Hotel News in Brief
Feb 19, 08 | 8:46 am 
Dusit Thani Pattaya recently toasted to its new name in line with Dusit's re-branding concept that has seen it successfully ensconced in the international world of hospitality business. The 462-room hotel was formerly called Dusit Resort Pattaya, and adopted its new name after Dusit International renamed it with four other 5-star deluxe hotels under its wing: Dusit Thani Bangkok, Dusit Thani Hua-Hin, Dusit Thani Manila, and Dusit Thani Dubai. Speaking to reporters, Dusit Thani Pattaya's general manager Chatchawal Supachayanont mentioned the five hotel brands of Dusit International, namely: Dusit Thani Hotels and Resorts, dusitD2 hotels and resorts, Dusit Princess Hotels and Resorts, Dusit Devarana Hotels and Resorts, and Dusit Residence Serviced Apartments. He added that each brand offers a distinctive promise, and that for Dusit Thani hotels and resorts, including Dusit Thani Pattaya, the brand promise is "Creating Heaven on Earth".
The St. Regis Bali announces the appointment of Oscar Perez as the new Executive Chef. Oscar joins The St Regis Bali after over two years at the award-winning W Maldives (among which, Travel & Leisure Design Award 2007), the very first W Retreat & Spa in the world. Having worked in kitchens for the past 18 years, Oscar brings a wealth of experience to this new resort.
TAMANI Hotels and Resorts, a member of KM Holding, in association with Al Rostamani Group is proud to announce the opening of the Group's first managed hotel; the TAMANI Hotel Marina, at the Group's iconic 55-storeys Marina Tower. H.E. Khalid A. bin Sulayem, Director General, Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) inaugurated the hotel. VIPs and leading personalities from the hospitality and tourism sectors along with media representatives from Dubai and UAE were given a tour of the all-suites hotel. Mr. bin Sulayem was accompanied on his tour of the tower, by Mr. Marwan Abdulla Al Rostamani, Chairman of Al Rostamani Group, and Mr. Hassan Al Rostamani, Vice-Chairman of Al Rostamani Group. "This is truly another beautiful landmark hotel to rise in Dubai Marina. I am happy to note that TAMANI is the first branded UAE Islamic hotel operator promoting Arabic hospitality and Islamic values. From what I have seen during the tour there is no doubt that this is a new brand of hospitality which will be recognised in the market.", commented Mr. bin Sulayem. Mr. bin Sulayem is the Director General of DTCM, the sole authority for the licensing and classification of hotels and hotel apartments in the emirate. The first and tallest all-suites hotel in the upscale Dubai Marina area features 209 luxurious rooms designed by the TAMANI Art and Design Team. Each room is decorated with impressive Arabic art masterpieces designed by local and international artists in the region and the world exclusively for the TAMANI Hotel Marina. Source: ArabianBusiness.com
Blaze at Brighton Grand Hotel. Guests had to be evacuated from a five-star seafront hotel after a fire broke out on its sixth floor, police have said. Ten fire engines were sent to the Grand Hotel, in Brighton, East Sussex. The fire took two hours to douse. No-one was injured, although about 400 guests were taken to the nearby Hilton Brighton Metropole Hotel as a precaution. The Grand Hotel was bombed by the IRA on October 12, 1984 in a bid to kill then-prime minister Margaret Thatcher during the Tory Party conference. Five people died in the explosion and the hotel was completely renovated afterwards. Stacey Simmons, 34, who witnessed Saturday night's fire, said: "I saw thick smoke coming from the building and thought I was imagining it. With the history of the hotel and the IRA bombing in the 80s, your immediate reaction is to think that it is a terrorist-related incident. But obviously it just turned out to be something a little less dramatic." Group commander Ian Alexander, of East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service, said the fire started in a sixth-floor bedroom. It was initially thought to have ignited on a lower floor, but Mr Alexander explained: "The extraction system was taking the smoke from the sixth floor and pumping it down." He said the cause of the fire was under investigation. He praised the Grand Hotel for its role in the evacuation of guests. He said about 50 fire fighters from both East and West Sussex were involved in the operation. The A259, which runs along the seafront in front of the hotel, was closed for about two hours while fire fighters tackled the blaze. Source: The Press Association
In its 46-year history, Indianapolis-based Schahet Hotels Inc. has developed, on average, about one hotel every three years. In 2008, it will build three new hotels and completely gut and renovate a fourth. "This, for us, is a lot of change," said Jeffrey Brown, the company's CEO. But it's just the latest turn for a company that has shifted with the market to thrive in the cyclical world of hotel development and management. Today, Schahet Hotels owns and manages seven hotel properties in central Indiana and upstate New York, not including its newest projects. It's a long way from the company's origins, which can be found in burgers, not beds. Founder Sam Schahet (pronounced Shock-it) started in the hotel business on a glitch. His real estate company ran several Frisch's Big Boy franchises in Indianapolis for years before branching into hotels in the early 1960s, when the Holiday Inn franchise was just coming into its own. Started in 1952, as Americans in growing numbers began enjoying the freshly constructed national highway system, Holiday Inn offered a unique model of economical, consistent accommodations with full-service amenities. Source: Indianapolis Business Journal
A new Legend unfolds in Palawan. As testament to its commitment of being the largest value hotel chain in the country, Legend Hotels International Corporation (LHIC) has once again pioneered an innovative venture in the hotel accommodation industry through PADs, the best solution to quality budget accommodations located along Malvar Street, beside The Legend Palawan. Inspired by the current down-size trend of room accommodation in Europe, US and Asia, PADs by Legend Hotels with its compact, space efficient, and modern rooms complete with urban amenities, will officially open its doors this February 28, 2008. In line with this, the city of Puerto Princesa, a top tourist destination in the Philippines, has already shown huge excitement and pride for being the very first site of PADs hotel, which is actually the first of its kind in the country in terms of hotel concept and design. A space in PADs' Solo Flats features an 8 square meter fully air-conditioned hotel room complete with a sky bed, flat TV, a toilet and bath with running hot and cold shower. Perfect for single travelers for an incredibly low price.
Ibis Earls Court, in the heart of London's traditional base for visiting Australians, has completed a vast upgrade and now offers some of the best quality, good value accommodation in the British capital. All rooms have been refurbished in contemporary Ibis style, with each room boasting individually controlled air conditioning and heating, tea/coffee making facilities, modem points, work-desks and ensuite bathrooms. Affordable wi-fi is available in many of the rooms and in the business centre, and for dining there is a choice of La Table restaurant and The George & Dragon English-style pub, which offers snooker and large plasma TVs for sporting occasions. The Ibis is also a popular base for visitors to exhibitions and events at the Earls Court Exhibition Centre, which is opposite the hotel. The hotel also has extensive meeting and function facilities with a pillarless ballroom capable of hosting up to 1200 delegates.
Effective April 24, 2008, Solare Hotels & Resorts Co. Ltd. will rename the Hakodate Harborview Hotel, which has been managed by Solare since March 30, 2007, as the Loisir Hotel Hakodate, bringing the portfolio of Loisir-branded hotels in Japan to a total of eight. Loisir-branded hotels currently in operation are located in Asahikawa, Joetsu, Atsugi, Ogaki, Yokkaichi, Nagasaki and Naha.
