Accor has signed a management agreement for a new dual-branded hotel in Thailand’s capital.
Slated for a 2025 opening, Mercure & ibis Bangkok Siam Ratchathewi will be part of a vertical mixed-use development including offices and retail spaces. It will also have direct access to the Ratchathewi BTS Skytrain station.
Mercure & ibis Bangkok Siam Ratchathewi will open in 2025; Bangkok pictured
The Mercure hotel will comprise 200 rooms complemented by the brand’s authentic locally-inspired experiences and decorative design as well as high-quality services.
The ibis hotel will offer 154 rooms, boasting a trend-setting and comfortable hotel concept, a vibrant atmosphere, and convenient amenities. An array of shared public areas include a restaurant, lobby bar and lounge, pool bar, swimming pool, gym, kid’s club, and two meeting rooms.
Banyan Tree Group welcomes guests to its two newly opened hotels in Japan – Garrya Nijo Castle Kyoto and Dhawa Yura Kyoto – with special savings on stays and experiences under The First Trip campaign, helping travellers explore new locales and revisit favourite destinations in a more purposeful way.
At Garrya Nijo Castle Kyoto, guests can explore the UNESCO World Heritage site of Nijo Castle, while at Dhawa Yura Kyoto they will get to experience the legendary sento ritual at the Kyoto Public Baths where locals visit to bathe and socialise.
Enjoy savings of 15 per cent on accommodation at Garrya Nijo Castle Kyoto
Garrya Nijo Castle Kyoto’s package includes 15 per cent accommodation savings on best available rate, two complimentary tickets to the Nijo Castle, complimentary pick-up and drop-off services between the Kyoto Station and the hotel, complimentary minibar service and 10 per cent savings on dining.
Dhawa Yura Kyoto is located on the Kamo River right by the iconic Sanjo Ohashi bridge, and offers a convenient base from which to explore the city’s many sights.
Dhawa Yura Kyoto’s packages comprises 15 per cent accommodation savings on best available rate, two tickets to the Kyoto Public Baths, welcome drink, 30 per cent savings on spa treatments and 10 per cent savings on dining.
Both packages are open for bookings and stays from now until June 30, 2023.
Outrigger Maldives Maafushivaru Resort has lined up a variety of Christmas and New Year programmes, which runs from December 19, 2022 to January 1, 2023.
Guests who love to eat and drink can visit the Christmas market and sign up for hands-on classes on making sushi, Vietnamese hand rolls, seafood curing, cake decoration, chocolate and wine pairing. There will also be mojito madness and margarita mash-up sessions.
A variety of Christmas and New Year programmes await at Outrigger Maldives Maafushivaru Resort
Couples can request private sunset dinners on the beach and a floating breakfast in their pool villa, which can be overwater or on the beach.
Other activities include sunset cruises, fishing, kayaking, snorkelling safaris, guided scuba dives, and presentations by the resort’s resident marine biologist on Outrigger’s global nature conservation initiative.
There are also wellness sessions like yoga, Pilates, cross fit and more.
For New Year’s Eve, guests can sip on cocktails in the evening, indulge in an around-the-globe gourmet journey, before dancing into 2023 with a night-time DJ session.
Gogreen Holdings is bringing back their attraction offerings to the Southern Islands of Singapore for the next two years.
From October 14, Gogreen @ St John’s Island provides an extended Sentosa eco-mobility experience from the company’s existing attraction on Sentosa to the St John’s Island and its adjacent Lazarus Island. Visitors can bask on the southern island’s tranquil beaches with picturesque views and relax on the clean, white beach on Lazarus Island Beach and the C-shaped lagoon.
Gogreen @ St John’s Island provides an array of fun activities with kick scooters, bicycle rentals and more
Enjoy an array of fun activities with kick scooters, bicycle rentals and explore the islands on well-paved paths. At Gogreen @ St John’s Island are also drink stands, kites, beach mats, beach tents and more.
To get to Gogreen @ St John’s Island, ferry rides are available for booking with Singapore Island Cruise and Marina South Ferries. Departures are from Sentosa Jetty @ Cove or Marina South Pier, and arrivals are at Lazarus Island’s Pier or St John’s Island pier.
Alvaro Berton has been appointed as the new general manager of Meliá Ho Tram Beach Resort.
The Spanish-born has worked in management roles for Meliá Hotels International for more than eight years. He was previously the general manager of Meliá Purosani Yogyakarta in Indonesia for more than two years.
In his new role, Berton will oversee operations and strategies for business development and implementation of the new phase concept.
Avatar: The Experience will open on October 28 at Cloud Forest, Gardens by the Bay. This immersive walkthrough event is a collaboration by Cityneon Holdings, Disney Location-Based Experiences, and James Cameron and Jon Landau’s Lightstorm Entertainment inspired by the film, Avatar.
From October 28, 2022 to March 31, 2023, guests will journey through the alien world of Pandora with its bioluminescent environments, engaging with its mystical creatures and flora, and sharing in the captivating culture of its indigenous people, the Na’vi.
Journey through the alien world of Pandora at Avatar: The Experience at Gardens By The Bay
Avatar: The Experience will comprise five different zones. Highlights include a life-size animatronic banshee, a baby banshee puppet for photo opportunities, and a first look at an artistic sculpt representation of the new marine creature, the Ilu, from the upcoming film Avatar: The Way of Water.
Sharjahverse, a new generation of metaverse tourism for the Emirate of Sharjah, has been launched by Multiverse Labs and Sharjah Commerce & Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA). Using the Multiverse Labs platform, Sharjahverse is said to be the first true metaverse of city scale with economic and social utility.
Sharjahverse, encompassing all of Sharjah at 2,590km2, brings the emirate to a global audience and boosts the tourism economy, as well as creates metaverse jobs for local employees at Sharjah’s iconic sights. It is a photorealistic, physics-accurate metaverse that unlocks commerce, innovation and imagination at scale – adding to realism, the avatars are generated from photographs of actual people.
Sharjahverse is said to be the first true metaverse of city scale with economic and social utility; Buhais Geology Park pictured
Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, chairman, SCTDA said: “Transforming the mass market tourism industry towards next-generation, sustainable practices requires a new way of thinking. Virtual tourism in Sharjahverse will provide unprecedented access to almost any location, personalised guest experiences and enhanced entertainment.”
Cliff Szu, CEO, Multiverse Labs said: “Sharjahverse is both the world’s first government-backed metaverse city viewable by the public, and the world’s most realistic metaverse.
“The creation of something on the scale of Sharjahverse just a year ago would have been impossible.”
The latest data from Trip.com reveals an enormous booking spike and high search volumes to Japan as the destination ends travel restrictions.
Bookings to Japan from South Korea increased by a massive 194% on those made in August, followed by a 183% increase in bookings from the UK, 169% in bookings from Spain and 103% in bookings from Germany.
Bookings to Japan has spiked as the destination ends travel restriction
Trip.com has seen consistently high search figures to Japan across Europe, Asia-Pacific and the US since May this year, with marked spikes across key destinations in September 2022.
Singapore saw the most considerable increase in a month-on-month search to Japan in September, with a 520% increase. This is followed by a 463% increase in searches from Thailand, a 365% increase in searches from Australia, and a 359% increase in searches from South Korea. Even the country with the lowest spike, the Philippines, saw a 91% increase in searches.
Trip.com Japan’s general manager Hironori Katsuse said: “The twofold effects of easing entry restrictions and a weaker yen have led to a rapid expansion of inbound tourism to Japan. This is truly a situation of revenge travel.
“With a scheduled increase of international flights from October, Trip.com Japan anticipates a more robust recovery from 4Q2022 to 1Q2023.”
Trip.com held its first Mega Sale in Japan last month, featuring deals on luxury hotels across the country. This led to the featured hotels getting considerable increases in visitor numbers to their websites, with one hotel seeing an 8,270% increase in website views during the sale.
Trip.com data also showed a boom in luxury hotel bookings in Japan, with a 7% increase in five-star hotel bookings between 2H2021 and 1H2022.
From the positive booking and search data, Trip.com is optimistic that the demand for inbound travel will continue to rise and further boost the recovery of the global travel and tourism industry.
Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts will enter Vietnam with the signing of Waldorf Astoria Hanoi, scheduled to open in 2025.
Owned by BRG Group and managed by Hilton, the upcoming Waldorf Astoria Hanoi is a conversion of the current Hilton Hanoi Opera. It will undergo extensive renovation across each of its 187 rooms and suites.
Waldorf Astoria Hanoi will open in 2025
“Situated in the heart of Hanoi next to the iconic Hanoi Opera House, Waldorf Astoria Hanoi will enhance the country’s luxury travel offerings to capture a rapidly growing segment of discerning travellers,” said Guy Phillips, senior vice president, development, Asia and Australasia, Hilton.
The hotel will feature four dining concepts – including the brand’s lounge and bar, Peacock Alley, a rooftop lounge and two other restaurants – as well as the Waldorf Astoria spa and over 1,000m² of event spaces. It is near major tourist attractions and within close proximity to Hanoi’s major commercial buildings, and just a 40-minutes’ drive from Noi Bai International Airport.
Nguyen Thi Nga, chairman, BRG Group said: “Through our partnership with Hilton, we are confident Waldorf Astoria Hanoi will play a major part in accelerating Vietnam’s image as one of Asia’s most dynamic destinations for luxury travellers, bolstering the appeal and growth of the country’s luxury tourism sector.”
The new property will join Hilton’s pipeline of nine other hotels and resorts that will open in Vietnam in the coming years.
Wyndham Vacation Resorts (Thailand) has been appointed to provide management services to Zenmaya Oceanfront Phuket, Trademark Collection by Wyndham hotel in Thailand.
The 50-room boutique resort is located at Kalim Beach and overlooks Patong Bay. It features a range of accommodation, meeting spaces, onsite restaurant and bar.
Zenmaya Oceanfront Phuket will be managed by Wyndham Vacation Resorts (Thailand)
Joon Aun Ooi, president, Asia Pacific, Wyndham Hotels and Resorts said: “The opening of Zenmaya Oceanfront Phuket, Trademark Collection by Wyndham in Thailand joins our extensive network of 17 hotels across the country from Bangkok to Phuket and Krabi.
“Looking ahead, we will continue our focus and expand in many exciting cities across the country to serve the increasing demand for high-quality hospitality experiences.”
In his new role, Berton will oversee operations and strategies for business development and implementation of the new phase concept.
