HARRIS Hotels has come up with a service allowing customers to consult with doctors online, in line with its focus on healthy lifestyles.

The Dokter Gratis service, a free online chat with doctors, is the product of a collaboration between Tauzia Hotel Management and Health2i, and is available at the Harris Hotels website.

Tauzia Hotel Management’s corporate director of sales and marketing, Antoine Villette, said: “It’s (part of) Harris Hotels’ consistent efforts to promote healthy living. Through this service, people can enquire about any medical conditions or health topics online in the comfort of their homes or while travelling.”

The service is meant to provide advice and identify early symptoms of medical conditions, but is not accompanied by immediate diagnosis and prescription. Users are therefore advised to consult a doctor in person.

Villette said Indonesians were growing more conscious about their health.

Asked if the service was meant to drive hits to the brand’s website, Villette said: “The target is not the number of hits but to see what general health concerns guests have. We do not get the detailed conversations between guests and the doctors, but we will receive information on the topics (discussed). We will then list the top topics and plan (programmes) for implementation in the hotels accordingly.”

Villette expects such a service to have a middle- to long-term impact in incentivising guests to choose Harris Hotels, alongside other initiatives.

TIGER Airways Australia yesterday restarted four-times-weekly domestic flights from Melbourne and Sydney to Alice Springs, answering requests from the Central Australian community for a low-cost travel option.

Flights depart Melbourne at 09.00 and return from Alice Springs at 12.20, arriving back in Melbourne at 14.55.

From Sydney, flights leave at 6.40 and arrive at Alice Springs at 10.00, leaving Alice Springs at 10.30 to reach Sydney at 13.15.

The LCC dropped its Alice Springs route a couple of years ago on safety concerns.

“We’ve been inundated with requests for Tiger’s low-cost flights to serve Central Australia, a community that currently lacks low-cost options and is so heavily reliant on tourism,” said Carly Brear, commercial director, Tiger Airways Australia.

Alice Springs took tops in a Tiger Airways poll that asked where the carrier should fly to next.

Chief minister of the Northern Territory, Adam Giles, welcomed Tiger’s resurrected service, saying: “Average occupancy rates in Alice Springs rose seven percentage points in 2010 when Tiger Airways was last in the market.

“Our research shows that Tiger Airways stimulated visitation by price-sensitive travel segments to Alice Springs and Uluru, improving the local tourism market.”

PARK Hotel Group has sold Park Hotel Clarke Quay to Ascendas Hospitality Trust (A-HTRUST) for S$300 million (US$241.9 million), but will continue to manage the hotel.

The two companies entered into a conditional sale and purchase agreement last week for the 336-room hotel.

However, the property will be leased to Park Hotel Group for an initial term of 10 years, with an option to extend for a further term of five years.

Park Hotel Group has been growing its management arm over the last year, having secured deals to manage two upcoming hotels in Singapore on behalf of third-party owners (TTG Asia e-Daily, December 4, 2012). Singapore’s The Business Times also reported that buyers are being sought for the group’s two remaining hotels in Singapore and its property in Hong Kong.

Allen Law, CEO, Park Hotel Group, said: “Park Hotel Clarke Quay’s strategic location, superior brand positioning, and efficient management has resulted in a strong operational performance. The sale underpins the strong investor demand and appeal that exists for quality assets with strong stabilised cash flow.”

The sale also marks A-HTRUST’s maiden venture into the Singapore hospitality scene. Tan Juay Hiang, CEO, A-HTRUST, said: “We are excited to add Park Hotel Clarke Quay, a high-quality and award-winning hotel, to A-HTRUST’s stable of properties. This marks our first foray into the Singapore hospitality market as we capitalise on the continued growth of Singapore’s tourism industry.”

SCOOT has announced its 11^th destination and fourth Chinese city – Nanjing – with thrice-weekly direct flights kicking off from June 3.

Subject to government approval, flights will depart Singapore on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 10.45, arriving in Nanjing Lukou International Airport at 15.30.

Flights on the return leg leave Nanjing at 17.00 and touch down in Singapore at 22.00.

Introductory fares for the route are already on sale, with one-way fares from Singapore to Nanjing starting from S$98 (US$79) for economy class and S$248 for Scoot Biz, taxes included. Outbound fares from Nanjing will be released at a later date, upon approval by regulatory authorities.

Promotional fares are available on Scoot’s website until 23.59 tomorrow or while stocks last.

LAO Airlines is resurrecting flights to Myanmar in October, 33 years after axing the once unprofitable route.

The national carrier will offer flights out of Vientiane and Luang Prabang to Yangon, and is due to sign a codesharing agreement with Myanmar Airways International on the route, said Saleum Tayarath, commercial department director, Lao Airlines.

“We want to tap tourism demand from countries like China, South Korea and Japan, (catering to) groups to both countries (Laos and Myanmar),” he said.

The new services are also part of a strategy by Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia and Vietnam to build better connections within the Mekong region, said the press release.

HILTON Worldwide has opened South-east Asia’s first Hilton Garden Inn branded hotel in Hanoi, which also marks its second Hilton property in Vietnam.

The 86-room Hilton Garden Inn Hanoi is situated near the intersection of Phan Chu Trinh and Tran Hung Dao streets, within the city’s business, cultural and leisure centre, or 40km from the Noi Bai International Airport.

“Our focused service brand is tailored towards providing the signature features and services that meet the demands of value-conscious travellers who are always on the move,” said Adrian Kurre, global head, Hilton Garden Inn.

Each room comes with Hilton’s signature Garden Sleep System bed (Serta bed) and an ergonomic Mirra desk chair by Herman Miller.

Other facilities and services within the hotel include a 24-hour business centre, free Wi-Fi Internet in guestrooms and public spaces, a lounge, a fitness centre, the all-day Garden Grill restaurant and a 24-hour retail store called the Pavilion Pantry.

ASCOTT will make inroads into Nanjing in the second half of 2014 with the opening of its first serviced residence in the city, having recently signed a contract with Nanjing Lek Yuen Property Development to manage the property.

The 290-unit Citadines Baijia Lake Nanjing will be located a 15-minute and 25-minute drive from the Nanjing high-speed railway station and airport respectively.

Citadines Baijia Lake Nanjing will offer apartments in studio to three-bedroom configurations, with fully-equipped kitchens and separate work and sleeping areas.

Facilities at the serviced apartment include a gym, children’s play area, residence lounge, breakfast lounge, meeting room and business centre.

Chong Kee Hiong, Ascott CEO, said: “China is Ascott’s fastest-growing market. It is also our strongest market where our revenue per available unit in 2012 increased by 15 per cent over 2011. Besides building on our presence in tier-one cities in China, we have been expanding into high-growth cities where strong foreign investment has generated a large demand for serviced residences.”

Lee Chee Koon, deputy CEO and managing director for North Asia, Ascott, added: “Our first property in Nanjing is well-positioned to tap the growing number of expatriates, business travellers and tourists in Nanjing. Citadines Baijia Lake Nanjing is near the city centre and strategically located in Jiangning District, which is home to Nanjing’s largest economic and high-tech zone.”