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  • WTTC 2013: Solomons offers insight to Global Summit

    Understanding your customers goes far beyond having a sturdy brand; while safety, cleanliness and an awesome night’s sleep remain the head three priorities for hotel guests, in line with Richard Solomons, chief executive, Intercontinental Hotel Group.

    “We must understand the client better and ensure our brands describe and deliver what they wish,” he explained.

    “We announced two new brands last year and had huge interest around those, because it’s clear that it’s no more of the identical – the brands are targeting well,” he said during a session entitled ‘Hotels: where next for the world’s biggest hotel brands’ at the second and final day of the 13th Global Summit, organised by the sector Travel and Tourism Council.

    The top three requirements in hotels – forget the logo and its message – are safety, cleanliness and good night’s sleep.

    But the question is how will we deliver a targeted, more personalised service” Solomons asked.

    “I think what must have is a transparent corporate strategy, and determine where we’re going as an organization; in addition to decide how, where and why we deliver value.

    “The brand is set definition; again as an industry we’re attempting to entice everybody on a regular basis.

    “This creates commoditisation within the industry and types aren’t clear. What a brand stands for, who your consumers are and the way you relate to them are the major factors within the industry today,” he continued.

    The Global Summit is being hosted by Jumeirah at Etihad Towers in Abu Dhabi.

  • “Family Bonding” holidays at the rise

    With recent research revealing that families are increasingly using holidays to succeed in “quality time” together and with Father’s Day fast approaching, tour operator The Mighty Fine Company has unveiled its top six “memory-making” and “bonding” holidays.

  • News: Marriott International launches new recruitment app

    Marriott International is taking its recruitment digital in Europe with a newly launched careers app that’s the first of its kind within the hospitality industry.

    Available in English, French, German and Russian, the brand new innovative app was developed in tandem with Evviva Brands following extensive market research among youth – a target demographic for the brand new app.

    “We are excited for Marriott to be leading the style with the event of this new App. 

    “The youth unemployment figure is rising steadily in much of Europe, but there remains great opportunity inside the hospitality industry and within Marriott, so it is crucial that we engage a better generation of job seekers through a number of tools and mediums which are relevant and appealing to them,” said Bridgett Price, chief human resources officer for Marriott International in Europe. 

    The App engages users with personal and authentic career stories, that is a key learning incorporated in to the creation of the app taken from the extensive market and focus group research. 

    Though the App is simply not designed to switch traditional face-to-face recruitment, it’ll enable Marriott to achieve a technologically savvy and ever increasing mobile audience, thus enhancing and optimising the recruitment process. 

    Importantly it could also showcase the variety of roles available within Marriott – from General Manager to Housekeeping Supervisor, and Front Office Supervisor to Sales Director – to excite users concerning the opportunities in the company because it continues to expand and open new hotels across Europe as component to its goal to double its portfolio in Europe from 40,000 rooms to 80,000 rooms by 2015.

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  • Kyoto City targets tourists because it expands free Wi-Fi network

    Free Wi-Fi points around the city of Kyoto, Japan were significantly increased with the intention to provide convenient internet access for locals, business travellers and particularly tourists. Free Wi-Fi is now available at 385 locations, including 297 bus stops and 78 “Seven Eleven” convenience stores.

    There are two forms of free Wi-Fi on offer; visitors can find either a “3 Hours Free” point or a “7 Days Free” point. Tourists can search for the blue and purple symbols around the city.

    The Wi-Fi is accessed through on the search for the SSID on a smartphone or device, a good way to be KYOTO_WiFi01 or KYOTO_WiFi02 after which obtaining a guest code from the scannable QR code at the nearby purple or blue tag or sending an e-mail to the address provided. Once guests are allocated a guest code, they’re able to simply log-in after which free Wi-Fi is out there.

    Since June 2012, in a push to maintain with international standards for business and leisure travellers, Kyoto City has gradually been putting in place free Wi-Fi spots at bus stops, major subway stations, vending machines, public facilities and seven-eleven convenient stores and this announcement is the newest step within the process. The ultimate aim is to eventually set-up 630 free Wi-Fi spots.

  • Autograph Collection raises the royal bar In UK

    The Autograph Collection, Marriott International’s exclusive portfolio of upscale, independent hotels continues to grow in Europe with the introduction of 2 new extraordinary travel experiences this spring.  Threadneedles, within the heart of London‘s financial district, and The Glasshouse in central Edinburgh, Scotland, will represent the Autograph Collection’s first hotels within the Uk. The additions are set to expand the exclusive portfolio of upscale, independent lifestyle hotels to incorporate greater than 40 exceptional hotel experiences inside the Usa, Europe, Caribbean, and South America.

    The Autograph Collection currently offers plenty of passionately independent hotel experiences throughout Europe, including the spectacular Fontecruz Lisboa Hotel in Portugal, Hotel De Bourgtheroulde within the historic city of Rouen and the Hotel L’Hermitage Gantois in Lille.

    Last month, the Autograph Collection revealed its entree into Germany with the outlet later this year of the Hotel am Steinplatz, routinely recognized as one in every of Berlin’s most iconic gathering places.

    The vision behind the Autograph Collection is to provide an evolving group of independent, upscale hotels that every fall under distinct categories of travel experience including Culinary Delight, Artistic Getaway, Historic Exploration or Sporting Adventure. Each independent hotel is thoughtfully chosen for its quality, originality, bold character and capacity to provide guests more than a few unique and unexpected experiences fitted to their individual sense of fashion and adventure.

    “This is a thrilling time for the Autograph Collection in Europe as we add experiences in two of the United Kingdom’s most vital destinations,” said Amy McPherson , president and managing director for Marriott International in Europe. “Autograph Collection offers an enviable range of artistic, culinary and cultural adventures for our guests and these two iconic hotels would be valuable additions.”

    Autograph Collection continues to give travelers with more than a few exciting travel experiences all over, soon to incorporate:

    Threadneedles, London
    The Square Mile’s original luxury boutique hotel, Threadneedles is found within the heart of Town of London, just minutes from The Bank of britain, St Paul’s Cathedral, Borough Market, and The Royal Exchange. The previous Victorian banking hall, a Grade II listed building and the previous head office of City Bank, blends the conventional with the contemporary. The lobby is dominated by an elaborately hand painted stained-glass dome, which dates back to 1856, and the hotel’s fashionable restaurant and bar, Bonds, are set within the former main banking hall, retaining many original Victorian features.

    The Glasshouse, Edinburgh
    Situated on the foot of Calton Hill and built into the 150 year old facade of the woman Glenorchy church, The Glasshouse is one in all Edinburgh’s best known boutique hotels. The Five Star hotel, that’s located only a short walk from Princes Street and Edinburgh castle,  offers a distinct roof-top garden – a two-acre area of elegantly landscaped gardens which can even be used as a covered event space.  Several of the guest rooms offer exceptional views over the Firth of Forth and Edinburgh New Town.  Many of the remaining guest rooms open onto (and supply access to) the hotel’s private roof-top garden.  The Glasshouse has won quite a few awards since its opening in 2003, including being voted by Conde Nast Traveller magazine as one of the crucial “Top 50 Hottest Hotels,” and winner of the “Most Stylish Hotel” by the Scottish Style Awards. In January 2013, it was awarded second place within the Sunday Times Travel Magazine’s survey of best UK city hotels.  The hotel is currently undergoing refurbishment and is because of join the Autograph Collection upon completion in June.

    All Autograph Collection hotels perform Marriott Rewards, Marriott International’s award-winning guest loyalty program, where guests can earn points at greater than 3,200 hotels in 68 countries. Moreover their placement on Marriott.com, each property is showcased in its own unique way at the Collection’s award winning standalone site, www.autographhotels.com. 

    Autograph Collection hotels are available in a growing number of key travel destinations all over the world including The Algonquin and The Carlton hotels in Ny, The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, the Boscolo Budapest Hotel, the newly opened The Stones Hotel – Legian in Indonesia, The Brown Palace Hotel and Spa in Colorado, and the AC Baqueira Ski Resort in Spain.