Centara Hotels & Resorts has selected Metta Boonyaritipong as opening general manager for Centra by Centara Hotel Bangkok Phra Nakhon, a new hotel set to open this October.
The seasoned hospitality professional first started in southern Thailand as personal assistant to the group general manager for Centara resorts in Suratthani. She steadily rose through the ranks in Centara Koh Chang Tropicana Resort before moving to Chonburi to look after two hotels – Centara Pattaya Hotel and Centara Nova Hotel & Spa – ending as hotel manager for both properties.
Most recently, Metta was general manager at Centara Sonrisa Residences & Suites Sriracha, a post she has held since July 2020.
HotelPORT, a specialist in technology and distribution solutions for the hotel industry, has entered into a new technology agreement with Sabre. This partnership will integrate PropertyVIEW, HotelPORT’s AI-powered content monitoring and audit solution into Sabre’s Content Services for Lodging.
PropertyVIEW combines artificial intelligence and machine learning technology for a holistic view of hotel details across direct and third-party channels. All hotel details are checked and audited across the hotel’s distribution channels to ensure accuracy and brand continuity, including descriptive information, amenities and images.
The HotelPORT and Sabre partnership will give customers access to over one million property options
By integrating into Sabre Content Services for Lodging, HotelPORT will provide visibility to GDS content for hotels in addition to OTAs, metasearch engines, meetings and events, and maps and navigation channel content accuracy status from one single solution – giving customers access to over one million property options.
Fred Bean, CEO of HotelPORT, said: “Our solution has been developed to ensure that hotel content is accurate and up to date by browsing through currently approved assets across distribution channels that matter and reporting on inaccuracies, errors, and omissions.
“By partnering with Sabre, we can now add visibility into the Sabre GDS for our extensive list of partner hotels on a global scale and I look forward to working with the team.”
SiteMinder will acquire hotel guest engagement suite GuestJoy, a cloud-based app that allows hoteliers to automate personalised, direct, contactless guest communications before, during and after their stay.
A partner since 2017, the app is already a part of the SiteMinder ecosystem and will be fully integrated into the SiteMinder hotel commerce platform following the completion of the acquisition this year.
GuestJoy’s automated and personalised guest communications will allow SiteMinder to offer a fully integrated user experience for hoteliers
The acquisition follows the launch of SiteMinder’s all-in-one hotel commerce platform in April, which unifies its channel management, distribution and booking engine products with real-time market insights, automated payments, website-building capabilities and more than 1,500 partner integrations for accommodation providers to grow their businesses online.
GuestJoy will further expand SiteMinder’s robust hotel commerce offering, allowing hoteliers to automate and digitise their guest communication, drive upsell revenues, and strengthen direct guest acquisition.
Sankar Narayan, CEO and managing director, SiteMinder, said: “GuestJoy is highly regarded within the hotel tech industry for its simple user experience, seamless guest communication functionalities and integration capabilities, which are essential for the modern hotelier to deliver a winning and profitable guest experience, while also optimising their booking and ancillary revenues.
“GuestJoy’s capability to automate and personalise guest communications will allow SiteMinder to offer a fully integrated user experience for our hoteliers, as we continue to deliver on our hotel commerce platform vision.”
Hilton has announced six landmark signings in Asia-Pacific across its portfolio of luxury brands in the year to date.
With the signing of Waldorf Astoria Xi’an, Waldorf Astoria Shanghai Qiantan, Waldorf Astoria Kuala Lumpur, Waldorf Astoria Sydney, Conrad Nagoya, and an LXR Hotels & Resorts property in Bali, Hilton’s pipeline of luxury hotels in the region increases to 20.
The all-villa resort, LXR Bali, will open in 2023
Nils-Arne Schroeder, vice president, luxury, Asia Pacific, Hilton, said: “With more destinations in Asia-Pacific becoming increasingly attractive to luxury travellers today, we are seeing a growing demand for our brands which are known globally for providing unforgettable stays, delivered with unrivalled hospitality and intuitive, personalised service.”
When open, Waldorf Astoria Xi’an will be one of the tallest buildings in the ancient Chinese capital of 13 dynasties, while Waldorf Astoria Shanghai Qiantan will be the city’s second Waldorf Astoria hotel.
Waldorf Astoria Kuala Lumpur and Waldorf Astoria Jakarta are set to open in 2024. They mark the brand’s entry into Malaysia and Indonesia.
The Waldorf Astoria brand will be introduced to Japan and Australia with Waldorf Astoria Osaka in 2025 and Waldorf Astoria Sydney in 2026, doubling the brand’s presence in Asia-Pacific over the next five years.
To open in 2023 is Conrad Kuala Lumpur, the brand’s debut in Malaysia, and in 2026, Nagoya will launch its first Conrad hotel, Conrad Nagoya.
The first LXR-branded resort in South-east Asia will open in Bali next year and feature 72 villas in the resort.
The Singapore government will make mask-wearing optional from August 29, taking a further step towards the country’s return to post-lockdown normalcy.
Currently, mask-wearing is not required in outdoor environment.
Mask-wearing will be optional from August 29 in Singapore
With the masking policy update, mask-wearing will not be required at airports and will remain optional on private transport modes such as taxi and private-hire buses.
However, masks will be required on public transportation as well as indoor public transport facilities such as train stations. It will also be required in environments frequented by vulnerable and older people, such as healthcare facilities.
On flights, mask-wearing requirements will depend on the rules or laws in the destination country as well as the carrier, said the Ministry of Health’s director of medical services, Kenneth Mak.
At events such as concerts and events, deputy prime minister Lawrence Wong said mask-wearing would be optional and subject to the decision of event organisers and venue operators. He noted that such events are unlikely to have many vulnerable and older people in attendance.
A new Oracle Hospitality and Skift survey, Guest Expectations for 2025, has identified Comfort, Control and Convenience as the three essential ‘Cs’ of hotel technology.
This research centred on four major themes: guest-facing technology; labour and operations; automation and guest data; ancillaries, upgrades, and non-room revenue.
Travellers prefer contactless check-in and check-out to remain a constant feature at hotels
Conducted across nine global markets in five languages, more than 5,000 consumers responded about what they expect from the next phase of hotel technology and services,
Contactless is the way to go
Surveyed guests agreed that contactless is king – 53.6% of travellers said that they would most like to see contactless check-in and check-out remain a constant feature at hotels, while contactless payments were just as popular with 49.1% of travellers saying they would most like to see them permanently retained as they visit hotels in the future.
Amenities are also important as travellers want the comforts and convenience they enjoy at home, so hotels should offer guests the ability to control their own environments and give them a smooth transition from their everyday lives.
Beyond wanting hotels to meet their entertainment needs (44.6%), guests showed strong interest in personalised amenities and services throughout the hotel with 43.2% opting for voice-activated controls for all amenities in their rooms (such as lights, curtains, door locks, sinks, showers, TVs), and 34.4% wanting to use their own devices for access throughout the hotel.
Automation vs the human touch
Automated services can replace mundane activities that require more time and attention from staff, freeing them up to provide more direct, one-on-one service at any given time.
According to the survey, about 26% of travellers said they “strongly agree” that they would be more likely to stay at a hotel offering self-service technology to minimise contact with other people. 47.1% of consumers said they would be more likely to stay at a hotel that offered self-service, but that they also appreciate a personal greeting from time to time.
While 29.3% of travellers said that they are “very interested” in staying at a hotel that uses automated messaging for most customer service requests, only about nine percent said that they preferred to speak directly with an actual person for all of their service needs.
About half of all travellers (47.6%) are interested in automated messaging services, but they acknowledged that it depends on the service request. In reality, most guest stays will end up in this middle ground, with some simple requests more easily fulfilled via a mobile device or a chatbot, and others requiring a more direct interaction.
Generation gap
The survey showed a huge generational difference when it came to interest in mobile messaging services. Nearly 35% of both Gen Z and millennial travellers said they were “very interested” in staying at a hotel that uses automated messaging for most customer service requests, as compared to 21.3% of Gen X travellers and just 14% of baby boomers.
While these statistics reinforce stereotypes that younger people are more comfortable with technology, they do not clearly state that all boomers want to be treated exclusively with white glove service, and that all Gen Z travellers want to be left alone.
Supporting the example that one size rarely fits all, Gen Z travellers were actually the most likely to say that they were upset when there was no attendant at the front desk while they travelled during the pandemic. Nearly 25% of travellers aged 18 to 25 agreed with this statement, in comparison to 13.9% of baby boomers.
By opening new lines of communication through mobile messaging services, it will offer all guests more opportunities to connect in the ways they feel most comfortable, enabling hotels to build deeper and more meaningful relationships with their customers.
Virtual experiences
Virtual reality and metaverse applications are gaining popularity among hoteliers when it comes to future technology investments. In fact, more than one-third of travellers are keen to explore a hotel virtually before they book.
On the conference and events side of the business, metaverse meetings are all the buzz with 46.4% of consumers that identified as frequent business travellers interested to attend conferences remotely from their home or office through a metaverse experience.
Getting personal
According to the survey, consumers were generally positive about giving away their personal data if it meant that hotels would put that data to use not only in a responsible way, but also in a way that benefits them directly.
While approximately 30% said they were happy with whatever it takes to make their trip better, nearly 45% said they were interested only if they get to consent first, and that the data should be used to present better offers and advertisements or provide more personalised service.
Even when they freely offer their information, travellers continue to be quite cautious about data security. Nearly 20% said that privacy and security of the personal data they provide to hotels and other travel providers “keeps them up at night”.
More than half (55.6%) also said that while they were “somewhat concerned” about data security, they are willing to make trade-offs and trust that companies are using their information responsibly.
Thai Vietjet celebrates the inauguration of its Bangkok-Taipei service with the Super Deluxe Sale offering deluxe fares starting from US$99.
It includes 20kg of checked baggage, free seat selection, priority check-in and flexibility with unlimited flight changes at no charge.
Thai Vietjet is having a Super Deluxe Sale to celebrate its inaugural Bangkok-Taipei service
This special promotion is available for booking from August 25-31, for travel between September 15, 2022 to March 25, 2023.
The service from Bangkok to Taipei currently operates one flight a week on every Thursday, with more frequency to be added subject to the region’s ease of travel restriction.
Juan Mercadante is the new general manager of Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh.
The Mexican has overseen a succession of projects with Hyatt during his tenure, including rebranding, deflagging, and pre-opening properties in five different continents. These include Hyatt Regency Almaty Kazakhstan, Hyatt Regency London – The Churchill and Hyatt Regency Dubai.
In 2012, he returned to his hometown to join Hyatt Regency Mexico City as a hotel manager before advancing as a pre-opening general manager at Grand Hyatt Playa Del Carmen Resort, the first Grand Hyatt brand in Mexico.
Before his move to Cambodia, Mercadante was pre-opening general manager at the first Andaz brand in South Korea.
Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has announced three senior appointments.
Raphael Lanfant has been appointed global vice president of channel sales and will oversee the global revenue growth and the effectiveness of the newly formed Global Channel Sales and Distribution organisation. Based in Singapore, he was previously the global head of international hotel partnerships in Alibaba.
From left: Geoffrey Webb, Joanna Flint, Raphael Lanfant and Celine Du
Geoffrey Webb is the new vice president of global sales partners and will oversee the five regional sales hubs responsible for driving revenue from travel agencies and tour operators globally. Webb joined Mandarin Oriental in 2019 as director of commercial strategy for Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok. A seasoned hotelier with over three decades of operations and luxury hospitality experience, he will be based in London.
As the new vice president of global industry partners, Celine Du will be responsible for Mandarin Oriental’s global corporate and key account revenue. With 25 years of experience in luxury hospitality, Du has held senior roles at Shangri-La and IHG prior to joining Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group. She will be based in Hong Kong.
Tourism Malaysia concluded last week a familiarisation trip that brought nine travel agents and media representatives from Japan to Langkawi, Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Penang for a four-day, three-night stay.
This was held in conjunction with Malaysia Airlines’ inaugural direct flight from Kuala Lumpur to Tokyo (Haneda Airport) on August 14.
Tourism Malaysia showcased the country’s offerings to travel agents and media representatives from Japan during the fam trip
Participants experienced a mangrove tour at the award-winning Kubang Badak Biogeotrail in Langkawi; jet-skied on an island-hopping tour; attended a cooking demonstration at Kunang-Kunang Heritage Villas; and immersed themselves in a conservation and sustainability programme initiated by The Datai Langkawi.
They also visited tourism landmarks such as Kuala Lumpur’s Petronas Twin Towers and Penang’s George Town UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Japan was one of Malaysia’s top 10 international tourism source markets pre-pandemic, with 424,694 arrivals from Japan in 2019. To attract more Japanese arrivals, Malaysia will participate in the upcoming Tourism Expo Japan 2022 in Tokyo this September, stated Zainuddin Abdul Wahab, director-general, Tourism Malaysia.
Most recently, Metta was general manager at Centara Sonrisa Residences & Suites Sriracha, a post she has held since July 2020.
In 2012, he returned to his hometown to join Hyatt Regency Mexico City as a hotel manager before advancing as a pre-opening general manager at Grand Hyatt Playa Del Carmen Resort, the first Grand Hyatt brand in Mexico.
