Costa Coffee UAE to offer AED 1 pastries with any drink ordered

As a way of thanking its customers, Costa Coffee UAE has launched an offer which includes a pastry for AED 1 with any drink.

From donuts to mini cheesecakes, the offer will run from September 13 until 24, and can be availed at any Costa store across the UAE.

Costa was founded in London by Italian brothers Sergio and Bruno Costa in 1971 and now represents the second largest international coffee shop operator. At present, the company has more than 3,000 stores across 25 international markets.

Costa Coffee opened its first store outside of the UK in 1999, at Dubai’s Aviation Club. Today, there are over 150 Costa outlets in the UAE. Costa in the UAE is wholly owned by Emirates Leisure Retail (ELR), a world class food and beverage outlet provider, a subsidiary of the Emirates Group.

Two young Deira-based chefs win US Beef Virtual Cooking Competition

The Emirates Culinary Guild and US Beef Export Federation have announced the results of their first GCC Virtual Online Competition.

Both Amateur classes were won by female chefs, Alisa Belousova won the Best Recipe with Picture Competition. The Video Class was won by Badya Sallam Khaireddin. The winners used prime US Beef Tenderloin for their recipes.

The Professional categories were won by two young chefs working in Deira Dubai, Kanishka Dilhan Kulasekara from Radisson Blu Hotel DDC won the Best Recipe Category. Leon Robin Rozario from Jumeirah Creekside Hotel won the Best Video Recipe.

Andrew Cuthbert, Chairman of the Emirates Culinary Guild highlighted that the competitors came from different GCC countries. Properties on the winners’ include Anantara The Palm Dubai Resort, Caesars Bluewaters Hotel, Zero Gravity, The Emirates Academy & Hospitality Management, and Jumeirah Royal Bahrain.

The best 10 in each category will be awarded prizes, cash money, trophies and knives.

Olga Zielinski Appointed General Manager At Steigenberger Hotel Stadt Lörrach, Germany

Olga Zielinski will take charge of the hotel with effect from 18 September 2020, when she takes over as General Manager from Sascha Nemeth. Ms. Zielinski has been working for RIMC for several years and has recently completed a highly successful stint as Director of the hotel the YARD in Berlin.

CDC Study Suggests Dining at Restaurants Poses Greater COVID-19 Risk

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released the results of a study of COVID-19 patients and the activities they participated in and the interactions they had in the two weeks before they tested positive for the respiratory illness.

Eating at a restaurant also seemed to be a bigger determining factor for a positive test than a number of other activities, including going to an office, visiting a hair salon, going to a gym, riding on public transportation, or attending a religious service.

www.foodandwine.com/news/cdc-covid-study-restaurants-dining-out

Dennis Gordienko Appointed General Manager At Avani Doc Let Resort in Nha Trang, Vietnam

Thailand's Minor Hotels Group has appointed Dennis Gordienko as General Manager of the Avani Doc Let Resort in Vietnam, slated to open early 2021.

Dennis' hospitality career started as a Food & Beverage intern in Antalya, Turkey, with Sheraton Hotels & Resorts in 2003.

Since then he has worked in London and also his native Ukraine within F&B and Rooms departments with international brands such as Radisson, IHG, and Fairmont Hotels & Resorts.

His first role as GM was with the Gaya Island Resort in Borneo, which was followed by the Vistana Penang Bukit Jambul, both of which are part of YTL hotels.

Fairmont Sanya Haitang Bay Resort to Open December 2020 in China

Accor announces its first Fairmont Resort in Greater China, in partnership with Hainan Keenwin Holdings. The newly refurbished Fairmont Sanya Haitang Bay is set to open in December 2020 following extensive renovations to the property.

Fairmont Sanya Haitang Bay is situated along the beautiful golden coastline of Haitang Bay. With views towards the diver's paradise of Wuzhizhou Island and Yajia Daling Mountains, the resort has the best Feng Shui to bring harmony between travellers and nature.

Fairmont Sanya Haitang Bay features a team of star designers and architects, which includes world-renowned interior designer Nick Winai Suansalee from Leo Design Group as well as landscape architecture by Francis Leung, the former Design Director of Belt Collins. The resort has the formal symmetry often found in imperial palaces, and offers a number of exquisite architectural gems that are destinations in their own right. In accordance with ancient Chinese architectural principles, a pair of Watchtowers forms the portal to the resort. Covered Lounge Bridges made from stone arches act as pathways to the lobby pavilion, providing rest, shelter and vistas of intricate cornices against the green surrounds. Within the lobby, precious detailed wood carvings on walls and ceiling friezes took more than two years to complete and demonstrate a sense of grandeur and profoundness. Its unique 1,200-meter long river is the world's first sea water canal running within a hotel. Guests can take a dragon boat ride to reach guestrooms and all other hotel facilities whilst enjoying the ever-changing scenery and amazing landscapes. For those who wish to learn more about the resort's relics, the Wood Art Gallery is a courtyard house boasting fine furnishings and artefacts from both the Ming Dynasty and Qing Dynasty.

Soneva Fushi unveils world’s largest one- and two-bedroom overwater villas

Soneva Fushi’s new Water Retreats are soon to be ready to welcome guests, adding yet another facet to the original barefoot luxury resort.

Guests can expect innovative designs and some new changes to the iconic Water Retreat designs that can be found at Soneva Jani.

Soneva’s floating villa concept, Soneva in Aqua, is a luxury two-cabin yacht that sets sail from Soneva Fushi and Soneva Jani.

There is a multi-purpose facility that encompasses the Maldives’ only hot glass studio, the glass gallery, and boutique where guests can learn the art of glassblowing.

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Teardrop Tap Bartending Service Described as “An Ice Cream Truck for Adults” Goes Viral

Minnesota’s Unique Teardrop Trailer Bartending Service.

A traveling tap for all your events & celebrations.

Weddings, Bachelor/ettes, Corporate Events, Showers, Engagements, Graduations, Birthdays & Beyond!

https://teardroptap.com/

Nathalie Debonnet Appointed Commercial Director At Conrad Bora Bora Nui, French Polynesia

Boasting 20 years of experience in hospitality, Nathalie is seasoned veteran with a proven track record in sales and marketing, specializing in the luxury sector. Most recently, Nathalie served for five years as Cluster Director of Sales & Marketing for the St. Regis Bora Bora and Le Meridien Bora Bora. Prior, Nathalie served as the Regional Director of Leisure Sales West Coast for the Leading Hotels of the World, accounting for the overall management of both the west coast travel industry sales and the regional sales office. Born in France, Nathalie is now based in Santa Monica where she has spent the last 12 years.

Gulfood Manufacturing exhibition postponed to 2021

Foodservice, machinery and ingredient supplier exhibition Gulfood Manufacturing has been postponed this year, moving the event to 2021 due to COVID-19.

The event will now take place from November 7 to November 9 2021.

Though physical events across the region have been resuming, with others supplemented with digital events, Gulfood Manufacturing organisers said they could not deliver the event with many of their partners and exporters landlocked by travel restrictions.

In a statement, organisers said: “Whilst this decision will disappoint many who have come to rely upon the event as an important showcase of the latest manufacturing business improvement tools, the forward planning and advance logistics necessary to deliver an international event of such scale is not possible for many partners and exporters given current uncertainty surrounding travel and quarantine restrictions.

“This has particular impact upon food producers and manufacturers as they tackle the challenges around food security and safety.”

What started as an offshoot of the established Gulfood trade show, Gulfood Manufacturing has steadily become an industry-leading event in its own right. In 2019, the exhibition covered 19 halls, with 1,500+ companies showcasing their products to more than 35,000 international visitors.

Dubai crowned best medical tourism destination in the region

The emirate of Dubai has maintained its position as the Arab region’s top medical tourism destination for the second year in a row.

That is according to the Global Medical Tourism Index released by International Healthcare Research Centre (IHRC) Worldwide, which ranks international cities on their healthcare services to foreign travellers.

The emirate was scored against three criteria, where it ranked fifth in quality and services facilities; seventh for its environmental offerings and 13th for its medical tourism industry. Altogether Dubai was ranked sixth for its medical tourism offerings out of a cohort of 46 international destinations.

The achievement is thanks to the efforts of the Dubai Government, represented by the Dubai Health Authority (DHA), to strengthen the medical tourism sector in the emirate and boost overall economic diversification.

Rose Rayhaan by Rotana appoints general manager

Rotana has appointed Mamdouh Ali as general manager for Rose Rayhaan by Rotana in Dubai.

Ali has been associated with Rotana for over seveb years. With more than 17 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Ali progressively occupied more responsible positions at major hotels in Egypt including resort destinations at Hurghada and Sharm el Sheikh, before moving to the UAE in 2012 and taking on the role of Deputy General Manager of Pegas Touristic.

In 2013, Ali joined Rotana Hotel Management Corporation as Head of Sales – Travel Trade and in 2017 was promoted as General Manager, Rosh Rayhaan by Rotana in Riyadh.

Fairmont Port Douglas Hotel to Open in Far North Queensland in 2023

Accor will bring the Fairmont brand to Australia for the first time, with the announcement that the Fairmont Port Douglas is set to open in Far North Queensland in 2023.  Set on the edge of two UNESCO World Heritage sites – the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest - the hotel has been sustainably designed to give back to the environment.
 
“We are excited to bring the extraordinary Fairmont brand to Australia and are confident that Fairmont Port Douglas will deliver a new level of luxury and sophistication to one of the country’s most glamourous resort towns,” said Simon McGrath, Chief Operating Officer, Accor Pacific. “Accor continues to expand its luxury offerings in Australia and, as our first Fairmont, this is going to be a truly special resort, whose architecture mimics the rich biosphere of the Daintree Rainforest and, which is centred on well-being, nature and cultural immersion.”
 
Fairmont Port Douglas will boast 253 glamorous rooms, several restaurants and bars, a decadent day spa, a treetop walk and panoramic conference and wedding facilities, all designed around resort-style pools and built to blend seamlessly with nature. From the organic architecture to copious green spaces and natural light, the resort brings nature close, with butterfly nets above the children’s swimming pool, an intimate lobby inspired by birds’ nests and verdant tropical gardens.

Emirates returns $1.4 billion to customers in refunds

Emirates revealed that is has returned over AED 5 billion ($1.4 billion) in COVID-19-related travel refunds to date.

More than 1.4 million refunds requests have been completed since March, representing 90% of the airline’s backlog. This includes all requests received from customers around the world up until the end of June, save for a few cases which require further manual review.

Since the pandemic hit, Emirates has invested additional resources to ramp up its processing capability. The airline also continues to work with industry partners to facilitate refunds for those who have booked their Emirates flights through travel agents, this includes enabling direct refunds processing via global booking systems (GDS).

Sir Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline says: “We understand that from our customers’ standpoint, each pending refund request is one too many. We’re committed to honouring refunds and are trying our utmost to clear the massive and unprecedented backlog that was caused by the pandemic. Most cases are straightforward, and these we will process quickly. But there are cases which will take a bit more time for our customer teams to manually review and complete. We’re grateful to our customers for their patience and understanding.”

As global travel markets slowly reopen, Emirates has gradually restarted its passenger operations around the world.

Courtyard by Marriott Penang takes brand into Malaysia

Marriott has announced the opening of Courtyard by Marriott Penang – the first Courtyard property to debut in Malaysia.

Located along the bustling Jalan Macalister in the heart of Penang’s UNESCO-listed George Town, the new 199-room Courtyard by Marriott Penang is set to provide the best hotel experience for guests to pursue their personal and professional passions while on the road.

“We are thrilled to continue to grow our presence in Malaysia with the opening of Courtyard by Marriott Penang,” said Rajeev Menon, president, Asia Pacific, Marriott International.

“Designed for today’s ambitious and enterprising traveller, the opening of Courtyard by Marriott Penang marks Marriott International’s 17th brand in Malaysia and further compliments our growing footprint in the country.”

Sandals South Coast to debut Swim-up Rondoval Suites

Sandals Resorts International has unveiled design plans for a multi-million-dollar renovation at their picturesque Jamaican oasis, Sandals South Coast.

Set to debut this December, guests can expect a new era for the resort company with the addition of the first-ever Swim-up Rondoval Suites, positioned on a 17,040 square foot pool oasis.

Guests will also revel in a completely reimagined 112-room Dutch Village with direct access to two new expansive swim-up pools.

A modern lush wedding venue is being added to adorn the garden in the resorts Italian Village.

Having first introduced the cutting-edge Rondoval design at Sandals Grande Antigua, followed by Sandals Grande St. Lucian, Sandals Grenada and Sandals Royal Barbados, Sandals South Coast will now set another milestone with the first-ever Swim-Up Rondoval Suites.

Radisson adds dual-brand property at Heathrow

Radisson Hotel Group has welcomed two new brands at London Heathrow, joining forces under one roof.

The new Radisson Red hotel features 258 bedrooms showcasing the bold and playful design of the brand.

The other bedrooms, of which there are more than 600 in the neighbouring Radisson Hotel & Conference Centre London Heathrow, follow the Scandinavian-inspired Radisson style, nodding to the heritage of the group.

Family rooms with bunk beds able to accommodate up to four people are featured at both properties.

Hyatt Announces Plans for Thompson Monterrey

Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) announced plans for Thompson Monterrey, the first Thompson hotel in Mexico’s state of Nuevo León. The 150-room lifestyle hotel is expected to open in 2022 and will mark the fourth Thompson-branded property in Mexico.

“Thompson Monterrey comes at a time of significant growth for the Thompson Hotels brand and will represent the brand’s entry into a key new market,” said Alfredo Reynoso, director of  development, Mexico, Hyatt. “The Thompson brand aligns very well with Monterrey’s position as a business and entertainment destination, and we look forward to introducing a new lifestyle offering that will provide experiences that celebrate its destination in a sophisticated way for guests and locals alike.”

Developed by Visa Desarrollos and Grow2, Thompson Monterrey will be located in the San Pedro Garza García, a contemporary financial and commercial area of Monterrey in the state of Nuevo León. Located near headquarters for many national and multinational companies and university campuses, the hotel will be part of Torre IKON, a new-build mixed-use complex with aproximately 215,000 square feet (20,000 square meters) of office space. Thompson Monterrey will occupy a portion of the 31-floor tower designed by Duda Paine Architects, which is set to be one of the most iconic high-rise buildings in the San Pedro Garza García.    

Thompson Monterrey will provide a truly superior experience with just the right amount of edge to the San Pedro Garza García through its thoughtfully curated design, culinary sophistication, and effortless yet intuitive service. From the moment guests arrive, they will experience elements of Monterrey’s culture in the hotel’s sought-after hub – its rooftop bar – which will reflect the guests’ authentically stylish and dynamic lifestyles with a buzzing social scene and thought-provoking arts and entertainment.

IHG Signs Two New Hotels in Bangladesh

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has signed a management agreement with Evalona Limited for two new build hotels in Bangladesh. The 200-room Holiday Inn Resort Kuakata is due to open in early 2026 and the 150-rooms Crowne Plaza Kuakata will open its doors to guests in Q1 2028. Located on the second largest beach in Bangladesh, both hotels will be best in class products in the country.

Affirming an optimistic mid-long-term outlook despite on the ongoing global pandemic, this marks the third signing across four hotels for IHG in the SWA region since Q2 2020.

Located approximately 280 kms from Dhaka, Kuakata is a beach town on the banks of the Bay of Bengal in Southern Bangladesh. A beautiful destination on its own, the beach is 18 kms long and 3 kms wide and offers a full view of sunrise and sunset. The location can also be accessed by speed boat from the Sundarbans (mangrove forests) and is in close proximity to Payra Seaport development, which is set to become an important seaport in the country.

A perfect destination for MICE events, Crowne Plaza Kuakata will offer a ballroom accommodating 800-900 guests, two function rooms, two meeting rooms, a business centre and a boardroom (2,475 sqm in total). Offering a wide range of F&B options, the hotel will feature an all-day dining restaurant, two specialty restaurants and a lobby lounge & bar. For guests to rejuvenate, Crowne Plaza Kuakata will feature a spa, a fitness centre, an outdoor pool and a recreation area, as well.

Positioned as a great destination for leisure travelers, on opening, Holiday Inn Resort Kuakata will feature an all-day dining restaurant, a fitness centre, a retail area along with an indoor and outdoor recreation area. The hotel will also offer a meeting room and a boardroom for guests with business requirements.
Sudeep Jain, Managing Director, South West Asia, IHG commented: "We are pleased to announce the signing of two new hotels in Bangladesh in partnership with Evalona Limited. Being built at an excellent location, Crowne Plaza Kuakata and Holiday Inn Resort Kuakata will be amongst the first international hotels in Kuakata and will benefit from the latent demand for international, branded holiday and MICE destination within Bangladesh.

He added: The signing is testament to our long-term commitment to grow in the SWA region and introduce right brands to key markets with the right partners. Despite current challenging circumstances, we are confident in the mid-long-term outlook of the industry – it is great to see that our owners share the same sentiment and are investing in our trusted brands."

Sadiq Rahman, Managing Director, Evalona Limited said: "We are excited to partner with IHG for our first hospitality project and bring Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn brands to the beautiful beach of Kuakata. IHG has a strong reputation in the country with their existing portfolio and a robust pipeline. We are confident that we will benefit from their experience, expertise and operational excellence, and that both hotels will be successful on opening in the future."

IHG has 39 hotels in SWA across mainstream, upscale and luxury segments and 54 in the pipeline. *

*numbers as of June 30th 

Gregory Viaud Appointed Resort Manager At Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort - FL, USA

Gregory Viaud has recently been appointed as the new Resort Manager at Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort. Viaud joins the Orlando property from Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia at Comcast Center, where he served as Hotel Manager. A 16-year veteran of Four Seasons, Viaud has traveled the globe with the company, working at properties in London, Bora Bora, Maui, Bali and Los Angeles, in addition to Philadelphia.

Viaud graduated from the Vatel Nimes Hotel and Tourism Business School in the south of France and carries hospitality, tourism and adventure in his heart. His trajectory with Four Seasons began at the Park Lane London hotel in 2004. Later, he traded in city life for island living, relocating to Bora Bora, Bali, and then Hawaii. During this tenure, Viaud advanced to Food and Beverage Director and learned to love the natural beauty of a remote location. After eight years in the South Pacific Islands, Viaud and his family embarked on a journey to explore the US mainland, establishing a home in Los Angeles at Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel followed by his move to Philadelphia and now, Orlando.

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