ACCOR is strengthening its presence in Manila with the addition of two new hotels to the Philippine capital city next year – the Mercure Manila Ortigas and Novotel Manila Araneta.

The two properties will join the existing Sofitel Manila Plaza.

Said Patrick Basset, senior vice president, Accor Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia Laos and the Philippines: “Accor is well in place to expand our network into other key business and leisure areas such as Cebu and Davao.”

Basset added that Accor was “actively seeking more development opportunities in key cities and secondary cities” as the Philippines continues to enjoy economic growth and political stability.

The stronger demand from the domestic market for international standard accommodations, especially in the midscale and economy segments, also presented additional opportunities for expansion.

Basset is aiming to introduce other Accor brands in the Philippines, such as the higher-end Sofitel So, Pullman, MGallery, and the economy ibis, ibis Styles and ibis budget “to cater to different markets, from economy to luxury”.

Set for launch in 1H2014, the 150-key Mecure Manila Ortigas is located in the heart of the emerging central business district of Ortigas centre, and will offer meeting rooms, an all-day dining restaurant and gym.

On the other hand, Novotel Manila Araneta will become the only branded hotel in Cubao, Quezon City when it opens its 401 rooms and suites in 2H2014. The property will offer conference facilities including a 1,000m² pillarless ballroom, F&B outlets, a swimming pool and gym.

BEST Western International will take over the management of two hotels in Tasmania formerly operated by Accor, and relaunch them as Best Western Hobart and Best Western Plus Launceston.

Both properties bring Best Western’s total number of Tasmanian hotels to seven and are undergoing refurbishments to their facilities.

Rob Anderson, chief executive, Best Western Australasia, observed: “For the year ending March 2013, there were 931,000 visitors to Tasmania, up 10 per cent from 845,800 for the previous year.

“If these numbers are any indication, then people will need more quality hotel options to choose from when travelling around Tasmania.”

He said the 140-room Best Western Hobart’s rooms and meeting spaces were undergoing a soft refurbishment that would be completed in 2H2013, while the 116-key Best Western Plus Launceston would receive new in-room furnishings and amenities.

“Both hotels already have modern amenities and facilities so we will look to mainly improve the current on-site restaurants and dining areas; update the conference facilities and ensure the most up-to-date Wi-Fi services and in-room services are available in both hotels,” explained Anderson.

Best Western Hobart offers eight event spaces, including the 300-pax The Goulburn Room, Embers Restaurant and Embers Cocktail Bar & Lounge.

Located 15 minutes from Launceston Airport, Best Western Plus Launceston features Snappers Restaurant for Tasmanian produce and wine, Tram Bar, two 150-pax conference rooms and five categories of guestrooms.

SOUTH Africa Tourism (SAT) will make its debut at the NATAS fair this month and pair up with the local travel trade in a bid to reel in more Singapore travellers.

Speaking to TTG Asia e-Daily, Hazel Ngubeni, high commissioner of the Singapore South African High Commission, said: “South Africa is too under-marketed in Singapore, so it is our mandate to make sure we make progress with promotions here.”

She added that more had to be done to educate the industry, and hence SAT will hold a seminar for 80 outbound travel consultants this month.

According to Ngubeni, more than 7,000 Singaporeans holidayed in South Africa last year, a number the commission aims to double for 2013. “Singaporeans are very well-travelled, but there is this gap with South Africa,” she lamented.

Ngubeni said that South Africa’s nine provinces including Gauteng, Western Cape and Kwazulu Natal offered wildlife, adventure, beach, luxury and retail attractions, the last of which she expected would appeal to the Singaporean traveller.

Acknowledging that some still perceived South Africa to be an unsafe and undeveloped country, she said: “I want to remind them that we were the host country of the 2010 FIFA World Cup and during that preparation phase we had lifted the standards of everything, from safety to amenities and infrastructure.”

Meanwhile, Chan Brothers Travel marketing and communications manager, Michelle Yin, said the agency had registered consistent year-on-year growth of 10 to 15 per cent in the sales of their South Africa packages. Chan Brothers offers both nine- and 12-day options.

SAT, Singapore Airlines (SIA) and Changi Airport Group signed an agreement in June this year to collectively invest S$1 million (US$800,154) to promote travel to South Africa. SIA currently operates daily flights to Johannesburg and four-weekly flights to Cape Town.

THE impact of last Saturday’s oil spill off Koh Samet (TTG Asia e-Daily, July 30, 2013) has been limited to the island’s northern beach, and the Thai government is taking action to assist local businesses affected by the situation, according to the country’s NTO.

According to an update released by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), only 10 per cent of the original spill remains on the sole affected area of the island, Ao Phrao. TAT estimates that the remaining sludge will be removed within one or two days. While slick has been found on other northern areas on Koh Samet, these areas are not open for beach activities.

Some 500 personnel of the Petroleum Authority of Thailand, navy personnel and volunteers had facilitated a rapid clean-up effort, it said.

Swimming can still be done on the eastern shores of the island, including the beaches of Had Sai Kaew, Ao Wong Duean, Ao Phai, Ao Kio and Ao Karang.

Furthermore, the size of the oil film has shrunk from 9km² on July 31 to 5km² and the density of the spill, thinned “considerably”. The nearby Plateen Island, Kham Island and Kudee Island also remain totally unaffected.

The update reported that Thailand’s minister of tourism and sports, Somsak Pureesrisak, was in Koh Samet and would be meeting local tourism operators to deal with the fall-out of the oil spill.

Initiatives including tax cuts and marketing efforts are on the table, and local banks are also ready to assist, allege local news reports.

The minister has also been quoted as saying the Thai cabinet is all for PTT Global Chemical, the company responsible for the spill, compensating hotels for lost business due to last-minute cancellations.

TWO hotels in Singapore have changed hands recently, with Grand Park Orchard and Gallery Hotel going to new owners.

According to local paper The Business Times, Park Hotel Group has closed its second sale in Singapore within the year, selling the Grand Park Orchard including retail podium Knightsbridge.

Chinese group Bright Ruby Resources bought the property for S$1.2 billion (US$900.9 million).

In a deal believed to have been brokered by Jones Lang LaSalle, Park Hotel Group will continue to run the 309-room hotel on popular shopping belt Orchard Road.

Park Hotel Group had in March sold off Park Hotel Clarke Quay to Ascendas Hospitality Trust (TTG Asia e-Daily, April 9, 2013).

Also reported in The Business Times today, Robertson Quay Investment has sold the freehold Gallery Hotel to RB Capital for S$230 million in a deal allegedly brokered by Knight Frank.

RB Capital last year purchased 16 ground-floor retail units at The Quayside building adjacent to the 223-key hotel.

The Gallery Hotel is the company’s latest hotel acquisition. RB’s portfolio also includes Holiday Inn Express Clarke Quay, Park Hotel Farrer Park and Holiday Inn Express Bukit Bintang in Kuala Lumpur, all of which are under development and expected to open within the next two years.

ASIATRAVEL has inked a deal with Beijing-based augmented reality technology player, Senscape Technologies, to provide travel content and transaction processes for Senscape’s mobile application.

The company’s latest mobile application, Senscape Tour, will carry Asiatravel’s inventory of over 110,000 hotels, 400 airlines and 600,000 attractions, theme parks and tour products worldwide.

Users will thus be able to purchase any product on the mobile application with instant confirmation.

Senscape Tour, which offers the traveller on-the-go travel, instant bookings and a digital diary synced with the user’s various social media accounts, is set to be a featured application for a leading smartphone manufacturer’s product to be launched later in the year.

Asiatravel’s executive chairman and CEO, Boh Tuang Poh, said: “As technology is very much a part of everyone’s lifestyle, we believe a mobile application like Senscape Tour will further enrich travellers’ experience and ease their buying process.

“Travellers need information of all the travel products but in today’s context, this information has to be ready for the traveller to access, at his own convenience, before and during the trip. Senscape Tour, in our opinion, has all these to cater for today’s independent traveller.”

DESPITE strong interest from local investors in developing hotels within Indonesia’s tertiary areas, Best Western International has dug in its heels and remains staunchly disinterested in entering the budget hotel segment.

Adrianus Pangarso, corporate general manager new property, area development Indonesia office, Best Western International, said Indonesia’s growing economy and improved transport links had boosted travel, especially for business, to tertiary destinations where the mining and agricultural industries are based. This has caught the eye of local investors, who are now keen to develop hotels in their own areas.

He said: “We are operating nine hotels today and expect this to go up to 12 by year-end, and 34 projects are in progress in major provincial capitals in Indonesia, as well as other cities like Berau (East Kalimantan) and Pangkalan Bun (Central Kalimantan), and we are in discussions with investors about projects in Luwuk (Central Sulawesi) and Berau (East Kalimantan).

“In fact, four investors had approached us in 2011 about hotel development in Malang when we were planning a hotel there.”

However, Adrianus emphasised that Best Western would stick to operating economy and mid-scale properties rather than hop on the budget brand bandwagon that is currently in vogue.

“The growth of budget brands and properties today is just a trend. Like fashion, we will see (the trend pass) soon…With Indonesian buying power increasing, travellers will not care about the Rp100,000 (US$10) difference in price for better facilities and services anymore,” he explained.

“Look at the airline industry – why did Lion Air come up with the (full-service) Batik Air? It’s because they saw the market potential now being enjoyed by Garuda Indonesia,” Adrianus added, pointing out that despite the fact that LCC flights were no longer cheap, such carriers still enjoyed full loads.

The company recently opened the Best Western OJ Hotel Malang (TTG Asia e-Daily, July 29, 2013) this week, Best Western Hariston Jakarta the week before, and is due to open three more in the near future.

HILTON Worldwide has signed a management agreement with Dijaya Land Development for the Hilton Okinawa Kin hotel, which will come under the first integrated resort development in the Japanese prefecture.

Scheduled to open in 2016, the 190-room hotel will be located on the eastern side of Okinawa’s main island facing Kin Bay and the Pacific Ocean, 48km away from Naha International Airport.

Hilton Okinawa Kin marks the hotel group’s 12^th property in Japan and will offer an all-day dining restaurant, one specialty restaurant, a bar, a business lounge, meeting rooms, boardrooms and a ballroom.

Recreational facilities available include a fitness club, a spa and a swimming pool.

“Okinawa is one of the most sought-after destinations for domestic travellers in Japan, and is growing in popularity among tourists from South Korea, Taiwan and China,” said Dickson Tan, group managing director, Dijaya Land Development.

“The Hilton Okinawa Kin will be part of the first integrated resort development of its kind in Okinawa and we are confident that it will be well placed to meet the demands of both domestic and international travellers looking for world-class accommodation in Okinawa.”

THE 2015 Cricket World Cup will swing into New Zealand and Australia, with seven cities from each country to host the tournament over the summer of 2015.

Appointed cities to host the tournament in New Zealand are Auckland, Hamilton, Napier, Wellington, Nelson, Christchurch and Dunedin, while in Australia, games will be held in Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Hobart, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney.

To run between February 14 and March 29, 2015, the ICC Cricket World Cup is one of the world’s largest sports tournaments and the flagship event of the international cricket calendar.

The coming event will feature 49 matches over 44 days, according to news agency Xinhuanet.com.

SINGAPORE’S events sector will get a boost in standards in the near future, as the International Special Events Society (ISES) gets ready to unveil a Singapore chapter within the next few months.

Benjamin Fox, general manager at Turning Point Solutions and president of the ISES Singapore Chapter, said: “It is a very exciting time for the local events sector because everyone is looking at raising the industry standards today, so this is an appropriate time for us to come in.”

ISES, which aims to “deliver creative excellence and professionalism in special events”, currently comprises more than 7,000 professionals across 36 countries. Hong Kong is the only country in Asia with an ISES chapter so far.

Fox said: “This will be an internationally-recognised platform that brings all the people in the events industry together, to network, advance their businesses and improve their quality. Members of this Singapore chapter will be able to participate in educational seminars and networking events.”

He added that ISES’ monthly seminars would raise topics such as risk management and how to ensure safety during events.

With six other committee members, Fox said he was targeting roping in at least 40 members once the chapter was officially up and running.

Open to “good and reputable” event specialists from all industries, Fox said annual membership fees started at S$500 (US$393) and would vary according to company size.