STARWOOD
HOTELS & RESORTS said it will expand its Aloft hotel
brand by opening the 200-room Aloft Beijing, Haidian, in 2009. The
Aloft Beijing, Haidian will be part of a mixed-use complex that
will include offices, residential buildings and the previously
announced Four Points by Sheraton Beijing, Haidian. Starwood
describes the Aloft brand as "carrying the DNA of W hotels," with
loft-inspired rooms, the latest in hotel room technology and public
spaces designed to draw guests from their rooms to socialize with
other guests. The Aloft Beijing, Haidian will feature a fitness
center and indoor pool; 3,900 square feet of meetings space; and
three restaurants. Starwood plans to open 500 Aloft properties
worldwide by 2012.
INTERCONTINENTAL HOTELS GROUP, meanwhile,
said it will manage the 540-room Crowne Plaza Sun Palace Beijing
when it opens in early 2008. The hotel is being developed by Yunnan
Metropolitan Construction Investment Co. and will be managed by
IHG. The hotel will be situated in the city's center close to the
Beijing International Exhibition Center. The hotel will feature
ample meetings space; seven restaurants and bars; and a fitness
center. It will be IHG's fourth Crowne Plaza hotel in
Beijing.
KINGDOM HOTEL
INVESTMENTS said it plans to develop a 150-room Raffles
hotel with 15 private residences along 1,658 square feet of
beachfront in Da Nang, Vietnam. The $65 million Raffles Da Nang
Resort and Residences is scheduled to open in 2011 and will be
Kingdom's first hotel in Vietnam. The Vietnam property will be
Kingdom's third venture in Asia, following last year's purchase of
the Movenpick Resort and Spa Karon Beach in Phuket, Thailand, and
the planned development of a Raffles hotel in Phang Nga near
Phuket.
RITZ
TOURS launched a 13-night Majestic China Panorama tour,
offering what the company calls the "best of China's sites, culture
and scenery." The new tour is part of Ritz's Premier Series
itineraries that include a destination's top hotels, restaurants
and a maximum of 24 people in each group. The tour visits Beijing,
Xian, Guilin, Shanghai and Hong Kong. Tours are priced from $3,399
per person, double, including roundtrip air from Los Angeles or San
Francisco, air within China, accommodations in five-star hotels,
sightseeing excursions with guides and meals. Departure dates are
available from late March through early November. For information
or reservations, call (800) 900-2446 or visit www.ritztours.com.
AIR
BRIEFS
" Air Tahiti Nui is
promoting a roundtrip fare of $878 from New York (Kennedy) to
Auckland, New Zealand, and a $978 roundtrip fare from New York to
Sydney for bookings made by Feb. 5 for travel to April 30.
Meanwhile, Air Tahiti Nui is offering one free night in Tahiti at
the Sofitel Tahiti through June 10 when customers buy roundtrip
flights from New York to Auckland or Sydney. To book, call (877)
824-4846 or visit www.airtahitinui-usa.com.
" Qantas Airways said
it will add seasonal nonstop flights between Los Angeles and Sydney
from June 19 to July 28. The extra flights will operate on
Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, resulting in more than 6,000
additional seats. Visit www.qantas.com/us or call (800) 227-4609.
" Korea's Asiana
Airlines and Air China agreed to expand their code-share agreement
to cover 11 major Korea-China routes operated by the two carriers.
Eventually, the carriers plan to extend the code-share pact to
cover all China-Korea routes. The additional code-share routes will
be operated with a total of 151 weekly flights. In China, the
agreement covers Beijing, Qingdao, Weihai, Tianjin, Dalian, Yanji,
Chengdu, Chongqing and Hangzhou. In Korea, the agreement covers
Seoul/Incheon and Busan.
Asia-Pacific
Editor: Jorge Sidron
Phone: (973) 898-0011
[email protected]
For promotional
opportunities in the E-letters, contact [email protected].