Best Holiday Lettings

Category: News

  • IHIF: Worldhotels expands portfolio of branded hotels

    Worldhotels, a number one global group for independent upscale hotels, is growing its branded soft franchise solution because the ideal alternative to standard franchising.

    The offer is quite competitive, as costs to owners are based purely on brand performance in total net room revenue delivery.

    Since introducing the brand new business model in 2011, Worldhotels has already branded 15 hotels and plans so as to add another 20 by 2014.

    Ingo Guerges, vp global hotel development at Worldhotels explained why the recent model was created:

    He said: “Hotels kept asking us for a better level of partnership – without the high operational interference of traditional upscale franchises.

    “So we prepare an answer that follows our motto of ‘If you own a hotel, it’s going to feel such as you own a hotel.’”

    Worldhotels’ soft franchise solution focuses purely at the commercial side of the business, to generate and capture opportunities for room revenue growth from all segments and all distribution channels.

    The model doesn’t require any hardware standards, as Robert van der Graaf, Worldhotels’ newly appointed regional vp full licence Europe, Middle East and Africa, illustrates.

    “We’ve always said that standards don’t ought to mean standardisation,” he stated.

    “Our role is simply to be certain the emblem and supporting systems deliver the absolute best results for our hotels, without interfering within the actual delivery of an authentic upscale hotel experience.”

    The model is built on over 40 years of successes of Worldhotels’ affiliation model and specializes in three areas – to begin with full commercial support to maximize the hotel’s exposure under a world brand, secondly increase hotel market share through total brand performance, system delivery and eventually distribution cost control to ultimately achieve a really healthy return on investment for hotel owners.

  • News: IHIF: Steigenberger Grandhotel Brussels opens to public

    The Steigenberger Hotel Group now has a presence on the very heart of Europe within the type of the Steigenberger Grandhotel Brussels.

    Located within the city centre and offering 269 rooms and suites, the hotel opened on January 1st 2013 and is busy welcoming guests from around the world.

    The New Year got off to a terrific start with the official opening of the Steigenberger Grandhotel in Brussels on January 1st 2013.

    The luxury hotel is housed behind an historic facade and forms portion of the Wiltcher’s Complex within the elegant surroundings of Avenue Louise.

    It has 269 rooms including 40 suites and a Royal Suite in addition to accommodating the “Café Wiltcher’s” Restaurant and the “Loui Lounge and Bar”.

    Conferencing facilities may be able to cater for as much as 600 persons across 13 conference rooms.

    The Ballroom on the Steigenberger Grandhotel, which extends over a place of 550 m² and is the most important column-free facility of its kind within the city, is adjoined by a three,200 m² gym and beauty and health spa area operated by Aspria.

    The Steigenberger Grandhotel Brussels is found throughout the direct vicinity of the Royal Palace, the Grand Place, the eu Parliament and the Congress Centre and within easy reach of the most important sights.

    The hotel’s Director is the internationally experienced hotel manager Blanche van Berckel. Steigenberger Hotel Group chief executive Puneet Chhatwal welcomed the move into the Belgian capital.

    “The Steigenberger Grandhotel in Brussels is a superb addition to our portfolio”, he commented.

    “We are delighted to be represented in a city on the heart of Europe within the type of this outstanding hotel.”

    An investment programme for the following few years was agreed with the hotel’s owner AG Real Estate with a purpose to have the ability to provide guests with the very highest levels of quality and repair in step with Steigenberger’s international standards.

  • News: Norwegians go wild for the upgrade wave

    Norwegian Cruise Line’s “Upgrade WAVE” sales event continues with incredible savings on Norwegian Sun’s scenic cruises in Alaska. Guests who book a seven-day cruise vacation in Alaska on board Norwegian Sun will receive $100 to spend on board or $150 to spend on board for 14-day sailing, despite stateroom category.

    Explorers can also be eligible to use the line’s Wave Season offers including free balcony upgrades, as much as $500 in air credits, and e-coupons worth greater than $300 in on board savings. For a limited time, families may also enjoy additional savings, because the line is offering 50% off cruise fares for children ages 17 and under, who’re sailing with two adults in a stateroom and guests who book a Cruisetour will receive one more $100 on board credit.

    This spring, Norwegian Sun will set sail to Alaska from May 13, 2013 through September 9, 2013, offering a chain of 7-day cruises from Vancouver, British Colombia or Whittier, Alaska. Norwegian Sun’s northbound itinerary departs Vancouver beginning on May 20, 2013 and may cruise the within Passage, Glacier Bay and Hubbard Glacier and make stops within the Alaskan favorites of Ketchikan, Skagway and Juneau with fares ranging from $499*. Beginning May 27, 2013, on her southbound itineraries from Whittier, the ship will cruise the interior Passage, Sawyer Glacier and Hubbard Glacier, in addition to make stops in Ketchikan, Skagway, Juneau and Icy Strait Point, with fares starting at $429*. Those seeking to explore the magnificent great thing about Alaska on an extended vacation have the opportunity to cruise on a back-to-back sailing from Vancouver or Whittier, with fares from $879*. This selection will allow guests to experience the marvels of both itineraries and cruise the within Passage with calls in Ketchikan; Juneau; Skagway; Glacier Bay; Hubbard Glacier; Whittier; Icy Strait Point and Sawyer Glacier.

    Adventures and amazing views of wildlife abound in Alaska. New for the 2013 summer are four incredible Cruisetour options, providing guests the chance to mix a pre- or post-cruise land package with Norwegian Sun’s cruises from Whittier. Ranging in length from four to 6 days, Cruisetours feature two nights in Denali National Park and are fully escorted by a native Alaskan tour guide for the main authentic experience possible. Highlights of the Cruisetours also include a stop at an Iditarod sled dog musher’s house (on four and five-night tours), together with a ride at the Alaskan railroad. For a limited time, guests who book a Cruisetour will receive a further $100 on board credit.

  • IHIF: Steigenberger Grandhotel Brussels opens to public

    The Steigenberger Hotel Group now has a presence on the very heart of Europe within the sort of the Steigenberger Grandhotel Brussels.

    Located inside the city centre and offering 269 rooms and suites, the hotel opened on January 1st 2013 and is busy welcoming guests from worldwide.

    The New Year got off to a great start with the official opening of the Steigenberger Grandhotel in Brussels on January 1st 2013.

    The luxury hotel is housed behind an historic facade and forms element of the Wiltcher’s Complex within the elegant surroundings of Avenue Louise.

    It has 269 rooms including 40 suites and a Royal Suite in addition to accommodating the “Café Wiltcher’s” Restaurant and the “Loui Lounge and Bar”.

    Conferencing facilities may be able to cater for as much as 600 persons across 13 conference rooms.

    The Ballroom on the Steigenberger Grandhotel, which extends over a space of 550 m² and is the biggest column-free facility of its kind within the city, is adjoined by a three,200 m² gym and beauty and health spa area operated by Aspria.

    The Steigenberger Grandhotel Brussels is found in the direct vicinity of the Royal Palace, the Grand Place, the eu Parliament and the Congress Centre and within easy reach of the main sights.

    The hotel’s Director is the internationally experienced hotel manager Blanche van Berckel. Steigenberger Hotel Group chief executive Puneet Chhatwal welcomed the move into the Belgian capital.

    “The Steigenberger Grandhotel in Brussels is a superb addition to our portfolio”, he commented.

    “We are delighted to be represented in a city on the heart of Europe inside the sort of this outstanding hotel.”

    An investment programme for the following few years was agreed with the hotel’s owner AG Real Estate that will be capable to provide guests with the very highest levels of quality and repair based on Steigenberger’s international standards.

  • News: Volotea chooses Travelport e-ticket technologies

    Travelport, the business services provider to the worldwide travel industry, today announces a brand new long-term IT services agreement with Volotea, the brand new low-cost European carrier headquartered in Barcelona, Spain. Volotea, which commenced operations in April 2012, is the most recent participant in Travelport’s electronic ticket database hosting service, and has also joined the Travelport E-Ticket Interchange™. The technologies are central to Volotea’s growth and expansion plans through more distribution channels, including global distribution systems (GDS).

    Travelport’s e-ticket database hosting service, the Travelport ETDBase™, is in use by airlines globally to quickly implement e-ticketing, and store and manage e-ticket data for online and interline e-ticketing (IET). The answer makes interline connections a price-effective process, yet allows airlines to preserve control over their very own interline agreements. The Travelport E-Ticket Interchange™, one of the vital largest global e-ticketing facilities for the exchange of interline e-ticket messages between airline partners, including ground handlers, supports nearly 420 participants and over 6,000 interline/codeshare agreements, processing over 55 million messages monthly.

    “Travelport technologies have solved business issues and removed barriers to growth by eliminating IT complexities, yet enabling us to compete in any channel, with any airline, with the aid of the foremost advanced e-ticket and interline solutions,” said Alex de Jesús, Volotea’s CIO.

    “We are pleased to partner with Volotea in providing the easiest tools available for e-ticket database hosting, and simple connections to their chosen industry partners,” said Derek Sharp, Travelport, managing director, Global Distribution Sales & Services, Travelport. “Airlines need rapid deployment and proven tools, but additionally flexibility that clings to unique processes. Travelport IT solutions allow Volotea to stay true to its unique business and fiscal model.”

    Through Travelport’s IT partnership with Navitaire®, Volotea’s host system provider, Volotea is combining connectivity tools and capabilities deployed by top airlines worldwide within the distribution channels of Volotea’s choice.

    Travelport designed the airline industry’s first proven suite of messaging ‘interchanges’ allowing fast, easy connections to airline partners through a rapid deployment methodology. The

    Travelport Interchange Suite™ helps airlines expand partnerships, connectivity and sales by eliminating an airline’s ought to build and maintain its own interline connections to airlines, passenger service systems and travel industry partners. The portfolio complies with industry standards, and existing links are already established with virtually every airline, passenger service system, GDS and ground handler on the planet.