Unveiling a new chapter in its European expansion, IHG:registered: Hotels & Resorts’ boutique luxury brand, Kimpton:registered: Hotels & Restaurants, will open its first property in France this spring. The opening of Kimpton St Honoré Paris will see the brand’s playful and sophisticated design, innovative approach to restaurants and bars, and immersive guest experiences that foster genuine human connections, offer a fresh perspective on hospitality in the City of Light.Kimpton St Honoré Paris will breathe new life into a heritage building which once housed the much-loved luxury department store “Samaritaine de Luxe”. Located on the Boulevard des Capucines in Paris’ Opéra district, the hotel will infuse true Kimpton style, harmoniously blending luxury and creativity across 149 stylish guest rooms (including 24 suites), an indoor swimming pool, gym and a Spa with luxury treatment rooms. Its landmark original 1917 Art Nouveau façade, distinctive staircase and unique elevator will all be thoughtfully restored and celebrated French interior designer Charles Zana is transforming the spaces to bring Kimpton’s elegant and playful design to life within. Hotel interiors will be inspired by 1930’s Art Deco and each guest room will have the feel of a chic, modern, design-centric Parisian apartment, with balconies, floor-to-ceiling windows and thoughtfully-selected works of art.Culinary and cocktail experiences at Kimpton St Honoré Paris will bring a refreshing light-heartedness and authenticity in its service to the neighbourhood, with exciting outlets and Kimpton’s famed daily Social Hour offering the opportunity for guests to enjoy interesting, locally inspired drinks and swap stories. The light-filled ground-floor will see a Californian-inspired restaurant and bar designed by Humbert & Poyet set to combine light, seaside-inspired recipes infused with American generosity. On the tenth-floor rooftop, a terrace bar with 360-degree views of the city will welcome guests for unique cocktails and bites cleverly paired with social moments in mind, set to become as popular with locals as with visitors to Paris.With 25 years of experience in luxury hospitality, Jean-Paul Dantil, who has been appointed General Manager of Kimpton St Honoré Paris, comments: “France is famed for its hospitality, and Paris for its art, design, culture and admiration of originality, so we are thrilled to be delivering Kimpton’s philosophy of relaxed, stylish and uniquely personal service with this magnificent new flagship hotel. The opening of Kimpton St Honoré will bring with it a refreshing sense of joie de vivre, reinvigorating a building associated with traditional luxury and infusing it with a modern approach to indulgence which welcomes, acknowledges and celebrates the individual without the fuss.”Founded in 1981 in San Francisco by Bill Kimpton, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants’ heartfelt approach to hospitality has translated to unique, design-led hotels across city centres, beachside resorts, and mountain getaways around the world. Kimpton’s recent notable new openings include Kimpton:registered: Maa-Lai Bangkok, Kimpton:registered: Shinjuku Tokyo, Kimpton:registered: Clocktower Hotel in Manchester, UK and Kimpton:registered: Vividora Hotel in Barcelona. The brand is also set to make its debut in Bali this year, and more hotels are in the pipeline for Germany, Mexico, Malaysia, China, Hong Kong and the Netherlands in the next 2-5 years.
Create: Jan 26, 2021 Edit: Jan 26, 2021 International NewsMarriott International today announced it has signed an agreement with Mario Julen to bring The Ritz-Carlton brand to Zermatt, debuting the first Ritz-Carlton ski resort in Europe. Expected to open in 2026, the 69-guest room property will bring the brand’s legendary service and elegant design to the world-famous Swiss resort destination. Once open, the property will serve as the second Ritz-Carlton hotel in Switzerland, joining The Ritz-Carlton Hotel de la Paix, Geneva.“We are thrilled to announce this milestone signing with Mario Julen who has a fantastic vision for the project,” said Satya Anand, President, Marriott International Europe, Middle East and Africa. “Zermatt is synonymous with outstanding skiing, mountaineering and jaw-dropping scenery. As the epitome of modern luxury, this landmark development and stunning destination will enhance our portfolio of iconic Ritz-Carlton properties across the globe, offering guests an exciting opportunity to experience Zermatt’s year-round snowy peaks, world-class ski slopes, and the iconic Matterhorn mountain. Today’s signing reflects the heightened demand for our luxury hospitality brands across Europe, Middle East and Africa.”The Ritz-Carlton, Zermatt will be designed by award-winning Paris-based firm AW² led by partner architects Reda Amalou and Stéphanie Ledoux, with the architectural and interior design expected to offer a refined take on the classic mountain chalet. The property will offer unobstructed views of Matterhorn from both guestrooms and dining establishments. Design plans are slated to feature two restaurants and two bars, an outdoor terrace for alfresco dining, and a private dining room for intimate gatherings. An array of recreational activities such as ‘ski-in ski-out’ access to the slopes, a tranquil spa with a gym and both indoor and outdoor swimming pools are part of the vision for guests to enjoy. The resort is also expected to offer meeting and event facilities.“This is an emotional project for me as I have worked passionately for many years to bring it to life. It is not only a declaration of love to my hometown of Zermatt, but also to the luxury hotel business and its ability to inspire travel. As the first major, international brand in Zermatt, my wish is that this project will bring a new level of hospitality to the Swiss Alps,” said Mario Julien.Zermatt affords unrivalled skiing for all levels, climbing across the Matterhorn peak as well as easy access to Cervinia in Italy for off-piste, heli-skiing and glacier skiing in the summer months. The town is well renowned for its après-ski activities offering outstanding restaurants and luxurious retail. Visitors can travel to Zermatt from Geneva and Zurich international airports in under four hours by train through enchanting Alpine scenery, or via private helicopter.
Create: Jan 26, 2021 Edit: Jan 26, 2021 International NewsIraq’s flag career Iraqi Airways has resumed flights to Iran after one month of hiatus over the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, IRNA reported on Sunday. Flights from Najaf to Tehran and Najaf to Mashhad and vice versa have been scheduled to be operated since Saturday, the report added. Although issuing visas on arrival for tourists has been suspended, Iraqis with Iranian spouses and their children, Iraqis residing in Iran or those seeking medical treatment in Iran, as well as students and businessmen can travel to the country. Back in August, senior Iranian aviation official, Maqsoud As’adi-Samani, announced that wearing masks and following health protocols during the flights as well as carrying a health certificate with a negative coronavirus PCR test result is mandatory for travelers. Over the past couple of months, many countries, including the Islamic Republic, imposed travel restrictions to help curb the spread of novel coronavirus. In this line, incoming and outgoing flights have been suspended, and road travels restricted to a great extent. The pandemic has taken a huge toll on Iran’s civil aviation sector with reports showing that airlines lost hundreds of millions of dollars because of flight cancellations during the busy New Year travel season in late March. Some experts expect Iran to achieve a tourism boom after coronavirus contained, believing its impact would be temporary and short-lived for a country that ranked the third fastest-growing tourism destination in 2019. The latest available data show eight million tourists visited the Islamic Republic during the first ten months of the past Iranian calendar year (started March 21, 2019).
Create: Jan 25, 2021 Edit: Jan 25, 2021 Regional News"Mohammad Reza Dashti Ardakani" Chairman of the Tourism Faction of the Islamic Consultative Assembly; In the 2020 budget, the government was obliged to cover the insurance of 2,000 tour guides, but this title was removed from the 2021 budget instead of supporting the country's cultural ambassadors, who are in the worst working conditions due to the spread of the Corona virus. Since the outbreak of the Corona virus in March 2020, not only have unemployment insurance not been paid to tour guides, but they have been denied insurance coverage in the 2021 budget bill.
Create: Dec 20, 2020 Edit: Dec 20, 2020 Regional NewsProposal of the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development to the government; The subsidence of travel tickets with foreign airlines should be removed from the list of recipients of half price dollar and calculated at the rate of real price of the market. This proposal has been proposed considering the importance of preserving the country's foreign exchange resources and with the aim of creating balance in the market and preventing any possible abuse of exchange rate differences.
Create: Dec 20, 2020 Edit: Dec 20, 2020 Regional NewsIt was held with the aim of solving the tax problems of tourism facilities; Meeting of the Tourism Director of Qeshm Free Zone Organization with the Head of Tax Affairs and members of Qeshm Hoteliers Association The tourism director of the Qeshm Free Zone Organization in this meeting emphasized the firm determination of this organization in supporting the tourism activists of the island. Members of the board of directors of the Qeshm Island Hoteliers Association also spoke about their problems about tax payments.
Create: Dec 12, 2020 Edit: Dec 12, 2020 Regional NewsPeter Kern, CEO of Expedia Group; People seem to feel more comfortable about how safe air travel and hotels are. Thanks to the precautionary measures taken by the tourism industry, the level of reservations is now slowly increasing.
Create: Dec 12, 2020 Edit: Dec 12, 2020 International NewsNew report from the European Travel Commission; Possibility of returning European tourism to the pre-Corona era in 2029 !!! In the first eight months of 2020, the amount of incoming tourism to Europe has decreased by 68% compared to the same period last year. This represents a 60% decrease for the whole of 2020 to date. In the best case scenario, air travel by 2024 will return to pre-Corona pandemics.
Create: Dec 12, 2020 Edit: Dec 12, 2020 International News"Harmatullah Rafiei " President of the Association of Air Travel and Tourism Services Offices; Travel agencies and online airline ticketing systems do not have access to the Coronavirus patient name bank. A person with a Coronavirus can buy a ticket and go to the airport, but some airlines do not allow a person with a Coronavirus to travel. Not all airlines still have access to the link and database of the Ministry of Health's Coronavirus patients.
Create: Dec 2, 2020 Edit: Dec 2, 2020 Regional News"Mohammad Reza Poorebrahimi " Chairman of the Economic Commission of the Islamic Consultative Assembly; Given that this is the first time that the Ministry of Tourism pursues its issues through a ministerial structure, it should form a specialized working group. The specialized working group of the Ministry of Tourism should submit its cases and suggestions in the field of program to the Economic Commission of the Parliament and this commission will follow them.
Create: Dec 2, 2020 Edit: Dec 2, 2020 Regional News"Jalali" Deputy Aviation of the National Aviation Organization; According to the meetings and arrangements made, Lufthansa will arrive in Iran from mid-December this year. Consulting for the presence of other foreign airlines is also underway and many companies will be present in the future.
Create: Nov 27, 2020 Edit: Nov 27, 2020 Regional NewsAli Akbar Abdolmaleki, Chairman of the Tourism Commission of the Iranian Chamber of Commerce; By creating effective interaction and cooperation between all agencies active in this field, we can attract at least 5% of passengers to the island of Qatar on the days of the Qatar World Cup.
Create: Nov 23, 2020 Edit: Nov 23, 2020 Regional News