Hotel News in Brief

Dec 24, 09 | 1:46 am

According to specialist Croatia tour operator, Hidden Croatia, Croatia continues to increase in popularity for British holidaymakers, far more than most other European destinations, many of which have seen a decline in visitor numbers in recent years. Alan Brown of Hidden Croatia says "Not only is Croatia attracting new visitors for 2010, but the country enjoys a high level of repeat business. These are British guests who have been surprised at the high standards of accommodation and cuisine and who are returning time and time again. When Croatia first re-emerged onto the tourist map it's fair to say the hotels were reminiscent of its socialist past, standards were mediocre and food was nothing to write home about. These days standards have improved beyond recognition and Croatia offers really good value. Hotels have been reconstructed and refurbished, there's a much greater emphasis on high quality food and new, cosmopolitan restaurants have sprung up. British guests are finding both high quality and good value, something that is accelerated by the fact that Croatia's currency is the Kuna, not the Euro. For visitors apprehensive about traveling to a Euro-zone, this is incredibly good news and although prices have increased in recent years, so has the quality.


The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has honoured Faasai Resort and Spa, a four star hotel in the newly emerging tourist destination of Chanthaburi on the Southeast coast of Thailand, in its 2009 Green Awards. The awards are part of TAT's increasing commitment to "green tourism". The awards were presented by HRH Princess Ubolratana of Thailand on the Thailand stand at the World Travel Market in London in November. "The Green Awards are a symbol of TAT's thanks to outstanding quality and reliable tourism products offered by hoteliers and tour operators," said Joanna Cooke, Marketing Manager for TAT UK. The judge of the awards Justin Francis, Managing Director of responsibletravel.com praised Thailand's growing support for green tourism which he said reflected the country's cultural traditions. "Thailand's commitment to responsible tourism is commendable -- it runs deep within the soul of the country," he said. The owners of Faasai Resort and Spa, Surin Laopha and Bronwen Evans, a Thai-New Zealand couple, say the resort, which offers nature-based tourism, is part of the local community of Kung Wiman, a fishing village in the Southeast of Thailand, and it supports Buddhist principles of caring and respect for others. "Our resort tries to provide harmony and balance between people and nature," said Surin. "We need to consider the well-being of everyone - our guests, staff, their families, the community and our suppliers as well as the ecosystem with its myriads of living creatures." One of the projects at Faasai Resort and Spa is to develop a wetlands area with fresh water springs and many varieties of local plants nearby the resort. As well as being a sanctuary for wildlife, it is available to guests for bird watching, swimming and kayaking.


Travelzoo, publisher of the original Top 20 list of the best travel & entertainment deals to more than 3.5 million subscribers across Europe, announced the findings of its annual subscriber survey. The survey revealed that travel enthusiasts across Europe are planning to travel more in 2010 than they did in 2009. Conducted among 9,359 travel enthusiasts in the UK, Germany, France and Spain between 22 November and 7 December 2009, the survey showed that 42% plan to travel more than in 2009, while 25% will travel the same amount as they did this year. Respondents in the UK, where Travelzoo has over 1.6 million subscribers, were the most optimistic about their travel plans for 2010, with 55% saying they plan to travel more than in 2009. UK respondents also plan to travel more frequently that their European counterparts, with 66% planning to take 1 - 2 holidays and 31% planning 3+ trips next year. Of those trips, 76% said they would take a short break or week long holiday between December and May. Three quarters of trips will be outside of the UK, with Spain rated as the #1 holiday destination. On average UK travellers expect to book 76 days in advance of travel, 91% say they have not yet booked their summer holiday.The survey also revealed that travel is a very important part of British life and deals play a big part in the decision making process. To ensure they could travel for leisure, 26% of respondents said they would give up dining out, 22% would give up home improvements and 52% would give up luxury goods. Half of all respondents said they would only book a holiday if it was a special deal.


von Essen hotels is pleased to announce the appointment of Charles Morgan as General Manager for The Forbury Hotel in Reading, the first property in von Essen's Metropolitan Set, to be followed next year with Hotel Verta in London. Charles Morgan joins von Essen hotels from Menzies Hotels group where he was General Manager of The Stourport Manor Hotel. During his tenure, the hotel underwent a multi-million pound refurbishment to place the venue as one of the leading hotels in the area. Charles joins von Essen hotels collection with more than 10 years experience in the hotel and hospitality industry. Previous positions include Deputy General Manager at the luxury Welcombe Hotel, Spa and Golf Club, and Food and Beverage Manager at The Oxford Belfry Hotel. Chief Executive Officer of von Essen hotels, Nick Romano commented, 'We are very excited to welcome Charles to the team here at von Essen hotels.  His wealth of experience in the hotel and hospitality industry and passion for excellent service will ensure that the Forbury exceeds our guests' expectations at every level whilst remaining one of the finest hotels in England.'


Two of Australia's most famous casino hotels, Star City Hotel & Apartments in Sydney and Jupiters Townsville in northern Queensland, have joined WORLDHOTELS. New Deluxe Collection affiliate, Star City, on Sydney Harbour, is the only casino in New South Wales, incorporating a 480-room hotel, 2,000-seat theatre, eleven restaurants and bars ranging from authentic Australian cuisine to Cantonese delicacies and the hotel's famous buffet. At the same time, Jupiters Townsville Hotel & Casino on the Townsville Waterfront, which has joined WORLDHOTELS in the First Class Collection, is situated between Cairns and Brisbane. It features 194 luxury rooms overlooking the Coral Sea to Magnetic Island, the marina, Central Business District and Strand Beach.


Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd has unveiled a $1.13bn deal to finance its second Oasis class mega-ship, while its Celebrity Cruises brand has revealed details of its fourth Solstice vessel. Royal Caribbean International's Allure of the Seas is a sister ship to Oasis of the Seas, the 5,400-passenger vessel which launched in Florida last month in a blaze of global publicity. Oasis of the Seas will remain the biggest cruise ship in the world until it is joined by Allure of the Seas next year, as the new ship will also be able to carry 5,400 passengers. The 16-deck Allure is currently being built in Finland and is expected to set sail next December. RCCL also operates Celebrity Cruises, which used the winter solstice yesterday to reveal details of its fourth Solstice class ship. Celebrity Silhouette will set sail in 2011 with room for 2,850 passengers. Its sister ships are Celebrity Solstice, Celebrity Equinox and Celebrity Eclipse, which will enter service in April 2010.


Local and international tourists to Kenya will now find it easier to select hotels that suit their tastes following the appointment of a new team that will oversee the professional rating of all hotels in the country. The Hotels and Restaurants Authority (HRA) board launched on Tuesday by the Minister for Tourism, Mr Najib Balala, will be charged with ensuring hotels and restaurants across the country are classified according to the East Africa Community criteria adopted by member countries recently. HRA was established under the Hotels and Restaurants Act. Mr Balala said classification of hotels will start early next year, adding that the new board will regulate standards in the hospitality industry. The exercise was last conducted in 2002. The delay in carrying out a nationwide classification has left hotels with the same old ratings despite investing heavily to improve their facilities. "The benefits accrued from classification cannot be underestimated. We want to ensure there is quality in the industry," Mr Balala said during the inauguration.


Things are beginning to look better for the hospitality industry across India, with an increase in occupancy levels to 10-30 per cent and hotel rates getting closer to the pre-recession ones. Says Nandkishore Somani, executive assistant manager, Sun-n-Sand: "Occupancy levels have increased to almost 50-60 per cent in our Mumbai and Pune hotels, as the recession effect is loosening over the market and companies are not cutting on travel like before. This is why we can now think of revising the tariffs to the rates we used to quote before the economic slowdown." Signs of recovery in the market have brought in good expectations for next year, also thanks to the ongoing wedding and festive season, as well as the coming Commonwealth Games [ Images ]. Till a month earlier, hotels were busy working out discounted rates, tailormade packages and budget packages; now, company and individual bookings have started ringing in. Said a source from the Leela Group of Hotels: "Earlier, the condition was not looking good due to security issues and the economic slowdown. But now, across our hotels we are enjoying close to 80-90 per cent occupancy. We are booked around 90 per cent in Goa [ Images ] and Kerala [ Images ], and 80 per cent in Gurgaon, Bangalore and Mumbai for this season." The new year will see this chain opening two new hotels, in Delhi [ Images ] and in Chennai. Is this trend here to stay? Kamlesh Barot, senior vice-president, Hotel and Restaurant Association (Western India) sounds optimistic. "Hotels across the country are enjoying occupancy levels at around 70 per cent on an average, a dip of only about 10 per cent compared to pre-recession time. This revival is due to the festive season, which will push growth and stabilise the situation, post this peak season."