Best Holiday Lettings

Category: News

  • News: Westin launches innovative New Balance gear lending programme

    Following a successful pilot programme, Westin Hotels & Resorts has launched its innovative fitness gear lending programme with New Balance.  Reinforcing the brand’s ongoing commitment to creating fitness convenient for travellers, all 190 Westin hotels world wide at the moment are offering the exclusive product loan programme to guests, enabling more travellers to remain healthy and fit at the road. 

    From begin to finish, Westin Hotels & Resorts is devoted to creating wellbeing convenient for travellers.  For just $5, guests at Westin hotels worldwide including The Westin Paris – Vendôme; The Westin Grand, Berlin; The Westin Sydney; The Westin Palace, Madrid; The Westin Big apple Grand Central; The Westin Cape Town; The Westin Tokyo and The Westin Dublin, can now borrow trainers with disposable insoles, in addition to various men’s and women’s New Balance apparel including shorts, shirts and socks for men and shorts, capri pants, shirts, sports bras and socks for girls.

    “Westin’s mission is to enable our guests to pursue their wellbeing when at the road and our partnership with New Balance not just makes packing much easier but provides an answer for those travellers who forget their workout gear or commit to exercise last-minute.  The programme also helps us to continue to deliver on personalised experiences for our guests across the world”, said Brian Povinelli, Global Brand Leader, Westin Hotels & Resorts.

    In celebration of the Gear Lending launch, on Tuesday 5th March associates on the Westin Dublin participated in a 5k run across the city, taking a scenic tour of Trinity College, Grafton Street and St. Stephen’s Green.  Following the run, participants were treated to a SuperFoods lunch within the hotel’s Exchange restaurant.

    Andrew Henning, General Manager on the Westin Dublin, said of the initiative: “We are thrilled so they can bring this exciting programme to guests on the Westin Dublin.  Having the ability to borrow New Balance gear from the hotel will really lighten the weight should you desire to stay active when travelling.”

    Westin’s decision to launch the gear lending programme globally was driven by the unprecedented positive feedback from users of the pilot programme which launched in 10 target markets in 2010.  Guests also rated the gym inside the top five amenities they appear for in a hotel and usually tend to decide to determine with the brand new Balance programme in place.

  • JJW Hotels to extend online bookings with RateTiger’s channel manager

    JJW hotels have selected RateTiger by eRevMax because the channel manager of choice across 23 of its European hotels. The JJW Group now has access to RateTiger’s new Allocation Management feature, enabling them to accurately distribute inventory from a controlled central pool to all sales channels.

    The hotel chain might be capable of update rates and inventory at property level through RateTiger’s vast distribution network, whilst simultaneously optimising the performance of accessible inventory from connected channels. Each property can be ready to increase the effectiveness of all third party sales partners, thereby improving both bookings and revenue opportunities.

    In addition, JJW Hotels may even reap the benefits of real-time competitor rate data, allowing their hotels to appropriately manage rates with booking performance, so as to maintain the right market position.

    Customer experience to extend with profits

    “We require a competent solution for you to meet our demands for price shopping in addition to channel management. Having seen the success RateTiger has delivered to other hotels with their streamlined solution to revenue management, we’re sure that our new partnership with them increases revenue, in addition to the customer’s booking experience,” said Mashael Al Jaber, Director, JJW Hotels. “This new automated inventory distribution tool will react instantly to ever changing markets, allowing each hotel to reap the benefits of occupancy levels and revenue opportunities.”

    JJW Hotels will profit from eRevMax’s recently released RateTiger RTSuite 3.0; this latest version comes complete with a brand new user interface and integrated channel management functionality, and is designed to maximise usability and effectiveness.

  • News: Zipcar appoints new chief marketing officer, executive VP

    Zipcar, Inc, the world’s leading car sharing network, today announced that Brian Harrington has joined its management team as executive vice chairman/chief marketing officer to guide the company’s global marketing efforts.  Based in Zipcar’s Cambridge, Mass. office, Harrington should be answerable for overseeing Zipcar’s marketing organization, including member acquisition, global brand building, social media, public relations and delivering new innovative services to further enhance the Zipcar member experience.  He’ll report on to Scott Griffith, Zipcar chairman and CEO.

    “I’m thrilled to welcome Brian as our new Chief Marketing Officer,” said Griffith. “His deep experience might be an incredible asset to Zipcar and his role is vital as we expand our offerings and build a worldwide mobility network.  Brian has a bold vision for the way forward for the emblem and we’re excited to have him join the Zipcar leadership team.”

    Prior to joining the team at Zipcar, Harrington had his own consultancy called Little Harbor Group and held leadership roles at Boathouse, a brand communications agency, and I’m in!, a leisure travel website which he co-founded.  He was a member of the founding executive teams of Upromise and Connection to eBay, and held senior roles in sales and marketing at EF Education.  Earlier in his career he worked in global marketing for Sheraton Hotels and for Hill, Holliday Advertising.

    “I am very excited to work with this type of talented, motivated and innovative team here at Zipcar to further expand our market reach and deliver value-enhancing member programs.  The Zipcar brand helps define and enable urban mobility, and that i stay up for growing our member base and embellishing our service offerings in 2013 and beyond,” said Harrington.

    Harrington holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Boston College, in addition to an MBA from the University of Notre Dame.

  • News: Government’s tourism investment outlined in Hotel & Catering Show 2013 keynote

    Officially opening both-day Hotel & Catering Show 2013 (H&CS), Deirdre Wells OBE, Head of Tourism for the dept for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), set the agenda for the revamped hospitality event in a keynote which addressed ways that the govt helps tackle economic recovery through tourism investment within the South of britain.

    “Economic growth should be achieved through labor and DCMS is operating equally hard to nurture that growth. With 80% of UK tourism coming from the domestic market, it’s really important that all of us interact [tourism attractions, hotel owners and the govt] to create a good image of the united kingdom, educating consumers about what’s on their doorstep and reminding them of what’s great about holidaying in Britain.

    “In Visit Britain’s Brands Nations Index, in the course of the London 2012 Olympic Games period Britain’s ‘welcome’ rose from twelfth position to ninth, that is a mirrored image of improved perceptions of purchaser service amongst our international audience and of perceptions of england as an overseas tourist destination.

    “Over four years, VisitBritain’s international campaign, including GREAT, will invest greater than £130 million in inbound tourism to the united kingdom. Another GREAT Britain campaign for the domestic market will launch this fall and we’re investing £2 million on this follow up campaign, with a purpose to build at the success of the 20.12 per cent ‘Holiday at Home’ campaign,” said Ms Wells. “Early forecasts show that our investment within the GREAT campaign to this point is projected to aid generate around 1 / 4 of one billion pounds for the British economy over the following two years.”

    Running throughout today (5th) and tomorrow (6th), H&CS 2013 has undergone a thrilling re-launch with new features, culinary attractions and must-attend professional seminars led by the industry’s biggest names, to guarantee it serves because the ultimate, trade-only regional event for chefs and proprietors within the hospitality sector within the South of britain.

    As you read this, Anthony Pender, Director of the successful and popular Yummy Pub Company, is being interviewed survive stage, 12.00-12.45pm, to share his pointers on starting your individual business, be it a cafe, a restaurant, a pub or a hotel.  From writing the initial marketing strategy and accessing funds, to finding the suitable venue and planning your marketing to be successful, ‘New horizons in hospitality: Steps to starting your personal hospitality business’ was designed to present show visitors the fine details on tips on how to turn those dreams into reality.

    Later this afternoon Steve Lowy, chief executive, Umi Hotel & Umi Design, will ask ‘What does your website REALLY say for your customer’ in a workshop session packed filled with tips about motivating and attractive with customers online to reinforce their experience and increase sales.

    The first ever The workers Canteen LIVE- a collaboration between H&CS and digital platform www.TheStaffCanteen.com – also got underway today with four of the UK’s top chefs, Tom Kerridge, Paul Ainsworth, Chris Stains and Russell Brown, showcasing their remarkable skills, innovative techniques and use of surprising ingredients in a succession of live cookery demonstrations.

    Over at Chef’s Kitchen, contract catering giant Sodexo are busy prepping their dishes in a contest to serve the most productive 60-cover lunch dining experience for an audience of VIPs. Visitors will watch the magic unfold as they see Sodexo’s chefs prepare and create their greatest artworks in an open plan kitchen. A chef commentator will offer explanations of the techniques and strategies getting used whist viewers sample amuse bouche tasters. Compass will go nose to nose with the result of today’s judging of their own VIP lunch service tomorrow from 10am.

  • Publications: Breaking Travel News Special Edition – ITB Berlin 2013 Day 2

    image[1] align=’right’ border=’0′ style=’padding-left:10px;’ alt=’ITB Berlin 2013′ border=0 > ITB Berlin 2013

    Event on: 6 Mar 2013

    The whole world meets at ITB Berlin: People, working within the travel industry and folks, who desire to make amends for the foremost beautiful travel destinations. The mix of trade extravaganza, public exhibition and the largest professional convention worldwide attracts tens of thousands of tourists, exhibitors and media representatives every…