Novotel Pune begins welcoming guests

December 13, 2013

NOVOTEL Pune opened its doors earlier this week, becoming the latest property to debut under Accor’s Novotel brand in 4Q2013 after Novotel Goa Shrem Resort and Novotel Ahmedabad.

Jean-Michel Cassé, senior vice president, operations, Accor India, said: “Accor is focused on India as a core growth market and the expansion of the Novotel brand in 2013 has been positive with three significant openings during the year. Novotel Pune is the eighth Accor property in Maharashtra.”

Novotel Pune offers 223 guest rooms including 14 suites, five F&B outlets, and flexible banquet offerings with a divisible ballroom and six additional meeting rooms across 1,022m²of indoor and outdoor space. An interactive virtual concierge service allows guests to browse information of the hotel and the neighbourhood via a touch screen panel.

The hotel’s general manager, Bandish Mehta, said: “Initially, we are looking at ARRs of around US$81.12 and an average occupancy of 50 per cent. We expect 70 per cent of our business will come from corporate and MICE segments and the rest from the leisure segment.”

In 2014, the French hospitality group will keep up its expansion plans in India, with 10 new properties in the pipeline.

Cassé said: “We are entering new markets like Kolkata and Chennai. We have five hotels under construction in Chennai, and the first two hotels opening will be a Novotel and Ibis. We are opening a Novotel property in Kolkata early next year.

“Even though we are present in Gurgaon, we have no property in Delhi. Next year will also see the opening of first Pullman, Novotel and Ibis at the Aerocity, (where) we have 1,100 rooms under development,” he added.

SIA broadens Taiwan flight options through EVA Air codeshare

By TTG Asia

December 13, 2013

SINGAPORE Airlines (SIA) announced yesterday a new codeshare agreement with Taiwan-based EVA Air.

The deal will see SIA add its code to an EVA-operated flight between Singapore and Taipei, while EVA will tag its code to SIA flights on the route.

Passengers of both airlines will thus be able to choose from three flights for travel, with SIA running two flights and EVA the third.

EVA Air became a member of Star Alliance in June this year (TTG Asia e-Daily, June 20, 2013), joining other airlines such as SIA in the alliance.

Fujita Kanko launches budget property in Sendai

By TTG Asia

December 13, 2013

JAPANESE hospitality company Fujita Kanko has opened a new hotel in the northern city of Sendai under its Washington brand, which the company says is a “high grade of budget hotels”.

The 223-key, newly built Sendai Washington Hotel is located across the JR station in Sendai, the capital city of Miyagi prefecture and largest city in Tohoku region.

All guestrooms come with free Wi-Fi while a women-only section of the hotel offers rooms with amenities and décor catering to the female traveller.

Additionally, Sendai Washington Hotel features a restaurant serving local products and Sendai specialties.

Fujita Kanko operates another eight Washington hotels in Tohoku region, the upscale Towada Hotel in Akita Prefecture, and Hotel Chinzanso in Tokyo that was last year rebranded from the Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo (TTG Asia e-Daily, June 29, 2012).

Outrigger revamps education programme, throws in bonus promotions

By TTG Asia

December 13, 2013

OUTRIGGER Hotels and Resorts has relaunched its education and loyalty programme for participating travel consultants.

Renamed Outrigger Expert Agent from Outrigger Specialist Program, the refreshed programme has also been migrated to a new technology platform with enhanced functionality to allow consultants to easily keep track of their learning course.

“This accessibility feature is something our (travel consultant) members have been asking for. The simpler navigation and clearer presentation of courses also make the portal more user-friendly,” said Elizabeth Agustin, integrated marketing manager for Outrigger Enterprises Group.

“Internally, it gives us the ability to update the training materials more easily and quickly to make sure we always are offering the most current, accurate information to our Outrigger Expert Agents,” she added.

Two bonus promotions are being offered to certified consultants as part of the relaunch.

Those who complete any of the five optional learning courses and quizzes before January 31, 2014 will earn double Expert Reward Points, plus two Continuing Education Units towards the Certified Travel Associates and Certified Travel Counselors designations upon successful completion of each of the five Outrigger learning courses.

In addition, they can also earn double reward points for qualified bookings made from October 15 to December 21, 2013 for client stays at the Outrigger Reef on the Beach from October 15 to December 21, 2013 and from April 28 to June 13, 2014.

Current certified Outrigger Hospitality Specialists will automatically be registered in the new programme as Outrigger Expert Agents, and will be able to download a copy of a new certificate in their name with the new Outrigger Expert Agent logo. Other key components, such as booking procedures and reward points redemption, remain unchanged.

More information about the Outrigger Expert Agent is available at www.outriggeragent.com.

Jetstar Asia ups Penang flight capacity for Lunar New Year

By TTG Asia

December 13, 2013

JETSTAR Asia is ramping up Singapore-Penang flights during the Lunar New Year period in 2014 to meet an anticipated increase in demand.

Nine additional flights will operate on top of the LCC’s regular double daily return service between January 28 and February 9, 2014.

For the exact dates and timings of the flights, visit Jetstar.com.

Singapore and Malaysia will mark the Lunar New Year with public holidays on January 31 and February 1, 2014.

Accor divides into two business units under new restructuring plan

By TTG Asia

December 13, 2013

ACCOR has redefined its business model, splitting the company into two divisions based on its core competencies of asset management and services to owners.

HotelServices will be the hotel operator and brand franchisor arm that focuses on fees and P&Ls for the group’s 3,600 hotels under 14 different brands, while the yield-oriented arm, HotelInvest, will act as the hotel owner and investor for its 1,400 owned or leased properties.

Driving Accor’s restructure is Sébastien Bazin, who became the group’s chairman and CEO in August (TTG Asia e-Daily, August 28, 2013). He said: “Accor is a strong and unique group poised to derive benefit from rich opportunities. However, it deserves a much higher ambition to create sustained value.

“(Accor) requires the in-depth, rapid transformation of both its business model and its organisation, as well as a clear and long term vision, and to stay the course. With this new strategy, our aim is to unlock Accor’s full potential through its two core activities and maximise value creation for shareholders.”

The French hotel group will move from its current hybrid set-up to a geography-based organisation, enabling decision-making closer to the frontline at lower running costs. The brands will be clustered in three segments – luxury/upscale, midscale and economy/budget – with synergies in support functions across the brands.

Accor will be managed by a new 10-member executive committee, including the five regional heads of operations, and Sven Boinet, who joins as group managing director, chief transformation officer, human resources and legal affairs.

DoT pushes Mindanao into tourism spotlight

By Rosa Ocampo

December 13, 2013

THE Philippines’ Department of Tourism (DoT) is focusing on developing Mindanao as a tourist destination despite security concerns in the area.

Art Boncato, assistant tourism secretary with Mindanao as a special project, said his priority is to increase accessibility by encouraging international commercial and chartered flights to come to Davao, Mindanao’s gateway and most urban destination.

He disclosed that South Korean carriers Air Busan, Jeju Air and Jin Air are considering stopping in Davao. The city is home to some 5,000 South Koreans and tourist arrivals from South Korea are on the rise.

Meanwhile, SilkAir, the only foreign carrier flying to Davao, this month raised frequencies from five to six times weekly from Singapore via Cebu.

Asked about the safety situation in Mindanao after the recent strife in Zamboanga, Boncato said: “It is most crucial…to strengthen our local government units and local communities to respond (to this kind of problem).”

He added that tourism is a vehicle to peace and tourists would come to see Mindanao as peaceful, beautiful and worth the visit. “It’s a matter of positioning and sharing it with the rest of the world,” Boncato noted.

Mindanao is currently being marketed as a mainstream destination in the country alongside Bohol and Palawan in the DoT’s promotions in Europe.

Hoshino Resorts makes maiden overseas foray with Bali resort

By Hannah Koh

December 13, 2013

HOSHINO Resorts is gearing up for the launch of its new Bali property in 2014, heralding the Japanese high-end resort operator’s arrival on the international hospitality scene.

The new resort in Ubud will be the fourth property to carry the company’s flagship brand, Hoshinoya, offering 30 rooms, a restaurant, spa, and banquet room.

“Hoshinoya is a ryokan brand, but we mix Western and traditional Japanese concepts. Our goal is to open Hoshinoya Bali in December 2014,” said Takuya Yoshioka, who handles the company’s global sales & marketing.

He expects up to 50 per cent of guests at Hoshinoya Bali to be Japanese, for whom Hoshinoya is already a household name.

The company’s expansion ambition is driven by CEO Yoshiharu Hoshino’s desire to bring Japanese brand hotels to the world, Yoshioka explained.

Acknowledging that Bali has no shortage of high-end international hotel brands, he commented: “Competition will be harsh, but we believe if we can compete in such a market, we can be an international brand. It’s very important to us that Hoshinoya Bali succeeds, and then we can move on to the next destination.”

“Someday if you go to London or Rome, we’ll be there,” he quipped.

Hoshino Resorts currently operates three Hoshinoya properties, one each in Karuizawa, Okinawa and Kyoto. In addition to Hoshinoya Bali, the company will open Hoshinoya Fuji in Yamanashi (20 to 30 rooms) in 2015 and Hoshinoya Tokyo (80 rooms) in the Marunouchi district in 2016.

It will also open two resorts under its traditional ryokan brand Kai in Tochigi’s Nikko and Kawaji in 2Q2014. Both properties are expected to have 30 rooms, each boasting a private hot spring. “The aim is to reach 30 Kai properties in the next few years,” said Yoshioka.

With Singapore being the fifth largest source market for Hoshinoya Kyoto after South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, the UK and the US, Hoshino Resorts also works with luxury travel agencies in Singapore such as Fascinating Holidays and Quintessential Travel Planner.

“We have also applied for two booths at next year’s NATAS Fair in February, one for Hoshino Resorts and one for Hoshino Resort Tomamu,” he shared.

And the smelliest news of the year goes to…

By Raini Hamdi

December 13, 2013

In case you missed the news, duly and diligently reported by TTG Asia’s network of correspondents in the region, Raini Hamdi trawls through our bounty this year and presents this collection

The Chedi one day, Anantara the next. See unfriendliest news of the year

Most inspiring news of the year
Travel agencies in the region are crossing boundaries in order to expand the size of their market. Some examples: Australia’s Corporate Travel Management acquisition of Westminster Travel Hong Kong, effective January 2014, giving it a springboard to China; STIC Travel Group India, which set up its first overseas office in Singapore to capture Asian outbound to India and bring more Indian tourists to South-east Asia; Luxury Travel Vietnam, which opened a JV, Asia Premium Travel, in Cambodia, possibly the country’s first high-end tour operator; Flight Centre Australia, which opened its fourth store in Singapore and promised to be a game-changer in how it engages today’s customers; Asiatravel.com Holdings, which inked an agreement with China Xinhua Travel Network Services to power its online wholesale system.

Most shocking news of the year
The collapse of Oad Reizen. The outbound travel company in the Netherlands had been around since 1924, sending tour groups to some 60 countries across the world. Indonesian hoteliers and ground operators said they saw numbers from OAD declining but did not see its bankruptcy coming.

Over in Spain, one of the country’s leading integrated travel groups and Asia specialists, Orizonia, also collapsed, while another, Globalia, announced plans to axe 175 of its travel agencies, a major source of clients for its longhaul tour operator, Latitudes.

Saddest news of the year
Mother Nature wielded a strong hand this year, destroying many lives and tourism livelihoods. Central Philippines is still reeling from the impact of Typhoon Haiyan. In October, Central Vietnam was whipped by a second typhoon in less than a month as Nari passed through, forcing the airport and coastal resorts to shut. Also in October, a 7.2-magnitude earthquake shook Bohol and Cebu, disrupting airport and ferry operations and destroying Bohol’s road network.

In September, Typhoon Usagi, or Odette, resulted in flight delays and cancellations to countries in its path, Philippines, Hong Kong, Macau, China and Taiwan.

In mid-June, flash floods devastated the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand. Even though only Kedarnath was affected, arrivals plunged 85 per cent.

Happiest news of the year
Om Prakash, director of Inorbit Tours Mumbai and ex-chairman of the Travel Agents Association of India Western Region, issued an open invitation to travel consultants to beat stress by joining daily laughter sessions at the Laughter Club of Worli Seaface in Mumbai. According to Prakash, laughing helps us relax our muscles, activates our immune system, reduces our stress levels, and aids us in sleeping, eating and healing.

Sounds better than Eat, Pray, Love. Make sure you laugh your way through 2014.

Friendliest news of the year
Two fiercely competing NTOs, Japan and South Korea, joined hands to offer a single vacation combining the two destinations. The initiative was a first between Japan National Tourist Organization and Korea Tourism Organization, and was driven by their directors in the Singapore office.

The ‘Kimchi & Sushi’ initiative was timely: Japan had recovered from the 3/11 tsunami, while South Korea’s Gangnam Psy-ched the NTOs up for a successful tie-up. Four carriers and 13 local travel agencies were roped in to twin the destinations in time for the NATAS Travel Fair in February this year.

Unfriendliest news of the year
Minor Hotel Group (MHG) was jubilating that it signed up its 100th property, The Chedi Chiang Mai, and was rebranding it Anantara – but we noticed legal actions being initiated by General Hotel Management (GHM) against the owning company and MHG over the management takeover. GHM said “the manner in which it was carried out was wrongful and violated key conditions and criteria from the existing agreement”.

Incidentally, has anyone noticed that the acronym MHG is GHM in the reverse?

2013 saw a string of other high-profile owner-chain partings, including Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group from the Dhara Devi in Chiang Mai (“different aspirations for its management and long-term development”), Starwood Hotels & Resorts from Le Méridien Khao Lak (effective January 15, 2014) and Hilton Worldwide from the Iru Fushi in the Maldives (“unforeseen and due to factors outside Hilton’s control”).

Sickest news of the year
A proposed plan to charge all foreign visitors to Thailand an entry fee of 500 baht (US$15.50), the money collected to solve a problem caused by a tiny number of sick or injured foreign tourists who checked into hospitals in Thailand for treatment and left behind unpaid bills, running into millions of baht a month. So the health ministry came up with the idea of how the government could foot this bill, through the entry tax. Apparently the tourism ministry supported it.

Most glamorous news of the year
And the winner goes to…Zhangjiajie National Forest Park in Hunan province, which we reported had gained greater stardom following the premiere of 2009 science-fiction movie, Avatar. The movie was filmed at the natural attraction which has spectacular columnar land formations. Bet you didn’t know that.

The number of tour groups to the national park had tripled since the movie hit the screens. There are now 854 hotels in the park, 53 of which are star-rated. Two- to three-day photography tours are even offered to avid Avatar fans who want to be photographed at specific film locations.

Least surprising news of the year
The number of international standard rooms in Yangon is set to soar within the next four years as brands enter the as-yet untapped Myanmar market, predicted Jones Lang LaSalle’s (JLL) Hotels and Hospitality Group.

While Myanmar’s Ministry of Hotels & Tourism counted 9,110 hotel rooms in the city, JLL estimated that only 1,500-2,000 were of international standard due to previous economic sanctions that kept European and American hotel operators out. This would quadruple to about 7,000 rooms by 2017, it said.

Smelliest news of the year
A 4D3N Deluxe Durian Tour Package, jointly offered by Tourism Malaysia and EGL Tours Hong Kong, sold 800 packages, recording sales of RM1.3 million (US$406,758) for 15 group departures to Penang in June and July. The package included durian sampling and buffets, along with a tour of Penang’s popular heritage sites.

Our story, Durian tours spiked sales, led us to another trail, thanks to a reader, Lindsay Gasik, who directed us to her durian blog, www.yearofthedurian.com.

We must say the Durian Porn section under Photos is juicier than porn – go check it out.

We wrote. You read and responded. Here’s a recap of the hottest stories in the Asian travel trade as covered by TTG Asia‘s team of reporters in the region

This article was first published in TTG Asia, December 13, 2013 – January 16, 2014 issue, on page 2. To read more, please view our digital edition or click here to subscribe.

If I were a hotel brand, I would be…

By Raini Hamdi

December 13, 2013

Raini Hamdi asks hotel CEOs which brand in their portfolio best fits their personality

From left: Sonia Cheng, Simon C Barlow and Ricco M deBlank

Sonia Cheng
CEO, Rosewood Hotel Group, Hong Kong

Our three brands are a reflection of me in some ways. Rosewood for its appreciation of culture and a sense of place. New World Hotels – essentially contemporary Oriental – definitely my values and outlook. But since it’s the end-of-year holiday season and I’m feeling festive, if I had to choose which brand is most ‘me’, I’d have to say pentahotels – it’s fun, forward-thinking and grounded in the community – and I’d like to think I’m the same way.

Ricco M deBlank
CEO, Sun Hung Kai Properties (SHKP), Hong Kong

I AM A RITZ-SEASONS.

Editor’s Note: No, deBlank hasn’t created a new brand. He’s a mix between Four Seasons and Ritz-Carlton, brands in SHKP’s portfolio, which also includes a Crowne Plaza and a Holiday Inn Express, among others, in Hong Kong

Simon C Barlow
President, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, Asia-Pacific, Singapore

I’m a Radisson Blu. It represents my passion for people, design, good food and of course, red wine!

From left: Glenn de Souza, with wife Lorna, and Brett Butcher

Glenn de Souza
Vice president international operations, Asia and the Middle East, Best Western International, Thailand

I’d like to think I’m a Best Western Premier (Best Western International’s top brand tier). It is designed for the adventurous traveller who appreciates unique experiences, but with all the comforts of home. That reflects me quite well, as I like to travel and my job takes me all across the world. But at the end of the day, I love to come home and enjoy life with my family and friends.

Brett Butcher
CEO, Langham Hospitality Group, Hong Kong

I’m a Langham Place. I like keeping it real and authentic yet still casual and not compromising on the quality of experience.
Langham Place is young at heart with a strong creative and less formal outlook but still delivering an excellent, luxury travel experience.
I personally enjoy art and am continuously inspired by the new ideas delivered by art. Walking through a Langham Place hotel is like walking through an art gallery.

From left: Jan Smits, Iqbal Jumabhoy and Bill Heinecke

Jan Smits
CEO, InterContinental Hotels Group, Asia, Middle East & Africa, Singapore

I’m a Holiday Inn Express, a brand grounded in strong roots yet is fresh, young at heart, exciting and represents a new way of thinking for both guests and the business. I’d like to think that we’re mixing things up in our region and paving the way for a bit of a game change in the industry.

It is also fast expanding in countries that hold a special place in my heart – namely Indonesia, where I grew up, and Australia, a place I will always call home no matter where I am in the world.

Iqbal Jumabhoy
Managing director & group CEO, SilverNeedle Hospitality, Singapore

I’m a Next Hotel, as it conjures everything modern, sophisticated and sleek where everything works seamlessly and efficiently. I’d like to think of myself as being as efficient while I multi-task, although that is perhaps best left to others to judge.

Editor’s Note: Next Hotel is a new brand by SilverNeedle Hospitality targeting modern business travellers. The first is scheduled to open in Brisbane in mid-2014.

Bill Heinecke
CEO & chairman, Minor Corporation, Thailand

I’m an Anantara. I created Anantara in 2001 because I felt there was a need for a hotel brand that combines luxury with a sense of adventure and discovery in exotic locations across the planet.

I take great pride in the destination experience philosophy that lies at the heart of the Anantara brand, and in my heart too. Each Anantara has been designed to capture the individual soul and culture of its location, be it in the mountains of the Golden Triangle, the unspoiled beauty of the Maldives, the towering red dunes of the Liwa Desert in Abu Dhabi or the limestone cliffs of Uluwatu, Bali.

Having grown up in Asia, I have always been attracted to the perfect blend of adventure, discovery, exoticism and culture. Anantara reflects all of these things and – I guess it also reflects what I, too, really love about life!

From left: Thirayuth Chirathivat, Martin Rinck and Arthur Kiong

Thirayuth Chirathivat
CEO, Centara Hotels & Resorts, Thailand

I’m a Centara Grand, as I feel I have a mature personality that appreciates and enjoys the luxuries of life, but I don’t feel the need to pay excessively for them. My office is at Centara Grand at CentralWorld, and I feel at home there, on top of the world every time I gaze out the window at the Bangkok cityscape.

But there is also a part of me that is Cosi, the brand we launched a year ago which is designed for those who want everything done quickly and are at ease with technology. Primarily, these are young people, and although I am now celebrating two years as CEO here, I like to think I’m still young and dynamic.

Martin Rinck
President, Hilton Worldwide Asia-Pacific, Singapore

If I were a brand, I’d be a Conrad because of its philosophy: The greatest luxury is the luxury of being yourself.

I too believe luxury is not about price or opulence but the quality and memory of the experience. Conrad offers a freedom of choice, allowing guests to tailor their stay according to personal preferences, down to small details like how they like their messages delivered, preferred bathroom amenities and pillow selection. This highly personalised approach is a reflection of my own travel behaviours.

Conrad’s contemporary design and service style also resonate strongly with me. I love the way Conrad strives to continue learning, growing and reinventing itself in a way that creates new opportunities and possibilities to engage with guests, similar to the philosophy of eternal learning I myself follow.

It is a brand for the future global luxury traveller. As well, it advocates Hilton Worldwide’s values of giving back to the communities we work and live in, which is a true reflection of my own personal values.

In the end, richness is not in what we have but in who we are.

Arthur Kiong
CEO, Far East Hospitality Management, Singapore

Personally, Oasia resonates the most with my personality. The brand offers discerning travellers an opportunity to rejuvenate – away from the hustle and bustle of the city – and anticipates their travel needs ahead of time. Likewise, it’s in my nature to enjoy tranquillity and comfort without excess.

I also love attention to details without being overstated. Similarly, Oasia presents just the right touch of world-class design without screaming for attention.

This article was first published in TTG Asia, December 13, 2013 – January 16, 2014 issue, on page 4. To read more, please view our digital edition or click here to subscribe.