Keen to convince your clients that hotels really are on the mend? Introduce them to this week’s Hotel Wrap.

Langham to manage new luxury hotel and residences on Gold Coast

In big news, Langham Hospitality Group on Tuesday announced it will manage its third luxury hotel in Australia.

Opening end-2021, ‘The Langham, Gold Coast’ will feature 169 well-appointed rooms and suites, with the group also set to manage the ‘Jewel Residences by The Langham’, which consists of 170 serviced apartments designed and built to the brand’s specifications.

Developed by AW Holding Group, the appointed architects for The Langham, Gold Coast and the Jewel are DBI Design and US-based Oppenheim Architecture + Design, respectively.

The interior design firm for the hotel is Sydney-based Studio Aria, which took the inspiration of the design concept from the prime coastal location and the nearby national parks and hinterland.

IHG launches Australian domestic recovery campaign

InterContinental Hotels Group is preparing to welcome travellers back to its properties with “open (but socially distant) arms”, with the launch of a domestic recovery campaign to encourage staycation and self-drive experiences across Australia and New Zealand.

Named ‘There’s More to See’, the new campaign is designed to inspire domestic travellers to rediscover Australia, with offers available on all IHG opened hotels and resorts in Australia, as well as New Zealand, for domestic travel.

The campaign offers travellers the choice of two packages:

• Stay 3, Pay 2 – encouraging guests to explore more and pay less, guests will receive one night complimentary for every three nights booked (valid for direct bookings only)
• Breakfast & Parking on Us – ideal for self-drive travels, guests will receive complimentary daily parking and daily breakfast for two with their stay (valid for direct and OTA bookings).

The news comes as IHG today announced that it has signed a management agreement to open voco South Melbourne in 2023, which will be the seventh property in the brand to open across Australia.

Hotel architect and interior designer Plus Architecture will design the 171-room property, focusing on the ‘Me Time’ concept, where IHG said guests can look forward to a great night’s sleep with premium beds, innovative lighting and user-friendly technology, as well as superior showers to start the day well.

Beyond guest rooms, the brand’s signature ‘voco Life’ concept will be front and centre, with vibrant and sociable restaurant and bar spaces that work for different moments of the day, so that guests always have space to relax and enjoy themselves. It will also offer four meeting spaces and a gym.

Accor unveils playful new global campaign, as properties begin to reopen

Accor’s rewards program, ‘ALL – Accor Live Limitless’, has introduced a new global campaign: ‘Reignite the Love of Travel’.

The campaign will launch with an engaging social media campaign, which began with the release of a quirky travel inspiration and property safety awareness video, highlighting the company’s ‘ALLSAFE’ cleaning protocols.

According to Accor, travellers will be invited to share their travel dreams and inspiration, which will be combined to create a second ALL montage-style travel film.

Small Luxury Hotels of the World says ‘thank you’ to frontline workers with giveaway

Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) has announced the launch of #SLHFORHEROES, a global campaign offering 1,000 room nights to those on the frontline who have supported their communities through the devastating COVID-19 pandemic.

Submissions to nominate a Hero are now open until 30 June, which can be found at www.slh.com.

According to the hospitality group, #SLHFORHEROES is a campaign that recognises those that have gone above and beyond to help others during the coronavirus pandemic.

Once nominations are submitted, 500 heroes will be rewarded with two-night stays for use at one of SLH’s properties.

With over 520 hotels in more than 90 countries, SLH offers the opportunity to experience countryside retreats, beach resorts, cities and historic locations, once travel restrictions are lifted.

Arise ready to welcome guests again

Arise Hotels & Apartments is gearing up to welcome its first wave of guests back to its properties by introducing enhanced hygiene and cleaning procedures in a bid to offer guests extra peace of mind.

From extra contactless service options, hand sanitising stations and social distancing guidelines, the new holidaying etiquette is “expected to be embraced by guests” at the company’s 18 properties, Arise said.

“At this stage and pending government regulations and advice, we are looking to welcome our first wave of guests back in the July school holidays, but if we get the green light sooner – we’re ready,” Arise COO David Sawers (pictured) said in a statement.

Marriott to amplify cleanliness measures across APAC properties

Following the recent launch of its Global Cleanliness Council, Marriott International will roll out a multi-pronged platform across Australia, New Zealand and Pacific Islands to “elevate” its cleanliness standards and hospitality norms and behaviour.

Over the coming weeks, Marriot said it will arm hotel associates across the region with enhanced sanitisation guidelines, cleaning technology and operational training videos.

Guests will begin to notice a number of additions to cleanliness and hygiene regimes with new protocols related to social distancing, including the use of electrostatic sprayers and increased contactless options.

Measures around social distancing will also include increased mobile check-in, altered in-room dining practices as well as new approaches to restaurant buffets.

Marriott said that all aspects of food and beverage operations have been “carefully considered”, dependent on the guidelines of each local government.

MGM Resorts announces opening dates for first Las Vegas properties

MGM Resorts International has announced its planned 4 June reopening of Bellagio, New York-New York, MGM Grand Las Vegas and The Signature, following the closure earlier this year of all of its US properties amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

At opening, amenities at all properties will be limited, MGM said. However, as demand for Las Vegas builds, additional venues within these resorts will open and other MGM Resorts properties on The Strip will reopen.

Halcyon House to reopen from July

Australia’s Halcyon House has announced it will be reopening from 2 July 2020, following its closure due to COVID-19 restrictions.

In anticipation of welcoming guests again, the 21-room boutique hotel has reportedly undergone “a deep clean”, while stringent new health and safety protocols have been implemented to ensure a safe stay for all guests.

To ensure every guest feels safe and comfortable, operational adjustments have been made for social distancing guidelines to be adhered to.

For the time being, Halcyon House’s restaurant, Paper Daisy, will be open exclusively to in-house guests for breakfast and lunch, and will open to the public for dinner.

All in-house guests will also now receive a four-course dinner at Paper Daisy each night as part of their stay.

Additionally, several hand sanitising stations will be located throughout the hotel, and the cleaning and disinfecting of all surfaces will be carried out regularly.

Pier One offers $94 rooms for the June long weekend

With restrictions beginning to lift across NSW, Sydney harbour-side hotel Pier One Sydney Harbour is “thrilled” to be welcoming guests this coming long weekend, with a little something special to celebrate the Queen’s birthday.

As Queen Lizzie turns 94 this year, Pier One wants to treat guests like ‘Queens’, with an exclusive $94 rate, only available this June long weekend.

From Thursday, 4 May until Monday, 8 June, every $94 room booked has the chance to be upgraded, with one lucky guest landing themselves the Admiral Suite for the night.

Guests can book their stay here.

Re-emerge in style at W Brisbane

W Brisbane is excited to share the news that the hotel will be re-emerging this Friday, 5 June.

Venues will re-open across the hotel and guests can check in and indulge in two accommodation packages: A ‘Stay-Cation’ package for a romantic weekend away, and a ‘Spa-Cation’ package for relaxed pampering.

Room only rates are also available from $279 per night for a ‘Wonderful King’ room (pictured).

WA hospitality back thanks to “decisive national leadership”: AHAWA

The Australian Hotels Association Western Australia (AHAWA) believes the state’s hospitality industry will soon be back in business following strong and decisive national leadership from WA Premier Mark McGowan, with the state’s hotels, pubs, restaurants, bars and taverns now leading the nation on the road to recovery.

AHAWA CEO Bradley Woods welcomed the announcement by the Premier that the WA government will substantially relax COVID-19 restrictions from Saturday, 6 June, resulting in many hospitality venues re-opening their doors and significantly lifting their patron capacity.

“The ability for venues to now have up to 100 patrons per separate area or room with a maximum capacity of 300 and the removal of the one in four square metres of floor space restriction, is a significant shift in the ability of venues to re-open and operate,” Woods said in a statement.

“The halving of the capacity formula to now require two square metres per patron will allow many more venues to open.”

Resplendent Ceylon launches ‘SafeStay’ initiative

Wild Coast Tented Lodge

Award-winning Sri Lankan hospitality company Resplendent Ceylon has launched ’StaySafe’, a dedicated health and safety guide for its hotels to monitor and manage stringent health and safety measures during COVID-19.

Despite comprising low density resorts in isolated locations, Resplendent Ceylon believes the guide is essential to ensure protection of guests, staff and respective communities.

The guide covers logistics, transport, guest and staff contact areas, emergency response, safety equipment and chemicals, maintenance duties, as well as communications.

The ’StaySafe’ guide will be made available to all hotels and tourism accomodation in Sri Lanka and overseas and content will be updated constantly to reflect new information on mitigating risk.

JA Resorts & Hotels responds to COVID-19 with bespoke tools for travel trade

Amid a dramatic change in the business landscape, JA Resorts & Hotels has focused on flexibility and adaptability as they introduce a new wave of strategies, policies and tools for travel trade partners.

Among the measures announced by the hospitality company are new booking technologies, a new website dedicated to travel industry professionals, new B2B communication tools and e-learning opportunities, incentive schemes and fully flexible cancellation policies.

Meliá Koh Samui implements new health and safety standards in response to COVID-19

Meliá Koh Samui is launching a raft of stringent health, safety and hygiene measures in the wake of COVID-19, including the appointment of an executive to take charge of the emotional wellbeing of guests.

The 159-room and 41-suite luxury beachfront resort, and the first property in Thailand launched under Spanish hotel group Meliá Hotels International, has reopened after closing in April due to the spread of COVID-19, and is introducing the sweeping new measures under a global program called ‘Stay Safe With Meliá’.

Developed in collaboration with certification, inspection and testing company Bureau Veritas, the program’s rigorous standards are based on World Health Organization recommendations and are being implemented across all Meliá Hotels International properties upon reopening.

According to the company, the “360-degree” program entails a strict cleaning and disinfection plan endorsed by supplier Diversey and uses technological solutions to minimise physical contact between guests and staff.

The standard also utilises occupational health measures to identify people at risk and management of possible cases of infection.

Moreover, the program includes post-COVID-19 standards to ensure the safety of food and beverage, wellness, entertainment and in-room experiences as well as operational guides targeting staff procedures, training and maintenance of facilities.