Centara steams ahead into China

Centara Hotels & Resorts’ latest venture is two new properties in China, with the Group’s management signing two new agreements for what will become the new ‘Centara Grand Beach Resort Jin Tai Hainan’ in Hainan Province and the ‘Centara Villas Zhaoqing’ in Guangdong Province.

Mr. Thirayuth Chirathivat, Chief Executive Officer of Centara Hotels & Resorts, believes this is an excellent opportunity to expand the company’s portfolio.  “I am extremely pleased that we are developing yet more unique facilities overseas, as we continue to strategically build our brand beyond Thailand.”

Centara Grand Beach Resort Jin Tai Hainan will be a new 350 guest room five-star family resort with three restaurants, swimming pools, club lounge, a SPA Cenvaree, fitness centre, large meeting facilities, a water park and kids’ club. The resort is expected to open in Q4 2019. Hainan is being promoted as “China’s Hawaii” and the entire island has been designated a Special Economic Zone, therefore Centara is ensuring that they have a presence amid what is expected to be an important growth region in China.

Arkaba offers free, six hour air safari excursion

Book a three night stay at Arkaba, Wild Bush Luxury’s private wildlife conservancy in the Flinders Ranges, travelling before 7 September, 2016 and enjoy a complimentary six-hour air safari excursion taking in the South Australian Outback, saving AUD$2,400 per couple.

The air safari provides breathtaking views over Wilpena Pound, the salt pans of Lake Torrens and the spectacular Kati-Thanda-Lake Eyre, now abundant with water and wildlife – a rare sight to see.

During the three night stay at the rustically chic Arkaba Homestead, guests will enjoy a guided, on-ground wildlife safari during the day and dine on delicious gourmet meals by night, complemented by the finest South Australian wines.

This rare last-minute deal costs AUD $2,670 per person twin-share for three nights. This air safari offers a huge saving of AUD$2,400 per couple.

To book or to receive more information, send an e-mail to info@wildbushluxury.com or call 1300 790 561 to speak to a Wild Bush Luxury specialist.

Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit sets sustainability standard

A trend that started with signs in hotel rooms asking guests to reuse towels is expanding its reach as green-minded accommodation providers work to mitigate the amount of food waste flowing from their kitchens.

One of the finest examples is in Thailand, where Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit’s executive chef, Jeremy Cayron, has chopped the four-year-old property’s food waste from about 13,000 kilos per month to 4,000.

At the same time, Cayron is cultivating his office terrace as a garden in order to minimize the need to call on suppliers to transport herbs and vegetables from across town.

“It’s all about sustainability,” Cayron said. “How can we do more with less? How can we make lighter carbon footprints? How can we be better stewards for the planet?”

Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit began morphing into a model of environmental responsibility in October 2015, when it became the first AccorHotels property in the world to implement a cutting-edge tool called Winnow.

The system calculates the weight and cost of each item that is thrown away and creates daily reports that pinpoint opportunities to reduce wastage.

Cayron projects the hotel will save about US $80,000 thanks to Winnow this year.

Andrew Edsor announced as general manager of the Johnson

Art Series Hotel Group has appointed Andrew Edsor as the General Manager of their first Brisbane property, The Johnson, set to open in mid-September.

Will Deague, CEO of Art Series Hotel Group says: “Andrew’s commitment to the Group over the past 18 months across two of our hotels has been a testament to his passion for art and hospitality. Andrew’s role at The Johnson is to help bring our vision alive in a new market, and with his vast hotel industry experience particularly in hotel openings, we have no doubt that he is the right man for the job.”

Beginning his career in hospitality over 20 years ago, Andrew is no stranger to the Art Series Hotel Group. Most recently the General Manager of The Watson in Adelaide, he has now relocated north to play a vital role in the opening of the Group’s first Queensland hotel. Before joining the Group, the majority of his experience is credit to his time with Quest Apartment Hotels, where he assisted in the opening of new hotels in every state of Australia.

Andrew was drawn to the Group by its out of the ordinary hotel experiences, infusing stimulating art encounters with truly engaging service and he looks forward to bringing these art inspired experiences to Brisbane through The Johnson.

China Capital Investment Group Purchases Whitsundays South Molle Island

China Capital Investment Group (CCIG) has announced the acquisition of the perpetual lease of South Molle Island in the Whitsundays on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.

South Molle Island is CCIG’s second Australian acquisition following the purchase in early 2015 of nearby Daydream Island Resort and Spa.

The perpetual leasehold interest in South Molle Island features over 12 hectares of developable absolute beachfront land, including a frontage of over 600m to one of the only sheltered north facing white sand beaches in the region, and a secluded 15-hectare tranquil parcel in the middle of the island, surrounded by national park.

Shanghai-based CCIG says the purchase of South Molle Island was a great opportunity to expand its presence in the Whitsunday region.

Daydream Island Resort and Spa chief executive officer Scott Wilkinson said, “The acquisition reflects the confidence we have in Australian tourism assets, Queensland and the tourism industry.

“South Molle has a long history as a tourism destination. As such this was a great opportunity to acquire one of the last large-scale development opportunities in the Great Barrier Reef.

Kerzner International names new President and CEO

Kerzner International Holdings (KIH), the leading international developer and operator of destination resorts, ultra-luxury hotels and residences, today announced the appointment of Jean-Gabriel Pérès as its new President and Chief Executive Officer.

As the outgoing CEO of Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts, Jean-Gabriel has overseen the daily operations of the 16,000-staff hotel management company for 17 years. His role was instrumental in driving the global expansion of the company into Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.

“Jean-Gabriel joins us at a very opportune moment in our journey as we embark on an accelerated growth and expansion plan to take Kerzner to new places around the world, from China to Mexico and beyond,” says His Excellency Mohammed Al Shaibani, Executive Director and CEO of Investment Corporation of Dubai, and Chairman of Kerzner International.

Hotel Jen shows how to “leave boring behind” with energetic destination experiences

Hotel Jen unveils a series of destination-centric offers to help adventurous travellers seize the day, meet the locals and explore the city when they stay at one of the 10 Hotel Jen properties in Asia Pacific. This launch kicks off the brand’s new “Leave Boring Behind” campaign together with the release of fresh video content.

“Hotel Jen was launched by Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts two years ago to cater to today’s independent travellers who are passionate about discovering new places, cultures and experiences,” said Marisa Aranha, vice president of sales and marketing for Hotel Jen. “The brand was inspired by a virtual persona, Jen, who is a professional hotelier with a love for travel and life. We regard our guests as ‘friends of Jen’ and want to help them explore hidden gems and re-discover the magic of travel.”

Available now until September 30, 2016, the “Leave Boring Behind” packages include a specially chosen activity that will enable curious jetsetters to delve deeper into a destination. Prices start from US$80++ and include late check-out, accommodation and daily buffet breakfast for two people. Members of the Shangri-La Golden Circle loyalty programme will earn double award points when they book this package.