EUROPE’S oldest luxury group Kempinski Hotels has opened Kempinski Hotel Yixing, its latest property in China.

Situated on the banks of Lake Tai in southern Jiangsu Province, Kempinski Hotel Yixing has 446 rooms and suites ranging in size from 49-397m² that come with flat-screen LCD televisions, lake views and high-speed Internet access.

Guests staying on the Executive Floor between levels 57 and 59 can enjoy access to the Executive Lounge for complimentary breakfast buffet, beverages, all-day snacks and pre-dinner drinks. They will also receive free laundry service upon arrival, free minibar, use of the Lounge’s meeting rooms, priority early check-in and late check-out in a private registration area.

The hotel also features a range of F&B venues including Yuan Yuan Chinese Restaurant, Elements All-Day Dining Restaurant serving international cuisine, and Le Chai, said to be Yixing’s first European wine bar.

Other facilities include the wellness centre and its indoor swimming pool, sauna and steam rooms, and an outdoor terrace for relaxing.

Kempinski Hotels operates a total of 19 hotels in China, with a Beijing hotel slated to open in 2014.

Located in the ‘golden triangle’ between Shanghai, Nanjing and Hangzhou, the cultural city of Yixing also welcomed another international five-star property, Le Méridien Yixing, earlier this year.

ROYAL Cliff Hotels Group has unveiled a new QR code express check-in option at its hotels in order to cut guests’ waiting time.

From October 1 onwards, guests at Royal Cliff hotels can make use of their smartphones or tablets to check in at their hotels by scanning personalised QR codes that would have been provided them upon reservations.

Hotels will come with QR code express check-in lanes to allow these guests a seamless start to their stays.

Royal Cliff is also developing plans to extend this technology to its other offerings, including its fitness centres, Cliff Spas and restaurants.

The new QR code express check-in is believed to be the first of its kind in Thailand.

SINGAPORE Changi Airport is taking another step to boost its non-aviation revenue with a new online shopping portal where passengers can buy duty-free products prior to their flights.

Launched yesterday, Changi’s online retail platform iShopChangi allows passengers to choose from over 1,800 products, settle the transaction online and pick up their buys at a designated spot within the airport terminal.

Changi is believed to be the first airport in Asia with such a service, and joins the ranks of airports around the world that offer online shopping, including London’s Heathrow where travellers can reserve products online, though payment and collection must be done at the shop.

According to The Straits Times, iShopChangi will be a critical source of non-aviation revenue that will be used to subsidise aeronautical charges such as airline fees, thus better positioning the airport to compete with regional counterparts.

The airport also began selling tickets and vouchers to places of interest, restaurants and shops last year.

CHARTER flights linking Manila and Russian city Vladivostok every 10 days are being planned for service commencement at the end of October.

According to Valeri Ishunkin, the Philippines’ Department of Tourism (DoT) marketing representative for Russia, the new service is in the care of Russian travel company Biletur and will run until April 2014.

The company had initially mulled charters to Boracay and Cebu, but eventually decided to launch flights to Manila in cooperation with a yet-unnamed airline.

“The charters are fully paid for by Biletur, and if everything goes well, the service could grow into a regular flight,” said Ishunkin.

Badette Anatalio, manager for inbound operations at Southeast Travel Manila, which has handled land arrangements for visitors from Moscow. said: “Vladivostok (charters) will open the doors to a more mid-market segment from Russia that’s interested in beaches and wellness.”

Ine Fautstino, vice president and general manager of CCT.168 Travel & Tours Manila, added: “The Russian market is familiar with diving in continental Micronesia. They could be guided towards beach resorts and diving in Palawan, Moalboal and Malapascua.”

Vladivostok is the largest Russian city closest to Asia, noted Ishunkin, who also added that the DoT is already focusing on Moscow, St Petersburg and Khabarovsk for inbound business. She revealed that the Philippines is also soliciting new travellers from Novosibirsk, Siberia.

DoT unveiled news of the charter during a fam trip it hosted for 10 Russian tour operators from Moscow, St Petersburg, Ukraine and Vladivostok, including two representatives from Biletur.

Julia Zamolodchikova, product manager at luxury operator Eurobusinesstour Moscow, said: “The Philippines will appeal to Russians for autumn and spring (travel), and as a winter destination from September till May. Distant islands (are appealing) as a winter destination.”

She added that she would be meeting Manila hotel properties and evaluating the “sights and shopping” in the capital in the hopes of extending the Manila component of her tour programme from overnight to two or three days, before moving travellers on to Boracay and Cebu.