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News in Brief

Mar 22, 10 | 1:46 am

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. announces that in less than 24 months since the implosion of the landmark Sheraton Bal Harbour, The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort has completed vertical construction for all three of its 27-story towers. This is an impressive accomplishment and significant milestone in the development of what some industry experts estimate to be the largest, active residential-resort project in the Southeast United States. Scheduled for completion in 2011, the luxury oceanfront resort and residences located directly across from the famous Bal Harbour Shops, has made a significant contribution to the Florida coastline.

The modern Soho Boutique Hotel, a member of Epoque Hotels contemporary line Avantgarde, features now two new Junior Suites devoted to two characters - Krolock and Herbert - of the show "Dance of the Vampires", created as a joint initiative of PS Production, Kare Budapest and Soho Boutique Hotel. Such cooperation of tourism, culture and design stands as a nationwide, unique example. The suites boast all the usual services (such as minibar, complimentary internet, anti-allergic floor and carpets), but the rooms are furnished differently, with outstanding pieces of the ultra-baroque sophistication. The 74 guest rooms -including 6 junior suites- are all well equipped with the most updated amenities, including complimentary high speed internet. Soho Boutique Hotel is located in the heart of Budapest, between the Eastern and Western railway station and among many famous historical sites and landmark. The Danube, Vaci street, the Synagogue, the Budapest Broadway, the best restaurants, theatres and concerts are all located in the vicinity of Soho Boutique Hotel, easily accessible thanks to the excellent traffic and public transportation area.

Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide Inc.'s lifestyle brand, Aloft, has set expansion plans for key global markets, including its first New York City properties in downtown Brooklyn and Harlem. Aloft is set to open 10 new hotels in the coming year, with half of its 2010 pipeline consisting of international properties. With nearly 40 hotels open since its June 2008 debut, the brand opened China's Aloft Beijing Haidian and Aloft Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates in its first 15 months. This year, three Aloft hotels will open in India alone. The brand plans properties for Chennai, Bangalore and Coimbatore. Europe's first Aloft hotel will open in Brussels.

Wyndham Hotels and Resorts is expanding in China with the addition of three luxury hotels in Shanghai, Changsha and Hangzhou. Joining the brand's Wyndham Grand Collection are the 523-room Wyndham Grand Plaza Royale Oriental Shanghai, overlooking the Yangpu Bridge on the Pudong; the 316-room Wyndham Grand Plaza Royale Furongguo Changsha in Hunan's capital city; and the picturesque 283-room Wyndham Grand Plaza Royale West Lake Hangzhou on the shore of the West Lake adjacent to the city's center. All will be managed by Greater China Hospitality (H.K.) Limited. "We are proud to welcome these spectacular properties to our most distinguished collection of hotels," said Eric Danziger, Wyndham Hotel Group president and chief executive officer. "They will not only expand Wyndham brand awareness but exceed the expectations of the most seasoned world travelers."

South China's Hainan Province aims to become China's golf capital and one of the world's major tourist destinations for golf players and enthusiasts, officials said Thursday at a seminar of 2010 Boao International Tourism Forum. "China encourages well-planned environment-friendly development of golf tourism, especially in Hainan, the country's only tropical island province," said Du Jiang, deputy head of the National Tourism Administration. China's golf tourism industry is still in the beginning stage and has huge potential, Du added, addressing an audience of more than 500 entrepreneurs and experts on golf tourism in a conference hall of Mission Hills Hainan, the largest collection of golf courses in the world. Du's words came after the State Council approved a plan to build Hainan into an "international tourism island," supporting the island to develop its golf tourism, on Jan. 4. The inclusion of golf into the Olympics in 2016 boosted the development of the game in China and the world. "The biggest grow-the-game opportunity is Olympic golf, said Peter Dawson, secretary of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews (R&A), golf's worldwide governing body.

Royal Caribbean International will sail ten ships in Europe during 2011, its biggest deployment in the region to date. The company has eight ships based in Europe this year. In 2011 it will offer over 100 itineraries, ranging from three to 18 nights, visiting 27 countries and 78 ports. Two ships, Liberty of the Seas and Grandeur of the Seas, will sail their maiden European seasons from Barcelona and Palma respectively next year. Meanwhile, Liberty's sister ship, Independence of the Seas, will continue its year-round service from Southampton, which means that for the first time there will be two Freedom-class vessels sailing in European waters. Mark Walter, head of field sales for Royal Caribbean International, commented: ‘Our European line-up for 2011 is offering the greatest itinerary variety in the region, and our ships are second to none with both Independence of the Seas and Liberty of the Seas being the most innovative ships in the Mediterranean.

 

Taitung's popular Formosan Naruwan Hotel has introduced eastern Taiwan's first bike hotel to cater to tourists wishing to explore the island on two wheels. This new hotel follows Taiwan's increasing popularity as a great cycling destination. The Formosan Naruwan Hotel has recently completed a large renovation project to transform a former employee block into 80 new suites. The 40 suites located on the property's fourth and fifth floors have been specifically allocated for cyclists and feature in-room bicycle racks for added security. The new suites are situated near a bike lane encircling the city of Taitung. Other key features include the opportunity for cyclists to wash their bikes and pump up their tyres at a special area in front of the hotel. The property's lifts have also been designed to offer plenty of space for guests and their bikes. This new bike hotel complements Asia's first ever bike hotel, which opened in southern Taiwan in early 2009. The Yoho Bike Hotel in Kenting offers innovative features, such as an exclusive check-in counter designed to keep bikers' feet off the ground; spacious lifts; special biker family rooms featuring in-room bike hangers; a bike spa and maintenance shop; and an outdoor bike training track and off-road training courses. The world's biggest bike company, GIANT, is Taiwanese and is working with the Taiwan Tourism Bureau to position the country as the number one cycling destination in the world for international visitors. With over 1,000km of scenic bike routes now available, there are great opportunities to cycle the sights of Taiwan.

Monarch Bath, Bed & Spa, a leading global provider of bathrobes and luxury hotel linens, today announced the introduction of Monarch Eco, a new line of hotel linens designed to conserve water and reduce energy costs in the laundry operation, while maximizing comfort and durability. "Our experience tells us that hoteliers are primarily concerned with guests' perceptions, the product's life cycle and energy usage when considering linen purchases," stated Gene Faul, CEO of Monarch Bath, Bed & Spa. "With our Eco line, it is no longer necessary to choose between luxury, durability and energy efficiency. Our Monarch Eco towels and robes are extremely soft and comfortable, but are substantially more absorbent and dry much faster than conventional cotton fabrications." Monarch Eco robes are constructed from a Chamois microfiber fabric as warm and soft as flannel, yet five times more absorbent; drying in one-third the time compared to cotton. Monarch Eco's true microfiber robes are extremely durable, lasting longer than cotton or other synthetic fibers. They retain their softness and remain wrinkle resistant with virtually no stretching or shrinkage. Like the robes, the Monarch Eco MicroCotton towels are constructed to reduce water and energy use during the laundry operation. Made from super-fine, Extra-Long Staple (ELS) cotton, the Eco towel is160% bulkier and significantly more absorbent than traditional combed cotton towels of heavier weight. They cost significantly less to launder, save up to 30% in water consumption, use less detergent and take 10-20% less drying time, resulting in reduced operational costs while also reducing the environmental impact. Monarch's Eco MicroCotton towel is manufactured in a state-of-the-art, bio-waste powered, zero discharge facility that produces no emission of effluents into the local water tables. The process also incorporates Control Union-certified, sustainable, eco-friendly dyes and chemicals to reduce impact on the environment.