Marriott will continue to operate these properties; Sheraton Fiji Resort pictured
Marriott International has sold two major hotel and hospitality assets in Fiji to the Fiji National Provident Fund (FNPF). The US$131 million transaction is Fiji’s largest ever hotel deal.
The five-star 300-room Sheraton Fiji Resort, the next door 276-room Westin Denarau Island Resort & Spa and the 110-hectare Denarau Golf & Racquet Club, are prime locations within Denarau Island, Fiji’s top holiday destination, according to international law firm Withers which represented Marriott in the sale.
Sheraton Fiji Resort
Marriott will remain as the operator of the assets under long-term management agreements.
Robert Williams, Asia-Pacific leader of Withers’ hotels and hospitality team, said: “This is a significant deal for Marriott International, FNPF and the Fiji tourism sector, involving prime assets on the popular Denarau Island. The transaction further deepens Marriott’s partnership with FNPF, which already owns the Fiji Marriott Resort Momi Bay.”
Withers represents leading owners and operators within the hotels and hospitality sector. The team specialises in acquisitions and sales of hotels and resorts, mixed-use hotel projects, negotiating hotel management, franchising and leasing deals, operating platform M&A transactions, and providing capital raising, fund structuring and vacation ownership advice.
Artist impression of the ground floor of Nikko Style Nagoya
Okura Nikko Hotel Management has confirmed it will debut its new upscale, select-service Nikko Style brand in Nagoya, Japan, come 2020.
Located in Nagoya’s Meieki district, Nikko Style Nagoya will offer 191 rooms, a communal lobby, all-day dining and a fitness gym.
Artist impression of the ground floor of Nikko Style Nagoya
Marcel van Aelst, CEO of Okura Nikko Hotel Management, commented: “This will be our first property branded under Nikko Style, our new lifestyle brand targeting customers who are especially interested in new and creative hotel experiences.”
Van Aelst added that there are plans to “create an all-new customer base” by expanding the new brand to major locations worldwide.
The company said a highlight of the debuting property will be the communal lobby designed to facilitate interaction among hotel guests, locals and other visitors. It will include a special event area for culinary events, workshops on Nagoya’s cuisine and performances by local musicians.
The all-day dining will include Japanese cuisine that uses produce supplied by local farmers, as well as local beers and Japanese sake.
Standard rooms will offer 30m2 of floor space with five metres of frontage.
Nagoya’s Meieki district is a principal transportation hub with intersecting JR, Nagoya Railroad and Kintetsu Railway lines. In recent years, it has become the main gateway to the Nagoya metropolitan area and surrounding region.
The tool can generate over a million unique tracks, inspired by music ranging from 90s hip-hop to electronic dance music
Innovation in the holiday cruise industry is no longer confined to on-board or shore excursion products, Royal Caribbean International (RCI) shows as it launches a patent-pending tool that uses AI to create custom soundtracks based on the mood and content of users’ photos.
Created by the cruise company in collaboration with experts from the Berklee College of Music and technologists from around the world, SoundSeeker uses AI to analyse photos for colour, landscape, backdrop, emotion, body language and facial expression.
The tool can generate over a million unique tracks, inspired by music ranging from 90s hip-hop to electronic dance music
SoundSeeker then finds the musical elements corresponding to each mood in the photo to compose an audio and visual photo album, which users can share with their friends without leaving the platform.
To determine the musical pairing to photos, accounting for pitch, tempo and instrumental combinations, Berklee leveraged music theory to create a roadmap.
The Royal Caribbean tool is equipped to generate over one million unique tracks, based on custom base tracks, composed exclusively for the cruise line. The customised tracks are inspired by a variety of music, including 90s hip-hop, rock, modern and electronic dance music.
In a statement, Jim Berra, RCI chief marketing officer, commented: “People of all ages crave new ways to share their best experiences on social media. This unprecedented tool allows you to put a completely unique, multisensory spin on sharing those memories – now friends and followers can see and hear your life’s adventures.”
Earlier innovations by RCI include SeaSeeker, a custom-engineered scuba mask for Snapchat Spectacles; Voom, said to be the fastest internet at sea; virtual balconies, which give interior cabins a view; RFID technology; cocktails served by robots at the Bionic Bar; and a mobile app that boasts smart features like expedited arrival and X-ray vision into behind-the-scenes areas of the ship.
Christoph Holzapfel has been appointed as general manager of Six Senses Con Dao.
He joins the luxury resort in Vietnam from his most recent role as resort general manager at JA Manafaru in the Maldives.
His 25 years of hospitality experience includes leading teams in general management roles in Botswana, Namibia and South Africa with the Orient Express group, Abercrombie and Kent, and various independent lodges and camps. He has also worked with Anantara as general manager in Abu Dhabi, and has also been involved with several resort pre-openings.
The combination of portfolios will allow both parties to reach into different hotel categories and segments
Amadeus describes its acquisition of TravelClick, now confirmed, as an important milestone for its hospitality business, enabling it to expand into new product categories and new customer segments, and become a leading hospitality solutions provider.
In a media call yesterday on the US$1.52 billion acquisition, which is expected to close in 4Q2018 subject to regulatory approvals, Francisco Perez-Lazao, Amadeus senior vice president Strategic Growth Businesses, said: “Today we (Amadeus Hospitality) mainly address the top-end of the market with a CRS, PMS (Property Management System), sales & catering solutions, and service optimisation and payments.
“TravelClick is a strong fit. On the one side, it brings a complementary hospitality solutions portfolio, including a CRS and GMS (Guest Management System) for the independent/mid-chain hotel segment, and a leading and modern hotel business intelligence and media solutions platform.
The acquisition gives Amadeus a complementary hospitality solutions portfolio, including a CRS and GMS for the independent/mid-chain hotel segment
“Very importantly, TravelClick also brings brand recognition, a broad customer base and customer knowledge, and a strong team of experts in the hospitality industry.”
The acquisition builds on Amadeus’ goal to become an “end-to-end IT solutions provider of reference to the hospitality industry”. Since its inception, Amadeus Hospitality has been building up its capability through organic growth and major acquisitions, he said.
Two acquisitions were Itesso and hotelSystemsPro, made in 2015. But Amadeus Hospitality customers are mainly the large chains, its two largest customers being InterContinental Hotels Group and Premier Inn. By last year, it serves 26,000 properties. This year, following the acquisition, the estimated number of properties served will be 53,000, 28,000 by Amadeus Hospitality and 25,000 by TravelClick.
In the company’s official announcement, Peres-Lozao said the mid-chain and independent hotel segment makes up three-quarters of the market. “We can now serve the entire industry with a very broad portfolio of solutions and we are looking for significant growth in the years ahead.”
Last year, TravelClick generated US$373 million in revenue in 2017 and US$86 million in EBIDTA.
Larry Kutscher, CEO of TravelClick, said during the media call: “About a third of TravelClick’s revenues comes from the CRS and guest management solutions business.” Other revenue streams he singled out included the media business, which helps hotels get new demand through data-driven advertising solutions direct to travel agents when they are making their booking and to consumers via online media options, and the business intelligence solutions for hotels.
TravelClick, based in New York with 1,100 employees, will be integrated into Amadeus Hospitality. “TravelClick has a great team, great technology and a broad customer base, and we are looking forward to welcoming such a successful business into Amadeus,” said Luis Maroto, president and CEO of Amadeus, in the official announcement. “Our ambition is to provide the hospitality industry with the tools they need to grow their businesses and deliver a great experience to their guests. The combination of our two portfolios will allow us to provide that to hotels of all shapes and sizes across the world.”
A strengthened Amadeus Hospitality will mean greater competition for rivals Oracle Hospitality, Sabre Hospitality Solutions and other regional players, but may also impact soft brands which offer branding and hospitality solutions to independent hotels.
Asked for her views, Lindsey Ueberroth, CEO, Preferred Hotels & Resorts, said: “All signs show that this will be a smart business decision by Amadeus, and I believe this move demonstrates the continued appetite for consolidations and mergers within the travel and hospitality industries. Whenever there is more competition introduced into the marketplace, the momentum drives greater innovation, so I see this acquisition as a positive for independent hotels because it opens up more options and opportunity.”
Geoff Andrew, CEO of WorldHotels, said: “It’s a interesting deal. Amadeus is already in the CRS business so it doesn’t add anything new to the market in terms of competition. I’m sure TravelClick CRS customers will be hoping that the normal disruption that follows an acquisition does not impact them too much!”
Mark Wong, vice-president Asia-Pacific of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, concurred: “Amadeus’ acquisition of Travelclick means that the company is now more well-equipped to directly compete with Sabre, Oracle and other players in the hotel distribution playing field. The major impact of such acquisitions will be on the single solution technology providers. It will become more cumbersome and expensive for their clients to integrate and synchronize different systems for a single user interface. With Sabre and Amadeus, their fully-integrated systems will be plug-and-play based on the requirements of their clients. How well and quickly Amadeus can integrate TravelClick’s capabilities into its enterprise system will translate into its success in motivating potential clients to make the switch.”
Pasarpolis offers a variety of insurance products online
Indonesian tech unicorns Go-Jek, Tokopedia and Traveloka are backing digital insurance startup PasarPolis in a Series A funding round, TechCrunch reports.
The three tech unicorns will also act as strategic partners for the startup.
Pasarpolis offers a variety of insurance products online
PasarPolis sells insurance options spanning travel, health, vehicle, accident, property and life. These are underwritten by 30 insurers including AXA, AXA Mandiri and Lippo Insurance, although TechCrunch reported that the company has a pending application for an insurance license, which if approved will give it new product options.
Go-Jek, Tokopedia and Traveloka are major clients of the digital insurance startup, which offers “click box” policies packaged with ride-hailing trips, e-commerce sales and travel deals, according to TechCrunch.
In travel, PasarPolis founder and CEO Randing told TechCrunch that growth in insurance revenue for major OTAs such as Expedia is surpassing that in ticket sales.
PasarPolis intends to work with its three partners to develop new products. There are plans to offer more modular options for consumers, such as usage-based car insurance, or cover for public transport-based delays, according to the TechCrunch report.
PasarPolis is also focused on expanding into new South-east Asian markets.
The company is considering another funding round early next year as it seeks to grow regionally.
Panel discussion at last year's Halal in Travel - Asia Summit
ITB Asia will this year launch its first dedicated Muslim Travel Hub and Pavilion to host panel discussions and travel suppliers, in addition to bringing back the Halal in Travel Asia Summit for the third time.
By 2020, it is expected that there will be 156 million Muslim travellers, up nearly 30 per cent from 2016, the show organiser shared in a statement, citing figures from CrescentRating. By 2026, the total spend by Muslim travellers is projected to more than double to US$300 billion.
Panel discussion at last year’s Halal in Travel – Asia Summit
The show organiser notes that key players in the travel and tourism space are demanding insights and best practice in marketing destinations, and how to better connect with Muslim travellers.
The third Halal in Travel Asia Summit will take place on October 17, focusing on the main theme of Innovation & Technology in the Muslim Travel Space. The conference will kick off with the official release of the Mastercard-Halal Trip Digital Muslim Travel Report 2018, revealing insights into the Muslim travel market and behaviours when it comes to trip planning research and engagement in the digital space.
Keynote speeches, panel discussions and presentations will touch on topics including how to invest in Halal travel and developing the Halal travel market in the service and destination sectors.
In addition, for the three full days of the show (October 17-19), the new Muslim Travel Hub will host discussions and showcases with topics such as attracting Muslim travellers to destinations throughout the year, further developing the growing Muslim travel market, and creating Muslim-friendly travel packages.
Destination-focused showcases at the Muslim Travel Hub will include ‘Targeting US$126 billion Muslim tourism market with cultural changes’ from Indonesia, ‘Making Muslims feel at home’ from Japan, and ‘Travelling in style’ from Turkey.
Located in the same area, the Muslim Travel Pavilion will be dedicated to exhibitors that offer Muslim travel products and services. The Pavilion will also host talks on winning over Muslim visitors, happy trails with travel apps and addressing Muslim traveller anxieties.
ITB Asia’s key partner, Have Halal Will Travel, will host a conference at at the Muslim Travel Pavilion on October 17, 14.00-15.00.
Celebrity chefs collaborating on new Raffles Hotel Singapore culinary concepts: (from left) Anne-Sophie Pic, Alain Ducasse and Jereme Leung
Ahead of its reopening scheduled for 1Q2019, Raffles Hotel Singapore has unveiled new dining concepts, including three helmed by celebrity chefs.
Where the 122-year-old Bar & Billiard Room once stood, chef Alain Ducasse will present his first Mediterranean sharing and grill concept in the world, BBR by Alain Ducasse.
Celebrity chefs collaborating on new Raffles Hotel Singapore culinary concepts: (from left) Anne-Sophie Pic, Alain Ducasse and Jereme Leung
In homage to the restaurant’s glory days as a club during British colonial rule, dining will also be accompanied by a lively bar scene.
The new concept will serve sharing plates and regular-sized dishes, as well as feature an open kitchen with charcoal grills and wood-fired pizza ovens.
Three-Michelin-star chef Anne-Sophie Pic will debut her entry into Asia with the opening of La Dame de Pic in the hotel’s dining room in the Main Building. The restaurant will boast “an elaborate and diverse collection of pairings”, using wines, cocktails, whisky, sake, tea, coffee, dashi, broth and consommés.
Marking celebrity MasterChef Jereme Leung’s return to Singapore, 兿 yì by Jereme Leung will open on level 3 of the newly restored Raffles Arcade. The restaurant will use single sourced and seasonal ingredients and “create authentic taste profiles enhanced by modern culinary techniques”, Leung said.
The refreshed Raffles Arcade will welcome the Butcher’s Block, which will focus on fine cuts of single sourced meats. The restaurant will also feature communal tables and a wine library housing more than 100 different wine labels.
The hotel will also bring back signature concepts with some enhancements.
For example, Tiffin Room, part of Raffles Hotel Singapore’s history since 1892, will return with a refreshed semi-buffet lunch and a la carte dinner, specialties served in tiffin boxes, tableside service by chefs, and a restored decor.
Home of the Singapore Sling for over a hundred years, the Long Bar’s plantation-inspired décor will be refreshed, and the famous Long Bar counter restored.
Established as a tribute to famous writers that have come through the doors of Raffles Hotel Singapore over the years, Writers Bar will be expanded to a full bar with bespoke craft cocktails, wines and spirits.
The hotel is now in its final phase of restoration and will remained fully closed for a reopening planned for the first quarter of 2019.
The initiative could help generate supplementary income for hosts in rural communities; rice transplanter in Sekinchan, Selangor
Tourism Selangor is piloting a state-endorsed initiative to train and certify locals in Sabak Bernam, Klang and Kuala Selangor as community experts to tourists.
Training for the first batch of 26 locals in the Selangor Community Host Programme, set to conclude in September, comprises four parts, each spanning four days over a five-month-period. It culminates in a written examination which candidates must pass to receive a certificate from the Department of Skills Development.
The initiative could help generate supplementary income for hosts in rural communities; man operating a rice transplanter in in Sekinchan, Selangor
The certificate is also recognised by Malaysia’s Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture and Tourism Selangor.
Tourism Selangor general manager, Noorul Ashikin Mohd Din, said the pilot was initiated to groom community experts with knowledge of the history, culture, heritage, local food and the rich stories in their areas.
The project will also have a social impact, helping rural communities earn additional income through guiding and showcasing cottage industry products and local craft products.
Tourism Selangor will also help them market their services through its website, and the local experts can broker guiding arrangements with inbound agents, added Noorul.
She further shared that Tourism Selangor plans to roll out the training programme to four other districts in Selangor, namely Ulu Langat, Gombak, Ulu Selangor and Kuala Langat.
Azizi Borhan, managing director, Asutra Convex, said: “Local community guides is not a new idea. It is practised in other countries such as Indonesia, Thailand and Brazil, where local guides… take over (from) tourist guides (when the tour) reaches their areas of specialisation.”
While local community guiding brings social benefits and complements
the service of existing guides, Azizi pointed out that it might also result in an increase in tour guide fees.
“Now two guides will have to be paid, instead of one. The payment mechanism will have to be sorted out. What could be done is to pay the travel agency guides to do the transfers and for the specialised guides to do their tours within their specialised areas,” Azizi remarked.
Tauzia Hotels' Stefano de Champeaux (middle) and Harris Hotels' Stefano de Champeaux (right) at the 17th anniversary celebration
Indonesian homegrown hotel management company Tauzia Hotel Management has unveiled details of its South-east Asia expansion, in addition to enhancements to its flagship Harris brand to strenghten its foothold in the growing four-star segment in Indonesia.
Marking the company’s first foray beyond Indonesia is the 30-room Liu Men Malacca, which is expected to open under the Preference Hotel brand come October.
Tauzia Hotels’ Marc Steinmeyer (middle) and Harris Hotels’ Stefano de Champeaux (far right) at the 17th anniversary celebration
Next in line is a Harris Hotel under construction in Nha Trang, Vietnam, targeted to open in the next couple of years.
Marc Steinmeyer, founder of Tauzia Hotels, said: “This is part of our efforts to bring the Tauzia Hotels brands to (South-east Asian) countries. We are expecting to announce more properties in the region soon.”
The regional expansion was one of several developments the hotel group announced during its 17th anniversary celebration in Jakarta on August 8.
At the event, the company also introduced the third generation of its flagship Harris brand, emphasising its technology and lifestyle aspects.
Stefano de Champeaux, brand manager Harris Hotels, said that after 16 years in the market (with a refresh in 2012), the brand has to be transformed once again to strengthen its positioning amid a growing crop of properties in the four-star category.
Apart from a new logo, the enhancements include On the Move by Harris, a lobby concept where guests can connect, shop and eat in the lobby area, which includes co-living and co-working spaces, a grab-and-go F&B outlet and a boutique.
“Our aim is to keep the lobby busy with the guests interacting at the lobby area,” de Champeaux.
To keep to its healthy lifestyle concept, Harris Hotels will offer more healthy food and beverage options at its restaurant and grab-and-go counter, as well as work with Celebrity Fitness, a fitness centre operator with clubs across Indonesia and Asia, to run regular health and wellness activities in the hotel.
The first property to open under the refreshed brand is Harris Hotel Solo, which was launched earlier this year.
Tauzia Hotel Management is adding nine new hotels representing some 1,300 rooms to its portfolio this year. It has also signed up another eight hotels with a total of 1,000 rooms.
