New properties and activities on offer in Vanuatu

                                               






The introduction of a range of new accommodation options and soft adventure activities in Vanuatu is an exciting step towards further growth of the tourism sector, according to the Vanuatu Tourism Office (VTO).

Vanuatu has seen a six per cent increase in Australian visitors compared to this time last year and Linda Kalpoi, general manager at the VTO said the growth is encouraging business owners to expand and develop their offering in the market.

"New hotels and resorts are regularly opening up and the range of activities now available in Vanuatu is expanding to cater for a wider range of visitors," Ms Kalpoi said.

New accommodation includes:

Luxury Safari tent in Ratua Private Island, Espiritu Santo
For a truly unique and intimate holiday, visitors to Vanuatu can now experience the newly opened, luxury safari accommodation on the magnificent private island of Ratua. While staying in a 32 square metre Safari Tent guests will enjoy the wild nature of Ratua Private Island as well as have private access to a white sand beach and full access to all the resort's services. Rack rates are from AUD$450 per night. For bookings and additional information please visit www.ratua.com/en.

New private Pool Villas at Warwick Le Lagon
Warwick Le Lagon Resort and Spa is about to unveil three new, beautiful secluded Pool Villas which bring a new level of luxury to the property.  Each exclusive Villa takes in the views of the Erakor Lagoon and has its own private swimming pool or plunge spa. For complete privacy guests can have indulgent spa treatments and privately cooked BBQs without leaving their cocooned enclosure. Perfect for romantic getaways, Warwick Le Lagon's new Pool Villas will be opened in the second half of 2013. An introductory offer will include extra touches such as limousine transfer from the airport.   www.lelagonvanuatu.vu  

Hidden Cove Eco Retreat, Espiritu Santo
Hidden Cove Eco Retreat opened at the end of 2012 offering an opulent tented pool villa with emphasis on privacy, comfort and intimate seclusion. The 50-metre villa has tented accommodation and is set on expansive decks overlooking the water, under a canopy of ancient trees within a walled garden complete with plunge pool, dining and bathing pavilions. The boutique resort has used responsible building practices such as the use of Plantation timber and local renewable materials, solar/wind generated power, biological treatment of wastewater with limited energy consumption and passive building design including being cooled by trees and sea breezes not air-conditioning. Rates start at AUD$450 per night and a 5-night romantic package is offered at AUD$2,250. www.hiddencoveecoretreat.com

Koyu Holiday Apartments at Eratap Point, Efate
Only 15 minutes from Port Vila, Koyu Holiday Apartments at Eratap Point comprise of five gorgeous, self-contained apartments in a secluded and peaceful setting. Each apartment is individually decorated with Vanuatu's beautiful local hardwood, Koyu, and offers car rental and transport services to make the stay more convenient.  Prices start at AUD$160 (VT 13,847) per night for a single room apartment.  www.koyuapartments.com

The Hub Vanuatu, Efate Port Vila
New up-market self-contained apartments have opened by the lagoon, only minutes away from Port Vila. One, two and three bedroom fully equipped apartments all have lagoon views and private balconies or courtyards.  The apartments have a shared pool and resort facilities. A one bedroom apartment starts from AUD$150 per night. www.thehubvanuatu.com

The Terraces, Port Vila, Efate
Located on a cliff overlooking the stunning Erakor Lagoon, The Terraces, offer beautiful apartments, only 10 minutes' walk from Port Vila. Guests enjoy all the comforts of home with access to facilities including tennis court, gymnasium and private swimming pools. The Terraces opened in late 2012 and the starting price for a one bedroom apartments is AUD$425 (VT 36,809). Apartments can be booked directly through the resort's website. www.theterracesvanuatu.com

For the active visitor, a number of new soft adventure activities are now available:

Vanuatu Safari Tours
Discover the stories about Efate's nature and culture with Vanuatu's Safari Tours. Safely seated in a 4WD truck a professional guide will tailor tours to its customers' interests. Book at www.vanuatusafaritours.com or call +678 5644350.

Salt Water Players
Salt Water Players, located in Pango Village, in the South Eastern part of Efate, is expanding its water sports to include stand up paddle boarding and kite surfing in addition to the popular surf experiences. Experienced instructors are on hand to assist and prices begin at AUD$51.96 (VT 4500) for half a day of stand up paddle or surf and AUD$155.82 (VT 13500 ) for half a day course of kite surfing. For more information visit http://saltwaterplayers.com

New shopping centre to open
The first major mall is set to open in Port Vila by the end of 2013. Named the Tana Russet, the shopping mall will offer tourists and locals three floors of shopping, a games arcade and the first international standard cinema in Vanuatu with 3D projections.

For further details about Vanuatu and what's on visit vanuatu.travel  

Notes to editor:
Exchange rate conversion 1.00 AUD = 86.5065 VT as of 01/08/2013, and rounded up to next dollar.

Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza Awarded “Best Of MidAmerica” By Meetings Focus

Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plazahas been awarded the prestigious "Best of MidAmerica" award by Meetings Focus magazine in its September 2013issue.

For the eighth consecutive year, the hotel has been selected by meeting planners as a top meeting destination. Only 50 properties received this award in MidAmerica, which includes hotels not only in Ohio, but also states in the MidAmerican region including Illinois, Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin. 

Key cities that Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza competed with for this award included Chicago, Minneapolis, Detroit and Milwaukee. The annual award, where professional meeting planners select their preferred hotels, is based on the following criteria: meeting space, guest rooms, guest services and amenities, food and beverage service, high-tech services, recreational facilities, efficiency and helpfulness of the staff and overall value and experience.

"Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza is thrilled to be named a ‘Best of MidAmerica' winner! We are honored that the meeting planners continue to select us as one of the best. We know that planning a meeting with us brings peace of mind to the customer since our tenured conference services team has a strong planning focus. Executing a meeting with us reduces the stress of meeting planning and being on site with us allows the meeting planner to focus on the successful delivery of content without the distraction of unexpected planning errors," said Michel Sheer, managing director, Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza.

Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza have been honored with numerous accolades including:

• Hilton Hotels & Resorts' #1 Food and Beverage Hotel in the USA for the fourth consecutive year (2010, 2011, 2012 & 2013)
• Hilton Hotels & Resorts' "Brand of Excellence" winner - given to the top five performing hotels in the chain
• Hilton Hotels & Resorts' HHonors Guest Recognition Award - four time winner - given to the top hotel for exemplary customer service
• AAA Four-Diamond Hotel and Fine Dining Restaurant (2004-current)
• Chef Kelly was named the American Culinary Federation's USA Chef of the Year, the highest honor given in the 20,000+ chef national organization
• Chef Kelly is also one of Hilton Hotel's Signature Chefs, just one of six in the USA.
• Zagat named Orchids at Palm Court as Cincinnati's "Top Restaurant" for 2011, 2012 & 2013
• Meetings & Conventions magazine "Gold Key Award" - five time winner

Meetings Focus is a national publication designed for meeting planners who book groups and events in the United States. The magazine has a circulation of 57,000 meeting planners and 100% of their subscribers have requested the magazine directly.

New Zealand regions welcome 2015 Cricket World Cup

Seven New Zealand centres have been chosen to host matches in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 - spreading the major international event throughout both the North and South Islands.

Auckland, Hamilton, Napier and Wellington in the North Island and Nelson, Christchurch and Dunedin in 

the South Island will join seven Australian cities to jointly host the tournament in the summer of 2015.

The announcement is welcome news to Kiwi sporting fans who fondly remember the "stadium of four million" concept that brought the country to life during the Rugby World Cup in 2011.

The ICC Cricket World Cup is one of the world’s largest sports tournaments and the flagship event of the international cricket calendar. All eyes will be on the chosen cities from 14 February to 29 March 2015 as they not only host thousands of players, officials and fans, but are also profiled globally to an expected television audience of more than a billion people.

As well as a warm welcome, visitors can expect a diverse range of scenery and a varied cultural experience as they travel the throughout New Zealand’s host regions.

Tourism WA’s adopted whale shark named after teenage tumour victim

A seven metre male whale shark tagged in the Ningaloo Marine Park and ‘adopted’ by Tourism WA has been named ‘Boo Boo’ in honour of a 15 year-old Perth boy who died six months ago from a brain tumour.

Trent D’Silva swam with the whale sharks at Ningaloo last year as a wish after he was diagnosed with the tumour.

“It was a highlight of his short life,” said Trent’s mother Leonna.

“When we saw the competition to name the adopted whale shark we thought it would be a lovely way to remember a wonderful boy. ‘Boo Boo’ was the nickname Trent was given by his sister, Courtney.

“We also want other families in similar circumstances to be able to enjoy the amazing experience we had up at Exmouth and Ningaloo, and we are working with the Make-A-Wish Foundation to raise money for that.”

Tourism WA CEO Stephanie Buckland said more than 1,000 entries were received during the six week Facebook competition to name the whale shark, and an online poll of a final shortlist overwhelmingly supported the name Boo Boo.

“We think Boo Boo is a great name for our whale shark and thank the D’Silva family for sharing it with us. It is an honour to help them pay tribute to Trent in this way,” Ms Buckland said.

Tourism WA ‘adopted’ Boo Boo in partnership with whale shark research and conservation organisation ECOCEAN Inc.

“We wanted to share and support research into one of Western Australia’s most extraordinary visitor experiences, swimming with the whale sharks,” Ms Buckland said.

A satellite tag was placed on Boo Boo in the waters of the Ningaloo Marine Park in April this year by whale shark researcher Brad Norman from ECOCEAN, with the moment captured on film.

The tag is a new, less intrusive design which will release after about six months to minimise the impact on the fish.

Ningaloo Reef is one of the few places on Earth where people can swim alongside these gentle giants of the deep, which can grow up to 18 metres.

“The annual whale shark migration to Ningaloo is one of Western Australia’s truly extraordinary experiences and attracts visitors from around the world,” Ms Buckland said.

“The adoption and tagging of Boo Boo will support important research and conservation efforts to ensure the experience remains sustainable for future generations to enjoy. Currently very little is known about the migration patterns of whale sharks.”

One of ECOCEAN’s key initiatives is its whale shark photo-identification library, a visual database of whale shark encounters, which welcomes photos from members of the public. The spots on each whale shark are unique and by receiving photo submissions of individual whale sharks, the program can track their movements and population numbers.

Tourism WA has also developed a Facebook app to show ECOCEAN’s research and conservation efforts, as well as enable the agency’s Facebook community to share whale shark experiences.

Whale sharks visit the warm waters of Ningaloo Reef each year between April and July, during which time visitors can swim with them on dedicated eco tours departing from Exmouth and Coral Bay. For more information on this experience and holidaying in Western Australia visit www.westernaustralia.com.

Facebook users can find out more about extraordinary WA at https://www.facebook.com/ExtraordinaryWesternAustralia.

Novotel Christchurch Cathedral Square to re-open on 19 August

 

Novotel Christchurch Cathedral Square will re-open its doors on Monday 19 August, in a significant boost to the city's tourism industry.

 

The hotel's re-opening not only opens up crucial tourism infrastructure but it will also play a key role in the revival of Cathedral Square, following the removal of the Red Zone cordon around the city centre.

 

Novotel Christchurch Cathedral Square joins Accor's other central city hotel, Ibis Christchurch, in adding new accommodation, dining and conference facilities, while offering some of the best views over the city and iconic Cathedral ruins.

 

The reincarnated 154-room hotel with extensive conference and meeting facilities will play a major role in central Christchurch's ability to host large tour groups, as well as major conferences. Local residents are also set to welcome the addition of new dining options in the city which have been relatively limited over the past two years. Over 50 Cantabrians will be employed at the hotel.

 

General Manager of Novotel Christchurch Cathedral Square, Carl Braddock, said that the re-opening of the Novotel will mark another significant step in the recovery of the city's tourism industry.

 

"When we open the Novotel it will be instrumental in easing the critical shortage of central city accommodation and provide much-needed employment for local residents in Christchurch. We are fully committed to ensuring that the city is firmly back on the tourism map and deserved of a prominent place on business and leisure travel itineraries. 

 

"Since the Ibis hotel opened one year ago, we've seen tremendous changes taking place in the CBD so we're really excited to see the heart of Christchurch beating again. We're more than ready to spread the message that the city centre is well and truly open for business and we look forward to accommodating travellers in 4-star style and comfort." 

 

The Novotel is just a short walk from many of Christchurch's re-emerging areas, such as the New Regent Street art deco shopping precinct and the ultra innovative Re:Start shopping mall, built from brightly coloured and attractively arranged shipping containers.

 

Only just over one year old when the earthquake hit Christchurch in February 2011, the Novotel was the city's newest hotel and while many of the buildings around the hotel had to be demolished, the Novotel sustained only minor structural – although considerable interior – damage.

 

Novotel Christchurch Cathedral Square will have an official opening ceremony on the anniversary of the first earthquake on 4 September.

 

A Legendary Experience: Carnival Legend to Arrive in Sydney

Carnival Spirit's sister ship, Carnival Legend, is arriving in Sydney next year from the East Coast of America. The ship has been custom-built to create history-making holidays, and pays tribute to some of the world's greatest legends throughout the ages. Guest can take a dip in the Camelot and Avalon pools, wish for magic at Club Merlin Casino, and taste iconic flavours at Truffles Restaurant. Music lovers can head for Satchmo's Lounge and Billie's Piano Bar, then dance the night away at Medusa's Lair Dance Club.

Carnival Legend will offer multiple ports of call (Los Angeles and Tampa), diverse cultures, exciting cities and activities on one cruise. Onboard features include a wide range of bars, dining choices and a variety of fun outdoor activities including the iconic Water Park and Green Thunder Waterslide, as well as indoor and relaxation options and exciting entertainment. 

 

Carnival Legend will sail from the East Coast of America mid-August 2014 arriving in Sydney on 22 September 2014. Itineraries on offer: 

·         13-day cruise from Tampa to Los Angeles sailing through the Panama Canal, Costa Rica and Mexico departing on 17 August 2014 with prices from $1925 per person, twin share.

·         23-day cruise from Los Angeles to Sydney sailing through Tahiti, Fiji and Noumea departing on 30 August 2014 with prices starting from $2,795 per person, twin share.

 

Travel the World is also offering Carnival Legend guests the opportunity to combine the two itineraries for a legendary 36-day cruise experience sailing from Tampa to Sydney through Mexico, Tahiti, Fiji and Noumea. By booking through Travel the World, clients can access competitive airfares; from Australia to Los Angeles from $1,450, or Australia to Tampa from $1,610

 

For further information on bookings, please contact Travel the World on 1300 950 622 or www.traveltheworld.com.au. (Australian Dollar fares include taxes and gratuities).

 

Hansar Hotels & Resorts Expanding

Picture Shows (left to right) Hansar Pranburi surrounded by Sam Roi Yot National Park Mountain,
Hansar Samui Pool Deck, Hansar Bangkok Loft Suite

Hansar Hotels & Resorts to Add Three New Boutique Properties in Thailand Over Next 18 Months

Having successfully established its first two hotels over the last three years, Hansar Hotels & Resorts will add three new boutique properties in Thailand to its brand over the next 18 months.  They currently have two award-winning properties; Hansar Bangkok (94 suites) in the upscale Rajdamri Road area and Hansar Samui (74 rooms), a beachfront property in trendy,  upmarket Bophut Bay. Hansar Hotels & Resorts are independently owned and operated.

The three new properties are:

Hansar Pranburi – 24 rooms – scheduled to open in Q4 2013
Hansar Khao Yai – 39 rooms – scheduled to open in Q4 2013
Hansar Cha-am – 104 rooms – scheduled to open Q4 2014

The three properties were recently acquired by Hansar Hotels & Resorts and are currently undergoing remodelling to Hansar's exacting brand standards.  These include unique, tasteful design features and ensuring that each property, while having a distinct identity, is integrated into the culture and locale of the hotel, whether it is in a city, beach or country location.  Great attention is given to detail, using natural, sustainable materials which are locally sourced.  It is important that guests enjoy luxury and comfort as well as functionality during their stay at Hansar properties.

Hansar is extremely proud to focus our local expansion within Thailand as they feel it has so much to offer in regards to exceptional service, hospitality and absolutely beautiful destinations.

Philosophy

The inspiration for Hansar comes from the lively and generous spirit of Thai culture. The word itself, Hansar, means "joy and happiness".

Hallmarks of the Hansar Brand

A Thai heart beats at the center of the Hansar experience, offering genuine, personalized, unpretentious service in the tradition of Thai hospitality, tailored to each guests' needs.  Spacious, contemporary rooms are a hallmark of the brand, as is attractive pricing thereby delivering great value to guests. Food and beverage offerings are exquisite in both setting and quality. What drives Hansar is the passion for excellence – in each detail and for each guest. As ambassadors of our brand, our staff live and breathe the Hansar lifestyle in every undertaking – filling your stay with the joy promised in its name.

Awards

In the three years Hansar Hotels & Resorts have operated they have won a number of awards including: Best Hotel Thailand by the Asia Pacific Hotel Awards 2012 (UK), Best City Hotel 2011 and Best Beach Hotel 2012 by the Boutique Hotel Awards (UK), Platinum Award 2011-2013 Top 10 Spa in Asia, Conde Nast Traveller's Hot List and Hot Spa 2012 (USA), and Tripadvisor's Traveler's Choice Award Winner 2012 (USA).

RESERVATIONS

Hansar Bangkok
Tel:  +662 209 1234    Fax:  +662 209 1212
Email:  reservations@hansarbangkok.com  Website:  www.hansarbangkok.com

Hansar Samui
Telephone:  +66 77 245 511   Fax:  +66 77 245 599
Email:  reservation@hansarsamui.com  Website:  www.hansarsamui.com