Autograph Collection Hotels Introduces The Prince Kyoto Takaragaike, Autograph Collection Hotel to Japan

The hotel is conveniently located within walking distance to Kokusaikaikan Station, and is approximately 58 kilometers from Osaka International Airport, making it accessible from other areas of Japan.

Situated in the heart of Kyoto’s Rakuhoku district, the hotel is adjacent to Takaragaike Park, which offers walking trails with scenic views of spring cherry blossoms and autumn foliage. Takaragaike for centuries was a favorite place for the city’s upper class to relax amid scenic nature. Local attractions including the 17th-century Shugakuin Imperial Villa, as well as the breathtaking gold leaf-covered Kinkakuji Temple, are within walking distance.

Designed by renowned Japanese architect Togo Murano, The Prince Kyoto Takaragaike showcases an interplay between Japanese tradition and Murano’s modernist approach to architecture and design. The main building is an oval shape, with an atrium at its center. The hotel’s 310 spacious guestrooms are all appointed with thoughtful amenities including free Wi-Fi and captivating views of Takaragaike Park and its surroundings. Guests are graciously welcomed upon their arrival at the hotel with a cup of matcha, or powdered green tea, prepared in Urasenke style.

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Meliá Hotels International Introduces New Virtual Community Meliá PRO Travel Labs Launches for Travel Advisors in the United States

The past seven months have completely transformed the travel industry. In response, Meliá Hotels International (MHI) has created a new virtual community dedicated to closer communication and relationship rebuilding with agent partners.

With the launch of Meliá PRO Travel Labs in the US, a new Private Groups community on Facebook created exclusively for Meliá PRO Travel Agents will provide updated information on the MHI portfolio, including properties such as INNSiDE New York Nomad, Paradisus Los Cabos, and Meliá Orlando Celebration. The unique selection of live virtual events gives travel advisors the opportunity to actively participate in exclusive webinars, workshops, "coffee breaks," virtual FAM trips, and round tables led by experts in the tourism industry, General Managers, and other MHI team members.

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Richard Polhemus Joined Four Seasons Resort Hualalai as Executive Chef

Richard Polhemus joins Four Seasons Resort Hualalai as Executive Chef. Polhemus has 15 years of experience with Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts worldwide, and will lead the Forbes Five-Star and AAA Five-Diamond Resort's dynamic food and beverage program. Overseeing the Resort's five dining outlets, in-room dining, catering, and Hualalai Resort's residential clubhouses, Polhemus will lead the culinary team to ensure each outlet and each event is carefully executed and uniquely considered.

At Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, 75 percent of the ingredients used are from Hawai'i Island and are sourced from more than 160 farms. The Island of Hawai'i is unique in that it hosts 11 of the 13 world climates, allowing a wide spectrum of diverse foods to be grown and raised on the island. Chef Polhemus and his team understand the importance and embrace the nuances to working with the multiple farmers and purveyors that provide the local ingredients for the Resort's restaurants and other dining experiences daily. On-site at the Resort, an herb garden supplies various fresh herbs and vegetables, and carefully created ponds are home to two types of oysters and shrimp, grown and harvested a stone's throw from where they are served fresh to guests.

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Shadab Amin Appointed Director of Sales & Marketing At Holiday Inn Singapore Atrium

Shadab brings with him a wealth of hospitality experience having started his career in 2010. He joined InterContinental® Hotels Group in Manila and subsequently, moved to Crowne Plaza Muscat and Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma Maldives, before settling down in Singapore. During his stint in Manila, Shadab played a pivotal role in laying the foundation of IHG's India Global Sales Team while at Muscat and Maldives, he held key sales positions that drove revenue targets.

Shadab moved to Singapore in 2017 and joined Holiday Inn Singapore Atrium as a Senior Business Development Manager. During his 3-year tenure in Singapore, he has grown progressively to the position of Director of Sales where he was minted IHG's Best Director of Sales SEAK (South East Asia & Korea) in 2019. His promotion to Director of Sales & Marketing during the unprecedented times of Covid-19 is a testament of his ability to lead the team to drive performance and growth.

Tuncay Bockin, General Manager of Holiday Inn Singapore Atrium, said, "Shadab is instrumental in growing key corporate accounts and has reinforced our brand presence in Singapore for both business and leisure travellers. In this new normal, Shadab's leadership will be critical in reinventing our suite of products, from work from hotel packages to staycations to weddings, in accordance to market demands and trends to drive results."

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La Cantine du Faubourg appoints new head chef

The softly-spoken chef graduated from the Ecole Hôtelière de Paris Lycée Jean Drouant at the age of 15 and gained his Baccalaureat from L'Hôtellerie Restauration.

His work has taken him to London, the French Riviera, New York, and back to Paris, before bringing him to Dubai.

While in Dubai he worked as a sous chef alongside Gregoire Berger at Ossiano at Atlantis, The Palm, before taking the helm at La Catine.

Yahoui’s describes his cooking style as “creative and intuitive”, and believes the spotlight should always be on the sauce or jus that forms the basis for a dish.

A team player, Yahoui encourages collaboration in his kitchen and is always happy to mentor young chefs starting their careers in the culinary field.

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NYC’s nearly 100-year-old Roosevelt Hotel closing due to COVID-19

A historic building in the New York City skyline is being shuttered by the current historical moment.

Since opening in 1924, the Roosevelt Hotel at 45 E. 45th St. has prolifically featured in movie history and been the set for a number of important political happenings, but the coronavirus pandemic is forcing it to close its doors.

After 96 years in business, the hotel has announced it will shutter this year as a result of the novel virus’ financial fallout.

“Due to the current, unprecedented environment and the continued uncertain impact from COVID-19, the owners of the Roosevelt Hotel have made the difficult decision to close the hotel and the associates were notified this week,” a spokesperson told CNN in a statement. “The iconic hotel, along with most of New York City, has experienced very low demand and as a result the hotel will cease operations before the end of the year. There are currently no plans for the building beyond the scheduled closing.”

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Apex Hotels Goes on Point with Infor

Infor today announced that luxury hotel operator Apex Hotels has invested in Infor technology to create a standard platform across its entire property portfolio. Apex Hotels operates 10 sites throughout the United Kingdom, spanning 1,476 rooms in both three-star and four-star hotels. Infor has already delivered the first two of 10 implementations at the flagship Apex City of London - a property that boasts more than 200 rooms and industry-leading occupancy rates - and the Apex Dundee.

Delivered completely remotely, with no staff on site, whilst being accelerated to beat deadlines before the property had to close temporarily under UK government COVID19 guidelines, the first site went live on time and to budget.

The platform, which comprises Infor Hospitality Management Solution (HMS) and Infor Sales & Catering, delivers a comprehensive, cloud-based architecture that replaces a legacy system that frustrated plans for growth. Apex Hotels has an accelerated deployment plan. The remaining properties will have Infor HMS and Sales and Catering deployed within a four-month window.

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Airbnb's Commitment to Safer Travel: New Health and Safety Mandate

As people continue to find new ways to travel and host safely, in line with guidance and rules issued by local governments and health authorities, cleanliness remains a priority. Today, we announced hosts and guests must agree to follow Airbnb's COVID-19 Safety Practices, which include wearing a mask, practicing social distancing, and, for hosts and their teams, abiding by our five-step enhanced cleaning process. This commitment will help provide extra assurances to try and safeguard all our stakeholders - hosts, guests, their communities and governments.

Earlier this year we introduced Airbnb's Enhanced Cleaning Protocol, a set of guidelines for cleaning and sanitization developed with guidance from leading experts in hospitality and medical hygiene and former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, which earned the Safe Travel stamp from the World Tourism and Travel Council (WTTC).

Since the launch of the program in June, hosts have enrolled nearly 1.5 million listings and guests have given these listings an average 4.8* star rating for cleanliness. Early in the pandemic, Airbnb also issued health and safety guidelines about wearing a mask and practicing social distancing in accordance with guidance from the World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control.

Top Hotel Chains Go On Safety & Hygiene Overdrive

From laundry services to tie-ups with Zomato & Swiggy and launching their own F&B apps, hotels are going for major overhauls following Covid

New Delhi:

Barkha Mehra was missing the annual celebrations and surprises that she looked forward to putting together each year on her mother’s birthday in June. Fearful of going out but still wanting to make the occasion memorable, she decided to order in from a plush five-star hotel in the capital this year.

“I’m not one to splurge so much on dinners but this year has been an exception. I wanted to treat my parents to something special as they have stayed locked indoors for months,” said Mehra.

From offering to do your laundry to getting their signature dishes at your doorstep through tieups with food delivery platforms Zomato and Swiggy, and also launching their own F&B apps to keeping check-ins and check-outs contactless, hotel chains are undertaking major overhauls following the Covid-19 pandemic.

Besides World Health Organization guidelines, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India protocols and state and central government-mandated standard operating procedures, top hotel chains such as The Oberoi Group, Accor and Leela Palaces, Hotels & Resorts have worked on their own safety and sanitisation programmes through partnerships with external inspection and certification services providers such as Bureau Veritas to reassure guests.

In June, Hilton announced the global rollout of its CleanStay programme, created in collaboration with Lysol and Dettol maker Reckitt Benckiser and Mayo Clinic.

At ITC Hotels, the WeAssure initiative endeavors to offer stringent, ‘near-clinical’ levels of hygiene through a DNV-GL business assurance certification, chief operating officer Anil Chadha said.

“WeAssure is a holistic programme that addresses all facets of hotel operations — from revised protocols for back of the house activities such as receiving store, back offices and laundry, to the public areas with heightened sanitisation measures for guest luggage, elevators to room service,” he said.

Nikhil Sharma, area director, Eurasia at Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, said the chain implemented its ‘Count on Us’ initiative, which focuses on enhancing its broad range of health and safety protocols across properties in Europe, the Middle East, Eurasia and Africa.

“This includes consistent use of top-of-the-range disinfectants at all hotels, the introduction of robust new training and guidelines, and ongoing access to critical health essentials through trusted suppliers,” said Sharma. He said the chain leveraged its long-standing relationship with Ecolab for disinfectants across EMEA hotels, including rooms and public spaces.

In May, before restrictions were eased in the country, Roseate Hotels & Resorts launched its ‘Care by Roseate’ programme in a bid to minimise physical contact with guests at the chain’s six properties in India and the UK.

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Duncan O’Rourke Appointed CEO Northern Europe At Accor in Paris, France

As part of the recently announced organisational reset of Accor, Duncan O'Rourke has been promoted to chief executive for the extended northern Europe division.

The new region is a merger of the previous northern, central, east and new east Europe teams. In his capacity, he will be responsible for 29 countries including Scandinavia, UK, Benelux, Ireland, Poland and Russia in addition to his current responsibility for Germany, Austria and Switzerland. On top of this, O'Rourke becomes part of the global executive committee. O'Rourke has been with Accor since 2016; before being promoted to chief operating officer for Germany, Austria and Switzerland, he oversaw the luxury and premium hotels in Europe. Before he worked at Kempinski Hotels for many years; first as general manager for two pre-openings in London, later as regional director based in Jordan. In 2008 he was appointed chief operating officer and member of the management board of the group

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Anura Dewapura Appointed General Manager At Saranac Waterfront Lodge in Saranac Lake - NY, USA

Anura Dewapura has been appointed Managing Director at Saranac Waterfront Lodge upstate New York. Preferred lifestyle collection property in Saranac Lake NY due to open in November. He brings over three decades of hospitality experience to the role, where he is responsible for managing the overall team and operations, performance, and strategic direction.
With extensive experience in luxury hotel and resorts management, Dewapura joins the SWL pre-opening and development pace with s everal preopening hotel experience in various locations in the world. Dewapura spend working in various positions at Starwood, Hilton, Marriott and Independent lifestyle and luxury hotels in Europe, Asia, Australia, Middle East, Caribbean, and North America. Former Executive Chef earned his BA honors degree in International Hotel Management from University of Manchester Metropolitan UK and Higher Diploma in Catering from Swiss Management Institute in Switzerland an attended PDP program at Cornell University in US. Anura is a Certified Hotel Administrator prestigious certification awarded from American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute.
In Dewapura's free time, he enjoys cooking, exploring Adirondack outdoors

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Chroma Hospitality Goes Contactless With Xperium, Ready To Welcome Guests In New Normal

Bangalore - Chroma Hospitality Inc. has chosen Xperium; to provide solutions like hyper-personalized experiences to guests and automation of the entire guest-facing processes from booking to check-out.

As part of their elevated sanitation protocols called Culture of Clean wherein, they provide a seamless and safe welcome to all guests who are staying in any Crimson Hotels and Resorts or Quest Hotels in the Philippines, they will integrate Xperium in providing guests a contactless check-in and check-out experience.

Chroma Hospitality will also provide guests with a mobile concierge where they will be able to view digital menus, place in room dining orders, make special requests and complaints without interacting face to face with the staff. Chroma will also use Xperium to generate additional revenue through upselling ancillary services.

Chroma Hospitality will also be able to remarket to their past guests by tapping into their guest's historical data, transactional, demographic and booking data using Xperium CRM and marketing automation.

Mr Pranjal Prashar, Founder Xperium said "Xperium is aimed at helping hotels reopen safely. It gives all the tools necessary to adhere to safety norms that various industry associations across the globe have recommended, meet legal compliances and also kickstart revenue that is extremely important in the current market conditions."

Pranjal further adds "We are proud to be selected by Chroma Hospitality that is known to continuously innovate and elevate their high standards of guest experience and technology selection which makes them the choice local hotel chain in the Philippines"

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Oakwood Partners with International SOS

Oakwood has appointed International SOS to undertake the accreditation of its Clean360 programme which it launched in June.

International SOS' global medical advisors will assist Oakwood in ongoing risk analysis and enhancements to ensure robustness of the programme and maintain consistency across more than 80 properties in Asia Pacific, the United States and United Kingdom.

"Although public health requirements differ in every country, Oakwood is implementing a globally consistent safety program that meets the highest standards of health and hygiene so that our stakeholders can enjoy peace of mind at every Oakwood destination" said Dean Schreiber, interim chief executive officer of Oakwood. "The hallmark of our hospitality excellence transcends memorable experiences. Oakwood strives to create a safe sanctuary for our guests to feel at home. The partnership with International SOS demonstrates our relentless commitment to mitigating risks with vital precautionary measures in a safe and sustainable manner.

Thai Hotel Offers To Drop Lawsuit Against Complaining Guest

A hotel in Thailand that filed a criminal defamation suit against a guest who posted negative reviews about it online said Friday it will drop the complaint if he makes apologies and other gestures to restore its reputation.

The lawsuit filed last month by the Sea View Koh Chang Hotel could result in up to seven years in prison for American Wesley Barnes, who teaches English in Thailand, if he is found guilty of defamation and violation of the Computer Crime Act by posting false information online. He spent two nights in jail after he was arrested before being granted bail.

The hotel was also criticized for taking such harsh action. The Sea View said it was necessary to protect its reputation and that Barnes had failed to respond to its demands that he retract his reviews on travel websites.

The hotel said in a statement emailed Friday that it "would be pleased to conclude the complaint under conditions that Mr. Barnes shows his sincerity and takes full responsibility for what had happened and remedy the situation."

Barnes did not reply to an emailed request for comment about the settlement offer, which the hotel said came after he requested mediation. The American said last month he had been trying to reach out to the hotel to resolve the issue.

Thai media reported that Barnes offered a formal apology at a mediation session on Thursday and agreed to the hotel's terms.

According to the hotel on Koh Chang, an island about 300 kilometers (185 miles) southeast of Bangkok, the dispute began when Barnes and a friend brought an alcoholic beverage to dinner at the hotel's restaurant on June 27. When they were told there was a 500 baht ($16) corkage fee, they complained, and after some negotiation with the food and beverage director were allowed to pour from their own bottle without paying extra.

Barnes' version was broadly similar, but added that afterward he saw the food and beverage director, whom he called the restaurant manager, treat a Thai employee abusively, and that was why he decided to post his critical reviews.

"Do not sleep here! Don't support modern day slavery of Thai people!" began the most strident review. It singled out the restaurant manager as being "really bad." Later postings were similar in tone.

Rebecca Russell Appointed General Manager At The Sebel Yarrawonga Silverwoods, Australia

Rebecca Russell has been appointed General Manager of The Sebel Yarrawonga following a stellar career spanning six years with Accor Hotels.

She was earmarked for the group's leadership program in 2014 and since then has worked across the Accor network managing hotels and resorts in North Queensland, Sydney, Alice Springs and regional NSW before being appointed to manage the Accor-branded The Sebel Yarrawonga.

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Michael O'Donohue Appointed General Manager At Hotel Fairmont Grand Del Mar in San Diego - CA, USA

Michael O'Donohue has been appointed General Manager at Fairmont Grand Del Mar, one of only 14 Forbes triple five-star resorts in the world. He brings over 28 years of hospitality experience to the role, where he is responsible for managing the overall team and operations, performance, and strategic direction.

With extensive experience in luxury hotel management, O'Donohue joins the team after nearly five years with Montage International as General Manager at Pendry San Diego, where he opened the flagship property. Previous to this, O'Donohue spent ten years working in various positions at Starwood Hotels & Resorts. Prior to his time at Starwood Hotels & Resorts, O'Donohue worked at InterContinental Hotels and Hilton Hotels. He started his career at Hilton Short Hills in New Jersey as an Assistant Chef after earning his Associate of Occupational Studies degree from the Culinary Institute of America.

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IHG® Hotels & Resorts reveals new data about the British summer staycation in 2020

Karan Khanna, Managing Director UK & I, IHG Hotels & Resorts commented on the findings: "We've seen that people's appetite to travel and explore hasn't changed, but understandably their confidence in when it's safe to do so has. Cleanliness and flexibility are top of mind for everyone now, and by introducing enhanced cleaning measures and offering more flexibility, consumers have continued to travel this summer, with many opting for a staycation in the UK."

Staycation' was undoubtedly the travel buzzword of 2020. With travel restrictions limiting people jetting off to far-flung destinations this year, Brits looked to explore what was on their very own doorstep more so than ever before.

IHG Hotels & Resorts, which has more than 360 hotels in the UK & Ireland with brands including Holiday Inn, voco Hotels, Crowne Plaza, InterContinental, Hotel Indigo, Staybridge Suites and Kimpton, reveals new data about how British travellers chose to spend the last few months.

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New Data

RIU hotels receive Preverisk COVID-19 Hygiene Response certification

Preverisk Group, the international consultant specialising in health and safety consulting, auditing and training for the tourist industry, has guaranteed the effectiveness of the health and hygiene protocols in place at the RIU chain of hotels by issuing 62 COVID-19 Hygiene Response certificates. This certification guarantees that the chain's hotels audited by Preverisk have passed an intensive process of verification of the 17 protocols that were created by the RIU team in collaboration with the consultant and that served as a guide for operations as the hotels reopened post-COVID. In addition, this certification guarantees that all the measures aimed at preventing or mitigating the possible spread of COVID-19 outbreaks among guests, staff and visitors have been implemented satisfactorily.

The consultant is auditing RIU hotels to verify whether they meet the minimum requirements for each department for COVID-19. All of the 62 hotels that were audited achieved certification that validates their compliance with all the preventive measures that the chain is implementing. The consultant has commented that this result is "very positive".

The intensive verification process developed by Preverisk covers not only the necessary measures to prevent the spread of the disease in the hotels, but also considers the health and hygiene requirements that should be implemented in the establishments in order to open safely to the public. Those measures meet the relevant national regulations and also have a basis in the international recommendations issued by official organisations such as the World Health Organisation and other international bodies such as the Health Protection Agency (HPA).

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Davidson Hotels & Resorts Adds The Higgins Hotel & Conference Center to Portfolio

Hospitality management company Davidson Hotels & Resorts announces the addition of The Higgins Hotel & Conference Center to its portfolio. Operated by Davidson's lifestyle and luxury division Pivot Hotels & Resorts, the 230-room, Art Deco-inspired boutique hotel is part of Curio Collection by Hilton.

Located in New Orleans' Arts and Warehouse District adjacent to The National WWII Museum, the property was intentionally designed to complement the museum experience. Opened in December 2019, The Higgins Hotel & Conference Center features four era-inspired dining options including a rooftop bar, 18,000 square feet of high-tech meeting and event space and more. A true extension of The National WWII Museum, all proceeds support the museum's educational mission and programs.

"We are honored that Pivot Hotels has been selected to steward this tremendous hotel and conference center," said Thom Geshay, President, Davidson Hotels & Resorts. "We look forward to perpetuating an exceptional service culture and paying homage to the museum's mission and American history."

"The Higgins Hotel & Conference Center is truly an iconic hotel for the ages, providing unique and convenient accommodations while paying tribute to those who served abroad and at home," said Stephen Watson, President & CEO, The National WWII Museum. "Pivot's hospitality management expertise along with their operational support enables the Museum to offer guests a truly memorable experience and expands our ability to tell the personal stories of the WWII generation."

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Delhi Government Says Restaurants Can Stay Open 24X7

In a major relief to city restaurants during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Delhi government on Wednesday said that these establishments will be allowed to operate round-the-clock and requirement of tourism licences will also be removed.

The government also announced other measures such as initiating a process to abolish police licences and health trade licenses from local bodies for restaurants to end ''permit raj'' in the industry, according to a statement.

The decisions were taken at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and it was attended by restaurant owners.

The Delhi government said such steps will help the industry generate more employment through higher demand. This will set an example of the ''Delhi Model'' of ease of doing business, it said.

"On the request of restaurateurs to allow 24x7 business, it was agreed that restaurants will be allowed to operate at all hours subject to the condition that they submit an undertaking that they will take care of the health and security of their entire staff," the statement said.

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