ISSUE 55 AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2018 ISSUE 55 AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2018 THE MAGAZINE FOR CORPORATE AND LEISURE TRAVELLERS
Go Beyond
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The Lewis & Clark Trail NORTH DAKOTA Bula From FIJI Facts To Know MYANMAR
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contents 5 AUSTRALIA
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33 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 61 BEYOND 73 NEW ZEALAND 79 CRUISING 93 ASIA 99 PACIFIC ISLANDS 105 BUSINESS SECTION
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Australia Beyond Melbourne 6 Radisson Melbourne 26 Tasmania 28
Destination Australia, Beyond Melbourne
6 www.letstravelmag.com Australia, Beyond Melbourne
Go Beyond Melbourne By Gary Dickson
I’ve been to Melbourne dozens and dozens of times, but apart from one time when I had a hastened visit to the Yarra Valley, I have never really explored beyond the city limits. I’m sure most of you have probably done the same, after all Melbourne is an enticing and fantastic city all by itself. Recently I got to spend 5 days self-driving regions I had always heard of and didn’t really think much of…how wrong I was!
Australia, Beyond Melbourne www.letstravelmag.com 7
Oakdene, Bellarine Peninsula Oakdene is an eclectic property on the Bellarine Peninsula with just three guest rooms, but including a vineyard, cellar door, a cafÊ and the unusually named restaurant‌Marty@Oakdene. The building is an original 1920s homesteadand has been beautifully restored.
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Destination Australia, Tasmania
Top of the Island By Bev Malzard
Launceston’s Skyline with the Tamar River
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asmania’s second largest settlement is not quite the town that time forgot, more like the town that time has given a second chance to. It’s a small island that sits at the bottom of Australia, sometimes forgotten and left off maps, but it’s an island that continually punches above its weight with bravado and a self-confidence that one wonders where it comes from…Tasmania. The capital city, Hobart, is the star attraction and with a few new
hotels attracting curious clientele, boastful wine and food being produced, colourful festivals and the internationally applauded MONA on show – the city has amped up its street cred. But raise your eyes to Launceston, the gateway town to the north-west of ‘Tassie’, that has seen traffic for more than two centuries carry the result of a thriving logging industry and tonnes of silver from local mines shipped to the mainland and all parts of the globe.
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Those cash cows were behind the spirt of magnificent, elegant Georgian buildings lining the streets of Launceston and beyond, and grand manors were the stronghold and centrepiece of rural holdings. When the fortunes of silver waned there was little to sustain Launceston except for subsistence farming on the town’s perimeters and the logging trade. From the 1950s through to the beginning of the new millennium Launceston mooched along to the beat of a
United States of America North Dakota New York City Universal Studios Las Vegas Texas
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Australia, Hamilton Island www.letstravelmag.com 33
Destination U.S.A., North Dakota
The Lewis & Clark Trail and Tales of Indian Wars Words & Images by Shane Boocock
Pow Wow
34 www.letstravelmag.com U.S.A., North Dakota
Destination U.S.A., New York City
New York for Newbies By Roderick Eime
New York City remains a favourite overseas destinations for Aussies and Kiwis despite consistently strong competition from cities like London, Los Angeles and Bangkok. But how should a NYC ‘newbie’ approach this massive metropolis? A middle-aged Roderick Eime takes his belated first bite of the Big Apple.
40 www.letstravelmag.com U.S.A., New York City
Destination USA, Los Angeles
Universal Studios Hollywood’s New Attractions Universal Studios Hollywood’s ongoing revitalisation debuts a new Kung Fu Panda attraction, welcomes Hello Kitty and bids farewell to its Iconic Jurassic Park—The Ride as preparations begin for the 2019 arrival of a colossal new adventure with the ‘Jurassic World’ ride.
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Destination USA, Las Vegas
A Culinary Double-Act in Sin City Words & Images by Julie Miller
Destination USA, Texas
Western Texas (Part 1) Fort Worth’s Boom, Bust and Longhorn Hustle Words & Images by Shane Boocock
Daily Longhorn Drive
56 www.letstravelmag.com U.S.A., Texas
Beyond Back-Roads Touring 62 Antarctica 66 Chile 68 Switzerland 70
Australia, Hamilton Island www.letstravelmag.com 61
Destination Beyond, Back-Roads Touring
Back-Roads Touring‌ Authentic, Enticing Discoveries Embark on a truly authentic adventure and experience the UK, Europe and South-East Asia like a local with Back-Roads Touring. Take an explorative journey through vibrant cities, rolling countrysides and lush rainforests as you immerse yourself in rich cultures and century-old cuisines.
Tuscany
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Destination Beyond, Antarctica
Should tourists still be visiting Antarctica? An article published in Nature on the 13th June 2018 suggested that Antarctica’s ice has been melting three times faster than we thought. Viva Expeditions addresses the question, should tourists still be visiting Antarctica? Isn’t this contributing to the problem?
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iva Expeditions believes the best way to protect Antarctica is to become an Antarctica ambassador…a warrior for the cause. Rachel Williams, the founder of Viva Expeditions, who has even swum in Antarctica’s icy sea waters, says; ‘Here at Viva Expeditions, we are focused on positive action. We believe the best way to protect our environment is to reconnect with it. People need to care enough to want to protect this pristine environment, and for people to care they need to be aware. One of the best ways to create awareness is for people to see for themselves the beauty of Antarctica and the challenges it is facing, they can then go home and encourage others.’ All 7.5 billion of us have a responsibility towards Antarctica but, thanks to the Antarctic Treaty, no one country can claim to own it. However, the treaty is due for renewal in 2048. There are already signs that countries are starting to jostle for Antarctica’s oil and gas deposits.
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Destination Beyond, Switzerland
Chasing the Best Views in Switzerland It might sound a lot, and perhaps even far-fetched, but travelling a distance of 1,200km, across four language regions, through more than 90 tunnels and over 295 bridges, while passing a series of majestic mountains and verdant valleys with zero rush is actually quite do-able in just 10 days!
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New Zealand Dunedin 74 Queenstown 76
Australia, Hamilton Island www.letstravelmag.com 73
Destination New Zealand, Dunedin
Wains Hotel, Dunedin Already occupying a much-loved heritage building in Dunedin, Wains Hotel is set to relaunch as a five- star boutique hotel in late 2018, revealing an opulence and standard not seen in Dunedin.
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Destination New Zealand, Queenstown
Eichardt’s Superyacht Those looking for the best in luxury land and lake will now be spoilt for choice as Eichardt’s Private Hotel announces its acquisition of the region’s only superyacht, the Pacific Jemm.
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he 24-metre Falcon 80 S is a welcome addition to the Eichardt’s Private Hotel offering (including the country’s most exclusive accommodation The Penthouse), and will command upwards of NZD$12,500 for stays that allow adventurous travellers to see a truly unique side to Queenstown’s Lake Wakatipu. In true Eichardt’s style, the Pacific Jemm oozes old-world charm with smart teak finishes and plush in- built furnishings.
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Cruising Seabourn 80 Scenic Cruises 85 Princess Cruises 86 Silversea Cruises 88 Royal Caribbean 90
Australia, Hamilton Island www.letstravelmag.com 79
Seabourn…Unique, Innovative, Exceptional Seabourn is well respected as a leader of unique and innovative cruise itineraries, creating special and interesting opportunities to explore specific regions and places of the world.
In 2019 the 45 day ‘Atlantic Isles Quest’, and the 29 day ‘Iberian Harbours & Iceland’ cruises are such examples. They are two of Seabourn’s options for long-cruise aficionados wanting a more in-depth experience of a particular region, or to traverse from one region to another. Adding a week, a month, or an entire season has other benefits too. These globe-spanning voyages frequently include more overnight stays in must-see ports and more opportunities to further enhance your exploration with optional Seabourn Journeys (pre or post cruise), and the optional Seabourn Ventures® program of adventure and sightseeing excursions. The most obvious advantage, however, is simply travelling well to more of the world in exceptional Seabourn style.
Atlantic Isles Quest: is not your ordinary style of ultra-luxury cruise. You just need to look at the intensity of port visits on the itinerary map of this 45 day exploration cruise from Dover (UK) to Montreal (Canada), exploring Iceland and Greenland along the way. It operates during the northern hemisphere summer in July 2019, and because Quest has an ice-rated hull, she is capable of comfortable and safe cruising in this northern and polar region which has traditionally been the domain of hard-core expedition ships. On Seabourn Quest you can easily have that destination experience, as well as enjoying all the comfort and casual elegance that Seabourn is famous for onboard. It
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is an ‘exploration and champagne’ experience, accessing remote parts of the world on a ship that is referred to as a stunning ‘resort at sea’. The expedition team onboard, and the Seabourn Conversations® guest speakers ensure a depth of experience and learning insights. The itinerary includes 8 different port visits in Greenland including Sisimiut - Greenland’s secondlargest town of some 6,000 people, located just north of the Arctic Circle, and Ilulissat located in Disco Bay and home to Sermeg Kujalleq, the fastest-moving glacier in the world. This tremendous river of ice flows from the Greenland Ice Shield toward the sea, funnelling through a narrow opening at nearly 40 metres a day.
Golden Princess Returns Princess Cruises’ Golden Princess will return to Melbourne in October for her summer 2018/19 season with an array of new features following a multi-million dollar refurbishment as the line prepares to celebrate 10 years since their first summer season from Victoria’s capital. Golden Princess will complete nine roundtrip itineraries from Melbourne to New Zealand as part of Princess’ biggest ever New Zealand season.
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offers guests the chance to enjoy art exhibitions and a selection of reading material in a distinctively stylish environment. With both indoor and outdoor seating, the Arts Café is designed to provide a comfortable getaway with a relaxed ambience. Guest accommodation options were also upgraded as part of the project, ensuring the exceptional standard of Silversea comfort is maintained. Aboard Silver Spirit, guests enjoy spacious ocean-view suites, sumptuous cuisine and the personalised service of a butler. Enriching the experience are such all-inclusive amenities as complimentary premium wines and spirits, speciality coffees, bottled water, juices and soft drinks; an in-suite bar stocked with guests’ preferences; in-suite 24-hour dining service; lecture and enrichment programmes; and unlimited complimentary Wi-Fi. Silver Spirit is currently sailing in Northern Europe where she will spend the summer offering a series of mostly seven-day voyages between Copenhagen and Stockholm. Her schedule for autumn and winter includes Canada, New England and Caribbean itineraries, among others. www.silversea.com
Cruising, Silversea Cruises www.letstravelmag.com 89
Asia Myanmar/Japan 94 Vietnam 96
Australia, Hamilton Island www.letstravelmag.com 93
Destination Asia, Myanmar, Japan
Facts to know… Myanmar and Japan
Myanmar
Myanmar:
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Previously known as Burma, the official name of the country is the Republic of the Union of Myanmar.
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Myanmar is Southeast Asia’s largest country, sharing borders with China, Laos and Thailand in the east and Bangladesh and India in the north.
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Myanmar is fast becoming a popular destination in Southeast Asia with an array of tourist sights: golden stupas as tall as skyscrapers, ancient ruins, charming hill tribes, unexplored jungles, peaceful beaches and legions of monks.
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The capital is Nay Pyi Taw, however Yangon, originally the capital, remains the biggest city, commercial centre and arrival point for most visitors.
Myanmar
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Myanmar, a land of friendly people, land of the million pagodas, is rich in natural and cultural resources. For its long history and size, it is an ideal place to experience the archaeology as well as flora and fauna. There are a lot of existing and newly-developed destinations in Myanmar - not only natural and man-made places but its friendly people are also uniquely attractive.
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There are 135 different ethnic groups and 8 main national races in Myanmar. All of them have their own traditional cultures, customs and believing systems. Myanmar remains one of the most undiscovered destinations offering all the traditional delights of Asia in one country. A trip to Myanmar offers something truly unique.
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Destination Asia, Vietnam
Fusion Resort Phu Quoc Phu Quoc’s only all-spa inclusive resort, Fusion Resort Phu Quoc, is celebrating its first birthday by cutting the ribbon on new villas, new spa treatment rooms, an elegant function space and an action-packed kids club, while guests enjoy additional summer savings.
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pened in June 2017 with 97 private pool villas, the five-star property has added eight new villas to its collection with 25 more to follow. The thatched roof abodes, a nod to coastal living, start at a spacious 128 square meters (1,378 square feet) and are one- or two-bedroom with verdant views of the neighbouring river and jungle. Interiors feature a natural colour scheme with earthy tones and custom-made sunken wooden tubs. Floor-to-ceiling glass doors lead to private walled gardens, plunge pools and floating hammocks.
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The 11,210 square meter (120,664 square foot) Maia Spa & Wellness facility, the largest spa on the island, has added six new treatment rooms, each featuring an outdoor shower, as a complement to the existing 20 double treatment rooms. The new spa therapy spaces, plus a new and improved manicure and pedicure room, will help with the increased demand as part of the resort’s unique all-inclusive spa concept. As the first spa of its kind on the island, Maia’s menu of massages, reflexology, body wraps, scrubs and beauty treatments is available to all guests, without limits, at no extra cost.
A new multi-purpose room has been designed with weddings, meetings and other events in mind, with space for up to 80 guests. The function space blends seamlessly with the existing architecture and, like many of the private villas, features lush tropical garden views. At Mini Maia, the newly relocated kids club, children are kept busy with hourly activities offered seven days a week from 9 am to 12 and from 1 pm to 5 pm. The activities cultivate many aspects of local culture, from Vietnamese language classes and art with coconut leaves, to more active
Pacific Islands Marriott Momi Bay, Fiji 100 Vanuatu 102 Nanuku Resort, Fiji 104
Australia, Hamilton Island www.letstravelmag.com 99
Destination Pacific Islands, Fiji
Fiji Marriott Resort Momi Bay Escape to the beauty and serenity of Fiji, at Momi Bay on Viti Levu’s southwest coast. This premier waterfront resort is just 29kms from Nadi and 33kms from the airport. The capital Suva is approximately a three-hour car trip from the resort.
Guest Services: Enjoy Fiji’s tranquil pace without sacrificing service and convenience. The resort facilities include 24hr reception; ATM; babysitting; beauty salon; car parking; boat jetty; business facilities; foreign exchange; retail shops; musical and cultural entertainment; tour desk and wheelchair access.
Restaurant & Lounges: The Fiji Marriott Resort Momi Bay presents a range of dining options to suit your mood at any time of
day, and all in a comfortable and welcoming atmosphere. From the all day dining Goji Kitchen & Bar serving the best authentic, local delicacies combined with home grown fruit juices and cocktails, to the oceanfront Fish Bar for casual seafood dining by day, and for the evening, elegant dining, specialising in all your grilled favourites from the land or sea. Lagoon House Restaurant & Bar offers classic Mediterranean fare, while the Lagoon Lounge is the heart and soul of the resort. For a
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perfectly crafted barista coffee or delicious sandwiches, look no further than the Fiji Baking Company. For those wishing to dine in the privacy of their bure or guest room, 24-hour room service is available.
Recreation & Leisure: Make lasting memories of your island stay within the idyllic surrounds of the resort, as Fiji Marriott Resort Momi Bay has everything you need for a romantic getaway, active family vacation or unique incentive trip.
Destination Pacific Islands, Vanuatu
Tanna…Island of Extremes Words & Images by Cherie Final
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o put it bluntly…you can’t go to Vanuatu without visiting Tanna. Tanna is only a 40-50 minutes flight from Port Vila with Air Vanuatu flying daily to this island, rich with traditional culture and heritage. With minimal tourism and infrastructure, the villagers have been largely unaffected by western ways of life. If you visit only one island outside of Efate, this should be it. Tanna is an extraordinary place with the world’s most accessible active volcano, sublime secluded beaches and some of Vanuatu’s most intriguing traditional village life.
Mount Yasur: Tanna is best known as the home of Vanuatu’s explosive Mount Yasur volcano. This adventure is not to be missed as you drive through black sand dunes built up from centuries of ash rain. Best for viewing the eruptions is at night time. The ride up the side of the crater is an adventure in itself – perched on the back of vehicles, clinging on to fellow travellers over extremely rough terrain…but worth every second. The natural wonder is a 10 minute walk from the summit, where you can climb up to the craters rim and be treated to a magnificent fireworks display of eruptions, which happens every two to three minutes.
Black Magic Tour:
Water Activities:
The Black Magic Tours explore the rituals of magic and mystery practiced by a warrior tribe in the highlands of Tanna. The tribe still live the same way their ancestors did hundreds of years ago. See horse men, coffee plantation and colourful Tanna face painting.
If you want to swim in underwater caves, snorkel on some of the best coral in the South Pacific, visit untouched waterfalls, for the more advance diving or just relax on sublime secluded beaches.
Village Tours: To experience the traditional Tannese culture there are daily tours to local villages. Learn how they live from day to day.
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Accommodation: With limited places to stay there are some lovely resorts and bungalows to stay in this ancient cultural island. www.vanuatu.travel www.airvanuatu.com
Destination Pacific Islands, Fiji
Auberge Beach Villas Already favoured by families and couples alike, Nanuku Auberge Resort is set to unveil one of the biggest luxury resort developments in Fiji.
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he new one or two bedroom (single or double story) Auberge Beach Villas will be located either on prime three kilometre-long, pristine sandy beachfront (Auberge Beachfront Villas) or amongst the lush tropical gardens; with a pebbled walkway stroll to the beach (Auberge Garden Villas). Couples can savour complete privacy, while families can enjoy connected one and two bedroom Auberge Beach Villas to create an intimate three or four bedroom family getaway. General Manager, Sascha Hemmann, explained, “While our existing Suites, Villas and Residences
are incredibly luxurious and large allowing families and multi-generation visitors to stay comfortably, the new Auberge Beach Villas will provide a whole new level of comfort…a home away from home.” Designed by Grounds Kent Architects, each luxury Auberge Beach Villa is complete with private plunge pool including double day bed, sun lounges and outdoor shower, plus private open terrace, spacious living and dining areas, fully-equipped kitchens (minibar in one-bedroom option), walk-in robes and ensuites. Set amongst Fiji’s Adventure Capital, Pacific
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Harbour, guests can also enjoy up to 50 Auberge Adventures including: visiting Nanuku’s private island, sunset cruises, snorkelling, shark diving, game fishing, white-water rafting, moonlight prawning, waterfall hiking, tandem sky-diving, golf, food safaris, intimate tree-top dining, relaxing wellness classes or completely unwinding at Lomana Spa, plus so much more. Thirteen new luxury Auberge Beach Villas are set to open in November 2018 with bookings now available. www.nanuku.aubergeresorts.com/ accommodations/auberge-villas
Business Section Cathay Pacific 106 Air Tahiti Nui 108 Delta Air Lines 109 Philippine Airlines 110 Singapore Airlines 111 Cordis Auckland 112 Sofitel Queenstown 113 Hotel Indigo Auckland 114 New Products/Giveaways 116
Australia, Hamilton Island www.letstravelmag.com 105 New Caledonia
airline can strengthen its position even further as one of the world’s leading international carriers.” The largest variant in the A350 family, Cathay Pacific’s A350-1000s will carry a total of 334 passengers across its Business, Premium Economy and Economy Class cabins, 54 more passengers more than the airline’s A350-900s. Featuring a brand-new Economy Class seat with a larger, higher definition personal television, and an advanced inflight entertainment system and LED mood lighting, the aircraft’s cabins are also 50% quieter in perceived levels of external noise. Furthermore, enhanced Wi-Fi connectivity means passengers can remain connected throughout their journey.
Meanwhile, a higher cabin pressure supplies more oxygen to lower the effective cabin cruising altitude to 6,000ft on the A350-1000, which reduces passenger fatigue and improves their well-being. Fuelling a greener future: Cathay Pacific has been at the forefront of many initiatives to reduce the impact of greenhouse gas emissions and like with delivery of its 22 A350-900 aircraft already in operation, all 20 A350-1000s will be flown from Toulouse, the home of Airbus, to Hong Kong using a blend of alternate jet fuel. Achieving carbon neutral growth from 2020 is an important target for Cathay Pacific and using alternative
fuels is one of its pillar initiatives. Compared to traditional jet fuel, sustainable biofuel can reduce life cycle greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80%. Cathay Pacific is also the world’s first airline to invest in biofuel technology. In 2014 it became an equity investor in US-based Fulcrum BioEnergy Inc., which focuses on turning municipal waste into sustainable aviation fuel. In May 2018, Fulcrum broke ground on its first commercial-scale plant in Nevada. When the plant begins operations in 2020, it will produce over 10 million gallons of fuel for airlines including Cathay Pacific each year. www.cathaypacific.co.nz
Airlines, Cathay Pacific www.letstravelmag.com 107
Singapore Airlines…World’s Best Singapore Airlines has been named this year’s ‘World’s Best Airline’ in Skytrax’s World Airline Awards. They also took the top spot in the ‘World’s Best First Class’, ‘Best Airline in Asia’ and ‘Best First Class Airline Seat’ categories in the 2018 rankings.
This is the 4th time SIA has been named ‘World’s Best Airline’. The awards are based on surveys of more than 20 million travellers, who rated more than 335 airlines between August 2017 and May 2018. “Singapore Airlines is honoured to be named ‘World’s Best Airline’ in the Skytrax awards, and I dedicate it to the 26,000 SIA Group employees who focus every day on delivering the world’s best travel experience to our customers,” said SIA CEO Mr. Goh Choon Phong, who accepted the top award at a ceremony in London recently.
“The World Airline Awards are based on direct feedback from customers, who we know have more airlines to choose from in this highly competitive global environment. The recognition will further motivate us to improve upon the three main pillars of our brand promise – product leadership, service excellence and network connectivity – to ensure we retain our competitive advantage, and continue to meet and exceed customer expectations.” Skytrax CEO, Edward Plaisted, added: “We congratulate Singapore Airlines on
this fabulous achievement, being voted the World’s Best Airline by customers for a 4th time in the awards history. A key ‘wow’ factor for customers is consistency and this proved to be a real asset for Singapore Airlines who scored highly across both product and service. I am sure Singapore Airlines will also take great pride in winning the World’s Best First Class award, less than one year after they introduced their new first-class suites.” www.singaporeair.com
Airlines, Singapore Airlines www.letstravelmag.com 111
Hotel Indigo, Auckland Auckland will welcome New Zealand’s first Hotel Indigo to the neighbourhood in 2021, with IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) signing an agreement with Ninety Four Feet, an Australasian property development, investment and construction company, to open Hotel Indigo Auckland. Uniquely, no two Hotel Indigo properties are the same, with each drawing on the story of its local area to inspire every aspect of the hotel to help guests feel part of the destination. The ‘City of Sails’ will set the backdrop for this boutique hotel, drawing inspiration from local artists for its design, service, amenities, food and beverages. The 225-room hotel will be part of a mixed-use development in a coveted Auckland Central location, including food & beverage and residential components that will create their own ‘neighbourhood story’. The new build development will be among Auckland’s tallest buildings, maintaining the façade of the original historic building with a new world-class hotel blended elegantly around it. The hotel itself will feature its own all-day dining and bar, meeting space and gym, and a majority of the hotel rooms will offer stunning views of the city and Auckland‘s iconic harbour. Abhijay Sandilya, Senior Director, Development, Australasia said: “Hotel Indigo is one of our fastest growing brands globally and, closer to home, Hotel Indigo Auckland will be the fifth signing in Australasia. We’re so excited to open one of the first globallybranded boutique hotels in Auckland, creating a destination for travellers who are looking for a local experience, with the security and amenity of a global brand.” Dean Rzechta, Managing Director at Ninety Four Feet Property Development said: “Auckland is becoming recognised as one of the world’s key gateway cities, and is consistently one of the top 10 most liveable in the world. Its rich arts and culture scene makes it a great fit for a boutique brand, and we can’t think of a better match than Hotel Indigo. “This development is destined to become an iconic landmark on the Auckland landscape, and with robust tourism arrivals and unprecedented demand we are confident that Hotel Indigo Auckland will be a story of success.”
Hotel Indigo Auckland is perfectly located, with convenient access to corporate demand generators including the Sky Tower, new NZ International Convention Centre, Sky City Casino, CBD office buildings, and entertainment precinct of Britomart and Viaduct. The momentum behind the Hotel Indigo brand in Australia and New Zealand has accelerated in 2018. Hotel Indigo Auckland is the third signing for the brand this year and the fifth in total, following Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley, Sydney’s Central precinct, Melbourne’s Docklands and Melbourne’s Little Collins Street. IHG currently has 47 hotels operating under four brands in Australasia including: InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express, with another 19 in the pipeline, including Hotel Indigo Brisbane Fortitude Valley and Hotel Indigo Melbourne Docklands. www.ihg.com
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