INTERCONTINENTAL HOTELS GROUP said it will
manage the 120-room InterContinental Hua Hin Resort in Thailand
when it opens in the fourth quarter of 2008. The property, which is
being developed by Proud Resort Hua Hin Co., will occupy a prime
beachfront location along Petchakasem Road. The resort will feature
Thai-style rooms and three beachfront villas with plunge pools. All
rooms will have spacious outdoor areas with daybeds and a dining
space. Facilities will include a spa; five pools; specialty
Thai-Chinese, Japanese and grill restaurants; and a tea lounge.
RESPONDING
TO DEMAND, Ritz Tours has added seven additional
departures to its Premier Series, 16-night Majestic China and
Yangtze River itineraries in September and October. With the move,
Ritz will offer two departures on each of the following dates:
Sept. 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30, and Oct. 7 and 21. The operator said it
made the decision to double the number of departures for the
itinerary after almost all fall 2007 dates were sold out. Prices
start at $4,299 per person, double, including roundtrip air fare
from Los Angeles or San Francisco, air within Asia, accommodations
in five-star hotels, guided sightseeing and most meals. For
information or reservations, call (800) 900-2446 or visit www.ritztours.com.
ASIA
TRANSPACIFIC JOURNEYS has created a 12-night Southern
India itinerary scheduled for Feb. 18 to March 2, 2008. The land
cost is $5,495 per person, double, including accommodations in
five-star and boutique hotels, most meals, sightseeing and the
services of guides. Medical and evacuation insurance is included.
Cities visited on the trip will include Mumbai, Madurai, Kerala and
Kochi. While in Kerala, clients will stay at the Coconut Lagoon
Resort, a thatched-roof-style property accessible only by boat. In
Mumbai, where the trip begins, customers will stay at the Taj Mahal
Mumbai Hotel. For information or reservations, call (800) 642-2742
or visit www.asiatranspacific.com.
CHINA
SOUTHERN AIRLINES has launched a number of customer
service enhancements including in-flight upgrades such as offering
free cocktails to all adult passengers flying in first class from
Guangzhou, China, to Beijing, Los Angeles, Paris and Sydney.
Meanwhile, the carrier has promised to deliver customers' luggage
within 15 minutes of arriving at the jetway in any Chinese city.
The airline also has established "Customer Experts," or airline
ground staff charged with meeting first class passengers arriving
in China and guiding them through local connections. China Southern
recently began enabling customers to print boarding passes from its
Web site [www.cs-air.com/en] within 12 hours of departure. The
service is currently available in 13 Chinese cities, with plans to
expand to 28 cities by the end of this year.
THE FIJI
ISLANDS VISITORS BUREAU has named Cherrill Watson director
of marketing, replacing Josefa Tuamoto, who joined Blue Lagoon
Cruises. A Fiji citizen, Watson will be responsible for the
planning, budgeting and management of all marketing activities for
the Fiji Islands. Watson previously held positions as director of
marketing for Sheraton Fiji Resorts, Blue Lagoon Cruises and Four
Seasons Resorts in Bali.
Asia-Pacific Editor: Jorge
Sidron
Phone: (973) 898-0011
[email protected]
For promotional
opportunities in the E-letters, contact [email protected].