Vishal Daga Appointed Vice President of Business Development At Capella Hotel Group in Singapore, Singapore

Capella Hotel Group has appointed Vishal Daga as Vice President of Business Development. A proven track record for developing luxury hotel brands including Taj Hotels, Six Senses Hotels & Resorts and Rosewood Hotel Group, Vishal will play an instrumental role in growing Capella Hotel Group's global portfolio of award-winning hotels and resorts.

Vishal joins Capella Hotel Group from Rosewood, where he was most recently the Senior Director of Development for APAC, in charged of sourcing and acquisition of new projects within the region. Prior to this, he spent almost ten years with Six Senses; joining as a Development & Corporate Finance Manager before being promoted to Corporate Director of Development with the primary responsibility of negotiating agreements with owners, investors and developrs to expand the company's portfolio. Nicholas Clayton, CEO of Capella Hotel Group, said, "We are delighted to welcome Vishal to the team. 2020 has been an important year for the development and growth of our brands. Vishal's substantial experience, coupled with his passion for pursuing excellence, will only further our efforts to be the undisputed service leader in each of our destinations."

Capella Hotels and Resorts was recently voted No. 2 Hotel Brand in the World.[1] Their global expansion plans are on track; the highly-anticipated Capella Bangkok opened in October this year, featuring expansive suites and villas overlooking the Chao Phraya River, as well as three-Michelin-starred chef Mauro Colagreco's first foray into Asia. Also set to unveil in December 2020 is Capella Hanoi, a Bill Bensley-designed boutique hotel with 47 individually-styled suites that celebrate Opera In the Roaring Twenties. Next year, Capella Hotel Group will be launching a new sophisticated lifestyle brand - Patina Hotels & Resorts. Patina Maldives, Fari Islands will be the first opening, with properties in Ubud, Bali, Sanya, China, and Osaka, Japan also in development.

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Claire Van Eeghen Appointed COO At Eden Hotels in Amsterdam, Netherlands

Eden Hotels expands its management. Claire van Eeghen will start this week, on 19 October, as Chief Operation Officer (COO) and in that capacity will be operationally responsible for the hotel group. This new development is in line with Eden Hotels' intended growth strategy, which focuses not only on Dutch cities but also abroad. Van Eeghen studied commercial economics and business economics and previously worked as Director Customer Service Europe at Air France and KLM Cargo. She will be the third board member of the hotel group next to General Manager Léon Dijkstra and Financial Director Joost Peeperkorn.

Commercial and customer service experience Van Eeghen sets to work with the objective of further improving Eden Hotels' customer and quality experience. She has broad commercial and customer service experience, of which the last fourteen years have been with KLM. In her new role at Eden Hotels she manages the General Managers of the hotels and the heads of the expertise teams. In addition to operational management, Van Eeghen will also be responsible for human resources, brand experience, commerce, quality and operations / purchasing. Joost Peeperkorn will be in charge of finance and ICT and will also focus on financing options for further growth of the hotel group.

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Herman Kemp Appointed General Manager At Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Hyatt has appointed renowned hospitality professional Herman Kemp as general manager of Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh, the largest internationally branded hotel in the heart of Cambodia's capital.

A Dutch national with extensive experience in Southeast Asia, Kemp will oversee the pre-opening of the 247-room property, which will become the first Hyatt Regency hotel in Cambodia when it opens its doors in the first quarter of 2021.

Kemp brings more than 20 years of hospitality experience to Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh, in a career that has taken him to acclaimed hotels and resorts in The Netherlands, Indonesia and Cambodia. Most recently, he was general manager of Park Hyatt Siem Reap from 2016 to 2019, before relocating last year to lead the new Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh and its team of local talent and hotel Ambassadors.

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Salah Hamdan Mohammed Al Mamari Appointed General Manager At Radisson Blu Hotel, Sohar, Oman

Radisson Hotel Group has appointed Salah Hamdan Mohammed Al Mamari as general manager of Radisson Blu Hotel, Sohar, strengthening local employment in the hospitality sector.

Born in Oman, Al Mamari has worked in hospitality since 2004 where he joined the InterContinental Muscat. He was soon offered a position at Crowne Plaza, Muscat as duty manager, before rejoining the InterContinental heading up the front office and rooms division department.

In his new capacity, Al Mamari will lead the entire hotel's management and operations, deploying plans to strengthen the hotel's performance.

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An Initiative to Train & Certify the Rural Pockets to Boost Rural Tourism amidst Pandemic by NOM

An initiative to educate communities all across rural villages and empower them with various facets of health, hygiene, sustainability, and responsible tourism practices 

India, October 20, 2020: NotOnMap and Help Tourism in association with ICRT India (The International Centre for Responsible Tourism) backed by Booking.com, has come up with an ingenious project, “TraVival”. NotOnMap is a sustainable and Socially-driven initiative that works with an aim to empower local and rural communities. The initiative TraVival has come up at a time when the entire world is struggling to keep up with the pandemic; this project aims to aid rural India to manage the impact of COVID crisis on Travel and Tourism.

The initiative will be coming up with a series of 150+ training videos in over 18 regional languages divided in 12 modules for Homestay owners, Village Panchayats, Teachers/Youth and Women of villages and travelers across India thus covering all stakeholders of ‘Rural Tourism’ in India. The entire training will be kept as open source, free of any expenses and it aims to touch around 1 lac villages in India in next 1 year. The project is an outcome of 3 months of continuous efforts after conducting more than 30 webinars involving over 2000 community members and around 50 organizations from across 17 states in India.

NotOnMap is a sustainable and Socially-driven initiative with an aim to empower local, rural communities by helping them capitalize on their untapped culture and heritage value, realized the need for this in these times for rural pockets and created pool of expert think tanks from industry who came together to conceptualize, design and execute “Project TraVival- Training for Travel Revival” exclusively for Rural communities. Today in these times, when rural pockets of India are dried up economically and socially due to no business, TraVival plans to help in such rural parts categorically with the training for travel revival, and follow the extensive SOP for the COVID-19 prevention while enabling the business to sustain and grow.

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Time to explore Areas which are not on the map

The Best Hotel Reopening Email Campaigns

In our recent Email Benchmark Report, it was overwhelmingly clear that email is the preferred channel of communication for marketing and businesses. With the shift towards contactless technology and social distancing measures still in place, email continues to be one of the most effective ways to stay connected and communicate with hotel guests.

While personalized marketing emails are important, pre-stay communications are also top of mind for hotel guests. Hotel News Now conducted a hotel guest satisfaction survey which showed that 'pre-stay communications are very important to guests and overall satisfaction scores fall approximately 66 points when pre-stay communications don't happen'. Guests want to feel prepared for their hotel stay, so it is key to update with them with information around new mandates and safety protocols on-site.

As summer comes to a close in the Northern Hemisphere, we'd like to share with you the best reopening emails we've seen over the last few weeks. Each email was carefully selected based on email design, content and offer. We are proud to share these with you, as it is a testament to the hard work our customers put into delivering the very best for their guests during these unprecedented times. These emails are just a snapshot of how our customers are communicating with their guests and offering a safe, stress-free guest experience.

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A Budget Opportunity To Invest In Your Brand

Travel is currently a strange beast. Each destination has its own restrictions and regulations. Italy, for example, is proposing people wear masks even whilst outdoors where Sweden seems to be back to a level of normality.

Requirements can even vary from town to town and street to street. In the UK, where local lockdowns alter what is permitted from one week to the next it can be hard to know how to respond. In some areas, total closure has been the only option and this has been traumatic for many well-known brands. Premier Inn owner Whitbread only recently announced it was to cut 6,000 jobs as a result of a dip in demand.

Despite the emergence of a second wave of COVID, travel is still possible and the industry is continuing to open up overall- but it must do so in a way that recognises the altered landscape and work to accommodate not only regulatory concerns, but new customer needs.

Budget travel is in a particularly strong position to capitalise on a slowly emerging sector. They are expected to see growing traffic numbers as constantly fluctuating local lockdown measures look set to inspire more spontaneous but local trips. A quick weekend break has much less at stake than a two-week long-haul holiday that could mean a long quarantine after.

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NSW announces further easing of restrictions

Hospitality venues in New South Wales can now accept bookings for groups of up to 30 people from Friday 23 October.

Physical distancing rules continue to apply: venues can have one patron per 4 square metres indoors while those that use electronic entry recording can have one patron per 2 square metres outdoors. Mingling is still prohibited, with guests required to be seated.

Venues are currently limited to a maximum capacity of 300 people. For venues with multiple areas this limit applies to each separate area.

All venues should businesses must implement electronic contact tracing methods, such as QR codes, before taking advantage of the eased restrictions.

With homes still considered high risk environments, Premier Gladys Berejiklian urged the public to consider making bookings at COVID-Safe venues for any festive season celebrations.

“Now this is good news to allow people to prepare for Christmas and the celebrations over summer,” said Ms Berejiklian. “Interestingly, the health experts agree, and have given us advice, that it could be actually be safer to go to a restaurant or hotel or somewhere that’s COVID-Safe for your Christmas lunch… and we want everyone to plan ahead for that.

“These changes will provide a big boost to our hospitality venues. As we ease restrictions and find new ways to get businesses moving it is vital that customers and venues continue to be COVID-Safe.”

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Leading Hotels of the World Adds 12 Members

NEW YORK—The Leading Hotels of the World Ltd. (LHW) has added 12 new members to its portfolio. LHW’s fall collection is defined by their independence and their deep cultural connections within their destinations. Property additions include hotels around the globe that are set in restored monasteries, luxurious tented camps, expansive farm estates and even new waterfront masterpieces.

“It is my pleasure to welcome these 12 distinguished new members to our LHW community of more than 425 hotels around the world. Our newest additions embody our community’s commitment to being the leader of independent, luxury hospitality. The hoteliers within these properties demonstrate the creativity and agility that makes the experience of independent hotels so special,” said Shannon Knapp, president/CEO, The Leading Hotels of the World. “For more than nine decades LHW has been at the forefront of creating the highest standards that have set the bar for worldwide luxury hospitality. The passionate hoteliers of LHW have welcomed guests for generations with remarkable care and we are certain these 12 new members will continue this proud tradition of excellence.”

New to The Americas

Nobu Hotel Chicago (Chicago, U.S.)
Nayara Tented Camp (La Fortuna, Costa Rica)

New to Europe
Grand Park Hotel Rovinj (Rovinj, Croatia)
Relais San Maurizio (Santo Stefano Belbo, Italy)
Verdura Resort, a Rocco Forte Hotel (Sicily, Italy)
São Lourenço do Barrocal (Monsaraz, Portugal)
Abadia Retuerta LeDomaine (Sardon de Duero, Spain)
Anantara Villa Padierna Palace (Marbella, Spain)
La Reserve Eden au Lac Zurich (Zurich)

New to Asia
The Murray Hong Kong (Hong Kong SAR, China)
The Kahala Hotel Resort Yokohama (Yokohama, Japan)
Capella Bangkok (Bangkok)

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Hotels, SaaS and ‘The Great Leap Forward’ - Gregg Wallis

VANCOUVER—Hotel Business spoke with Michael Driedger, cofounder of Operto Guest Technologies, who recently stepped down from his position as CEO, to get his take on how the COVID-19 has affected hotel technology, specifically software as a service (SaaS) offerings.

2020 has been the year in which everything changed for global business and the hospitality industry. Where do you think the opportunities lie for hotels to capitalize on the current situation and make progress into 2021?

 Hotels have a real chance to leapfrog over legacy technologies that were just “placeholders” for modern software as a service (SaaS) offerings. A good example of this is the hotel door lock that can be opened with a phone app. While that seemed great at the time, it only dropped front desk visits by less than 20%. The app was confusing and hard to use. Guests were perplexed by the process and needed education. Now there are smart locks that can be opened with a phone or a code. A code has a 99% success rate at allowing people to skip the lobby and get into their room.

Examples like this have happened alongside the emergence of multichannel and automated hotel booking software, which are better than anything from five years ago and constantly improving. Since these new SaaS companies are based on a monthly subscription, hotels are always going to have access to the newest and best—upgrading is no longer a large, fear-inducing project. Contactless and online experiences are going to be easier to offer and that’s really what guests have been wanting for some time.

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Accor Implements All Safe in Hotels and Resorts Worldwide

PARIS—Following operational disruptions stemming from COVID-19, Accor has successfully reopened most of its hotels with 95% of them having already adopted the group’s All Safe cleanliness and hygiene protocols jointly developed with Bureau Veritas. To date, Accor has successfully certified 65% of these hotels with the All Safe label through a third-party review and accreditation process with professional auditors like Bureau Veritas, SGS, Clifton and Ecolab, and is working to have additional hotels independently verified as All Safe compliant over the coming months.

“At Accor, we are grateful for the trust our guests have placed in us to protect their health, safety and well-being and this is a responsibility we prioritize above all else,” said Chris Cahill, deputy CEO hotel operations. “Throughout this difficult year, our hotel teams have risen to the challenge of enhancing their already stringent protocols and following increased public safety regulations while continuing to welcome, safeguard and take care of others; this remains at the very heart of what we do and who we are as hoteliers.”

Proprietary research undertaken by Accor over June/July 2020 indicates that a hotel getaway ranks among the top three activities that Accor guests feel ready to do over the coming months, in addition to going to a beach and visiting friends and family at home. While consumer spending intentions in the travel sector remain low compared to pre-pandemic levels, 75% of consumers say they would feel comfortable staying in a hotel where they can rely on high-standards of cleanliness and professional staff.

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Hotel Owners Launch 10,000 Letter Campaign to Save America’s Hotels

ATLANTA—America’s hoteliers forcefully answered a call to action by AAHOA, sending more than 10,000 letters to Congress and the Trump administration as part of the “10,000 Letters, One Purpose” campaign. Hotel owners and members of the hospitality industry were called on to write to their lawmakers and the White House to implore the two branches to pass a stimulus package that would help ease the unprecedented liquidity crisis gripping the hotel industry. With the initial goal achieved within hours of the campaign’s launch, AAHOA is urging more members to make their voices heard in the hopes of doubling the amount of engagement.

“Over half of America’s hotels are at risk of foreclosure because of the pandemic,” said AAHOA president/CEO Cecil Station. “America’s hoteliers and small businesses need a lifeline. I am proud of how America’s hotel owners responded to the ‘10,000 Letters, One Purpose’ campaign. So many of their livelihoods are at risk. Hoteliers are being pushed to the brink while Washington politicians play games with vital funding. Every day that passes, hard working hospitality workers lose their jobs, and hotel owners lose their businesses. It’s time for our leaders to step up for the small businesses and their employees that are being crushed by the pandemic and deliver a meaningful stimulus package.”

In addition to personally sending letters to their elected officials, AAHOA members are actively recruiting other hotel owners and industry partners to participate in the campaign. Hoteliers are asking elected officials to prioritize five specific areas in the stimulus package: authorize a second round of Paycheck Protection Program funding for the hardest hit small businesses; provide more resources for the Economic Injury Disaster Program; extend temporary relief from troubled debt restructurings through Jan. 1, 2023 to ease pressure on borrowers; resolve the commercial mortgage-backed security loan crisis; and allow hoteliers to access the Main Street Lending Program.

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Dublin's Hard Rock Hotel Nominated For 'Best New Hotel In Europe' Award

Dublin's Hard Rock Hotel has been nominated for the "Best New Hotel in Europe" award in the 2020 World Travel Awards.

As reported by rte.ie, Dublin's Hard Rock Hotel, which is located in Temple Bar, is the only Irish nominee in the category, which also includes the Mandarin Oriental of Lake Como, Italy, the Nobu Hotel of Barcelona, Spain, the Savoy Palace in Portugal and the Amara Hotel in Cyprus.

Hard Rock Hotel General Manager Statement

Rte.ie quotes the general manager of Dublin's Hard Rock Hotel, Sinead Derham, as saying, "At the beginning of 2020, we were so excited to open our doors as Ireland's first Hard Rock Hotel and begin to welcome guests from all over our country and all over the world. Less than a month later, we had to close again due to COVID-19, so it hasn't been the best start to launching a new hotel.

"However, when our doors have been open, the feedback from guests has been just fantastic - from the incredible music themed interiors and high spec finish throughout to the extensive art and memorabilia collection, and our Peruvian inspired bar and restaurant, Zampas.

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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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