Hotel News in Brief
Mar 21, 12 | 3:09 am 
Some current conversation starters...
A new tea for your breakfast buffet?
An Yanshi, a 41-year-old former teacher and journalist, is using the bamboo-eaters' manure to help fertilise the organic green tea, which he believes will make the perfect brew. Tons of panda excrement, obtained from the nearby breeding centres in mountainous Ya'an in Sichuan province, will be used in growing the tea. Each lot of 50 grams will then go for 22,000 yuan (£2,200), which according to Mr An makes for the world's dearest cup of tea. Most people use about three grams per cup, meaning each one brewed would set one back over £130. Justifying the rather steep price, Mr An said the profits from the exotic tea would be channelled into an environmental fund. Future batches would also have a lower price tag. Wearing a panda suit during an event to promote his tea, Mr An offered his gratitude: "I thank heaven and earth for blessing us with this environmental panda tea."
Honolulu was the second-most expensive city in the United States last year for hotels, according to the Hotel Price Index released Monday by Hotels.com .
Hawaii's average daily room rate in 2011 was $175, which was a 10 percent increase from $159 in 2010, Dallas-based Hotels.com said. The website showed that average hotel prices nationwide increased by 5 percent last year. New York was the most expensive city, with a 2011 average daily room rate of $204, which was 5 percent higher than in 2010, and Boston was No. 3 with an average of $165, a 6 percent gain over 2010. Honolulu also ranked high for international visitors. The Hawaii capital was No. 7 on the list, which was topped by New York, Las Vegas and Orlando, Fla.
Sheraton Towers Singapore has embarked on a $20 million upgrade project that will see a complete facelift to the facade and driveway, as well as 412 guest rooms redesigned in a transitional style.
First opened in December 1985, Sheraton Towers Singapore was designed by Hirsch Bedner Associates. The redesign will again be facilitated by interior design firm HBA, and the refurbishment project will see the use of Italian luxury brands for interior furnishings. The appointed color scheme of the new rooms features the use of Brasilian Macassar Ebony woods and pastel shades. The marble covered bathroom is retrofitted with such comforts as the rain shower, as well as hand-held shower facilities from Damixa.
Key Appointments in the Industry
Congratulations to these new appointments...
Enchantment Resort is cooking up a new dining experience in Sedona, Arizona, with the recent appointment of David Schmidt as Executive Chef. A creative talent with extensive experience garnered at hospitality hotspots throughout Arizona, Schmidt is responsible for all culinary operations and menu creation at the award-winning resort, including the renovated Tii Gavo and the NEW signature restaurant, part of the third and final phase of the resort's $25 million transformation debuting spring 2012. Schmidt's responsibilities will also include Mii amo Café, room service and banqueting for meetings and events. His career progressed steadily, with positions including Butcher/Chef at T. Cook's at the Royal Palms Hotel & Casitas in Phoenix; Chef Instructor-L'Ecole at Scottsdale Culinary Institute Le Cordon Bleu; and five years as Executive Chef at Michael's at the Citadel in Scottsdale. Schmidt's last stop before Enchantment Resort was L'Auberge de Sedona.
The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) announces that Dr Michael Frenzel, Chairman of the Executive Board, TUI AG, will take over as Chairman from 20 April 2012. Dr Frenzel has been a Member of the WTTC Executive Committee since 2000 and a leading Member since he joined in 1999. He will serve as Chairman for a two-year term. He replaces Geoffrey Kent, Founder, Chairman & CEO, Abercrombie & Kent, who was appointed Chairman in 2007. Dr Frenzel joined Preussag AG in 1988 and was appointed Executive Chairman in 1994. Under his leadership, the company was repositioned into Europe's leading tourism Group, TUI AG, which now comprises three main businesses - London-listed TUI Travel, TUI Hotels & Resorts, and TUI Cruises.
The Latest in Hotel Openings
YTL Hotels remains true to its philosophy of crafting inspired experiences, is set to open its highly anticipated development, Gaya Island Resort in Borneo on the 1st July 2012. This world class resort will be added to the stellar collection of luxury resorts across Asia and Europe, strengthening YTL Hotels' reputation as Malaysia's premier hospitality group. Located just off the coast of Kota Kinabalu and set on the shores of Pulau Gaya, the largest island in the Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park, Gaya Island Resort offers the perfect launching pad to discover Borneo and all that it has to offer; idyllic golden sand beaches, diving sites of spectacular underwater havens and untouched tropical rainforests, offering a home to many rare species, including the orangutan, the proboscis monkey and the pygmy elephant. Gaya Island Resort will incorporate elements of Sabahan architecture and contemporary design complete with modern amenities and WiFi capabilities. It will comprise 121 spacious stand-alone hill and sea-front villas offering spectacular views of the majestic Mount Kinabalu. The resort is easily accessible from Kota Kinabalu International Airport and is a short 30 minute combined car and speedboat ride from the airport.
The 32-storey 345-room Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit hotel is currently in its final stages of development with its opening scheduled for April 2012. Designed by BBG-BBGM, a renowned architectural firm from New York with an extensive international portfolio of hotels and resorts, retail space and high-rises, among other developments, Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit represents a modern interpretation of an art deco tower with a façade of limestone, concrete, stainless steel and glass, topped by a signature crown. The hotel's interior, a combination of contemporary French and Thai designs covering over 50,000 sqm of space, has been completed by PIA, one of Thailand's leading interior design companies.
The Algonquin Hotel tapped hospitality design firm Intra-Spec to lead its makeover. The renovations are expected to "bring a contemporary ambience while guest rooms, suites and public spaces will maintain décor that is familiar and comfortable". Each of the 181 Algonquin guest rooms, including 25 suites, will be updated to reflect a New York residential feel that combines modern design with classic New York City look, the focal point being customized "picture window" headboards, featuring backlit black and white 1920's photographed by Irving Underhill. New silk-screened damask chandeliers and lights show off new tones of gold, black and tan in the rooms. Each room and suite will feature Roman shades and furnishings, 300 thread count sheets, European pillows and custom made noise reducing heating and cooling. Rooms with bay windows will include a built-in reading seat for guests. New furniture, flat screen TVs, technological amenities like makeup mirrors and additional power outlets will also be available. In addition to the custom designed furnishings, all bathrooms in the hotel are being completely remodelled with newly designed spaces featuring black and white Italian tiled floors, frameless glass shower stalls replacing the original bathtubs, and a back lit vanity mirror.
