SALA Hospitality Group unveils plans for new luxury beachfront resort on Koh Samui

Leading Thai luxury boutique resort company, SALA Hospitality Group, has announced its third SALA resort in Thailand with the unveiling of SALA Samui Chaweng Beach Resort on Koh Samui.

SALA Samui Chaweng Beach Resort is scheduled to launch in two phases, starting in November 2017 with the opening of the Beach Wing comprising of 52 pool villas and pool suites sized between 74 sqm and 304 sqm, featuring private pools between 18 sqm and 46 sqm in size.

Other highlights include an open-air beachfront restaurant, The Beach House, serving fresh seafood in private dining spaces and romantic gazebos; a fun beach bar, a stunning moon-shaped pool on the beachfront, exclusive in-villa dining options and SALA’s signature pillow type selection, organic soaps, scents and lotions.

SAGE Hotel is set to open as new Yarra Valley gateway this October

Sage Hotel Ringwood, located in Melbourne’s east, is a new food, conference and accommodation gateway just 30 mins from the Yarra Valley – and is set to open its doors this October.

The brand new 120-room hotel spans over five floors atop the Eastland Shopping Centre in Ringwood, combining the convenience of Eastland’s retail and lifestyle destination and featuring major retailers, international fashion and over 350 specialty stores with brand new state-of-the-art hospitality, comfort, conferencing and gastronomic experiences.

Sage Hotel Ringwood will showcase the best food of the Yarra Valley and surrounds to guests and will feature the best of Australia’s most prestigious wine region by highlighting the region’s wineries and local breweries and distilleries such as Punt Road Wines, Napoleone Beer & Cider, Hargrave Hills, 4 Pillars Gin and more.

AccorHotels expands its reach in regional NSW

AccorHotels is pleased to announce HW Boutique Hotel has rebranded to ibis Styles Port Macquarie and will operate under a franchise agreement.

Located in the heart of Port Macquarie and directly opposite Town Beach, the 44-room hotel will undergo a soft refurbishment bringing it in line with ibis Styles’ design-led brand standards.

Simon McGrath, Chief Operating Officer of AccorHotels Pacific, said that AccorHotels is delighted to be working with hotel owners, Elanor Investors Group and expanding the portfolio in the Greater Port Macquarie region which has seen strong growth in domestic tourism.

“Port Macquarie continues to be one of the most popular holiday destinations on the north coast and with investment in tourism projects and the upgrade of the airport soon to begin, we are excited to be expanding our footprint in the region.

“The ibis Styles brand is a segment leader known for its design-led, functional and affordable accommodation offering and together with the strength of our distribution and loyalty platform we are excited to be giving our guests even more reason to travel to Port Macquarie.

Located just over four hours’ drive from Sydney and over six hours’ drive from Brisbane, Port Macquarie boasts eight pristine beaches, beautiful coastal walks, a cosmopolitan dining scene, stunning hinterland, a thriving arts community, rolling green hinterland areas and spectacular national parks.

Ibis Styles Port Macquarie joins more than 30 ibis Styles hotels in Australia and over 70 ibis Styles hotels in Asia Pacific.

Contemporary Style Meets Intriguing History at the Newly Refurbished Rydges Hobart

Rydges Hobart has received a breath of fresh Tasmanian air with an extensive refurbishment to all guests rooms, public areas, conference spaces and new restaurant and bar; 1898 Bar & Dining.

The refurbishment combines modern comforts and stylish interiors with rich history and friendly service. Located only minutes from Hobart’s CBD and the picturesque Mount Wellington, Rydges Hobart offers business and leisure travellers the opportunity to experience the best of Hobart.

Rydges Hobart’s 64 spacious guest rooms and suites have been transformed with contemporary styling and modern amenities. All rooms are well-appointed with renovated bathrooms, thoughtful styling with wooden accents and pops of orange and green, Rydges Dream Beds, plus free WI-FI and onsite parking.

Take Off on a Magical Island Adventure with Six Senses Yao Noi

Six Senses Yao Noi launches its new resort video with a sweet deal for guests looking to experience the best of the resort has to offer.

To capture the excitement and pure beauty of the resort and its location, Belgian videographers Xavier Fiems and Sophie Vaneeckhoudt of Skydrone Vision used high-tech production techniques including the use of drones and high-end 4K cinema cameras.

The captured footage was then woven into a magical edit that will spike any appetite for an out-of-the-ordinary Six Senses tropical escape. They have been retained to shoot all Six Senses resorts around the world. The next video to premier will come from Six Senses Zighy Bay.

A Muay Thai lesson, tuk tuk tour around the island for a sneak peek into local living and flying yoga are all showcased. The video captures the best the resort has to offer and weaves it into a story about a couple and their child exploring and experiencing Six Senses Yao Noi.

PCOs first look at Novotel Melbourne South Wharf Opening March 2018

Ten lucky Professional Conference Organisers (PCOs) from Melbourne were personally invited by AccorHotels to the first Hard Hat tour of Novotel Melbourne South Wharf which is on track to open March 2018.

Braving Melbourne’s winter weather, the PCOs donned steal capped boots, hard hats and high-vis vests to be provided the first look at Novotel Melbourne South Wharf. The group was hoisted up 26-floors to be given a special look at the unobstructed views, before enjoying an exclusive sneak peek of a prototype room, the hotel’s 200 seat bar and restaurant, 24-hour fitness centre and lobby.

The development of Novotel Melbourne South Wharf complements the expansion of the Melbourne Exhibition and Conference Centre (MCEC), providing guests with more high-quality accommodation options on the Yarra River’s Southbank.

Once complete MCEC will span 70,000 square meters of meeting space, the largest in the southern hemisphere. The development of the Novotel will contribute significantly to the continued evolution of Melbourne as one of Asia Pacific’s most important tourism, meeting and events cities.

Evason Ana Mandara Celebrates 20th Anniversary

It’’s been 20 years since the first international luxury resort to premiere in Vietnam, Evason Ana Mandara, opened its doors on September 17, 1997. Since then, the highly successful Evason property has been a leader in Nha Trang as the only in-town and absolute beachfront resort, providing an idyllic urban soul to the city’s bustling scene.

The resort continues to attract a global leisure traveller plus a large number of repeat and loyal guests. It has continued to thrive and push boundaries by offering innovative experiences such as the latest aerial yoga, the first resort in Nha Trang to offer this elevated yoga practice. It also presents the most unique romantic dinner experience for two on a private beachfront jetty; a Nha Trang exclusive.

Throughout its illustrious history, it has won over 50 awards and accolades, both international and local. There have been 730,000 beds made up for guests in the two decades since opening, 29,040 hours of training and developing hosts to deliver unequalled guest services and experiences and more than seven billion Vietnam Dong (approximately USD$308,000) contributed to the community.

Capital Alliance moves ahead with Australia’s first Marriott in 20 years

Marriott International will open its first Australian new-build hotel in 20 years in Docklands following the Victorian Government’s approval of Capital Alliance’s mixed-use scheme this week.

Designed by DKO Architecture, the Melbourne developer’s project will deliver 200 premium hotel rooms as well as 110 contemporary residences across 17-level dual towers above the newly rebranded District Docklands, formerly AsheMorgan’s Harbour Town Shopping Centre.

At its heart will also be another first for Melbourne – a public infinity pool on the Marriott rooftop complemented by world-class bar and dining facilities, all overlooking the CBD.

The contemporary apartments aimed at owner occupiers will launch later this year, with the entire project to deliver 100 hotel jobs to Melbourne as well as 500 direct and indirect construction and development jobs when works start in mid-2018.

Bebe Spa Sanctuary secures Pevonia International Spa Design or the Year award for the fourth consecutive year

Bebe Spa Sanctuary at Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort has won the Pevonia International Spa Design of the Year award for the fourth year in succession.

Spa Manager Praveena Dewan said the spa’s ongoing success was a testament to the energy and dedication of the Bebe team.

The spa’s design concept is based on a traditional Fijian village and features thatched bure-style rooftops typical of a village setting. Situated on a hilltop, it commands panoramic coastal and ocean views.

The Bebe Spa Sanctuary layout includes a pre and post treatment relaxation room positioned to take maximum advantage of the views, couples’ rooms, private open-air balconies and sunken balcony baths.

Tamanu Beach Aitutaki offers stay three pay two summer special

The Cook Islands continues to attract more Australian visitors and the beautiful island of Aitutaki remains a star attraction!

Cook Islands’ Tamanu Beach Resort, Aitutaki has announced a new stay three pay two summer season offer to encourage Australians to discover Aitutaki.

The 3-night deal includes:

One FREE night | Return Airport Transfers in Aitutaki with flower Ei’s on Arrival & Departure  |  Tropical Breakfast daily for 2 adults  |  FREE Giant clam snorkelling tour off Honeymoon Island for 2 adults. |  100 MB Free Wifi  |  10 minute foot massage ( to ease your clients into island time!)

Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa says no to single-use plastic straws

Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa is saying no to single-use plastic straws in an effort to enhance environmentally sustainable practices and to protect Hawaii’s tropical marine ecosystem, including the endangered honu (green sea turtle). The resort is the first in the Hawaiian Islands to completely eliminate single-use plastic straws in favor of a marine-friendly alternative.

According to Surfrider Foundation, approximately 500 million plastic drinking straws are used and discarded every day in the United States alone, and 175 billion straws are used in a year.

Surfrider Foundation also notes that marine life, including honu, can be harmed by ingesting plastic straws and other broken-down plastics that pollute the ocean and waterways.

Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa is implementing paper straws as an environmentally-conscious solution at its multiple dining establishments, luau, banquets and events. Paper straws will be provided in keiki (kids) beverages and blended tropical drinks, with other beverages being served without straws unless a paper straw is requested.