Oakwood Premier Incheon

Singapore-based Mapletree Investments has acquired Oakwood Worldwide in full after its initial purchase of a 49 per cent stake in its Asia-Pacific operations (Oakwood Asia Pacific) in 2014.

The deal marks Mapletree’s long-term strategy to strengthen its corporate housing and serviced apartment business, as it gains control of Oakwood’s network in more than 95 countries as the world’s largest provider of corporate housing and serviced apartments.

Commented Hiew Yoon Khong, Mapletree’s group CEO: “Our full ownership of Oakwood will allow us to enhance efficiencies and the growth momentum of our corporate housing and serviced apartment business.

“Mapletree intends to step up the acquisition and development of corporate housing and serviced apartment assets that will add to our earnings streams and expand housing options available to clients and guests. We will be looking at markets across the US, Europe and Asia-Pacific, regions where Oakwood is a well-regarded brand,” he added.

Christopher Ahearn will return to Oakwood as CEO after serving as its senior vice president of sales and marketing from 2005-2010. Prior to rejoining Oakwood, he was senior advisor to TPG Capital.

Oakwood’s founder and chairman Howard Ruby will assume the non-executive role of chairman emeritus, where he will serve in an advisory role.

Mapletree is currently developing three serviced apartment properties in Japan and Vietnam as well as one other asset in the US, which will be managed by Oakwood Worldwide upon completion.

Following the initial acquisition in 2014, Oakwood also took over the management of all nine of Mapletree’s corporate housing and serviced apartment assets in the US and Australia.

Tourists watching the lightshow at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and Japanese travel giant JTB have signed an MoU to promote Singapore as a key destination in 2017 to Japanese travellers.

It is the first MoU between the two organisations, and Singapore is the first country in Asia to receive such emphasis. Under the MoU, STB and JTB will collaborate on product development marketing, sales and public relations to promote the Lion City as an attractive leisure and business destination in Japan.

For a start, STB and JTB will jointly develop and promote new travel packages targeting different consumer segments in the Japanese market including first-time travellers. For example, JTB customers will be able to enjoy an exclusive, customised night tour of Singapore on board an open-top bus.

Both organisations hope to further raise the profile of Singapore in Japan and attract 90,000 Japanese visitors through this year-long campaign spanning from April 2017 to March 2018.

In 2015 and 2016 respectively, STB and JTB had collaborated on commemorative tours and promotions to mark the 50th anniversary of Singapore’s independence and 50 years of Japan-Singapore diplomatic relations.

Virgin Australia has announced an alliance agreement with HNA Aviation, Hong Kong Airlines and HK Express, which will see the Australian carrier launching flights to Hong Kong and China, as well as codeshare with these Chinese carriers on international and domestic flights.

As part of the first stage of the alliance, Virgin Australia plans to introduce flights between Australia and Hong Kong in mid-2017 on Airbus A330 aircraft.

Subject to regulatory approval, the airlines also plan to codeshare on each other’s domestic and international flights between Australia and Hong Kong/China; cooperate on route planning, sales, distribution and marketing; and offer reciprocral benefits on frequent flyer programmes including lounge access, priority check-in and other activities.

Virgin Australia Group’s CEO John Borghetti said: “This new alliance will be a game changer for travel between Australia and China, providing significantly more competition and choice for travellers.

“The alliance will accelerate and support our access to the Chinese market, which is Australia’s fastest growing and most valuable inbound travel market,” he added.

Airbnb has acquired Montreal-based luxury vacation rental company Luxury Retreats, a move that is expected to bolster the use of the sharing-economy giant among wealthy globetrotters.

Luxury Retreats, which offers over 4,000 homes in 1,000 destinations worldwide including Tuscany and the Turks and Caicos, provides concierge services and dedicated villa specialists to its customers. These services and support will be maintained as Luxury Retreats joins the Airbnb community.

Following the acquisition, Luxury Retreats CEO Joe Poulin will join Airbnb and lead luxury homes, reporting to Airbnb co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky.

Luxury Retreats will remain based in Montreal and will continue to operate as a standalone entity in the short time but over time its listings will be integrated and highlighted on Airbnb’s platform.

Meliá Cam Ranh Bay

Meliá Hotels International has entered into an agreement with Saigon – Cam Ranh Joint Stock Company to launch the 300-room Meliá Cam Ranh Bay in 2018.

Located on the south-eastern coast of Vietnam, the beachfront property will be located five kilometres from the Cam Ranh Bay International Airport, and attractions nearby include the Tu Van Pagoda and Binh Ba Island.

Each of Meliá Cam Ranh Bay’s 200 rooms will feature sea views, while its 100 villas measure between 240m² and 400m² and come with private infinity pools. Facilities include a wedding chapel with direct beach access, the brand’s signature YHI spa and three F&B options.

This new deal brings the group’s current and future properties in Vietnam to five, after Meliá Hanoi, Meliá Danang, Sol Beach House Phu Quoc and the recently-signed Meliá Ho Tram.

With 13 hotels currently in operation and another 22 in the pipeline in Asia, Meliá Hotels International looks to double its portfolio in the region by 2020.

In response to strong resistance from the trade, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is unlikely to push through with plans to bar travel agencies from assisting first-time passport applicants.

DFA had initially intended to cut out travel agents as middlemen from March 1 to streamline operations at its overcrowded consular and satellite offices, agents said.

However, it appears that DFA would not go through with the decision after an initial meeting with the Network of Independent Travel and Allied Services Philippines (NITAS) and National Association of Independent Travel Agencies (NAITAS), NITAS vice president Angel Ramos Bognot told TTG Asia.

Marlene Jante, newly elected president of the Philippine Travel Agencies Association (PTAA), had the same takeaway after a meeting with a DFA official.

“We have to protect the interest of travel agencies. We don’t earn much from passporting but it comes with the package,” said Jante on the sidelines of PTAA’s TravelTour Expo over the weekend.

Furthermore, first-time passport applicants are the ones most in need of travel agencies’ assistance particularly in ensuring they have all the required documents, PTAA secretary-general Paul So remarked.

Ramos Bognot added that barring travel agencies from providing passport services would especially affect those handling labour recruitment and corporate accounts.