BUSINESS hotel brand Shilla Stay will open on popular Jeju island on March 1, the third Shilla Stay hotel in South Korea after the launches of Shilla Stay Yeoksam and Shilla Stay Dongtan.

Located 10 minutes away from Jeju International Airport, Shilla Stay Jeju is situated in the island’s downtown shopping area and offers easy access to key tourist attractions.

The hotel features more than 300 rooms ranging from 29m² for Standard and Deluxe rooms to 58.5m² for the exclusive Grand Room, which comes with Aveda amenities.

F&B options here include the Café on the 12^th floor serving a buffet selection, and a rooftop lounge that whips up international dishes and drinks to kick back with.

For business travellers, Shilla Stay Jeju comes with four meeting rooms on the third floor and a business centre in the first floor lobby. A fully equipped gym can also be found on the third floor.

The Shilla Stay brand is the brainchild of Samsung Group affiliate and hospitality company, The Shilla.

Shilla Stay Jeju is marking its launch with a Grand Opening Package that starts from 189,000 won (US$172) per night for weekdays and 229,000 won for weekends.

Valid for stays from March 1-31, guests will get free breakfast for two, a welcome gift hamper, free Wi-Fi, access to the fitness centre, a guaranteed-win scratch card for dining or accommodation vouchers. Book via the Shilla Stay Jeju website for the offer.

BY THE second half of this year, a number of Kuala Lumpur’s 5,600 food outlets will sport Quality Assured Restaurant Kuala Lumpur stickers that indicate the eatery has been certified as safe to eat at.

Kuala Lumpur City Hall yesterday launched the Kuala Lumpur Food and Beverage Quality Assurance (KLFAB) scheme, which will see it assess and award F&B outlets either platinum or gold certification for meeting food hygiene standards.

At the launching of KLFAB yesterday, Ahmad Phesal Talib, mayor of Kuala Lumpur, said: “This new initiative was meant to uplift standards of F&B establishments and enhance service excellence. Food outlets are audited based on set criteria, which are based on global industry standards.”

It covers areas such as hygiene, cleanliness, facilities and amenities, customer service, food variety and presentation, and safety and security.

The certification awarded depends on the results of the assessment – scores above 90 per cent entitle the operator to platinum certification, while scores of 70 to 89 will receive gold standard. Accreditation is valid for two years.

Ahmad Phesal added: “Those who have not yet met the minimum standards required will be provided with a report identifying areas of improvement in order for them to upgrade themselves to reach the minimum score for accreditation.”

This is part of the city’s attempt to allay food hygiene concerns among foreign tourists, and builds on earlier efforts to position Kuala Lumpur as a gastronomic heaven under the Kuala Lumpur Tourism Master Plan 2015-2025.

It is a roadmap with 47 initiatives and aims to double foreign tourist arrivals to 16 million by 2025, increase average lengths of stay from 3.1 nights to 5.5 nights, and raise average daily spend RM682 (US$190) to RM900 by 2025.

SECRET Retreats, an Asia-based boutique and independent hotel representation company, has struck an alliance with India’s Rare in a deal that will give both sides a longer reach in the other’s market.

The partnership with Rare, a representation and marketing company specialising in hospitality experiences in the Indian sub-continent, will take effect from the first week of March, Stéphane Junca, managing director of Secret Retreats, told TTG Asia e-Daily.

“Rare has a similar DNA to Secret Retreats but also faces the same limitations as us – human resources, budget, etc,” said Junca. “The whole idea is to give them an Asian reach and vice versa…adding the specialty of knowledge we have in each market.

“The biggest benefit of these partnerships is to enable us to tap specific markets like Japan and India, enabling us to have exchange with no costs,” he added. “(Consultants) and clients will have a bigger collection to choose from.”

Secret Retreats formed a strategic marketing alliance with Japan’s Ryokan Collection in 2013.

Marcus Cotton, managing director of Tiger Mountain Pokhara Lodge in Nepal, welcomed the Secret Retreats-Rare partnership, dubbing it a “strong leverage” across Asia.

Although such partnerships have been a development strategy for Secret Retreats, Junca reveals that there will be an upper limit to the number of properties in its portfolio.

“We had some 30 properties when we started (in 2012), and that has since doubled in size in two years to reach 50 plus properties. However, we won’t grow beyond 100,” stressed Junca, elaborating that a bigger portfolio would dilute the exclusivity that members currently enjoy.

The collection will not be expanding beyond Asia too, confirmed Junca, while destinations in the pipeline are Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and Myanmar.

It is this “Asian dedication” that compelled Bangkok’s Cabochon Hotel & Residence to become a member of Secret Retreats instead of other global representation companies like Relais & Châteaux, shared executive hotel manager, Shaubai Yeh.

For Bhusnisa Utayanwutikul, villa manager at the six-villa Chakrabongse Villas, while other distribution channels like Booking.com and Agoda bring in booking volume and new market sources like China, it is Secret Retreats that best represents the position of the property.

THERE are currently no plans for direct flights between Myanmar and Yogyakarta on Garuda Indonesia, despite word going around on certain news outlets, but Myanmar’s outbound travel consultants are keen for such a service.

Several news outlets had quoted Indonesia’s ambassador to Myanmar, Ito Sumardi, as saying that the Indonesian government has held discussions with the country’s flag carrier Garuda Indonesia regarding the route. Direct flights would begin this year with the aim to boost visitor numbers between the two countries, said a Jakarta Globe report.

However, Garuda Indonesia spokesperson Ikhsan Rosan told TTG Asia e-Daily: “Garuda Indonesia is studying and monitoring the market situation, but there is no solid plan to fly the route so far.”

Visitor numbers between the two countries are currently very low, with few Myanmar tourists visiting Indonesia each year, while figures from the Myanmar Ministry of Hotels and Tourism, show that Indonesia is not a top 10 source market in Asia.

Thet Zin, director of Living Irrawaddy Travel Services said: “For Myanmar tourists going abroad, Bali is a popular destination, but other places in Indonesia are not.”

Nevertheless, she added: “But Yogyakarta has Borobudur and other temples, so I am sure demand would increase if direct flights began, especially because of visa-free travel (both ways).”

Htar Htar Hlaing, ticketing manager of Seven Diamond Express Travels, concurred that Bali is a popular Indonesian destination for Myanmar tourists, but that other destinations in the archipelago tend not to be.

Direct flights could turn the situation around though, she noted.

Additional reporting by Mimi Hudoyo

A HOST of short-term measures and a HK$180 million (US$23.2 million) war chest for the tourism sector were announced this morning by the Hong Kong government, which wants to revive the sector after it took a beating from Occupy Central last year.

Financial secretary John Tsang said measures include a six-month waiver of licence fees for 1,800 travel consultants, 2,000 hotels and guesthouses, as well as restaurants and hawkers, including the fees for restricted food permits.

Additionally, the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) will be allocated an extra HK$80 million to boost international promotions and rebuild international investor and tourist confidence.

Commenting on the announcement, Arrow Travel Agency’s managing director, Tommy Tam, said: “Licence fees cost about HK$5,000 per year, which is peanuts to us. The government should at least waive fees for one year like it did during the SARS period in 2003.

“Frankly, the consequences of Occupy Central…still affect tourism. Moreover, the extra funds for HKTB to promote overseas is not a big sum and I hope it won’t just focus on China but also longhaul destinations like Russia.”

Gray Line Tours Hong Kong’s deputy general manager, Michael Wu, was more positive, saying: “International arrivals dropped 10 per cent in October and November last year, so it’s a positive move. Indeed, the board needs more resources to build visitor confidence and drive more overnight stays from South-east Asia and markets like India, South Korea and Japan. “

A LEISURE resort village combining luxury suites and low-rise retail and restaurant developments is underway in Panglao Island, Bohol, slated for launch in 1Q2016.

The resort, named Modala or ‘gathering’ in the local tongue, is located in the vicinity of Bellevue Resort and Ananyana Beach Resort & Spa on Doljo Point.

The 20ha project will have 68 rooms and two levels of retail shops and restaurants in the first phase of development, said Randy Salvador, resort manager of the resort operator, Raintree Hospitality Group.

“It’s a beachfront property, the first of its kind in the Philippines, with a ‘multifaceted’ environment – a mall attached to a hotel, but in a beach setting,” he explained.

Different room categories, including two-room and junior suites will be offered, with room sizes averaging 38m², Salvador said. A beach-facing pavilion good for 150 pax will also be a key feature of the resort, “perfect for MICE” and ideal for weddings.

TTG Asia e-Daily understands more rooms and boutique properties are expected to to rise in the resort in the future.

Modala joins a number of hotel and resort projects planned for Bohol, which include the soft opening of the 208-key Be Resorts Bohol next month, and the 400-room Henann Resort on Alona beach, which soft opens by May.

BOOKINGS for Princess Cruises’ voyages to Europe and Alaska will open on March 19 and ahead of that, the cruise operator has unveiled the upcoming routes and itineraries.

Princess Cruises’ Europe sailings will be operated by its five ships including the newest and largest vessels, Royal Princess and Regal Princess. Highlights include the cruise line’s return to the Canary Islands and maiden ports of call in Croatia, Ireland, Norway and Scotland.

Its series of British Isles Cruises will see Caribbean Princess anchored in the region for summer and sailing between the UK, Ireland and Scotland, while Pacific Princess will call at maiden ports in Ullapool in Scotland, and Galway on the Irish west coast as part of a 14-day Irish Counties & Scottish Highlands itinerary. Cruises depart from London (Dover).

Other notable itineraries include North Cape sailings to the Arctic Circle during the peak midnight sun period on Emerald Princess and Pacific Princess. Emerald Princess will also visit Norwegian fjords and Pacific Princess will perform maiden call at Haugesund, Norway.

Princess Cruises’ Alaska cruises are also opening for booking soon with 106 depatures from Seattle, San Francisco, Vancouver and Whittier on offer.

Popular itineraries include Voyage of the Glaciers sailing between Vancouver and Whittier to visit UNESCO-listed Glacier Bay National Park.

Over 20 additional land-tour options will also allow passengers to explore the Denali area and beyond, with a new option to buy a prepaid meal package for the land portion.

More information is available on the Princess Cruises website.