique’s Southern coastline, White Pearl Resort is easy to reach from the capital Maputo.

Featuring 21 ocean-facing stilted suites that are built into the hillside, an Ibiza styled restaurant, a lounge and a spa, guests at White Pearl can indulge in their most romantic whims – whether it’s a private beach dinner, a secluded picnic on a nearby sand dune, a private sunset boat cruise or simply breakfast in bed.

The chalets embody glamorous beach chic with interiors in crisp blues and whites, just steps away from the warm Indian Ocean. Couples can spend blissful hours dipping in and out of their private plunge pool or relaxing with a freshly mixed caipirinha in a lounger on their private deck.

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