Gathering on making hotels appropriate for dipsabled in Khorasan Razavi

AccorHotels signs two new Vietnam properties for Mövenpick brand

AccorHotels has continued to expand its portfolio in Vietnam with the signing of two new stunning sea-facing properties. Slated to open in the fourth quarter of 2021, the opening of Mövenpick Resort Van Phong and Mövenpick Resort & Spa Halong Bay will add 525 rooms to the growing portfolio in the region. “The addition of Mövenpick Resort Van Phong and Mövenpick Resort & Spa Halong Bay will bring our total pipeline of Mövenpick properties to nine in Vietnam. “AccorHotels currently has 28 properties ranging from economy to luxury brands across Vietnam. “We look forward to bringing the brand’s signature Swiss hospitality to a variety of alluring destinations across the region,” said Patrick Basset, chief operating officer for AccorHotels in upper north-east and south-east Asia and the Maldives. Vietnam was named among the destinations with the biggest year-over-year increase in international tourist arrivals at 29.1 per cent, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation’s report.  This year, the number of foreign tourist arrivals to Vietnam in the first six months of 2018 surged 27.2 per cent year-on-year to 7.9 million. On July 1st this year, the Vietnamese government granted visa exemptions for tourists travelling from the UK, France, Germany, Spain and Italy for the next three years until June 2021. AccorHotels is the biggest international hotel operator in Vietnam with 6,101 rooms across a wide spectrum of brands. The group will be opening another 13 hotels across the country in the next two years, bringing the total portfolio to 41. Nestled on a pristine stretch of coast just 130 kilometres from Cam Ranh International Airport, Mövenpick Resort Van Phong features 200 rooms and suites plus 100 villas. Overlooking the turquoise sea, the brand beachfront resort features two restaurants, an outdoor pool, spa and fitness centre. Located in the UNESCO World Heritage site of Halong Bay in Northern Vietnam, the 325 room Mövenpick Resort & Spa Halong Bay offers convenient access to the area’s main tourist attractions and activities on Halong Road and Halong Bay Cruise Port. The resort features two restaurants, a rooftop pool and lounge that overlooks the spectacular views across the iconic, islet-studded bay, a spa and a fitness centre. MICE facility includes a 300-seater ballroom and a selection of meeting rooms

Waldorf Astoria signs four-year partnership with Aston Martin

Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts has signed a four-year global partnership with Aston Martin Lagonda, bringing together two enduring icons of global luxury. From exclusive guest access to Aston Martin’s most recent cars, to bespoke drive and stay packages in some of the most sought-after destinations in the Waldorf Astoria portfolio, the collaboration combines the exceptional standards of sophistication and service that are at the heart of both brands. “Aston Martin Lagonda was a natural choice for a partnership of this magnitude,” said Dino Michael, global head, Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Hilton. “At Waldorf Astoria, experience and service are at the core of everything we do, and this partnership offers a rare opportunity for our guests to live unforgettable at our properties around the globe.” Beginning in 2019, Waldorf Astoria Driving Experience weekends will present hotel guests with a variety of Aston Martin’s latest models to sample along carefully tailored routes. These bookable sessions will be led by Aston Martin’s team of professional drivers, giving Waldorf Astoria guests an expertly curated opportunity to explore the unmatched performance, refined craftsmanship and exhilarating driving sensation delivery by Aston Martin. Simon Sproule, president, Aston Martin Partnerships, said: “This partnership opens both brands up to new and exciting opportunities. “Aston Martin Lagonda and Waldorf Astoria share a passion for creating beautiful experiences for our customers, rooted in the joy of travel and discovery. “Together, we can create memorable journeys that combine the best in global hospitality and driving pleasure.”

To invite OTAs to a live debate

The head of the Association of Iran Travel Agencies invited representatives of OTAs to clarify the news released to the debate in the presence of journalists and media representatives. Referring to the letter sent to the head of one of the OTAs, Hermatollah Rafiee said: OTAs are pretending that they are nothing to do with it but, with a widespread news release, they are actually working on that. The head of the Association of Iran Travel Agencies of Iran, announced his readiness to debate with the representatives of these websites in the presence of journalists and media representatives. He said that they are also preparing for the debate with the presence of reporters to determine who is legal and who is not. He added: "The ultimate goal of these people is to exploit politically, and I will tell you definitely that the explanation which has been published on websites since yesterday is false." Hermatollah Rafiee continued, "If it is not false, three months ago some of these websites had not been closed and out of reach because of over pricing! The owners of these websites say that their business is legal, but they are making problem for five thousands travel agencies as well as the customers.

Centara Hotels signs for three new properties in Laos

Centara Hotels & Resorts has signed management agreements for three new properties with Asia Investment, Development & Construction Sole. The latter is a well-established enterprise in Laos.  In the UNESCO World Heritage site of Luang Prabang, Centara plans to open an upper upscale Centara Grand Luang Prabang and a midscale Centra by Centara property, both near the town centre. The third property will be under Centara’s new lifestyle brand, Cosi, catering to the growing segment of connected, freedom-loving travellers. It will represent a unique offering in Vientiane, the Laotian capital. The management agreement comes as Laos launches ambitious new plans to promote tourism. In recent years, the government of the Lao PDR has come to regard tourism as a priority sector for driving socio-economic development. It hopes to attract five million visitors in 2018 and increasing numbers in the years ahead with a Visit Laos campaign under the slogan Simply Beautiful. The country’s picturesque mountains, atmospheric towns, and humble friendliness are being discovered by Thai, Chinese and Western visitors. And it has one factor particularly in its favour: superb value. According to a new report from the Swiss-based World Economic Forum, Laos ranks 14th among 136 countries in price competitiveness. “This partnership with AIDC is a great opportunity to expand our footprint into a distinctive country,” said Centara chief executive Thirayuth Chirathivat. “Laos is on the list of more and more travellers to this region, and we want to serve them with the distinct and varied accommodation options to match the travel experience they are seeking.” Luang Prabang is the well-preserved, old spiritual city at the confluence of the Khan and Mekong rivers. Although well-served by direct flights to its airport and modern amenities, it lives up to its World Heritage status with beautiful temples and traditional riverside life. Bicycles outnumber cars. Delicious baguettes, croissants, cafés and French restaurants hint at the French colonial history in both Luang Prabang and Vientiane. Pheutsapha Phoummasak, president of AIDC Laos said: “We are excited to partner with Centara to bring their trusted brands to these great cities and further promote the tourism potential of Laos. “Luang Prabang and Vientiane are very popular destinations for both Thai and international travellers thanks to their perfect blend of history, beautiful scenery and charming character.”

New Trump hotel in Bali draws attention to island’s impending water crisis, environmental impact of tourism industry

On August 14, 2015, back when the American presidency was just a twinkle in his beady eye, then candidate Donald Trump put his name to an agreement of a different order to that he has become accustomed to signing in the White House – the development of Trump International Hotel and Tower Bali, in collaboration with Indonesian investor Hary Tanoesoedibjo’s MNC Group. Like many projects bearing the Trump name, the resort, billed to become the largest on the island and the Trump Hotel Collection’s first property in Asia, has met with resistance. Are Chinese tourists ‘cheapening’ Bali’s image? The “six-star” resort and 18-hole golf course will occupy a cliff-top site previously home to the Pan Pacific Nirwana Bali, which boasts sweeping views across the Indian Ocean and one of Bali’s most important temples, Tanah Lot. The original plot’s 103 hectares did not suffice, so MNC approached local landowners with the intention of expanding the development. A documentary produced by the Australian Broadcasting Company, which aired in July 2017, claimed that most were reluctant to sell their land; some emphatically refused to do so. Still, that seemed of little import, MNC insisting in a statement, “Our land acquisition process has not encountered any problems or issues beyond the regular negotiations when dealing with land owners in Bali.” Judging by the group’s website, which describes a 108-hectare development (an increase of just five hectares), it would appear that those “regular negotiations” proved far from fruitful. However, that wasn’t the only hurdle. There are also concerns that the resort will overshadow nearby Tanah Lot, both literally and figuratively. Balinese custom dictates that no building should exceed the height of the tallest coconut tree for fear of angering the gods, and while there is no evidence to suggest that Trump International Hotel and Tower Bali will surpass such a height, its name and association with a US president known for ostentation rather than restraint suggest otherwise. And then there is the environmental impact of a major building project on an island that already struggles to balance tourism with sustainability. In a November 2 article, German news outlet Deutsche Welle argued that Bali’s rice terraces and subak irrigation system, which dates back to the 9th century, were under threat because of the demands of the tourism industry. It cited a 2012 study published in the Annals of Tourism Research, which found that more than half of the island’s groundwater supply was used by tourism, leading to water inequality and social and environmental problems that would affect Bali’s tourism and economy.

A report on a special hotel which is under construction and belongs to the Tabriz Tractor Football Club

A man was killed by toxic snakes at a hotel in China

Trump International Hotel

Hungry elephant attack to a hotel in China

Kushners buying Manhattan hotel in third such deal this year

The family real estate company once run by Jared Kushner is buying a hotel on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, the third hotel it has purchased this year. The Kushner Cos. said Tuesday that it is in contract to buy the 20-story Hotel on Rivington for an undisclosed amount. The company known for residential and office buildings bought two hotels in Long Branch, New Jersey, earlier this year. The company bought more than two-dozen apartment buildings in lower Manhattan when Jared Kushner was CEO. He stepped down from that position last year to become an adviser to his father-in-law, President Donald Trump. The Hotel on Rivington has a cocktail lounge and a three-story penthouse. A room with a king-size bed goes for more than $300 a night.

Banksy opens Walled Off Hotel in Bethlehem