There’s no need to hang around the work toilets to hear all the hotel industry gossip when you can read it right here!

Marriott International to eliminate single-use shower toiletry bottles from properties worldwide

Marriott International has announced an initiative to replace tiny, single-use toiletry bottles of shampoo, conditioner and bath gel in guestroom showers with larger, pump-topped bottles.

To date, the company has already rolled out larger bottles at about 1,000 properties in North America, and now expects most of its other hotels to make the switch by December 2020.

When fully implemented across the globe, Marriott International’s expanded toiletry program is expected to prevent about 500 million tiny bottles annually from going to landfills; that’s about 1.7 million pounds of plastic, a 30 percent annual reduction from current amenity plastic usage.

Best Western Hotels & Resorts Announces Launch of BWH Hotel Group

Best Western Hotels & Resorts has announced the creation of the BWH Hotel Group, a parent organisation that brings the company’s full suite of 15 brands under one umbrella.

BWH Hotel Group is comprised of three core identities spanning every chain scale segment: SureStay Hotel Group, Best Western Hotels & Resorts and WorldHotels Collection.

This brand architecture showcases the full portfolio of diversified hotel solutions on offer to the buying community of travel management companies and corporate accounts. BWH Hotel Group offers travel solutions for a variety of procurement needs and highlights the organisation’s impressive scale in the developer and investor communities.

The Intercontinental life debuts in the Maldives with Maldives Maamunagu Resort 

IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) has opened InterContinental Maldives Maamunagau Resort (InterContinental Maldives), the latest in a series of new luxury resort openings which includes ANA InterContinental Beppu in Japan and InterContinental Hayman Island in Australia.

Known for occupying the very best locations around the world, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts’ first property in the region is situated on the southernmost tip of the Raa Atoll near Baa Atoll, a UNESCO biosphere reserve, and one of the most secluded locations in the Maldives.

The resort boasts 81 Beach, Lagoon and Overwater Villas and Residences and is the first to offer all guests access to the world-class service and amenities of Club InterContinental throughout the entire island. These generous offerings, coupled with extensive wellness facilities, bespoke experiences and six restaurants and bars, combine to take this Maldivian gem to the next level.

Mantra Hotels drop the rates and turn up the heat this Spring

Mantra Hotels has released a sneak peek of its upcoming Mantra Hotels on Sale accommodation deals offering great savings across multiple Art Series, Peppers, Mantra and BreakFree properties in incredible locations across Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii and Bali.

Check out the offers between 2 – 8 September by visiting www.mantrahotels.com or calling Mantra Hotels 24-hour Reservation Centre on 1300 987 603.

Four Points by Sheraton celebrates Oktoberfest 

Four Points by Sheraton is pleased to announce the launch of The Four Points Road Trip, a craft beer journey across Australia and New Zealand celebrating the brand’s Best Brews program and commitment to bringing travellers and locals together over the perfect pint.

Activity in Australia and New Zealand is launching in time for Oktoberfest in the form of a road trip, which will see a branded kombi van specially fitted with craft beer kegs and taps travel to Perth, Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney and Auckland throughout September and October. Each stop on the road trip is home to a Four Points hotel and will host the kombi for two days, all open to the public.

At the pop-up events, locals and visitors alike will be able to taste free craft beers from local and national Four Points Best Brews partner breweries*. Guests who attend the activation will also have the opportunity to meet local brewers, take and share photos for a social media competition to win a trip to Auckland, and more.

The Fullerton Hotel Sydney announces alliance with Preferred Hotels & Resorts

On 18 October, The Fullerton Hotel Sydney will debut as a luxury heritage hotel in the heart of the CBD, with an attractive opening offer to celebrate its partnership with Preferred Hotels & Resorts, and the brand’s I Prefer Hotel Rewards programme.

All guests who book with The Fullerton Hotel Sydney will enjoy a special opening promotion which includes:

• A reward of triple I Prefer points and
• Dining credit of $50

The credit can be redeemed at all dining outlets within the Hotel, including The Place, where hotel guests can explore a taste of Singaporean flavours, or The Bar, for a casual coffee or business meetings as well as in-room dining. The promotion is valid from 18 October 2019 until 17 March 2020.

QT and Mini partner to offer Australia’s first Vroom service

QT has put the vroom into room service, offering guests their very own MINI to explore the city during their stay free of charge. In Australia’s first automotive and hotel partnership of its kind, when booking a room at any QT Hotel or resort in Australia, guests can simply ask for Vroom Service to receive a wheeled upgrade.

Parked and waiting at QT’s seven design-led hotels around Australia are the brand new MINI Countryman, Convertible, Clubman and Hatch in colours flashing everything from Starlight Blue to Chilli Red and Melting Silver. The iconic cars, renowned for their stylishly compact size and go-cart feel behind the wheel, encapsulate a timeless sense of fun and pair perfectly with the unexpected quirkiness around every corner inside QT Hotels.

The partnership between MINI and QT will see guests step out of their designer rooms to slip behind the wheel of a designer ride, with additional activations to be announced in the coming months.

Ground Broken on new Melbourne Airport Hotel

The first sod was turned today on the construction of a brand new hotel at Melbourne Airport to support growing traveller numbers and address constraints in hotel occupancy.

The 464-room hotel, created to serve Melbourne’s burgeoning conference and tourism markets, will be conveniently located steps from Terminal 4 within a brand new precinct known as ‘The Hive’.

The 10-storey hotel will be dual-branded operating under the Novotel and ibis Styles’ brands rated four and three stars respectively, offering guests gym and pool facilities, a café, bar and restaurant plus conference room facilities.

Curio Collection by Hilton debuts in South East Asia with the opening of SAii Lagoon Maldives

Hilton announced today the opening of SAii Lagoon Maldives, Curio Collection by Hilton, a free-spirited tropical escape that offers sun, sea, style and sustainability, creating a playful getaway for groups of fun-seeking friends, couples and families. Nestled within the idyllic Emboodhoo Lagoon, SAii Lagoon Maldives forms part of CROSSROADS Maldives, the country’s first and only integrated resort and game-changing retreat.

The opening of SAii Lagoon Maldives also marks the debut of Curio Collection by Hilton in South East Asia, and the fifth Curio Collection by Hilton property in Asia Pacific. With a total of 198 rooms and villas, the resort will be Hilton’s third property in the Maldives, making the global hospitality company the largest and longest-running international hotel operator in the Maldives.

Hilton opened the country’s first internationally branded resort in 1997, and today, it operates Conrad Maldives Rangali Island which features 151 villas, suites and THE MURAKA Residence, as well as the 122-villa Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi, which was recently unveiled in July 2019.

Kids just wanna have fun at Holiday Inn® Melbourne on Flinders

Families staying at Holiday Inn Melbourne on Flinders during the school holidays will be greeted with a surprise in their room or suite, adding an extra dose of Holiday Inn’s famous “Joy of Travel” to their experience.

Families with a hotel reservation between Saturday 21 September to Friday 11 October will find either a unicorn or dinosaur balloon set up in their room together with a scavenger hunt that is sure to keep the kids (and kids at heart!) entertained. Plus each completed scavenger hunt has the opportunity to be the featured on the Holiday Inn Melbourne on Flinders Instagram page as an insider. Parents will be happy to know they will also go into the draw to win 10,000 IHG Rewards Club points which can be redeemed towards another fun family holiday.

As we want our guests to always be joyful and full of exploration, each child upon check-in will receive a free “Little Big Travellers” package which includes a Melbourne guide to keep you and your family entertained. This is the perfect way to discover the city during school holidays.

Or take it a notch up with our family “Glamp-in” experience in partnership with leading Australian retailer Temple & Webster. Parents will enjoy the comforts of a refurbished hotel room, while the kids have their very own tee-pee filled with pillows and blankets, toys and books to keep them occupied. After a great night‟s sleep, buffet breakfast is included for two adults and, of course, kids under 12 stay and eat free in our family-friendly brand. Kids will be spoilt for choice during the school holidays with a special buffet breakfast for our little big travellers and plenty of board games available to borrow.

A new addition to the “Glamp-in” package for 2019 is the two books written and illustrated by Zoe and Georgia Norton Lodge. The Elizabella book series tells the story of Elizabella, a mischievous girl.

The Secret Chocolate Room – Introducing the industry’s first “children’s speakeasy”

Club Med is showing no sign of slowing down when it comes to “wowing” their guests, especially their youngest ones, at every turn!

This time, it’s the news of a Secret Chocolate Room at the soon-to-be-opened Club Med Miches Playa Esmeralda in the Dominican Republic, opening 23^rd November 2019.

The interactive dining experience asks kids to crack the entrance code by solving secret clues throughout dinner. They’ll then embark on a quest to find the location of this secret room and when the vault finally opens they’ll get to dig into unlimited chocolate, ice cream, cake and loads of other sweets!

The first-of-its-kind kids ‘speakeasy’ is part of four new dining experiences, four open-bar lounges, three wine cellars and a locally-sourced coffee house that will be available at the resort. As standard with Club Med, all dining options are included as part of the infamous all-inclusive package as well as accommodation, premium open bar, expert childcare, huge range of sports, entertainment, and activities.

Free Room Category Upgrade AND stay 7 pay 5 deal

Vomo Island Fiji is offering not only an amazing double-deal for guests but also a great 50 per cent off deal for agents so they can experience the magic of Vomo themselves.

The boutique luxury resort in the Mamanuca Islands is offering a double deal of exceptional value for couples and families.  Book and get a complimentary upgrade AND combine this with a Stay 7 Pay 5, with TWO FREE NIGHTS accommodation for all guests. (Book Hillside Villa upgrade to Beachfront Villa; Beachfront Villa upgraded to Beachfront Haven; Beachfront Haven upgraded to Beachfront Retreat.)

Festive Football Camp kicks off at Soneva Fushi in December 2019

Young football fans at Soneva Fushi are in for an exciting treat over this year’s festive season. Between December 20 and 24, 2019, the world-leading Maldivian resort will be hosting an exclusive Festive Football Camp with former professional football stars, Mikael Silvestre and Karina LeBlanc. It will be the second time these legendary players have shared their skills and experience with Soneva’s guests, following on from the popularity of the previous football camp that took place over Easter earlier this year.

Aimed at children and teens of all levels and abilities, Soneva Fushi’s five-day programme is priced at USD150++ per child per day. Training sessions will take a holistic approach, focusing on the different aspects of the ‘beautiful game’ – this will not only include technical and physical skills, such as hand-eye coordination, dribbling and running with the ball, changing speed and controlling and directing the ball, but will also look at psychology and the young players’ social and emotional connection to the sport, including gaining confidence, decision-making, communicating, team-building and making new friends.

Each day will feature around two to three hours of training, split into morning skills sessions and a match every evening. As well as being a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn from two of the world’s top former players, participants will also receive a t-shirt as a souvenir of this unique and memorable experience to take home.

Karma Group announces Karma Sitambani

Karma Group has announced the opening of Karma Sitabani, in the Jim Corbett National Park, part of the Corbett Tiger Reserve in the picturesque heartland of Uttarakhand in Northern India.

Karma Sitabani offers guests a truly unique opportunity to experience a side of India they may have never seen. Guests can relax and enjoy the ruggedly beautiful, green landscape at the foot of the Himalayas as well as take a safari into the Park to view tigers and other unique wildlife.

There are fewer than 4000 tigers remaining in the wild on the planet, and it is estimated that as many as 10 per cent live within the Corbett Tiger Reserve. The pristine forest around Karma Sitabani allows for wonderful interaction with wildlife, with the property itself known as a bird watcher’s haven, hosting about 300 species of birds; with monkeys, foxes and deer also a common sight.

DEAL: Save up to 35 per cent off these School Holidays!

Calling all parents and kids! These school holidays, Pan Pacific Hotels Group have a deal you cannot miss!

Upgrade your hotel stay this Spring, and enjoy a huge 25 per cent saving when you book a Club Room or Suite! This stay includes daily breakfast, refreshments, and evening cocktails, with exclusive lounge access, as well as late check-out till 3pm!

This deal applies to all Australian Pan Pacific and PARKROYAL properties including, the upscale family-friendly, PARKROYAL Darling Harbour, PARKROYAL Parramatta, and PARKROYAL Melbourne Airport hotels, and the stunning Pan Pacific Melbourne, and Pan Pacific Perth hotels.

DEAL DETAILS:
Valid for Club Rooms and Suite bookings from 22 August until 31 October 2019, for stays from 22 August 2019 until 31 March 2020 inclusive, and save up to 35 per centon best available rate!

KEY INCLUSIONS:
• 25 per cent savings on Best Available Rate for Club Rooms and Suites – Pan Pacific DISCOVERY members enjoy an additional 10 per cent saving!
• Club Lounge access with daily breakfast, refreshments throughout the day and evening cocktails
• Late check-out till 3pm

Singita Malilangwe House celebrates new look 

Set in the private, remote Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve in southeast Zimbabwe, the newly redesigned Singita Malilangwe House is perched on a rocky outcrop with spectacular views of the dam below. Located alongside Singita Pamushana Lodge, this sole-use five-bedroom villa, which reopened in July 2019, makes optimum use of its magnificent location and takes its design and architectural cues from nature and local Shangaan culture.