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  • News: Enterprise partners with Megadrive Autovermietung GmbH

    Enterprise Rent-A-Car today announced the appointment of Megadrive Autovermietung GmbH as a brand new franchise partner, to increase the short-growing network of Enterprise branches in Europe to incorporate prime locations in Austria, Hungary and Slovakia including major airports and town locations. The locations are set to open later this year.

    With Enterprise’s combination of corporately owned markets and franchise partners, this latest appointment signifies that the flagship brand will soon be represented across 23 European countries. Together these countries account for over 90% of vehicle hire demand in Europe.

    Austria is a number one destination in Europe for leisure and business travellers, whilst Hungary and Slovakia are European growth stories, benefitting from an increase in tourism in addition to an influx of external investment. These three markets deepen Enterprise’s presence in central Europe, between the company’s wholly-owned operations within the UK, Ireland, France, Spain and Germany and an expanding network of franchise relationships in Southern and Eastern Europe.
    Established in 2008, Megadrive Autovermietung has 12 locations in Austria, two branches in Hungary and 4 branches in Slovakia. Together these branches provide on airport coverage around the countries’ major airports, with additional branches in core city locations.

    Commenting at the new agreement, Karlheinz Wiener, Managing Director for Megadrive said: “We are very proud to be chosen as Enterprise Rent-A-Car’s partner in Austria, Hungary and Slovakia. Enterprise is renowned for its customer support ethos and its strong management. We believe that together we are able to provide a special service level to customers in these three regions. Enterprise’s entrepreneurial culture opens up the chance to develop this relationship further as new vistas arise, to aid us both grow stronger through our partnership.”

    Peter A. Smith, vp of world franchising, Enterprise, said: “We are delighted to locate one of these strong appetite for partnership in Europe. It’s only during the support of sturdy, independent, owner-managed businesses similar to Megadrive that we’ll achieve growing our footprint around the continent. We have already got franchise partners in place that, which includes our corporately owned network, account for roughly 90 percent of the ecu car rental market, and we owe this achievement to the deep market and cultural knowledge of our franchise partners, and the dedication which their employees bring to serve their customers, every day. Working with the management and staff of Megadrive has helped us to intensify our knowledge of what European travellers want in these very diverse markets, in order that we will bring new option to meet their requirements.”

    Enterprise Rent-A-Car is a part of St. Louis-based Enterprise Holdings, the most important car rental supplier on the earth. Enterprise operates wholly-owned operations around the UK, Germany, Ireland, France, Spain, the usa and Canada, with over 7000 offices and almost 75,000 employees worldwide.
    Enterprise also has rapidly expanding operations at airports and transport hubs around the globe through franchise and partnership agreements with independent local providers. This includes Portugal, Italy, Greece, Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, Brazil and China.

    Enterprise Holdings also operates the National Car Rental and Alamo Rent A Car brands within the Americas, and along with its affiliate Enterprise Fleet Management, offers a complete transportation solution. Combined, Enterprise Holdings and Enterprise Fleet Management—which includes extensive car rental and car sharing services, commercial truck rental, corporate fleet management, and retail car sales—accounted for $15.4 billion in revenue and operated 1.3 million vehicles within the world in fiscal 2012. Operating through its regional subsidiaries, Enterprise Holdings is the most important car rental company on the planet as measured by revenue, fleet, and employees. Enterprise Holdings’ annual revenues also place it near the head of the travel industry, exceeding all other rental car companies, and most airlines, cruise lines, hotels, tour operators and online travel agencies.

  • Grace Hotels expands into North Africa with Morocco acquisition

    Grace Hotels has announced its entry into the North African region with the purchase of the acclaimed Les Terres M’Barka, a luxury boutique hotel located near the village of Tamesloht, just 22 kilometres south west of Marrakech.

    The hotel turns into often known as Grace Marrakech.

    Breathtaking views of the Atlas Mountains surround this tranquil hideaway which rests on 15 hectares of Moroccan countryside and contours its own farmstead with olive trees, vegetable gardens and horse stables.

    Comprising 18 suites and lofts (some with two or three bedrooms), a cafe, bar, library, outdoor heated pool, traditional farm kitchen and completely serviced spa with traditional hammam and whirlpool, it provides the ideal escape for both couples and families or those seeking an exclusive corporate retreat.

    Les Terres M’Barka will close in June and after full refurbishment, it’s going to re-launch as Grace Marrakech inside the fourth quarter of the year.

    Philippe Requin, chief executive, Grace Hotels, commented: “We are very excited to announce the most recent addition to the Grace portfolio.

    “The blend of traditional design with contemporary touches which dominates Les Terres M’Barka perfectly complements our existing portfolio of boutique hotels.

    “We stay up for bringing the Grace philosophy of elegance and ease to this gorgeous property in a single of the main wanted destinations in North Africa.”

    The creation of Grace Marrakech coincides with the group’s further expansion into the Americas.

    Grace Cafayate, situated on a residential and sporting estate with vineyards in northwest Argentina and charm Panama, a modern boutique hotel in the dramatic ‘Twist Tower’ in Panama City, are as a result of open later this year.

  • News: Halifax Downtown Hotel unveils $5m lobby renovation

    After a $5-million renovation, the Halifax Marriott Harbourfront Hotel is able to unveil its brand-new Great Room, an exhilarating new twist at the traditional hotel lobby concept. The downtown Halifax, NS hotel also expanded its event space to 22,000 square feet as portion of the renovation, and is now fully prepared to fulfill the purposes of any kind of meeting or event.

    At the guts of the hotel’s new Great Room is the harbourstone sea grill & pour house, which replaces the hotel’s 44 North and Fife and Drum restaurants. The restaurant, with seating for 177 diners, makes a speciality of specialty offerings including a breakfast buffet and native beers on tap.

    The bar at this downtown Halifax restaurant is a very unique venue. Featuring comfortable lounge seating, it’s prominently placed and simply accessible to guests in every stage in their stay and day. The bar is the ideal place to fulfill with colleagues or socialize with friends without needing to fret about ordering a drink or meal. If you want some alone time while still inside the company of others, an “Individual Zone” offers space to sit back with a book or hunker down for a number of hours of labor.

    For meetings that require a little extra space, the renovation at this Halifax hotel also added 4,600 square feet of event space with its Sable Ballroom. The waterfront event space offers spectacular views and many natural light through floor-to-ceiling windows. With seven meeting rooms in total and 22,000 square feet of event space, the Halifax Marriott Harbourfront Hotel can accommodate everything from conferences and board meetings to weddings and family reunions.

    While the renovation brought big changes to the hotel, there are a few things that haven’t changed. Guests still receive service worthy of the hotel’s AAA Four Diamond rating and might enjoy several luxurious amenities including an indoor pool, Interlude Spa and a contemporary fitness centre.

  • momondo pinpoints popular summer destinations

    Leading meta-search momondo.co.uk this week analysed its UK flight search data of the last three months, for travel in the course of the UK Summer holiday period, which usually lies between 24 July 2013, and 1 September, 2013.

    Within this knowledge, momondo was capable of pinpoint popular destination airports for UK summer travellers, for 6 of the united kingdom’s largest airports. Starting points for the UK-wide evaluation were the next airports; London Heathrow, London Gatwick, Manchester, Bristol, Glasgow and Birmingham.

    Bangkok, Thailand’s buzzing Capital, proved popular for Brits this summer, being most-searched on momondo for summer travel from Manchester airport, and second-most-hunted for summer travel from London Heathrow.

    Sunny Madeira was the foremost-searched airport on momondo for summer travel from Gatwick airport.

    New York’s JFK was within the Top 5 lists of most-searched destination airport’s on momondo for summer travel, for Heathrow, Manchester and Birmingham airports.

    And traditional sun-spots Gran Canaria and Porto, Portugal were amongst the tip 5 most-searched airports on momondo.co.uk, for summer travel from Stansted airport. Also in that prime 5 were stag party favourites – Budapest, Hungary and Riga in Latvia.

    Please note each Top 5 list varied on specific routes flying out of any particular airport during this specified duration and is subject to modify at other times of the year. Flight prices are true as of 16 July 2013 and might be subject to alter.

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  • Hotel Son Antem boosts Iberostar offering in Majorca

    Hotel Son Antem, until recently under the control of the Marriot hotel group, has now joined the Iberostar Hotels & Resorts’ portfolio and opened its doors to guests.

    The hotel is the primary five-star Iberostar resort on Majorca and expands the brand’s offering at the Spanish island to fourteen hotels offering couples and families a number of services.

    According to Xisco Martínez, sales director, Spain, Italy, Morocco, Croatia, Montenegro & Cape Verde, Iberostar: “This is an additional step in strengthening our commitment to the region where we started, which remains a key destination for us.

    “The new addition shows our firm commitment to quality and customer support.

    “The outstanding golf facilities offered by the hotel also mean we are able to continue to provide services that help us to deseasonalise our business.”

    Situated in Llucmajor at the south of the island, the five-star resort is in a beautiful rural setting just some kilometres from the cultural capital of Palma, the airport and the simplest beaches at the island.

    The hotel is surrounded by two magnificent, internationally renowned 18-hole golf courses which each and every provide access for guests.

    The Iberostar Son Antem also has some of the impressive golf academies in Spain, with advanced learning tutorials for beginners.

    The hotel, a good way to now be called the Iberostar Son Antem, has 143 rooms and 8 suites spread throughout a two-story building.

    There are nine conference rooms, perfectly equipped for containing meetings, hosting parties or celebrating weddings.

    The two restaurants within the five-star hotel offer guests the chance to take a look at delicious, traditional and international cuisine.

    After dinner guests can enjoy a cocktail within the lobby bar or watch the sunset on the swimming pool bar.