TTG Asia e-Daily will be taking a well-deserved break from December 22 after a fruitful year. We look forward to coming back stronger on January 5, 2015 and to continue bringing you the most breaking news in the travel trade.

From the entire TTG Asia Media team, here’s wishing all readers a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

INTERCONTINENTAL Hotels Group (IHG) has entered into a management agreement with Indonesia’s Ciputra Puri Trisula, part of Ciputra Property, to develop the third InterContinental property in the country.

Located in the CBD of West Jakarta, Puri Kembangan, the new development comprises the 200-room InterContinental Jakarta West and 150-key InterContinental Jakarta West Residences, which will be part of the 74,000m² Ciputra International Complex owned by Ciputra Puri Trisula.

When complete, InterContinental Jakarta West will be situated alongside six office buildings and three apartment blocks, linked by a lifestyle and retail section.

The hotel will feature F&B options such as an all-day diner, a deli, a specialty restaurant and a lobby lounge. For recreational facilities, guests at the hotel can go to the spa or club lounge, whilst those staying at the serviced apartments can enjoy the residents’ lounge or joint facilities such as the pool and health club.

Catering to business travellers as well, InterContinental Jakarta West will offer a ballroom, meeting spaces as well as a business centre.

The hotel is a short distance away from the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport and its location at Jakarta Outer Ring Road provides quick access to core areas of the city.

Clarence Tan, senior vice president, development, Asia, Middle East & Africa, IHG, said: “Indonesia has been a key growth market for IHG in recent years and the country now holds our largest pipeline in South-east Asia. There is still much room for growth in the various cities across the country and West Jakarta, as one of the fastest growing districts in the city and the capital’s next CBD, is the ideal location to open our second InterContinental in Jakarta.”

Artadinata Djangkar, director of Ciputra Group, said: “West Jakarta is rapidly developing as a commercial hub. With two convention centres and other mega-complex developments coming up over the next few years, we anticipate that the area will become a preferred destination for meetings and events in Jakarta. This is a great time for us to be developing InterContinental Jakarta West, and we foresee the strategic location and strong design element of the hotel and residences to be a huge draw to people travelling to West Jakarta.”

InterContinental Jakarta West joins IHG’s pipeline of 29 properties opening in Indonesia over the next five years. There are four InterContinental properties in the pipeline, including InterContinental Dago Pakar and InterContinental Bali Canggu Resort.

EMIRATES will upgrade one of its thrice-daily services between Dubai and Perth to an Airbus A380 aircraft, commencing May 1, 2015.

The change from a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft will increase capacity on the sector by 136 seats per flight and 1,904 seats per week.

Emirates’ Perth A380 service will operate daily as EK420, departing Dubai at 02.55 and arriving at Perth International Airport at 17.35 the same day. The return flight, EK421, will depart Perth at 22.10 and arrive in Dubai the following day at 05.25, a flying time of 11 hours 15 minutes.

“For business and leisure travellers, the Dubai-Perth route is a popular choice and our new Emirates A380 service will be instrumental in helping the airline meet this growing passenger demand as well as deliver substantial economic benefits through travel connections and inbound seats,” said Barry Brown, Emirates’ divisional senior vice president, commercial operations – east.

“Australian customers are strategic to Emirates, and the deployment of a fifth Emirates A380 service to the country in association with Qantas demonstrates this further,” he added.

Together with Qantas, from May 2015, a total of seven daily A380 services will operate from Dubai to Australia with onward connections across the country via Qantas’ domestic network.

Besides the announcement of the A380 service to Perth, Emirates also recently introduced a daily A380 service to Brisbane and Melbourne, a twice-daily A380 service to Sydney and a daily Adelaide service.

VIETNAMESE travel and hospitality company Thien Minh Group (TMG) and Flight Centre Travel Group (FLT)’s joint venture DMC is set to launch in Singapore on January 15, 2015, with plans to expand the Buffalo Tours brand throughout Asia.

Buffalo Tours Singapore will provide tours, excursions, transfers and other “at destination” services to FLT’s businesses and third-party wholesales at key locations throughout the region.

Specifically, the joint venture will operate and expand the existing Buffalo Tours businesses in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar, which are expected to be formally transferred into the venture late in 1H2015. These businesses are aligned to the larger Buffalo Tours business in Vietnam, which is not part of the new venture but will remain FLT’s DMC partner in the country.

The partnership will also progressively launch new Buffalo Tours businesses in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, China and Japan, which will become FLT’s DMC partner in all of the chosen markets.

CEO and founder of TMG and Buffalo Tours, Tran Trong Kien, said: “The partnership with FLT will significantly boost the expansion pace of the group through Buffalo Tours. With presence in major destinations in Asia, Buffalo Tours will be able to offer comprehensive DMC services for Asia travel to our existing and new wholesale clients with greater purchasing advantages.”

FLT managing director Graham Turner said the company’s expansion into destination management was a logical progression. “By expanding our relationship with Buffalo Tours we gain the immediate benefits of working with an experienced partner with a proven track record as a DMC, access to a new revenue stream – we are effectively bringing business that was previously transacted externally in-house – and greater influence over the product offering for our customers.”

He added: “In the longer term, there is also opportunity to expand the Buffalo Tours product range and, given that the model is replicable, grow the business organically. This move is aligned with both our acquisition strategy of expanding vertically into capital-light travel industry sectors and our aim of owning more of the product we sell, rather than always being an agent or middleman.”

Both FLT and TMG will initially contribute US$1.5 million in capital, with FLT holding a 49 per cent interest in the partnership, and will have three representatives each on the joint venture board.

FOLLOWING an extensive four-month renovation, Heritage Suites Hotel, a boutique retreat in Siem Reap, has revealed its 20 newly refurbished lavish suites. The refurbishment will be fully completed in 1Q2015.

“This renovation symbolises another milestone for Heritage Suites Hotel and this makeover is part of our continuing journey to enrich and nourish the experience for today’s discerning travellers and strengthen the brand’s position as one of the finest boutique properties in Siem Reap and Cambodia,” said Magnus Olovson, general manager and partner of Heritage Suites Hotel.

Divided into three categories, the spacious guest suites are rejuvenated with stylish contemporary décor and a spectrum of new additions including indoor stucco showers, plush armchairs, outdoor shower walls and hanging egg chairs in the private garden.

The 17 Bungalow Suites, decorated in a blend of Asian and Art Deco themes, are equipped with private lush gardens, outdoor showers and bathtubs across 75m² of space, while the two Executive Suites feature the addition of an outdoor Jacuzzi. The exclusive Red Poppy Suite, at 158m² , boasts two king-size beds, a private garden, a large Jacuzzi and cosy sunbeds.

The upgraded suites also show support for the local community and Cambodian workmanship, with handcrafted furniture such as the ergonomic sofas and lamps custom designed and made by Cambodian artisans; woven round mats from water hyacinth, products of a collaboration with local NGO Osmose; artworks by Cambodian artist Theam’s House and Angkor Artwork; and locally made bath amenities derived from fine, natural ingredients by Bodia Nature.

HAPPY Trails Indonesia, a Bali-based DMC established since 2003, will open its first branch office in Jogjakarta come January 2015.

Gerald van Amerongen, CEO of Happy Trails Indonesia, said: “An increasing number of guests visit Jogjakarta and Java each year. We decided to have the first branch in Jogjakarta because it is the most-visited destination by our guests after Bali.

“Centrally located in Java, Jogjakarta provides various advantages as well. For example, this (new branch) makes it easier for our operational team to coordinate assistance to our guests in Java.”

Ratna Eka Soebrata, assistant to the managing director, Happy Trails Indonesia added that apart from supporting the Bali office in groundhandling, the branch office will create its own products covering various market segments.

“These will range from adventures such as mountain climbing and cycling tours to cultural visits and shows such as dance classes or batik making. We will also provide tailor-made travel services for both pre-booked and walk-in clients.”

After Jogjakarta, Happy Trails Indonesia is considering to open its second branch office in Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara to serve travellers visiting Komodo, Flores and the neighbouring islands.

TAILOR-MADE tour specialist Bespoke Beijing has opened a new office in Shanghai, changing the name of the six-year-old firm to become Bespoke Travel Company to reflect its growth and expansion in China.

Founder and CEO Sarah Keenlyside said the launch of the Shanghai office was fuelled by demand for travellers seeking travel experiences provided by specialists with their finger on the pulse of the city.

“For a travel company to do a great job of your trip, it needs not just any staff but a team of internationally minded individuals who live and breathe that city on a daily basis, and who are as obsessed with the latest new restaurant opening as they are with traffic flow,” she said.

On board the Shanghai office are two staff with years of experience in the industry and the city, she added.

Keenlyside said the tour programmes in Shanghai will be more glamorous compared to Beijing’s “earthy experiences”, and will range from excursions in the Yu Gardens with a poet to Art Deco discovery walks abd bespoke cocktail experiences.

Bespoke Travel Company offers itinerary design, smart car hire, knowledgeable local Chinese tour guides and new expert-led Signature Experiences.