Westin Grande Sukhumvit Bangkok Opens New MICE Space - Altitude

Altitude is the new rooftop function space at The Westin Grande Sukhumvit, Bangkok.

Altitude includes an indoor function space, a break-out room called The Library and The Terrace. The new function space is located on the 25th floor and takes advantage of dramatic views of downtown Bangkok.

Altitude provides the personalized service and amenities to make any event stand out from the crowd. With no access to the public, Altitude also benefits from total privacy and security.

At Altitude, the expansive 400-square-metre indoor room is bathed in natural daylight and is ideal for meetings, events, conferences and cocktail receptions for 80 to 300 guests. Guests can also enjoy delectable dining and refreshments from a buffet island and live cooking stations with a talented culinary team serving gourmet a la minute cuisine.

The 56-square-metre Library makes the ideal break-out room or meeting space for up to 30 guests. It includes comfortable lounge seating, a large LCD TV, and a refreshment centre stocked with your favourite beverages and snacks.

Poolside

The Westin Grande Sukhumvit has also given its swimming pool area a refreshing makeover.

Sun loungers arranged on teak decking around the pool offer the opportunity to soak up the sun while savouring tasty cuisine and refreshing drinks from the pool bar. 

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Ayada Maldives Resort Opens

Ayada Maldives, a new resort in the Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll in the Maldives, is now open and welcoming its first guests.

Located amidst a pristine reef within the southern rim of the Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll in the southern Maldives, 268 miles south of the capital Male, the island based resort occupies 150,000 square metres of undisturbed and indigenous vegetation and offers uninterrupted views of the breathtaking Maldivian landscape.

The 112-villa resort comprises 33 Beach Villas, 4 Beach Suites, 14 Sunset Beach Suites, 33 Ocean Villas, 11 Sunset Lagoon Suites, 16 Sunset Ocean Suites and a duplex Ayada Royal Ocean Suite.

Guests can enjoy a variety of dining experiences found in the seven restaurants, an extensive 3500 sqm AySpa & Health Club managed by ESPA, a dive and watersports centre and a kid?s club.

Mr. Firat Aydeniz, member of the board of directors of the Aydeniz Group, said, Our vision for Ayada Maldives was to provide a sanctuary for visitors whereby we offer luxurious accommodation and diverse dining options complemented by genuine warmth and hospitality from our employees. It was of paramount importance to us to showcase the beauty and tranquility of the location and thus, the design features large open spaces whereby the natural elements play an integral part of the guest experience with every villa offering plunge pools with large outdoor terraces and either direct lagoon or beach access and some villas with glass floor panels. We also wanted to infuse elements of the Ottoman culture into Ayada Maldives and as such subtle influences can be found in the decorative design of the villas, the Turkish Hammam in the spa and the Ottoman Lounge. 

Syna Tiger Resort Opens in India

The Syna Tiger Resort opens today, following a four-year development at a cost of approximately $1.8 million.

The luxury jungle resort, a member of the Great Hotels of the World Luxury Collection, is located right on the edge of Bandhavgarh National Park in central India.

 Stretching over 437 square kilometres, the surrounding forest was once the hunting preserve of the Maharaja of Rewa, and renowned as the home of the big cats. The resort serves as the ideal base from which you can explore the territory of the Royal Bengal tiger.

The resort setting is picture perfect, with an azure plunge pool surrounded by fifteen exclusive luxury cottages and one signature tree-house, all complete with modern amenities, network connectivity, private walled gardens and a jacuzzi.

The resort offers a wealth of offerings including the Wildwood spa, which provides guests with a variety of holistic and indigenous treatments, state-of-the-art fitness centre, pool, a restaurant that serves international and local cuisine, and a bar.

The real thrill of Bandhavgarh is the opportunity to see the big cats roam freely in the jungle. The Syna Tiger Resort provides special guided jeep and elephant safaris with experienced naturalists who aid in making trips more enriching. There are also various bird walks that guests can enjoy as well as separate cycling tracks.

Syna Tiger Resort also offers a naturally inspiring venue for corporate clients, featuring a fully equipped, modern day ?tapovana? ? an outdoor space for spiritual practice, used for holding effective training programmes.

Syna Tiger also has facilities to host weddings and banquets. The resort prides itself on being eco-friendly by harvesting rainwater and recycling.

 The resort is free of plastic and no chemical is allowed to seep back to the earth, via meticulous water treatment. By using local produce, employing local people and utilising locally relevant skills the resort keeps its carbon-footprint to a minimal level.

Arpan Dutta, chairman of Modus Vivendi Hospitality, said, ''This property is definitely one of the finest. Syna Tiger Resort will set an example for other resorts to follow. We aim to deliver the best of services with a rural touch and have a rural kitchen concept where guests are served authentic cuisine, cooked in a village style mud oven. Syna Tiger Resort will take tourists? expectations to a deeper and higher level.''

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TravelRave 2011 Opens in Singapore

TravelRave 2011, a mega travel and tourism festival, opens in Singapore today with a compelling programme of anchor events, content from new partners, and delegate representation from the entire spectrum of the travel and tourism industry.

?Last year was a significant year for Asia and the travel and tourism industry. This year, set against a challenging environment and a slowdown in international tourism, Asia has once again proved its mettle, growing at a healthy rate of five per cent for the first half of the year. It is becoming increasingly imperative for the different sectors of the travel and tourism industry to come together and discuss how to not only leverage this growth, but to sustain it in the future as well,? said Ms Aw Kah Peng, Chief Executive of the Singapore Tourism Board (STB). ?This year?s TravelRave will see the return of key events such as the Asia Travel Leaders Summit and ITB Asia, while delivering an exciting line-up of business events with new partners on-board.?

To be held from 17 to 23 October 2011, TravelRave 2011 will comprise six existing anchor events: the Asia Travel Leaders Summit, Web In Travel, Singapore Experience Awards, Cond? Nast Traveler World Savers Congress, ITB Asia, and Aviation Outlook Asia.

In testament to the strategic role that TravelRave plays in the Asian tourism industry, this year?s TravelRave also brings with it four new events: the UNWTO High Level Meeting in Asia, the Asia Pacific Hotel and Tourism Investment Conference 2011, the Cornell Hotel Society Asia Pacific Regional Meeting, and Asia for Asia ? a high level meeting of Asia?s MICE industry leaders.

Mr. Zubin Karkaria, Chief Executive Officer and Managing director of VFS Global Group, as well as Chairman of Kuoni for India and South Asia, said, ?When I heard of TravelRave and the Asia Travel Leaders Summit, I felt it was a great opportunity to make contact with like-minded individuals who had the same agenda to not only leverage but also sustain Asia?s growth. The bringing together of thought-leaders from across the sectors to collaborate and discuss the challenges and opportunities presented in the region will enable us to fully realize the potential of Asia?s travel and tourism industry.?

International partners and event organizers are also launching new and original content, furthering catalysing opportunities for investment in new tourism products, services and capabilities in Asia.

Questex Media Group will bring together hotel owners and investors to showcase distinctive opportunities for Asia. They will launch the Asia Pacific Hotel and Tourism Investment Conference 2011, a strategic half-day meeting that will lead up to the full-fledged International Hotel and Tourism Investment Forum (Asia Pacific) in 2012. The inaugural event will showcase distinctive opportunities for the Asia hotel travel and tourism investment sector.

ITB Asia, a main anchor event at TravelRave, will launch new dedicated forums including an Associations Conference and a one-day travel agent conference.

In addition, Travel + Leisure?s Luxury Travel Insights Paper and latest findings from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) on the Economic Impact of Business Travel will be shared for the first time at TravelRave 2011.

WTTC?s President and Chief Executive Officer David Scowsill, one of the distinguished speakers who has chosen to attend several TravelRave events as a delegate, said, ?TravelRave creates synergies across diverse travel and tourism sectors by locating related business events and gathering industry leaders who share best practices, expand business networks and set the stage for collaboration to leverage and sustain Asian?s tourism growth. I am delighted to take part and attend some very important events in the same city in only one week.?

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Ritz-Carlton Opens Palatial Hotel in Riyadh

The Ritz-Carlton, Riyadh, with 493 rooms and suites located next to the Diplomatic Quarter and adjacent to the King Abdul Aziz Convention Centre, has opened.

The sense of arrival through 213,500 square meters (52 acres) of exquisitely landscaped gardens is befitting of the grandeur of the palace that lies ahead. Designed by Al Rasheed Engineering Company and constructed by Oger International, The Ritz-Carlton, Riyadh boasts spectacular fountains that front the one kilometer driveway.

Originally envisioned as a royal guest palace for visiting dignitaries and heads of state, the hotel?s stately architecture is modeled on traditional palaces and elegant Arabian residences, with ochre facades blending gracefully with the verdant landscape of the gardens. Native palms, 600-year old olive trees from Lebanon, and water fountains abound on the property, providing an oasis of serenity amidst the city centre.

All guestrooms and suites are elegantly styled using the vibrant colors and ethnic textures of the region, with subtle touches reflecting the Kingdom?s heritage. Highlights include not just one, but 49 two-bedroom Royal Suites, each generously measuring more than 425 square meters (4,574 square feet,) and 50 one-bedroom Executive Suites at 95 square meters (1,022 square feet,) ideal for senior corporate titans and political delegates.

All guest rooms are equipped with the latest technology, including wireless and wired internet access, flat screen televisions and DVD players as standards.

The Ritz-Carlton, Riyadh offers more than 5,800 square meters (62,000 square feet) of conference space combined, including two colossal ballrooms in a separate wing that are both identical in size at 1,970 square meters or 21,000 square feet each. They are complemented by two vast auditorium-styled theatres with stepped floors and built-in stages, perfect for press conferences and symposium lectures, and a generous variety of smaller meeting rooms. Completing the conference area is Aubergine restaurant that caters exclusively for the invited delegates, journalists and accompanying security personnel.

Guests are offered a selection of gourmet dining venues, including Al Orjouan, the signature all-day dining buffet restaurant featuring Lebanese favorites; and Turquoise, the cigar lounge that will be home to one of the widest selection of Cuban cigars in Saudi Arabia. Presenting an alfresco option is Chorisia Lounge for leisurely breakfast, lunch or the signature afternoon tea, while Strike offers a fun and stimulating atmosphere for mocktails and smoothies within the 1,000 square meter (10,700 square feet) indoor six-lane bowling alley.

Flanking the indoor swimming pool on the ground level, which features garden views from the floor-to-ceiling windows, are Hong, the Asian restaurant featuring a contemporary fusion of fresh Oriental ingredients with a western flair, and Azzuro Italian restaurant that serves authentic cuisine from the old country.

Recreational facilities include a full-service men?s health club complete with three treatment rooms.

The Ritz-Carlton, Riyadh joins nine other Ritz-Carlton hotels and resorts currently operating or under development in the Middle East: Bahrain, Dubai, Sharm El Sheikh, Doha, Sharq Village & Spa, Dubai International Finance Centre, Muscat, Abu Dhabi and Nile Cairo (opening respectively in 2012 and 2013).

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Ascott Opens Third Citadines in Xi'an, China

Ascott has opened its third Citadines serviced residence in Xi?an, China.

The 138-unit Citadines Xingqing Palace Xi?an is a five-minute walk to the historic Xingqing Palace Park, a popular tourist attraction built on the ruins of the palace dating back to the Tang dynasty. The serviced residence is also close to many shopping and entertainment outlets such as the Lifeng International Shopping Square, Jiaoda Computer Mall and Hongye Cinema.

 Each of the studios to two-bedroom apartments has a fully-equipped kitchen, an ensuite bathroom and separate work and sleeping areas.

The serviced residence offers 24-hour reception, 24-hour security, meeting rooms, WiFi zones and business support services

 For recreation, guests can make use of the fully equipped gymnasium, sauna, steam room or yoga room.

 Residents also have the flexibility to choose from services including grocery shopping, laundry, dry cleaning and meal delivery to customise their stay experience.

To celebrate the opening of Citadines Xingqing Palace Xi?an, Ascott is offering introductory rates which start from RMB 350 for a studio. The rates are valid until 31 December 2011. Terms and conditions apply.

Mr Lee Chee Koon, Ascott?s Managing Director for North Asia, said, ?Xi?an has immense potential for serviced residences. As a key economic hub in Central West China, foreign direct investments have been growing with many multinational companies such as IBM, Intel, Fujitsu and NEC setting up their national R&D centres in the city. Xi?an is also a famous tourist destination attracting millions of foreign and domestic travellers every year with its many historic sites. The opening of our third Citadines in Xi?an will enable us to cater to the strong demand for accommodation from business and leisure travellers. Moving forward, high growth cities such as Xi?an will remain an important market for Ascott as we seek to expand our China portfolio to 12,000 units by 2015.?

 Ascott currently also operates Citadines Central Xi?an (162 units) and Citadines Gaoxin Xi?an (251 units) while Somerset Gaoxin Xi?an (233 units) is expected to open in 2013. All four properties are in prime locations in the Hi-Tech Development Zone or the business district of Xi?an and are close to many tourist spots.

In China, Ascott has about 7,000 apartment units in 38 properties across 16 cities.

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