Dimsum class, wheel of fortune: 2 ways to welcome Year of the Rat

MANILA -- Dimsum and luck have always been a part of Chinese New Year traditions. Welcome the Year of the Metal Rat by learning how to make dimsum from a master chef, or spinning a wheel of fortune for a chance for amazing prizes.

SHANGRI-LA AT THE FORT

Canton Road at Shangri-La at the Fort is offering dimsum classes for groups of 10 guests. Let chef Wang Wei Qing guide you through this unique family bonding or team-building exercise where all the ingredients are provided for you to make your own lotus or salted egg filled buns.

The dimsum are then steamed and served with a special menu for 10 with special dishes such as these Minced Peking Duck with mushroom, celery black truffle balls in tofu skin wrapper with abalone sauce and broccoli.

The dimsum class with the special menu for 10 is priced at 28,888 nett. Slots are available on January 21, 2020. For reservations or requests for additional schedules, please email cantonroad@shangri-la.com.

NEW WORLD MAKATI HOTEL

Over at the New World Makati Hotel, guests who avail of the Chinese New Year room package or dine at Jasmine, the hotel’s Chinese restaurant with a minimum single spend of P10,0000 on Chinese New Year weekend (January 24 and 25), are entitled to try their luck by spinning their wheel of fortune. Landing on the metal rat wins lucky guests an all-expense paid overnight stay at the hotel.

Jasmine is also offering Chinese New Year-only set menus at Jasmine made by veteran Chinese executive chef Wong Kam On including the traditional Yu Sheng with salmon meant to be tossed as high as possible over the dining table with chopsticks to usher in luck for the year. Set menus start at P12,888 nett.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Microhotels skimp on size, not on style

They appeal to senior citizens and millennials, business travelers and backpackers. And they are particularly attractive to hotel developers, who can pack in more guest rooms than in a typical hotel.

They’re known as microhotels, inspired by the Japanese capsule or pod hotels of 40 years ago that offered cheap, tiny accommodations to businessmen.

The new versions — which are most common in but not exclusive to big, expensive cities like New York, London and Paris — are designed, as one hotel expert put it, down to their last square inch. Their guest rooms are small — often half, or less, the size of a typical room in an urban hotel — with furniture that often can be folded up or stowed away, and bathrooms that usually have showers and toilets but no bathtubs. Wall-mounted TVs are also major space savers.

Their rates are substantially less than typical urban hotels’. Rates at Moxy hotels, a Marriott brand, start, for example, at $159 per night in the United States.

With décor inspired by Japanese capsule hotels and airlines’ first-class cabins, microhotels are increasingly popping up worldwide.

Henry Harteveldt, president of Atmosphere Research, a travel research company, said the process of squeezing more rooms into a hotel resembles what the airlines have been doing to increase the number of seats on an aircraft. While microhotel room rates and basic economy airfares might be relatively low, he said, the number of potential customers makes them attractive to operators.

Stephani Robson, a senior lecturer at the School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University, agreed that the concept of a microhotel room “is often more about meeting the needs of developers.”

Although the size of microhotel guest rooms is “minimalist,” Robson said, “it does not mean they are not comfortable or stylish. They’re very well planned, and they make optimal use of every square inch.”

Another plus for developers, said Mark Van Stekelenburg, managing director of CBRE Hotels Advisory, is that the design of microhotel guest rooms makes them cheaper to clean and maintain than larger, more traditional guest rooms.

And the microhotel concept appeals to companies like Marriott and Hilton, which recently introduced the Motto brand, because it allows them “to get more dots on the map,” said Michael Bellisario, lodging analyst for Baird. “The more properties and brands they have in all cities,” the greater potential for repeat business.

The idea of small hotel rooms arrived in the United States in 1989. The Microtel brand, introduced in Rochester, New York, served value-conscious guests by offering rooms half the size of traditional hotel rooms, with rates that were also half the cost. But industry experts do not consider Microtel, now owned by Wyndham, a microhotel brand by current standards, since its guest room sizes tend to be significantly larger than those of most newer microhotels.

Generally, microhotels today have guest rooms that range in size from about 115 to 220 square feet, depending on the number and size of beds. A typical room at an urban hotel in the United States can range from 250 to 300 square feet.

Other large hotel companies have rolled out their own brands: Introduced in 2014, Marriott’s Moxy has 44 hotels in Europe, Asia and North America today and has signed contracts for another 96. Hilton’s Motto, announced last fall, has more than a dozen projects under development in Europe, the United States and South America.

While another brand, Mama Shelter — developed by former Club Med hotel operators — considers its properties boutique hotels, its guest rooms can be as small as 118 square feet. There are currently nine Mama Shelter hotels, with 10 more under development. Accor owns 49 percent of the brand.

Hyatt acquired its own microhotel brand, Tommie, when it bought Two Roads Hospitality in October.

Among the earliest independent microhotel brands were Yotel and Pod, which opened their first hotels in 2007.

The first Yotels were at airports in London and Amsterdam, and their guest rooms were designed by a British firm that also designs aircraft cabins. Today rates typically range from $200 to $229. Yotel has 12 properties, half located in airports and half in cities. Eighteen more are planned, including a new extended-stay concept.

There are four Pod hotels in New York, including one with extended-stay accommodations in Times Square. There is also a Pod in Washington, with others to open in Philadelphia and Los Angeles by next year.

There are now many more independent microhotel brands, including Hoxton Hotels, based in London; citizenM, based in the Netherlands; Arlo in New York; and the Hotel Hive, which opened in 2017 in a former federal workers’ rooming house in Washington.

Many microhotels feature expansive lobbies, with spaces designed for hanging out; dining and drinking; and coworking; Hive and Hoxton will soon open dedicated coworking spaces at some hotels.

Microhotel lobbies sometimes offer work by local artists; food and drink from popular local purveyors; and activities for guests and other visitors. Mama Shelter, for instance, offers free access to foosball tables and photo and video booths in the lobbies of many of its properties, while Arlo offers digital-detox happy hours, which are free to guests and available for a fee to visitors.

Guests staying at microhotels often have access to loyalty program benefits: Customers at Moxy, Motto, Tommie and Mama Shelter hotels can or will be able to access the benefits of the programs of the brands’ parents, while some independent brands — including Yotel and Hive — offer their own programs.

Another type of compact sleeping accommodations, ranging in size from 30 to 56 square feet, is also now available post-security at some airports in the United States, including Atlanta, Dallas and Philadelphia. Minute Suites and Sleepbox, which operate these, charge guests by time increments that can range from 15 to 60 minutes to overnight. Many Minute Suites rooms have showers, but Sleepbox provides neither bathrooms nor showers; its guests must use the airport’s facilities.

The experiences of guests who stayed at two Manhattan microhotels recently show they can appeal to a wide variety of customers.

Sarah Yawn, 29, a Los Angeles-based national accounts manager for a Swedish watch company, stayed at the citizenM Bowery hotel. She praised its guest room décor, lobby that was “almost like a coworking environment, with a lot of young professionals,” and proximity to trendy shops.

Robert Smith, 58, is the chief financial officer of ClevR Mobility, an electric scooter company in Berkeley, California. A frequent business traveler, he has spent more than 50 nights at the Moxy Times Square hotel this year. He likes the company of its young staff — he called them “just happy, helpful people” — and the guests, who remind him of his four children, who are in their 20s.

The staff’s attentiveness likely stems, in part, from Smith’s recently attained top-tier status in Marriott’s loyalty program. The staff marked his new status by leaving a thank-you note, in green and red crayon, on the mirror in his room, and presenting him with a sweatshirt and sweatpants with the Moxy logo.

The lasting proof of all microhotels will come when the economy “slows, unemployment rates increase, and corporate and leisure travel gets curtailed,” said Jan Freitag, senior vice president of lodging insights for STR, a hotel research firm.

Van Stekelenburg said he did not anticipate that the attractiveness of the microhotel concept would dim any time soon. “We will see continued efforts by independent and large hotel companies. I believe they’re here to stay.”

Robson said she did not expect to see microhotels on suburban highways or resort destinations. “But where real estate costs are high and length of stay is relatively short, they will be very successful,” she said.

“When guests stay for more time, they have more stuff. Microhotel guest rooms cannot accommodate more stuff.”


2019 New York Times News Service

source: news.abs-cbn.com

At Alibaba's futuristic hotel, robots deliver towels and mix cocktails

HANGZHOU -- Gliding silently through Alibaba Group Holding Ltd's futuristic "FlyZoo" hotel, black disc-shaped robots about a meter in height deliver food and drop off fresh towels.

The robots are part of a suite of high-tech tools that Alibaba says drastically cuts the hotel's cost of human labor and eliminates the need for guests to interact with other people.

Formally opened to the public last month, the 290-room FlyZoo is an incubator for technology Alibaba wants to sell to the hotel industry in the future and an opportunity to showcase its prowess in artificial intelligence.

It is also an experiment that tests consumer comfort levels with unmanned commerce in China - a country where intrusive data-sharing technology is readily tolerated and often met with enthusiasm.

"It's all about the efficiency of the service and the consistency of service, because the robots are not disturbed by human moods. Sometimes, we say we are not in the mood, but the system and the robot will always be in the mood," said Andy Wang, CEO of Alibaba Future Hotel Management, the unit that oversees the hotel project.

Inside the hotel, softly-lit white paneled walls bring to mind the interiors of Hollywood spaceships. Guests check in at podiums that scan their faces, as well as passports or other ID. Visitors with a Chinese national ID can scan their faces using their smartphones to check in ahead of time.

Elevators scan guests' faces again to verify which floor they can access and hotel room doors are opened with another face scan.

"It's very quick and safe. I haven't used it for a long time yet, but basically, I can be in my room in one minute," said guest Tracy Li. Li added that safety was one of her priorities and she was pleased her room could only be entered with a scan of her face.

In the rooms, Alibaba's voice command technology is used to change the temperature, close the curtains, adjust the lighting and order room service.

At the hotel's restaurant, taller capsule-shaped robots deliver food that guests have ordered via the FlyZoo app while at a separate bar, a large robotic arm can mix more than 20 different types of cocktails. Facial recognition cameras add charges to the room rate automatically.

To check out, guests press a button on the app after which the room locks and they are automatically charged through Alibaba's online wallet. Once this is done, the guests' facial scan data is immediately erased from Alibaba's systems, said Wang.

CELEBRATING 'THE EMPTY'

FlyZoo - whose name derives from a pun in Chinese for 'it's a must to stay here' - is located in the city of Hangzhou, 170 km southwest of Shanghai, and is within walking distance of Alibaba's headquarters. Room fees start from 1,390 yuan ($205) a night.

It does employ humans, though Alibaba declined to specify how many. This includes chefs and cleaners as well as reception staff, who will assist with conventional check-in procedures for guests unwilling to have their faces scanned and want to use electronic key cards.

But advanced technology involving personal data - including facial recognition - has become increasingly common in China, where regulation is minimal and the government has rolled out public surveillance projects that use biometric data.

"For Chinese consumers, there's this real glee in having exposure to things that seem like futuristic technology developments, and then beyond that, I think there's a much greater comfort level with data sharing," said Mark Natkin, managing director at Beijing-based technology consulting firm, Marbridge Consulting.

Alibaba has launched other highly automated projects for book stores and grocery stores.

Though most projects are not necessarily intended to be springboards to big forays in those industries, its grocery stores called Hema have been well received and now number about 100 nationwide.

The aim of such projects is twofold - develop AI and other high-tech expertise which will propel Alibaba's e-commerce offerings forward, as well as develop new areas of business at a time when e-commerce revenue growth rates are slowing, in part due to the U.S.-China trade war.

Alibaba intends to build some other hotels but they will primarily be used by company staff on business trips to head offices in Beijing and Shanghai.

Wang also acknowledged that FlyZoo still had plenty of issues that needed upgrading. Some of its services, for example, only worked for guests with a Chinese national ID.

But he said the initial reception from guests was encouraging.

"When they experience the robot and the voice butlers, they say 'Wow!'. When they enter into the lobby they say 'Wow!'," said Wang. "It's such a different lobby. It's empty - but maybe it's the kind of empty of the future."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Marriott says up to 500 million guests fall victim to hack

WASHINGTON - As many as 500 million guests at Marriott International hotels may have been victims of a hack that in most cases pilfered passport numbers or other key identifying data, the company announced Friday.

Marriott said it was alerted on September 8 that there had been an attempt to hack their reservation database in the United States. 

The hack is among the largest ever disclosed, prompting a big drop in Marriott shares and an investigation by New York Attorney General Barbara Underwood, who said on Twitter that "New Yorkers deserve to know that their personal information will be protected."

The company discovered "that there had been unauthorized access to the Starwood network since 2014," which compromised personal and financial information.

The probe found "an unauthorized party had copied and encrypted information and took steps towards removing it."

After decrypting the information, the company found on November 19 "that the contents were from the Starwood guest reservation database."

Hotel brands in the Starwood network include Sheraton, Westin, Four Points and W Hotels. Marriott completed a $13.6 billion acquisition of Starwood in 2016. The deal was announced in November 2015.

"We deeply regret this incident happened," Marriott chief Arne Sorenson said in a statement. "We fell short of what our guests deserve and what we expect of ourselves."

Marriott said hackers accessed information like names, addresses and dates of birth from most of the affected customers but could not rule out that they were also able to access some encrypted credit card information.

LATEST CASE

After reaching the deal with Marriott, Starwood disclosed in November 2015 that it suffered a hack on some hotels in North America, later determining that malware affected restaurants and gift shops but that there was no evidence the infiltration netted key consumer data, such as social security numbers or debit card codes.

Marriott's statement did not mention the earlier Starwood disclosure.

Marriott said it would reach out to victims of the hack and was offering support to those affected including free, one-year enrollment in WebWatcher, a service which monitors internet sites where personal data is shared.

Marriott also is working with law enforcement and security experts to tighten security on its system.

It is the latest case of massive breaches that have compromised personal data and can cause years of headaches for victims, who often face serious legal and financial repercussions.

Marriott said it was "premature" to estimate the financial hit from the breach and that it carried cyber insurance that could take care of some of the costs.

"The company does not believe this incident will impact its long-term financial health," Marriott said in a securities filing. "As a manager and franchisor of leading lodging brands, the company generates meaningful cash flow each year with only modest capital investment needed to grow the business."

Shares of Marriott slumped 5 percent to $115.81 in mid-morning trading.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

2 PH hotels recognized as among best in Asia

MANILA – Two hotels in the Philippines were included in Conde Nast Traveler’s list of top 25 hotels in Asia, which is part of the travel magazine’s Reader’s Choice Awards.

Edsa Shangri-La Manila and The Peninsula Manila made it to the 24th and 25th spot, respectively, in the list topped by The Reverie Saigon in Vietnam.

Here is the full list:

1. The Reverie Saigon (Vietnam)
2. Hotel Mulia Senayan (Indonesia)
3. COMO Uma Punakha (Bhutan)
4. Raffles Jakarta (Indonesia)
5. Gangtey Lodge (Bhutan)
6. Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra (Cambodia)
7. Taj Tashi (Bhutan)
8. La Residence Hotel & Spa (Vietnam)
9. Villa Maly (Laos)
10. Mandarin Oriental Taipei (Taiwan)
11. Alila Jakarta (Indonesia)
12. Zhiwa Ling Heritage (Bhutan)
13. Four Seasons Hotel Jakarta (Indonesia)
14. Four Seasons Hotel Seoul (South Korea)
15. Shangri-La Hotel Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)
16. COMO Uma Paro (Bhutan)
17. Belmond La Residence d’Angkor (Cambodia)
18. Park Hyatt Saigon (Vietnam)
19. JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul (South Korea)
20. Park Hyatt Seoul (South Korea)
21. Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi (Vietnam)
22. Raffles Hotel Le Royal (Cambodia)
23. Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)
24. Edsa Shangri-La Manila (Philippines)
25. The Peninsula Manila (Philippines)

According to Conde Nast Traveler, more than 300,000 users took part in its Readers’ Choice Awards survey which recognizes the best-loved hotels, resorts, islands, and cities across the globe.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Kim Kardashian held at gunpoint in Paris, reports CNN

Kim Kardashian West was held up by masked men in her Paris hotel room on Sunday, CNN said, prompting her husband, rapper Kanye West, to abruptly end a performance in New York, citing a family emergency.

"Kim Kardashian West was held up at gunpoint inside her Paris hotel room this evening by two armed masked men dressed as police officers," Kardashian West's spokeswoman, Ina Treciokas, said in a statement reported by CNN.

"She is badly shaken but physically unharmed," the statement added.

Kanye West left his set early at the Meadows Festival in New York.

"I'm sorry I have a family emergency, I have to stop the show," West said in video footage posted on Twitter by fans who were filming the performance in the New York borough of Queens.

@themeadowsnyc pic.twitter.com/IUwdaZ5aI9

— Toby™ (@Toby_Hernandez_) October 3, 2016

West had been on stage for just under an hour when he said he had to leave. He did not specify the nature of the emergency.

Kardashian West, as well as her sisters Kendall Jenner and Kourtney Kardashian have been in Paris, Billboard magazine reported on its web site, citing their recent Snapchat posts. Kardashian has been a fixture at Paris Fashion Week, which was being held in recent days.

Fan reaction on social media sites to West's departure was mixed, with some saying emergencies can happen to anyone, but others complaining they had paid $300 for tickets and didn't get their money's worth.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Cafe in Baguio lets you eat cake out of a flower pot

BAGUIO CITY - Have you tried eating out of a flower pot? A café in Baguio City will let you do just that.

More than its climate and tourist spots, the summer capital of the Philippines has also become known as a food hub.

In Leonard Wood Road, La Casa Bianca is offering patrons a chocolate cake topped with mint leaves and served in an orange plastic flower pot.

It may look like a real plant, but the pot is filled with layers of chocolate ganache, cream, custard and chocolate cake.

The dessert is priced at P145 and is good for sharing.

Meanwhile, a nearby restaurant called Soup District is offering Vietnamese Pho Bo at an affordable price.

The soup is just perfect for Baguio's weather as it's mixed with lemon, coriander, onions and hot beef soup.

"Masarap siya, lalo na dito sa Baguio kasi umuulan, masarap yung blending ng ingredients," said customer Marcelo Naranjo.

For dessert, they also offer Brazo de Mercedes and Sansrival, in one, called Mestizaje.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Happening this week: Thai food fest at Marco Polo Ortigas

MANILA – Craving for authentic Thai food? You’re in luck because this week, Marco Polo Ortigas Manila is holding a festival highlighting the flavors of this Southeast Asian country.

Expect to see the signature dishes of Thailand along with other international offerings at the buffet spread of Cucina, Marco Polo’s all-day dining restaurant until November 15.

For both lunch and dinner, Cucina’s live stations will feature familiar favorites such as Tom Yum Goong, Pad Thai, Goong Sarong and Som Tam, among others, as part of Marco Polo’s “Flavors of Thailand” promotion.

Prices start at P1,850 net per person.

“Thai cuisine is indeed a harmony in every detail. It places emphasis on simple dishes with strong and aromatic flavor accents which makes it unique from all other cuisines in the world,” said Mirko de Giorgi, the hotel’s food and beverage director.

Marco Polo has flown in two Thai guest chefs from Bangkok for the week-long culinary festival, a first for the hotel.

Chefs Sunisa Nualthongkaew and Watcharavee Rujechotiphat will hold cooking sessions on November 14 at Marco Polo’s Vu’s Sky Bar and Lounge at P3,000 net per person. The amount includes a cooking lesson, a Thai home cook beginner’s kit and a single buffet pass at Cucina.

While it is known for its high spice levels, Thai cuisine also features different kinds of refreshing salads, savory entrees and delectable desserts. A key principle here is balance – between heat and cold, sweet and spicy, sweet and sour, and salty and bitter.

Prior to Marco Polo’s Flavours of Thailand promotion, several other hotels in Metro Manila have held food festivals promoting the Southeast Asian country’s diverse cuisine.


To those who want to enjoy Thai food in the comfort of their own homes, Marco Polo provided a recipe for Pad Thai Goong, a stir-fried rice noodle dish.

Pad Thai Goong

Ingredients:

Rice noodles, 300 grams
Vegetable oil, 4 tablespoons
Medium fresh prawns (cleaned), 20 pieces
Firm tofu (cut into small pieces), 100 grams
Shallots (thinly sliced), 3 pieces
Dried shrimp (soaked in warm water), 50 grams
Sweet pickled radish/turnip (chopped), 50 grams
Dried ground red chili peppers, 2 teaspoons
Large eggs, 3 pieces
Bean sprouts, 150 grams
Garlic chives (cut into 1-inch lengths), 50 grams
Pad Thai sauce, 10 tablespoons
Peanuts (roasted and crushed), 4 tablespoons
Lime (cut into wedges), 4 pieces

Procedure:

1. Soak the rice noodles in cool or lukewarm water for at least 40 minutes, until the noodles are limp but still firm to touch. When the noodles have softened, drain and set aside.

2. Heat a large wok over high heat and add vegetable oil. Add prawns and cook until almost cooked through. Remove from wok and set aside.

3. Add vegetable oil to the wok, and let the wok heat up again. Add the tofu and stir-fry until golden brown. Add shallots, dried shrimp and sweetened radish. Mix well and stir until shallots are cooked.

4. Add the noodles and combine with other ingredients. Stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes until softened. Push up along one side of the wok. Add a teaspoon of oil and cook to set. Cut eggs into small chunks with a spatula and toss with the noodles.

5. Add the prepared Pad Thai sauce and stir well to coat noodles. If noodles are too firm for your liking, sprinkle 1 to 2 tablespoons of water. Taste and adjust flavors as desired.

6. When the noodles are cooked to your liking, toss in the bean sprouts and garlic chives. Add the prawns and stir well. Transfer to serving plate.

7. Garnish with lime, bean sprouts, scallions, dried ground chilies and chopped peanuts.

Marco Polo’s Flavours of Thailand promotion is in partnership with Thai Airways.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Red Planet investing P4-B to expand hotel chain

MANILA, Philippines - Red Planet Hotels Ltd. is investing $85 million (about P4 billion) to double the size of its budget hotel chain in the Philippines over the next five years, its top executive said yesterday.

In an interview, Red Planet chief executive officer Tim Hansing said the hotel operator plans to bolster its operations in the country through its new Red Planet hospitality brand by building 10 new hotels until 2020.

The expansion is expected to double the company’s current hotel network of 10 as well as more than double the number of its rooms to about 4,000 from its current 1,720, Hansing said.

Of the 10 new hotels to be built, Hansing said three sites have already been secured in Cubao, Manila Bay and Binondo, with construction of the hotels expected to commence within the year, he said.

“The Philippines has been a great market for us. We came in just at the right time. There was an under-supply of value hotel accommodation. It’s just been fantastic for us to be at the right place, at the right time,” Hansing said.

Red Planet Hotels, formed in 2010, is a privately-owned regional hotel company focused on Asia’s expanding value hotel sector.

The company recently ended its global franchise partnership with Tune Hotels, the value hotel chain of the Tune Group of Malaysian entrepreneur Tony Fernandes. It has already rebranded all of its existing Tune Hotels into the Red Planet brand since July 10.

In the Philippines, Red Planet’s 10 operating hotels are located in Makati, Aseana City, Ermita, Quezon City, Ortigas, Angeles City, Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, and Davao.

“We already have hotels in Davao, Cebu, Cagayan de Oro and Angeles so at the moment we’re really going to continue expanding mostly in Metro Manila,” Hansing said.

“We started here about three years ago. We already opened 10 hotels and we have 1,720 rooms which I think is a record in the Philippines to open so many hotels in such a short span of time,” he added.

He said the company has already invested some $80 million in the Philippines over the last three years.

He said their investments did not go to waste as Red Planet is now the market leader in value hotels in the country.

He said the occupancy rate of Red Planet Hotels locally ranges from 85 percent to 100 percent depending on the location.

Hansing added the hotels have also been receiving strong patronage from the local community as almost 90 percent of their customers are Filipinos.

“This market is very strong. It’s the biggest category in the hotel supply so there are more people wanting to stay at this end of the market than anywhere else. If it’s a five-star hotel, there are not many people who’d stay so it’s a smaller market,” Hansing said.

For this year, Hansing said the company expects a 30 percent increase in revenue for its Philippine operations.

Read more on The Philippine Star

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Travellers Intl sets $650-M Resorts World expansion

MANILA, Philippines - Travellers International Hotel Group Inc. is set to unveil annually over the next three years the outcome of its massive $650-million expansion program for Resorts World Manila in Pasay City.

In an interview yesterday, Travellers president Kingson Sian said the company is on track to finish by 2017 Resorts World Manila’s expansion which will double the size of the integrated resort’s gaming, hotel and retail facilities.

“Every year we will be finishing something. So next year is Mariott Grand Ballroom, the following year is the Mariott extension, the new wing, and then after that is the Phase 3,” Sian said.

Phase 2 involves the expansion of the existing Marriott Hotel Manila with the construction of a grand ballroom that can sit about 2,000 people as well as the addition of 227 rooms.

The Marriott West Wing was earlier eyed to open to the public by the end of 2015 but will now be moved to 2016.

Marriott Grand Ballroom, meanwhile, is expected to be fully operational by the first quarter of next year.

Phase 3 would include construction of two new hotels, namely Hilton Manila and the Sheraton Hotel Manila as well as an extension of Maxims Hotels.

“There’s a new competitor which is open, but again, we just focus on continuing to build out our new phases, Phase 2 and Phase 3. Phase 2 will be finished next year, and part of it is the Mariott Grand Ballroom,” Sian said.

Resorts World Manila is the first integrated gaming, entertainment, leisure and hospitality resort in the country, situated on an 11.5-hectare property across the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 in Pasay City.

Travellers, a joint venture of property tycoon Andrew Tan’s Alliance Global Group Inc. and Genting Hong Kong Ltd., is the owner and operator of the integrated resort and the upcoming Bayshore City Resorts World.

Resorts World Bayshore will be three times the size of Resorts World Manila and will be the last integrated resort complex scheduled to start operations in Entertainment City.

Read more on The Philippine Star.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Free hotel rooms for people popular on Facebook

MANILA - Do you have 2,000 friends on Facebook or are you extremely popular on Instagram? Then you're in luck.

The luxurious Nordic Light Hotel in Sweden is allowing anyone with 2,000 Facebook friends or 100,000 followers on Instagram to stay in the hotel for free for up to seven days.

One will only need to post a couple of status updates -- one during check-in and one during check-out-- and follow a few other simple guidelines to avail of the free room.

The hotel, which usually charges $360 (more than P16,000) per night, is also offering discounts for those with fewer friends and followers.

For example, those with 500 friends or 5,000 Instagram followers can get a 5% discount.

Here are the full discount rates:

Facebook:
100,000 fans = 100% off
2,000 private friends = 100% off
1,500 private friends = 15% off
1,000 private friends = 10% off
500 private friends = 5% off

Instagram:
100,000 followers = 100% off
15,000 followers = 15% off
10,000 followers = 10% off
5,000 followers = 5% off

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

How Seda hotel is boosting PH furniture industry

MANILA, Philippines - A homegrown boutique hotel chain is fast becoming a showcase for the work of Philippine furniture companies and Filipino designers such as Kenneth Cobonpue and Anne Pamintuan.

Seda hotels, which are under Ayala Land Hotels and Resorts, are now becoming known for their contemporary interiors.

Described by an Asian travel and trade industry expert as an “affordable luxury” brand, Seda now has hotels in Bonifacio Global City, Cagayan de Oro City, Davao City and Nuvali in Laguna.

Aspiring to be the leading Filipino hotel brand highlighting the best of Philippine hospitality in prime urban locations, Seda is also naturally inclined to showcase the works of Philippine furniture makers, many of whom have made a name abroad.

These well-made furniture pieces are now in 665 rooms in the four Seda hotels. By 2019, they will be in at least 1,900 more hotel rooms of Seda, which is projecting to open at least six more hotels in Metro Manila, Palawan and Iloilo City.

Seda’s expansion plans have been welcomed by high-end local furniture makers.

Furniture makers in Cebu, Pampanga and Manila are now seeing an increasing volume of local business from Seda and other expanding hotel chains.

Eileen Escobido, AyalaLand Hotels and Resorts project development head, said the Philippines is known to produce furniture that matches the quality delivered by other key regional players like Malaysia and China.

"In addition to exceptional and consistent service and a great location in an Ayala Land mixed-use community, our brand DNA includes quietly elegant and sophisticated surroundings that make use of straight, clean lines and contemporary design. We’re happy that our Filipino furniture suppliers have the capability and craftsmanship to meet our requirements and achieve that ambiance," she said.

Escobido said guests have praised the locally-made beds now available in its hotel rooms.

"They hold their own against the branded beds used by international hotels here and abroad," she said.

Seda also designed its hotels so that the guest experience will basically be the same whether one is in the Nuvali or Davao property.

Guest satisfaction with the brand is illustrated by its high repeat rate of 50 percent. Seda was being recently named the “Philippines’ Leading Hotel Group” in 2014 by the 21st World Travel Awards in New Delhi, India, besting other Filipino brands.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Why Solaire isn't worried by competition from City of Dreams Manila

MANILA, Philippines - Solaire Resorts and Casino operator Bloomberry Resorts Corp. isn't too worried by competition from the soon-to-open City of Dreams Manila in Entertainment City.

In fact, Bloomberry Resorts president and chief operating officer Thomas Arasi said they're happy that another integrated hotel, gaming and entertainment resort project is finally opening in Entertainment City.

"Integrated resorts are unusual in that you actually want to be close to your competitors. The reason is that people want to go to an area where they know they can get multiple experiences. They can go to different casinos, restaurants and shows. Critical mass is important, so when we look at the medium and long-term, we're much happier they will open," he said in an interview on ANC.

City of Dreams Manila, a joint venture between the local unit of Hong Kong's Melco Crown Entertainment Limited and SM Group's Belle Corp., is expected to open later this year.

With the opening of more casino-resorts, Arasi said Entertainment City can achieve critical mass and become one of the powerhouses in the integrated resorts business in Asia.

"We think we will do a lot of what they do, but we're gong to have our own brand. The secret sauce we have, which we're proud of, is the famous, world-renowned Filipino hospitality. Every area has its attributes. but we think no one can compete with us -- the level of experience and the high-touch nature of what we can offer, because of the culture and what that means to integrated resorts business," he said.

Bloomberry is currently preparing to open Phase 1 of Solaire's expansion by November this year.

"It more than doubles the size that we currently have, which is significant... It really changes the tone of the property because there are so many more facilities and amenities that are beyond the basic gaming experience," Arasi said.

The expansion would include a 1,800 seat state-of-the-art theater, night club, cigar and whisky bar, karaoke bar, more restaurants, and additional meeting rooms.

"Our VIP gaming will increase capacity by two-thirds, by focusing on those high-end international travelers coming in. We're excited about all that," Arasi said.

A shopping mall at the Solaire complex is expected to open by 2015. Bloomberry had earlier tapped Ayala Land to operate the mall.

"We have what will not be the biggest, but the nicest shops and shopping experience in the Philippines," the Bloomberry chief said.

Bloomberry recently reported its net income in the first half hit P2.3 billion, a significant improvement from the P1.03 billion net loss last year. This was on the back of P14.15 billion gross revenues, more than three times its revenues last year.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Top honeymoon destinations for Pinoys

 

MANILA – A hotel booking website announced on Wednesday the results of its Global Honeymoon Survey, which showed the most preferred holiday destinations of newlyweds.

The survey, which was conducted online by Agoda.com in January and February 2014, asked over 15,000 customers across the globe to pick their dream honeymoon location among 20 destinations.

It showed that one in five travelers chose Maldives (20.3%), followed by the Greek islands (7.8%), Paris (7.6%), Bali (7.1%) and Hawaii (6.6%).

The rest of the top honeymoon destinations globally were Italy (6.5%), Caribbean Islands (5.7%), Tahiti (5.6%), New Zealand (5.2%), Istanbul (3.8%), Phuket (3.5%), Australia (3.4%), Prague (2.8%), Las Vegas (2.7%), New York (2.5%), Spain (2.5%), Cancun (2.4%), Rio de Janeiro (2.2%), Croatia (1.0%) and Montreal (0.9%).

“We know the Maldives is a popular destination for couples but we were surprised that its allure is so global. Among countries where we had more than 100 respondents, only three didn’t pick it as the most popular honeymoon destination – The Philippines, Saudi Arabia and New Zealand,” said Errol Cooke, vice president for Global Hotels at Agoda.com.

The top honeymoon destination among those surveyed in the Philippines is Paris (21.1%), with Maldives only at second place (15.2%).

Italy is at third place (10.7%) followed by the Caribbean Islands (6.4%), New York (5.1%), Australia (4.8%), Hawaii (4.3%), Bali (4.0%), Spain (3.5%), Las Vegas (3.5%), Prague (3.2%), Phuket (2.9%), Rio de Janeiro (2.4%), New Zealand (2.1%), Montreal (1.3%), Istanbul (1.1%), Croatia (1.1%) and Tahiti (0.3%).

Agoda.com noted that when it comes to honeymoons, Europeans usually refer far-flung places, while Asians are least likely to leave their region.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Nobu Hotel to open at City of Dreams Manila

MANILA, Philippines - Macau casino giant Melco Crown Entertainment Ltd. announced on Monday that Nobu Hotel will be the second major hotel brand at the casino it is building in Pagcor City.

The luxury hotel chain will be located at the City of Dreams Manila, an integrated casino, resort, hotel, retail and entertainment resort that is slated to open in mid-2014. Hollywood chef Nobu Matsuhisa and acting legend Robert de Niro are among the investors behind Nobu restaurants and hotels.

Nobu Hotel follows Crown Towers Hotel at the City of Dreams Manila. The 260-room Crown Towers hotel will cater to high-end VIP and premium mass market segments in Manila.

City of Dreams Manila is being developed and operated by Melco Crown, in alliance with the SM group's Belle Corp.

At present, there are Nobu Hotels in Riyadh and Las Vegas, with plans to open in Bahrain and London. - With ANC

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

A look inside Macau's largest hotel

MANILA – The largest hotel in Macau to date boasts of nearly 4,000 guestrooms and suites spread over two towers.

Opened in September last year, Sheraton Macao is nestled within the Sands Cotai Central integrated resort, giving it access to over 100 world-class retail stores, 20 restaurants and cafes, two casinos and entertainment areas.

It is also the largest Sheraton hotel in the world.

The 3,896 guestrooms of Sheraton Macao are divided among the Sky and Earth towers, with several check-in counters set up at the lobby for convenience. The deluxe rooms incorporate red hues and plush carpeting, while family suites come with separate rooms with play areas for kids.

The luxurious suites, meanwhile, come with wood accents, stylish details, personalized services, and amenities such as Salvatore Ferragamo toiletries.

Sheraton Macao also includes a 1,700-square meter spa that offers treatments based on a customer’s Chinese zodiac sign, three outdoor pools with a total area of 12,000 square meters, three signature restaurants and a club for VIP members.

ABS-CBNnews.com and selected members of Philippine media were given a tour inside Sheraton Macao in a recent trip organized by the Macau Government Tourist Office and Air Asia Zest.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

PH hotel group halves maximum IPO price

MANILA - The Philippines’ Travellers International Hotel Group Inc has cut the maximum price for its planned listing on Manila's stock exchange to P11.88 per share from P23.38, underwriter UBS Philippines said on Friday.

The country's fourth and biggest listing this year may raise up to P18.7 billion ($434 million). The offer involves up to 1.57 billion primary shares and an over-allotment option of up to 235.98 million shares, based on its initial filing.

UBS did not give any indicative price range. The final price will be announced on Oct 17.

Travellers cut the offer size by about half, four months after announcing the delay in its original $842 million IPO because of weak markets.

Travellers is a joint venture between casino operator Genting Hong Kong Ltd and Philippine conglomerate, Alliance Global Group Inc, whose chairman and CEO, Andrew Tan, is ranked by Forbes as the country's third-richest man.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Solaire's Finestra: A window to Italy

Solaire Resort & Casino by the bay now has its doors wide open after teasing Manila for months before the grand unveiling.

While the casino hotel is far from completed, its four signature restaurants have had the time to create a buzz among the dining crowd.

One of the most talked about is Finestra which, roughly translated, means “window.” It has the best spot among the four, occupying a corner that has a panoramic view of Manila Bay and the resort’s swimming pool.

Think sunset, cocktails, amazing food and great company—this is exactly the place for them.

The food is excellent. Italian executive chef Salvatore de Vincentis created a menu inspired by centuries-old recipes.



He envisioned serving only the best authentic Italian food. And while calling it “authentic” may seem trite, Italian cuisine has gone global, occupying a place once reserved only for Chinese food. Given the many influences on modern Italian cooking, rediscovering what is truly Italian was a challenge he embraced.

Extensive research led him to traditional Italian recipes that were used in the 1800s — priceless finds that he knew would allow him to create food beyond what Manila has ever experienced.

There is a wide selection of à la carte dishes cooked à la minute in Finestra’s open kitchen. The portions are large, and if you do decide to share, no one will turn his nose up at you, even if it is fine dining. The essence of Italian dining after all, much like Filipino, is sharing a meal with family. A private room is available for small events.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Resorts World Manila to expand hotel, gaming facilities

MANILA - Travellers International Hotel Group will spend $600 million to expand its Manila casino-hotel business in the next three years, saying the delay in its $1 billion initial public offering will not slow down its plans.

Travellers, a joint venture between casino operator Genting Hong Kong Ltd. and Philippine conglomerate Alliance Global Group Inc., said it could go to the debt market to seek funding while waiting for the right time to list its shares.

The company has deferred its listing to September or October from an original plan to launch the IPO this month due to market volatility. It is looking to use the proceeds to fund the expansion of its Resorts World Manila integrated tourism estate near terminal 3 of Manila's international airport.

"We are not pressured, we will just wait for the right timing," Travellers President Kingson Sian said regarding the IPO. "We can go to the debt market."

Sian said the company was determined to finish the expansion project by 2016 despite the IPO delay.

The Philippines is Asia's newest top-end gambling destination after Bloomberry Resorts Corp. opened in March the first phase of its $1.2-billion casino-hotel complex in Manila's Entertainment City complex.

The local unit of Macau casino operator Melco Crown Entertainment Ltd is set to open by middle of next year its $1 billion casino-hotel project also in the Entertainment City.

The expansion of the existing Resorts World complex involves a convention center, an additional 1,100 hotel rooms and gaming facilities.

"It will effectively double what we have currently in Resorts World Manila," Sian told reporters after a stockholders' meeting of Megaworld Corp, a Travellers shareholder and another unit of Alliance Global.

Bloomberry is completing the second phase of its Solaire project by the third quarter of 2014, which features a new hotel, high-end retail outlets, theatres and more restaurants.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Manila Pen basement catches fire

The basement of The Peninsula Manila Hotel in Makati caught fire Saturday afternoon, the Bureau of Fire Protection said.

Fire marshal chief Supt. Ricardo Perdigon said the fire started at the hotel’s paint stockroom located at the basement.

The fire reached the first alarm at 1:05 p.m. but was immediately placed under control.

The fire was put out past 2:30 p.m.

No casualties were reported in the incident.

Authorities have yet to determine the amount of damage caused by the fire.

In a statement, hotel management said they are working with the Makati Fire Station in investigating the possible cause of the fire.

“Everything is under control, all of our staff and guests are safe and the hotel is fully operational," hotel officials said. -- Report from Henry Atuelan, dzMM

source: abs-cbnnews.com