PAN Pacific Hotels Group today launched Parkroyal Nay Pyi Taw in the Myanmar capital, marking its second Parkroyal property in the country.

The 180-room hotel is strategically located close to Myanmar International Convention Centre, the official venue of government functions, and opens with 90 rooms available. The remainder is expected to be fully operational by end -2014.

Parkroyal Nay Pyi Taw offers an all-day dining restaurant, spa, gym, swimming pool and a range of meeting facilities (TTG Asia e-Daily, February 11, 2014).

“As an early and successful player in Myanmar’s hotel industry, Pan Pacific Hotels Group is keen to capitalise on business opportunities within the flourishing tourism sector to solidify our position as one of the leading international hotel operators in the country,” says Bernold O Schroeder, CEO, Pan Pacific Hotels Group.

“The opening of Parkroyal Nay Pyi Taw in such a prominent location in the capital will give the brand greater visibility and boost the Group’s Myanmar portfolio.”

Meanwhile, Parkroyal Yangon is also to undergo renovations for refreshed dining spaces, lobby and meeting and entertainment facilities.

In 2013, Pan Pacific entered a joint venture agreement with Myanmar’s Shwe Taung Group to develop the country’s first Pan Pacific hotel (TTG Asia e-Daily, October 30, 2013).

Scheduled to open in 2017, the 348-room Pan Pacific Yangon will be located in the heart of Yangon city centre, opposite the popular Bogyoke Aung San (Scott) Market.

THE Ascott has purchased an operational serviced residence in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong Island and will rebrand it to Citadines Mercer Hong Kong in 3Q2014.

The 55-unit property is located next to Hong Kong’s central business district, close to Soho and the famous Lan Kwai Fong.

Lee Chee Koon, CEO, said: “One of Ascott’s growth strategies is to look for prime operating serviced residences in gateway cities which will provide us with faster time to market.

“Adding a fourth property to our portfolio in Hong Kong will give us economies of scale and further strengthen Ascott’s leadership position as the largest international serviced residence owner-operator in (Greater) China with more than 10,300 apartment units in 57 properties across 20 cities.”

Meanwhile, managing director for North Asia, Kevin Goh, said that demand for serviced residences from expatriates and travellers is strong. He pointed out that Citadines Ashley Hong Kong, the first Citadines property in the SAR, has been seeing occupancy of above 90 per cent since its inception in 2006.

Citadines Mercer Hong Kong will offer one-bedroom apartments featuring a kitchenette, living and work spaces, a residents’ lounge, gym and swimming pool.

The Ascott is scheduled to launch Somerset Victoria Park Hong Kong in the third quarter and rebrand another serviced residence on Connaught Road in 2015.

In a separate development, Ascott today also announced it has partnered James Cook University to offer a direct path to a business degree programme for those studying for a Singapore Workforce Skills Qualifications Diploma in Tourism (Accommodation Management) at the Ascott Centre for Excellence.

Appointed by the Singapore Workforce Development Agency, the Ascott Centre for Excellence is the first and only continuing education and training centre for the hospitality sector that is run by a hospitality company.

BUDGET carriers AirAsia and AirAsia X have insisted on staying at the low-cost carrier terminal in Sepang after May 9 despite having been told that Kuala Lumpur International Airport’s (KLIA) low-cost terminal will cease operations following the opening of the klia2 on May 2.

The airlines want issues on safety and security at klia2 as well as the potential rise in airport charges and passenger service charge, which could raise the overall cost of travel, to be addressed before they relocated, The Star reported today.

LCCs currently operate at KLIA’s budget terminal that is scheduled to shut on May 9, one week after the new klia2 airport, which serves only budget airlines, is to open for business.

While the move was described as imminent by Aireen Omar, CEO of AirAsia Malaysia, she was quoted by The Star as having said: “We want to ensure our guests will have a seamless journey, without any disruptions that might potentially be caused by any periodic remedial measures undertaken by klia2.”

Meanwhile, Adam Kamal, general manager of Rakyat Travel said: “This issue has to be quickly resolved as it would cause confusion among travellers. Until this matter is resolved, we cannot confirm point of departure and arrivals for our fixed departures on AirAsia and AirAsia X.”

Ganneesh Ramaa, manager at Luxury Tours Malaysia opined that the AirAsia group should sit down at the table with Malaysia Airports Holdings to resolve issues for the benefit of travellers and the image of the country.

He added: “If it remains at the current low-cost carrier terminal, it would incur extra transportation costs for transit passengers and this runs contrary to the AirAsia’s brandingNow everyone can fly.”

MALAYSIA Airlines’ flight MH370 weighed heavily on the minds of aviation industry leaders at an IATA conference today, with the association announcing the formation of a task force for global aircraft tracking and passenger data to prevent a repeat of the tragedy.

Tony Tyler, director general and CEO, said at the opening of the IATA OPS Conference in Kuala Lumpur that MH370 had proven the airline industry has two clear challenges that need to be overcome – aircraft tracking and passenger data.

“In a world where our every move seems to be tracked, there is disbelief both that an aircraft could simply disappear and that the flight data and cockpit voice recorders are so difficult to recover…We cannot let another aircraft simply vanish,” he said.

“IATA will convene an expert task force that will include ICAO participation to ensure that the work is well-coordinated. This group will examine all of the options available for tracking commercial aircraft against the parameters of implementation, investment, time and complexity to achieve the desired coverage. The group will report its conclusions by December 2014, reflecting the need for urgent action and careful analysis,” Tyler explained.

Meanwhile, he urged governments to review processes for vetting and using passenger data, as well as to standardise passenger data collected on ICAO criteria; eliminate collection of data in paper; and create a single harmonised window through which airlines can submit electronic data to governments.

Tyler shared that IATA has set up the Global Aviation Data Management project as a comprehensive safety data warehouse, collecting analysis reports on accidents, incidents, ground damage, maintenance and audits. It also covers data from over 1.8 million flights in the last 15 months

The association also released its commercial aviation safety performance report for 2013 today.

According to the report there were 210 fatalities from accidents in 2013, down from 414 in 2012. In 2013, 81 accidents took place. This is up from 75 in 2012 but below the five-year average of 86 per year.

Sixteen of these accidents in 2013 were fatal, higher than the 15 in 2012 and below the five-year average of 19.

Accidents occurring during aircraft departure from a runway on landing or takeoff were the most common type of accident, making up 23 per cent of all accidents in the last five years, though chances of survival in such cases were high.

– Read Painful lessons from MH370

DMC Khiri Travel is extending an upscale option for passengers travelling on the train between Luang Prabang and Hanoi via its luxury carriage.

The public train service was restarted in June last year and carries passengers on part of the former Indochinese colonial rail network.

While demand from budget travellers has been healthy, Western clients are also keen to travel this route in more comfort, said Willem Niemeijer, CEO of Khiri Travel.

The DMC has thus added a six-pax luxury carriage that comes with air-conditioned sleeper cabins, a lounge with F&B service and enlarged windows for better views. The overnight journeys ends in the destination in the mid-morning the next day.

Departures leave Laos’ Luang Prabang on Tuesday and Saturday mornings, with the return leg leaving Hanoi on Thursdays and Mondays.

The first departure leaves today and rides are fully booked until mid-May. “We have been very impressed by the demand from western European travellers seeking an authentic Mekong travel experience,” said Niemeijer.

Travel tariffs for the trips depend on the season. Travel consultants can email luxtrain@khiri.com and quote booking code, “Midnight Express”, for more information.

*There’s no Midnight Express. Happy April Fools’! 

HYATT Hotels & Resorts today opened the doors of its first Hyatt Regency in Shanghai, which is also the first international upscale resort on Chongming Island.

Located on the retreat destination of Chongming Island, the hotel is 90 minutes away from downtown Shanghai and linked to the mainland by a tunnel and bridge. It is situated beside the Dongtan Wetlands Park and a migratory bird reserve.

Christopher Koehler, vice president of operations, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, China, said: “Hyatt has already established a strong brand presence with four hotels in Shanghai, and we are excited to further expand our brand presence in this important market with the introduction of the Hyatt Regency brand. Hyatt Regency Chongming demonstrates our commitment to thoughtful and harmonious growth in China by bringing convenience and hospitality to a previously untapped nature-based lifestyle destination.”

The 235-key hotel comprises of five buildings connected by a covered Chinese-style walkway and extensive landscaped gardens. Rooms are equipped with free Wi-Fi access and mini bar, MP3 player docking stations and private balconies or courtyards with ocean or garden views.

Furthermore, it will also be the first pet-friendly Hyatt hotel in China with 25 dedicated dog-friendly rooms with enclosed outdoor courtyards and “special canine comforts”.

The Regency Club is housed separately and offers Regency Club guests free breakfast, all-day refreshments, evening cocktails, use of the boardroom and outdoor terrace.

Guests can dine at any of five F&B outlets on site, including Pin Yue for Chongming and Shanghai cuisine and the Tea House for Chinese snacks.

The hotel is also the first Hyatt property to introduce The Campus meetings and events concept in China, which aims to evoke the nostalgia of university life. The Campus comprises a Lecture Hall, three Classrooms, a versatile space called the Cafeteria and six Song & Games rooms totalling 1,440m² in space. There is also a 630m² Regency Ballroom opening out to a walled garden, five salons and boardrooms and a Regency Lawn for larger al fresco events.

ONEWORLD has welcomed two airlines into its fold for a combined 20 per cent increase in annual flight capacity across the alliance.

US Airways and Sao Paulo-based TAM Airlines officially joined the airline alliance yesterday, marking their departures from Star Alliance. The addition of both airlines give Oneworld close to 100 new destinations and a 20 per cent boost in annual capacity.

US Airways’ regional affiliates, operating as US Airways Express, will be Oneworld affiliate members under American Airlines Group until US Airways completes its full integration with American Airlines under its merger (TTG Asia e-Daily, November 14, 2014).

US Airways and its affiliates fly to over 200 destinations in 30 countries.

TAM’s partner in LATAM Airlines Group, LAN Airlines, has been a member of Oneworld since 2000, while TAM serves 61 destinations across 16 countries in Latin America, the US and Europe. It brings to Oneworld 45 destinations in Brazil.

With TAM and US Airways under the Oneworld umbrella, their frequent flyer programmes have also been aligned with the alliance’s. Loyalty programme members will retain all points or miles earned and the move to Oneworld has no impact on their tier status.

TAM Fidelidade Black and Red Plus cardholders and US Airways Dividend Miles Chairman’s Preferred cardholders now have the top Emerald status in the Oneworld programme.

Top-tier members will have access to a host of benefits across the Oneworld alliance network including use of lounges and quicker check-ins.

WAKA Hotels & Resorts has relaunched the WakaGangga resort in Bali following a multi-million dollar complete upgrade and expansion, in the wake of a major corporate restructuring last year.

The 27-villa resort retains its low density, eco-friendly concept and traditional elements that blend into the natural landscape, while incorporating modern facilities such as flat-screen televisions and Wi-Fi access that it did not offer previously.

On Waka Hotels & Resorts’ restructuring, Kamal Kaul, president & CEO, said: “This is an exciting project for Waka Hotels & Resorts as it marks a new beginning for the company.”

“We wanted to consolidate the brand and bring it back to its roots and focus on giving our guests a quality, Balinese experience.”

The former Waka Group hospitality division, which has managed and owned a number of resorts, cruises and beach clubs in Bali since 1970s, created a new corporate brand – Waka Hotels & Resorts – in December 2012.

To manage Waka Hotels & Resorts, the Waka brand owners and K2 Consulting, a hotel management and consultancy company established by Kaul, have jointly incorporated WHM Indonesia.

The consolidation in 2012 saw four resorts leaving the group. Waka Hotels & Resorts now operates the WakaGangga resort in Tabanan and NusaBay by WHM on Nusa Lemabongan Island, WakaSailing ocean cruiser, WakaLandCruise that offers adventure day trips on Land Rovers, and WakaBeachClub on Lembongan Island, as well as Waka Residences.

Apart from the WakaGangga, the company’s other products have also been undergoing upgrading for consistency in product design and service delivery across all units, according to Kaul.

LANGKAWI’S first integrated leisure, retail, residential and commercial project is set to come up in the north-west Pantai Kok-Teluk Burau area of the island in the next decade, while a Movie Animation Park Studios theme park is slated for development in Meru, Perak.

Property and leisure group Tradewinds is pumping in some RM4 billion (US$1.2 billion) into the first project, Perdana Quay, and is targeting luxury travellers, reported Malaysian newspapers yesterday.

The project spans 10 to 12 years and will be built in six construction phases covering a total of 96 hectares of land. Phase one and two will include nature and family-oriented attractions such as butterfly, forest and water-themed adventure parks.

According to a recent report in Malaysian daily The Star, phase three will see the development of retail outlets, hotel and convention facilities aimed at Malaysia’s traditional tourist markets – China, Middle East and the UK.

The report further added that phase four and six will roll out the marina, waterfront, foothills and lakeside-serviced residences while phase five will see the construction of a spa and wellness centre.

Tradewinds’ group chief executive officer, Shaharul Farez Hassan, was quoted as saying: “It is a unique destination providing an enviable mix of luxurious resort hotels, vibrant yet refined shopping and entertainment, unique nature-themed tourist attractions and distinctive residential properties.”

Meanwhile Australia-based multi-national corporation, Sanderson Group, is making its inaugural investment in Malaysia to develop a Movie Animation Park Studios (MAPS) which is scheduled for completion by end-2015.

Located on a 20.8-hectare site in Meru, off the North-south Expressway, the project is a partnership between Sanderson Group and Perak Corporation.

MAPS will feature six zones and will bring to life DreamWorks animated features such as Mr Peabody & Sherman and Casper the Friendly Ghost.

*This article originally reported that the new MAPS theme park would be located in Meru, Selangor instead of Meru, Perak. It has been rectified for accuracy.