Bangkok’s longest-running international culinary celebration – the World Gourmet Festival – is back this year for it 20th edition, taking place at the Anantara Siam Bangkok Hotel from September 2-8, 2019.
Sixteen chefs from nine countries, with 13 Michelin stars among them, will each host two dinners in the hotel’s Biscotti, Madison, Spice Market and Shintaro restaurants.
Chef Kai Ho
The star-studded culinary lineup features names like Wolfgang Becker from Becker’s Restaurant in Trier, Germany (two Michelin stars), Alan Geaam from Alan Geaam in Paris, France (one Michelin star), and Hideki Ii from Shirosaka in Tokyo, Japan (one Michelin star).
On September 6, Taiwanese chefs Kai Ho and Richie Lin will join local chef Ian Kittichai, whose restaurants include Issaya Siamese Club in Bangkok, Tangerine in Singapore and Spot in New York City. The trio will prepare a six-hands collaborative dinner of six courses.
In a first for the World Gourmet Festival, Anantara Siam Bangkok Hotel will showcase the City of Angels’ street food on September 5, when Bangkok’s popular street vendors will prepare their fare in stalls around the Parichart open-air garden courtyard. Exclusive fringe events in the hotel’s iconic lobby and Aqua Bar will also return, including the World Gourmet Brunch on September 8.
There will also be masterclasses conducted by visiting chefs. Attendees will have the opportunity to see and taste specially prepared dishes form the chef’s World Gourmet Festival menu. Joining the lineup will be Dutch chef Roger van Damme from Het Gebaar in Antwerp, Belgium, who will be presenting a masterclass of his four desserts in the Lobby Lounge on September 5 and 6.
Location
The resort is just eight kilometres and a 15-minute speedboat ride from the Velana International Airport in the capital of Male. As the gateway to the South Atolls, the resort has its own exotic reef teeming with vibrant aquatic life.
It is currently the resort closest to the anticipated nine-island integrated resort, Crossroads Maldives, due to open in late 2019. The mega-development is within sight of the resort.
Adaaran Prestige Vadoo
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Rooms
Stepping into one of its water villas, I was pleased by how the bed was placed, which allows guests to wake up to a sunset view.
The resort offers 50 water villas each with a personal butler. The villas come complete with teak floors, large comfortable beds, sun decks and plunge pools.
I also enjoyed the complimentary Wi-Fi, tea and coffee and the fruit basket. The refrigerator came stocked with a couple of complimentary beers and chocolate bars, which are replenished daily. The bathroom is one of the largest I have seen in a hotel, with twin washbasins, a rain shower, and a Jacuzzi.
An added touch of luxury? Guests can opt to have a sumptuous breakfast served on their private sun deck.
Facilities
Its all-inclusive package means there’s little worry about incurring additional expenses – except when it comes to using the spa, or chargeable activities like fishing or dining at the resort’s Japanese restaurant.
The inclusions are ample, from gourmet-style fare at the Farivalhu Fine Dining restaurant, to free-flow beverages at the Kandolhi bar. Apart from the three main meals, high tea is served at 17.00, with the option of having it brought to your villa.
At a cost, the spa offers a range of treatments and massages including a Balinese traditional massage and an Asian foot massage, while activities include scuba diving, snorkelling, jetskiing, wakeboarding, fishing expeditions and other activities.
Occasionally the resort stages special entertainment like Balinese dance and DJ nights. All activities and entertainment for guests are packed on this one-hectare property.
F&B
The facility has a fine dining restaurant, a Japanese restaurant and two bars, presenting al a carte menus with Eastern, Western, Mediterranean, Indian and vegetarian food.
Our favourite item from the special menu was the grilled rack of New Zealand lamb with mushroom risotto, sautéed greens and garlic oil. Other delightful dishes were the buttered calamari, fish and chips wrap, classic Caesar salad, and steamed filet of reef fish served with seaweed and ginger-soy dressing.
With the all-inclusive package you also have a choice of mixing your meal with an Indian soup, a vegetarian salad, fish and chips and a Mediterranean dessert.
The Japanese restaurant is well-known, sometimes attracting guests from other resorts. Its menu features dishes such as sushi platter; ebi tempura maki (batter fried prawn in a roll of Japanese seasoned rice); teriyaki lamb cutlets; and salmon donburi (grilled salmon steak served on seasoned Japanese rice with house special sauce).
Service
Pleasant, efficient and courteous with your personal butler just a call away after you settle into a comfy villa.
Verdict
Despite the many options for high-end Maldivian resorts, this one is definitely on my list for a second visit.
No of rooms 50 water villas Rates US$1,040 for the month of August, on a double-occupancy, all-inclusive basis; US$1,005 for September and October, on a double-occupancy, all-inclusive basis Contact details
Tel: (960) 66 40375
Email: res.vadoo@adaaran.com.mv
The Westin Desaru Coast Resort has appointed Vikram Mujumdar as general manager.
Prior to his latest role, Mujumdar was most recently task force general manager at The St Regis Vommuli Resort on Dhaalu Atoll in the Maldives, and was earlier general manager at W Seoul Walkerhill in South Korea.
He joined Marriott International in 1999 as revenue analysis manager at the cluster revenue office in Boston, and has since been with the company. Over the years he has held various key management roles with Marriott across the world, including Marriott hotels in the UK and Singapore; the Sheraton Grande Laguna in Phuket; The Naka Island, a Luxury Collection hotel in Phuket, as well as the Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel & Towers in Bangkok.
Mujumdar first began began his hospitality career as a management trainee with Oberoi Hotels and Resorts in India, before working his way up through the ranks to hold management roles at the company.
Aston Kartika Grogol Hotel & Conference Center, Indonesia
Archipelago International has added the Aston Kartika Grogol Hotel & Conference Center to its portfolio. Located in Grogol, West Jakarta, the hotel offers 189 keys across four categories and facilities such as a rooftop restaurant, fitness centre, spa, swimming pool and executive lounge. The hotel is also equipped with a ballroom that can accommodate more than 2,000 guests in cocktail-style – the biggest in the West Jakarta area – and eight smaller function rooms.
SureStay Plus by Best Western AC Luxe Angeles City, Philippines
Best Western Hotels & Resorts has opened its first SureStay-branded property in the Philippines. Located on Surla Street – one of the main thoroughfares in downtown Angeles City – the hotel is surrounded by the SM City Clark mega-mall, PAGCOR casino and Fields Avenue walking street. There are 56 guestrooms available, as well as facilities such as an outdoor pool, restaurant, complimentary daily breakfast and Wi-Fi.
The Royal Park Canvas Ginza 8, Japan
The 14-storey property – flying the Royal Park Hotels flag – stands in the midst of Ginza, Tokyo’s high-end shopping district. There are 121 keys here across five room types, and includes two concept rooms each with its own special theme, named the Ginza Modern (inspired by an apartment from the 1930s) and Creator’s Stay (a minimalistic space).
Amenities on-site include a tea salon and bottle shop on the first floor; a music library on the second; the Canvas Lounge and Kitchen which acts as a communal space; as well as the all-day dining restaurant Opus curated by Michelin-starred chef Yusuke Namai on the rooftop.
Port Muziris, A Tribute Portfolio Hotel, India
Marriott International has opened Port Muziris, A Tribute Portfolio Hotel, in Kochi, marking the debut of the brand in India. The art-driven hotel in the Kerela port city boasts 54 rooms, including two Executive Suites, and stands a mere 300m from the Cochin International Airport. Recreational amenities include a swimming pool, pool bar and fitness centre. Other amenities include a 1,649m2 banquet and meeting space, and two F&B venues – all-day dining outlet Lila’s Kitchen, and Kettle for quick bites and drinks.
FlowRider and Skydiving simulator on the Spectrum of the Seas, the first of Royal Caribbean’s Quantum Ultra Class cruise ship
Royal Caribbean International is kicking off its 50th anniversary celebrations with the launch of discounts, along with a special marketing campaign –Stop Wondering, Start Wandering.
With every guest booking, a second guest can sail at just S$50 (US$37), and children aged 11 and below can cruise for free. HSBC credit card holders can enjoy an additional five per cent discount on their cruises. Terms and conditions apply.
FlowRider and Skydiving simulator on the Spectrum of the Seas
Royal Caribbean launched the 50th anniversary promotions ahead of Voyager of the Seas and Quantum of the Seas commencing their South-east Asian sailings. Both ships will are also set for refurbishment by year-end.
Customers can choose from Voyager of the Seas’ seven sailings from October 21 from Singapore, ranging from three to five nights to ports such as Phuket, Melaka, Penang and Kuala Lumpur (Port Klang).
Quantum of the Seas will be offering 34 sailings over six months starting from November 16, also from Singapore. Her itineraries include four-night cruises to Phuket and Kuala Lumpur (Port Klang), five-night cruises to Phuket, Kuala Lumpur (Port Klang) and Penang, and a seven-night cruise to Bangkok (Laem Chabang) (with an overnight) and Ho Chi Minh City.
The marketing campaign will be launched in print, out-of-home, radio, TV commercial and digital formats. The campaign will highlight the brand’s first-in-industry innovations over the years, ranging from the FlowRider, Ripcord by iFly skydiving simulator, Zip Line, Ultimate Abyss slide and Bionic Bar to its latest, the SkyPad VR bungee trampoline.
Sri Lanka has announced concessions including reduced ground handling charges and relaxed visa requirements for a six-month period to provide a fillip to its battered tourism industry.
Cabinet approval was granted on Sunday for reduced charges for ground handling, aviation fuel and embarkation levies for six months to facilitate tourism recovery after the Easter Sunday attacks. Sri Lanka has one of the highest ground handling charges in the region.
Sri Lanka hopes moves will help tourism sector grow; sunrise over the Sri Lankan jungle
Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority chairman Johanne Jayaratne told reporters this week that with a reduction in these levies, overall airline operations costs would drop to about 20 per cent to 25 per cent at the country’s two international airports, bringing it on par with other Asian airports.
“This has been an ongoing problem for the past 12 years, and these three components have to come down to encourage tourism to grow. From the response I’ve received in the past 24 hours (from Tuesday), the airlines have been very positive (about the concession). We expect to see a definite increase in flight frequencies,” he added.
At least 250 people died including 50 tourists in coordinated bombings blamed on Islamic extremists at three churches and three luxury hotels on April 21, triggering a sharp drop in tourist arrivals and airline frequencies amid security worries.
Arrivals plummeted 70 per cent year-on-year in May, and 57 per cent in June.
Welcoming the concessions, Emirates area manager for Sri Lanka and the Maldives Chandana de Silva said the airline is on track to a four flights a day frequency from this month after cancelling flights ad-hoc for about a month or two.
Emirates is Sri Lanka’s second largest operator after national carrier SriLankan Airlines.
The government is also reviving an earlier effort to offer visa-on-arrival facilities to citizens of 39 countries, now to be implemented from August 1. The implementation of visa-on-arrival, initially intended to be effect on May 1, was suspended after the April 21 crisis.
“Due to the Easter Sunday terror attacks, we had to temporarily suspend it until the country bounced back to normal. We are now reviving it,” said tourism minister John Amaratunga.
The countries included in the visa-on-arrival scheme are Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, UK, USA, Japan, Australia, South Korea, Canada, Singapore, New Zealand, Malaysia, Thailand and Switzerland.
While 29 airlines were serving Sri Lanka offering 300 flights per week just before the attacks, the number of flights dropped to 239 flights per week after the incidents.
Vinpearl Air Joint Stock Company, a member of Vingroup owned by US billionaire Phạm Nhat Vuong, will soon enter the aviation market after being granted a business licence by the Ha Noi Department of Planning and Investment, Viet Nam News reported.
Formerly known as VinAsia Trade Development and Services JSC, the company was established on April 22 with its headquarters in Hanoi’s Vinhomes Riverside Long Bien.
Vinpearl Air to enter aviation market
Vinpearl Air has been deemed to have met a government decree dictating that airlines wanting to operate international routes and use 30 aircraft or more must have minimum capital of VND1.3 trillion.
The airline’s three founding shareholders are VinAsia Tourism Development JSC, which holds 45 per cent of the company. The remaining shares are held by two individuals, Hoang Quoc Thuy and Phạm Khac Phuong.
Meanwhile, Vingroup and Canada’s CAE Oxford Aviation Academy (CAAV) recently signed a co-operation agreement to train pilots, flight technicians and other personnel in the field of aviation, the article said.
Under the agreement, the VinAviation School and Vinpearl Air Training Centre will be established in Vietnam.
It is expected that 400 pilots and mechanics will qualify each year under the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam, US Federal Aviation Administration and European Aviation Safety Agency.
VinAviation School will train pilots and basic mechanics in line with CAAV standards and international standards of the FAA and EASA, while Vinpearl Air will also offer upgrading courses for existing pilots, mechanics, operators, crews and other aviation personnel.
In addition, VinUni will be responsible for aviation administration, the economics of air transport, and aircraft engineers.
This could help address the global undersupply of pilots, said Vingroup CEO Nguyen Viet Quang.
Competition in Vietnam’s aviation industry intensified when Bamboo Airways received the green light from the transport ministry.
With the participation of Vinpearl Air, Vietnam’s aviation industry will have six airlines: Vietnam Airlines, Jetstar Pacific, Vietjet Air, Bamboo Airways, Vasco and Vinpearl Air.
The transport ministry targets an average growth rate of 16 per cent per year in the 2015-20 period for the aviation sector and eight per cent in the 2020-30 period. Vietnam has been one of the most developed global aviation markets in the past decade, with an average revenue growth of 17.4 per cent, two times higher than the 7.9 per cent average of Asia, Viet Nam News said, citing figures from IATA.
Data from CAAV showed that in 2018 the total output of national carrier Vietnam Airlines and its members reached over 28 million passengers, accounting for 56 per cent of market share. Meanwhile, Vietjet Air’s transport volume reached over 21 million passengers, accounting for 44 per cent of market share.
The 2,600-guest Grand Princess will homeport in Singapore for the first time in the 2020/2021, replacing the Sapphire Princess in Princess Cruises’ seventh homeporting season in the Lion City.
Grand Princess will offer four- to 21-day cruises around South-east Asia including Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia from December 2020 to March 2021.
Grand Princess will homeport in Singapore for the first time
Before commencing its homeporting in Singapore, Grand Princess will set sail on a new 53-day Pacific Crossing & Asia cruise that starts from Vancouver, covering 26 ports before arriving in Singapore on December 10, 2020.
This cruise also offers options for embarkation in Los Angeles and disembarkation/embarkation in Shanghai, and a 28-day segment on the Hawaii, Guam and East Asia crossing. There will be several late night port calls offered in Honolulu, Osaka, Nagasaki, Seoul, Shanghai and Hong Kong with an overnight in Beijing (Tianjin).
Grand Princess will next year join several other MedallionClass Vacations ships offering guests complimentary wearable devices named the OceanMedallion.
MedallionClass Vacations are currently available on Caribbean Princess, Regal Princess and Royal Princess, with Crown Princess starting from July 24 and Sky Princess starting from October 12 when the newest ship in the Princess fleet departs the shipyard as the first to be built from the ground up with the Ocean Guest Experience Platform.
This will be expanded to six additional ships in 2020 – Ruby Princess (January 27), Grand Princess (March 29), Enchanted Princess (June 15), Emerald Princess (August 16), Coral Princess (October 16) and Island Princess (December 20).
Oyo Hotels & Homes published a statement hailing itself the world’s third largest hotel chain by room count as of June 2019, while staking claim as the fastest-growing chain of hotels, homes and other accommodation spaces.
The India-based company claims it has left several “traditional and long-standing hospitality brands” trailing behind it. In a span of six years, Oyo has expanded its presence to 800+ cities, over 23,000 Oyo-branded hotels and 850,000 rooms, surpassing the scale of traditional and established hotel chain brands in the world, it said in the statement.
Hotel Oyo Surabaya
The portfolio combines fully operated real estate comprising of more than 23,000 hotels and 46,000 vacation homes.
Oyo along with Vacation Homes categories managed by the company under Oyo Homes, Belvilla and Dancenter brands can be found in more than 800 cities in 80 countries.
This growth is backed by a strong balance sheet of about US$1.5 billion, and fuelled by the company’s success in China with presence in 337 cities and over 500,000 rooms, followed by fast-paced growth in Indonesia with presence in 80 cities and over 20,000 rooms and 720 hotels and other regions in Asia.
Oyo also sees the UK and US as strong growth drivers, with 85 hotels in 25 destinations in the former, and 68 hotels across 40 US cities.
The company also claims to have created over 300,000 direct and indirect job opportunities across India, China, US, and the UK.
The recent acquisition of @Leisure has further helped strengthen its footing in the vacation home segment in Europe.
In China, with second-tier cities at its core, Oyo Hotels’ footprint spans tier-two to tier-six cities with over 500,000 rooms as a part of its chain. It has expanded its roots deep in lower-tier cities to offer branded living experiences for customers, all while aiming to drive consumption and upgraded tourism related accommodations.
The company remains committed to diverting 40 per cent of funds towards China, of which US$100 million will be toward customer experience, quality, and system improvements, and the balance to fuel further growth, talent development, competency building, and infrastructure development in the country.
Oyo Hotels continues to present property owners a proposition combining design, hospitality, and technological expertise, giving them the ability to get a higher return on investments, access easy financing opportunities, transform their hotels, and offer good quality customer service, thereby significantly increasing occupancy and profitability.
The company is led by a global management team of seasoned leaders who have joined Oyo’s mission in the last 12 months, including Aditya Ghosh, CEO – India & South Asia; Rohit Kapoor, CEO- new real estate businesses; Sam Shih, COO – OYO China; Marcus Higgins, head of expansion – OYO USA; Jeremy Sanders, head – OYO UK; Tadeus Ari Nugraha, operations head – Indonesia; and Erica Perry Briody, vice president – talent acquisition, OYO UK among others.
Oyo Hotels has attracted some of the world’s leading investors, including Airbnb, SoftBank Vision Fund, Greenoak Capital, Sequoia Capital, and Hero Enterprise.
Commenting on the development, Ritesh Agarwal, founder & CEO (Group), Oyo Hotels & Homes, said: “Today, OYO has over 850,000 exclusive keys as part of its hotel chain. We started with a simple mission of creating quality living spaces. Over 500,000 heads rest on Oyo hotel pillows daily today, a testament to the impact we are creating globally.
“I am happy to see that real estate owners continue to see value in working with Oyo Hotels while witnessing an increase of approximately 30 per cent in occupancy, a 2.5-times jump in RevPar and profits. This is a strong validation of the impact we have on their business, both at customer experience and revenue levels. Today, we are a small percentage of the world’s accommodation market, and we have an incredible opportunity ahead of us. We are just getting started.”
JFCCT & TCT MOU Signing to Support Tourism Sector in Thailand
The Joint Foreign Chambers of Commerce in Thailand (JFCCT) and the Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) are collaborating to support various areas of the tourism sector including policy advocacy.
JFCCT & TCT MOU Signing to Support Tourism Sector in Thailand
JFCCT, led by chairman Stanley Kang, and the TCT, led by president Chairat Trirattanajarasporn, signed an MoU this week in Thailand.
The deal includes promoting the destination, reducing corruption and enhancing ethical practices.
Aston Kartika Grogol Hotel & Conference Center, Indonesia
SureStay Plus by Best Western AC Luxe Angeles City, Philippines
