STARWOOD HOTELS &
RESORTS will open what it says will be the first luxury
hotel in the capital of Tibet in January 2010. The 169-room St.
Regis Resort, Lhasa, will be located in the scenic Barkhor area, a
Tibetan neighborhood east of Lhasa with a view of the Potala
Palace, a 10-minute drive away. The hotel will include a
presidential suite, 50 villa-style suites as well as 9,000 square
feet of meetings space, three restaurants and a health club and
spa. The hotel will be developed by state-owned Lhasa Yungao
International Hotel Co. and managed by Starwood. The St. Regis
Resort, Lhasa, will be the first international-branded hotel to
open in Tibet since Holiday Inn pulled out in 1997.
IN CHOOSING
TIBET, Starwood said it aims to capitalize on the
potential for growth in travel to the region following the opening
last summer of a high-altitude railway linking the Chinese capital
of Beijing to Lhasa. Starwood said the Qinghai-Tibet Railway has
led to a surge in international travel to Tibet, with tourist
arrivals to Lhasa growing at a rate of more than 15% since the
railway was completed. This year, Tibet expects to host more than 3
million domestic and international tourists, a 28% increase over
last year.
IN OTHER
STARWOOD NEWS, the company said it will open its third W
Hotel property in China, the W Guangzhou, in 2010. The 320-room
hotel will be part of a luxury mixed-use development that will
include shops, entertainment venues, restaurants and 167 upscale
residences. In typical W fashion, the hotel will feature three
restaurants, a health club and Bliss Spa, a W Store, signature W
beds, and 16,000 square feet of meetings space. The W Guangzhou
will be the third W property in China following the W Hong Kong and
the W Shanghai.
WYNDHAM
HOTELS AND RESORTS, meanwhile, also has its sights set on
China. The company will launch the Wyndham brand name in China in
the fourth quarter of this year when it opens a 550-room hotel now
under construction in Xiamen, Fujian Province. The Wyndham Xiamen
will be the first property in China fully managed by Wyndham, whose
parent, Wyndham Worldwide, has 84 franchised properties in China
under its Ramada, Days Inn, Howard Johnson and Super 8
brands.
TRAVEL
IMPRESSIONS said it is offering 15% commission on all
Tahiti bookings made by June 30. Travel Impressions released the
2007 Tahiti & Her Islands brochure featuring packages at 19
hotels in Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora, Taha'a and Huahine. Travel
Impressions launched its programs to Tahiti last year and said it
has received "impressive feedback" from agents and consumers. In
connection with the packages, the operator has partnered with Air
Tahiti Nui for nonstop flights from Los Angeles and New York. Call
(800) 284-0044 or visit www.travelimpressions.com.
Asia-Pacific Editor: Jorge
Sidron
Phone: (973) 898-0011
[email protected]
For promotional
opportunities in the E-letters, contact [email protected].