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HOTEL P 24
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ITC Hotels launches Welcomhotel Tavleen Chail
Courtyard by Marriott brand debuts in Sri Lanka
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News Desk
ITC Hotels group has launched its second property in Himachal Pradesh — Welcomhotel Tavleen Chail with 65 well-appointed guest rooms, including 18 fairytale cottages and a luxury suite. Nestled amidst lush green forests, each of the property’s lodgings come with a private sit-out with breathtaking, panoramic views of the pristine mountains. This launch follows the inauguration of Welcomhotel Shimla about six months ago. With the addition of the premier mountain resort at Chail, the Welcomhotel brand currently boasts a portfolio of around 19 properties across India. Speaking on the launch, Nakul Anand, Executive Director – ITC Ltd. said: “With the Indian tropical summer approaching,
Nakul Anand
Executive Director ITC Ltd
we believe it is the perfect time to launch another Welcomhotel outpost in Himachal Pradesh. For those who love to take the road less travelled, Chail makes for the perfect destination. With the new ‘work from anywhere’ and the ‘workation’ concept gaining popularity, Welcomhotel Tavleen Chail is the perfect destination for work and pleasure. The heightened WeAssure hygiene and safety measures ensure travelers peace of mind as they enjoy the destination. “Collaborating with like-minded partners who bring unique hospitality experiences has further strengthened ITC Hotels footprint across the length and breadth of the country,” he added.
Rooted in the lap of nature, Welcomhotel Tavleen Chail is the ideal getaway for the discerning traveller seeking peace, fresh mountain air and nature in its purest form. Soak the abundant calm and the charm of the wilderness amidst picture-perfect backdrops. The experience is heightened by aesthetically-designed, well-appointed rooms/suites with a view combined with a wholesome yet contemporary local and authentic culinary experience. Set amidst a magical oak forest, the cottages are ideal for those seeking their “very own cabin in the woods”. Every room has a private balcony that offers enchanting views of the mighty mountains.
News Desk
Marriott International signed an agreement with Colombo City Centre Partners part of the Abans Group, one of Sri Lanka’s largest conglomerates with diversified interests in retail, real-estate development, environmental management and logistics to debut the Courtyard by Marriott brand in Sri Lanka. The hotel is expected to feature 164 rooms and is anticipated to open in late 2021. Rajeev Menon, President, Asia Pacific (excluding China), Marriott International said; “This signing underscores our long-term commitment to Sri Lanka as a strategically important market, offering the potential to grow our brands and provide customers with more choices.” collaborate with Abans Group, who shares our vision to offer smart, intuitive service and high-quality accommodation in Sri Lanka,” commented Kiran Andicot, Regional Vice President - Development, South Asia, Marriott International. “We eagerly look forward to the opening of the first Courtyard by Marriott Hotel in Sri Lanka. We are excited to have Marriott International with us at Colombo City Centre,” stated Aban Pestonjee, Chairperson of Abans Group. Behman Pestonjee, Managing Director of Abans Group, said: “This is a testimony to our confidence in the market and our commitment to contribute to the growth of the city. We gladly welcome the entry of Marriott into our prestigious mixed-use development, Colombo City Centre.”
Middle East aviation experts optimistic about rebound in 2021
News Desk
Regional experts while participated at the conference session entitled ‘Aviation – the key to rebuilding international travel, restoring confidence, global solutions and building business’ organized at ATM, elaborated on the state of the Middle East aviation industry and a timetable for its recovery, particularly after significant announcements recently by Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi and Dubai, relaxing travel and social restrictions. The list of panelists included George Michalopoulos – Chief Commercial Officer at Wizz Air; Hussein Dabbas – General Manager Special Projects for MEA Region at Embraer and John Brayford – President at The Jetsets. Overall, the panel was bullish about the recovery citing pent-up demand, which could initially outstrip the availability of flights, until airlines resume their regular pre-COVID scheduled services and routes, particularly on domestic and regional routes which they agreed would be the first to recover.
“Domestic and regional leisure passenger traffic will recover first. This will be driven by massive pent-up demand, helped by relaxed ‘local’ restrictions and improved consumer confidence,” said Dabbas. “This trend will ultimately increase demand from airlines for smaller more cost-effective aircraft - a maximum of 120 passengers, on direct routes, with increased frequency of service,” he added. To illustrate his point, Dabbas pointed to the Air France-KLM pre-pandemic decision to order 30 A220 jets while announcing the retirement of their A380 fleet, in a bid to improve the airline’s fuel efficiency and costs.
“IATA estimates that domestic markets could recover to 96% of pre-crisis levels in the second half of this year, a 48% improvement over 2020 and a return to preCOVID levels in the third quarter of 2024,” said Dabbas.
“As it stands the quarantine rules and other COVID regulations are confusing, they need simplifying. Governments should concentrate on PCR testing and vaccines. Passengers need a secure source of information covering the flight and the destination,” said Dabbas, “We are a oneworld industry.” Michalopoulos added, “Vaccine passports are the way forward and it is also important that we communicate just how safe onboard air conditioning is. Some people think that re-circulated air in planes is not safe, that simply isn’t true. Aircraft have filtering systems which are as efficient as hospital ICUs.”
Looking to the future, Brayford an industry stalwart whose company The Jetsets is pioneering fractional ownership in private business jets, said that airlines would need a clear plan moving forward. “A niche today might become a mainstream trend tomorrow, so no opportunity should be overlooked, the way in which some airlines have supplemented reduced passenger numbers with cargo is a good example. Flexibility and managing costs will also be key.”
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Verified to Fly will be available for all guests departing Abu Dhabi from 12 May 2021 (excluding China) and for flights departing Amman, Beirut, Dhaka and Manila shortly thereafter. Future developments are in progress to introduce the service on other destinations.
Travellers flying from Abu Dhabi with Etihad Airways will be able to validate their Covid-19 travel documents before arriving at the airport. Guests can arrive at the airport with confidence and with peace of mind, knowing they have met all essential requirements before their flight. With the formalities out of the way, verified travellers can enjoy fast track check-in at the airport by going to the dedicated Verified to Fly desk for a quicker and smoother experience. Mohammad Al Bulooki, Chief Operating Officer, Etihad Aviation Group said: "As Etihad continuously looks for innovative solutions to simplify the travel experience, Verified to Fly removes any guess work from the equation and makes check-in faster. Guests have total peace of mind knowing that when they arrive at the airport, they have already met all Covid travel requirements". To use the Verified to Fly service, guests can sign-up by visiting Manage my Booking and will receive further information on how to submit their documents. Once the submission has been checked by the Verified to Fly team, guests will receive a 'success' email if their documents meet government requirements. If requirements are missing or not met, the guest will be asked to resubmit or check their documents. Guests can also check their Verified to Fly status at any time by visiting Manage my Booking.
