Facial recognition check-in technology pilot at two Marriott International properties in China will begin from July 20
Marriott International is teaming up with Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group to test facial recognition check-ins at two of its China hotels.
The facial recognition technology, which comes from Fliggy, Alibaba’s travel service platform, will enable the check-in process to be completed in less than a minute, compared to the current average queue time of three minutes.
The facial recognition check-in will be tested at two Marriott properties in China beginning July 20
Guests can simply scan their IDs or passports, input their contact details and take a photo. Once the software verifies the identities and booking information, room keys will then be dispensed.
The project will kick off at Hangzhou Marriott Hotel Qianjiang and Sanya Marriott Hotel Dadonghai Bay this month, with a global rollout planned in the future.
This latest announcement follows the joint venture’s recent global rollout of the Post Post Pay (PPP) functionality and redesigned storefront on Fliggy.
Moving forward, the joint venture will seek to personalise the experience for Chinese travellers by enhancing the storefront and linking the loyalty programmes of Marriott International and those of the Alibaba ecosystem.
Thai hotel operator Centara Hotels & Resorts is now accepting WeChat Pay transactions on its two websites for online room reservations.
This is in addition to 15 of Centara’s Thailand hotels that already deploy nearly 100 EDC devices for QR code scanning on WeChat Pay, where bills for accommodation, restaurants and spa treatments can be paid directly from smartphones.
Centara aims to make payment more convenient for Chinese travellers by offering WePay
By the end of 2018, the company expects to have WeChat Pay available at all Centara Hotels & Resorts globally.
Thirayuth Chirathivat, Centara’s CEO, said in a press statement: “A seamless payment experience for consumers using any channel is an element of our platform for expansion, which should see us double both revenue and the number of our properties over the next five years. As consumer behaviour evolves, Centara has adopted an omni-channel strategy to stay relevant and to provide a great customer experience.”
He added: “The number of Chinese tourists booking with Centara keeps growing. They are a significant customer base for all businesses in Thailand. Centara’s Chinese websites www.centarahotelsandresorts.cn and centarahotelsresorts.com receive hundreds of thousands of visits from Chinese users. Almost half the visits come from a mobile device.”
Earlier this year, Centara signed an agreement with TreePayCo, a payment platform facilitator to develop a system that allows Chinese customers to use their mobile phones to make e-payments outside of China for accommodation and services at Centara properties.
A Hyatt Regency hotel is set to open in Nha Trang in late 2019, marking the brand’s debut in the Vietnamese coastal resort city.
Part of a mixed-use development comprising retail and office space, Hyatt Regency Nha Trang will feature 434 guestrooms, a majority of which will offer sea views, more than 1,130m2 of meeting space, multiple bars and restaurants, a fitness centre, and a swimming pool.
Hyatt’s David Udell (fourth from left) and A&B Group (fourth from right) at the official announcement of the partnership
The hotel will be located along Tran Phu Street, lined with pastel-coloured houses and shops reminiscent of colonial Vietnam.
The property is the outcome of a management partnership between a Hyatt affiliate and an A&B Group affiliate.
The 39-room Shinta Mani Angkor in Siem Reap has rolled out a four-night Shinta Mani Angkor Ultimate Experience Package.
The package, priced at US$1,650++ per couple, entitles guests to receive return airport transportation, fast-track immigration upon arrival, four-night accommodation in a Deluxe Room and daily breakfast.
Shinta Mani Angkor’s exterior
Outdoor activities include a full-day trip to the Angkor Complex complete with a private car, driver and English-speaking tour guide; a private visit to a local village and water well; and a visit to the landmine museum.
In addition, the package also features an authentic Khmer cuisine dinner at Kroya Restaurant, a local cooking class, a sunset boat cruise, an hour-long spiritual meditation, as well as a 90-minute spa treatment of choice at the Shinta Mani Spa.
At 08.00 Hrs., this morning, a Buddhist ceremony in remembrance of those who lost their lives in the recent tragic boat incidents was held at Phuket’s Chalong Pier.
As the tourist boat accident in Phuket last week made global headlines, particularly in the Chinese social media world, and highlighted tourist safety issues in Thailand, tour operators in the country are awaiting short-term fallout on the Chinese inbound sector although how the incident would play out in the long term is still very much in the air.
Adith Chairattananon, honorary secretary general of Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) and president of Golden Discovery Express, said some tour operators selling tour packages in China have ceased sales of tour packages to Phuket as well as marketing activities related to maritime tours.
A Buddhist ceremony was held at Phuket’s Chalong Pier, in remembrance of those who lost their lives in the recent boat incident
But Adith believes that the Chinese inbound sector will be moderately affected by the accident in Phuket, albeit only in the short term.
ATTA president Vichit Prakobgosol, who is also managing director of CCT Express, shares the opinion that the impact on Thailand’s tourism will not be too severe, with a slight decrease in the numbers of Chinese travellers within the next two weeks a likely scenario.
He explained that only a portion of Chinese inbound tourism to Thailand involves travelling by boat, and that the country offers other areas for discovery including the northern and north-eastern regions.
Chotechuang Soorangura, associate managing director of NS Travel & Tours, believes that any form of accident along with inefficient disaster management tends to lower the safety credibility of a destination.
In this case, the situation is made worse by the Thai authorities trying to scapegoat nominee tour operators as a quick fix for the country’s image.
“Surely, in the short term the number of Chinese tourists will be lower than the previous years but (whether there’s any impact) in the long run depends on how the government manages and solves the safety problem for tourists,” Chotechuang remarked.
“Regarding the nominee tour operators issue, I believe that it is very difficult for the government to get rid of them as (they are part of the) market mechanism. The best way is to collect more tax from them or find ways to (regulate and manage the) group instead.”
Meanwhile, Vichit suggests that Thai authorities brings the party/parties responsible to justice and issue a decisive measure to prevent similar incidents in the future, such as law to prohibit boats from sailing off in bad weather.
At press time, 46 bodies have been recovered. Before it capsized, Phoenix had been carrying 89 people, counting tourists, guides and crew.
As international rescuers depart Thailand after their heroic 17-day mission at Chiang Rai’s Tham Luang cave, the Thai authorities are showing their appreciation to the foreign volunteers with a raft of rewards, including the prestigious Thailand Elite cards.
The government is offering the heroes a “free-of-charge tourism treat”. For those who are still in Thailand, the Bureau of the Royal Household, the Foreign Ministry and the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) have jointly arranged a sightseeing programme in Bangkok and Chiang Rai.
British cave divers return home after the successful Thai cave rescue operation
As for those who have already left, the government is extending an invitation for them to visit Thailand once in five years with the following treats: a business-class return ticket by courtesy of Thai Airways International; a Thailand Elite Card membership with five-year visa-free visits of Thailand and special services at the airport; one-week tour programme with free accommodation.
TAT’s governor Yutthasak Supasorn said in a statement that these treats would bolster Thailand’s image in the international community.
Meanwhile, Thai Airways provided roundtrip London-Bangkok tickets to cave diving experts from the British Cave Rescue Council and helped transport their rescue equipment.
The BBC also reported that the cave complex in Mae Sai district where 12 boys and their football coach were trapped is set to be made into a museum.
According to the article, rescue officials said the museum would showcase how the operation unfolded and expected this would become a key attraction in Thailand.
A film about the rescue is also reportedly in the works.
Singapore Changi Airport will soon be South-east Asia’s first to accept WeChat Pay airport-wide and become the airport with the widest acceptance of the Chinese cross-border payment solution in Asia and outside of China.
The Changi Airport Group (CAG) announced that 150 outlets – including Changi’s duty-free, luxury retail shops and online store iShopChangi – will soon accept WeChat Pay as a mode of payment.
WeChat Pay to be rolled out to most shops at Changi Airport by year-end
Most of the airport’s merchants and brands are expected to offer the payment platform by the end of this year.
CAG and WeChat Pay recently entered a three-year marketing partnership, which will see the two launch and publicise joint shopping promotions at Changi Airport, including discounts for users of the payment platform.
The partnership will also allow the airport to send WeChat Pay users targeted marketing messages.
Grace Yin, operation director of WeChat Pay, commented: “Singapore is an important part of the Belt and Road Initiative, and Changi Airport is the transportation hub of Singapore.
“Through this collaboration, WeChat Pay will provide a more convenient shopping experience to Chinese tourists in Changi Airport. We hope the collaboration will also provide fresh options and new perspectives to Changi Airport’s retail operations.”
Integrated into WeChat, WeChat Pay is a popular online payment mode for Chinese consumers. WeChat currently has more than a billion monthly active users, a number that continues to grow.
Meanwhile, China is one of Changi Airport’s key passenger markets, with Chinese passengers accounting for about a third of Changi Airport’s total sales in 2017.
Two Filipinas, Anna Vergara and Cleofe Albiso, have been named general managers at Marriott International’s latest two hotels in the country.
Vergara will lead Sheraton Manila, a 393-room hotel that forms part of Resorts World Manila, expected to open this year.
From left: Anna Vergara and Cleofe Albiso
She joined Marriott International more than 24 years ago, working her way up the ranks to become Manila Marriott Hotel’s resident manager in 2009.
As well, Albiso is now general manager of the first Courtyard by Marriott property in the Philippines, located in Mandurriao Iloilo City, a 326-room hotel that just opened this May.
After leaving her post as head of marketing for the Visayas region at a telecommunications company, Albiso got her start at Marriott as the director of sales and marketing for what was then Marriott Cebu.
Britomart in Auckland, New Zealand is expected to become more appealing to overnight visitors when a TFE Hotels-managed property opens in 2020 to fill a gap for luxury hotels in the precinct.
The lifestyle precinct is known for renovated dockside warehouses, architectural buildings, bars and a square lined with leading restaurants and boutiques.
An artist’s impression of the upcoming luxury hotel
The Hotel Britomart represents a new venture for Cooper and Company, which originally developed Britomart, and the start of a new phase of evolution for the precinct, said the group’s CEO Matthew Cockram.
“It allows us to take the appeal and vibrancy of Britomart as the heart of the CBD neighbourhood to a more intense and concentrated level by (encouraging) people to stay.”
Cooper and Company’s executive chairman Peter Cooper added: “Britomart is a crossroads at the heart of downtown waterfront Auckland, and the hotel is another important step in enabling us to welcome people from everywhere and make them feel at home here.”
TFE Hotels chairman Allan Vidor also remarked: “Britomart is New Zealand’s most sought-after premium lifestyle precinct – all that has been missing is a sophisticated top-tier hotel. The development, created by the team (behind) Britomart itself, completes the picture.”
The Hotel Britomart will feature a café-style lobby space, 99 rooms and five suites, three of which will boast outdoor sky gardens, as well as retail and F&B outlets.
Located on the corner of Gore and Galway streets, the project will include the refurbishment and restoration of the adjoining Masonic and Buckland heritage buildings. The hotel will also form a new connection with Customs Street through the Masonic Building.
Meanwhile, Cooper and Company is working with Auckland Council and Auckland Transport to transform Galway Street into a shared space during the hotel construction process, making the Britomart precinct more pedestrian friendly.
Bookings will open in late 2019 for opening in early 2020.
“Love you to the moon and back” could soon be way more than a simple declaration of love, with a French marriage proposal company touting a one-week interplanetary proposal package for US$145 million.
Aiming to “stage the craziest and most outstanding proposal of the last 13.8 billion years”, the Paris-based ApoteoSurprise outlines the out-of-this-world programme in a press release.
A proposal that is – quite literally – out of this world
Five months on from registration, the lovebirds will undergo 12 weeks of pre-requisite technical and physical training, before they take off from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
And as weightlessness is first felt, Richard Strauss’s “Thus spoke Zarathustra, Op.30” (Theme from 2001 Space Odyssey) will resound in the two space tourists’ helmets.
The couple will arrive in lunar orbit three days later, flying over the satellite’s surface at 200/300km altitude.
For 30 minutes, they will be cut-off from all communication with Earth while the capsule flies over the dark side of the Moon.
Then comes time to pop the big question. Halfway through the orbital flight, the suitor retrieves the engagement ring “secretly hidden in his space suit” while Frank Sinatra’s Fly Me to the Moon plays.
Before atmospheric re-entry and a touch down, the couple will be treated to an Earth-rise seen from behind the lunar craters.
The self-contained and autonomous spacecraft will travel at a speed of up to 38,000 kmh and be equipped with eight cameras.
