Hotels & Resorts
iPad concierge at Opus Vancouver
The luxury-intensive Opus Vancouver has added handheld technology to its amenities. It is the first hotel in Canada to include an iPad in every room, giving guests a personal concierge tailored to their needs and interests. The tablets are pre-loaded with apps and web links that reflect the hotel's concierge avatars, which guests can take suggestions from with respect to shopping, active pursuits and even drink choices. The iPads are also programmed with GPS features and mobile technology so guests can explore the city sans tour guide....
Starwood tops 100 in China
With recent hotel openings in Ningbo, Sanya, Yangzhou and Xian, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. has surpassed the opening of its 100th operating hotel in China with plans to open 15 additional hotels by the end of this year. With eight hotels already opened in the first quarter of 2012, Starwood will open a total of 23 hotels in China in 2012, which is on pace with 2011 openings making 2012 the second consecutive year the company has opened a record number of hotels here in any one year. "In addition to the record-breaking pace at which we are opening hotels in China, we've signed...
Resort welcomes entrants in September marathon
Travellers looking to get a running start on securing lodging for the fourth annual Kauai Marathon on Sept. 2 will find special marathon rates from the Outrigger Kiahuna Plantation. Rates start at US$145 per night for a one-bedroom condominium with a two-night minimum stay, and the property's proximity to the start and finish lines means participants and spectators can secure convenient accommodations for the race. "The Outrigger Kiahuna Plantation not only anchors the race starting line, we're also only steps from the finish line. No other location is more convenient for participants and...
Boutique luxury on Manhattan Beach, LA
The Shade Hotel in Manhattan Beach of Los Angeles is a premier luxury boutique hotel, now offering new packages like the Getaway package. It includes a stay in a deluxe spa room, dinner at The Strand House and a couple's massage. At US$595 per night, it also includes a beach breakfast buffet, use of the hotel's beach cruiser bicycles, WiFi and access to the nearby Equinox Gym at no additional cost. The Shade is located just two blocks from the beach, and is surrounded by upscale dining and shopping in the heart of downtown Manhattan Beach. The hotel's interior features stainless steel and...
New conference centre for Fairmont Scottsdale
Determined to give guests a distinctive Southwest meeting destination, the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess has broken ground on a new conference centre. It will add 4,800 square metres of indoor meeting space to the new Palomino Ballroom. Set to debut in November, the US$20 million conference centre will give the resort a total of 14,000 square metres of event space. This makes it the largest meetings resort in the Fairmont Hotels & Resorts portfolio worldwide....
Starwood teams up with Bentley
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has launched a global partnership between Bentley Motors and the St. Regis and The Luxury Collection Hotels & Resorts. The partnership underpins the heritage and excellence of the brands, creating signature experiences for guests, residents and customers with driving programs, special events, brand initiatives and house fleets at flagship hotels around the world. As a hotel brand created for "a new generation of luxury travellers,"the St. Regis brand has selected Bentley as the house fleet in hotels and resorts around the world, from The St. Regis Singapore...
Best Western Premier now in Brazil
Best Western International continues its expansion in South America with the addition of the chain's first Best Western Premier hotel in Brazil, the Best Western Premier Majestic Ponta Negra Beach. The five-star hotel, adjacent to Ponta Negra, the most famous beach in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, offers guests 135 rooms and 15 suites - including several with sweeping views of Ponta Negra Beach. Guest and hotel amenities include free Wi-Fi, complimentary breakfast, ocean view rooms, cocktail lounge, outdoor pool, 24-hour room service, concierge service, and meeting and conference facilities....
Breezes Runaway Bay sold, resort remains open
SuperClubs chairman John Issa has announced the sale of Breezes Runaway Bay to Sagicor, operators of the Jewel Dunn's River Beach Resort and Spa. SuperClubs and Sagicor are working together to ensure a smooth transition of ownership with no interruption to service. The property will be rebranded to The Jewel Runaway Bay Resort effective June 1. The employees of the hotel will all receive redundancy packages from Breezes and be available for re-hire by the new operators. SuperClubs now operates Breezes Resorts - Breezes Grand Resort & Spa Negril in Jamaica; Breezes Bahamas; Breezes Búzios...