Onyx Hospitality Group will strengthen its serviced apartment brand, Shama, with 10 new properties by the end of 2025.
These include nine new properties in Thailand, and one in Malaysia.
Shama expands with 10 new properties; Shama Yen-Akat Bangkok pictured
Currently, the group operates six Shama properties in Thailand and ten properties in Hong Kong and China.
Yuthachai Charanachitta, owner and CEO of Onyx Hospitality Group, said: “The serviced apartment segment has continued its recovery pace since many countries relaxed their Covid-19 travel restrictions. As a result, we are seeing more expatriates relocating to Thailand.”
He added that with South-east Asia rising as a regional economic hub, Thailand is in a strong position to capitalise on this growth as “serviced apartments globally remained resilient, even at the height of the pandemic”.
Shama also recently launched Shama Social Club, which aims to enhance the overall visitor experience, connecting guests to each distinct neighbourhood.
Radisson Hotel Group (RHG) is now part of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) in its continued mission to drive forward the hospitality industry’s sustainability agenda and support the ongoing development of integrated sustainable tourism practices.
A sustainable hotel group, RHG, has made substantial strides to drive climate action in the hospitality industry – one of which is the goal of achieving net zero by 2050 – towards sustainability, renewable energy, green building design, green mobility, and the establishment of the Hotel Sustainability Basics.
Radisson Hotel Group has joined the Global Sustainable Tourism Council; Radisson Collection Hotel, Magdalena Plaza Sevilla pictured
Its membership in the GSTC forms part of its strategic focus to drive cross-industry cooperation and establish transparent and measurable standards for sustainability within the hospitality industry, as well as foster increased coordination between the private and public sector.
The GSTC was formed in 2007 as a coalition of 32 partners, initiated by the Rainforest Alliance, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Foundation (UN Foundation), and the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).
Inge Huijbrechts, global senior vice president sustainability, security and corporate communication, RHG commented: “Sustainability is not competitive but rather collaborative – together we can aim to help solving global issues we all face.
“We look forward to working with the Global Sustainable Tourism Council and its partners to align our strong criteria to reach net zero emissions latest by 2050.”
During this year’s COP27 in Egypt, the group reaffirmed its strong commitment to sustainability by signing the Glasgow Declaration. Also, RHG, along with other top brands, associations and destinations in the industry, launched the Hotel Sustainability Basics at the World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) Global Summit earlier this year.
Mondrian Duxton Singapore has assembled a group of unexpected talents to give a whole new meaning to hospitality as they prepare to launch something special from 1Q2023.
Led by Robert C. Hauck, general manager, maverick and all-round mischief-maker, who has taken a unique approach to hiring under Mondrian’s ‘unexpected talents’ mantra, he has built a career on breaking new ground and thinking outside the box.
Mondrian Duxton Singapore’s team is made up of experienced individuals and those trying to find their calling
“Any hotel is only as good as the people who bring it to life. Mondrian has given me the freedom to do something truly innovative and really cast the net wide in taking a new approach to assembling a team,” Hauck said.
“It’s all about creating a place for individuals and personalities with a lot to offer but who may not fit in to a conventional hotel. They might be misfits in a sense, but they’ll fit in here.”
“Here” is Duxton Hill, home to the latest addition to the Mondrian family of hotels, joining the brand’s properties in Los Angeles, New York, Miami, London, Cannes, Doha and Seoul.
Hauck has already assembled a core team of over 70 people, ensuring there’s a solid backbone of experienced industry operators to which he has added rebels, dreamers and outsiders, creating a fresh perspective for the hotel, a new energy and a collective entrepreneurial spirit.
The team members comprise a full body-tattooed restaurant manager who turned his life around after prison, an elderly public area supervisor who holds three marketing diplomas but was previously a cleaner, a bored retiree with a career background in strategic brand planning, fresh graduates, a former Olympian athlete, a luxury fashion expert and award-winning bartenders, and more – these are among the passionate and talented characters given another chance to find their calling.
Hauck opined: “My motto is chase talent, don’t wait. From tattoo conventions to alternative gigs, from art happenings to theatre and sport… and knowing true talent when you see it. This will be the essence of what we are bringing to the market at Mondrian Singapore Duxton.”
Mercure Rayong Lomtalay Villas & Resort, Thailand
Located on Thailand’s eastern seaboard, Mercure Rayong Lomtalay Villas and Resort is a few hours’ drive from Bangkok.
The 184-room pet-friendly resort offers F&B, pool, spa, fitness centre and meeting venues.
There are local attractions nearby including the vibrant seafood market on Haad Suan Son Beach, the Ban Phe Fresh Market, the Old Town of Rayong, Khao Chamao – Khao Wong National Park, as well as the eco-tourism attraction of Tung Prong Thong Golden Mangrove Field.
Hilton Garden Inn Kyoto Shijo Karasuma
Hilton Garden Inn Kyoto Shijo Karasuma, Japan
Hilton Garden Inn Kyoto Shijo Karasuma is situated in the heart of Kyoto, only three minutes from Kyoto Station by subway and a four-minute walk from the Shijo and Gojo subway stations.
The property is close to popular tourist attractions like Gion and Nijo Castle, as well as shopping areas such as Nishiki Market and the business district.
The nine-storey, 250-room hotel features nine types of guest rooms, and guests will have access to complimentary Wi-Fi, self-service laundry facility, fitness centre, and snack shop. There is also an all-day dining restaurant.
JW Marriott Khao Lak Resort Suites
JW Marriott Khao Lak Resort Suites, Thailand
JW Marriott Khao Lak Resort Suites is an all-suite luxury retreat nestled in a beachside setting on southern Thailand’s Andaman coast.
The resort boasts of 52 two-bedroom suites, including pool access suites. It is also home to South-east Asia’s longest lagoon swimming pool.
JW Marriott Khao Lak Resort Suites shares the extensive facilities of JW Marriott Khao Lak Resort & Spa, such as the new Aqua Play Zone. The resort has 11 restaurants and bars, spa, fitness centre, tennis and squash courts, and a kids’ club.
Jono Bangkok Asok
Jono Bangkok Asok, Thailand
Jono Bangkok Asok makes its debut in Bangkok and is just steps away from Sukhumvit Road.
The 65-key hotel features the lobby lounge which doubles as a co-working space, with complimentary Wi-Fi and coffee to keep guests energised. The front desk is also open 24/7, with concierge services available.
Guests can easily access the city’s most iconic retail malls, such as Terminal 21, EmQuartier and Emporium; while business travellers will find convenience with the Asok BTS Skytrain and Sukhumvit MRT subway stations, as well as the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center nearby.
JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group has appointed Rathawat Kuvijitrsuwan as senior vice president, advisory & asset management, Thailand.
He will be responsible for advising both domestic and international clients through development advisory, feasibility assessment, investment strategies, operator selection and contract negotiation, and asset management.
He joins JLL from CBRE, where he was recently head of research and consulting, Thailand.
The Airports Council International (ACI) Asia-Pacific has appointed three new members into its board at its 34th Board Meeting in Muscat.
Joining the 27-member board are Lorie Argus from Australia, Muhammad Awaluddin from Indonesia and Chang Yi Wang from China.
The members during the 34th Board Meeting in Muscat
Argus currently serves as the CEO of Australia Pacific Airports Corporation (APAC), which manages and operates Melbourne and Launceston Airports.
Awaluddin serves as the president director of Angkasa Pura II, a state-owned enterprise under the Indonesian Department of Transport overseeing airports in Western Indonesia, while Wang serves as the chairman of Capital Airports Holding Limited & Beijing Capital International Airport Co.
Welcoming the new board members, Emmanuel Menanteau, president of ACI Asia-Pacific, said: “I am confident that new members will continue to be a strong advocate for our region, to aid travel recovery as the industry recovers. Their professional expertise is valuable as we work closely with our stakeholders to revive the industry.”
A total of six new airport operators, two affiliates and nine World Business Partners have joined ACI Asia-Pacific in 2022. ACI Asia-Pacific now has 127 airport members, managing and operating 618 airports across 46 countries and a strong line-up of 97 World Business Partners.
Themed Journey into the Future Together, Trip.com Group’s 2022 Global Partner Summit in Macau was attended by tourism boards, international airlines, hotel groups and industry representatives from across the travel industry.
The group and its partners provided insights on the industry’s growth and opportunities ahead, with leadership and experts sharing sector-specific knowledge via breakout sub-forums. It also continues to safeguard efforts toward global travel recovery by following its Local Focus, Global Vision blueprint.
Trip.com’s Jane Sun delivering her keynote presentation to partners at the Global Partner Summit
Jane Sun, CEO, Trip.com Group highlighted some of the group’s financial results, emphasising triple-digit growth in hotel bookings across key Asia-Pacific markets compared to the same period in 2019, with its global air ticket bookings increasing by 100 per cent year-over-year.
She said: “Although the road ahead is still uncertain, we want to explore more opportunities and use cooperation, technology, and service to promote the tourism industry together with our travel partners.
“The early recovery of global markets has given us confidence. We will continue looking for more possibilities to better serve our partners and users by building an improved travel ecosystem to meet users’ needs.”
Trip.com Group shared its plans to revitalise the tourism economy and reconnect with keen travellers by enhancing engagement between travellers and partners. Several upgrades and expansions to the existing content marketing offering were also announced during the summit, such as Ctrip Livestream, which will launch across more cities in mainland China to boost global distribution, and Trip.Best list to launch across all major sites.
In addition, new and existing partnerships, such as with Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) and Sands China, were inked to strengthen destination visibility and capture pent-up travel demand. Trip.com Group will collaborate with MGTO, Sands China and other partners in various industries, including accommodation, shopping, and gourmet, to enhance the vitality of Macau’s tourism market and build it as a world-class centre of tourism and leisure.
Hospitality 360 (H360) has partnered with Wyndham Hotels and Resorts to grow their portfolio of hotels, resorts, and serviced apartments across Malaysia.
Under the terms of the agreement, H360 will deliver at least 15 hotels signed as franchises under various Wyndham-owned brands over the course of the next six years.
The partnership will see the development of hotels, resorts, and serviced apartments across Malaysia
Construction of these hotels, totalling more than 2,000 rooms will commence in phases starting in 2023 and is expected to complete by 2027.
In the pipeline is Wyndham Grand TRX KL, which will feature over 190 rooms – construction is currently underway and slated to complete by 4Q2023.
In addition, the newly-built Ramada by Wyndham The Straits Johor Bahru will be operational by 1Q2023.
Other upcoming properties are Isola KLCC, Shahzan Kuantan in Pahang, Trinidad Suites Puteri Harbour in Johor, Lisbon Melaka, Trigo Kuala Lumpur, and Shahzan Frasers Hill – all are expected to sign to Wyndham’s Trademark Collection brand.
H360 hopes to achieve a portfolio of approximately 5,000 rooms all over Malaysia by 2027.
Indera Naresh Mohan, group CEO, H360 said: “The properties we will manage are targeted at different segments of the market, from leisure travellers and families to business travellers. We are looking forward to working with Wyndham to ensure all our guests get a full and holistic experience in our managed properties.”
Matt Holmes, vice president of development, South East Asia & Pacific for Wyndham, said: “This move will position Wyndham strongly to tap on the exponential rise in travel demand which has accelerated since early 2022 as borders reopen across key markets in Asia-Pacific.”
Cebu Pacific (CEB) has restored 92 per cent of its pre-Covid system-wide capacity following the continuous increase of its domestic and international routes.
The airline now flies an average of 355 flights a day, covering 34 domestic and 19 international destinations. This is equivalent to about 64,000 seats offered in a day.
Cebu Pacific has restored 92 per cent of its pre-Covid system-wide capacity
To date, CEB has fully restored its pre-pandemic domestic capacity, surpassing the airline’s December 2019 level.
CEB flew 13.3 million passengers from January to November 2022, up 493 per cent from the same period in 2021, as people rushed back to travel following the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions.
Xander Lao, chief commercial officer, Cebu Pacific said: “We’ve basically grown, in fact, much more than what we were doing pre-Covid in the domestic level. We are seeing green shoots of recovery.”
For December, CEB widened its international footprint as it added more flights to Brunei, Jakarta, Seoul, Taipei, and Hong Kong. From December 1, its Cebu hub was also boosted with additional flights.
As part of the airline’s sustainability efforts, aircraft deliveries will use blended Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), with the aim of transitioning to an all-NEO fleet by 2028 and incorporate the use of SAF for its entire commercial network by 2030.
Philippine Airlines (PAL) will operate non-stop services between Manila and Perth starting from March 27, 2023, linking the Philippines and Western Australia with direct flights for the first time.
The three weekly PAL services will operate every Monday, Thursday and Saturday. The Manila-Perth service will depart 00.05 and arrive at 07.15; the Perth-Manila flight will depart at 08.30 and arrive at 15.50.
Philippine Airlines will fly direct to Perth from March 2023
Perth is PAL’s fourth Australian gateway, joining Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. The airline offers a total of 20 weekly direct flights to Perth, Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
PAL’s service provides new connectivity via the airline’s Manila hub for Perth-bound passengers travelling from Los Angeles, Bangkok, Hong Kong and points in Japan, as well as from Cebu, Davao and other key Philippine destinations.
He joins JLL from CBRE, where he was recently head of research and consulting, Thailand.
