Marriott to add 70 hotels to Collection brands in 2021
Marriott International plans to open nearly 70 properties globally under its trio of Collection brands – Autograph Collection, Tribute Portfolio and Luxury Collection – this year.
The global expansion will include 24 new market entries.
Of the 70 properties, a total of 48 hotels are expected to join the Autograph Collection in various locations around the world, from ski resorts to European capitals and all-inclusive beach destinations.
In China, CAST Nanjing, Autograph Collection is slated for a spring opening. Set on the site of a century-old cement factory, the 110-room hotel will boast select guestrooms featuring a private hot spring.
Other locations where Autograph Collection expects to open its doors in 2021 include Singapore, Seoul, Berlin, Antwerp and Istanbul. Nineteen of Autograph Collection’s expected hotel openings this year will be immersive getaways under Marriott’s new all-inclusive platform in locations in Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, St. Lucia, Antigua and Costa Rica.
Under the Tribute Portfolio brand, 15 new properties are planned to open in locations across the globe, from the buzzing streets of Chattanooga to the beaches of Ibiza.
Across the Pacific, The Hiyori Chapter, A Tribute Portfolio Hotel is slated to open come summer in Kyoto, Japan as the tenth Tribute Portfolio hotel in Asia. The 203-room hotel will be located in Kawaramachi Nijo, on the banks of the Kamo River.
Other locations where Tribute Portfolio plans to welcome hotels to the portfolio this year include Washington DC and Atlanta in the US, Seville in Spain, and Shenzhen in China.
Meanwhile, The Luxury Collection expects to debut four hotels in 2021, including its 120th property, Matild Palace, A Luxury Collection Hotel, in Budapest, Hungary this spring. The 130-room Matild Palace is listed as a UNESCO world heritage site and is under monumental protection.
Also in the line-up is the brand’s first-ever hotel in Tasmania, with The Tasman, a Luxury Collection Hotel, in Hobart slated to open in fall. The hotel will boast 152 guestrooms and suites residing in repurposed heritage buildings in Parliament Square.
The brand also expects to expand its footprint in Asia this spring with Josun Palace, A Luxury Collection Hotel, in Seoul, South Korea. Located in the Gangnam district of central Seoul, Josun Palace will feature 254 guestrooms, five F&B outlets and a wellness club.
TFE names new GMs for two Melbourne properties
TFE Hotels has made several appointments for two of its newest properties in Melbourne.
Lucy Ockleston has been appointed general manager of the 99-room Adina Apartment Hotel West Melbourne. Ockleston commenced his journey with TFE in New Zealand in 2011 at the Travelodge Wellington where she progressed from a F&B role to assistant hotel manager. She has also held key roles at the Travelodge Sydney and the Travelodge Hotel Newcastle.
Meanwhile, Adina Apartment Hotel Melbourne Southbank has welcomed Nigel Maxey to the position of general manager, and Emma Jarrett to the supporting role of assistant hotel manager.
Maxey has extensive experience in hospitality as both a hotel general manager and F&B specialist, including roles at Werribee Mansion and as general manager of The Jasper Melbourne. He started his TFE Hotels career in 2018 working across a variety of brands – Adina, Travelodge, Rendezvous, Vibe and The Savoy – taking him to Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania for the group.
Since joining TFE Hotels in 2013, Jarrett has worked across multiple Melbourne properties, including The Savoy on Little Collins, and was previously based in Queensland at Adina Apartment Hotel Brisbane Anzac Square for a time as assistant hotel manager.
Indonesia plans Covid-19 ‘green zones’ in Bali, five-year visas to drive tourism recovery
Indonesia’s Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy has embarked on an aggressive effort to initiate tourism recovery, including proposing a soft loan programme worth 9.9 trillion rupiah (US$712 million), giving out a second tranche of grant funding with an expanded recipient list, as well as prioritising vaccination for tourism frontliners.
The authority has also brought up potential plans for Covid-19 ‘green zones’ in Bali, areas where travellers can visit and stay.
Additionally, Sandiaga Uno, minister of tourism and creative economy, has proposed to the related ministries for the issuance of a visa with a five-year validity targeting international visitors.
The long-term visa, Sandiaga said, would specifically target business travellers and visitors, including digital nomads, who wish to spend three or four months per year in Indonesia.
Under the plan, each individual will have to pay a deposit of one billion rupiah or 2.5 billion rupiah for their entire family. Visa holders will also be allowed to conduct investment activities in Indonesia.
Meanwhile, the government is ensuring strict compliance with Covid-19 safety protocols by issuing penalties for tourists who flout the rules.
Umberto Cadamuro, COO Inbound of Pacto, said that it is critical that the government establish “simple, clear, and strict regulations” to stem the virus spread, citing the Maldives and Dubai as role models.
He also hopes that the government will set a date for the reopening of borders to international travellers, so that the trade could plan for sales.
Budijanto Ardiansjah, director of My Duta Tour, stressed the need for a cautious approach to welcoming tourists back into Indonesia. A clear plan for post-border reopening needs to be set up by the government, including ensuring that incoming travellers are Covid-19-free, he added.
Sri Lanka revises 2021 target arrivals to 800,000
Sri Lanka has set a reduced, but still, ambitious target of 800,000 foreign tourist arrivals for 2021, far below the earlier planned 2.5 million laid out a few years back, as the Covid-19 pandemic continues to bite.
The revised target was set by the country’s Presidential Task Force for Tourism, according to an official at Sri Lanka’s Tourism Promotion Bureau.
The official, who declined to be named, said the authorities had pointed out to the Task Force that 800,000 is an “ambitious” target as based on current arrivals, the country looks set to receiving only up to 350,000 tourists this year, even with an expected surge during summer.
Sri Lanka reopened its borders on January 21 after a 10-month pandemic closure, and recorded 5,048 foreign arrivals in January-February – a steep drop from the 420,941 visitors in the same 2020 period. Total arrivals in 2020 (for the few months the border was open) was 507,704, as compared to 1.9 million in 2019.
The main source markets this year were Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Germany and Russia, according to official data.
Under current rules, there is no mandatory quarantine period on arrival but visitors must get visas online with confirmed hotel booking. They are also required to pre-purchase PCR tests and a mandatory Covid-19 insurance cover costing US$12 which covers US$50,000 worth of hospitalisation or medical bills for a month. In addition, all arrivals must present a valid PCR test taken 96 hours before arrival, while tourists have to stay in the same hotel for the first 14 days of their stay. To date, more than 30 hotels have been approved as Covid-19 certified.
To woo international travellers back, some resorts are dangling various incentives. Recently, Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts – which runs 15 properties in Sri Lanka and the Maldives – became the first hotel chain in Sri Lanka to offer free PCR tests and Covid-19 insurance for all foreign visitors to its properties in Sri Lanka.
While some industry players are urging the authorities to relax the safety guidelines, others believe that the country is still seeing too many fresh Covid-19 cases to drop its guard.
“I think it is still premature to relax the health guidelines as Sri Lanka has not come out of the woods in this pandemic and there are still many Covid-19 cases,” said Anura Lokuhetty, former president of the Tourist Hotels Association of Sri Lanka.
At least 800,000 Sri Lankans have received the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, while more supplies are coming from India’s Serum Institute.
Sri Lanka has reported 88,238 Covid-19 cases and 532 deaths.
Scoot launches pre-departure Covid-19 testing trial
From March 17, all outbound Scoot passengers flying from Singapore, Indonesia and Hong Kong will be able to book Covid-19 pre-departure RT-PCR and serology tests as part of a trial service run by Collinson.
The service builds upon the pilot recently launched for Singapore Airlines, Scoot’s parent company.
The Collinson online portal, accessible via the Scoot website or mobile app, will allow passengers departing on flights to book pre-departure testing appointments with recognised and accredited partner clinics and digitally receive results within 36 hours.
Passengers will receive their serology test results directly from the clinic. However, RT-PCR test results can be obtained through the portal, with QR codes embedded within the RT-PCR result certificates, enabling digital authentication, streamlining verification and strengthening the integrity of the process.
There are plans to expand the service to other destinations in the Scoot network post-trial.
A digital verification solution from Affinidi, a Temasek-founded technology company, is also being trialled by Scoot at check-in for selected flights from Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia. By scanning the QR code with a secure app, check-in agents are able to quickly and reliably determine the authenticity of digital or printed Covid-19 test results bearing a verifiable QR code, issued by selected clinics. This will reduce the check-in time for passengers, thereby, improving their travel experience.
Todd Handcock, president, Asia Pacific, Collinson, said: “Helping to reopen key routes for travellers in a safe way is our utmost priority and this partnership is another step forward in our aim of achieving the long-term return of global travel.”
Campbell Wilson, Scoot CEO, added: “Through both solutions, we hope our customers can be assured of a more convenient, efficient and reliable experience when they travel with us.”
Argentina banks on Trip.com deal to lure Chinese tourists
Trip.com Group has signed a five-year MOU with the Argentina Ministry of Tourism and Sports to strengthen tourism exchange between China, Argentina and across Trip.com Group’s networks of users and partners.
Over the next five years, the two parties will collaborate on travel marketing initiatives, products and data, and fully optimise the travel experience for tourists in Argentina. This cooperation project will be launched in stages, based on the tourism industry in different target markets and in line with current tourism policies.
Leveraging Trip.com Group’s global network as an international online travel services provider, the partnership aims to drive visitation to Argentina once international travel restrictions have been lifted.
The Argentinian minister of tourism and sports, Matías Lammens, joined the signing ceremony online with his colleagues, the Argentine ambassador to China, Sabino Vaca Narvaja, and the head of the Argentine Investment Office, Leandro Compagnucci who visited Trip.com Group’s headquarters in Shanghai.
They met with Trip.com Group’s CEO Jane Sun and overseas destination marketing and government relations director Edison Chen, to discuss the future cooperation plan and jointly participate in the signing ceremony.
Sun said: “Argentina is renowned worldwide as a beautiful, must-visit destination which welcomed over seven million travellers in 2019. Once international travel resumes, we believe Argentina will be high on the list of destinations for travellers to visit due to its rich culture, breathtaking natural landscapes and incredible people.”
Lammens added: “The tourism industry plays a vital role in the economic recovery of Argentina following the pandemic. At present, the Argentine government is actively creating a secure business environment for tourism to increase the number of international tourists.”
Aleph Hospitality signs trio of Kenyan hotels
Dubai-based hotel management company Aleph Hospitality has signed management contracts for three hotels in Kenya.
The hotels – Boma Nairobi, Boma Inn Nairobi and Boma Inn Eldoret – are owned by Red Court Hotel, a subsidiary of Kenya Red Cross Society.
Managed under Red Court Hotel’s homegrown Boma brand until now, Aleph Hospitality has been appointed to manage the properties and turn them into profitable assets once again.
As part of the agreement, Aleph Hospitality has pledged financial support to the Kenya Red Cross Society, by donating a percentage of fees it earns from the hotels to local charitable initiatives.
Located in the heart of the capital, Boma Nairobi features 148 rooms and suites, a conference hall, boardroom, two F&B outlets, a gym, spa and swimming pool.
The three-star Boma Inn Nairobi, situated at the Kenya Red Cross complex, boasts 58 rooms, an all-day-dining restaurant and a lounge.
Meanwhile, the Boma Inn Eldoret marks Aleph Hospitality’s first property in the Rift Valley region of Kenya. The hotel offers 68 rooms and suites, three F&B outlets, meeting facilities, a gym, spa and swimming pool.
Bani Haddad, founder and managing director of Aleph Hospitality, said: “We understand the Kenyan hospitality market exceptionally well and have seen an increase in demand for our management services during the coronavirus pandemic, as owners in Kenya seek international expertise to help them manage costs, boost revenue and drive profits from their hotels.
“As a third-party management company, we are able to do this, while also enabling owners to have more visibility into their operations and better flexibility with contractual terms”.
Aleph Hospitality, which has earmarked a pipeline of 50 hotels in the Middle East and Africa by 2025, manages hotels directly for owners, either on a franchise basis for branded properties or as a white label operator for independently-branded hotels.
New OTA launches for Indonesian tour and activity suppliers
Hayo Wisata Indonesia has rolled out Hayo Travel, a new online marketplace for tour and activity providers in Indonesia to create and sell bookable experiences to tourists around the globe.
Launched in collaboration with Finland-based travel technology company Toristy and California-based travel content management platform Magpie Travel, Hayo Travel aims to spur local tourism industry players to go digital and foray into international markets.
Masrura Ram Idjal, president director of Hayo Wisata Indonesia, said: “Creating digital platforms individually is very expensive. Therefore, we set up Hayo Travel to facilitate (the digital transition of local tourism players). Making a website might be easy, but to market the products and make the website able to compete with other marketplaces around the world is not easy and cheap.”
Hotel rooms and tour packages, alongside diving, kayaking, hiking, and biking trips are among 4,000 tourism products currently available on the Hayo Travel platform, which has onboard 2,000 companies.
Steve Jackson, CEO of Toristy, said that Hayo Travel differs from existing marketplaces as it does not drive traffic to a single website.
He explained that Hayo Travel is an embeddable marketplace that will link Indonesian business entities with big enterprises in travel such as airlines, ferries, etc. Therefore, in Hayo, there will be multiple local channels and, with the help of Magpie, international sales distribution through the likes of Expedia and GetYourGuide, he added.
Tourism products, which trade players can upload to the Hayo Travel platform for free, will be automatically marketed and distributed to Magpie’s and Toristy’s partners, such as Agoda and Viator, said Bahriyansyah, managing director of Hayo Wisata Indonesia.
Accor woos guests to Recharge in the Maldives
Accor has launched the Recharge in the Maldives deal, offering guests complimentary breakfast, lunch and dinner; as well as an upgrade to the next available room category at the time of booking.
The offer is available at four of Accor’s resorts in the Maldives – Raffles Maldives Meradhoo Resort, Fairmont Maldives Sirru Fen Fushi, Mövenpick Resort Kuredhivaru Maldives, and Mercure Maldives Kooddoo Resort.
The Recharge Maldives offer, which comes with flexible cancellation terms, is valid for bookings from now until April 30, 2021 for stays until September 30, 2021. Accor Plus members are entitled to an additional 10 per cent discount on accommodation.
Tourists of all nationalities can travel to the Maldives at present with proof of a negative Covid-19 test required upon entry as well as a confirmed hotel reservation.
W Osaka, Japan
W Hotels Worldwide, part of Marriott International, has lifted the curtains on Japan’s first-ever W hotel. Making its debut along vibrant Midosuji Boulevard, W Osaka features 337 guestrooms and suites, all equipped with floor-to-ceiling windows, and spacious bathrooms with rain showers and luxe amenities. Situated atop the hotel’s 27th floor, the Extreme WOW Penthouse Suite – the brand’s take on the traditional Presidential Suite – is 200m2 with a 5.4m-high ceiling and five sequenced rooms divided by oak portals. The suite also features an open kitchen and a built-in DJ booth.
W Osaka’s two bars and four restaurants is led by bistro-diner Oh.Lala, helmed by acclaimed chef Yusuke Takada. Elsewhere, the Living Room serves a lineup of cocktails and the hotel’s own private-label champagne, while Teppanyakimydo offers its spin on local soul food in addition to exquisite Japanese Kuroge and Akaushi Wagyu beef. There is also Mixup offering pastries, coffee, tea and cocktails; omakase-style restaurant Sushi Ukiyo; and the Wet Bar, featuring creative cocktails. Leisure amenities include a gym, yoga room, an indoor swimming pool, and spa. Guests can also avail of four event and meeting spaces, including a 390m2 ballroom; or customise their wedding on an entire private floor at W Osaka.
Lux* Chongzuo, Guangxi Resort & Villas, China
Surrounded by lush tropical gardens with vistas of the majestic karst formations sits the Lux* Chongzuo, Guangxi Resort & Villas, Daxin County’s first international luxury resort. Located in Guangxi province separated from Vietnam by the Mingshi River, the resort will feature 50 suites and six villas in the first phase, with sizes ranging between 80 and 180m2. Led by executive chef George Qu, the resort’s five F&B venues include an all-day dining restaurant, a speciality steakhouse, a rooftop bar, and pool bar. Inspired by the European cafés and bars in France and Italy, Maison Lux* serves coffee, homemade pastries and artisanal ice cream by day, and turn into a lounge bar in the evenings offering aperitifs and digestifs. Amenities include a 35m infinity pool, a gym, kids’ club, and a spa offering traditional Vietnamese spa treatments which will open from April 2021.
The Royal Park Hotel Kyoto Umekoji, Japan
Located in Kyoto’s Shimogyo-ku district, and in close proximity to Kyoto Station, The Royal Park Hotel Kyoto Umekoji is the group’s third hotel in Kyoto, targeting particularly families with small children and friend groups. Child-friendly services and amenities include the rental of outdoor toys at the nearby Umekoji Park, auxiliary child toilet seat, diapers, kid-sized slippers, pyjamas rental, baby soaps, and toothbrush sets. The property features 246 rooms spread over six floors. Hotel facilities include a traditional public bath; a private banquet room for up to 100 people; and a restaurant providing breakfast, lunch, and afternoon snacks.
Maitria Hotel Rama 9 Bangkok – A Chatrium Collection, Thailand
Chatrium Hospitality has welcomed a new Maitria hotel to the Chatrium family. Maitria Hotel Rama 9 Bangkok – A Chatrium Collection sits just steps away from Bangkok’s latest business district, Rama 9. The newly-built hotel has all the modern conveniences. Coffee & Crumble Eatery is open from morning to evening, serving a variety of South-east Asian flavours alongside coffee and pastries. Guests can also unwind at the outdoor saltwater pool, or work up a sweat at the 24-hour fitness centre.