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Category: News

  • News: MENA to have 50 New Starwood Hotels in next five years

    Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc is strengthening its position because the leading hotel operator around the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region with an existing portfolio of 82 hotels, representing nearly 22,000 guest rooms, the vast majority of that are operated under Starwood’s world-renowned Sheraton and Le Méridien brands. The corporate announced today that it’s going to increase its MEA portfolio by greater than 60% with nearly 50 new hotels set to open over the subsequent five years, adding greater than 14,000 guest rooms to the region while creating thousands of local employment opportunities. With over 20 hotels expected to open by the tip of 2015, Starwood is on course to succeed in a milestone 100 hotels across MEA. Further underscoring the significance of the region as one in every of Starwood’s fastest growing hotel and travel markets, earlier this month the corporate relocated its global headquarters from Stamford, Connecticut to Dubai for a month-long immersion.

    “Dubai epitomises the changing face of travel, and we predict this relocation will deepen our relations with partners, associates and customers. The insights that come from experiences like this move make us more agile in today’s rapidly changing world.”

    “Starwood continues to look demand for growth of all of our brands around the Middle East and Africa despite economic and political uncertainty in some parts of this incredibly diverse region,” said Frits van Paasschen, President and CEO, Starwood Hotels & Resorts. “Rapid economic growth, rising personal incomes, a growing middle class and ever greater global connectivity are driving new travel patterns and insist for travel, and this region is on the center of those trends and a key focus of our growth strategy.”

    With greater than 70% of the world’s economic growth coming from fast-growing markets over the following couple of years, Starwood is concentrated on expansion in developing MEA markets inclusive of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Egypt, Senegal, South Africa and Nigeria. The corporate could also be inquisitive about growth opportunities in key emerging markets including Iraq, Pakistan, Angola, Ghana, the Ivory Coast and East Africa.

    By 2017, Starwood will operate greater than 130 hotels in MEA, marking some key milestones, including:

    *  Portfolio growth of over 60% within the UAE with 12 new hotels, including six in Dubai, bringing Starwood’s portfolio to greater than 30 hotels around the country. Starwood’s growth plans within the UAE also include expansion into Sharjah and Ajman.
    *  Rapid expansion across Saudi Arabia with six new hotels slated to open by 2015 bringing Starwood’s portfolio to fifteen hotels on this key developing market.
    *  The re-entry of Starwood into Iraq with the milestone signings of 3 hotels across three brands inside the city of Erbil, located inside the re-emerging Kurdistan area of the rustic.
    *  Momentum in Nigeria with two new Starwood hotels, under the company’s Four Points by Sheraton brand.
    *  Addition of 2 new hotels in Algeria with a brand new Sheraton hotel in Annaba and 4 Points by Sheraton in Oran.
    *  The launch of Starwood’s Aloft Hotels brand in Saudi Arabia and Iraq. Aloft may also open its second property within the UAE within the emirate of Sharjah.
    Starwood Strengthens Luxury Portfolio

    In 2011, Starwood introduced its ultra-luxury St. Regis Hotels & Resorts brand within the region with the outlet of The St. Regis Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi. This was followed by last year’s debuts of The St. Regis Doha and The St. Regis Mauritius, marking the entry of the logo into Qatar and Africa. This year, Starwood will unveil a second St. Regis hotel on Abu Dhabi’s vibrant Corniche, making it the one city on earth to boast two St. Regis hotels. The logo will soon enter the Egyptian market with the outlet of The St. Regis Cairo.

    Starwood can also be seeing rapid growth of its contemporary, design-led W Hotels brand. Following the successful launch of the logo within the region with the outlet of W Doha in 2009, Starwood has plans to open six more W Hotels across MEA in key markets, including three in Dubai and one each in Abu Dhabi, Muscat and Amman by 2017.

    “Our long-established presence, local teams, and robust relationships within the region remain a competitive advantage, and position us well to use the various opportunities for future growth,” said Simon Turner, President of worldwide Development & Acquisition, Starwood Hotels & Resorts. “We have a healthy pipeline of recent hotels under development inside the Middle East and Africa, and expect our growth to continue in 2013 as we glance to expand in markets including the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Nigeria.

    Conversion Opportunities in MEA

    In addition to new hotel openings, Starwood is seeing increasing opportunities for hotel conversions in MEA. Earlier ten months, Starwood has signed three conversion deals inside the region, including Sheraton Dubai Mall of the Emirates, which opened last month.

    “Thanks to Starwood’s nearly 50 year history within the MEA region and the proven strength of our brands, the corporate is easily positioned to take full good thing about growth,” said Roeland Vos, President of Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Europe, Africa & Middle East. “We are seeing a sizable landscape of independent hotels ripe for flags within the region and we think to capture greater than our justifiable share of conversion opportunities across all of our brands. The new conversion of the Sheraton Dubai Mall of the Emirates is a testament of this strategy.”

    As Starwood continues its extensive expansion across MEA, the corporate is additionally excited about upgrading its existing portfolio of hotels within the region, primarily under the Sheraton and Le Méridien brands.

    Starwood Relocates Global Headquarters to Dubai

    Earlier this month, Starwood President & CEO Frits van Paasschen and the company’s top executives relocated to Dubai where they’ve been conducting day-to-day business from this increasingly important global destination and travel hub. Following the company’s successful relocation to China in June 2011, this second leadership move reflects Starwood’s innovative management way to cultivating a more global culture by understanding, appreciating and leveraging different societal perspectives and approaches to business and hospitality.

    “With 80% of Starwood’s pipeline coming from rapidly growing markets, it’s miles simply impossible to steer a really global business from a boardroom in Connecticut,” said van Paasschen. “Dubai epitomises the changing face of travel, and we think this relocation will deepen our relations with partners, associates and customers. The insights that come from experiences like this move make us more agile in today’s rapidly changing world.”

  • Travelodge introduce ‘loo laughs’ because it opens its first hotel above a comedy club

    Today in a UK first, London’s biggest hotelier, Travelodge has opened the primary ever hotel above a comedy club.

    Bethnal Green Travelodge, a 131-room hotel which represents an £11million investment have been built above Lee Hurst’s iconic Backyard Comedy Club – which through the years has hosted many well-known comedians.

    To mark the hole of the UK’s first comedy club hotel partnership, Travelodge is introducing loo laughs – a loo roll that’s printed with a ramification of funny jokes and cartoons to maintain customers entertained and laughing whilst visiting the john.

    In support of the company’s loo laughs toilet roll, the budget chain surveyed 2,000 Britons to hunt their views on reading within the bathroom. Key findings revealed that just below half (49%) of Britons wish to read at the toilet. Interestingly it is a more popular pastime with men as a 3rd reported they read at the loo whilst only a fifth of girls stated they do.

    Eight out of ten respondents stated reading at the loo alleviates boredom and 3 quarters of adults thought loo roll printed with jokes was a good suggestion.

    The nation’s favourite bathroom reading material includes: newspapers, magazines, journals, business publications, TV guides and comics. 

    The research also revealed Britain’s biggest loo readers are available inside the following locations: London, Chelmsford, Oxford, Cambridge and Southampton.

    Shakila Ahmed, Travelodge Spokeswoman said: To celebrate the outlet of the UK’s first comedy club hotel concept, we thought it might be a fun and novel ideal to introduce joke printed toilet roll; in order that customers can continue to giggle whilst visiting the john.” 

    At the Bethnal Green Travelodge opening, the corporate also announced it location target list for one other 145 hotels across London. The objective list includes locations comparable to: Westminster, Camden, Southwark, Lambeth, Islington, Ealing and Greenwich.

    The Travelodge target list of 145 new hotels would create nearly 4,000 new jobs around the capital and boost the local economy annually by £290million*

  • News: ILTM Africa 2013: ministers and travel experts to discuss Africa’s luxury travel industry

    The launch of International Luxury Travel Market (ILTM) Africa, Cape Town [ www.iltm.net/africa ] will even include the primary ILTM Africa Forum – a live debate led by a number of Africa’s leading industry figures who will discuss the increase of luxury travel, the failings that this has dropped at the continent, and the way safari tourism has moved upmarket. There’ll even be a key one-on-one interview to be announced within the coming weeks.

    The Forum, facilitated by international African Travel Writer, Graham Boynton, will occur before the show opens on Monday, April 8, on the Mount Nelson Hotel, an identical venue because the ILTM Africa showcase. It will become in two parts and starts with Minister Alan Winde, Ministry of Finance, Economic Development, and Tourism for the Western Cape government, who will give an insight into the infrastructure and tourism assets of his region and beyond. Winde will then be followed by South African author, Clem Sunter, concentrating on Africa’s economic and political health.

    Boynton will then facilitate a full of life debate on “The Issues Facing the luxurious Travel Market” taking a look at perception vs. reality – how the exterior world sees Africa – and the impact of modern changes that experience taken place out there, plus how the posh African product has evolved and the main issue of intra-country air connections. Participating should be Tony Romer Lee, CEO, The gathering by Liz McGrath; Adrian Gardiner, Founder&CEO, Mantis Group; and Beks Ndlovu, CEO, African Bush Camps.

    ILTM’s Exhibition Director, Alison Gilmore, commented: “The point of the ILTM forum concept is to kick off an event with some content and debate that provides all our participants – exhibitors and hosted buyers – real insights into trends, issues, and successes of the host country in addition some thought provoking take-aways to start their two days of commercial. We’re delighted to welcome Minister Alan Winde and, needless to say, such an influential line-up of speakers for what’s sure to be a full of life and enlightening debate with a view to also give the audience the chance to invite their very own questions from people who are directly serious about the industry luxury tourism.”

    In its first year, ILTM Africa 2013 often is the first invitation-only event in Africa to showcase 70 exclusively African travel experiences who will meet with 70 international Hosted Buyers, devoted to creating and planning luxury travel inbound to Africa.

    Business appointments are pre-scheduled, matching mutual requests from buyers and exhibitors alike to fulfill on a strict one-to-one ratio. Following the normal ILTM format, both buyers and exhibitors must follow a strict accreditation process so as to participate.

  • News: Norwegian to add first Grammy experience at sea

    Norwegian Cruise Line announced today that it has partnered with The Recording Academy® to add the primary GRAMMY® Experience at sea onboard its newest ship, Norwegian Getaway, set to launch in February 2014.  As portion of the partnership, Norwegian Cruise Line was named “Official Cruise Line Partner of the GRAMMY Awards®.”  Moreover, the businesses will partner at the first GRAMMY-themed cruise it is scheduled to set sail within the fall of 2014.

    The GRAMMY Experience could be located on Deck 8 on Norwegian Getaway and can feature artifacts chosen and curated by the GRAMMY Museum® at L.A. LIVE in downtown La.  Within the evenings, the venue will feature live performances by past GRAMMY winners and nominees, among others.

    “Partnering with The Recording Academy and its prestigious GRAMMY Awards to bring the primary GRAMMY-branded experience at sea on board Norwegian Getaway is a big coup for us as we continue to innovate with entertainment,” said Kevin Sheehan, Norwegian Cruise Line’s Chief Executive Officer.  “This GRAMMY venue with nightly performance by top-notch musicians elevates the offerings on Norwegian Getaway to an entire new level.”

    “The Recording Academy is often searching for unique how to elevate the GRAMMY brand and extend the GRAMMY experience all year long,” said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of The Recording Academy. “This new partnership with Norwegian Cruise Line allows us to continue expanding our brand’s reach globally and convey new varieties of GRAMMY-themed entertainment to music fans everywhere. We couldn’t be more ok with this new alliance between some of the leading cruise lines and one of the vital credible and recognized brands in music.”

    More details in regards to the GRAMMY Experience venue, performances and the GRAMMY theme cruise could be revealed inside the coming months.

    Currently under construction at MEYER WERFT in Germany, the 4,000 passenger Norwegian Getaway often is the largest ship to homeport year-round in Miami.  The ship represents a chance for the Norwegian guest to “get away” from the

    routine of labor, school, and daily stress, and discover a true respite at sea that reflects the energy and culture that Miami is legendary for worldwide.  Norwegian Getaway’s hull artwork was designed by popular Miami modern artist and muralist David “LEBO” Le Batard.

    To date, the corporate has revealed the ship’s groundbreaking design, including an open-air boardwalk, The Waterfront, and 678 Ocean Place; quite a lot of indoor and outdoor venues on three dynamic decks which will create an entire new complex at sea that boosts guests’ reference to the sea.  Celebrity Chef and Food Network star Geoffrey Zakarian may also create and oversee the hole of his seafood restaurant, Ocean Blue by Geoffrey Zakarian.

    The ship will feature a rich mixture of stateroom options, including The Haven by Norwegian, made from 42 Suites on the top of the ship in an exclusive, private key-card enclave and 22 additional Suites located in the course of the ship; the innovative Studios, designed and priced for solo travelers; quite a lot of Oceanview staterooms, Balcony and Mini-Suites; together with Spa Balcony, Mini-Suites and Suites in close proximity to the spa. Norwegian Getaway’s sister ship, Norwegian Breakaway, will begin sailing from her year-round home port of latest York City in May 2013.

  • News: Travelport and American Airlines announce distribution agreement

    Travelport, a number one provider of critical transaction processing solutions and information to companies operating within the global travel industry, and American Airlines, a unconditionally owned subsidiary of AMR Corporation, today announce a brand new long-term, global distribution agreement. As well as enabling continued access to buy and book the total content of flights marketed by American Airlines, the recent agreement positions Travelport to become the primary global distribution system to supply access to American’s other services and products.

    Following a period of technical integration, Travelport and American plan to apply their industry-leading technology, including both Travelport’s Universal API technology and American’s XML-based direct connect interface, to deliver additional capabilities to all Travelport subscribers, including the power to sell American’s newly introduced Main Cabin Extra seating product.

    Main Cabin Extra makes travel more well-off by providing four to 6 inches of extra legroom and Group 1 boarding. And because Main Cabin Extra seating is on the brink of front of the plane, customers can get off and on the plane much faster. By making Main Cabin Extra available through global distribution systems for the 1st time, American is delivering on its commitment to make the travel experience more connected and comfy from begin to finish.

    “Travelport deserves praise for working with American to create an answer which can display all of our product options to travel agents in a clear, customer-friendly way that still clearly differentiates American’s products from other airlines,” said Derek DeCross, vp of world sales for American Airlines.

    Dan Westbrook, vice chairman and general manager of world Distribution Sales and repair, Travelport, said, “American is an industry leader, and the suitable partner with which to construct upon Travelport’s airline partnership strategy to merchandising, optional ancillary sales and product differentiation. All of our subscribers will continue to access American’s full content, while American can merchandise its full line of goods through Travelport, providing consumers and travelers a clear marketplace and the power to buy and book all services at their channel of choice.”

    American and Travelport also resolved all litigation between themselves. The terms of the settlement agreement require review and approval by the court presiding over AMR Corporation’s restructuring.