Airline News and Hotel Updates

Friday 28 October 2011

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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Banyan Tree Signs Kuala Lumpur Property

Lumayan Indah Sdn Bhd and Banyan Tree Holdings are to open an hotel-plus-residence property.

The Banyan Tree Signatures Pavilion Kuala Lumpur is scheduled to open before the end of 2016, and will be located in a prime area in the Golden Triangle of Kuala Lumpur.

Ho Kwon Ping, Executive Chairman, Banyan Tree Holdings, said, ?Residents, city dwellers and guests can look forward to taking respite from the fast pace of life with luxury spa treatments from the Banyan Tree Spa ? again a first in Malaysia. At Banyan Tree Signatures Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, both residents and guests will enjoy a holistic lifestyle that encompasses dining, shopping and relaxation delivered with the signature Banyan Tree service standards.?

The first Banyan Tree Signatures in Kuala Lumpur will be located in the vibrant shopping hub of Bukit Bintang, right in the heart of the city.

Standing 55 storeys tall, the freehold building will exceed 240 metres in height and will have the honour of being the tallest residential building in Kuala Lumpur.

The property will house the Banyan Tree Residences and Banyan Tree Signatures Hotel. It is complemented by a spa, heated pool, comprehensive amenities, as well as a rooftop gourmet restaurant and sky bar with sweeping panoramic views from the 55th floor.

Banyan Tree Residences come partially furnished with top end European imported kitchens, wardrobes, electrical appliances, sanitary ware and fittings. Exclusively for the residences, facilities include a 58m infinity pool, meeting rooms, gymnasium and dance studio, set amidst water features and green lawns.

Banyan Tree Signatures Hotel boasts a Couture Concierge service which includes limousine, yacht and private jet booking facilities. A private link bridge to Pavilion Kuala Lumpur also offers its residents a world class shopping experience and conveniences within walking reach.

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Oaks Shores in Queenstown Joins Anantara Vacation Club

Anantara Vacation Club, a shared ownership cocncept launched in 2010 by Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas, has added Oaks Shores in the southern hemisphere?s adventure capital of Queenstown, New Zealand to its portfolio.

Located on the crystal clear waters of Lake Wakatipu in Queenstown, Oaks Shores offers breathtaking water and mountain views and is the perfect base for creating the unique and memorable experiences that New Zealand is famous for.

Just a fifteen-minute drive from the airport and an easy leisurely walk from Queenstown?s city centre, Oaks Shores offers a wealth of facilities. These include direct lake access, a walking track, a landscaped courtyard with BBQ facilities, a fully-equipped gym and sauna, covered car parking, a restaurant and bar and complimentary internet and cable TV.

Accommodation now available to Anantara Club Points Owners at Oaks Shores comprises a selection of hotel suites for two guests, along with two and three-bedroom deluxe suites able to accommodate up to six and eight guests respectively.

Each suite offers a private balcony with memorable views, underfloor heating to ensure year-round comfort and LCD flat screen TV. The two and three-bedroom suites also come complete with a full kitchen and washer/dryer, gas fire and DVD player.

Queenstown is world famous as an adventure capital, with access to some of the most stunning and inspiring scenery you will find anywhere. Boasting a four season lake and prime alpine pursuits, Queenstown offers an outstanding year round destination for travellers who value the scenic great outdoors and an impressive diversity of water, air and land based activities that make no two days the same. Activities include everything from laid-back river cruising to high-intensity jetboating, hiking and biking, golfing and fishing, ballooning and helicopter flights, rafting and canyoning, plus the city is a world class wine destination, with over 75 wineries very easily accessible in the nearby Gibbston Valley.

Harold Derrah, CEO of Anantara Vacation Club, said, ?Following the continuing success and growth of Anantara Vacation Club, we are really excited to now be able to include the superb offering of Oaks Shores in Queenstown to our Club Points Owners. It is a quality product in a breathtaking location, expanding on the multiple vacation options already available for our Club Owners.?

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IDeaS Pricing Solutions to Help Boost Revenue @ Royal Plaza on Scotts

The Royal Plaza on Scotts in Singapore has adopted pricing solutions from IDeaS in an attempt to enhance occupancy and maximise revenue.

Royal Plaza on Scotts is located in the heart of Singapore, just steps away from Orchard Road.

In working with IDeaS, Royal Plaza on Scotts has turned to the IDeaS Revenue Management System (RMS) in order to continually assess the hotel?s performance, accurately forecast occupancy and business demand, and determine the correct pricing for hotel rooms.

Patrick Fiat, General Manager of Royal Plaza on Scotts, said, ?Royal Plaza on Scotts is an extremely popular hotel in Singapore always looking to implement the most advanced operational technologies and strategies for the benefit of our guests. Singapore is a highly competitive operating environment for any hotel, but through our partnership with IDeaS we are able to better identify and target the right guest ? whether they be a business traveller, group or tourist ? at the right time.?

Importantly, the IDeaS RMS? Best Available Rate (BAR) functionality will allow Royal Plaza on Scotts to accurately quote the optimal rate for their hotel rooms to potential guests. These rates are calculated to provide the highest probability of selling based on the arrival date and length of stay ? ensuring occupancy and revenue is maximised.

?The hotel sector across Asia continues to grow on the back of rising domestic and international tourism and increased business travel. With this growth comes increased competition, therefore it is vital that savvy hotel operators like the Royal Plaza on Scotts have the most advanced operating strategies and technologies on hand to ensure their ongoing profitability,? said Grahame Tate, Managing Director of IDeaS APAC. ?Through working with IDeaS, Royal Plaza on Scotts is better able to make strategic decisions with a clear view of their competitor?s positions and determine correct pricing for their property?s rooms and group bookings.?

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Positive Q3 2011 for AirAsia X

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota
AirAsia X, the long haul low cost affiliate of AirAsia, has reported strong growth in Q3 2011, carrying 0.62 million passengers, an increase of 21.3% over the same quarter in 2010.
In terms of passenger traffic, AirAsia X grew by 27.2% to 3.6 billion Revenue-Passenger-Kms (RPKs) for Q3-2011, achieving similar levels in the earlier two quarters. Capacity grew by 17% to 4.5 billion Available Seat-Kms (ASKs), resulting in a load factor of 80%. This represents an increase of 6 percentage-points from the same quarter in 2010, where it registered a load factor of 74%.
For the 9-months Year-to-date, AirAsia X has carried 1.9 million passengers, up 42.6% from the previous year?s corresponding period, and a higher load factor of 80%, up 5 percentage-points from the previous year. This brings total passenger traffic to 10.6 billion RPKs and 13.3 billion ASKs, a growth of 46.8% and 37.2% year-on-year respectively.
Cargo operations continue to be strong, with AirAsia X carrying 9,220 tons of freight in Q3-2011, registering a 33.2% growth from a year ago. Cargo load factor stands at 69% while its Flown-as-Booked ratio has reached an industry-leading level of 93%.
Azran Osman-Rani, CEO of AirAsia X, said, ?In addition to our continued unit cost industry-leadership, AirAsia X has focused on achieving superior on-time performance reliability for our flights, registering an on-time rate of 89% flights departing within 15 minutes of schedule, for both Q3-2011 and 2011 year-to-date. This proves that even though we are a low cost carrier, we do not compromise on reliability.?
Currently, AirAsia X?s aircraft fleet remains at 9 Airbus A330s and 2 Airbus A340 with an order of 3 new A330-200s scheduled for delivery in 2012. This new aircraft purchase will replace the A340 used for flights into Europe and is expected to help increase fuel efficiency.
AirAsia X is expecting further growth in the final quarter of 2011, as it will be launching its flights to Osaka, Japan from 30 November, as well as additional flights to Australia and Taiwan during the peak December period.
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Pan Pacific Appoints Hans Heijligers as AVP Operations - Singapore

Pan Pacific Hotels Group has appointed Hans Heijligers as Area Vice President, Operations ? Singapore.

Mr Heijligers will also helm ParkRoyal on Pickering, the flagship ParkRoyal hotel in Singapore when it opens in 2012.

In his area role, Hans will be responsible for the financial performance and talent management for the five Pan Pacific and ParkRoyal hotels in Singapore, namely Pan Pacific Singapore, Pan Pacific Orchard, ParkRoyal on Beach Road, ParkRoyal on Kitchener Road and ParkRoyal on Pickering.

As General Manager of ParkRoyal on Pickering, he will oversee the opening and operations of the 363-room hotel, located at the key gateway of the Central Business District and bustling Chinatown.

With close to 30 years of hospitality experience that spans 10 countries and three continents, Hans, a Dutch national, has undertaken a breadth of management roles at leading hotel chains including Marriott, Hyatt and InterContinental in Amsterdam, Paris, Germany, Morocco, Indonesia, Kazhakstan and Johannesburg. His international experience also includes China where he was General Manager of the iconic Commune by the Great Wall ? a collection of prominent and modern architecture encompassing luxurious villas and upscale restaurants.

Prior to joining Pan Pacific, Hans spent three years with the Jumeirah Group, holding several key appointments including Area General Manager where he oversaw operations of new business hotels in Dubai. He was also concurrently the General Manager of Jumeirah Emirates Towers.

In his last appointment, Hans was Area General Manager for Opening Hotels in Middle East, where he successfully led the opening of six properties in the region.

ParkRoyal on Pickering

Slated to open in third quarter of 2012, ParkRoyal on Pickering will be the first property to feature all aspects of the refreshed ParkRoyal positioning, focusing on providing a modern, comfortable and supportive environment as well as creating local connections through ParkRoyal?s associates.

The 363-room hotel is poised to be one of Singapore?s greenest hotels. It features a hotel-in-a-garden concept with over 15,000 square metres of lofty skygardens, lush greenery and sustainable facilities. Other facilities include a dedicated wellness floor with a day spa, a 300m nature trail and waterfall walk, an expansive pool terrace, a state-of-the-art gymnasium, a business centre with full secretarial services as well as a rooftop bar offering spectacular 360-degree views of the city skyline.

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