Santa Clara, CA (January 16, 2020) – Milestone announced today it won a total of 8 prestigious Adrian awards including two highly coveted gold awards, three silvers, and three bronzes. The Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) honored Milestone Inc. for innovation in digital marketing and for its digital marketing platforms that drove significant ROI for its customers. The awards were granted for the projects done for several hospitality customers including Marriott Digital Services, Omni Hotels and Resorts, The Evelyn Hotel, a Triumph Hotels property located in New York City, and a Mexico luxury hotel group. The Adrian awards announcement follows Milestone’s significant win at the US Search Awards last year. In addition to winning the top award in finance category, Milestone was also shortlisted in travel, automotive, and restaurant categories. “2019 was an outstanding year for Milestone. Being recognized for our achievements in digital marketing services and our software platforms is testament to the outstanding results our solutions drive for our clients and partners” stated Anil Aggarwal, CEO of Milestone. ” “The Adrian Awards celebrate travel marketing innovators whose awesome creativity and hard work are integral not only to the success of their companies, but to the continued growth of the hospitality industry as a whole,” said Robert A. Gilbert, CHME, CHBA, president and CEO of HSMAI. Milestone will be honored during the HSMAI Adrian Awards Gala on January 21, 2020 at the New York Marriott Marquis.
Create: Jan 18, 2020 Edit: Jan 18, 2020 International NewsThe eleventh voco™ property and first in South Eastern Europe, is located on the fringe of popular Podgorica and re-branded under IHG’s newest upscale brand, offering a modern, stylish and unstuffy hotel experience for guests. The 81-room hotel embodies the characteristics of voco™ with exclusive features and distinctive hallmarks, setting it apart for a memorable stay. Located just outside of the historic capital city of Montenegro, the hotel is surrounded by rugged mountains and is close to Skadar Lake National Park, an area noted for its diversity of flora and fauna. Every guest will experience the voco™ signature ‘come on in’ warm welcome, promising a swift and simple check in, with dedicated voco™ hosts available throughout the guest’s stay as resident experts, and a locally inspired welcome treat, a traditional nut cake. Inspired by its surroundings, voco® Podgorica takes local influences and blends it with contemporary interiors throughout to hotel to leave guests with a lasting impression. The refurbished guest rooms benefit from the voco™ design concept with thoughtful comforts like cosy bedding made from 100% recycled materials, Korres amenities in larger dispenser bottles, and fast Wi-Fi so guests can relax and indulge in some ‘me time’ when they stay at voco™ hotels. Guests can enjoy a taste of ‘voco™ life’ with delicious, locally inspired dishes at the hotel restaurant or unwind over drinks in the peaceful surroundings of the lobby bar with friends and family. For those looking for pure relaxation, the hotel wellness and spa club featuring an Olympic half size pool, gym, spa and treatment rooms as well as a newly built sports hall offering a wealth of opportunities to unwind. For those looking for an alternative space for meetings, voco® Podgorica is the ideal venue for corporate events. With 3 versatile meeting rooms, the hotel can adapt to suit your needs whether you need to host a conference or simply require a room for a team outing. A designated onsite event planner will support you from booking to event day to ensure an unstuffy and smooth-running event. Milena Brajovic, General Manager, voco® Podgorica said: “We are excited to be the first voco™ property to open in South Eastern Europe. Our hotel offers guests the opportunity to relax in a rural setting whilst only being a short distance from a truly historical and beautiful city. voco™ is all about delivering great guest experience and we look forward to offering a warm welcome to guests, old and new, when they choose to stay with us.” The hotel guest rooms benefit from the voco™ design concept, which includes sustainable initiatives to help guests sleep easier. voco™ bedding is made from 100% recycled materials, with an estimated 150 plastic bottles recycled per guest room through bedding alone. In addition, miniature bottles have been removed from the hotel, and have been replaced with bulk size Korres products in large-format bottles which produce 80% less waste than miniatures. Glass water bottles mean that the hotel remove an average of 300 plastic bottles in every guest room per year and the hotel also provides aerated shower heads in their bathrooms to reduce water usage.
Create: Jan 7, 2020 Edit: Jan 7, 2020 International NewsTwo consecutive months of profit growth gave way to a contraction in November for hotels in the Middle East & North Africa as GOPPAR declined year-over-year. The region had a nice, albeit short, run of GOPPAR gains prior to November’s downtick, but the drop is more in line with MENA’s overall dim 2019 performance. If there is a silver lining, the 1.7% drop is the smallest YOY decrease of the year and far smaller than the YTD number of -4.2%. Rooms revenue was down 2.6% compared to the same month last year, dragged down by a 5.1% drop in room rate. Occupancy for the month was up 1.9 percentage points to 76.2%. The drop in rooms RevPAR, along with a 1.5% YOY decrease in F&B RevPAR, equated into an overall decrease in total revenue of 2.7% YOY. And while generating revenue in November proved onerous, expense control was a bright spot. Total overhead costs on a per-available-room basis were down 3.4% YOY and total labour costs were also down—2.4% YOY. Utility expenses came down 3.0%, while overall Property & Maintenance costs were down 2.6%. In contrast to the totality of MENA, Egypt pushed out a positive month of profit, with a 2.9% overall YOY jump. This came on the back of a 1.3% rise in RevPAR and a 3.6% rise in TRevPAR. The resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh saw a huge GOPPAR leap of 65.1% YOY, bolstered by a 28.6% jump in RevPAR. The fortunes of Sharm el-Sheikh hotels have turned for the better after having dealt with its share of terrorist attacks, including in 2005 and, in 2015, when a Russian jetliner departed the city and subsequently exploded over Sinai killing 224 people onboard. Thereafter, the UK grounded flights to the beach getaway, and weekly arrivals fell from 10,000 to zero. In December, flights resumed from the UK, which should put a further jolt into the resort town’s tourism economy. Meanwhile, Egypt’s capital, Cairo, did not share the same fortune, checking in with a 1.5% decrease in GOPPAR YOY. RevPAR was down 3.4% YOY, a result of both a drop in rate (down 1.9%) and occupancy (down 1.2 percentage points). TRevPAR for the month was up 0.8% due to a 9.2% YOY increase in F&B RevPAR. It was another down month for Dubai, which saw its profit drop 9.6% YOY. The emirate has only had one month of YOY GOPPAR growth in the last 15, plagued by excessive and unabated hotel supply and development. Coming months and years will require hoteliers to be more cost-conscious than revenue-conscious, according to many experts. RevPAR in Dubai was down 9.3% YOY in November, as room rate dropped 8.6% YOY combined with a -0.7% percentage-point decline in occupancy. Total overhead costs declined in the month, down 6.2% YOY, but not enough to produce positive profit growth, evidenced by a 0.4 percentage-point decline in profit margin.
Create: Dec 30, 2019 Edit: Dec 30, 2019 International NewsMandarin Oriental has announced that it has signed a management contract to manage, and ultimately brand, the iconic Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The Group will take over management of the property from 1 January 2020. It will be Mandarin Oriental’s second hotel in the United Arab Emirates following the opening of Mandarin Oriental Jumeira, Dubai in early 2019. The hotel will be rebranded as a Mandarin Oriental property, following a phased renovation over two years, during which time the hotel will remain open. The work will encompass significant upgrades to guestrooms and recreational amenities, as well as new food and beverage facilities. The Emirates Palace hotel sits on a 1.3-kilometre private beachfront, featuring 394 guestrooms and suites, 12 restaurants and bars, 40 meeting rooms, a concert grade auditorium and a ballroom that can accommodate up to 2,500 people. Leisure facilities include a marina, two swimming pools, a spa and two fitness centres. “This is a unique opportunity to manage one of the most high-profile properties in the Middle East and will be an excellent addition to our portfolio in the region. We look forward to bringing the Group’s exemplary service standards to Abu Dhabi and to introducing the brand to a new audience,” said James Riley, Group Chief Executive of Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group. “The partnership with Mandarin Oriental represents an important milestone and aims to propel the property’s profile into a new era,” said His Excellency Sultan Dhahi Sultan Al Humairi, Managing Director of Emirates Palace Company (EPCO). “We look forward to a mutually prosperous and fruitful relationship with Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group,” he added. Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi is centrally located in the heart of the city, conveniently situated for both leisure and business travellers. The Grand Mosque and the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre are a short drive away. The Marina Mall is nearby and the commercial centre of the city is also easily accessed. The hotel is 40 minutes from Abu Dhabi International Airport and 90 minutes from Dubai Airport.
Create: Dec 23, 2019 Edit: Dec 23, 2019 International NewsThe thinking and analyses of benchmarking continues to dominate hotelier discussion, and the industry’s most nimble minds are not satisfied the terminology, emphasis and focus have reached any type of apex. MANCHESTER, England—Hoteliers are in no doubt benchmarking has been one of the major, if not the most major, catalysts of the last decade helping fuel hotel performance, and the data is only getting better and more involved, according to sources. Now hoteliers are considering how benchmarking might change as the industry reaches what many consider the end of a cycle. Speakers on a panel at the recent Annual Hotel Conference titled “Sitting on the bench or pressing it” indicated one goal is the analyses of rooms benchmarking, not just around the primary sale, but all the way through the profit and loss account. That changes depending on the operating business model, sources said. “At the core is the transparency of data, and doing something with it. It is output rather than the input,” said Jonathan Walker, managing director of the 40-room No. 15 Great Pulteney in Bath, England, and a former director of hotel performance and operations support, Europe, at InterContinental Hotels Group. “It is not cash from benchmarking, but the cash you are missing if you do not have it, and the ability to articulate that to stakeholders,” said Kym Kapadia, chief commercial officer at Aprirose Real Estate Investment, which in 2017 bought from Bain Capital the 26-asset QHotel portfolio for £525 million (at the time equivalent to $706 million). “We’re seeing a shift in relevance of the historic data. It is now about looking ahead, monitoring pick-up and pace and about the business on the books,” said Steven Cote, product manager at Forward STAR, a division of STR, the parent company of Hotel News Now. Nick Turner, managing director at Owners Management Group International, a hotel-management company in the lifestyle and boutique space, said even more importance has to be placed on getting the competitive set right. “Otherwise it is rubbish in and rubbish out. It has to be right on an asset-by-asset basis, and it starts with the right comp set,” Turner said. “No one understands the business better than the GM on the ground, and it takes analysis and experience and talking to people,” he added. Sources said hoteliers now are focused on analyses of revenue-generation indices, comparing individual revenue per available room with that of the comp set and seeing how that metric changes for individual hotels when the market changes. Kapadia said keeping on top of the numbers has changed enormously as the number and range of stakeholders have increased. “It can be subjective in terms of the numbers of layers of ownerships and their opinion, and you have to look at the unemotional numbers,” she said. She said hoteliers still need to understand what they are and where they want to go before they get deep into the arithmetic. “Learn from best in class and overtake them, and remember there always are a cycle and an exit,” Kapadia said. “It is so important to have feasibility on any acquisition and investment. Yes, the forward-looking data is huge for the cycle, business plan and exit. Who knows, but with some insight and rationality, you’ll have a good guess.” Hoteliers who are not part of large portfolios or multi-brand platforms still are being nimble in what data they want and how to get it. “You have to have a vision as to where the product will be pitched,” Walker said. “We do a lot of research on product we might not know. We look at location, style, size, the obvious things, but also a few extra things … the quality side, being aware and curious as to what else is happening in your market.” Unlocking potential Hoteliers need to keep up to date, as third parties certainly are doing so, Walker said. “Last year, we were looking to open a hotel in Bristol, and we had a really awkward two-hour meeting, as (the other party) knew far more than we did. Benchmarking has to be ingrained, as a deal will only be passed to the bank if all the steps are passed,” he said. Cote said third-party collaboration of data and aggregating portfolios against one can provide more comfortability. One problem with performance data is the obsession with RevPAR. “All is more advanced in the rooms product. There is a need to be more clever in the rest of the building,” Aprirose’s Kapadia said. Cote said taking meaningful information from net RevPAR, with distribution costs subtracted from rooms revenue, is difficult in a country such as the United Kingdom, where “about 70% of revenue comes in from rooms … and there is no definite statement as to what net RevPAR is.” The meaning of net RevPAR also needs standardization, Cote said. “You have to have a benchmark, which is why it is currently more blurry due to the variation of definitions. Someone has to take a stance. After all, someone must have come up with RevPAR? I do not know who or when that happened?” Kapadia said. Turner added the industry has to continue to be supportive of the data and the terminology of it, and that thinking has to be adopted by universities and hotel schools. Walker said he does not believe the franchise model will change quickly because it remains very focused on RevPAR. Paralysis Sources also said there is a danger of “analysis paralysis” due to there being perhaps too many tools to look at. “Who is to say we should at any time be happy with our current state? And then how do we turn it into an actionable strategy, especially when you have multiple stakeholders to talk to?” Kapadia added. Owners Management Group International’s Turner, who also manages the Laura Ashley hotel and tearoom brand, said metrics on leisure clubs—membership rates, attrition, cost of acquisitions—and F&B remain in their infancy, if they exist at all. He added one shortcoming is that this operational excellence often comes at the expense of creativity and communicating with customers. “A broad view is necessary, on consumer data not historical,” Turner said. “I know what is good or not good for my business. It’s easy to look at the stats and the relevant costs, but it is not good enough only to look at the lowest costs. (One also must look at) the quality and what is right for the guest,” No. 15 Great Pulteney’s Walker said.
Create: Dec 3, 2019 Edit: Dec 3, 2019 International NewsAmerican Hotel Income Properties REIT LP (TSX: HOT.UN, TSX: HOT.U, TSX: HOT.DB.U) announced that it has reached a definitive agreement to acquire a portfolio of 12 well-maintained Premium Branded hotels for $191.0 million excluding closing and post-closing adjustments. The 12 hotels, totaling 1,203 guestrooms, are located across the United States and will significantly strengthen AHIP's geographic presence in Texas and the Midwest. The properties have all been constructed within the past five years, are stabilized and have minimal brand mandated property improvement plans. The transaction is expected to close during December 2019, at which point AHIP's portfolio will consist of 79 Premium Branded hotels, representing 8,887 total guestrooms, that are licensed primarily with Marriott, Hilton and IHG. "We're very excited to complete a significant component of our 2019 capital recycling program by adding these 12 high-quality, mostly all-suite focused, recently built select-service hotels to our portfolio of Premium Branded hotels," said John O'Neill, CEO. "We're especially pleased with the acquisition cap rate and short closing timeline for this transaction, as the cash flow from these newer hotels will minimize the dilution from the sale of the Economy Lodging portfolio. With no major capital renovations required, the hotels in this portfolio should perform without any income displacement. In addition, the improved debt financing terms we've secured for this transaction, including interest only payments at lower fixed interest rates, will meaningfully reduce our financing costs and drive higher cash flows. We continue to believe higher-quality properties and attractive financing terms will drive better risk-adjusted FFO accretion and create value for our unitholders over the long term." AHIP intends to use net proceeds from the sale of its Economy Lodging portfolio, alongside an approximately $105 million new fixed-rate term loan to finance the Acquisition. Specifically, the facility will have a five-year term with fixed interest rates less than 4%, secured by the 12 new hotel properties. Exact debt terms will be confirmed at the time the Acquisition closes. The hotels are being acquired for approximately $158,800 per key, which is below AHIP's estimate of replacement cost. The 12 hotels in the Acquisition include six Marriott branded properties (two Courtyards, two Residence Inns, one Fairfield Inn & Suites and one TownePlace property), five Hilton branded properties (three Home2 Suites, one Hampton Inn and one Homewood Suites), and one IHG branded property (a Staybridge Suites). Eight of the twelve hotels are all-suite products and all of these brands are complementary to AHIP's existing hotel portfolio of select-service, premium branded, upper-midscale to upper-upscale properties. Importantly, all of the properties are already managed by Aimbridge Hospitality – AHIP's exclusive hotel manager, which should ensure a seamless transition into AHIP's portfolio. The Acquisition also further diversifies AHIP's geographic markets, strengthening the Company's presence in markets outside of the U.S. East Coast. Six of the new hotels are located in Texas, while the remainder are located in the Midwest (Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota and Pennsylvania). In line with AHIP's long-term strategy, all 12 hotels are located in metropolitan secondary markets that benefit from multiple demand generators and industries to support the local economies.
Create: Dec 1, 2019 Edit: Dec 1, 2019 International NewsAfter inking a deal with Global Premium Hotels, Accor is pleased to unveil 13 new ibis budget hotels rebranded from existing Fragrance hotels. The conclusion of this partnership cements Accor’s position as the largest hotel operator in Singapore, bringing its total inventory to 7,625 rooms across 30 hotels (3,357 rooms in the luxury and premium space, 1,840 in midscale and 2,428 in economy). The two Parc Sovereign hotels will commence renovation plans towards the end of 2019 and will be rebranded to become one Mercure and one ibis Styles hotel by mid-2020. “With its nifty and modern design, these new ibis budget hotels spread across central and suburban locations in Singapore are perfect for savvy business or leisure travellers. Featuring cosy rooms for one, two or three people and conveniently located to leisure attractions such as Gardens by the Bay, Clarke Quay, Mount Faber and Sentosa Island, these new additions to our network in the city offer wider choices to guests looking for a short break or weekend getaway,” said Garth Simmons, Chief Operating Officer, Accor Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore & South Asia. GPHL CEO Ko Lee Meng, said, “We are excited to launch a new Accor brand in the market and deepen our relationship with Accor. Having provided quality accommodation and great value to visitors to Singapore these past 20 years, the rebranding and enhancement of our existing properties marks not just another milestone for our group, but an evolution in our business and a boost to our expansion strategy.” Ranging in size from 32 rooms to 168 rooms, selected hotels also feature a pool and/or gym. ibis budget Singapore Clarke Quay, located five minutes’ walk from Clarke Quay MRT Station and the Singapore River, features a fitness centre and a rooftop swimming pool. The ibis budget Singapore Selegie boasts a rooftop pool with great views of Singapore’s city skyline. Additionally, ibis budget Singapore Clarke Quay, ibis budget Singapore Imperial and ibis budget Singapore Selegie offer a casual dining café. The ibis budget Singapore Mount Faber and ibis budget Singapore West Coast are a short drive from VivoCity, Singapore’s largest mall and gateway to Sentosa Island and its many leisure attractions – Universal Studios, various theme parks, sandy beaches and lush rainforests. The cluster of hotels in the eastern suburbs of Joo Chiat and Geylang are a foodie’s haven, with famous local eateries and dining houses recommended by food bloggers and influencers within walking distance. Selected hotels offer assistance with sightseeing and guided tours to these hidden gems that are not commonly found on a tourist map.
Create: Oct 21, 2019 Edit: Nov 3, 2019 International NewsCreate: Sep 7, 2019 Edit: Sep 14, 2019 TV
U.S. hotel owner/operator Blue Sky Hospitality (BSHS) has acquired the 220-room New Orleans Marriott Metairie at Lakeway, La., and the 615-room Long Island Marriott in Uniondale, N.Y. The New Orleans Marriott Metairie at Lakeway is situated in the hub of Metairie’s central business district and a few miles from Audubon Aquarium of America, New Orleans Botanical Gardens–City Park, and the French Quarter. A complete renovation program is scheduled to take place over the next three years. The Long Island Marriott is a recently renovated Nassau County hotel in Uniondale near the LIRR and within a short distance of Hofstra University, Cradle of Aviation Museum, and Jones Beach State Park. “The hotel cycle is maturing, which creates growth opportunities for experienced operators and investors with a contrarian approach to the industry,” said David Fincannon, COO, BSHS. “We have accumulated a substantial portfolio of managed and owned properties in just six months, and we have a substantial appetite to do more. We currently own and operate all 52 properties in our portfolio and now have the infrastructure, operating systems, and structure to take on third-party management contracts. As we grow, we will pivot to focus predominantly on operations on behalf of other ownership groups.”
Create: Aug 10, 2019 Edit: Aug 21, 2019 International NewsEurope’s hotel construction pipeline has continued to grow this year with 1,670 hotels and 254,600 rooms on the way, according to analysts at Lodging Econometrics. This is a 22 percent increase in projects and a 19 percent increase in rooms year over year. There has been an optimistic, upward trend in the European service and construction sectors, which is offsetting the weak outlook for exports and the ongoing shortfalls in manufacturing. New construction is being positively impacted by accommodative lending policies. Unemployment is at a 19-year low—yet an economic slowdown is still predicted for 2019. By the Numbers Europe has 844 hotels with 133,620 rooms currently under construction and 480 hotels and 72,588 rooms planning to start construction in the next 12 months, both stages record highs. The early planning stage stands at 346 hotels and 48,392 rooms, slightly off its record high at 2018 year-end. New project announcements—with 360 hotels and 50,337 rooms—and construction starts—with 223 hotels and 33,973 rooms—have both reached all-time highs, both quarter over quarter and on a rolling four-quarter basis. As a result of these positive pipeline trends, the LE forecast for new hotel openings will continue to grow with 390 new hotels and 53,241 rooms poised to open in 2019 and a further 426 new hotels with 61,490 rooms in 2020, a new record high. Top Countries, Cities Europe’s leading countries in terms of construction pipeline are Germany, which is at an all-time high with 319 hotels and 57,152 rooms and the United Kingdom with 261 hotels and 37,910 rooms, marginally trailing the record set in 2018. France and Portugal follow, both also at record highs, with 188 hotels and 22,537 rooms and 121 hotels and 12,190 rooms, respectively. Next is Poland with 91 hotels and 13,748 rooms. The cities with the largest pipelines are London with 78 hotels and 13,285 rooms; Paris with 60 hotels and 9,255 rooms; Dusseldorf, Germany, with 53 hotels and 10,347 rooms; Lisbon, Portugal, with 39 hotels and 3,457 rooms; and Hamburg, Germany, with 31 hotels and 6,101 rooms. Top Companies, Top Brands Franchise companies with the largest construction pipelines are Accor at a record high, with 256 hotels and 35,073 rooms. Next is Marriott International with 208 hotels and 33,395 rooms, just short of its high set in 2018. Hilton follows with 172 hotels and 26,466 rooms, and InterContinental Hotels Group with 147 hotels and 24,483 rooms, also just shy of its 2018 high. These four companies account for 47 percent of the projects and rooms in the total pipeline. The leading brands for each of these franchise companies are Accor’s Ibis brands with 134 hotels and 16,901 rooms; Mercure Hotel, at an all-time high, with 28 hotels and 2,918 rooms; and Novotel with 25 hotels and 4,246 rooms. Marriott International’s top brands are Moxy with 64 hotels and 11,422 rooms; Courtyard by Marriott with 33 hotels and 5,758 rooms; and Residence Inn, at an all-time high, with 17 hotels and 1,607 rooms. Hilton has Hampton Inn with 70 hotels and 10,790 rooms, Hilton Garden Inn at 43 hotels and 6,416 rooms and DoubleTree by Hilton with 23 hotels and 2,985 rooms. IHG’s top brands are Holiday Inn Express with 72 hotels and 10,900 rooms, Holiday Inn with 33 hotels and 7,541 rooms and Hotel Indigo with 13 hotels and 1,554 rooms.
Create: Jul 29, 2019 Edit: Sep 14, 2019 International NewsProtea Hotel Fire & Ice! by Marriott Durban uMhlanga Ridge officially opened this month, making it the first Fire & Ice! by Marriott hotel in KwaZulu-Natal and the fourth in South Africa. A highly anticipated addition to the brand’s fast-growing portfolio, it joins Fire & Ice! by Marriott hotels in Melrose Arch (Johannesburg), Cape Town and Menlyn (Pretoria). A short drive from King Shaka International Airport, Protea Hotel Fire & Ice! by Marriott Durban uMhlanga Ridge is nestled along the picturesque KwaZulu-Natal coastline in the sought-after seaside town of uMhlanga, just north of Durban. In close proximity to the breathtakingly beautiful uMhlanga Rocks Beach, the Gateway Theatre Mall and the Moses Mabhida Stadium, it provides easy access to the region’s resplendent natural beauty, rich cultural heritage as well as its burgeoning energy and vibe. Featuring the hallmarks of the Fire & Ice! by Marriott brand such as comedy and DJ nights, bold décor, and associates who go the extra mile, it is set to transform the hotel scene in uMhlanga and emerge as the new coolest hotspot. A Durban-inspired menu, a retro VW combi, DJ booth, and design elements linked to a beach and surf theme, lend the hotel its own unique flavour and twist. “Durban is a dynamic, cosmopolitan city with a need for a hotel brand that matches its spirit. We are thrilled to introduce Fire & Ice! by Marriott brand with its trend-setting aesthetic fused with local influence to the thriving town of uMhlanga. Protea Hotel Fire & Ice! by Marriott Durban uMhlanga Ridge will provide the quirky, modern vibe that guests and locals in this area are looking for. The property reflects our agility and adaptability to identify and transform a property to suit an evolving destination,” said Volker Heiden, Area Vice-President for Marriott International. Previously a Protea Hotel by Marriott, Protea Hotel Fire & Ice! by Marriott Durban uMhlanga Ridge has been rebranded after a complete transformation “This entailed heavy-duty renovations, an aesthetic metamorphosis, and a complete change in operations. Fire & Ice! by Marriott hotels dare to be different − they are progressive and fun, and while each hotel is individual in its personality, it is this edge that unites them under the brand.We had to balance that in creating this beautifully sassy hotel,” said the designer of Protea Hotel Fire & Ice! by Marriott Durban uMhlanga Ridge, Peter de Klerk. Guests are welcomed into a refreshed lobby that brings to life the vibe of the Fire & Ice! by Marriott brand, with mixed seating, a DJ booth and a TV wall. The new reception area features three pods and a dedicated guest relations desk. The outdoor deck features a retractable awning, three exterior pods for relaxing and dining, and a swimming pool. The VW combi completes the Fire & Ice! by Marriott atmosphere. 205 completely renovated chic and stylish guest rooms offer both comfort and thoughtful amenities including complimentary Wi-Fi. Guests can enjoy a sumptuous buffet breakfast at the Breakfast Room on the first floor and choose indoor seating, one of the two private dining rooms or the outdoor deck. Whether you’re swinging by for a crafted cocktail or looking for an indulgent delicious meal, the stylish restaurant, which features sophisticated neutral décor and delicious global cuisine prepared in an open kitchen offers the ideal venue with both indoor and a scenic outdoor patio seating option. The new menu reflects a strong African focus rooted in KwaZulu-Natal’s culinary specialties. Guests can expect a fresh take on the likes of bunny chow and curry, with a Fire & Ice! twist and elegance as well the brand’s signature (egg-ceptional) Fire & Ice! By Marriott breakfast options. No Fire & Ice! by Marriott hotel would be complete without a strong link to music. Protea Hotel Fire & Ice! by Marriott Durban uMhlanga Ridge will host Friday DJ nights, featuring top local and national DJs. The hotel will also share the brand’s renowned sense of humour, with regular co medy nights playing host to South Africa’s top comedians.
Create: Jul 27, 2019 Edit: Aug 2, 2019 International NewsIn the context of IMEX, Accor and meetago® agreed on a strategic international partnership for its core meeting and events business today. This deeper level of cooperation was officially stamped and sealed on the basis of their already existing successful collaboration. meetago® provides booking and software solutions in the fields of meetings, incentives, conferences & exhibitions (“MICE”, for short) and is one of the biggest players in Central Europe. meetago®’s booking technology and services will be offered by Accor, not only in the DACH (Germany-Austria-Switzerland) region, but across Europe and in a few key source markets such as the US and China. With the launch of this partnership, the jointly developed Connectivity Solution will be available to more than 1,600 meeting hotels worldwide. The offer is focused on a comprehensive and attractive portfolio of meeting and conference hotels across all brands. The Accor and meetago® partnership aims to make booking and managing conferences, events and business meetings faster, more global and more efficient for hotels and event organisers. It will make meeting demand from corporate customers easier and will promote the continued international expansion of the meeting business of both partners. “Through the strategic partnership with meetago®, we are responding to growing demand from our corporate customers and we will be making our offer available centrally via one platform in the future. We also provide more comprehensive and efficient services with a higher level of digitalisation to the conference industry”, said Sabine Toplak, Accor Vice President Sales Central Europe. “We are very pleased to be expanding our collaboration with Accor, which will further advance our global growth. We want to use innovative ideas to provide an excellent user experience”, explained Udo Lülsdorf, CEO and founder of meetago®.
Create: Jul 9, 2019 Edit: Jul 10, 2019 International News