New hotels: Morpheus, InterContinental Phu Quoc Long Beach Resort and more

June 29, 2018

Morpheus, Macau
The Zaha Hadid-designed, US$1.1 billion luxury Morpheus hotel in Macau is Melco Resorts’ latest venture. There are 772 rooms, suites and villas in the high-rise, alongside two restaurants by Alain Ducasse, a Chinese fine diner and a Pierre Hermé patisserie in the lobby. There is also a club lounge, a spa with six treatment rooms, an outdoor pool on the 40th floor, a fitness centre and an art gallery.

InterContinental Phu Quoc Long Beach Resort, Vietnam
The 459-key resort on Phu Quoc Island is nestled near the tail end of the 20km-long Long Beach, with an exclusive private beach for guests. Recreational facilities include Harnn Heritage Spa, gym, yoga and pilates classes, water sports activities and four swimming pools. Six F&B venues are available on-site, ranging from Ink 360, the highest bar in Phu Quoc, to the fine-dining seafood and speciality restaurant Lava. The resort boasts its own conference centre with over 2,000m² of indoor event space, a 870m² grand ballroom, a purpose-built auditorium and multiple breakout rooms.

Sanctuary by Sirromet, Australia
Family-owned Sirromet Winery, located 30 minutes from Brisbane at Mount Cotton, has launched 18 glamping tents for overnight guests. Each air-conditioned tented pavilion – made of double-layered all-weather campus – features a private balcony complete with day chairs, an ensuite bathroom, and is furnished with king beds and free Wi-Fi. Facilities on the eight-hectare grounds include three F&B options: The Cellar Door Café for casual dining, Italian restaurant Tuscan Terrance and fine-dining restaurant Lurleen’s.

Hyatt Regency Beijing Wangjing, China
Located in the heart of the Wangjing CBD is the first Hyatt Regency in China’s capital. There are 348 rooms available, ranging from 30m² to 290m². Each offers a separate workspace, flatscreen TV, standalone bathtub with Portico and Comfort Zone toiletries, and high-speed Wi-Fi. Amenities on-site include five F&B options, a 25m-long heated indoor pool, hydrotherapy areas with saunas and whirlpools, and a 24-hour fitness centre. Event planners can avail the 5,600m² of function space which includes the 1,370m² pillar-free Regency Ballroom.

Fraser Place Binhai Tianjin, China
Frasers Hospitality’s second property in the north-eastern Chinese port city offers 224 keys in several configurations, ranging from studios to two-bedroom apartments, as well as smart meeting spaces and function rooms. Other facilities include an all-day dining restaurant, a lobby bar, a swimming pool and a gym. Guests will also enjoy complimentary high-speed Wi-Fi, 24/7 room service and a free shuttle service.

Hyatt Regency returns to Philippines with new hotel in Clark

By TTG Asia

June 29, 2018

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Clark-Philippines-residential-area — A residential area in Angeles City, the Philippines

The Hyatt Regency brand is making a comeback to the Philippines, with the 350-room Hyatt Regency Clark slated to open within a 309ha mixed-use project come 2022.

The result of a management agreement between a Hyatt affiliate and Donggwang Clark Corporation (DCC), Hyatt Regency Clark will be part of DCC’s D’ Heights Resort project, which includes two 18-hole golf courses, a duty free shopping mall, an indoor water park, residential towers and an IT park.

A residential area in Angeles City, the Philippines

The hotel will feature bars and restaurants, a large ballroom, fitness centre, and swimming pool.

Located less than 113km northwest of Metro Manila, Hyatt Regency Clark will sit within the Clark Freeport Zone, where more than 700 corporations had set up offices in 2017. The government is planning to link Clark with Metro Manila by 2022, which will reduce travel between the two cities to an hour.

TAT amps up marketing of ‘Thailand Riviera’ as area goes under fast-track development

By TTG Asia

June 28, 2018

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hua-hin — UNWTO will provide technical and marketing support for the project; Hua Hin coast pictured

‘Thailand Riviera’ – comprising the four coastal provinces of Phetchaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Chumphon and Ranong – is expected to receive stronger marketing push from the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), as part of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports’ comprehensive master plan develop the area’s full tourism potential.

Weerasak Kowsurat, minister of tourism and sports, earlier this month met with local authorities and representatives from various government agencies to move ahead with the next steps. The UNWTO has also been enlisted to provide technical and marketing support for the Thailand Riviera project.

UNWTO will provide technical and marketing support for the project; Hua Hin coast pictured

The tourism minister stressed that the Thai government and related agencies will be closely involved in the entire development process, including tourism management, to ensure that its is implemented in a comprehensive, coordinated manner that pays equal attention to economic and ecological issues.

An important feature of the project has been the construction of a scenic 680km highway from Bangkok, which runs directly along the coastline with bike lanes. About 200 km have been completed and a 49km stretch is currently under construction, with the entire highway to be concluded in five years.

The platform of the Hua Hin Railway Station, a local heritage site dating back to the days when it was used by members of the royal family visiting the Mrigadayavan Summer Palace of King Vajiravudh (Rama VI), will be upgraded to reflect its unique design and architecture.

Specific niche-market projects will include building the Thailand Riviera as a global health tourism hub, organisation of sporting events and shopping festivals, and development of night markets.

Petrol stations will be upgraded with clean toilets, lockers, luggage storage, CCTV and Wi-Fi to enhance the visitor experience to the area.

In 2017, the four provinces received a total of 14 million Thai and foreign visitors, a rise of 4.5 per cent year-on-year. The average expenditure per trip per person was 5,141 baht (US$156), generating an estimated 72 billion baht in tourism income (+8.9 per cent year-on-year).

Singapore goes after hearts of families and children with baby Merlion

By TTG Asia

June 28, 2018

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Singapore’s iconic Merlion has spawned a cute cartoon-style baby, which the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) hopes will appeal to a key target segment – families with young children.

“We came up with this endearing character, based on our beloved Merlion, to build a stronger emotional connection with families and to entrench Singapore’s brand awareness among them,” said Lim Shoo Ling, director, brand, STB.

Merli will promote Singapore’s attractions and foods

Merli, created based on a mythical Lion City icon, is painted as “energetic and outgoing”, with an “enthusiasm for discovering more about Singapore”, and showcasing the best and most interesting parts of the city to visiting friends.

The child-friendly character will be featured in appropriate global marketing efforts, for instance, appearing on social media platforms in the form of GIF comments and GIF stickers. Further details of these will be shared on the VisitSingapore social media pages at a later stage.

Sabre integrates Booking.com listings into lodging platform

By TTG Asia

June 28, 2018

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With the signing of a new agreement, Sabre agency customers will soon have access to Booking.com listings, including its alternative lodging listings, through the Sabre Content Services for Lodging platform.

Sabre Content Services for Lodging is launching later this year as a new solution that integrates multi-source, multi-representation of GDS, aggregator and agency-sourced hotel content into the Sabre GDS. It will be available via Sabre APIs as well as the Sabre Red Workspace, GetThere and TripCase.

Booking.com listings to be available via Sabre’s new lodging platform

“We’re constantly working to expand our lodging offerings and bring even more options to our agency customers,” said Traci Mercer, senior vice president of lodging, ground and sea for Sabre Travel Network. “Adding the Booking.com portfolio to Sabre’s lodging offering will allow travel buyers to meet the growing demand for alternative lodging options and deliver even more value to their travellers.”

Booking.com offers more than 28 million listings including more than over 5.4 million reported listings in homes, apartments and other unique places in over 135,000 destinations around the world.

Uncertainty continues to loom for US tourism with Trump ban upheld

By TTG Asia

June 28, 2018

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jfk-airport-new-york-travellers — Continued uncertainty about inbound travel to US, associations say; John F. Kennedy International Airport pictured

The US Supreme Court has ruled to uphold the Trump administration’s travel ban restricting visitors from select countries from entering the US, with global travel bodies worried about the long-term impacts on American tourism the latest ruling will bring.

Global business travel associations have expressed their disappointment to the latest decision.

Continued uncertainty about inbound travel to US, associations say; John F. Kennedy International Airport pictured

Greeley Koch, executive director of the Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) Global, stated: “This is a disappointing decision on the part of the Supreme Court, and a setback for the principles underlying the global economy.”

Some US$185 million in business travel bookings were lost in a single week following the first Trump ban, while the second and third continued to impact inbound US travel, said Global Business Travel Association’s (GBTA) executive director and COO Michael McCormick.

And with the ruling to uphold the ban, 37 per cent of GBTA members expect some level of reduction going forward.

GBTA is “deeply concerned” about the long-term impact of the travel bans and the global perception of doing business with the US. “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction, and as the US changes its policies about inbound travel, others are likely to do the same,” the association said in a statement.

Koch also expressed ACTE’s concern over implications for a healthy business environment, which it believes relies on the economic inputs and outputs from workers and tourists coming into the US from around the world.

“ACTE believes in treating all travellers with fairness and respect for their contributions to the economy, regardless of country of origin. We hope that, despite this decision, the US government will take the time to carefully evaluate immigration and security policies to ensure that the economy continues to thrive without sacrificing safety.”

Sihanoukville airport soft-opens refurbished terminal

By TTG Asia

June 28, 2018

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sihanouk-airport — Opening celebrations at the new terminal of Sihanouk International Airport (photo credit: Facebook/cambodia.airports)

Sihanouk International Airport yesterday unveiled the soft-opening of its refurbished passenger terminal, a project that was undertaken in anticipation of a traffic surge in the next five years.

In 2017, Sihanoukville’s airport reported a sharp growth of 115 per cent to 338,000 passengers as the coastal province grows in popularity.

Celebrating the reopening of the terminal at Sihanouk International Airport (photo credit: Facebook/cambodia.airports)

Refurbishments include increasing the building surface by 80 per cent to total 4,800m²; revamped check-in area, boarding lounge and baggage claim zone; and the installation of new baggage handling system.

The revamped terminal also boasts new F&B outlets, shops, and lounges from local and international brands such as The Monkey Republic, Blue Flight and Plaza Premium Lounge.

Another major project will soon be launched to extend the airport’s runway by 800m to 3.3km. Once complete, the airport will be able to accommodate bigger aircraft and flights from farther markets.

Triptease gets extra US$4m to accelerate expansion in Asia

By TTG Asia

June 28, 2018

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Copy_of_charlie_osmond — Osmond: driving the direct booking movement as co-founder of Triptease

Hotel technology specialist Triptease has raised an additional US$4 million from its original investors BGF and Notion Capital, taking the total funds invested since last year to US$13 million.

The London-based startup is a travel Software as a Service company that provides a data-driven software platform for hotels to increase direct bookings and compete with OTAs.

Osmond driving the direct booking movement as co-founder of Triptease

The fresh investment from BGF and Notion Capital will be used to build Triptease’s business in Asia, where the company opened a Singapore office last year. Triptease will also continue to innovate its product, in particular by stepping up the roll-out of its automated chatbot to more hoteliers.

At the same time the company is expanding its global leadership team, having made a number of changes in the last few months to help drive expansion in Asia.

Richard Collins, the company’s first chief revenue officer, joined in March from Click Software, while Alexandra Zubko, co-founder and general manager of the Americas, will become chief customer officer. A general manager for the Asia-Pacific region will be appointed shortly.

The new funding will also allow Triptease to invest more in the Direct Booking Summit. One part of the triannual series took place Amsterdam yesterday and saw attendance from Best Western, Google and Airbnb. Further summits will be held in Dallas in October and in Singapore in 2019.

Charlie Osmond, founder and Chief Tease at Triptease, commented: “A direct relationship with customers reduces a hotel’s spend on middleman commissions whilst allowing them to offer services like mobile check-in alongside ancillary upsells. Savvy consumers have also started to realise hotels prefer guests who book direct. Room upgrades and special incentives have become commonplace benefits for booking direct.”

Simon Calver, head of investments – ventures, at BGF, added: “As consolidation takes place across the travel sector, there is a huge opportunity for Triptease to sell its software to hoteliers who really care about building a high quality business… we are very happy to provide Triptease with more capital as its expansion continues apace.”

Accor welcomes Raffles, Fairmont, Swissôtel to Le Club

By TTG Asia

June 28, 2018

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AccorHotels is integrating Raffles, Fairmont and Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts into its Le Club AccorHotels loyalty programme since acquiring the trio of brands in 2016.

“With the introduction of the Raffles, Fairmont and Swissôtel hotels into one global loyalty programme, our members now have even more destinations and hotels to choose from around the world and our programme is even stronger and more attractive as a result,” said Henrik Berglind, vice president loyalty Asia-Pacific.

There are 29 Raffles, Fairmont and Swissôtel properties across Asia-Pacific.

To celebrate the merging of loyalty programmes, Le Club AccorHotels has launched an incentive bonus points offer.

Members booking from July 2 to August 19 will be eligible to earn 1,000 additional bonus Rewards points for stays from July 2 to September 30 at Fairmont, Raffles, and Swissôtel properties across Asia-Pacific.

AccorHotels’ loyalty programme has more than 42.9 million members globally with 13 million members in Asia-Pacific.

Aviation roundup: Vietjet, China Southern and more

By TTG Asia

June 28, 2018

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Vietjet adds two new North Asian routes, plus Nha Trang-Siem Reap flights
Vietjet has launched Hanoi-Taichung flights, with plans to introduce Hanoi-Osaka flights in November this year.

The Hanoi to Taichung route will operate a return flight every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The flight departs from Hanoi at 13.00 and arrives in Taichung at 16.30. The return flight takes off from Taichung at 17.30 and lands in Hanoi at 19.20.

In September, the airline will launch its Nha Trang-Siem Reap service. The flight will depart from Nha Trang at 07.25 and arrive at Siem Reap at 08.45. The return leg will depart at 09.25 and arrive at Nha Trang.

And come November, Vietjet will also commence daily flights between Hanoi and Osaka. The flight will depart from Hanoi at 01.40 and arrive at Osaka at 07.50. The return leg will depart from Osaka at 09.20 and arrive in Hanoi at 13.05.

China Southern inaugurates Sanya-London route
China Southern Airlines will launch the first scheduled nonstop flight from Sanya to London on July 12. Operated with the Airbus A330-200 widebody aircraft, the Sanya-London service will operate on Thursdays and Sundays with flights departing Sanya at 13.15, arriving in London at 18.45. Flights depart London at 22.10, arriving in Sanya at 16.00 the next day.

Philippine Airlines commences Manila-Nanning service
Philippine Airlines is now serving the Manila-Nanning (China) route. Flights depart Manila at 17.50 on Thursdays and Sundays, arriving in Nanning at 21.00. The return flight leaves Nanning at 22.00 and touches down in Manila at 00.55 the following day.

Among regional flights in PAL’s pipeline for the year are Manila-Chitose (Japan) and Puerto Princesa-Beijing.

JAL to continue twice-daily service between Narita and Guam
After adding a second flight on its Tokyo (Narita)-Guam route in March with marketing support from the Guam Visitors Bureau, Japan Airlines (JAL) has announced that it will continue operating twice-daily flights through to March 30, 2019. The route will be operated with the JAL Sky Suite E767-300ER aircraft.

From October 28, 2018 to March 30, 2019, flight JL8943 will depart Narita at 09.25 and arrive in Guam at 14.05. Flight JL8944 will leave Guam at 16.40 for arrival in Narita at 19.25.

Reservations and ticket sales will begin June 27, 2018.

New hotels: Morpheus, InterContinental Phu Quoc Long Beach Resort and more

Hyatt Regency returns to Philippines with new hotel in Clark

TAT amps up marketing of ‘Thailand Riviera’ as area goes under fast-track development

Singapore goes after hearts of families and children with baby Merlion

Sabre integrates Booking.com listings into lodging platform

Uncertainty continues to loom for US tourism with Trump ban upheld

Sihanoukville airport soft-opens refurbished terminal

Triptease gets extra US$4m to accelerate expansion in Asia

Accor welcomes Raffles, Fairmont, Swissôtel to Le Club

Aviation roundup: Vietjet, China Southern and more

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