Hotel News in Brief

Jun 29, 07 | 7:46 am

The award-winning Lakes Cairns Resort and Spa has bagged another accolade this week with news yesterday it had qualified for Expedia's new Insiders' Select list.  Ranking third in the 11 properties listed for Australia-Pacific region, this achievement is significant.  Add to that, The Lakes Cairns Resort and Spa is the only Cairns based accommodation featured. Expedia's Insiders Select list features the very best hotels and resorts as chosen by millions of customers and in-house travel experts.  The list is completely independent of advertisers and partners to underscores its place as a credible source of travel information. To create the list, Expedia ranked hotels around the world using a rating system based on traveller opinions, expert input and value for money.  According to Errol Cooke, market manager Expedia Partner Services Group, it was The Lakes' combination of excellent service, overall experience and value that qualified it for the list that is so exclusive it represents just one per cent of all hotels and resorts."Hotels on the Expedia Insiders' Select list stand to garner substantial attention from the millions of consumers who visit Expedia.com every month to shop for and book travel.

The Mercure Mount Panorama Bathurst - the largest and most significant new tourism development in regional Australia - will be the latest addition to Accor's fast-growing franchise network when it opens in August. The Mercure has a pole-position on Conrod Straight on the hallowed grounds of Australia's most famous motor racing circuit, Mount Panorama, in the central-west NSW city of Bathurst. The Mercure consists of 135 studio, one, two and three bedroom apartments and penthouses, all fully self-contained with state-of-the-art facilities and modern décor.

Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre selected ‘Best Exhibition and Convention Centre in Asia'. Only two years old and the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (the Centre) has already proven itself a force to be reckoned with, winning the ‘Best Exhibition and Convention Centre in Asia' award at the TravelWeekly (Asia) Industry Awards 2007 held in Hong Kong. The other nominees in the same category are Suntec City Singapore and the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Said Mr Peter Brokenshire, general manager, Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, "This award is certainly a surprise and a humbling experience, especially as this is only our second year in operation. This is a true reflection of the Malaysia Boleh spirit and how much Malaysians, with an international edge, are capable of achieving." With Asia-Pacific currently the fastest growing region in the exhibition and convention arena, Malaysia is increasingly becoming the business destination of choice, courtesy of a strategic position that places her at the crossroads of the booming India and China markets. The Centre works closely with Tourism Malaysia, Malaysia Airlines (MAS) and Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) to actively promote the country, Malaysia; the city, Kuala Lumpur and its supporting infrastructure; and in turn, the venue, the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, as one of the region's leading convention and exhibition destinations.

Polonia Palace Hotel has been awarded the most trendy hotel in Poland by PGM (Polish Marketing Group). Adam Czekaj, Corporate Sales & Marketing Director received the award on behalf of the Syrena Hotels. He thanked the Polonia Palace guests for their excellent comments and for appreciation to the hotel. "We are glad to be among other fashionable places and enjoy providing our guests with the best combination of tradition, style and fashion". The awards were given on a splendid Fashion Street Gala on Sunday 24th June. It was a memorable event in Warsaw, as for 10 hours more than 90 designers and brands presented their collections, a great amount of money was donated to Daria Trafankowska Charity Fund and of course "Trendy Places" winners were announced.

New Additions Place Americas Best Value Inn in Every Continental State. Adding 16 new member properties to its rapidly growing system in the month of May, Americas Best Value Inn can now boast that it has locations in every state within the Continental United States. In operation for only seven years, Americas Best Value Inn has been recognized as one of the fastest growing hotel chains in the country for five years in a row.

Citron restaurant, the "Golden Era" beauty of Viceroy Palm Springs' desert-oasis resort, welcomes Stephen Belie as its newly appointed Chef de Cuisine. With a strong background in French-American cuisine, Chef Belie brings to the sunshine-inspired venue a penchant for subtle flavor complexities and an array of fresh culinary sensations for its New American menu. Trained at the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, Belie launched his professional career at the celebrity-favored Citrus Restaurant in Hollywood, working alongside Michel Richard. He continued to enrich his French-Californian technique with subtle Asian inflections at the Fenix restaurant in Hollywood, where his ongoing exploration into the art of innovative dining found its highest expression in the multi-course tasting menus.

Detroit's Pick-Fort Shelby Hotel to reopen as a DoubleTree by end of 2008. Hilton Hotels Corp. executives and local developers announced Tuesday that the long-shuttered Pick-Fort Shelby Hotel on Lafayette Avenue at First Street is to reopen by the end of 2008 as the Fort Shelby DoubleTree Suites, to be operated by Hilton. Source Crain's Detroit Business

Molinaro Koger closes deal for Sardinia's Forte Village Resort. Acting on behalf of LB FV LLC, a subsidiary of Lehman Brothers, the London office of hotel real estate specialist, Molinaro Koger has sold the 758-room, beach-front Forte Village Resort in Sardinia to Italian private real estate fund, FIMIT sgr for €312 million. "This is a rare opportunity to acquire one of the world's leading resorts at a time when new markets are opening up for Sardinia in northern and eastern Europe," says Eric Kudlak, managing director, Europe, Molinaro Koger.