Hotel News in Brief
Nov 03, 08 | 1:46 am 
Phoenix Group Global, a promoter of luxury resorts, Tuesday announced the launch of its own brand of Zuri luxurious hotels and resorts in India. The first five-star hotel will open at Whitefield in Bangalore in January next year, said Priti Chand, media officer of the business group. 'We are acquiring land for five other hotels in Ahmedabad, Visakhapatnam, Kochi, Chennai and Nagpur and will be investing around Rs.10.5 billion for these projects,' Chand told the media. Phoenix Group Global, a multinational conglomerate based in Dubai has interests in the hospitality, real estate and floriculture sector and owns and manages hotels under the franchise of Carlson Hotels Worldwide. At present it has two hotels in Goa (Radisson White Sands Resort and Country Inns and amp; Suites) and one in Kerala (Radisson Plaza Resort and amp; Spa, Kumarakom). The Indian arm is managed by brothers Aditya and Abhishek Kamani. All our hotels will be under the Zuri brand,' Chand said. Source: India eNews
20|20 AssessmentTM (www.2020skills.com) -- a service of HVS - is pleased to announce a new educational and research partnership with César Ritz Colleges Switzerland. César Ritz Colleges Switzerland is regarded as one of the leading hospitality management schools in the world. With two fully-integrated campuses in Switzerland and an average of 50 different nationalities in the classrooms, the college offers premier hospitality business management education at both the undergraduate and graduate level. César Ritz Colleges has a very strong and vibrant group of alumni totaling more than 10,000 graduates who have obtained top business leadership positions in more than 120 countries. Students of César Ritz Colleges Switzerland benefit from having endless career opportunities within the world's largest and most exciting industry. Gabriel Gazzoli, M.S., Hospitality Instructor, César Ritz Colleges Switzerland and James Houran, Ph.D., President of 20|20 AssessmentTM will utilize the leading-edge 20|20 SkillsTM assessment for student development at undergraduate and graduate levels at César Ritz, and the two organizations will collaborate on research concerning the development of competencies for success in the service-hospitality industry. For more information or to participate in educational or industry studies, contact:
James Houran, Ph.D. President, 20|20 AssessmentTM jhouran@2020skills.com or Gabriel Gazzoli, M.S, Hospitality Instructor, César Ritz Colleges Switzerland gabriel.gazzoli@ritz.edu Source: HVS
Guestline Ltd, a leading UK supplier of software solutions to the hospitality industry, is pleased to announce the release of a direct connection between Roomlynx, its distribution and channel management solution and hotel.info. This powerful two way interface enables hotels to manage online rates, inventory and availability directly from their Guestline or RezLynx Property Management System (PMS). It will also facilitate the seamless delivery of reservations from www.hotel.info directly into their PMS, without the need for manual data entry.
The Marriott Hotel in Brussels create a greener approach to meetings. The average three-day meeting at a Marriott hotel attended by 1,000 people produces more than 12 tons of trash, uses 200,000 kilowatts of power and consumes 100,000 gallons of water. As of next year, our Marriott hotels in Brussels will offer meeting planners a ‘Green Meeting Package' option which introduces a series of meeting products that are eco-friendly and will help guests and meeting planners reduce their environmental impact. In addition to this, Marriott International is building on an aggressive environmental strategy by adding new elements to green its meetings. To see more about Marriott International's efforts to green its meetings, click on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61_-VNLwDcg
The Green Meeting Package option will include products and services such as:
- 100% post-consumer fiber writing pads and recycled flipchart paper.
- Bic Ecolutions® pens made from recycled content and biodegradable (Marriott purchases 47 million pens per year)
- Access to recycling containers in or near meeting rooms in our Brussels hotels
- Meeting rooms set with water service in pitchers or coolers rather than glass bottles
- Seasonal food and menu options
- Linen-less banquet buffet tables and meeting room tables
- Free parking in our Brussels hotels for Hybrid cars
Sol Melia to open Reserve at Paradisus Palma Real Dominican republic. Sol Melia Vacation Club (SMVC) will open a new project, The Reserve at Paradisus Palma Real in Punta Cana by the end of the year. It will have 190 two-story cabanas with one or two ultramodern rooms, with exotic Balinese beds, private jacuzzis and direct access to the pool. It will offer spa treatments, fitness programs, a golf course, a variety of gourmet restaurants, a casino and nightlife entertainment, among other facilities. Source: TRAVEL@LatinAmerica
CapitaLand's wholly-owned serviced residence unit, The Ascott Group (Ascott), has been awarded a contract to manage another premier serviced residence in Beijing. The 175-unit Ascott Beijing Raffles City is part of Raffles City Beijing, an integrated lifestyle development comprising a retail podium, an office tower and residential apartments. Ascott Beijing Raffles City is the Group's fifth serviced residence property in Beijing. It is targeted to open in the second half of 2009, and is centrally located in Dongzhimen, Dongcheng District, one of the most vibrant areas in Beijing. The property is also near the second embassy district, where many embassies and over 500 foreign enterprises are located.
Flyte Systems, the leading provider of subscription-based airport flight information displays and digital signage content for the hospitality industry, convention centers and related businesses, announced that 14 properties signed contracts to install the company's airline travel information products in the past 60 days. Properties installing FlyteBoard, FlytePass or FlyteChannel include Spring Hill Suites, Marriott, Holiday Inn, Hampton Inn, Westin, InterContinental, Doubletree, Crowne Plaza and other brands. Flyte Systems currently has more than 100 subscribers in 34 cities. "A growing number of forward-looking operators are adding guest services that drive repeat business because they have real value for travelers," said Brian Reynolds, Flyte Systems' president. "Our cost-effective airline flight information displays, boarding pass printing, and guest-room services set properties apart, increase customer loyalty and drive revenue. Guests expect these types of travel services today and they are appreciative when they see Flyte products on property." Flyte Systems is the only full-service flight information company that provides real-time airline departure times. The recent installations across the US from Baltimore to Los Angeles confirm the value of Flyte Systems' low-risk, cost-effective subscription service that installs quickly and easily and delivers immediate benefits to guests and operators. "Customers tell us their guests and corporate meeting planners specifically look for our products when selecting a property because they help avoid lengthy and often unnecessary stays in the airport caused by airline delays and cancellations," said Reynolds. "It's rare to find a product that delivers an ROI so quickly." What sets Flyte Systems apart from PC-based applications is the ability to post accurate, real-time airline flight arrival and departure information, not FAA-regulated scheduled departure times that do not list delays caused by air traffic control, aircraft maintenance, crew availability and weather.
Oakwood Worldwide, the leading, global temporary housing provider, today announces the opening of the Oakwood Premier Prestige Bangalore property, its newest five star premier property, offering a lush environment, impeccable amenities and service offerings along with convenient access to the center of Bangalore, India. Oakwood plans to add an additional ten properties in the country by 2010 including locations in Mumbai and Pune, and future plans include properties in Chennai, Hyderabad, Kerala and New Delhi. "Oakwood Premier Prestige Bangalore combines the most elegant apartment amenities with luxury hotel service and is designed for the upscale international traveler," says Frank Foster, Vice President, Marketing and Sales, Oakwood Asia Pacific. "Distinctive from a hotel, the serviced apartments at Oakwood Premier locations are designed for extended-stay residents and are well-equipped to handle the needs of relocating families, with services such as hospital referrals, a resident activity program and round-the-clock service. In many cities across India, these services and facilities have hosted corporate and leisure visitors and shown them the benefits of serviced apartments over hotels."
Marco Polo Hongkong Hotel's Lobby Lounge was conferred the distinction of ‘BAR with the world's most varieties of rum commercially available' by Guinness World Records. Lobby Lounge's selection of 102 rum varieties from different parts of the globe were individually checked and verified in an adjudication event led by Ms. Angela Wu, official adjudicator for Guinness World Records. Witnessed by members of the press, hotel guests, and loyal patrons of Lobby Lounge, the adjudication process culminated in the presentation of the Guinness World Record certificate to Mr. John Girard, General Manager and Area Director, Marco Polo Hongkong Hotel. "This is indeed an exciting milestone for us. Not only were we able to put Marco Polo Hongkong Hotel on the map with this prestigious distinction - more significantly, this world record lends a significant boost to our efforts of promoting a greater appreciation for rums as a popular and truly distinctive spirit," said Mr. Girard, himself a rum aficionado. Throughout the adjudication event, guests were treated to an exciting selection of classic and signature rum cocktails, along with sampler shots of Lobby Lounge's 102 rum varieties.
Hilton Hotels Corporation announced today that it has signed an agreement with Hainan Agile Real Estate Development Company Limited a joint venture between Agile Property Holdings Limited and funds managed by Morgan Stanley, to manage the Hilton Qing Shui Bay Resort & Spa, a 500-room property on China's tropical island of Hainan. Panorama Hospitality, a wholly owned unit of Morgan Stanley, advised the joint venture on this transaction. The Hilton Qing Shui Bay Resort & Spa is scheduled to open in 2012. This latest signing reinforces Hilton's commitment to becoming a household name in China and will be the third full service upscale hotel under the Hilton brand on Hainan Island, following the success of the Hilton Sanya Resort & Spa which opened in Yalong Bay in 2005. Hilton also announced plans to open the Hilton Haikou in the island's provincial capital in 2011.
