PHILIPPINE property developer Ayala Land will raise the curtain on its first four Seda boutique hotels in the Philippines, starting with Seda Bonifacio Global City (BGC). Its urban lifestyle brand was formerly called Kukun.

The 179-room Seda BGC soft opened last month across from the Makati CBD, while the 150-key Seda Centrio in Cagayan de Oro also soft opened last month. Both are expected to be fully operational by end-January.

Two more Seda properties – Seda Abreeza in Davao and Seda Nuvali in Santa Rosa, Laguna – will begin welcoming guests by the first quarter and end-2013 respectively, bringing the total number of Seda rooms to 665.

Junie Jalandoni, senior vice president, Ayala Land, told TTG Asia e-Daily: “(Seda BGC’s) amenities and rooms are even better than some of the more established hotels on the market. We’re trying to be the best in our class in every location we’re at.”

He said there would be more Seda hotels where Ayala Land developments are, to be unveiled over the next few years. “Before, we offered a shopping mall and office development package. We’re now complementing that with Seda hotels,” Jalandoni explained.

The name Seda means ‘silk’ in Spanish. Ayala Land had originally preferred the name Cocoon, but settled for the stylised Kukun, as the former had already been taken by another Manila boutique hotel.

THAILAND-based ONYX Hospitality Group scored its first Amari in the Middle East on January 1 with the opening of Amari Doha.

The 13-storey property is owned by Sharaka Holdings and features 120 rooms including six suites.

Located 15 minutes from Doha International Airport, facilities include a Jacuzzi, Vichy shower room, a Turkish bath, F&B outlets, swimming pools, fitness centre, and a rooftop pool lounge with panoramic views of Doha’s skyline and the Corniche.

For MICE planners, Amari Doha also boasts a business centre, and conferencing and banqueting facilities.

To mark its opening, the hotel is offering a range of discounts such as special rates starting from 400 Qatari riyals (US$110), a complimentary upgrade to a deluxe room, early check in from 12.00 and late check out at 16.00, as well as 25 per cent discount on F&B and at Breeze Spa. The offer is valid until February 28 and is available for the superior room category.

PENANG has unveiled the formation of its first-ever CVB, as part of the city’s ongoing efforts to position itself as a MICE destination in South-east Asia (TTG Asia e-Daily, October 5, 2012).

At the recently concluded 3^rd Penang International MICE Conference held at Hard Rock Hotel Penang last Saturday, Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng announced the launch of the Penang International Convention & Exhibition Bureau (PICEB).

Spearheading the project is Abdul Malik Kassim, State Religious Affairs, Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Committee chairman and Danny Law, Penang Tourism Development and Culture Committee chairman.

A pro tem committee with its own elected chairman and members would be established within the first quarter of 2013, according to Abdul Malik, but no date was given on when PICEB would be operational.

He said: “PICEB would be run by the private sector, and we (the state government) will support it in whatever means we can except financial (assistance).”

Mike Williams, consultant to Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau, said: “PICEB can support us on product development in Penang and work with us on bids to bring business events to Malaysia. With its local knowledge (on Penang), we will need its help to handle fam trips to Penang.”

While acknowledging PICEB as a potential competitor, Sarawak Convention Bureau’s managing director Mike Cannon said: “What counts here is Malaysia, and we need more products, services and destination marketing organisations. PICEB will add robustness to the destination and get people talking about Malaysia.

“We will share with PICEB our trade secrets, and set up meetings with government agencies, academia and associations in Sarawak so that PICEB will be able to network with them.”

IN A bid to counter South Korea’s successful export of K-pop and drama, Japan will kick-start efforts to promote Japanese culture overseas with the launch of dedicated TV channels in South-east Asia, according to a report in The Daily Yomiuri.

Tentatively named Japan Channel, the first station will be launched in Singapore in February, followed by Indonesia, the Philippines and other South-east Asian countries. Japanese dramas, anime, food shows as well as informative programmes on products such as toys, cosmetic and fashion will be broadcasted.

The government is positive that Japanese culture and lifestyle will be promoted more effectively through these channels, which will help to spur exports and attract more tourists to Japan.

A tentatively named Cool Japan Fund will be set up later this year with 80 billion yen (US$907 million), with contributions from both the the public and private sectors. The government will also provide indirect aid to the project by subsidising the cost of dubbing and subtitling to localise content.

KUALA LUMPUR-based inbound tour operator Asian Overland Services (AOS) Tours & Travel has ventured into the outbound travel segment with the launch of its first tour itinerary to Rwanda.

Named Meeting Gorillas in Rwanda, the five- and seven-day programme highlights gorilla spotting in the wild and starts from US$3200 for an all-inclusive package (excluding airfare).

Said AOS’ managing director Yap Sook Ling: “We are targeting matured travellers looking for a meaningful holiday beyond the standard tour programmes. These are travellers who have been to popular destinations, taken pictures of iconic structures and are now looking for something different.

“This tour also supports Rwanda’s efforts at gorilla conservation, for without tourism, these animals will be poached.”

AOS has plans to roll out more outbound programmes, including tours to see the Northern Lights in Norway and Finland, according to Yap.

STRENGTHENING its regional network ahead of the ASEAN Economic Community in 2015, Bangkok Airways will introduce new services to Mandalay and Krabi in 2013.

The twice-daily Bangkok-Krabi flight will take off on March 31, while the Bangkok-Mandalay sector will be operated four times a week from September 16. Tickets to both destinations are already open for booking.

Services will also be ramped up for the Bangkok-Trat (three daily flights) and Bangkok-Male (five weekly flights) segments, starting March 31.

Moreover, all flights serving Bangkok-Phnom Penh will now be operated by Airbus A319 and additional frequencies will be added to flights between Koh Samui and Phuket during summer.

The airline also recently launched Bangkok-Vientiane daily flights as well as an additional service between Hong Kong and Koh Samui.

AIR Astana started its inaugural flight to Vietnam with the launch of a twice-weekly Almaty-Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) service on January 4.

HCMC is the newest Asian destination added to Air Astana’s network, following the start of services to Hong Kong (TTG Asia e-Daily, July 31, 2012) and Beijing (TTG Asia e-Daily, August 14, 2012) as well as increases of frequency to several Asian destinations (TTG Asia e-Daily, August 23, 2012) in recent months.

The flight to HCMC will be operated via Bangkok, with a total flight time of nine hours. The return flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Almaty will be operated non-stop and take only seven hours.

Flights will initially be operated on Wednesdays and Fridays using a Boeing 757 in a 166-seat, two-class configuration. Fares from Almaty to Ho Chi Minh City start from US$590, including governmental taxes, airport fees and charges.

“Air Astana continues to grow in strength and reputation as Central Asia’s leading carrier, with the development of our Asian network being a very high priority. I’m delighted that Ho Chi Minh City is destined to become our next exciting destination from the region and confident that with its range of attractions, it will prove popular with tourists from Kazakhstan and neighbouring countries,” said Peter Foster, president of Air Astana.

THE MALDIVES remains Kuoni’s top-selling destination in 2013 for the second consecutive year, according to the latest Travel Trends Report 2013 by the UK-based tour operator.

This year, this Indian Ocean nation is also ranked as the top honeymoon destination (as it was in 2012) and is in the second spot as a holiday destination for singles, according to the report.

After the Maldives, Thailand is Kuoni’s second most popular destination in 2013, followed by Sri Lanka, the US, UAE, Mauritius, Malaysia, Barbados, Singapore and St Lucia respectively.

The report also predicts that Vietnam will rise in popularity, fuelled by greater flight connectivity and new beach resorts.

MAJOR Indian cities saw a boost in hotel inventory with the addition of some 5,000 rooms, but room rates have dipped 10 to 20 per cent during the high season between October and March, according to industry sources.

Vivek Nair, president, Federation of Hotels and Restaurant Associations of India, said: “The pressure on room rates is due to the new supply of hotel rooms in many major cities in India.”

Delhi NCR saw a fresh supply of 1,200 rooms, while 800 each were added in Chennai and Mumbai, 1,300 in Bangalore and 750 in Hyderabad in the three-, four- and five-star categories.

Dilip Puri, managing director and vice president South Asia, Starwood Hotels and Resorts, said: “The Indian economy has been through a bad year in 2012, and (as a result) the hotel industry has seen a drop in demand for rooms for both corporate and leisure travellers.”

K B Kachru, president, south Asia operations, Carlson Hotels, said: “In the April-September period, groups rates were down 15 per cent. The huge addition of room supply has brought down rates as demand has not grown at the same pace.”

In just 4Q2012, Chennai has seen the simultaneous opening of two major hotels, the 600-key ITC Grand Chola and the 326-key Leela Palace.

Vjiay Shrikent, general manager, Vivanta by Taj Connemara, Chennai, said: “It will take some time for the hotels in Chennai and elsewhere in the country to achieve equilibrium again, but it’s a matter of time as industrial growth outlook is positive so corporate travel demand will surely rise.”