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  • News: Marriott International rolls out free WIFI in middle east hotels

    JW Marriott, Marriott Hotels and Resorts and Renaissance properties at the moment are offering free WIFI in public areas of its full service hotels.

    Rolling out around the Middle East and Africa from February 2013 onwards, the extended WIFI service will allow people to get connected in Marriott lobbies, food and beverage outlets and the other public areas. As well as the free WIFI offering, Marriott will continue to provide paid access to high-speed bandwidth both wired and wireless in guestrooms, in addition to bespoke connectivity progammes for conference spaces.

    Jeff Strachan, Vice chairman Sales and Marketing, Marriott International Middle East and Africa, commented: “Our hotel lobbies are a hive of activity, as people meet, greet and plan their day ahead; therefore it will be important for Marriott to enable guests to be connected across all areas of the hotel. It’s also important for us to provide our guests practical services which make staying with Marriott a calming, efficient and value effective experience.”

    Launching this month in accordance with customer feedback, this extended WIFI platform is absolute to make Marriott guests more connected.

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  • Travelodge rolls out apprenticeship programme

    Hotel chain Travelodge has announced 51 new positions on its junior management apprenticeship programme (JuMP). The 1st phase of recruitment will begin at the beginning of National Apprenticeship Week and supports Travelodge’s growth strategy, that will see it open 14 hotels (1,742 rooms) this year at an investment of £141.5m. 

    JuMP – the UK’s first budget hotel management apprenticeship programme was launched in 2011 and this year the 1st 16 a degree students and college leavers might be graduating from the programme.

    The programme has taken on 65 apprentices since launching two years ago, meaning this year’s intake is a record amount for the hotel group. So popular is the JuMP scheme that Travelodge received over 4,000 applications for 45 apprenticeship placements in 2012 – which equates to 100 school leavers fighting for one prized position. This year the corporate expects greater than 6,000 applications.

    Jon Hendry Pickup, Chief Operating Officer at Travelodge said: “National Apprenticeship Week is a superb channel to focus on how an apprenticeship programme can open up a wealth of career opportunities.

    “Our nationwide JuMP programme was developed to support our growth strategy and is absolutely helping us create future business leaders. The programme offers school leavers a proven alternative to school because it provides a genuine job and coaching in all areas of the business, whilst permitting them to gain valuable, nationally-recognised qualifications and earn a salary.

    “We expect demand for our apprenticeship positions to be at an all time high this year, as there’s a huge pool of talent accessible in search of a chance to begin a career. i might urge more businesses to take a position in an apprenticeship programme, because it is a brilliant platform to upskill young Britons and create a generation of future leaders.”

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  • News: Report reveals UK worst for air taxes

    Reacting to the arena Economic Forum’s report, Willie Walsh, chief executive of British Airways’ parent company, IAG; Carolyn McCall, chief executive easyJet; Michael O’Leary, chief executive Ryanair and Craig Kreeger, chief executive of Virgin Atlantic jointly said:

    “The WEF report shows that Britain has the very best aviation taxes and costs on the planet, ranked 139th out of 140 and rubbing shoulders with countries like Chad, Senegal and the Dominican Republic.

    “It’s hard to locate another comparable table on a key measure of international competitiveness which shows the united kingdom to be trailing the remainder of the arena. This isn’t only a blow to our national pride but demonstrates the unjustified level of Air Passenger Duty and, following the new PWC report, provides further evidence that the Chancellor must take action within the Budget in this destructive tax.

    “The PWC report highlighted the critical role that aviation plays as an engine of financial growth for both international commerce and tourism. It confirms that abolishing APD would offer the united kingdom economy with a GDP boost worth a minimum of £16 billion inside the first three years, generating enough extra revenue from other taxes to offer the Treasury a net gain and leading to almost 60,000 new jobs within the UK.

    “We call upon the Chancellor to take advantage of the forthcoming Budget to take away APD to stimulate economic growth and create jobs.”

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  • FIFA World Cup: Brazil plays catch up previous to 2014

    Headlines within the recent increase to the FIFA World Cup in Brazil next year were decidedly mixed of late.

    While the 2022 competition in Qatar had raised more ire among sports fans all over the world, Brazilian authorities cannot was impressed with images of violence marring the preparations.

    Most recently police were forced to apply tear gas and smoke grenades to wreck up clashes between fans waiting to shop for tickets for the inaugural match in a stadium built for the realm Cup.

    Fans had queued overnight at a ticket office within the north-eastern state of Bahia, but fighting broke out once it opened. Officials on the Arena Fonte Nova stadium, which cost over $300 million ($50 million greater than budgeted), had didn’t separate queues of fans, resulting in unrest.

    Perhaps more seriously, the inauguration date of rebuilt Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro have been repeatedly delayed.

    The stadium, set to host the ultimate next year, was originally attributable to reopen in December 2012, but its first match is now scheduled for April 27th.

    Embarrassingly, Rio mayor Eduardo Paes was also recently forced to near the João Havelange stadium, which was getting used to host major football matches in preference to the Maracana and was scheduled to host the athletics for the 2016 Olympic Games, after it engineers warned of structural deficiencies.

    Elsewhere, the president of Corinthians, the Brazilian club in command of building the Itaquera stadium in Sao Paulo, recently admitted its construction may be stopped for loss of cash.

    Unless additional cash is located there’s a risk of the stadium failing to be ready on time for the contest.

    That stadium is because of host the hole match of FIFA 2014.

    With these problems piling up, FIFA was remarkably sanguine, not less than in front of the cameras.

    “It is all an issue of trust and confidence,” FIFA president Sepp Blatter told reporters last month after a gathering of the realm Cup organising committee. “They would be ready as it is the area Cup and nobody can afford to not be ready for the area Cup.”

    However, FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke recently visited Recife to envision on preparations on the Arena Pernambuco, which remains incomplete despite promises it might be ready by the top 2012.

    One further infrastructure worry is the progress in upgrading the national airport network.

    Many guests will see flights as essential in the sort of large country, where there isn’t a established rail network.

    But, of 13 terminals being upgraded, ten are unlikely to be completed by June 2014, a central authority-backed Institute for Applied Economic Research report said earlier this spring.

    image[1] align=’right’ border=’0′ style=’padding-left:10px;’ alt=” border=0 >
    The recently completed Arena Fonte Nova

    Tourism

    So, many challenges. But what does all this mean for the international traveller Briefly, not likely greatly.

    While the sporting infrastructure is clearly vital to the success of the tournament, the personal sector has quietly been caring for the preparations essential to welcome the 600,000 international visitors expected inside the country for the development.

    Some 200 hotels are currently under construction, while another 170 hotels are slated to open in the next three years in Brazil, in step with consultancy Lodging Econometrics, with many designed for the sports tourism market.

    Many more also are taking an extended view, catering to an emerging middle class, with investors looking to avoid the pitfalls seen after the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, when many hotels saw a pointy drop in occupancy after the development and not recovered. 

    Hilton and Grand Hyatt are both opening new properties in Rio, but budget-conscience offerings from as Novotel, Ibis, Holiday Inn, Super 8 and Tryp also are in development.

    Among probably the most exciting projects is the classic Copacabana Palace, which enters its 90th year in 2013. Having recently completed a $20 million renovation, the valuables now offers a lighter, airier atmosphere, with completely redesigned rooms.

    Moreover, while the issues may create headline, other stadium projects are proceeding rapidly.

    In the most recent update FIFA released photos the recently completed Arena Fonte Nova.

    Despite the ticketing teething problems, the Salvador stadium joins the Castelao and the Mineirao in readiness for the FIFA Confederations Cup test event later this year.

    The clock will be ticking, by Brazil has an excessive amount of to lose if it runs out of time.

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  • News: Ryanair traffic falls in February

    Low cost carrier Ryanair has released passenger and cargo factor stats for February 2013, wherein its adjusted monthly traffic fell – as previously guided – by 3% over the identical period during previous year as Ryanair grounded as much as 80 aircraft.

    The carrier also claimed the intercalary year in February 2012 accounted for another 3% drop in traffic.

    Ryanair’s Robin Kiely said: “As previously guided, Ryanair’s adjusted February 2013 traffic fell by 3% over February 2012 as we grounded as much as 80 aircraft.

    “The bissextile year of February 2012 had 29 days and accounted for a different 3% drop. However, Ryanair’s load factor increased by 1% and we delivered another record 12-month traffic as almost 80m passengers chose one in every of Ryanair’s ultra-low fares since February 2012.” Added Kiely.

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