Author: Lee Fletcher

Hyatt Hotels, a US-based company that operates 207 Hyatt Hotels and Resorts worldwide, is offering to serve the community for the entire month of June. The hotel company has earmarked several volunteer initiatives worldwide, as well as participation in the National Conference on Volunteerism and Service in June 2012. Brigitta Witt, the vice president for corporate responsibility for Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, said, ‘We are so proud of the progress we’ve made in the last year since the introduction of Hyatt Thrive, and we are committed to focusing on projects that contribute to the prosperity, health and advancement of the…

Sheraton Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, a subsidiary of US-based Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, has announced the opening of its first Sheraton branded hotel in Madrid, Spain. The new Sheraton Madrid Mirasierra Hotel & Spa is part of the brand’s initiative to open around 60 hotels across the globe in next three years. The Sheraton Madrid Mirasierra Hotel & Spa is located close to the city centre, and includes 180 guest rooms; an all-day dining restaurant; lobby bar; terrace lounge and pool bar. The hotel is also offering the brand’s signature Sheraton Fitness programmed by Core Performance, a spacious spa…

Tourism Australia, an Australia-based government agency for promoting Australian tourism, is introducing its last leg of a worldwide marketing campaign, ‘There’s nothing like Australia’, in China. The agency reports that China is a valuable overseas tourism market, and this part of the campaign will cost around AUD180 million, and will be completed within the next three years. The campaign will be focusing on digital and social media, and the agency will also be offering a new interactive tablet app, along with a hub on www.australia.com, to make customers aware of the campaign. Tourism Australia managing director, Andrew McEvoy, said, ‘When…

Crystal Cruises, a US-based cruise company, is offering an expanded ‘You Care, We Care’ ‘voluntourism’ programme for its cruises to Europe. In 2012, the voluntourism programme includes the opportunity to participate in European goodwill opportunities in Ukraine, Italy, and Spain, as well as those currently existing in Greece, Estonia, Norway, Croatia, Germany, and Ireland. The new humanitarian offerings included in the 2012 European calendar include support to the homeless at a social services centre in Odessa (Ukraine), aiding the charity brotherhood of Pio Monte della Misericordia, while on tours from Sorrento and Naples (Italy), and helping out at gardens producing…

Best Western International, a US-based hotel company, will be using new cleaning technology at its 2,100 Best Western hotels in North America. The company is operating a new cleaning programme, I Care Clean, which will be using the advanced cleaning technology employed in hospitals to maintain a sanitised environment. The programme includes Ultra Violet (UV) sterilisation wands; UV inspection black lights; clean remote controls or wraps for remote control devices; single-use pillow and blanket wraps, and many other measures. Ron Pohl, Best Western senior vice president brand management and member services, said, ‘A clean hotel is a basic expectation for…

TripAdvisor City Guides are now available for 50 travel destinations worldwide. TripAdvisor, a company that provides an online travel community for collating user-generated travel information, has doubled its existing mobile apps offering information on destinations around the world. The company is adding 30 new cities to its mobile application portfolio. The apps will also be including new features for the Android platform. These will allow travellers to view local transit stations, generate customisable maps, and see itinerary proposals from travel experts. The apps also include user-generated reviews and opinions taken from the TripAdvisor community. Adam Medros, the company vice president…

The Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA), a UK-based association that promotes the travel industry in the UK, is running initiatives to raise the travel awareness of consumers in the age group of 18 years to 34 years. ABTA is initiating activities in the summer to develop consumer awareness of the motivational and entertaining side of travel. It is participating in three university summer festival events at Portsmouth University on June 2, 2012, to promote travel, through fun experiences. The association has also launched a Love Travel Facebook page, offering interactive experiences to young travellers by means of initiating ideas,…

Majorca has been a favourite of British holidaymakers since as far back as the 1960’s, but the love affair with the Spanish-owned island shows little sign of cooling. Majorca is located near the South East coast of Spain, in the Mediterranean Sea, and has long stretches of beach, secluded coves and surrounding mountainous terrain. It has the famed S’Amarador beach, which has been voted the ‘Best Beach in Europe’ in 2009, and is a part of the Mondrago National Park. Many beaches in Majorca are pristine and well preserved, and all three beaches at Calas de Mallorca offer fine sand…

The Ritz-Carlton, Montreal Hotel in Montreal, Canada, will be reopening on May 28, 2012, after completing an extensive renovation project. The USD200 million restoration project has been completed with the aim of recapturing the glory days of the hotel, which has remained a period icon with the people of the city. Andrew Torriani, the president and general manager of hotel, said, ‘We are extremely proud to reopen this emblem of the very best Montreal has to offer. ‘The hotel today is a showcase of modern luxury, but it has not lost the discreet charm of the past or the patina…

Monarch Airlines, a UK-based airline company, has announced its new schedule of flights from East Midlands Airport, in the UK. The airline is to commence operations from its newest base in the UK from August 31, 2012, with the launch of new routes. The airline is offering its customers an expanded Winter 2012 and Summer 2013 schedule of services from East Midlands Airport to Tenerife and Lanzarote in the Canary Islands, and Ibiza in the Mediterranean. The services include two new weekly flights to Tenerife, and two new weekly flights to Lanzarote. The airline managing director, Kevin George, said, ‘We…