Valore takes the plunge with family-friendly budget hotel near Bandung

May 31, 2012

VALORE International, a fledgling hotel management company based in Indonesia, has chosen to launch its inaugural property, a budget hotel catering to travellers with families, near Bandung.

The 50-room Simply Valore Baros, situated in Cimahi near the Jakarta-Bandung toll road Pasteur exit, is part of a mixed-use development project that includes shopping malls and residential areas.

A standard room at Simply Valore is 30m2, twice the size of similar rooms at other budget properties, with triple beds to suit the needs of families with children.

Edhiyanto, president director of Selaras Holding, the holding company of Valore International, said: “We are aware of a price war in Bandung, but it does not mean there is no room for a new hotel.

“There are many budget and mid-class hotels (in Bandung), but none of them is family-friendly. Simply Valore Baros fills the gap.”

Meanwhile, the group is also developing Grande Valore, a four-star property in the Jababeka industrial area east of Jakarta. Due to open this year, the hotel will offer 141 rooms and suites, in addition to 300 serviced apartment units.

AirAsia Japan ups domestic stakes with triple-pronged flight debut

By TTG Asia

May 31, 2012

AIRASIA Japan will introduce daily services from Tokyo (Narita) to Fukuoka, Okinawa (Naha) and Sapporo (Shin Chitose) from August 1, 2012.

The advent of AirAsia Japan, a joint venture between AirAsia and Japan’s All Nippon Airways, is expected to intensify competition levels in the domestic LCC sector.

Kazuyuki Iwakata, CEO, AirAsia Japan, said: “AirAsia Japan’s objective is to develop the LCC market in Japan, generating new demand with the aim of making affordable and quality travel available to all.

“The 84 weekly flights are expected to help meet demand from business and leisure travellers between Sapporo, Fukuoka, Okinawa and Tokyo.”

To mark the launch, the carrier is offering one-way fares from ¥50 (US$0.65) on any of the three domestic routes.

Abacus signs on as Scoot’s inaugural GDS partner

By TTG Asia

May 31, 2012

ABACUS International has signed a distribution agreement with Scoot, the Singapore-based LCC’s first-ever.

The multi-year deal will provide Abacus’ 20,000 travel consultant partners in Asia-Pacific with access to the airlines’ fares and inventory from July 2012.

Operating a fleet of four Boeing 777-200 aircraft, Scoot will begin flying to Sydney and Gold Coast in June, with additional route launches to Bangkok in July and Tianjin in August.

Meanwhile, Abacus shifted its operations in Mumbai and Bangalore to new premises on May 29 and May 31, respectively.

“This is indicative of the fast expansion that Abacus is seeing in India and we are therefore increasing our investment to better support travel companies based there”, said Brett Henry, Abacus India VP.

GHM woos Chinese luxury travellers with new Ahn Luh brand

By TTG Asia

May 31, 2012

GHM has entered into a joint venture with Beijing Tourism Group (BTG), in partnership with real estate investor Great Ocean Group (GOG), to launch Ahn Luh, an upscale hotel brand targeting luxury travellers in China.

Conceptualised by BTG chairman Duan Qiang, GOG founder Whitney Duan and Adrian Zecha, who founded Amanresorts and co-founded GHM with Hans R. Jenni, the first Ahn Luh properties are expected to debut within the next two to three years.

The inaugural resort will be Ahn Luh Dujiangyan in Chengdu, while other properties in destinations such as Beijing, the Pearl River Delta and South-west China are also in the pipeline.

BTG chairman, Duan Qiang, said: “Resorts in the new Ahn Luh brand aim to promote and practice what we have termed the ‘China services’ concept. In essence, this concept marries internationally accepted standards of quality with distinct, local features. The result is the fusing of old-world Chinese hospitality with contemporary elegance to create value added products, while contributing to an eco-friendly environment.”

Ahn Luh hotels will typically feature 50 – 100 rooms and villas, ranging in size from 60m2 – 120m2, in addition to meeting facilities. Each hotel will boast a resident Tai Chi master, as well as a retail outlet offering regional goods and traditional Chinese medicine. Other features include dian xin breakfast, an all-day Chinese-style tapas bar, and a fleet of WiFi-enabled cars.

With Ahn Luh, GHM joins the flurry of international hotel chains to develop Chinese-oriented brands, such as IHG’s Hualuxe, Accor’s Mei Jue and Movenpick’s Rui Xiang.

Bangkok airport to shut runway, delays expected

By TTG Asia

May 31, 2012

SUVARNABHUMI Airport will close one of its runways for routine maintenance from June 11 till August 10, 2012, potentially causing delays for passengers arriving at and leaving from Bangkok.

According to Thailand’s Department of Civil Aviation, the runway closure is expected to result in traffic congestion both in the air and on the ground. Inbound flights may be forced to wait in the air for 20-45 minutes during peak periods before landing.

While no flight cancellations are anticipated, airlines have begun advising their passengers to allow a minimum of 80 minutes for connections in Bangkok.

Meanwhile, Thai aviation authorities are contemplating the diversion of certain domestic flight operations to Don Mueang Airport during the 60-day maintenance period.

If the plan is implemented, passengers will need to allow a minimum of 60 minutes travel time between Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang.

Furama RiverFront hires Chakrapong Paladsongkram as GM

By TTG Asia

May 31, 2012

Chakrapong Paladsongkram

FURAMA Hotels International has appointed Chakrapong Paladsongkram as general manager of the group’s flagship property, Furama RiverFront.

Prior to joining Furama, Chakrapong worked for top hotels in Thailand, Cambodia, Dubai and the US.

Key appointments at Sheraton Bali Kuta Resort & Westin Resort Nusa Dua, Bali

By TTG Asia

May 31, 2012

Bipan Kapur (left), Dario Orsini and Jason Leung

BIPAN Kapur has been promoted to managing director of Sheraton Bali Kuta Resort and The Westin Resort Nusa Dua, Bali. A new general manager and executive assistant manager have also been appointed at the Sheraton and Westin, respectively.

In his new role, Kapur will oversee the soon-to-be-opened Sheraton Bali Kuta Resort, in addition to his existing responsibilities as general manager of The Westin Resort Nusa Dua, Bali and Bali International Convention Centre.

Kapur started his hospitality career at Sheraton Mirage Gold Coast in 1992, and has been with Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide for the past 20 years.

Meanwhile, Sheraton Bali Kuta Resort has appointed Dario Orsini as general manager. He was previously hotel manager at The Westin Resort Nusa Dua, Bali.

In addition, Westin Resort Nusa Dua, Bali has promoted Jason Leung to executive assistant manager. Besides his ongoing sales & marketing role, Leung will assume responsibility for daily operations of the resort and convention centre.

Abid Butt rejoins Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts as CEO

By TTG Asia

May 31, 2012

Abid Butt

BANYAN Tree Holdings has appointed Abid Butt as CEO of Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts (BTHR), the group’s wholly owned hotel management and development subsidiary.

“As BTHR’s aggressive growth strategy propels the company’s portfolio forward, with a significant pipeline of projects in China, the Americas, Europe and South-east Asia, Butt’s knowledge and expertise in hotel operations and infrastructure will be invaluable,” said Banyan Tree Holdings executive chairman, Ho KwonPing.

Butt previously served as the area general manager for Banyan Tree’s flagship resort, Banyan Tree Phuket, over ten years ago, followed by his appointment as the first vice president of operations from 2000 – 2002.

In his most recent role, Butt was the vice president for asset management of Host Hotels & Resorts in the US.

Local airlines and hotels lag behind, say rich Chinese

By TTG Asia

May 31, 2012

AFFLUENT Chinese travellers do not think highly of domestic hotels and airlines, according to a May 2012 report by CAP Strategic Research.

The market research company conducted personal interviews with 300 ‘super-rich’ Chinese consumers (average annual household income of US$136,000) and 330 ‘affluent’ consumers (average annual household income of US$67,000) across Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou to find out more about their travel behaviour and attitudes.

Based on the results, CAP deduced that Chinese hotel chains such as Jinjiang and Hanting were perceived poorly on all aspects of brand equity, with no home-grown brands within the top ten – dominated by international chains such as Shangri-La, Hilton, Ritz-Carlton and Sheraton.

In addition, very few Chinese luxury travellers expressed a willingness to recommend local hotel brands to their counterparts.

Domestic carriers fared better than local hotel chains in the report, with Chinese airlines such as China Southern, China Eastern and Air China attaining average brand ratings – lagging behind All Nippon Airways, American Airlines, Emirates and South African Airways, but ahead of Cathay Pacific, British Airways and United Airlines.

Local airlines scored well in terms of awareness and salience, but their brand quality and customer satisfaction received less favourable ratings among the respondents.

Leveraging new platforms

By TTG Asia

May 30, 2012

More travel firms are growing their online business by launching new-generation websites. Our reporters click their way through these stores to give their reviews

Holiday Tours

www.holidaytours.com.my

Presentation The home-page is visually appealing with attractive images and large headlines. The main banner – a series of rotating photographs each featuring a different promotion – did not change too fast and offered enough time for me to read the package highlights.

The use of big font sizes to separate the different sections were useful in guiding me to what I was looking for. A navigation panel with drop-down menus displays information on additional products and services such as travel insurance.

Content The website offers information on a wide range of products and services, with terms and conditions, special offers and hotel details displayed in a clear, concise manner.

While the booking engine allows the reservation of flights and packages online, users cannot complete the deal immediately as they still have to fill up a supplementary booking form and await further response from the company.

Standout innovation The Abacus-powered flight booking engine is a standout, providing a list of flights and their respective prices to the chosen destination. Another standout is the online chat service. Within two minutes of submitting my name, phone number and address, a customer service representative connected with me online and responded to my queries with precise answers. On exiting the system I was even asked if I would like a transcript of the ‘conversation’.

Ease of use This site is user-friendly and easy to navigate. Transactions can be done online via direct credit card payment or funds transfer to the company’s bank account.

Verdict This website offers diverse products and services, and its well-structured layout is easy to navigate. It could, however, consolidate the number of different sections on the homepage and group them according to clearer-defined themes, such as domestic travel, international travel, international events and domestic events. – N. Nithiyananthan

Guangdong China Travel Service

www.gdcts.com

Presentation The website design is modern and trendy with eye-catching icons and colourful banners. It uses vivid images to illustrate a product, compelling users to click to find out more. The online chat function stays at the top right-hand corner of the browser, hence saving search time should a user require the feature.   Content The site is informative with different service categories – from FIT, to ticketing and cruises – listed on the menu bar. Online transactions are possible through its partnership with Tmall.com, a B2C online shopping platform under the Alibaba Group.

The company has about 50 per cent of its products and service items listed online, but these are mainly confined to its signature products and regular itineraries.

Standout innovation As the first travel consultant in Guangdong to set up a website in the mid-1990s, the company has subsequently upgraded its site and added more functions over time, from just basic information in the beginning to providing promotions and consultation services in 2000 and launching online transactions in 2008.

In the next six months, the site will undergo a complete revamp to include a new patented system that will provide must-know information like weather and local emergency contacts. It aims to provide a one-stop experience for users.

Ease of use Its simple layout allows easy access of information, while the live chat function caters to urgent queries – I tried using it and the response time was quick. The website’s default language is Chinese though, and despite the option of switching to English, Japanese or Russian, only the company’s profile page is available in other languages.

Verdict Efficient, and one is spoiled for choice. – Prudence Lui

Asiatravel

www.asiatravel.com

Presentation The homepage is cluttered with numbers and icons, which can be off-putting for some users. The site appears more functional than aesthetic; it was apparently not designed to inspire travel, but rather targeted at individuals who already have a destination or itinerary in mind.

Content Asiatravel.com showcases a comprehensive product range, enabling users to make instant bookings for flights, cruises, coaches, hotels, transfers, attraction tickets and tours. However, there is little to differentiate itself from other standard travel websites due to its lack of travel-related content such as client’s stories, travel news and destination images. Hotel reviews and testimonials from past clients are displayed on the site though.

Even though the homepage can be translated into 11 languages, linked pages will be displayed in English first until users click on the language tab to select their preference. There is also the occasional translation error and not all pages can be displayed in other languages.

Standout innovation A contrast to other Singapore-based travel websites, attraction tickets, tours and transfers can be booked in advance at this site. Itineraries targeting specifically business and MICE travellers are also available for viewing, but unlike the leisure products on offer, they cannot be booked online.

Ease of use The site is easy to navigate, with each section on the homepage divided into various sub-fields. The flight booking engine is a little more complicated to use as one has to be familiar with international airport codes, otherwise one can scroll down a (long) list of destinations to automatically generate codes.

Verdict Despite its broad array of travel products, the website should include more attractive visuals and additional content, such as travel stories by previous clients, to foster greater interest and generate higher traffic. The website design should be simplified to reduce graphical clutter. – Linda Haden

Horizon Travel & Tours

www.horizontravel.ph

Presentation A B2B-B2C hybrid platform, the site is functional enough for its main users – retail sales agents – but not particularly attractive for consumers. It is packed with information for users to follow up with offline enquiries – they seem to encourage it with their office addresses and hotlines prominently displayed. Attempts to interact through social media channels are visible, with links to its Twitter and Facebook accounts.

Content This content-rich site allows users to look up cruise promotions, international airline schedules and overseas tour packages, in addition to information on support services like travel insurance and visa application. This is significant considering the number of travel companies in the Philippines who still use their websites primarily for branding. The information provided goes beyond the initial-query types, cutting down on time customers have to spend on phone calls or store visits.

Standout innovation Horizon has clearly anticipated the needs of its different clientele. On the B2B side, Horizon has a separate log-in for retailers to check package rates and conditions before sending in their purchase orders to confirm bookings – few wholesalers offer this service.

Ease of use The horizontal-oriented layout allows users to obtain information quickly. However, the layout is not consistent across the secondary pages: some pages display social media widgets, while others highlight bargain tours.

Direct bookings are not possible as the website does not have a booking engine. An Adobe Acrobat reader is required to access information for overseas tour packages (most are attached as PDF files).

Verdict This website works better for partner agents and bargain-hunting consumers, as well as clients who prefer some kind of human interaction to assure them of service delivery. Package rates are regularly updated, but back-end improvements could be made to allow dynamic updates. Design could also be more appealing. – Marianne Carandang

Hong Thai Travel Services

www.hongthai.com

Presentation Billed as a one-stop travel retail store, Hong Thai’s website reflects its branding fully with a simple, colourful layout and minimal use of distracting flash banner ads. Overall, the design is functional and straightforward, similar to other travel websites.

Content The site houses a rich array of content under one roof. Apart from standard packages and special offers, there are also destination videos, which were originally broadcasted on mobile advertising platforms on local buses. Transactions for flights, cruises, hotels, tours and even Airport Express train tickets can be made instantly through its online booking system.

Standout innovation Hong Thai was the first travel consultant in Hong Kong to develop its own group-buy platform, allowing clients to enjoy special offers with fantastic discounts within a limited time period. So far, packages rolled out include Macau’s House of Dancing Water, Shenzhen’s OCT East resort, and for destinations such as Taiwan and Singapore. Group-buying offers will be rolled out regularly for different products.

Ease of use Products and services are clearly categorised and colour-coded for easy identification. However, the site is only available in Chinese so this limits its target audience. Also, if you encounter any problem online, there is no live chat feature to provide instant assistance; instead, you have to contact its call centre.

Verdict Functional – you get what you want with a few clicks. – Prudence Lui

Aman Travels

www.bookajourney.com

Presentation The website features an eye-catching colour scheme of blue, green and white. Its clean and crisp layout displays different sections clearly, with an additional sitemap at the bottom of each page for users to home in on information.

Content It offers a wide array of travel products, including domestic flight tickets, domestic and international hotels, domestic and international holiday packages, forex, visa and passport information, and corporate travel solutions. It also has an agent platform to attract B2B clients, while also being connected to major  social networks to reach consumers.

Standout innovation Its listing of domestic and overseas holiday packages on the extreme right column is unlike most Indian travel websites that only highlight their hotel and flight bookings. This site also offers 24/7 customer service support.

Ease of use User-friendly and provides easy access to information and services. For example, its flight booking engine allows users to select a flight easily according to preferences, including choice of airline.

Verdict A website with lots of potential but the quality of English can be improved. – Divya Kaul

This article was first published in TTG Asia, June 1, 2012 issue, on page 12. To read more, please view our digital edition or click here to subscribe.