Best Holiday Lettings

Category: News

  • Hilton expands DoubleTree in UK

    Hilton Worldwide has signed three franchise agreements for its rapidly expanding DoubleTree by Hilton brand in three more UK cities.
    Having opened 11 hotels within the UK within the last two years, the logo has reached agreement on additional sites in Bristol, Edinburgh and Nottingham.

    The brand will open five new hotels in 2013, reaching a complete of 25 hotels in operation around the UK. 

    Patrick Fitzgibbon, senior vp, development, Europe & Africa, Hilton Worldwide, said, “Since launching DoubleTree by Hilton within the UK, the logo has built overwhelming momentum, particularly as a conversion proposition for existing properties.  Beginning the year with the signing of those three outstanding hotels is testament to our aspirations to continue within the same vein throughout 2013.”

    DoubleTree by Hilton Edinburgh City Centre becomes the brand’s first hotel within the Scottish capital, which saw the posh Caledonian, A Waldorf Astoria hotel complete its £24m restoration last year. 

    The 139 guestroom property is found within the city’s historic old town, within easy walking distance of the famous tourist attractions and shopping hotspots of the Royal Mile and Princes Street.  With a brasserie style restaurant, stylish bar and top floor penthouse offering spectacular views of Edinburgh Castle, the impending renovation is determined to ascertain the hotel as a widespread destination venue within one among Europe’s strongest performing markets for hotels.

    DoubleTree by Hilton Bristol City Centre is anticipated to open this spring under a franchise agreement with Focus Hotels Management Limited. 
    After a multi-million pound renovation the previous Jarvis hotel will join the DoubleTree by Hilton brand complete with 201 guestrooms over six storeys.  Its range of facilities contains a gym complete with sauna, the humanities bar and Kiln restaurant, housed in an 18th century glass kiln style building.  The conversion will see these features make the most of an upgrade previous to reopening its doors this spring.

    DoubleTree by Hilton Nottingham Gateway, located at the A610 which links Nottingham to the M1, is ideally positioned to entice both business and leisure guests en path to the East Midlands city.  Under its former guise of The Nottingham Gateway Hotel the location is already a longtime meetings and events venue.  Guests can enjoy its accessible location and facilities which come with 582 sqm of events space and parking capacity of 250.

    The franchise agreement signed with Exceptional Hotels & Resorts Ltd will see a comprehensive upgrade of the hotel’s 106 guestrooms, meeting rooms, public areas and leisure facilities – including the addition of a brand new swimming pool.  The refurbishment will fully position the hotel in the upscale segment earlier than its expected relaunch in late 2013.

    John Greenleaf, global head, DoubleTree by Hilton, said, “This announcement is a brilliant begin to what’s set to be a landmark year for DoubleTree by Hilton within the UK.  Following a fantastic year for British tourism in 2012, we’re delighted to be on the forefront of expanding our brand during this market with new properties in three key cities, including our debuts in Nottingham and Edinburgh.”

    Hilton Worldwide operates a complete of 112 properties inside the UK under six iconic brands, with yet another 23 hotels within the pipeline.

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  • News: Travel To head launches radio outreach initiative

    Travel To move, one in all America’s largest providers of travel services and vacation club products, announces a brand new outreach program involving a sequence of shows using probably the most effective communication channels available – radio. The strategic use of the medium and the big over the air and online audience that tunes in day by day is a part of the company’s efforts to explain the manner vacation ownership programs work and discuss the variations between traditional timeshare products and the hot, flexible vacation programs now available to the traveling public.

    The shows will feature Tommy Middaugh, Executive Vp of Travel To move, explaining the impact that the new economic challenges have had at the public’s vacation habits and the way the travel industry has responded to the changes required to service today’s consumer. The following segment is scheduled for March 7th at noon EST at http://player.liquidcompass.net/p/WGIVFM

    These radio segments demonstrate Travel To Go’s out-of-the box, innovative process in taking their message on to the patron through radio’s intimate, conversational format in step with Middaugh.

    “We’ve seen incredible success from this engaging kind of media. We’re building product knowledge with the patron, bringing transparency to the industry, and building credibility,” Middaugh said. “We’ll even be taking it to the following level with video podcasts of those segments.”

    Those video segments shall be available at the Travel To head YouTube Channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/MyTravelToGo and supply details about the hidden gems available inside the travel marketplace.

    “Some of those resorts aren’t available throughout the public networks, the net travel agencies that travelers are used to using, and those which are we will be able to get you as much as 70 to 75 percent off often times so one can stay there,” added Middaugh.

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  • News: National train performance for period 12 is 91.0%

    Punctuality at the railways reached 91.0% during Period 12, in line with monthly performance data released today by Network Rail.

    The data for Britain’s train services covers the period from 03 February 2013 – 02 March 2013. This compares to 91.6% for a similar period last year. The moving annual average is now at 91.1%.

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  • News: South Africa boasts double digit tourism growth

    South Africa has once more announced increasing tourism numbers: The months from January until October 2012 showed a rise of 10,4%, with 7 535 498 tourist arrivals in comparison to 6 823 517 tourist arrivals for a similar period within the previous year. a complete of 204 247 tourists from Germany visited South Africa from January to October 2012. This represents a rise of 12,2% in comparison to the corresponding period in 2011. Germany is likely one of the key traditional overseas markets for travel to South Africa, with the usa of America and the uk taking the lead.

    Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk explains: “Positive growth from the conventional markets by and large – and Europe certainly – gives us confidence that the work we’re doing to grow tourist arrivals is paying dividends. South Africa has every reason to feel confident in regards to the state of its tourism industry going forward.

    “The credit should visit the tourism industry for creatively and constructively working together to grow tourism to South Africa. It also includes extremely important that we make sure that every new tourist who arrives in our country is given the absolute best experience, as word of mouth remains one among our primary marketing tools,” Minister van Schalkwyk said during his visit to the ITB trade exhibition in Berlin.

    Minister Van Schalkwyk also underlined the significance of the German marketplace for South Africa, and stressed that the expansion of arrivals from Germany should be maintained. To inspire and motivate German travellers, South African Tourism continues to heighten its marketing initiatives with German tour operators, and likewise approaches travel agents individually to teach them concerning the destination. Media cooperation agreements created for the relevant German target groups in addition to innovative brand partnerships continue to draw German travellers to the Rainbow Nation. 

    The UN World Tourism Organisation’s forecast for international travel growth in 2012 is purely 4%, growth of 10,4% in tourist arrivals to South Africa over the period January-October 2012 exceeded that by far. In keeping with the Minister, it is a reflection at the destination itself: “South Africa is irresistible and exquisite; it’s easy to access and explore, and gives excellent value for money. Primarily, our friendly people and the original experiences our country offer make a trip to South Africa extra-special.”

    Minister Van Schalkwyk also reiterated the significance of tourism as an economic growth engine for the rustic. Tourism have been identified as one in all six priority sectors in South Africa to gain economic growth and attract investment. Tourism attracts foreign direct spend and creates jobs. On this regard, the rustic has identified the next targets: to draw 15 million arrivals by 2020; to extend the proportion of tourism in gross domestic product from R189,4 billion in 2009 to R499 billion in 2020, and to create greater than 225 000 new jobs in tourism.

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  • Centara plans third hotel within the Maldives

    Centara Hotels & Resorts will open its third resort within the Maldives throughout the latter half 2014, following the signing of a management contract with Maldivian company RPI Private Ltd.Centara Hudhufushi Resort & Spa is currently under design and planning, and could be to international four-star standards.

    The resort, so as to have approximately 110 rooms, would be located at the east side of Lhaviyani Atoll, 25 minutes by seaplane from Male International Airport.The contract signing happened on 14 September 2012, and the resort is being developed under an investment cost of USD36 million.

    “We are a great deal longing for the hole of Centara Hudhufushi Resort & Spa, for you to be our third resort inside the Maldives,” says Thirayuth Chirathivat, Chief Executive Officer of Centara Hotels & Resorts.

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