Starwood Opens W Hollywood Hotel & Residences

Starwood Hotels and Resorts has opened the newest and global flagship property for its W Hotels brand. Located at the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Vine, the 305-room W Hollywood Hotel & Residences offer jet-setting guests a fully integrated, contemporary lifetyle experience. Registered for LEED-Silver certification, the hotel is part of a complex incorporating a Metro Red Line station connecting it to Los Angeles County’s extensive metro and bus transport network.

 

The hotel offers guests a selection of accomodation options, ranging from the Spectacular and Marvelous rooms to the Extreme WOW Suite, W Hotels’ take on the traditional Presidential Suite. Every room features the brand’s signature W bed and pillow menu, spacious bathroom with Bliss bath amenities, flat-screen television with CD/DVD player and iPod dock, high-speed internet access, workstation with power and data ports, dual-line speaker telephone, in-room safe, munchie box and coffee-/tea-making facilities. There are also 143 W-branded residences available for purchase, offering 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom units with views of the world famous Hollywood sign.

 

In true Hollywood fashion, guests receive star-studded treatment at the W Hollywood’s public spaces. A plush red carpet takes guests from the entrance to the Welcome Desk and signature W Living Room, where the centerpiece is a spectacular white marble spiral staircase set against a backdrop of a curved bronze mosaic wall and chandelier. Guests can relax and socialize over Mediterranean cuisine and drinks at the outdoor terrace and lounge featuring black-tufted leather sofas, lounge chairs and a backlit lobby bar crafted from Onice Fantastico onyx. Nightclub impressario Victor Drai opens Drai’s Hollywood, an expansive bar and nightclub on the rooftop pool deck featuring the creative cuisine of Chef Claude Segal, as well as a members and invitation-only lounge on the ground floor of the hotel. The Delphine Eatery & Bar makes its debut with classic and modern interpretations of French cuisine, evoking the atmosphere of southern France inspired by the Cote d’Azur.

 

W Hollywood is also home to the area’s first Bliss Spa. The facility features 7 treatment rooms and a retail boutique across 557 square meters of space offering manicures, pedicures, facials, waxing, skincare and signature Bliss massages, as well as the legendary brownie buffet. Other wellness facilities include the SWEAT fitness center and WET heated outdoor swimming pool. Business travellers and meeting planners have up to 2,322 square meters of event space at their disposal, including the 468-square meter Great Room, supported by the WIRED business center and W Hotels’ Whatever/Whenever service.

 

With the opening of the W Hollywood Hotel & Residences, W Hotels is on track to more than double its global portfolio by 2011. The brand will open new hotels in Austin, Guangzhou, London, New York and St Petersburg, as well as retreats in Bali, Koh Samui and Puerto Rico’s Vieques Island this year.

 

For more information, visit www.whotels.com.

Cathay Pacific Launches New Inflight Dining Promotion

Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific Airways has announced the latest incarnation of its popular “Best Chinese Food in the Air”. The new promotion for First and Business Class passengers features dishes from the famed Yung Kee Restaurant, one of Hong Kong’s most famous and iconic restaurants awarded a star by the world-renowned Michelin Guide for its culinary excellence.

 

The airline will offer around 30 of Yung Kee’s favorites on its inflight menus from now to 30 April 2010 for all outbound flights from Hong Kong. Amongst the dishes passengers can sample onboard are the Braised Goose and Taro in Plum Sauce, Steamed Sliced Chicken with Jinhua Ham and Bamboo Shoot, Abalone with Goose Liver Roll, Sauteed Prawn in Kung Po Sauce, Steamed Cod Fillet in Golden Bean Sauce and the Steamed Chicken and Goose Liver Sausage on Rice.

 

Accompanying the dishes is a selection of 40 fine wines onboard, ranging from rare vintages produced in France and Italy to New World wines from the vineyards of Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and the USA. For passengers preferring a non-alcoholic beverage, Cathay Pacific also offers freshly brewed coffees and teas on each flight.

 

The latest promotion marks the fourth time Cathay Pacific is collaborating with Yung Kee to bring the latter’s gourmet dishes to the air. Introduced in 2000, the “Best Chinese Food in the Air” concept has over time, improved the variety and quality of Chinese cuisine served onboard the airline’s flights, as well as help cement Hong Kong’s position as one of the world’s gourmet capitals.

 

For more information, visit www.cathaypacific.com.

Royal Caribbean To Base Ship In Palma de Mallorca

Cruise operator Royal Caribbean International has announced it will base a ship in its fleet at the Spanish destination of Palma de Mallorca. From summer 2011, the 74,000-GRT Grandeur of the Seas will be dedicated to the UK and Irish cruise market, joining the Independence of the Seas which from spring this year will sail year-round from Southampton.

 

The 2,446-guest vessel will sail 7-night or back-to-back 14-night cruises, offering greater access to smaller ports along the French and Italian rivieras and the Balearic Islands. The itineraries take guests to the Italian Mediterranean to discover some of the world’s most beautiful art and architecture, as well as the Spanish Mediterranean to explore the cities of Barcelona, Madrid and Toledo.

 

Onboard Grandeur of the Seas, guests will enjoy luxury accomodation, gourmet dining and an array of entertainment options, including Royal Caribbean’s original theatrical productions and live music entertainment, Casino Royale, day spa and fitness center, as well as the Adventure Ocean youth program for younger guests.

 

The 2011 summer season for the ship will go on sale in March 2010. Royal Caribbean International currently operates cruises around the world with a fleet of 21 vessels, including the world’s largest cruise ship, the 220,000-GRT Oasis of the Seas.

 

For more information, visit www.royalcaribbean.com.

TAM Offers First Class Between Brazil And UK

Brazilian airline TAM has begun offering First Class on its flights between Sao Paolo and London, ahead of its entry into Star Alliance later this year. 4 seats will be available on each flight, which is served by the airline’s flagship Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.

 

Configured in an intimate 1-2-1 layout, passengers can expect highly personalised service onboard TAM’s First Class cabin. Each seat has a pitch of 81 inches, width of 18 inches and reclines into a 75-inch full flat bed. Passengers will enjoy a 23-inch personal screen and in-seat power supply, with onboard catering created by Brazilian chef Helena Rizzo of the award-winning Mani restaurant in Sao Paolo.

 

On the ground, TAM will offer a complimentary chauffeur-drive airport transfer to and from London (Heathrow) within a 105 kilometer radius of the airport, as well as partner lounge access and fast track immigration at London (Heathrow). In Sao Paolo, passengers have access to TAM’s First Class privileges and can also book a fast helicopter transfer between the city’s Guarulhos and Congonhas Airports for a fee.

 

In addition to London, TAM offers First Class on its flights between Sao Paolo and Frankfurt, Madrid, Miami, New York (JFK), Orlando and Paris, as well as its Rio de Janeiro-New York (JFK) and Rio de Janeiro-Paris (Charles de Gaulle) flights. For more information, visit www.tam.com.br.

MJ Gallery Unveiled In Macau

Macau’s Ponte 16 resort complex has officially opened the MJ Gallery at Ponte 16, the first gallery in Asia paying tribute to the late King of Pop, Michael Jackson. Held on Monday evening in conjunction with the resort’s second anniversary, fans and celebrities were joined by local government representatives and company executives at the opening ceremony, featuring performances by international pop diva Coco Lee, 13-year old singing sensation Shaheen Jafargholi of Britain’s Got Talent fame and Hong Kong artistes.

 

More than 40 iconic pieces of memorabilia is showcased in the gallery, which is divided into different themed zones including the Time Tunnel, chronicling the various moments of Michael Jackson’s musical career and “Billie Jean”, featuring scenes from the famous music video. The centerpiece of the gallery is the white rhinestone glove worn by the late superstar for his moonwalk debut in 1983, displayed in the main exhibition hall.

 

Other memorabilia items on display include the “Zombie” suit  from the “Thriller” music video and a pair of crystal socks worn by Michael Jackson during his “Victory” tour in 1984, the RIAA Platinum record awards for the hit songs “Bad” and “We are the World”, as well as various autographed records and photographs. Ponte 16 has also collected more private items of Michael Jackson, including a portrait of Charlie Chaplin drawn by the singer at age 9.

 

Open free to the public, the gallery is the latest attraction to the Ponte 16 complex, Macau’s only integrated resort located in the culturally rich Inner Harbour district. The resort incorporates a world-class casino with 150 gaming tables and 320 slot machines, the 5-star Sofitel Macau at Ponte 16 hotel, gourmet restaurants, retail and entertainment facilities.

 

For more information, visit www.ponte16.com.mo.

Singapore Airlines To Retrofit B777-200s With New Cabin Products

Singapore Airlines has announced that it will be retrofitting new cabin products on 11 of its Boeing 777-200 aircraft from later this month. Configured in a 2-class layout, the jets will receive the airline’s new regional Business Class and new Economy Class seats to provide passengers additional space, comfort and greater product consistency across its fleet.

 

In Business Class, passengers will enjoy a significantly improved product over the airline’s previous regional offering. Introduced last year on the Airbus A330-300 aircraft, 38 genuine leather, lie-flat shell-seats will be available on each flight. The seat features a 6-way adjustable headrest and lumbar support to provide maximum comfort, with an advanced control panel to allow passengers to personalise their seating preferences or select from various preset options. Single travellers will also have greater privacy with the seat’s privacy panel that transforms each seat into their personal space onboard.

 

The Economy Class cabin will be refurbished with a contemporary look similar to Singapore Airlines’ A380 and B777-300ER fleets. The familiar blue and purple colour scheme will be replaced by the airline’s new cabin colours of brown and turquoise. Passengers will be seated on 228 new slimline seats, featuring seat covers from Givenchy and softer fabrics, with enhancements including a personal vanity mirror, non-intrusive reading light under the personal monitor and the inflight entertainment controller repositioned to the seatback from the armrests.

 

Singapore Airlines’ award-winning inflight entertainment system, KrisWorld, will also be enhanced for better audio-video on-demand features in both classes. The intuitive and user-friendly graphical interface will be delivered via larger personal screens (15.4-inch in Business Class, 9-inch in Economy Class), while passengers will enjoy an expanded selection of movies, television programmes, music and games, as well as built-in office software and iPod connectivity.

 

The first refitted aircraft will operate flights SQ 826/827 on the Singapore-Shanghai route on 23 February 2010. Selected services to Bangalore, Beijing, Chennai, Delhi and Hong Kong will be progressively introduced between April and August 2010 as more B777-200s are refitted.

 

For more information, visit www.singaporeair.com.

Business Class For Moscow Airport Rail Link

Aeroexpress, the operator of Moscow’s airport rail services, has announced it will introduce Business Class carriages on its trains running between Belorussky Railway Station and Moscow (Sheremetyevo) airport later this month. Part of an improvement program to capture a greater share of Moscow’s airport transfer traffic, the new travel class is targeted at Russian and international business travellers.

 

Located at the front or rear of the train, the Business Class carriages boast a saloon interior with 24 numbered seats and greater seat pitch for greater comfort. Passengers will enjoy a guaranteed seat, complimentary soft drinks, newspapers and magazines, as well as wireless internet access. A dedicated attendant will also be on hand to assist passengers onboard the train.

 

Prices for a one-way ticket on the 35-minute journey will cost 700 rubles for adults and 350 rubles for children. Aeroexpress currently operates shuttle services from downtown Moscow to Domodedovo, Sheremetyevo and Vnukovo airports, as well as a suburban service to the town of Lobnya.

 

For more information, visit www.aeroexpress.ru/en.

Etihad Flies Into The Land Of The Rising Sun

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, has launched services from its base in Abu Dhabi to Japan. The airline’s inaugural flight to Nagoya via Beijing, EY 888, arrived at Central Japan International Airport (Centrair) at 1508 hrs today.

 

An extension to its existing Abu Dhabi-Beijing flight, Etihad will initially operate the route with a 2-class Airbus A330 aircraft 4 times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Flight EY 888 departs Abu Dhabi International Airport at 2200 hrs, arriving in Beijing Capital International Airport at 0950 hrs the next day before continuing on to Nagoya at 1135 hrs for a 1540 hrs arrival. The return flight, EY 889, takes off from Centrair at 2115 hrs, landing in Beijing at 2350 hrs and departing at 0105 hrs for Abu Dhabi, where it lands at 0640 hrs the next morning.

 

From 29 March 2010, the Nagoya service will also increase in frequency to 5 times a week, with an additional flight on Saturdays. Etihad will also expand its flying program in Japan with the launch of direct Abu Dhabi-Tokyo (Narita) flights from 27 March 2010 with a 3-class Airbus A330. The airline will codeshare with All Nippon Airways from March 2010 to offer connections to Chitose, Fukuoka and Osaka.

 

With the addition of Nagoya and Tokyo, Etihad’s Asian network will expand to 8 destinations being served, including Bangkok, Beijing, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Manila and Singapore. Globally, the airline flies to 60 destinations in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America and the Middle East.

 

For more information, visit www.etihadairways.com.

Hilton Opens Liverpool Hotel

Global hospitality operator Hilton Worldwide has opened the new Hilton Liverpool, its first core-brand property in the city. The Hilton Rocks opening event was attended by celebrities including football’s Kenny Dalglish and Emile Heskey, Coleen Rooney and featured a 45-minute performance by pop group The Sugababes.

 

Located within the Liverpool One shopping and retail complex next to the city’s regenerated Albert Docks, the 215-room hotel is 20 minutes from John Lennon Airport and in close proximity to Lime Street Station. Its design has been influenced by Liverpool’s Mersey River, with features including a walkway in the lobby constucted from timber taken from the docks and a piece of artwork representing the river suspended above the reception that has been specially commissioned by the owners.

 

Each guestroom and suite offers views of the city or Albert Docks from expansive floor-to-ceiling windows and has been furnished with luxury bedding, a spacious bathroom with Crabtree & Evelyn bath amenities, 32-inch LCD television, high-speed internet access, large workdesk with electrical outlets and phone jacks, minibar and coffee-/tea-making facilities. Guests staying in the hotel’s Executive Rooms will also enjoy complimentary access to the Executive Lounge, while Suite guests can also unwind in the separate lounge area.

 

Dining is provided at The Exchange, a casual all-day dining outlet with views of Chavasse Park serving dishes prepared using the freshest ingredients and paired with fine wines. The contemporary Pima Bar, situated in the hotel lobby, is ideally suited for relaxing over a coffee or cocktail indoors or on the spacious sun terrace.

 

Business travellers and meeting planners have 8 meeting rooms at their disposal, as well as the Grace Suite Ballroom which can accomodate up to 430 guests in a theatre layout, supported by a 24-hour business center and featuring state-of-the-art audio-visual technology. For recreation, the hotel has a 24-hour fitness room with cardio and resistence equipment for guests, while a game of golf or day out at sea can be arranged by the concierge.

 

The Hilton Liverpool joins its sister hotel, the 160-room Hampton by Hilton John Lennon Airport in the city. A second Hampton by Hilton property, the 151-room Hampton by Hilton Liverpool City Center, is due to be opened later this year.  For more information, visit www.hilton.com.

Air China To Begin Flights To Bangalore And Manila

Beijing-based Air China will launch flights to 2 new destinations in February and March this year. The airline will start a new service linking Shanghai to Bangalore via Chengdu, as well as a Beijing-Manila route.

 

Shanghai-Chengdu-Bangalore

Beginning 27 February 2010, flight CA 425 will depart Shanghai’s Pudong International Airport at 1700 hrs on Wednesday and Saturday, arriving in Chengdu at 2000 hrs. The flight continues at 2020 hrs to Bangalore, where it lands at Bengaluru International Airport at 2310 hrs. On the return leg, flight CA 426 takes off from Bangalore at 0020 hrs on Thursdays and Sundays, landing at Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport at 0720 hrs in the morning before departing at 0840 hrs to arrive back in Shanghai Pudong International Airport at 1100 hrs.

 

Air China will operate a Boeing 757-200 configured with 8 Business and 192 Economy Class seats on the route. Bangalore becomes the airline’s second Indian destination after Delhi.

 

Beijing-Manila

Air China will also start a 3 times weekly service to Manila from 29 March 2010. Flight CA 179 will depart Beijing Capital International Airport at 2000 hrs every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, arriving in Ninoy Aquino International Airport at 0055 hrs the next day. The return flight, CA 180, takes off from Manila at 0630 hrs on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, landing back in the Chinese capital at 1110 hrs.

 

Manila is Air China’s seventh Southeast Asian destination, joining Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Yangon. Air China will use a 2-class Boeing 737-800 configured with 8 Business and 159 Economy Class seats.

 

For more information, visit www.airchina.com.