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Ref: P2217 - Apartment in Northern Alps France

2006-12-06T19:46:00.000-08:00

Ref: P2217 - Apartment in Northern Alps France

Madam Rings But Who Will Answer?
Dec 05, 06 1:58 am
With star-rated hotels mushrooming across China, the hunt is on for a good supply of managers to ensure guests may enjoy a comfortable stay.
According to statistics from China Business News , China has nearly 10,000 star-rated hotels but is lacking in senior management staff.
"Luxury hotels have been expanding at a surprising rate in recent years," said Zhao Huanyan, a manager with the Shanghai Jinjiang International Group. "It is quite often the case that several hotels open in the same business area within a few months."
Zhao said the rapid expansion had meant an acute shortfall of manpower, especially middle and senior executives.
Tao Yue, public relations manager of InterContinental Hotels Group's Greater China division, said an abundance of opportunities had resulted in little loyalty as staff frequently job-hopped around the industry.
"A person with two or three years experience in hotels is hot property," Tao said. "It is not surprising that a luxury hotel in Shanghai will be unable to recruit a chief chef with an annual salary of 100,000 yuan (US$12,500)."
"The shortfall of trained manpower in the hotel industry is a result of a relatively backward professional education system in China," said Liu Dingjun, associate professor with Nankai University's Department of Tourism. "University students majoring in tourism management nowadays receive insufficient professional education," Liu said.
Liu said his department, for example, has cancelled some tourism-related courses due to stiff curricular requirements by the Ministry of Education.
"Courses offered to tourism majors are made too general and theoretical, without enough education and training on the fundamentals of the industry," Liu said.
Liu said China's hotel industry will face numerous challenges, as the number of star-rated hotels could well double over the next decade.
China at present has over 300,000 hotel management professionals, but less than 10 per cent are actually qualified.
"Good senior hotel managers should have the spirit of serving people," said Ning, the marketing manager of Beijing's five-star Marriot Hotel West. "They are expected to have high moral standards as well as professional skills."
Ning said successful senior hotel managers are mostly steady workers, accumulating rich experience on their way up the chain of command.

The next steps in the equation

2006-08-16T02:59:00.000-07:00

Melbourne voted Australia’s top destination
Aug 02, 06 1:57 am
Melbourne is Australia’s favourite destination for style and romance, shopping, international sporting and cultural events, theatre, world class restaurants and for interesting cafes, bars and nightclubs. That’s the finding of a recent survey by Roy Morgan Research.
The research company surveyed 1300 Australians in June this year and asked them to select the best city in seven categories. Melbourne was the unanimous winner, finishing first in six out of the seven categories.
“Australian’s recognize Melbourne as a cosmopolitan city with activities and experiences that don’t rely on the weather. We have so many unique Australian things to do that you can only find in Melbourne,” said Sandra Chipchase, CEO, Melbourne Convention + Visitors Bureau (MCVB).
“Melbourne has its own style and positioning and the positive energy in this town is amazing,” she said.
“If you love to shop, enjoy dining at outstanding restaurants or quirky and sophisticated cafes and bars, crave a little romance, or just want to spend some indulgent time in world class museums, art galleries and theatres, then Melbourne is the city to visit,” said Chipchase.
53% of respondents favoured Melbourne for shopping with Sydney in second place at 27%.
51% considered Melbourne the best city for international sporting and cultural events, with Sydney in second place at 37%.
46% of Australians chose Melbourne as the best city for world class restaurants and 39% for interesting cafes, bars and nightclubs.
“Melbourne and Victoria have destinations and products that are the equal of icons in Australia such as the Great Barrier Reef, the Red Centre and Sydney. We are also developing unique incentive travel products aimed at the Asian market as well as our traditional markets in the United States and Europe,” Sandra added.
Victoria also out-performed other Australian states in the survey and was rated number one for touring by car and for the quality of its regional food and wine. Victoria finished equal with New South Wales and Queensland for its spa and wellness experiences.

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Florida is the place to be

2006-06-09T16:07:00.000-07:00

Accor leads agents to growth
Jun 09, 06 2:00 am
By Raini Hamdi, Editor, TTG Asia Anticipating changes in global demand, Accor plans to open more than 200,000 new rooms by 2010, mainly in economy and budget hotels. The Asia-Pacific region is the company’s major focus. The chain, which views travel agents as its most important distribution channel, continues its quest to lead them by the hand in understanding and partaking in the growth. Raini Hamdi reports.
OF the 200,000 new rooms, 33 per cent will be in mature markets and 67 per cent in emerging markets. Seventy per cent will be low capital-intensive solutions (ie, management or franchise), while 30 per cent will be either owned or leased properties. Accor will invest €2,700 million by 2010 with a target of 15 per cent return on investment, a statement in its latest financial results says.The chain currently operates 470,000 rooms in more than 4,000 hotels in 92 countries. Its brands (not all of them represented in this region) include the Sofitel, Novotel, Mercure, Suitehotel, Ibis, Etap Hotel, Formule 1, Motel 6 and Red Roof Inns.A 57.5 per cent growth in the number of rooms in four years is huge by any standard, and its marketing and communication are being managed, especially in Asia-Pacific, where Accor was a relatively late entrant and where it is now expanding most rapidly compared with other regions.Although Accor has no specifics on how many of the 200,000 new rooms will be in the region, it is clear many will be, particularly in markets such as China and India, where the chain believes its economy and mid-market brands such as Ibis and Novotel can spread like butter. Its upmarket brand Sofitel is also growing in the region: by the end of next year, 25 per cent of all the Sofitels globally will be in Asia-Pacific, from 17 per cent now.As well, the group will further develop two new price points in the region Mercure, a brand positioned between Ibis and Novotel, and Grand Mercure, between Novotel and Sofitel albeit "it is still early days yet" for their development, Accor’s senior vice president sales and marketing Asia-Pacific, Mr Ray Stone, said.On whether more than 200,000 new rooms are a realistic target, Mr Stone said: "If you look at plans in China and India alone, with just the Ibis product, it is definitely a realistic target."We do have a couple of other markets such as Brazil and Russia that are also growing, but no question Asia is the major focus of the company globally."From the marketing perspective, a priority is "to make some sense of the development" for agents, he said."Yes, we have all these hotels that are coming up, but what do they mean for our major channel of distribution, the travel agents, and how can we identify the strategic areas that are of particular relevance to our customers?"At Accor, there is a clear relationship between customer need and development. We know if we develop something that does not have a high value for the customer, it won’t contribute to the average occupancy and room rate, and indeed can end up confusing the customer and certainly our key distribution partners."We also never forget the fact we have to understand in real terms the nature and volume of information that our partners are bombarded with today. This means we have to communicate simply and effectively what our product means, and what it consists of, or we’ll never get the support of travel agents," Mr Stone said.Mr Stone said in the three years since the rollout of World of Accor (WoA), the annual expo which takes Accor hotel executives to meet travel agents in key Asian cities, there had been an overall increase in business from the agents, and a clearer understanding of the brands. While WOA certainly helped, the single biggest contributor to this, he said, was Accor’s rapid expansion in the region itself. At the start of 2001, Accor had 179 hotels in the region. As of April, it has 269 hotels and this network is expected to grow to 350 over the next two years, at least."We can see from the nature of discussions at WoA, agents are no longer asking so much about the brands, as they did three to five years ago, but are wanting to keep track of how and where we’re growing and what new programmes we have," Mr Stone said.This year’s on-going WoA covers 11 cities, including Tokyo, Seoul, Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok, Jakarta, Auckland, Melbourne and Sydney.Mr Stone said there was also increased interest among agents in Accor’s resort portfolio. "We are encouraging that interest as we have continued to grow resorts in the region, particular the Sofitel resorts. The Sofitel Angkor, which is opening in June, has the Phokeethra Country Club Angkor Wat, which is the first golf championship course in Siem Reap and the second in Cambodia (the first in Cambodia is in Phnom Penh). We’re also involved for the first time in sponsoring the Volvo Masters at the Thai Country Club this December. This is all part of our resort strategy," he said.Seventeen of the 49 current Sofitels in the region are resort properties. Six resorts in the French Polynesia four of them Sofitels and the other two Novotels which used to report to Paris, have also now come under the Asia-Pacific umbrella.Agents will also be guided through a fast-growing Accor via its decision to be more brands-led.This entails more investment in product innovation for each of the brands, the appointment of brand champions in Asia-Pacific, more advertising on brands and a revitalisation of brands loyalty programmes.The Sofitel privilege card programme, for example, will be revitalised and relaunched at the end of the year. Asked why the loyalty programmes needed revitalisation, Mr Stone said: "The Sofitel privilege card programme, for instance, was conceived in Europe and is geared more towards the European Sofitel customer. Growth of the Asian Sofitel customer was not anticipated, so the programme is ‘Europe-centric’. It needs to be a global programme and there will be significant improvements aimed at the Asian markets, in areas such as language, and nature and means of redemption. As said before, 25 per cent of the world’s Sofitels will be in this region."

Florida - the place for Holidays....

2006-05-24T01:38:00.000-07:00

Shanghai to develop water tourism
Apr 13, 06 1:56 am
The Shanghai Water Tourism Association announced its decision to develop water tourism into a permanent tourist attraction, emulating the successes of Rotterdam and Amsterdam.
The city first offered sightseeing cruises to Donghai Bridge and the Yangshan Deep-Water port as part of the Shanghai Nanhui Peach Blossom Festival.
"We want to promote water tourism in Shanghai," said Dao Shuming, director of the Shanghai Municipal Tourism Administrative Commission, told the Shanghai Daily newspaper. "We want to gain more fame among foreign travelers."

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Out of 90 million tourists who visited Shanghai in 2005, only about two million went on river cruises along the Huangpu River and other waterways in the city. "We plan to add tours to the coastline of Nanhui District," cruise tour operator Luo Ming said.
A market survey underaken in 2005 among foreign tourits indicated interest to go on a cruise along the Hangpu River, but only about 5 percent eventually did.
Seventeen ships have been given permits to offer tours along the river between the Nanpu and Yangpu Bridge. Only half, however, have fixed schedules.

The association also said it plans to not only improve services, but the industry's image.
"The businesses are inefficiently run; ships lack decent catering service, poor scheduling and customer service. We need to improve menus, offer late night snacks and hold holiday feasts.
"Future plans include extending cruises to the south, Suzhou Creek and Dianshan Lake in Qingpu District," added Dao.

Shanghai, a city of 10 million has always been synonymous with China's history. China's headlong rush to develop the nation has turned the city into its busiest port, as well as the country's industrial base.

Holiday Abroad

2006-05-23T04:03:00.000-07:00

Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels Reports Trend in Hotel Investment Window Shrinking by 50%
Mar 22, 06 1:58 am

According to Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels, private equity firms are shrinking the traditional window for hotel investments from three to seven years to, in some cases, two to four years, or by as much as half of the traditional investment window.

“Aggressive investors are seeking to exit their assets in as few as 18 months,” said Arthur Adler, managing director and CEO-Americas for Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels. “This leaves hotel operators limited time to establish themselves and meet aggressive owner performance expectations. We believe hotel operators will have to be far more proactive and responsive to meet the demands of these sophisticated investors.”

The firm’s latest Hotel Investment Outlook Several years ago, the bulk of hotels were held by corporate entities. The integrated model of hotel ownership – combining the property assets and the hotel operating company – was the dominant model. Since then, most international hotel operators have undertaken a clear separation between management and ownership, monetizing the property assets while securing long term leases or management contract which protect tenure and income.

The growing dominance of large private equity firms, coupled with their aggressive asset management skills, diverse portfolios and short term investment horizons, has caused a seismic shift in hotel ownership. Real Estate Investment Trusts, with quarterly earnings pressure and investor growth expectations to maintain stock valuation multiples, further test the management skills of operators.

“While operators have chosen an opportune time to free up capital, they may find that the new ownership regime is more demanding than they have anticipated. This new dynamic will require an increasing sensitivity to owners’ objectives as well as far better management skills from the hotel operators to meet the performance requirements,” said Adler.
About Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels

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Hotels in Vienna - Accommodation

2006-05-09T02:06:00.000-07:00

Check In, Check Out: Hotel Sacher Vienna
May 05, 06 1:58 am
By ANDREW FERREN, The New York Times
THE BASICS Nestled between the State Opera and the Albertina Museum, amid all the Imperial Habsburg grandeur of the Austrian capital, the Hotel Sacher Vienna is like a discreet but flavorful note of sweet jam amid layers of rich cake. Ever since 1832, when Franz Sacher - a 16-year-old kitchen apprentice at the court of Prince Metternich - created his namesake torte, the Sacher name has been evocative of the good life, Viennese style
Franz's son Eduard opened the hotel in 1876 and it has remained one of the most romantic and storied establishments in town. And there are two new stories - literally - after a roof-raising expansion added 42 rooms (for a total of 152) to go along with a refurbishment of the rest of the building. A 3,200-square-foot fitness center and spa will open this month, offering massage, facials and, of course, Sacher hot chocolate treatments.
With its densely decorated entry parlor, 19th-century paintings, crystal chandeliers and scarlet silk damask furnishings, the Hotel Sacher feels a bit like staying with a very chic and well-to-do Austrian aunt. Staff members don't just tell you where something in the hotel is - they take you there.
THE ROOMS The original rooms gleam anew in shades of minty green and canary yellow, and with the same sort of polished trimmings as the lobby, though with the addition of feather comforters and crisp linen sheets. The new rooms, most of which fall into the higher priced categories, are decidedly modern, especially those accented with red fabrics, which are just plain sexier. Black lacquer furnishings, flat screen TV's with surround sound, and modern art lend an air of up-to-date luxury.
THE BATHROOMS The older bathrooms are elegant and efficient but not glamorous. Tile walls and floors and all the necessary fixtures in white ceramic meet house-brand bath products. The new bathrooms are more luxe: heated marble floors, separate shower stalls, their own flat screen TV's and, in the costlier categories, Bulgari products.
AMENITIES The location might be the most important perk, but many of the others are edible. House-made chocolates await upon arrival and there is a miniature Sacher torte on the nightstand in case anyone wakes up on the verge of a hypoglycemic episode. There is a well-equipped business center, 24-hour room service and soon the new health club. There is (perhaps regrettably) even a scale in the bathroom to keep track of all that torte.
ROOM SERVICE Given the charm of Viennese restaurants, in-room dining may seem like punishment, but the hotel's very good food is given elegant presentation with fresh flowers and artful napkin folding. A steaming bowl of potato soup was punctuated with savory bits of sautéed mushrooms, bacon and fresh herbs. This was followed by Wiener schnitzel and the eponymous torte with whipped cream. With a bottle of Ottakringer Goldfassl Pils beer, it all came to 38 euros ($45.60, at $1.20 to the euro).
THE CROWD Straight out of Somerset Maugham, right down to the dashing Russian and German secret service agents eyeballing new arrivals (several government ministers were staying during my visit). Café Sacher and the Rote (red) Bar were buzzing with a well-dressed and worldly bunch winding things up or down with cakes and either coffee or champagne. The more intimate Blaue (blue) Bar was populated with discreetly canoodling couples.
THE BOTTOM LINE Given the location, attentive service and elegant but cozy atmosphere, the 357-euro price tag for a standard room might be an indulgence worth allowing. At checkout, guests receive miniature Sacher tortes "to sweeten the trip home." Hotel Sacher Vienna, Philharmonikerstasse 4, A-1010 Vienna; (43 1) 51 45 60;

Holiday Homes Australia

2006-05-09T01:39:00.000-07:00

Radisson SAS To Take Over Intercontinental Hotel Dubai

May 08, 06 1:57 am

Radisson SAS Hotels & Resorts, the first-class, full-service international brand of Rezidor SAS Hospitality, will take over the management of the InterContinental Hotel Dubai, the first five-star hotel in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) located in the city's business district, beginning October 1, 2006. The hotel will become the Radisson SAS Hotel Dubai, Deira Creek.Opened more than three decades ago, the hotel is an established landmark on the Deira Creekside and is popular with business travelers and the Gulf Corporation Council (GCC; consisting of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates) leisure market. It features 287 guestrooms, including 39 suites, 16 food and beverage outlets and extensive meeting and conference facilities.'We are honored to be taking on this property. We look forward to bringing our brand philosophy including the 'Yes, I Can!' spirit of service and 100 percent guest satisfaction guarantee to staff and customers alike.
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We are also planning to embark on a major renovation program to recapture the grandeur of the hotel,' said Kurt Ritter, president & CEO, Rezidor SAS Hospitality. Rezidor SAS has more plans for Dubai with two properties on The Palm, Jumeirah, scheduled to open in 2008. It also recently opened the Radisson SAS Hotel, Dubai Media City - the first international hotel brand to open within Dubai's free zone.'We will continue to explore business opportunities in the Middle East and will soon launch three of our other brands into the region - Park Inn, Regent and Missoni,' said Jean-Marc Busato, vice president Middle East, Rezidor SAS Hospitality.