FINOLHU Villas is set to become the world’s first luxury resort using solely solar power when it opens in the Maldives come mid-January 2015.

The Club Med-managed property at Gasfinolhu island, featuring 52 luxury bungalows and a solar power system, is 40 minutes away from Male, the resort’s officials said.

The resort will be Club Med’s second facility in the Maldives after the 240-room Club Med Kani, located just five minutes away.

According to Maldivian media reports, the resort’s many solar panels cover the walkway from the jetty to the reception, as well as the rooftops of utility buildings.

The panels are capable of producing 1,100 kilowatts at power peak, while the island at full occupancy only requires 600 kilowatts at peak load.

The resort’s power system is automated and computer programmed, and can switch from solar to diesel power when necessary, particularly when there is continuous rain and no sunlight to generate solar power.

Excess solar power is stored in batteries during the day, which is then used to power the resort at night.

Tourism-dependent Maldives has over 100 resorts which consume 49 per cent of the country’s annual diesel imports. The authorities have been looking at alternate energy options and have been encouraging resorts to do the same.

INTERCONTINENTAL Hotels Group (IHG) will refurbish and convert the Rydges Perth into the city’s first InterContinental hotel by 2017.

The hospitality company has signed a management agreement with Unir Hotels for the 240-key InterContinental Perth, located in Perth’s CBD with key facilities such as Perth Convention & Exhibition Centre, His Majesty’s Theatre, and retail and dining outlets.

InterContinental Perth will come with function spaces including a boardroom and meeting rooms, a business centre, in-room Internet access, and a Club Lounge. A bar-and-restaurant concept is in the works.

InterContinental Perth will become the third IHG property in the Western Australian capital, joining Holiday Inn Perth and Crowne Plaza Perth, and the sixth IHG property in the country.

AFTER a hiatus of eight years, Air New Zealand will return to the Lion City to begin a new direct service between Singapore and Auckland from January 6, 2015.

The daily service will be operated on a Boeing 777-200 aircraft.

Styling itself as the official airline of Middle-earth, the fictional fantasy realm created by JRR Tolkien, Air New Zealand has teamed up with Tourism New Zealand, Warner Bros Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and New Line Cinema to launch a Hobbit-themed installation in Bugis Junction shopping mall in Singapore last Friday.

The display showcases the airline’s latest offerings for vacations in New Zealand and also its unique Economy Skycouch seats.

Commenting on the airline’s promotions surrounding The Hobbit trilogy’s latest movie, Mischa Mannix-Opie, sales and market development manager Singapore, Air New Zealand, said: “It’s a big opportunity to promote Air New Zealand around the globe as the official carrier to Middle-earth and it’s perfect timing in Singapore, as not only is the promotion around the movie, it’s also in the lead-up to our launch on January 6.”

“We are also working very closely with the travel consultant community here in Singapore to reintroduce them to Air New Zealand, and educating them on the products we have on board.”

Flying Economy class on Air New Zealand will also give passengers the choice of upgrading to an Economy Skycouch seat for a fee, one of 18 that can be found on the Boeing 777-200. The Skycouch is a row of three seats with footrests that can be raised to horizontal in order form a flat, flexible space.

Mannix-Opie said: “There are a lot of families from Singapore that are coming to New Zealand for a holiday, so we think it’s a great opportunity for them to use these seats when they are flying with us.”

Air New Zealand is currently offering a “S$500 (US$383) off Premium Economy Offer” as part of its Middle-earth promotion until December 31 for travel between Singapore and Auckland from January 6 to June 30, 2015.

More details can be found on www.airnewzealand.com.sg

TO ENCOURAGE tourists to create their own compelling experience in Singapore, an app which purposefully guides tourists to take detours while enroute to their main destination proved to be the winning idea at the Travel & Tourism Hackathon yesterday.

Organised by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), the Hackathon is the first time STB is roping in industry partners to explore digital solutions to enhance the Singapore travel experience.

Winning app Detourist, which is still a prototype at this stage, will help tourists plan routes within the city-state depending on the user’s schedule to seek out “hidden gems”.

For example, a tourist planning to go to Orchard Road from City Hall could have his or her route detoured through South Bridge Road.

One of the five behind Detourist app, Alexander Lim, who is also a senior copywriter from advertising company JWT Singapore, said: “We want to bring people out of the usual Singapore to discover our culture and heritage. There is a lot more Singapore can offer.

“We want to showcase our strangely wonderful place and bring them into our kopitiam, getai, trishaw riders, while still hitting the well-known attractions.”

The team bagged the top prize of S$10,000 (US$8,000) cash.

Other than Detourist, other ideas presented at the Hackathon include utilising social apps like Instagram and Facebook to create personalised itineraries.

This is STB’s third hackathon this year. By tapping “top-notch creative minds”, STB hopes to generate ideas to enable local tourism businesses to offer something different to both locals and visitors.

John Conceicao, executive director, capability & innovation, STB, said: “Like many other destinations, Singapore is seeing increasingly discerning visitors who are also digitally savvy. We hope to generate refreshing and innovative ideas that can engage people on a more personal and meaningful level through good storytelling.”

STB’s CEO, Lionel Yeo added that STB is prepared to work together with some of these agencies that participated in the Hackathon, and will be looking at setting aside a “modest sum of money” to help polish these raw ideas for commercial use.

STARWOOD Hotels & Resorts Worldwide last week announced the opening of Sheraton Wuhan Hankou Hotel, the brand’s first foray into the capital city of Hubei Province in China.

Owned by China Oceanwide Construction Group, the property is located at Jianshe Dadao, with retail malls directly accessible via the hotel’s lobby, and less than two kilometres from the Hankou Railway Station.

It offers 509 guestrooms and suites, each equipped with amenities such as a 46-inch LED flat-screen TV and a spacious work area with wired and wireless high-speed Internet access.

There are 15 meeting rooms, plus a pillarless Sheraton Ballroom with a high-definition LED screen and outdoor pre-function areas. Other facilities include the Sheraton Club Lounge, a gift shop, fitness centre, spa, Kid’s Club and three F&B venues.

“With the region’s robust economic growth and rapid infrastructure development, there has been an increase in the demand for quality accommodations, and Sheraton Wuhan Hankou hotel is well positioned to serve hospitality needs of upper-scale business and leisure travellers in Wuhan,” said Liu Zong, area managing director, West & Central China, Starwood Hotels & Resorts.

A special opening package is available till April 30, 2015, starting from RMB688 (US$112) plus 15 per cent service charge, with breakfast for one person for one night’s stay in a Deluxe Room.

INTERCONTINENTAL Hotels Group has launched a revamped Holiday Inn Singapore Atrium, which now sports a new lobby, guestrooms and F&B options.

The 512-key hotel’s new design is themed on the Singapore River, with dual-coloured fins inspired by shophouses lining the lobby and a feature wall at the reception displaying abstract map work of the Singapore River and its surroundings.

Next month, the new Atrium Bar 317 will begin operations to provide breakfast, lunch and bar bites as well as live music in the evenings.

Anne Johnston returns to the hotel as its new general manger, having served as executive assistant manager there from 2008-2011. She was most recently general manager of Crowne Plaza Bratislava.

Meanwhile, Chua Yew Hock is now the hotel’s executive chef and will manage the new Atrium Restaurant, formerly known as the Melting Pot Café. Chua enhances the restaurant’s offerings to include his signature dishes, mussel otah-otah, curry laksa, assam fish and chilli crab.

AZAMARA Club Cruise yesterday kicked off its first India cruise this season with the Azamara Quest embarking on the 13-night Spice Route Voyage from Mumbai.

It will pass through Goa, Kochi, Maldives, Colombo, Galle and Chennai.

Through the cruise line’s AzAmazing Evenings destination immersion programme, guests will be able to explore a marketplace featuring tea and toddy shops, an astrologer, a potter, a cane weaver and a mehendi (hand-art) artist in Kochi. They will also witness performances of traditional Kerala dance forms, mohiniyattam and kalaripayattu.

“The cruise will allow passengers an opportunity to soak in the culture of South Asia and explore tropical beaches, colonial outposts and a wealth of world heritage sites,” said Ratna Chadha, chief executive of Tirun Travel Marketing, the exclusive India representative for Azamara Club Cruises.

In Azamara Quest’s second run starting December 9, the cruise line will set sail from Chennai for another 13-night voyage, this time crossing the Bay of Bengal to the Andaman Islands, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore.

“There is a good demand for cruise holidays to shorthaul destinations like Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong. However, cruise holidays still form a small part of the Indian outbound market,” said Guldeep Singh Sahni, managing director, Weldon Tours & Travels.

“Cruise tourism in India will grow in a big way if a cruise liner can deploy a ship locally. For this, port infrastructure needs to be developed.”

* This article originally stated that the sailings are the first ever from India, as advised by the company’s India representative. This was incorrect and has been edited for accuracy.

ONYX Hospitality Group has snagged a management contract in the Maldives, and will open Amari Havodda in 2016.

Amari Havodda is located 400km from the capital Malé in the Southern Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll. Guests can access the resort via a 55-minute domestic flight followed by a speedboat transfer.

Designed by award winning Isabelle Miaja, guestrooms have subtle references to traditional Maldivian art and architecture.

In total, the property will encompass 120 villas, including 48 Beach Villas, 12 Beach Pool Villas, 58 Overwater Villas and two Overwater Pool Villas that each offer uninterrupted views over the reef and ocean.

The hotel is owned by Crystal Plaza Resorts, a joint venture between Sanken Overseas and Singapore Hospitality Holdings, and managed by Onyx.

Commenting on the new deal, president and CEO, Onyx Hospitality Group, Peter Henley, said: “Tourism in the Maldives is strong and we see huge potential for an upscale brand like Amari. Our entry into the Maldives with Amari Havodda marks a key step in our international development plan.”