Tag Archives: hotel

New GM Of The St. Regis Beijing Makes Debut

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The St. Regis Beijing hosted a media event at its Press Club Bar for the newly appointed General Manger Mr. Yngvar Stray. At the invitation of the hotel, Media including China Daily, Ta Kung Pao, Wenweipo, China Hospitality News and others presented the event.
Assumed his office as General Manager of the The St. Regis Beijing early this month, Mr. Stray made his debut to media by addressing the event of the St. Regis brand and the hotels enduring heritage. Experience on hosting the US delegation in its recent visit to Beijing was also shared upon requests.
At the event, The St. Regis Beijing also made advance briefing on the launch of Presidential Experience an exclusive arrangement to relive the experience of presidents, dignitaries and high level executives by offering Presidential accommodation, gate to gate transportation and private escorted trip to Forbidden City and the Great Wall as some of the many features.
Media were also invited to a Presidential Suite tour during the day.
(Mr. Yngvar Stray, Norwegian, joined Starwood in 1998, initially as Director of Sales & Marketing, and subsequently promoted to Hotel Manager at the The St. Regis Beijing. His appointment as General Manger started with Sheraton Shenyang Lido Hotel and then W Seoul Walkerhill. Before his return to Beijing, he was the General Manger of The St. Regis Singapore, where he took the lead in hosting President Hu Jintao during his APE

Source: China Newswire

Rezidor restaurant awarded two stars from Michelin for the third consecutive year

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The Rezidor Hotel Group owned Regent Berlin’s Fischers Fritz restaurant, has been awarded two stars by Michelin, the French guide to fine dining, for the third consecutive year.
Chef de Cuisine, Christian Lohse, has succeeded in maintaining his crown as Berlin’s only two Michelin-starred Chef, with his classic French cuisine with a contemporary twist. In fall 2007, Lohse’s dedication to his craft and relentless pursuit of perfection placed him firmly at the forefront of Berlin’s culinary world, when he became the first Berlin based chef in 13 years, to merit two Michelin stars.
I am delighted to be celebrating this most sought after culinary honour, with Christian Lohse and his team, said Stefan Athmann, General Manager at The Regent Berlin. To receive two stars from Michelin is an impressive achievement, to retain them for the third succeeding year, is a great motivation for us all to continue to strive even further in the pursuit of excellence
By retaining the two Michelin stars for the third time, Christian Lohse again confirms his position as one of the most celebrated chefs in Germany and follows up on his previous awards. Prior to his engagement at The Regent Berlin he worked at such renowned places like three-starred L’Espérance in Vezelay, the Guy Savoy in Paris and The Dorchester in London, where he became the personal chef to the Sultan of Brunei.
The Fischers Fritz’s menu is an artistic and modern approach to French-inspired cuisine, featuring exquisite fish and seafood delicacies. Subtle yet sophisticated, the dishes complement the restaurant’s atmosphere of balance and class. Simple creations distinguished by the high quality of fresh produce have made The Regent Berlin’s gourmet restaurant a place of pilgrimage for gourmets.
Lohse sees the award as a great honour as well as a motivating reward: I am extremely proud of the great team effort of everyone involved in sustaining two Michelin Stars for the third time in a row. It demonstrates the commitment and dedication of the team’s exacting standards. Our challenge in gourmet gastronomy is to maintain a high-level of consistency day by day
The Regent Berlin is located on the Gendarmenmarkt square with a beautiful view of the French Cathedral and the concert Hall. The boulevard Unter den Linden, the Brandenburg Gate and Friedrichstrasse with their exclusive boutiques are just a few steps away. The very personal service and luxurious furnishings of the 195 rooms and suites make the five-star superior hotel a popular address for celebrities, holiday makers and business travellers. With highly modern conference and meeting rooms, as well as the Michelin-starred Fischers Fritz gourmet restaurant, The Regent Berlin is the ideal setting for any event.
About The Rezidor Hotel Group
The Rezidor Hotel Group is one of the fastest growing hotel companies in the world. The group features a portfolio of more than 380 luxury hotels either operation or under development with 81,700 rooms in almost 60 countries including UK based luxury hotels in London, Manchester and Edinburgh, as well as luxury hotels in Dublin and luxury hotels in Paris.
Rezidor operates the brands Radisson Blu Hotels & Resorts, Regent Hotels & Resorts, Park Inn and Country Inns & Suites in Europe, Middle East and Africa, along with the goldpoints plusSM loyalty programme for frequent hotel guests. Under a worldwide licence agreement with the iconic Italian fashion house Missoni, Rezidor also operates and develops the new lifestyle brand Hotel Missoni.
In November 2006, Rezidor was listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange. Carlson Companies is the main shareholder.
PR contact:
Christine Reiter
Director of Corporate Communication
The Rezidor Hotel Group
Avanue Du Bourget 44
B-1130 Brussels
Belgium
+32 2 702 9222
www.radissonblu.com

Source: WEBWIRE

Washington Marriott at Metro Center Hotel Unveils New Look and Feel

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Hotel’s New Lobby, Meeting Space and Restaurant Puts Guests in the Center of it All.
Washington, DC. The Washington Marriott at Metro Center hotel celebrated its 15 year anniversary with the completion of an $11 million renovation, an investment by the hotel’s owner, Host Hotels & Resorts. Situated in the center of downtown Washington, DC at 775 12th and G Streets, NW, the 459 room, hotel recently unveiled its new look and feel of its lobby, meeting space, restaurant and concierge lounge. First opened in 1994, the hotel is managed by Marriott for Host Hotels & Resorts.
“We are virtually a new hotel; the property has been re-invented with a contemporary look and feel that is both warm and inviting.” said Meg Bobinski, general manager, Washington Marriott at Metro Center. “We look forward to welcome our loyal guests as well as new ones to our redesigned hotel and continue to provide Marriott’s legendary service to travelers from across the globe.”
The Washington Marriott at Metro Center hotel’s new meeting space is ideal for business and social occasions, offering a total of 15,379 square feet of updated meeting space–with the 6,447 square-foot Grand Ballroom and 15 flexible breakout rooms. The new Junior Ballroom on the second floor has windows overlooking 12th Street, and has over 3,000 square feet of meeting space and 2,000 square feet of pre-function space. Technological capabilities include high-speed Wifi access in all meeting rooms and a state-of-the-art audio visual system. A 24-hour business center is also available to meet guests’ needs.
All guest-rooms come equipped with a 32-inch high-definition LG® plasma screen television and Marriott’s plug-in panel that provides customers with multi-tasking abilities through versatile multimedia usage. Two new self serve kiosks have been added to the lobby to allow business and leisure travelers to check-in, check-out and print boarding passes with ease. Semi-private seating nooks around the lobby allow guests to socialize, work and play.
With Wifi through out the lobby, guest can upload and work on their personal laptops or unplug and relax in front flat screen high-def television. Available Monday through Friday, Marriott Rewards® members, looking for a quite place to plug-in, have access to the new concierge lounge overlooking the hotel’s courtyard.
Fire & Sage, the hotel’s new casual restaurant with an all-day-dining menu features American specialties with chef Aaron Tootill’s innovative twists, from a fresh hand-carved Roasted Turkey sandwich, a Short Rib Ciabatta with caramelized onions and Muenster and the classic Cuban sandwich; to main course salads, brick oven-fired flatbreads, and original seafood and meat entrees. Fire & Sage’s wine menu features a good mix of California, European and other world selections, both big-label and boutique, moderately priced. Over 25 wines by the glass are offered in 6-ounce or 9-ounce pours. Regional microbrew beers such as Old Dominion and Dog Fish ales complete the restaurant’s selection of American and international draught and bottled beers. The hotel also features a new Starbucks® with signature specialty espresso coffee drinks and pastries.
The Washington Marriott at Metro Center hotel participates in Marriott’s Green Meetings program, offering eco-friendly green meeting products that enable groups of all sizes to save water and energy, reduce waste and recycle during their stays. Energy efficient lighting is used throughout the hotel and recycling bins are offered during meetings at the groups’ request. In addition, the hotel uses green products such as pens and notepads made from recycled material, linen-less tables and filtered water in glass pitchers, in lieu of plastic water bottles.

Source: WEBWIRE

Rezidor honoured for profound growth and expansion in Africa

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The Rezidor Hotel Group, one of the world’s fastest growing hotel companies, has been honoured for its ambitious business development across the African continent at the Hospitality Investment Conference Africa (HICA) in Sandton Sun, Gauteng, South Africa, on 4-6 November.
Andrew McLachlan, the group’s Vice President Business Development for Africa & the Indian Ocean Islands, was given the prestigious ’Mover & Shaker’ award. The HICA prize is awarded to an individual who through their skills, ingenuity and energy has already had an extraordinary impact in the industry, and recognises his outstanding leadership role and contribution to hospitality investment in Africa.
Between January 2007 and March 2009 McLachlan tripled Rezidor’s portfolio from eight hotels (open or under development) in five African countries to 21 Hotels in Africa (open or under development) across 13 sub-Saharan African countries. Over this period the Rezidor portfolio expanded with properties in nations such as Angola, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, Nigeria, Mozambique, Zambia and South Africa under McLachlan’s headship.
The Hospitality Investment Conference Africa, is an annual event on the local and international hospitality and investment calendar. This year’s event was hosted by the Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA), in association with the conference’s founding partners and the Department of Environmental Affairs & Tourism of South Africa.
The event proved to be a big success and was attended by the South African Minister of Tourism, Marthinus van Schalkwyk. Mmatsatsi Marobe, CEO Tourism Business Council of South Africa, stated on the HICA website, His attendance serves as confirmation of his commitment to promoting investment opportunities for South Africa and the continent as a whole. The department’s continued support for the conference, as well as the launch of the South African Tourism Investment Portfolio for 2009 at HICA serves as further confirmation.
About The Rezidor Hotel Group
The Rezidor Hotel Group is one of the fastest growing hotel companies in the world. The group features a portfolio of more than 380 luxury hotels in operation and under development with 81,700 rooms in almost 60 countries including luxury hotels in London, Manchester and Edinburgh
Rezidor operates the brands Radisson Blu Hotels & Resorts, Regent Hotels & Resorts, Park Inn and Country Inns & Suites in Europe, Middle East and Africa, along with the goldpoints plusSM loyalty programme for frequent hotel guests. Under a worldwide licence agreement with the iconic Italian fashion house Missoni, Rezidor also operates and develops the new lifestyle brand Hotel Missoni.
In November 2006, Rezidor was listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange. Carlson Companies is the main shareholder.
PR contact:
Christine Reiter
Director of Corporate Communication
The Rezidor Hotel Group
Avanue Du Bourget 44
B-1130 Brussels
Belgium
+32 2 702 9222
www.radissonblu.com

Source: WEBWIRE

Keys Hotels In Expansion Mode

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KEYS HOTELS, budget and mid-market hotels of Berggruen Hotels, currently operational in Thiruvananthapuram, Lonavala and Hyderabad, is looking at expanding its operations in India along with deployment of capital.

This financial year will also see three other KEYS Hotels and resorts opening at Ludhiana, Mahabaleshwar, Bangalore

Construction in Pune, Aurangabad and Cochin sites has started and Vizag, Jammu and Kovalam properties will start in the next three months

Sanjay Sethi, MD, Berggruen Hotels commented further, “There is significant interest from hotel owners for using KEYS HOTELS brand for marketing and operating their hotels on the strength of KEYS HOTELS brand positioning, operating model and team strength. Our Trivandrum hotel has had great reviews from the guests and has crossed 30 percent occupancy in first month itself. On cues of global economy recovery, we are very optimistic about the growth of KEYS HOTELS. We shall be deploying 72 mn USD (Rs 345 crores) in equity and debt in the next 18 months to fund growth

KEYS HOTELS have state of the art rooms and suites with cutting edge technology. The facilities in the room include Wi-Fi, LCD televisions, a refrigerator, tea/coffee maker, iron and iron board, direct dialling facilities, Comfy-beds, duvets, writing table with ergonomic chairs and refreshing power showers with modern bathroom fittings.

KEYS HOTELS also have a contemporary café serving world cuisine including local favourites, a restobar with gaming stations and pool table, a top quality gymnasium with a view, a business concierge and board rooms and a function room.

Secure women’s rooms for single lady travellers with video screening facilities for additional security and CCTV in all public areas with limited access elevators only through room key cards will ensure security of all guests to the hotel.

Modern and stylish yet budget only in terms of price makes Keys hotel a trend setter in the hospitality industry particularly due to consumer demand for value for money and quality accommodation in the country.

Best Western Castle Green Hotel acknowledged in North West Tourism Awards

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The Best Western Castle Green Hotel near Kendal, in Cumbria was highly commended in the most prestigious awards for hotels in the North West.
The hotel was runner up in the large hotel of the year category in the North West Tourism Awards which were held in Blackpool.
The only independent hotel in the shortlist, the Best Western Castle Green Hotel, one of a number of hotels in Kendal, was up against stiff competition from across the region. The Lowry in Manchester won the award, which was the only hotel in the category with a five star rating.
After winning the large hotel of the year category in the Cumbrian Tourism Awards in May 2009, the Best Western Castle Green was automatically short-listed for the awards covering the whole region, including the hotels in Manchester, Merseyside and Lancashire category winners.
The highly commended status means that the hotel passed a mystery shopper visit with flying colours. The hotel also had to show excellence in the areas of – customer care, investment in training and staff development, accessibility and innovative marketing.
Tim Wade, Best Western said; We are delighted that the Best Western Castle Green Hotel has received such a prestigious accolade at the North West Tourism Awards. As an independent hotel group we are always striving to not only maintain but exceed our internationally renowned high standards of quality and service. So, it is fantastic to see how well this hotel has done to achieve such excellent recognition. We hope that next year the hotel will have a repeat success and maybe secure the top award
The 2009 Northwest Tourism Awards were held at Blackpool Tower on September 28. The event was hosted by BBC presenter Ranvir Singh and organised by the Northwest Regional Development Agency.
About Best Western Great Britain
Best Western Great Britain is part of Best Western International, the world’s largest hotel chain. Best Western currently has more than 280 individual hotels in the UK, including hotels in Blackpool, Chester and Darlington. Each one is independently owned and managed, while being committed to the company’s common standards of quality, service and value.
PR Contact:
Mikhaila Brentnall
PR manager
Best Western Hotels GB
Consort House
Amy Johnson Way
Clifton Moor
York
YO30 4GP
01904 695400
www.bestwestern.co.uk

Source: WEBWIRE

Eat, Shop and Sleep Thanksgiving Weekend for $199 at Fernwood Hotel and Resort in the Poconos

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BUSHKILL, PA – Tired of cooking, cleaning and feeding the masses at Thanksgiving? Fernwood Hotel and Resort in the Poconos is once again offering its popular eat, shop and sleep Poconos Thanksgiving Package November 25 – 30 starting from $199 that includes two nights of hotel accommodations, two tickets to the Grand Thanksgiving Day Buffet and a $50 Shopping Spree to the Crossings Premium Outlets in Tannersville, PA. Gina Bertucci, spokesperson for Fernwood Hotel and Resort, said, This is one of the best packages we have ever put together and judging by how many reservations are coming in, we expect it to sell out soon. We do the cooking and clean up for your Pocono Thanksgiving dinner, guests get two nights of rest. As a bonus they can start their holiday shopping beginning at midnight on Thanksgiving night using their $50 Crossings Premium Outlets Shopping Spree card She continues, It is a great way to beat the holiday shopping crowd, have a country home-style cooked Pocono Thanksgiving dinner, and a great way to relax while using the amenities at Fernwood Hotel and Resort

Fernwood Hotel and Resort is a 440-acre property located in the heart of the Pocono Mountains. It offers both hotel and villa accommodations, indoor pools and sauna, live entertainment, themed restaurants, trips to nearby attractions including Mt. Airy Casino, a fitness center, hiking in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, and shows at the Sherman Theater. Bertucci continues, It is a great time to be in the Poconos – especially if you like to shop. The Crossings offer 100 designer outlet stores and, when guests register at the Crossings website, they receive additional coupon discount offers. Combined with the Shopping Spree, it’s a perfect Pocono Mountain getaway with world class shopping and an all you can eat Thanksgiving buffet with turkey and all the trimmings For Pocono Thanksgiving package reservations call 888-FERNWOOD 888-337-6966 or FernwoodHotel.com.

Source: WEBWIRE

CORRECTING and REPLACING CAPTION KUD International Developed Waldorf=Astoria to Open

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Please replace the caption with the accompanying corrected caption.
The release reads:
KUD INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPED WALDORF=ASTORIA TO OPEN
The Bonnet Creek Resort adjacent to Walt Disney World, featuring a
500-room Waldorf=Astoria, a 1,000-room Hilton Hotel and a Rees Jones
signature golf course, celebrates its grand opening November 12.
The 428-acre project, developed by KUD International LLC, headquartered
in Long Beach, Calif., (http://www.kudllc.com)
also features a 249,000-square-foot conference center and a
25,000-square-foot Guerlain spa.
“This is the first new Waldorf=Astoria hotel to be built in 78 years,”
said Dennis Biggs, executive vice president of KUD International.
“Bonnet Creek is a milestone for both KUD International and Hilton
Hotels. We are proud to be associated with such an important addition to
Orlando.”
Biggs said the goal of the development team was to retain the majesty of
the New York Waldorf=Astoria, while simultaneously creating a hotel that
functions well as a destination conference center in a resort setting.
“And we did it,” Biggs said. “It’s beautiful.”
Key elements of the Manhattan Waldorf=Astoria were recreated in the new
hotel at the Bonnet Creek Resort, including Sir Harry’s, the Bull and
Bear, Peacock Alley, Oscar’s and the famous lobby clock.
The new 1.8 million square foot hotel complex also features amenities
such as the Guerlain Spa, a 40,000-square-foot formal pool area, a 1.8
acre family water recreation area and a myriad of meeting and conference
options — including formal Board Rooms — all overlooking the
Waldorf=Astoria Golf Course and Clubhouse.
The KUD project team included Smallwood, Reynolds, Stewart and Stewart
as the project architect, SFA Design as the interior designer for the
Waldorf=Astoria and Duncan Miller Design as interior designer for the
Hilton Hotel. The Hunt Construction Group was the Construction Manager
for the hotels.
The development is owned by a consortium that includes GEM Realty
Capital, and Bonnet Creek Ventures. Financing was provided by a team of
lenders led by Calyon Bank New York.
Photos/MultimediaGallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=6097250&lang=en

Source: Business Wire

Augmentation of Hotel Accommodation in Haryana for the Commonwealth Games, 2010

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Shri Sujit Banerjee, Secretary Union Ministry of Tourism has said that the requirement of hotel accommodation in the country is estimated at 240 thousand rooms against availability of around 90 thousand rooms. He was speaking to reporters after inaugurating a new hotel in Gurgaon today. He said initiatives have been taken to bridge this gap. In the budget of 2008-09, five year tax holiday has been provided for two, three and four-star hotels coming up in destinations having UNESCO declared World Heritage Sites. In addition, in view of the Commonwealth Games-2010 tax holiday has also been extended to 2, 3 and 4 star hotels that come up before 31.3.2010 in the NCR region. Due to the efforts of the Ministry of Tourism, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has de-linked credit for hotel projects from commercial real estate, thereby enabling hotel projects to avail credit at relaxed norms and reduced interest rates. In addition, the External Commercial Borrowing (ECB) norms have been relaxed by Ministry of Finance to solve the problem of liquidity being faced by the hotel industry due to economic slow down.

Referring to CWG, 2010 Shri Banerjee said, it is estimated that there will be a requirement of additional 30,000 hotel rooms for the Games. The Union Ministry of Tourism is, therefore, actively involved in monitoring the creation of additional accommodation for the purpose. He said a Task Force constituted for this purpose monitors the additional new hotel accommodation coming up in the Delhi/NCR, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh by holding regular meetings with all concerned land owning authorities, concerned Ministries / Departments. The latest review indicated the availability of 10,268 rooms under the ‘definite’ and 1,757 rooms under the ‘likely’ category. Further, 5,500 housing flats of DDA located at Vasant Kunj and Jasola will be upgraded / furnished and operated by ITDC for the Games as alternate accommodation of three star standards. It is also proposed to utilize the services of around 11000 rooms available from the licenced guest houses and around 3,000 Bed & Breakfast units for the Games.

He said, hotel Ashok, Samrat and Janpath under the ITDC in New Delhi have been declared as the Official Hotels for the Games. While The Ashok and Samrat would be the Games Family Hotels, Janpath would be for Press and Media. These hotels have undertaken a major renovation work to prepare them for the event.

Shri Sujit Banerjee stated that the State of Haryana is providing a major chunk of hotel accommodation for the Commonwealth Games. Giving details of the accommodation likely to be made available in Haryana, he said, as per latest position, 6,632 rooms are in the definite category and 2,161 rooms are in the likely and doubtful category. Out of 6,632 rooms, 4,224 rooms are already functional and 410 rooms are likely to be made functional shortly. For the remaining rooms, the progress is being closely monitored so that they are also completed at the earliest. Similarly, under the likely and doubtful category, the progress of construction is being monitored project-wise and the Government is providing facilitation regarding sanction of loans and expediting grant of licences etc.