Pacific Jewel Joins P&O Cruises Australia

P&O Cruises Australia has welcomed the latest addition to its fleet, the 70,310-GRT Pacific Jewel. Following an extensive refit in Singapore, the vessel was christened in Sydney’s Circular Quay by the Governor-General of Australia, Her Excellency Ms. Quentin Bryce AC.

 

Guests at the invitation-only event onboard were treated to a tour of the ship, accompanied by fine food and wine. The highlight of the evening was a charity auction of a specially commissioned jewel necklace, with all proceeds benefiting the Leukaemia Foundation and Special Olympics Australia. Valued at almost AUD 50,000, the stunning necklace with a teardrop aquamarine set in white gold and surrounded with more than 2 carats of diamonds was designed and created by Hardy Brothers Jewellers to mark the event.

 

The public also had the opportunity to participate in the festivities with a ‘South Pacific Christmas Festival’ organized by P&O Cruises Australia. Against the backdrop of Pacific Jewel, the festival featured an array of live entertainment including performances by Australian Idols Stan Walker and Wes Carr, aerial circus displays, face-painting and a visit by Santa culminating in a spectacular fireworks display over Darling Harbour.

 

Pacific Jewel brings several new amenities to the P&O Cruises Australia fleet, including an amazing high-wire circus and trapeze arena on the top deck featuring 2 animatronic elephants for the ‘Run Away to the Circus’ show, the new Salt Grill by celebrity Chef Luke Mangan and the line’s largest Aqua Health, Spa and Fitness Center. The vessel will sail year-round from Sydney to the South Pacific and New Zealand, with her maiden voyage to Tasmania today retracing the first-ever cruise of the Australian mainland.

 

For more information, visit www.pocruises.com.au.

Finnair Opens New Lounge And Spa In Helsinki-Vantaa

Finnair has opened the new Via Lounge and the new generation Via Spa at its hub in Helsinki-Vantaa Airport. Targeted at long-haul travellers from Asia, Europe and North America flying through Helsinki, the new facilities are part of the airline’s efforts to make its offering more competitive. Located between gates 36 and 37, the lounge and spa will offer wellness and comfort amenities and services to the airline’s Business Class passengers, as well as Finnair Plus and Oneworld top tier members.

 

Via Lounge

The stylish 1,000-square meter lounge can accomodate 250 guests and features a variety of seating areas for working or relaxing before a flight. Complimentary wireless internet is available throughout the airport and European plug sockets can be found in some armchairs in addition to 3 iMac computers, while Samsung LCD televisions deliver up to date news and other programs to guests.

 

An extensive food and beverage area offers a buffet selection paired with vintage champagnes, wines and special cognacs from the wine bar. Guests not using the spa facilities can utilize the 6 private shower suites to freshen up before boarding their flight.

 

Via Spa

Located behind the lounge, the 600-square meter Via Spa is complimentary for Finnair Plus Platinum cardholders and accessible for 45 Euros for all other passengers. The spa will offer amenities such 4 saunas (spruce, stone, steam, traditional Finnish), mineral water pool, rasul for mud treatments and loungers facing the runway. Using organic ingredients and naturopathic therapies, each treatment and facility is designed to alleviate the side effects of flying and combat jetlag.

 

For more information, visit www.finnair.com.

Hilton Garden Inn Expands Into Asia Pacific

Hilton Worldwide has expanded its Hilton Garden Inn brand to the Asia Pacific region, adding to its portfolio of nearly 500 hotels around the world. Located amidst the DLF Place Mall in the heart of New Delhi’s shopping and entertainment district, the 114-room Hilton Garden Inn New Delhi/Saket is the brand’s first property in India and Asia.

 

The hotel is a 30-minute drive from Indira Gandhi International Airport and in close proximity to the business districts of Nehru Place, Okhla and Jasola. Many of the city’s attractions, such as the Qutub Minar, Humayun Tomb and Lotus Temple, are also situated near the hotel.

 

Each of the rooms feature the brand’s signature Garden Sleep System bed, spcaious bathroom with Neutrogena bath amenities and 32-inch LCD television with cable programming. Designed with business travellers in mind, guests enjoy complimentary high-speed internet access, dual telephones with voicemail function, in-room work space with ergonomic Mirra chair by Herman Miller and connector ports, in-room safe, as well as a minibar and coffee-/tea-making facilities.

 

Dining is provided at the all-day dining India Grill restaurant, which serves a daily buffet breakfast and offers an a la carte menu for lunch and dinner. A light bite menu and drinks are available at the restaurant’s bar, which is open throughout the meal periods. The 24-hour Pavillion Pantry convenience store provides a variety of snack options, microwaveable meals and beverages.

 

The Hilton Garden Inn New Delhi/Saket offers 3 meeting venues to business travellers. The Iris and Oryo rooms each feature 53.5 square meters of space and can accomodate up to 54 guests in a theater set-up. There is also a smaller boardroom for smaller discussions. Each room is equipped with modern audio-visual technology and supported by the 24-hour business center. After a day of business, guests can relax at the rooftop outdoor swimming pool and whirlpool, or engage in a workout at the fitness center by Precor or in the comfort of their room with the hotel’s Stay-Fit Kits.

 

Hilton Garden Inn is the focused-service brand of Hilton Worldwide, with hotels across North America and Europe. For more information, visit www.hgi.com.

Rebranded Azamara Club Cruises Promises New Attributes

Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines has rebranded Azamara Cruises, announcing a new name and renewed focus on destinations, onboard service, cuisine & wine and wellness & vigour. Now known as Azamara Club Cruises, the already upscale brand will cater to upmarket, experienced travellers and feature a new loyalty program called “Le Club Voyage”.

 

Destination Immersion

In 2010, the line’s 2 ships, Azamara Quest and Azamara Journey, will visit 140 ports in 50 countries. Itineraries will feature more overnight stays in destinations such as Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Istanbul, Singapore, Sorrento and St. Petersburg, allowing guests more time to explore and experience the local culture and communities. 

 

To highlight the line’s increased destination focus, Azamara has placed renewed emphasis on shore excursions. Experiences will be designed to make it easy for guests to immerse themselves at each location. Amongst the programs planned are a 2-night package from Bangkok to Laos, an overnight tour from Hiroshima to Osaka by the shinkansen, visits to the Taj Mahal and a Grand Egypt tour to Luxor and Cairo. Specialty tours include a Ferrari driving tour in Civitavecchia, the “In the steps of The Beatles” tour in Liverpool, a private demonstration of chocolate flavours in Dubrovnik, a “Theatre A La Carte” evening in London, imperial Russian Court evening in St. Petersburg, gondola serenade in Venice and high tea at the Burj al Arab hotel in Dubai.

 

Onboard Service

Azamara is promising highly personalised service with 1 dedicated staff member to 2 guests onboard its ships. Suite guests will be served by butlers trained to be true English butlers offering anticipatory yet non-intrusive service, while experienced stateroom attendants cater to the needs of guests in staterooms.

 

Cuisine & Wine

Praised since its inception for the quality dining experience, the line will expand its focus on wine. Both the Azamara Quest and Azamara Journey will carry more than 8,000 bottles of wine onboard, including vintages from boutique wineries around the world. Offered complimentary at lunches and dinners, guests will be able to taste the premium wines that would otherwise be available only in their country of produce.

 

The line will also be offering complimentary bottled water, specialty coffees and teas for all guests throughout each voyage. In addition, suite guests will enjoy complimentary specialty dining at the intimate Prime C steakhouse and Mediterranean-influenced Aqualina restaurants.

 

Wellness & Vigour

Another core component of the Azamara Club Cruises experience, guests can look forward to programs and facilities dedicated to helping them look and feel healthier and more youthful. The line is offering a world-class spa to guests featuring Elemis treatments, with massages, facials and enrichment programs such as acupuncture, pilates and yoga.

 

For more information, visit www.azamaraclubcruises.com.

Westin Expands Indian Presence

Starwood Hotels & Resorts has expanded its Westin brand in India with the opening of the new Westin Pune Koregaon Park. Located in close proximity to the airport and railway station, the 277-room hotel  is the second Westin property in the country and offers panoramic views of the Mulla-Mutha River.

 

Each room is furnished with the signature 10-layer Westin Heavenly Bed, spacious bathroom with separate bathtub and rainforest shower, LCD television, high-speed internet access, telephone with voicemail function, workdesk, in-room safe, minibar and coffee-/tea-making facilities. Guests can also choose to stay in the WestinWORKOUT room with its own fitness facilities, or the Executive Club rooms which offers access to the Westin Executive Club Lounge.

 

The hotel features 5 restaurants serving a variety of cuisines. Taste offers international fare, while the all-day dining restaurant Daily Treats presents western specialties. Westin’s signature Italian restaurant, Prego, is available to serve up pizza and pasta dishes, with QBA introducing Cuban cuisine to Pune. For a local touch, Kangan offers the best of Indian dining. Guests can retreat to Mix@36 in the evenings after a day of business for a sundowner and light snacks.

 

As a business hotel, the Westin Pune Koregaon Park offers 8 unique meeting venues totalling 1,050 square meters of convention space for business travellers and event planners. Each venue is supported by state-of-the-art facilities and the hotel’s business center. For recreation, guests can head to the oudoor swimming pool for a refreshing swim, enjoy a session at the WestinWORKOUT gym, or proceed to the Heavenly Spa for soothing wellness therapies.

 

The Westin Pune Koregaon Park follows New Delhi’s Westin Sohna-Gurgaon Resort & Spa. The brand will be opening another 5 hotels in India by 2012, including the Westin Mumbai Garden City, Westin Hyderabad Mindspace, Westin New Delhi Gurgaon, Westin Jaipur Infotech City and Westin Kolkata Rajarhat.

 

For more information, visit www.westin.com.

Hainan Airlines To Link Beijing And Brussels Daily

Hainan Airlines, the largest private airline in China, has announced it will increase frequencies on the Beijing-Brussels route to daily service. The airline currently offers 3 weekly and 4 weekly flights during the winter and summer seasons respectively.

 

Beginning 27 April 2010, flight HU 491 departs Beijing Capital Airport daily at 0120 hrs, arriving in Brussels Airport at 0530 hrs in the morning. On the return leg, flight HU 492 takes off from Brussels at 1350 hrs and lands back in Beijing at 0510 hrs the next day. The airline has timed the flights to allow for convenient onward connections to and from Hong Kong, Shanghai, Taipei and other destinations across China and Northeast Asia.

 

All flights will be operated using a 2-class Airbus A330-200 aircraft configured with 36 Business Class and 186 Economy Class seats. Offering a generous 74-inch seat pitch, the fixed-shell Business Class seats convert into a full-flat bed, with the audio-video on-demand inflight entertainment delivered by a 10.6-inch personal screen. In Economy Class, passengers enjoy ergonomic slimline seats with a 8.9-inch personal monitor fitted to the seatback.

 

Haikou-based Hainan Airlines has been operating on the route since 2006. Brussels is 1 of 18 international destinations served by the airline in Africa, Asia, Europe and North America, including Astana, Bangkok, Berlin, Budapest, Dubai, Luanda, Moscow, Seattle, Seoul and St. Petersburg.

 

For more information, visit www.hnair.com.

Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas Opens

Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has opened its newest property in Las Vegas. The 47-storey, non-gaming Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas was designed by architectural firm Kohn Pederson Fox and is located within the CityCenter complex at the center of the Strip.

 

The 392 guestrooms and suites feature interiors from renowned designer Adam D. Tihany blending sleek, contemporary design with subtle oriental touches the brand is known for. Accomodation options range from the 47-square meter CityScape Room to the luxurious 288-square meter Mandarin Suite and boast views of the Las Vegas Strip. Each room is furnished with a luxury bed and 480-threadcount cotton sheets, spacious bathroom with separate bathtub and shower accompanied by products from Aromatherapy Associates, 42-inch LCD television with DVD player and iPod docking station, high-speed internet access, telephone, workdesk, in-room safe, minibar and coffee-/tea-making facilities. In addition to the standard amenities, guests staying in the hotel’s suites enjoy additional privileges such as separate living and dining areas, luxury Red Flower and Bulgari bath products and fitness equipment by Technogym.

 

Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas offers guests some of the city’s finest restaurants and bars. Spearheading the selection is Twist by Pierre Gagnaire, located on the 23rd floor, where the 3-star Michelin Chef makes his US debut bringing a fusion of classic French cuisine with his signature modern twist. Guests dine to the view of the glittering city heights amidst the 300 illuminated globes and suspended wine loft reached by a glass staircase. MOzen Bistro, the hotel’s all-day dining restaurant, serves Pan-Asian and international cuisine with an exhibition noodle bar, rotisserie and grill, while the Amore Patisserie completes a meal with exquisitely-wrapped pastries, handmade chocolates, teas, coffees and juices.

 

For casual dining, the hotel’s Poolside Cafe offers a range of vitality cuisine, iced drinks, fizzy cocktails and chilled juices to refresh. Tea lovers will be spoilt for choice at the Tea Lounge, where the finest leaves and infusions from around the world have been carefully selected and presented to guests. After sundown, the ultra chic Mandarin Bar serves up an expansive selection of cocktails and beverages from the master mixologists amidst low plush furnishings, billowing fabric panels and a double height wall of liquor bottles, creating a discreet yet comfortable environment.

 

As an urban resort destination, the Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas boasts a multitude of recreational facilities, including the 2-level, 2,508-square meter Spa at Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas. The decor of the world-class facilities, including 17 treatment rooms, multiple relaxation and water experiences, fitness center and dedicated yoga studio, hints at the exotic luxury of 1930s Shanghai. Inspired by Eastern traditions and incorporating modern techniques, the therapists create a holistic experience for guests, who can retreat to a magnificent swimming pool to escape the desert heat.

 

Business travellers and meeting planners at the hotel have more than 1,114 square meters of convention space at their disposal. The largest venue is the 710-square meter Oriental Ballroom situated 3 floors above Las Vegas Boulevard and capable of accomodating up to 600 guests, while the smaller Lotus, Jade rooms and Mandarin Boardroom cater for more intimate events. All venues are supported by state-of-the-art technology and the hotel’s business center, while a dedicated event concierge will be available to assist with any requirements.

 

Beginning in 1963 with its flagship property in Hong Kong, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group operates and develops 41 hotels around the world. The group has 14 luxury hotels across North America and the Caribbean in locations such as Bermuda, Boston, Miami, New York, Riviera Maya, San Francisco and Washington DC.

 

For more information, visit www.mandarinoriental.com.

Emirates To Begin Flights To Amsterdam

Dubai’s Emirates has announced it will commence passenger services to Amsterdam on 1 May 2010, making it the first Gulf carrier to fly to the Dutch city. The new route is Emirates’ 23rd into Europe and the airline joins KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, which currently offer 12 flights a week between Amsterdam and Dubai.

 

Flight EK 145 will depart Dubai at 0825 hrs and arrive in Amsterdam at 1330 hrs. The return flight, EK 146, takes off from Schipol Airport at 1530 hrs, landing back in Dubai International Airport at 2359 hrs. Emirates will operate the flights using a combination of 3-class Boeing 777-200LR and 777-300ER aircraft, becoming the only airline offering a First Class product on the route.

 

Emirates is leveraging on its successful hub operations in Dubai for the route, timing the flights to allow for convenient onward connections to and from Africa, Asia, Australia and the Indian subcontinent. The new service will complement recent developments by the airline in Europe, where it has opened new lounge facilities in Dusseldorf, Hamburg and Manchester, as well as increased frequencies to Rome. The airline will also be deploying its Airbus A380 aircraft on the Dubai-Paris (Charles de Gaulle) flights in December 2009.

 

For more information, visit www.emirates.com.

Banyan Tree Opens Hangzhou Resort

Singapore-based Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts has opened the Banyan Tree Hangzhou. Located within the Xixi National Wetland Park, China’s first wetland reserve, the property comprises 72 water terraces and villas designed in the region’s distinct Jiang Nan style. The resort is easily accessible, with Xiaoshan International Airport 50 minutes away and the city center within 15 minutes by car.

 

Combining the hallmarks of oriental and contemporary design, the accomodations feature either a spring, summer, autumn or winter theme and showcase local artwork. Starting from 120 square meters, each terrace and suite is furnished with luxury bedding, spacious bathroom with separate bathtub and shower, LCD television, high-speed internet access, direct-dial telephone, workdesk, in-room safe, minibar and coffee-/tea-making facilities. In addition, most of the villas, including the 380-square meter Presidential Villa, are equipped with a heated outdoor jet pool.

 

The resort offers gourmet dining at its 3 food & beverage outlets. Waterlight Court is an all-day dining restaurant serving international favorites and local specialties, while the elegant Bai Yun offers authentic Chinese cuisine in its grand dining hall or private dining pavillion. Guests can also sample the famed Long Jin green tea indigenous to the hills of Hangzhou at the restaurant’s tea lounge, or enjoy cocktails whilst taking in breathtaking views of the XiXi wetlands at Jiu Xian.

 

Banyan Tree Hangzhou hosts the latest incarnation of the brand’s renowned spa. Featuring 10 treatment rooms, guests can experience signature treatments inspired by traditional Asian remedies and delivered by therapists trained at Banyan Tree Spa Academies in Lijiang and Phuket. The facility will also offer therapies encompassing oriental bath rituals to rejuvenate guests. Other health and beauty facilities include a swimming pool, beauty salon, onsen, gymnasium, yoga studio and spa lounge, while the retail outlet, Banyan Tree Gallery, will offer handicrafts that Hangzhou is known for.

 

The resort can also cater for small to medium sized events, with a 180-square meter meeting room that can be converted into 2 smaller venues. For small meetings, a boardroom is available in the Library and is capable of accomodating up to 15 guests. Each facility is equipped with essential audio-video support such as a built-in projector and screen.

 

The Banyan Tree Hangzhou is the group’s fourth resort in China since 2005, following sister properties Banyan Tree Ringha, Banyan Tree Lijiang and Banyan Tree Sanya. Established in 1994, Banyan Tree’s portfolio currently includes 26 hotels and resorts, 65 spas, 70 retail galleries and 2 golf courses around the world under the Banyan Tree and Angsana brands.

 

For more information, visit www.banyantree.com.

Premier Inn Expands To India

UK-based budget hotel chain Premier Inn has expanded into India, with the opening of a new property in Bangalore. The 105-room Premier Inn Bangalore Whitefield is located along the city’s main road in close proximity to the business district and major shopping malls.

 

Each room at the hotel can accomodate a family of 4. All rooms are furnished with a comfortable bed, bathroom with bathtub and shower, flatscreen television, complimentary high-speed internet access, work desk, in-room safe and coffee-/tea-making facilities.

 

The hotel offers guests 2 food & beverage outlets. Linx restaurant serves simple meals of European, Oriental and Indian dishes, featuring meats, seafood and vegetarian creations in a relaxed surrounding. For light snacks and drinks, The 87 offers snacks and a selection of beers, wines, cocktails and mocktails.

 

For business travellers, Premier Inn Bangalore Whitefield has intimate meeting rooms for discussions and conferences. Guests can relax with a workout at the fitness center after a day of business.

 

Premier Inn’s development in India follows the brand’s expansion out of the UK into Dubai, where it currently has 2 properties. A second Premier Inn is set to open in New Delhi’s Shalimar Bagh district, with plans to open a further 9 hotels in India within the next 5 years.

 

For more information, visit www.premierinn.com.