AIRASIA X has announced the appointment of Nadda Buranasiri as CEO of the Thai AirAsia X, which recently received the Air Operator’s Certificate from the Department of Civil Aviation of Thailand.
Nadda brings with him over 20 years of international general management experience across global multinational organisations.
May Myat Mon Win
MYANMAR national May Myat Mon Win has been promoted to general manager of Chatrium Hotel Royal Lake Yangon.
With a hospitality career spanning 19 years, she previously held the position of assistant general manager for five years.
Prior to joining Chatrium Hotels & Residences Group, she worked with Myanmar Tourism Marketing Committee and Hotel Nikko Royal Lake Yangon.
In addition, May Myat Mon Win holds a master’s degree in business administration from the Institute of Economics, University of Yangon.
SOFITEL Krabi Phokeethra Golf & Spa has named Christian Schlegel the new general manager.
A veteran hotelier with over a decade of experience in Thailand, Schlegel joined Sofitel in 2006 when he became the resident manager of Sofitel Krabi Phokeethra Golf & Spa for its pre-opening.
He later became the resident manager of the then Sofitel Centara Grand Resort & Villas Hua Hin and was promoted in 2010 as the hotel manager for Sofitel Bangkok Silom. Most recently, Schlegel was the hotel manager of Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit.
A Swiss and Finnish citizen, Schlegel is fluent in six European languages including Italian and German, and is a graduate of the Lausanne Hotel School.
THE Nam Hai in Hoi An is offering The Nam Hai Meeting package that combines seasonal room rates and meeting arrangements.
Priced at US$85++ per person, The Nam Hai Full Day Meeting Package includes meeting room set-up, free-flow coffee/tea during the meeting, two coffee breaks and one set lunch. The price is for use of a single meeting room and does not include breakout rooms.
Bundled benefits under the Season of Opportunity and Season of High Demand sets are: accommodation in a one-bedroom villa, a one-time group round-trip airport transfer, daily buffet breakfast at The Restaurant for up to two people per villa, free Internet access in the room, free non-alcoholic beverages in the minibar, and free accommodation for the organiser during the official dates of the event, including breakfast for one person.
Rooms during the Season of Opportunity that runs from May 2 to June 30, 2014 and September 1 to December 20, 2014, go at US$380++ per night.
For the Season of High Demand between July 1 to August 31, 2014 and January 11 to March 31, 2015, the price is US$420++.
Bookings must be for a minimum of 10 villas and two nights.
Rates are subject to service charge and taxes totalling 15.5 per cent.
For bookings, call (84-8) 3825 6000.
SHANGRI-LA Hotel, Paris has rolled out the Roland-Garros VIP Package: The Parisian Dream that includes a stay at the hotel and tickets to the French Open.
The package is available for the duration of the 2014 French Open (May 25 to June 8) and is for two or four persons only.
In the all-inclusive package are a savoury tea time upon arrival at the hotel, dinner at La Bauhinia restaurant, breakfast, lunch at the Brasserie des Jardins de Roland-Garros, French Open matches and official Peugeot shuttle service.
Prices start at 1,125 euros (US$1,539) per person. For additional information, visitrolandgarros.fft-tickets.com/uk/the-parisian-dream.
DUE to the Lunar New Year holidays, TTG Asia e-Daily will be taking a break from January 30 to February 3, 2014.
Here’s wishing all readers a happy and prosperous Lunar New Year!
THE Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) has kicked off the Bollywood Tourism project, a series of tours related to the film industry.
“Bollywood is one of the biggest film industries in the world. With our maiden offer, we will take tourists to Filmcity and TV show sets, where they can see live shooting and spot film stars,” said Jagdish Patil, managing director, MTDC.
Economy package Hit comprises a three-hour guided tour through the film studio Filmcity, while the midrange Super Hit (Rs1,999, US$32) and high-end Blockbuster (Rs3,250) packages include visits to Bollywood gully, Bollywood Museum and the homes of movie stars, among others.
The tours are now available only through Travelmartindia.com for the medium- and high-end packages, and MOS Utility for the Hit tour.
Manoj Gursahani, chairman of Mumbai-based Bollywood Tourism and Travelmartindia.com, said: “We have been operating private tours for the last three years but this official tie-up between MTDC and Filmcity will create a standardised Bollywood tour product.”
Promotions at World Travel Mart in London had stirred interest as well, he added.
Ashwani Gupta, managing partner, Dove Travels, predicted that “international visitors to India will have reason to spend more time in Mumbai rather than use it as a gateway to other destinations in India”.
“Room nights in Mumbai hotels will increase, as will spin-offs to tourist attractions in and near Mumbai. It is a win-win product.”
MELIÁ Hotels International will roll out its first Innside by Meliá hotel in Asia when the 258-room Innside Yogyakarta opens in early 2015, expanding the brand’s presence beyond its current European stronghold.
The Indonesian hotel will also mark the biggest property to launch under the Innside by Meliá brand, which is so far only operating in major cities in Spain and Germany, with Denmark and the UK soon to be added into the portfolio.
Comprising a mix of four- and five-star properties with “their own character, unique architecture and avant-garde design”, Innside by Meliá properties are conceived as technology-driven urban hotels, with facilities such as multi-functional events rooms and a lobby bar that is the “centre of energy”.
Apart from six hotels in the pipeline for China – which also includes a Innside by Meliá in Zhengzhou (TTG Asia e-Daily, January 13, 2014) – the Spanish hospitality chain has other properties launching in Indonesia and Vietnam later this year, according to a company spokeswoman.
The 300-room Meliá Surabaya will form part of a large leisure complex that includes a golf course and shopping mall.
The 150-room Meliá Danang, which will include 10 villas and a spa, is located on Non Nuoc beach near Hue and Hoi An.
COME March, Phuket will welcome Baan Teelanka, an inverted attraction that will mark the first of its kind in Thailand.
Baan Teelanka – which means upside-down house in Thai – is founded and managed by Alex Riva and Wah Yodying, a husband-and-wife team that has invested 25 million baht (US$760,000) into constructing the gravity-defying structure.
Located on Phuket’s Chalermprakiat Ror 9 Road between Premium Outlet and Siam Niramit, the 13m-high, three-storey house is fully furnished with staircases, a garage, bedroom, kitchen and bathroom – but with the furniture and household fixtures all hanging downwards from the ceiling.
Adjacent to the topsy-turvy house is the A-Maze-in-Phuket, a 950m2 hedgerow garden maze designed by Adrian Fisher and filled with some 2,200 plants and 12 different gates for the creation of alternate routes.
“This fully furnished upside-down house is fantastic light-hearted entertainment for families and is the perfect attraction for those looking for an alternative to the beach,” said Riva, who is currently taking a sabbatical from his 20-year hospitality career to resettle in Phuket with his family to launch the new attraction.
“In the evenings after opening hours, the house is also available for rental for private parties or corporate groups to organise their own fun-themed events,” he added.
The attraction is open daily from 10.00 to 18.00, with tickets priced at 120-200 baht and 100-150 baht for Baan Teelanka and A-Maze-in-Phuket respectively. The attraction also boasts a café and a souvenir shop on site.
MYANMAR’S airspace will see competition intensify as three domestic airlines commence or expand operations over the next few months.
Brand new carriers Apex Airlines and Mann Yatanarpon Airlines are due to take flight soon, while FMI Air Charter will start more scheduled flights.
A source from Apex told TTG Asia e-Daily that the company’s management is still looking for aircraft and expects to launch operations in April or May out of Nay Pyi Taw International Airport.
On Mann Yatanarpon, Win Swe Tun, deputy director of Myanmar’s Department of Civil Aviation, could not say when the airline would begin services officially but revealed: “Mann Yatanarpon Airlines will operate regular scheduled flights to all major tourist destinations in Myanmar out of Mandalay and Yangon airports.”
However, TTG Asia e-Daily understands the airline intends to take delivery of 70-seat ATR72-600 aircraft by end-January and start flights between late February and early March.
FMI, which currently runs scheduled Yangon-Naypyidaw flights and charter flights, will introduce new scheduled services to other major tourist destinations in April, according to Win Swe Tun.
