Author: Lee Fletcher

The London Olympics Games has triggered an unforeseen glut of new hotel openings, and a question hangs over how this might impact on the city’s hospitality scene. The British Hospitality Association (BHA), a UK-based association of hospitality companies, has reported the opening of 61 new properties in 2012 in the Greater London area, compared to the opening of 28 properties with 6,800 rooms in 2011. Some of the properties opened in 2011 were re-openings, including the re-branding of existing hotels by Mercure and Doubletree by Hilton, while newly constructed hotels include 1,054 rooms from Premier Inn, and 919 rooms from…

The Luxury Collection Hotels and Resorts, a brand from US-based Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, has opened its 80th property in Jakarta, Indonesia. The newly opened Keraton at The Plaza, a Luxury Collection Hotel, features 140 guestrooms and suites. The hotel is the first of the four new Luxury Collection Hotels & Resorts scheduled to open in Asia in the coming six months. The other hotels soon to open are The Royal Begonia in Sanya, China, Twelve at Hengshan in Shanghai, China, and ITC Grand Chola in Chennai, India. The brand currently owns properties in around 30 countries. Paul James,…

Hyatt Hotels, a US-based company that owns and operates 207 Hyatt Hotels and Resorts worldwide, has announced a new Hyatt Regency hotel in Mexico. The 756-room, Hotel Nikko Mexico, has been acquired by the company from Japan-Mexico Hotel Investment Co, and re-branded as the Hyatt Regency Mexico City, for an investment of USD190 million. Steve Haggerty, the company global head of real estate and development, said, ‘The introduction of Hyatt Regency Mexico City marks the first step in expanding the presence of Hyatt-branded hotels in Mexico and throughout Latin America. Our substantial direct investment in acquiring this hotel, as well…

The UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) has reported in its World Tourism Barometer for March 2012 that there has been an increase in international tourists to around 88 countries, compared to March 2011, while only 15 countries have reported a decline in tourist influx. Tourists seemed to be taking holidays in the full year 2011, in spite of natural calamities, political upheavals, and financial insecurities. Europe has recorded 671 million international arrivals between the period of January and August in 2011, which represents a 4.5 percent increase on the same period in 2010. Calum MacDonald, the online marketing manager at…

Thomas Cook Group Plc, a UK-based travel company, is offering a number of new tours celebrating the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee to places visited by the royal family in recent times. Queen Elizabeth II has visited around 129 countries during her reign to date, making her one of the most extensively travelled crowned heads in history. The company is offering a seven night ‘stay in Bahamas, a favourite destination of the Queen, which she visited on a total of six occasions. The tour prices commence from GBP1,429 per person, which includes stays at the four-star Sheraton Nassau Beach Resort in Nassau,…

Elite Destinations, a fractional ownership and vacation rental company in Mexico, has recently seen a change of ownership. Associa Mexico Realty Services will now manage the company in its operation of offering luxurious vacation home rentals worldwide. Associa Mexico Realty Services offers community association management and development services. Joey Carona, the senior vice president of Associa, the parent company of Associa Mexico Realty Services, said, ‘This new partnership further strengthens our presence in Mexico. Elite Destinations offers luxurious private retreats for those looking for a truly unforgettable vacation and experience.’ Elite Destinations claims to offer a premium range of private…

The Mexico Tourism Board, a Mexico-based government agency for promoting tourism, is promoting destination weddings at some of the most romantic resorts in Mexico. In order to promote the wedding destinations, the Tourism Board is hosting ‘Love Mexico’ events in the US and Mexico, for popular wedding suppliers to showcase their offerings designed for hosting perfect weddings at various Mexican destinations. While 24 percent of US couples opt to go for a destination wedding, around 9 percent of them tend to choose Mexico as the venue, as the resorts are thought to offer good value for money. The 2012 ‘Love…

Polferries, a Poland-based ferry operator, is offering accommodation for football fans visiting Poland to watch the 2012 UEFA European Football Championship in Gdansk-New Port. The company is offering accommodation in its floating cruise hotel, M/F Scandinavia, which is anchored at a distance of around three kilometres from the Arena Gdansk stadium, where a number of 2012 Euro matches will be played. The hotel is keeping around 800 berths reserved for 2012 Euro football fans, and is claiming to offer a fun filled ambience for its passengers on match days, and additional after-parties back on board. The floating hotel has two…

Angel Fire Resort, a resort in Angel Fire, New Mexico, US, is offering its guests a new multi-station zip line tour from the Angel Fire Resort ski mountain. The tour, which claims to be the first of its kind in the New Mexico area, will commence from July 2012, and will offer resort guests the thrill of flying peak to peak across the mountain range, high above the forest floor. Dave Dekema, the company director of marketing for the Angel Fire Resort, said, ‘We’re always looking out for new attractions and innovative ways to add more fun and excitement into…

The 5th Annual St. Regis International Cup (SRIC) was held between polo teams from England and the USA at Cowdray Park Polo Club, in Midhurst, UK, on May 19, 2012. The tournament saw England win the first international test match of the season by defeating the USA, with the two countries competing against each other for the first time in fifteen years. St Regis Hotels and Resorts, a subsidiary of US-based Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, sponsored the commemorative Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup, in a partnership with American Express, a US-based financial services company that provides debit and credit cards.…