NCL to offer tours on Europe cruises
Norwegian Cruise Line, working with Gate 1 Travel, is launching a line of European cruise-tours, beginning with Italy in 2013. The tours will supplement cruises on the Norwegian Jade's seven-day Mediterranean or Adriatic cruises from Venice and the Epic's seven-day cruises from Civitavecchia.
Star Alliance adds Shenzhen Airlines
Shenzhen Airlines joined the Star Alliance as its 27th member and the second from China. Based in Shenzhen, China's fourth-largest city, the carrier operates 400 daily flights to 70 destinations and adds Star Alliance service to five new destinations in China. Shenzhen Airlines was sponsored by Air China, which was the only Chinese carrier in the alliance when Shanghai Airlines withdrew in 2010 owing to its merger with SkyTeam member China Eastern.
Megabus returns to California routes
Discount coach operator Megabus is returning to California and Nevada on Dec. 12 after a four-year absence. The curbside operator, which offers some seats for as low as $1, plans to serve eight cities, including service from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose, and from San Francisco to Sacramento and Sparks/Reno, Nev.
Wyndham Garden opens in New York
Wyndham opened the 106-room Wyndham Garden Chinatown in New York. A newbuild in a glass tower at 93 Bowery, the property is the brand's third hotel in New York and its second in Manhattan.
A&K links up with Exclusive Resorts
Luxury destination club Exclusive Resorts assumed the operations of Abercrombie & Kent's Residence Club portfolio, and in turn A&K will work with Exclusive Resorts' existing Exclusive Journey and Exclusive Immersion brands to create vacation experiences for club members. Exclusive Resorts is absorbing 16 two- to four-bedroom residences from A&K's Residence Club collection in Mexico, the Dominican Republic, California and Wyoming. Exclusive Resorts offers some 350 residences, most of which it owns, in more than 60 international destinations, dealing directly with its 3,500 members.
Viceroy rebrands St. Lucia resort
The former Jalousie Plantation on St. Lucia was rebranded and relaunched as Sugar Beach, a Viceroy Resort, following completion of a three-year, $100 million renovation project. The resort at the base of the twin Pitons features 59 new plantation-style luxury villas, eight new beachfront bungalows and 11 renovated Sugar Mill guestrooms in addition to the 9,427-square-foot Rainforest Spa and updated Kids Club, restaurants and bars. Viceroy's other Caribbean property is in Anguilla.
India hotel market attracts Jumeirah
Dubai's Jumeirah Group inked a deal to manage its first hotel in India, a 470-room property in Mumbai. The hotel is part of a new development in the city's Lower Parel district and is expected to open in 2017. The company said it is in "advanced negotiations" on other hotel and resort projects in India.
Friends & Colleagues
Lanai native and tourism industry veteran Kurt Matsumoto is the new COO of Lanai Resorts. The company is responsible for overseeing the 97% of Lanai purchased in June by Oracle founder Larry Ellison, including two resorts, the Four Seasons Resort Lanai at Manele Bay and the Four Seasons Lanai, the Lodge at Koele; two 18-hole golf courses; several luxury home developments; and the island's utilities. Matsumoto was in charge of the Lodge at Koele and Manele Bay hotels on Lanai from 1991 through 2001, prior to their rebranding as Four Seasons properties. He has also spent time in tourism industry positions on the U.S. mainland and in the Caribbean and worked as general manager of the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Bungalows on the Big Island of Hawaii. • • • Gansevoort Hotel Group appointed Adam Shindler vice president of acquisitions and development. Shindler joins Gansevoort after spending the past four years in Buenos Aires, where he launched Wilshire Hospitality, a boutique hospitality-focused consultancy. • • • Casa de Campo resort in the Dominican Republic appointed Peter Bonell as its chief marketing officer. Bonell has held positions throughout the hospitality industry with Grupo Punta Cana, Ginn Resorts, Colonial Williamsburg, Hershey Entertainment and Resorts and the Broadmoor in Colorado.