TRAVEL experts in Myanmar are struggling with high hotel rates as the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism’s price cap fails to cool the market (TTG Asia e-Daily, July 6, 2012).

Frank Janmaat, group general manager of Amata Resort & Spa, said: “A number of foreign tour operators have taken Myanmar out of their programmes because of the continuously rising prices for hotel rooms and transportation. It is difficult to sell your client (when) for the same price. you can either get two nights in a five-star hotel in Bangkok or one night in a three-star hotel in Yangon.”

The ministry introduced the US$150 per room per night cap in 2012 following complaints from travel companies, but rates for a five-star hotel now hover around US$250.

The ministry will not recommend visa extensions for general managers of hotels found flouting the price cap, while lease extensions could also be threatened.

However, Aye Kyaw, managing director of Rubyland Travel and Tour Yangon, said hotels were still ignoring the ruling. “If we compare hotel prices here with neighbouring countries, obviously Myanmar is very expensive. So my concern is if prices continue to increase like this, we might lose some of our potential markets or customers.”

Commented Janmaat: “As long as hotel owners do not take responsibility for the future of tourism in Myanmar, we will be back to our 2008 number of arrivals very soon.”

THE room boom in Makati City in Manila continues unabated across different segments in the hotel sector, and travel consultants are crossing their fingers that it will translate into lower room rates.

Scheduled openings this year include the 141-suite Discovery Primea on Ayala Avenue, where opening rates will start at 10,000 pesos (US$ 224) for the lowest category,  and the 189-room Tune Hotel (TTG Asia e-Daily, October 10, 2013), also on Ayala Avenue.

A 401-key Worldhotels hotel and a 324-room Mövenpick hotel, both in the Makati Avenue area, are expected within the next two years. The 169-room Y2 Residence Hotel opened earlier this month off Makati Avenue.

Travel experts hope that rates will decrease, relative to cities like Bangkok that Manila is often compared to. “If you compare our rates to those in Bangkok for three-, four-, and five-star hotels, their rates are generally lower,” said Patty Chiong, general manager, Guatson International Travel & Tour.

However, Marlene Jante, president, Queenspoint Travel & Tours, was more concerned about the disparity between contracted rates for offline agencies and OTAs, as well as the progressive crowding in the city.

“For you to have more tourists in areas like Makati, there should also be a more friendly environment…less pollution, less traffic,” she said.

STARWOOD Hotels & Resorts has announced plans to open six new hotels in Australia and the Pacific this year under the Sheraton brand name.

Sean Hunt, regional vice president, Pacific, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, said: “We are embarking on a milestone year for Starwood’s growth and development in the Pacific.

“I am confident that the strength of our brands, especially Sheraton, will fulfil robust demand for upper-scale hospitality offerings in Australia, the region’s mature market, as well as in emerging resort isles – providing a range of excellent facilities for both business and leisure travellers.”

The new hotels to open this year are: Sheraton Melbourne Hotel; Four Points by Sheraton Brisbane; Sheraton Resort & Spa, Tokoriki Island, Fiji; Sheraton New Caledonia Deva Resort & Spa; Sheraton Samoa Aggie Grey’s Resort; and Sheraton Samoa Aggie Grey’s Hotel.

Sheraton Melbourne’s opening heralds the return of the brand after nearly 10 years’ absence, and will offer guests 174 rooms, a signature restaurant, Terrace Bar, heated indoor pool, business centre and more than 650m² in meeting space.

The 246-key Four Points by Sheraton Brisbane is set to debut in March, with meeting rooms, a fully equipped gym, all-day dining restaurant, casual café/bar and high-speed Internet access.

In the Pacific, the Sheraton Resort & Spa, Tokoriki Island, Fiji will be launched in March. It has 101 guestrooms, an outdoor pool, a “Gold Class” theatre for up to 50 guests, three F&B outlets, a spa and state-of-the-art functions spaces.

Newly built Sheraton New Caledonia Deva Resort & Spa will open in July featuring 180 rooms, two large meeting spaces, and a house reef for diving and snorkelling.

Starwood will bring the Sheraton brand to Samoa this year through the recently signed management agreement for the 140-key Sheraton Samoa Aggie Grey’s Resort and 198-room Sheraton Samoa Aggie Grey’s Hotel.

Both will offer large outdoor fantasy pools, restaurants and bars and meeting spaces.

PATA is calling for responses from young Asian travellers for a study on their demographic, which has caught the attention of the international travel trade as Asian economies boom.

The survey is open to travellers between 16 and 35 years of age from Brunei, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Taipei, Thailand and Vietnam.

Answers will be used in a new report called The Rise of the Young Asian Traveller, scheduled to be launched in April.

All participants will be entered into a prize draw for a two-night stay at Aloft Hotel Sukhumvit 11 Bangkok, among others.

The survey is available here in English, Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Thai, and will run until March 14.

SILVERNEEDLE Hospitality will add Country Comfort Ballarat to its Australian network from March 1, marking the company’s eighth property in the state of Victoria.

Country Comfort Ballarat is a 25-key hotel situated in the former gold mining town of Ballarat, minutes away from the city centre.

It features two function rooms, a restaurant, bar and free Wi-Fi in all guestrooms.

CARLSON Rezidor Hotel Group this week launched two new international hotel brands – the technology-focused Radisson Red and luxury Quorvus Collection.

The hotel company hopes to position Radisson Red within a new industry category, Lifestyle Select, denoting an upscale, select service concept that recognises the growing importance of technology in the daily lives of travellers.

Part of the Radisson Red focus on technology will extend to a mobile app allowing guests to skip reception for check-in, place orders for food or taxis, manage their guest preferences and in-room environment through their devices.

Carlson Rezidor will roll out the brand simultaneously in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific in 2015.

The second brand, Quorvus Collection, is a portfolio of curated luxury, five-star hotels that promises to offer a distinctive experience. Each will feature a list of services based on six core lifestyle elements: Wellness, Replenishment, Style, Inspiration, Entertainment and Connectivity.

The first members of the Quorvus Collection will be unveiled in 2Q2014, according to a Carlson Rezidor media statement.

Trudy Rautio, president and CEO of Carlson Rezidor, called the two new brands “the first manifestations” of Carlson’s Vision 20/20 that aims to improve guest experiences through technological innovations and guest service.

Radisson Red and Quorvus Collection join Carlson Rezidor’s stable of brands that include Radisson Blu, Radisson, Park Plaza, Park Inn by Radisson, and Country Inns & Suites by Carlson.