Meliá Hotels International has added The Grand Luang Prabang to its portfolio, making the one-time palace of a Lao prince the first member of the Melia Collection in South-east Asia.
Under Meliá’s umbrella the Luang Prabang property will undergo a renovation and refurbishment over the next year, remaining operational throughout.
The Grand Luang Prabang is the first member of the Melia Collection in South-east Asia
Meliá Collection hotels were launched in 2022 to bring together some of the group’s most distinctive and one-of-a-kind properties. With its rich culture and architecture, the destination of Luang Prabang has held UNESCO World Heritage status for two decades.
Situated on lush riverside in Luang Prabang, The Grand Luang Prabang is a 75-key property spread out over eight buildings, comprising of a 1920-built palace and a collection of annexes. The property commands the high ground of a six-hectare bluff on a bend of the Mekong with sweeping views of mountains and river, as well as sunsets.
Balconies from guest rooms overlook manicured gardens and lotus ponds, and the property also features an expansive swimming pool in the gardens. Meliá plans to add Spanish hospitality to the mix, while ensuring the hotel retains its distinct character.
Gabriel Escarrer, chairman and CEO of Meliá Hotels International, remarked: “We expect destinations like Luang Prabang to become more popular with modern travellers who are seeking new and unique experiences, and I’m sure that this hotel, with its unmistakable sense of place, will enable guests to fully enjoy the destination.”
Australia’s largest independent five-star sustainably-led hospitality company, Crystalbrook Collection, is set to launch a new-build hotel in Australia’s capital, Canberra, slated to open in 1Q2027.
The new hotel is in collaboration with developer TP Dynamics, who has secured building approval and the construction site is currently being prepared to commence the build.
A rendering of the new Crystalbrook Collection hotel in Canberra, slated to open in 2027
The hotel will be located on Bunda Street, strategically positioned between Garema Place and Bunda Street, opposite the Canberra Centre. The 10-storey mixed-use commercial and hotel development, covering 1500m², features 238 hotel rooms, multiple restaurants and bars, a central skylight atrium and gardens, swimming pool, wellness centre, function rooms, and ballroom.
The first hospitality group in Australia to achieve 100 per cent waste-free bathrooms, Crystalbrook’s Canberra hotel will continue the brand’s commitment to responsible luxury, with initiatives including 100 per cent recycled coat hangers and key cards, zero-waste coffee capsules from TerraCycle, and the labelling of ‘Climate Calories’ across all of their restaurants, allowing customers to feel comfortable that they are mitigating their environmental impact.
As part of the city’s revitalisation efforts, the Australian Capital Territory Government’s City Renewal Authority will upgrade the Garema Place Public Realm. This enhancement will create a modern and lively dining and retail precinct, offering increased green space, improved pedestrian flow, better accessibility, enhanced lighting, and more outdoor dining opportunities.
Crystalbrook Collection founder Ghassan Aboud commented: “With the announcement of our new Canberra property and the continued expansion of the group across Australia with recent expansion into Adelaide and the acquisition of a second property in Sydney, my vision for Crystalbrook Collection as a truly national hotel group is coming to fruition. This growth of our brand across Australia is delivering a strong base for a future expansion of Crystalbrook Collection into overseas markets.”
Walk Japan has introduced its Kyoto: Mountains to the Sea tour which explores Kyoto Prefecture, a bucolic rural region, famed for the sublime foods and crafts.
Kyoto: Mountains to the Sea is a fully-guided, eight-day walking tour that ventures through Kyoto’s backcountry; a lovely countryside where the pace of life is still measured by seasons and a multitude of colourful festivals throughout the year.
Walk Japan’s new eight-day tour explores Kyoto’s backcountry
The 12-pax tour follows ancient trails, once vital for commerce and communication, that weave their way through valleys and over high passes until culminating on the Sea of Japan coast at Amanohashidate, rightly considered one of Japan’s three classic vistas. En route, it passes through little-known villages and aside historic temples and shrines, some grand and some rustic.
Night accommodation is in Japanese inns, where friendly hosts provide warm welcomes and meals composed of locally-sourced and grown ingredients.
Prices start from 430,000 yen (US$2,796) based on double occupancy.
Emirates has relaunched its daily Phnom Penh service via Singapore, marking the airline’s first direct link between Singapore and Phnom Penh.
Emirates will fly four times daily to Phnom Penh via Singapore
The four daily services will operate on Emirates’ Boeing 777-300ER aircraft in a three-class configuration on flights to Phnom Penh, offering eight private suites in First Class, 42 lie flat seats in Business Class and 304 seats in Economy Class.
The story of Sunway Group begins at Sunway City Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s first fully integrated green township. This 323 hectares of lush land packs in over 5.5 million square metres of excitement, and is just a breezy 20-minute jaunt from the heart of Kuala Lumpur.
Here, every guest’s whim is catered to – from top-notch hospitality to fantastic shopping sprees, thrilling leisure activities, quality healthcare, stellar education opportunities, and a bustling community of over 200,000 residents, all nestled in a safe, healthy, and connected environment.
Sunway City Kuala Lumpur was Malaysia’s first fully integrated green township; Sunway Resort, pictured
But wait, there’s more to this story.
Sunway City Kuala Lumpur was not always the vibrant metropolis it is today. Once upon a time, it was a barren tin mining wasteland. Thanks to the vision of its founder and chairman, Jeffrey Cheah, it blossomed into the breathtaking city today.
The success story of Sunway City Kuala Lumpur has inspired Sunway Group to replicate its model in other townships across Malaysia. Two notable examples include Sunway City Ipoh, nestled in the northern state of Perak, and Sunway City Iskandar Puteri, situated in the southern state of Johor.
At Sunway City Ipoh, the focus revolves around biodiversity conservation and environmental preservation, embracing the lush rainforests, geothermal hotsprings, and ancient limestone hills and caves that characterise the area.
Sunway City Iskandar Puteri, which is positioned as Nature’s Capital City, is situated against the Johor Strait, the pristine Pendas River, and thriving mangrove forests. The property is committed to safeguarding these natural gems throughout development, with the goal of fusing urban living seamlessly with the unspoiled magnificence of the environment, delivering a balanced blend of contemporary conveniences and natural marvels for both residents and visitors to enjoy.
To mark their 50th anniversary this year, Sunway Group threw a Golden Jubilee Mega Roadshow in 1Q2024, packed with family-friendly fun, limited-time offers, and tempting prizes across four states: Penang, Perak, Selangor, and Johor.
Cheah: our vision for Sunway is to be Asia’s model corporation in sustainable development
In the spirit of its milestone, the group has also initiated several corporate social responsibility initiatives, embodying its commitment to “do well by doing good” and “ensuring no one is left behind”.
For example, during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan in March, Sunway Group collaborated with various non-governmental organisations, including its long-term partners, Malaysian AIDS Foundation and National Welfare Foundation, to spread festive cheer to underserved communities nationwide.
Come July, Sunway-Rapid KL Good Run 2024 will welcome over 10,000 runners to participate in a fundraising event where all proceeds will be distributed to 50 charity homes nationwide.
The goodness continues with the Meal Pack-a-thon drive in September, which aims to pack over 500,000 meals for underprivileged communities at home and abroad. This is part of Sunway’s overarching goal to provide two million meals by 2024, addressing hunger and food security issues across the region.
All these initiatives fall under the #SunwayforGood corporate responsibility umbrella, which is focused on promoting sustainability and social inclusion through education, healthcare, and community enrichment.
Evan Cheah, group CEO for digital and strategic investments at Sunway Group, is thrilled about the progress. He said: “Our vision for Sunway is to be Asia’s model corporation in sustainable development, innovating to enrich the lives for a better tomorrow. In line with that, we will remain committed to advancing the sustainable development agenda and continue to innovate for future generations to come.”
Cheah, with over two decades of experience at Sunway Group, cherishes his journey with the company, particularly the thrill of setting up operations in China and expanding globally through new business ventures.
He is especially proud of the Sunway Super App, launched last year, which offers users seamless access to Sunway’s wide ecosystem of offerings, including property, education, healthcare, malls, theme parks, hotels, and resorts.
The six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries – Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE – are making swift progress in their joint efforts to promote regional tourism, with plans to implement a unified Gulf tourist visa regime.
Speaking on the opening day of the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) on Monday, Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri, UAE’s minister of economy, said the unified Gulf tourist visa would be named, GCC Grand Tours.
The GCC plans to implement a unified Gulf tourist visa regime (Photo: Rohit Kaul)
“With the introduction of GCC Grand Tours, we anticipate that tourists will stay in the region for over 30 days,” he said.
The new visa regime is expected to be introduced by the end of 2024 or early 2025.
The private sector is also urged to create tours that would entice tourists to explore multiple destinations within the region.
“Working in collaboration with other GCC states allows us to tap into a larger market and offer a more diverse product that would definitely keep this region in a better competitive position. We have started working with a number of GCC countries on either joint packages or joint marketing campaigns,” revealed Azzan Al Busaidi, undersecretary of tourism, Oman Ministry of Heritage and Tourism.
Saudi Arabia has announced cooperation with Qatar, Oman and Bahrain on joint marketing campaigns and packages. Other GCC destinations will follow suit.
Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, chairman of Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority, said travellers today desire “a variety of products”, and noted that the GCC region would benefit from targeting both leisure and business event travellers. Work is underway with “the biggest tour operators” to push regional travel packages.
The GCC nations are also improving infrastructure to enhance the traveller experience, such as establishing a rail network.
Fahd Hamidaddin, CEO, Saudi Tourism Authority, said “having a railway system that connects the GCC countries will be a game changer” in facilitating intra-regional tourism.
“However, we should not look at the rail network from just a point-to-point connectivity perspective. The focus should be on creating an experience that is entertaining and gives a feel of a desert cruise (on rails),” he added.
Fourteen Four Points Express by Sheraton hotels in Japan will mark the brand's entry into Asia
Marriott International, Inc. has launched its midscale hospitality platform in Asia through a portfolio of 14 hotels in Japan belonging to global investment firm KKR, which will be converted to the Four Points Express by Sheraton brand and be primed to welcome first guests in 2H2024.
The 14 hotels are a result of KKR’s acquisition of Unizo Hotel Company, Limited and the latter’s portfolio. They are located in 10 Japanese cities, including Hakodate, Morioka, Utsunomiya, Yokohama, Kanazawa, Nagoya, Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe and Hakata, which are strong in both leisure and business travel. These will add more than 3,600 new rooms to KKR’s and Marriott’s respective hotel portfolios in the country.
Fourteen Four Points Express by Sheraton hotels in Japan will mark the brand’s entry into Asia
According to Kyungmin Hahm, principal, real estate, at KKR, there are plans to refurbished all hotels by the end of 2024, with the aim of elevating the design and aligning it to Marriott’s brand standards.
Shawn Hill, chief development officer, Marriott International, Asia Pacific excluding China, told TTG Asia that “these relatively new assets” would get “some work done”, such as brand-specific design features and updated colours in the public areas while guestrooms would be fitted out with Marriott-standard bedding, fresh artwork and accent walls.
While Marriott’s mid-scale brand portfolio also includes City Express by Marriott and StudioRes, Hill said Four Points Express by Sheraton is the best fit for the company’s entry into Japan’s midscale lodging sector, as Sheraton “has been a very strong brand for us within Japan for many decades”.
Four Points Express by Sheraton targets value-conscious consumers with reliability, simplicity and value in both the design and guest experience. The brand is tailored to meet guests’ needs while the brand standards contemplate an efficient cost model that is intended to provide an effective pricing strategy for franchisees and help drive meaningful growth for Marriott.
As to why Japan was selected for the brand’s Asia debut, Hill said: “Japan is one of our fastest growing markets within Asia-Pacific, and represents one of the largest existing midscale markets in the region.”
The location of the soon-to-come properties also corresponds with the growing traveller interest in secondary and tertiary Japanese cities. Hill said there is a trend of repeat visitors wanting to go beyond major cities and “see what else Japan has to offer”. This was already perceptible before the pandemic, he noted.
Hill said: “They’re going to national parks, UNESCO World Heritage Sites, hot springs areas, and other cultural places. There is significant opportunity (for Marriott to get into) really interesting locations. This is part of our strategy going forward. We want to give our customers a real opportunity to see different parts of Japan.”
“Furthermore, with this brand, we could get into markets with average rates that are not as high as those in key cities and have a model that would still work for our owners and development partners. The cost to operate and build these hotels are much lower than, say, a full-service or luxury hotel,” he added.
Kensuke Kudo, managing director, real estate at KKR, said: “International and domestic tourism in Japan has rebounded strongly since the pandemic and continues to pick up pace. As demand for midscale hotels grows rapidly, we see a tremendous opportunity to offer high-quality and comfortable accommodation at great value. We are delighted to be strategic partners with Marriott, one of the world’s pre-eminent hotel companies, to launch the Four Points Express by Sheraton brand in Japan. By combining KKR’s real estate investment and operational expertise and Marriott’s deep hospitality experience, we look to deliver outstanding-yet-affordable lodging experiences to international and domestic travelers across Japan.”
Hahm shared that the collaboration with Marriott marked the start of KKR’s midscale hospitality strategy in Japan and it would continue to look out for potential real estate opportunities in this segment, which is one of its key focuses in the near future. He added that the ability to scale quickly would be important for the midscale hospitality segment.
The Four Points Express by Sheraton brand first surfaced in Türkiye this January with Four Points Express by Sheraton Bursa Nilüfer; Four Points Express London Euston is expected to open this summer.
Rajeev Menon, president, Marriott International, Asia Pacific excluding China, said in a release that the company intends to grow its midscale presence and “be everywhere our guests want us to be, with the right property in the right location, at the right price point”.
When asked where next in Asia for the brand, Hill said studies are underway to identify markets with a growing middle-class population and a rapidly expanding local economy.
“There is a very large supply of existing midscale properties in mature (destinations) like Japan. We think there is still going to be another opportunity for the brand to expand there (in Japan through conversion). We see significant growth potential across the region over the medium term,” he told TTG Asia.
Shortly after announcing a higher fee for tourist visa – US100, up from the previous US$50 – Sri Lanka’s cabinet on May 6 decided to reverse the move in an apparent bow to pressure from furious travel and tourism professional industry bodies.
The President’s Office said in a statement that it would also maintain the Immigration and Emigration Department as facilitator, reversing the decision to permit VFS Global, a global visa facilitation company, to handle facilitation.
Sri Lanka’s cabinet has retracted its decision to double its visa fees
The new fee, which included a service and facilitation charge of US$25 by VFS Global, was implemented on April 17 despite industry players warning that arrivals would be adversely impacted. The crisis came to a head on April 30 when long queues formed at the Bandaranaike International Airport due to a glitch in the system.
The Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators, the Travel Agents Association of Sri Lanka, the Sri Lanka Association of Professional Conference Exhibition and Event Organizers, and the Association of Small and Medium Enterprises in Tourism had earlier issued a joint letter urging the government to restore “a competitive and user-friendly visa process through a government-operated website, similar to the previous ETA system, to enable a tourist to obtain the necessary 30 days single-entry visa with ease”, which was deemed crucial to “sustaining the positive momentum” in tourism recovery.
As conflict between the industry and the government spiked over the new visa fee and its implementation, tourism minister Harin Fernando told reporters that the changes were not implemented by him, but by the minister of national security Tiran Alles.
Fernando said: “My view is that we should do away with visas altogether for tourists. Travelling should be as simple as getting off the plane and going out.”
Amora Hotels & Resorts (Amora) is positioning itself for a new phase of expansion in Asia-Pacific with the opening of its inaugural corporate office in Sydney.
Founded in 1997, Amora owns and operates six properties in Asia-Pacific. The company plans to spearhead a growth plan to double its portfolio to 12 hotels in five years, and the establishment of the regional hub will be a launchpad for the hotel group to leverage opportunities for acquisitions while driving strategy, brand, operations, finance and human resources.
Amora Hotels & Resorts has opened its corporate office in Sydney, Australia with plans to expand in Asia-Pacific; Amora Riverwalk Melbourne, pictured
Amora’s owner and director Earp Siriphatrawan is assembling an experienced team to consolidate and expand the company, with Ravi Chandran, previously with Banyan Tree, being brought in as an independent director to the board to drive strategy and brand development.
Led by group vice president of operations, Tamer Habib, a former Starwood executive, the corporate office will take a holistic view of strategy, brand, operations and finance, driving a customer-centric approach and guest recognition programme, consolidating back office procedures and evaluating acquisition opportunities.
“This is an exciting time for Amora Hotels & Resorts, as we embark on a new era of regional expansion in Asia-Pacific,” said Siriphatrawan. “Our commitment is clear – we are investing in people and products, seeking fresh opportunities for acquisitions and looking forward with a bold vision. This is a fast-evolving industry and we understand the need to innovate to lead the independent hotel space.”
Australia’s largest independent five-star sustainably-led hospitality company, Crystalbrook Collection, is set to launch a new-build hotel in Australia’s capital, Canberra, slated to open in 1Q2027.
The new hotel is in collaboration with developer TP Dynamics, who has secured building approval and the construction site is currently being prepared to commence the build.
The hotel will be located on Bunda Street, strategically positioned between Garema Place and Bunda Street, opposite the Canberra Centre. The 10-storey mixed-use commercial and hotel development, covering 1500m², features 238 hotel rooms, multiple restaurants and bars, a central skylight atrium and gardens, swimming pool, wellness centre, function rooms, and ballroom.
The first hospitality group in Australia to achieve 100 per cent waste-free bathrooms, Crystalbrook’s Canberra hotel will continue the brand’s commitment to responsible luxury, with initiatives including 100 per cent recycled coat hangers and key cards, zero-waste coffee capsules from TerraCycle, and the labelling of ‘Climate Calories’ across all of their restaurants, allowing customers to feel comfortable that they are mitigating their environmental impact.
As part of the city’s revitalisation efforts, the Australian Capital Territory Government’s City Renewal Authority will upgrade the Garema Place Public Realm. This enhancement will create a modern and lively dining and retail precinct, offering increased green space, improved pedestrian flow, better accessibility, enhanced lighting, and more outdoor dining opportunities.
Crystalbrook Collection founder Ghassan Aboud commented: “With the announcement of our new Canberra property and the continued expansion of the group across Australia with recent expansion into Adelaide and the acquisition of a second property in Sydney, my vision for Crystalbrook Collection as a truly national hotel group is coming to fruition. This growth of our brand across Australia is delivering a strong base for a future expansion of Crystalbrook Collection into overseas markets.”