INDONESIAN hotel management company Zuri Hospitality Management has opened the 138-room Zuri Express Lippo Cikarang in Cikarang, an industrial estate with limited accommodation facilities near Jakarta.

The new three-star hotel is the company’s second property in Cikarang after the launch of the four-star Grand Zuri Jababeka last year. The older 125-room property has over 80 per cent long-staying guests, mostly expatriates from the US, Europe, Japan and South Korea who work in the area.

Zuri Hospitality Management COO, Purwantono, said: “There are (different) requirements for different market segments. The Grand Zuri Jababeka caters to the management level, while the Zuri Express taps the middle management level.”

According to Purwantono, Zuri Express had involved potential guests since the development stage to identify their needs. “We invited our Japanese clients to give their inputs, and providing (different voltage) electric sockets in this hotel was one of their suggestions,” he said.

Designed as a ‘smart’ hotel, Zuri Express targets business travellers with facilities such as free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel and safety deposit boxes as well as a restaurant, a drinks vending machine, a spa, a fitness centre and meeting rooms. The Lippo Cikarang Citywalk and a 24-hour fast-food joint are located just outside the hotel.

While the majority of guests are expected to be business travellers, the hotel is working together with the nearby Waterboom Cikarang theme park to create packages for families or corporate outings.

MINOR Hotel Group, in partnership with Serendib Leisure, has debuted Avani Kalutara Resort & Spa, the brand’s second property in Sri Lanka following the inaugural Avani Bentota Resort & Spa in November 2011.

Formerly Kani Lanka, Avani Kalutara has reopened following a US$5 million refurbishment. Located in south-west Sri Lanka, Avani Kalutara is built on the mouth of the River Kalu, facing the lagoon in one direction and the Indian Ocean on the other.

The 105-key beachfront resort features four room types – Standard, Superior Lagoon View, Superior Sea View and Suites – with facilities such as two restaurants, two bars, a gym, a tennis court, water sports, a spa and flexible meeting space that can accommodate up to 100 people.

Dillip Rajakarier, CEO, Minor Hotel Group, said: “We are excited to open our second Avani resort, and to once again be working with Serendib Leisure, our partners in Sri Lanka, to bring our newest brand to life.”

Abbas Esufally, chairman, Serendib Leisure Management, said: “This is a significant milestone in the company’s quest to dominate the hotel market on the island of Sri Lanka, providing superior hospitality options to the discerning traveller, working alongside the renowned expertise of Minor Hotel Group.”

PHOCUSWRIGHT has joined PATA as a Preferred Partner, a tie-up that will provide association members with the former’s research highlights. PATA will also provide an opportunity for PhoCusWright to continue to grow its brand throughout Asia-Pacific.

Martin Craigs, PATA CEO, said: “I’m delighted to welcome PhoCusWright to PATA Next Gen. As a leader in travel and tourism research, PhoCusWright joins our existing partners, including comScore, Dragon Trail, SinoTech Group and STR Global to offer a strong support network in travel research for PATAmPOWER.”

Bruce Rosard, PhoCusWright vice president of sales and marketing, said: “Our partnership with PATA has a number of moving parts, including the launch of an in-depth study on next-generation payment processing for travel. We look forward to building a strong partnership that furthers our efforts in the region.”

RICHARD Brouwer has risen to the top of Diethelm Travel Group as CEO, replacing John Watson, who says he wants “one more big challenge” before retiring.

The promotion is effective immediately. At the same time, Maarten Groeneveld has taken over Brouwer’s position as COO.

The news comes as a surprise, although Watson, when contacted, said it “has been in the making for a long while”.

“In January I turn 55 and it makes good strategic sense to pass the baton at Diethelm Travel as I would like one more big challenge before I retire. To this end, I have decided to stand down from Diethelm Travel in order to properly plan for the next phase of my life,” said Watson.

“I am flexible as to where I operate from and how I spend my time. Starting a new business, or transforming an existing one, would be of interest, utilising my strong travel/service background, worldwide operational experience and network,” added Watson when asked what his next move would be.

Brouwer, who has been with Diethelm Travel since 2000, said: “I am absolutely delighted with the trust I received from the board members of the Diethelm Travel Holding. With Maarten as the new COO and the entire expertise of all my colleagues in each and every position throughout the Diethelm Travel Group, we are well-placed to further develop and grow Diethelm Travel.”

SWITZERLAND opened an embassy in Yangon on Saturday and is also contributing US$100,000 towards efforts to list Bagan, the city famous for its temples and stupas, as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Contacted by TTG Asia e-Daily, Switzerland Tourism believes the move will have a positive impact on tourism.

Said Urs Eberhard, Switzerland Tourism’s executive vice president markets and meetings: “We believe in the potential of the whole South-east Asian region. Currently we are concentrating on Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand. But with the opening of the Swiss Embassy in Myanmar, we see some opportunities for tactical activities in this country. We work very closely with the Swiss authorities in many countries and Myanmar will be no exception.”

Myanmar has a population of around 60 million.

Switzerland established a development and cooperation agency in Yangon a few years ago, which will now be incorporated into the embassy. Switzerland plans to strengthen its ties with Myanmar in peace support, human rights, education, employment, health and food.

IN A tie-up with Singapore Airlines, SilkAir and Changi Airport, Royal Caribbean Cruises is offering Indian clients a free night’s stay in Singapore in an attempt to boost Indian outbound traffic to the city-state.

Valid from October 31, 2012 to April 1, 2013, the promotion targets guests sailing on Legend of the Seas to or from Singapore. The free stay is for a night at any of nine centrally located hotels: Ibis Singapore on Bencoolen, Riverview Hotel, Hotel Royal, Hotel Grand Chancellor, V Hotel, Hotel Royal@Queens, Hotel Grand Pacific, Peninsula.Excelsior Hotel and Hotel Miramar.

Royal Caribbean will also pay an additional five per cent commission, over and above the usual 10 per cent to its travel partners in India, for all bookings on Legend of the Seas sailings from Singapore during the same period.

On offer are two-, three-, four-, five- and seven-night itineraries specifically designed to woo Indian clients on voyages to Phuket, Langkawi, Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Malacca. Special four- and five-night cruises will sail over Christmas and the New Year.

At a media meeting announcing the promotion, Gautam Chadha, India representative of Royal Caribbean Cruises, said: “This is a first-of-its-kind joint promotional effort involving four brands working for a common goal – promoting destination Singapore – and offering the Indian traveller a true value proposition.”

Seema Ahmed, general manager, Gainwell Travel & Leisure Kolkata, said the offer was a good incentive for Indian tourists. “Many (Indians) travel with families, and saving a night’s hotel stay will impact the decision-making positively.”

ASIAN cruise pioneer Jebsen Travel & Tours Services will focus on promoting incoming and outgoing cruises in Thailand, having set up a company in Bangkok as part of a joint venture agreement with Thailand-based Marvel Holidays.

Jebsen Cruise Marketing (Thailand) will be operational come December 1 with an initial staff size of 10, and will market all 48 franchise cruise line products carried by the Kuala Lumpur-based Jebsen.

The company’s managing director, Lim Chee Tong, said: “I have chosen to work with Sawat Napol, CEO and managing director of Marvel Holidays, because he has promised full-time involvement in the cruise business. (Marvel) has no background in the cruise business. We have the expertise to help build it up.

“We know the Thai cruise market is stable and growing, and I anticipate at least 20 per cent annual growth in the number of cruise passengers. Thailand is a good market for group cruises as Thais seldom go cruising individually, due to the language barrier.”

Lim added that the time was right to expand Jebsen’s Asian business as he expects about five more cruise ships to be stationed in the region permanently by end-2014, joining the three main players here – Costa Cruises, Royal Caribbean Cruises and Star Cruises.

He also believes in the potential of the luxury cruise segment in Thailand. “This year alone, a Thai (travel consultant) held the record for selling Seabourn cruises to 750 passengers from Thailand, comprising both leisure and incentive travellers,” Lim pointed out.

Moving forward, he plans to upgrade Jebsen’s online booking engine to include instant confirmation.

Marvel Holidays is Jebsen Travel & Tours Services’ seventh joint venture partner, the others being Club Thomas in Seoul; Cruise Club in Jeddah, Royal Cruise Express in Taipei; Stamford Discovery Cruise Center in Singapore; Best Cruise Centre in Jakarta and Comfort Leisure in Bengaluru.

CAMBODIA received its longest, nonstop scheduled flight on Saturday when German carrier Condor Air launched its weekly Frankfurt-Siem Reap service.

Arriving in Siem Reap on Saturdays at 06.05 and departing for Phuket at 07.25, the route is serviced by a 270-seat Boeing 767-300.

The airport is on course to surpass the two million passenger mark by December, and an upgrading programme is set to unfurl in early 2013, doubling the airport’s capacity to five million passengers.

Emmanuel Menanteau, CEO of Cambodia Airports, expects Siem Reap International Airport to see a 20 per cent increase in passenger output by the end of 2012.

THE openings of Fairmont Makati and Raffles Makati by next January will help to make up for the 20-year dearth of deluxe properties in the Makati CBD.

The 280-room Fairmont Makati, which will have six F&B outlets and over 1,700m2 of meetings and function space, is being positioned as a hotel for corporate travellers, while the 32-suite Raffles Makati is likely to appeal to luxury leisure tourists.

The last time a five-star hotel put down roots in Makati was 20 years ago, when Makati Shangri-La came to town.

With the opening of Fairmont Makati and other five-star international brands moving in over the next four yeas, industry players expect a levelling of Manila’s high hotel rates.

“More hotels mean more room inventory for us to sell to our clients at more competitive prices,” said Jayne Lim-Ong, inbound sales and marketing manager of Blue Horizons Travel & Tours.

Lim-Ong said there was a market for more upscale hotels as the Philippines’ economic growth remained steady.

“This means that more companies will be interested in investing in the Philippines. This will eventually lead to a demand not just for the high-end market, but also for tourism in the Philippines in general.”