Hotel News in Brief

Mar 23, 09 | 1:46 am

The Costa Luminosa and the Costa Pacifica will be christened together during a record-breaking event on 5 June 2009 in Genoa, Italy, after successfully completing their official sea trials. Europe's number one cruise liner, Costa Cruises, boasts the world's largest fleet expansion plan with five new ships to be delivered by 2012, and three of those in less than a year. The Costa Luminosa and the Costa Pacifica, the 13th and 14th During the sea trials, the Costa Pacifica and the Costa Luminosa of Costa's fleet departed from the Marghera (Venice) and Genova-Sestri Ponente yards to make their first sea crossing and carry out their tests.sailed at their maximum speed (more than 23 knots = 40 km/h) for eight consecutive hours to test ship resistance. Tests also included a "crash stop" to determine how many metres the ship travels before coming to a stop during an emergency. During the "UMS" test, the Costa Pacifica and the Costa Luminosa sailed for six consecutive hours under the automatic control of the power and propulsion systems. Finally, during the "black out" test, the electricity was disconnected to ensure that all ship functions automatically restarted. After completing the tests, the Costa ships returned to their yards for final fittings prior to full service. The Costa Luminosa will be ready at the end of April 2009, while the Costa Pacifica will be delivered one month later in May. Costa Cruises is the cruise line with the world's largest fleet expansion plan, delivering five new ships including the Costa Luminosa, the Costa Pacifica and the Costa Deliziosa by 2012 for a total investment of € 2.4 billion ($AU4.7 billion). Three of these ships will be delivered in less than a year. The Costa Deliziosa, the sister ship of the Costa Luminosa, will be delivered at the end of January 2010, following the christening of the Costa Luminosa and the Costa Pacifica. All five ships are built in Italy by Fincantieri. Each liner requires the professional expertise of around 3,000 workers from Fincantieri and roughly 500 linked industry companies - the majority of which are Italian. The five new cruisers represent a 50% increase in the capacity of the Costa fleet, ranked fifth in the world and Europe's largest. In 2012 the fleet will consist of 17 vessels with a total capacity of 46,400 passengers.

Hilton Hotels & Resorts announces the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina as the latest addition to the Hilton brand portfolio. The hotel, formerly named the Fort Lauderdale Grande, is conveniently located on Fort Lauderdale's Intracoastal Waterway. The Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina completed just last year a remarkable $70 million renovation, including redesigned guestrooms, a new lobby and refurbished common areas that highlight South Florida's colorful locale and culture.

TIG Global, the leading interactive marketing company for hospitality and travel, recently launched a cutting-edge website for the Richmond Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau (www.VisitRichmondVa.com).  The new website and accompanying online marketing plan were specifically developed to engage users and inform them of the Destination's vast array of attractions and activities, while creating a user-friendly, comprehensive solution for travelers, meeting planners and travel professionals alike. Prior to designing the website, the TIG Global creative team visited the Richmond area and experienced the Destination first-hand.  The team then mapped out a website to meet the unique business needs of the Richmond Metropolitan CVB and reflect the interests of the Destination's target audiences.  TIG Global built in separate, user-friendly sections on the site for each of the niche traveler groups, equipped with detailed, printable sample itineraries.

Following extensive renovation, Club Med Bali, on the South East Coast of Bali, Nusa Dua, has reopened its doors to boast brand new facilities for those seeking a touch of luxury.   A stunning four Trident resort, Club Med Bali offers couples and families alike the opportunity to escape to a true island paradise. The developments at Club Med Bali are part of a global renovation programme which is being rolled out across the portfolio of properties worldwide, offering a more exclusive holiday.  Combining ultimate luxury with home-from-home comforts, Club Med Bali will offer those in search of rest and relaxation a tranquil escape, whilst those who are more energetic can enjoy a vast range of sporting activities. Other resorts in the Club Med portfolio that have undergone renovations include La Pointe aux Canonniers in Mauritius, Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic and Gregolimano in Greece.

Resolution of legal dispute between &Beyond and Abercombie & Kent. You may be aware of the legal dispute between &Beyond and Abercrombie & Kent regarding the use of the ampersand symbol (&) in our logo and branding. The dispute has now been settled amicably, out of court. As a result of this agreement between the two parties we at &Beyond will be making some changes to our branding over the coming months. We have amended our logo to include a revised version of the ampersand (see above left). Henceforth we will refer to our company in body text using the word mark: &Beyond (using the ampersand in the font known as Trebuchet). This word mark will be used in body text on our web sites, and in all marketing, media and other communications collateral. To help us meet the terms of our agreement, could we please ask that where and when required by your publication to feature &Beyond, that you use the revised logo stamp with the new ampersand, and/or the word mark &Beyond in text. Please do not refer to us using the & with the closed loops. Please contact cynthia.walley@andbeyond.com for digital versions of the revised logo.

Walt Disney Parks and Resorts has postponed plans to expand its Hong Kong theme park and is to make 30 staff redundant as a result. Phase one of the park opened in 2005 and phase two had been planned to open by now. However, disappointing visitor numbers and the worldwide economic decline has led the company to put the plans on hold. Leslie Goodman, executive vice president, worldwide public affairs, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, said: ‘After two years of Disney investment in creative and design work and extensive negotiations with our partner, the Hong Kong government, we have not yet reached a final agreement to expand HKDL. Source: e-tid.com

Sam Hall regional marketing manager for von Essen hotels, beat stiff competition to win a gold award for Best Viral Campaign for his Sharrow Bay 'Culinary Espionage' media initiative at the CIMTIG Travel Marketing Awards Ceremony at the Sheraton Park Lane hotel. Sam was one of five to win a gold last night, only given to those who scored top marks for creativity, execution, rational and results. Organised by the Chartered Institute of Marketing Travel Interest Group, these new awards have replaced the long established Travel Advertising Awards and are designed to recognise marketing excellence in the travel industry and reflect the way travel is marketed to today's consumer. Sam Hall won the Best Viral Campaign Award, which was judged on campaign strategy, creativity, execution and audience reached. Sam's win for utilising the viral medium, a medium at the forefront of marketing media initiatives is all the more notable as Sharrow Bay is the oldest country house hotel in the UK, celebrating its 60th anniversary this year! Moreover, Sam Hall's win was the only win in the hotel sector.

CBRE Hotels are pleased to announce the acquisition of Le Meridien Beach Plaza Hotel, Monaco on behalf of a High-Net-Worth Individual.