Resorts
Andaz Brings A Taste of Ottawa to Toronto
Led by General Manager Matt Graham and Executive Chef Stephen La Salle, the new Andaz Ottawa ByWard Market brought a taste of Ottawa to Toronto last night (Nov. 17) during an industry event at The Spoke Club. Guests were treated to special fare, including elk, and cocktails, as well as a live art installation, as hotel officials promoted the newly opened Ottawa boutique hotel. Marking the brand’s official entry into Canada, the 200-room Andaz Ottawa ByWard Market opened in August. Amenities include a restaurant and bar, rooftop lounge and meeting space. GM Graham told...
It’s All About The Rewards
Hotels.com reports that when it comes to snapping up a free night away from home, Hong Kong travellers are the world's savviest. The Hotels.com Rewards program – which allows travellers to collect 10 nights and get one free – has hit 25 million members in 2016, the same year as the company celebrates its 25th birthday. And to mark the occasion, it has taken a look back at the millions of free nights redeemed, to uncover who are the world's savviest travellers. Holiday lovers based in Hong Kong, Seoul and Los Angeles topped the list, with New Yorkers coming in fourth and...
Unplug And Recharge With Club Med
With the days getting shorter and many feeling the effects of less sunshine, Club Med is rolling out its campaign to counteract the arrival of winter in Canada, at a time when numerous households are planning their holidays for the coming months. Under the “Unplug to recharge” banner, Club Med is rolling out its new campaign in three areas. Montreal, where a large number of Club Med clients live, will be covered by various high-impact media such as superboards or placements in the downtown core. Montreal’s English-speaking population will be targeted by an unprecedented radio...
All Quiet On The Biz Travel Front
In its newly released Global Business Travel Forecast for 2017, American Express Global Business Travel (GBT) says that after an uneven 2016 that saw only limited increases in overall pricing, the business travel outlook for next year looks to be similarly subdued, with flat to moderate rate increases expected globally across air, hotel and ground transportation. The forecast notes that the continued slowdown of the Chinese economy and depressed oil prices, the United Kingdom’s impending departure from the European Union, growing populist politics and increased security concerns in...
Good Times For Club Med In Canada
Following the success of CREACTIVE by Cirque du Soleil in Punta Cana – the interactive and immersive playground that lets guests try their hand at different Cirque du Soleil-inspired acrobatic and artistic activities – Club Med is gearing up to bring the concept to a second location, reports Ann Ruppenstein in this week's digital edition of Travel Courier. From doing bungee flips to flying through the air on a trapeze, Club Med Opio en Provence in France, which is also undergoing a complete overhaul for summer 2017, will be the second resort to open CREACTIVE since it first...
RIU Opens Splash Water World
RIU Hotels & Resorts has opened Splash Water World, an area with water attractions in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. It “will add colour, adrenaline and fun to the holidays of its guests. This is truly a new feature at RIU, which is for the first time opening an establishment specializing in aquatic activities,” the company says. This space, in which the hotel operator has invested $3.5 million, is reserved for the exclusive use of guests at the five hotels RIU has in its complex. Children and adults staying at the Riu Naiboa, Riu Palace Punta Cana, Riu Palace Macao, ClubHotel...
It’s All About The Content
Booking.com has launched its new Content API for accommodation channel managers, content providers and property management companies. After a successful round of beta testing earlier this year with a select group of early adopters, these new specifications provide free access for providers to instantly send all necessary information to build and maintain multiple listings on Booking.com, including property photos and information about their facilities and policies, via a direct connection, dramatically reducing the time to upload content from weeks to hours. After providers implement...
Universal Orlando Announces New Hotel: Aventura
Universal Orlando Resort (UOR) has announced construction of its sixth onsite hotel. In partnership with Loews, Universal's Aventura Hotel will open in 2018 and will be the tallest of the UOR properties at 16 storeys. Company execs noted at World Travel Market in London that the 600-room hotel will have a roof-top bar and terrace that will overlook both the theme park and the Volcano Bay water park next door. The hotel, which will operate in the value price category like the Cabana Bay resort, will give UOR 6,200 onsite rooms it total. But with a goal of 10,000 rooms, there's...