toptable, Europe’s No 1 Restaurant Reservation Service, Goes Global… http://www.toptable.comLONDON - toptable.com, Europe’s No 1 online restaurant reservation service, announces the launch of its French-language version, the newest phase of an ambitious global growth strategy. Major enhancements to the website mean its best-of-breed service will now be available in multiple languages. More translations will follow shortly. DialAFlight Announce All-time Low on Airfares to AustraliaLONDON - Flights to Australia are at an all-time low, according to travel firm DialAFlight. The price of a flight to Perth has fallen from around GBP810 to as little as GBP399 in just six months. DialAFlight in Court Battle Over Online LibelLONDON - DialAFlight began legal proceedings last week against four review sites who published a “malicious and libellous” article, submitted by a competitor. SATNAVS get Personal and a lot More Accurate!LONDON - Journey Dynamics, Traffic Technology Provider, Launches Driver Personalisation Technology - MyDrive - for Superior Routing and the Highest Levels of Accuracy in Calculating Estimated Journey Times Across All Countries TAM Launches Multiplus Fidelidade and Expands the Concept of Customer LoyaltySAO PAULO - Customers can accumulate and exchange points for products or services of different companies, from airline tickets to everyday purchases in supermarkets, drugstores and gas stations, among others RTA Receives the Flag of Hosting 59th UITP World Congress & Exhibition 2011DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - More Than 1000 Personalities Attend the Event Roads & Transport Authority - Mohammed Al Munji: Choice Hotels Rewards Program Offers European Travelers an Added Bonus with Double Points for Every StaySILVER SPRING, Maryland - European-Based Choice Privileges Rewards Members Receive Double the Value at Thousands of Hotels Across the World Mitchell C. Hochberg Appointed to the Board of Orient-Express Hotels Ltd.HAMILTON, Bermuda - Orient-Express Hotels Ltd. (NYSE: OEH) (www.orient-express.com), owners and operators of 50 deluxe leisure properties in 25 countries, today announced that Mitchell C. Hochberg has been elected to the Board of Directors at the Company’s Annual General Meeting of Shareholders on June 5, 2009. TAM’s Technological Center in Sao Carlos Performs Aircraft Maintenance for LAN GroupSAO PAULO - TAM (NYSE: TAM; Bovespa: TAMM4) has signed a contract with LAN Group (LAN Chile S.A.) to perform regular maintenance on six aircraft from the Chilean company’s fleet at TAM’s Technological Center in Sao Carlos, located in the interior of the state of Sao Paulo. Trivial Pursuits: Britons Clock Up More Holiday Hours Drinking and Sunbathing Than Fellow EuropeansLONDON - TripAdvisor Reveals Holiday Habits of British, French, German, Italian & Spanish Travellers Tiger Hover Tours - The Only Tourist Passenger Hover Service in the UK Launches This WeekendPLYMOUTH - 2009 marks the 50th anniversary of the first channel crossing of a hovercraft. This great British invention can now be experienced with Tiger Hover Tours in the heart of Plymouth. The first flight is on the 13th of June, starting from 10am, every hour from the Barbican landing stage. You can buy tickets online at www.tigerhovertours.co.uk, by phone on 0870-766-9125, on the day at the tourist office in the Barbican, and from our shore service. Like our bright yellow hovercraft, they are easily identifiable with their bright yellow polo shirts and tiger logo. Bathing Water Quality Improving in the EUBRUSSELS - The annual bathing water report presented today by the European Commission and the European Environment Agency reveals that the large majority of bathing sites across the European Union met EU hygiene standards in 2008. During that bathing season some 96% of coastal bathing areas and 92% of bathing sites in rivers and lakes complied with minimum standards. The report provides useful water quality information for the millions of people who visit Europe’s beaches every summer. 10 Things to do This Summer!LONDON - As the summer hols loom, and a warm one is predicted realbuzz.com has come up with a variety of healthy active ideas to keep the whole family entertained over the summer months. Our realbuzz.com top 10 healthy family activities include: Crisis Lures European Traveller Into TrainUTRECHT, The Netherlands - Strong Increase of InterRail Passengers Continues More and more European travellers are hopping on the train this year during their holiday. While the number of flights are decreasing due to the economic crisis, the number of InterRail passengers throughout Europe has risen again in the passed few months, with the traditional summer rush yet to start. Skyscanner Sees Late Surge on Summer Flights: Recession Changing the Way Brits Book TravelEDINBURGH - Visitor Traffic on Skyscanner up 85% Cheap flight site Skyscanner (www.Skyscanner.net) saw an unprecedented spike in user traffic last month (May 09), reflecting a surge of late bookings which has led to record visitor numbers. Save Up to 75% With CrossCountry This SummerBIRMINGHAM, England - As staycations rapidly replace overseas vacations, more and more people will be hitting the roads this summer so why not look for alternative ways to travel. With CrossCountry offering savings of up to 75% on the price of 1000s of train tickets for people who book in advance, what better way to travel than by train this summer. Royal Caribbean Reports Financial Impact of H1N1 VirusMIAMI - Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE, OSE: RCL) today announced an estimated financial impact of approximately US$(0.22) per share, directly attributable to the impact from the H1N1 virus. For Royal Caribbean International, this is the result of vessels that deviated their itineraries away from Mexican ports and ensuing pricing pressures in the Mexican market. Pullmantur had a unique situation which impacted its operations. The H1N1 outbreak occurred just prior to the launch of Pullmantur’s Pacific Dream, a new product targeting Mexican nationals. The launch was cancelled and the ship remained idle. Additionally, the outbreak caused a significant reduction in Pullmantur’s tour capacity in Mexico. There was essentially no impact on Celebrity’s operations. Royal Caribbean Introduces The Nation of Why NotLONDON - With the launch of the new brand concept - Nation of Why Not, the statement from Royal Caribbean (www.royalcaribbean.co.uk) is that ‘anything is possible’. The new brand poses questions such as why not climb mountains at sea, ice-skate on the Equator or sunbathe past glaciers? Holiday Extras Launches Family Friendly Summer DealsLONDON - To make sure that families get the best possible start to their holidays, HolidayExtras.com is launching a summer of family friendly deals. 21% of British Travellers Risk Their Own SafetyLONDON - More than one in five of us ignore the flight safety talk when flying, according to a poll released today. Holiday Like There’s No RecessionLONDON - The Best Travel Value for 2009 Smart travellers know that a weak economy means a great time to travel, particularly when there are great deals around. As more people discover the benefits of home exchange it’s now possible to holiday like there’s no recession for as little as GBP69.99 a year. The “you stay at my home while I stay at yours” concept means that except for getting there, a holiday nearly anywhere in the world doesn’t have to cost any more than staying at home. Take Your Family on a Galapagos Cruise - Under 18’s Get 50% Off With Worldwide HolidaysPOOLE, England - Worldwide Holidays is now taking bookings for special family cruises to the Galapagos departing in July. A 50% discount for children aged 6-18 now makes this adventure holiday of a lifetime more affordable. With the children’s Galapagos discount extended to include older children up to the age of 18, this makes for the perfect trip for families with older children too. Triple Rewards on All Asiana Sino-Korean FlightsBEIJING - From June 1 to July 31, 2009, you will earn 30% extra bonus mileage on all Asiana scheduled flights between China and Korea. Just simply register, purchase and complete a qualifying flight. There is also a big chance to win free tickets and gifts. Attention All Students! Eurail Group Launches Exciting Worldwide PartnershipUTRECHT, The Netherlands - ISIC Card Holders get 2 Free Travel Days on the Eurail Select Pass InterContinental New York Times Square Tops OffNEW YORK - Brand Investment in New York Area Continues Despite Difficult Economic Times WHAT: InterContinental Hotels & Resorts has officially topped-off the InterContinental New York Times Square hotel. Premiering summer of 2010, the Gensler-designed InterContinental New York Times Square will rise 35 stories above Eighth Avenue. The hotel will have over 600 rooms and suites that offer 360-degree panoramic views of Times Square and the Hudson River, with vistas stretching uptown to Central Park and downtown to the World Trade Center site. InterContinental New York Times Square will be the first luxury hotel built in the Times Square-neighbourhood. Keeping sustainability in mind, the Jeffrey Bears-designed interiors will feature recycled material including gouged and carved reclaimed wood. Additionally, 13-foot-tall lobby columns echo the texture of tree bark in metal. Natural stones and caramel millwork set a neutral backdrop for vibrant pops of color, introduced in wall coverings and textiles throughout the hotel. “We are extremely excited to reach this milestone as we continue on pace to open next summer,” said Jenifer Zeigler, Senior Vice President, Global Brand Management, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts. “This is indicative of the tremendous growth experienced by the brand in the U.S., Canada and Mexico over the last few years. The progress of this new luxury property, despite uncertain economic times, demonstrates InterContinental’s commitment to long term needs of the luxury hotel market.” Hotel facts and figures: — 35 story glass tower rising out of a six-story granite podium — Total space of 450,000 gross square feet — Over 11,000 square feet of meeting space, including a 4,000 square feet ballroom and ten additional meeting rooms — Over 600 guestrooms averaging 350 square feet in size, each with oversized bathrooms, ergonomic workspace, wall mounted 42-inch flat panel televisions, large windows, all designed with a residential feel in mind — Signature restaurant. WHERE: InterContinental New York Times Square 300 West 44th Street New York, New York 10036 CONTACT: Charles Yap InterContinental Hotels & Resorts +44-(0)-7808-098-698 charles.yap@ihg.com Andrew Bard Weber Shandwick +1-212-445-8368 Abard@webershandwick.com /C O R R E C T I O N — InterContinental Hotels & Resorts; IHG/NEW YORK - In the news release, InterContinental New York Times Square Tops Off, issued earlier today by InterContinental Hotels & Resorts and IHG over PR Newswire, we are advised by the companies that the second paragraph, second sentence, should read “Keeping sustainability in mind, the Jeffrey Beers-designed interiors…” rather than “Jeffrey Bears-designed” as originally issued inadvertently. The Address Hotels + Resorts Partners With the World’s Largest Mall to Offer an Exciting Summer GetawayDUBAI - This summer, The Address Hotels + Resorts, Dubai’s 5 star hotel brand, is offering guests the opportunity to experience some of the iconic attractions in Dubai. Guests staying at The Address Downtown Burj Dubai and The Palace - The Old Town can enjoy complimentary priority access to The Dubai Mall’s famous attractions such as the Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo and the Dubai Ice Rink. The offer, including attractive summer rates valid until September 20, 2009, is also applicable for guests residing in the Al Manzil and Qamardeen hotels - also located within Downtown Burj Dubai, described as the ‘new heart of the city.’ DialAFlight Fly Kids Free to USALONDON - This summer, DialAFlight have teamed up with United Airlines to offer free children’s fares to a whole host of US destinations. Only taxes and surcharges will apply to the ticket. Star-Studded Opening of $1.4bn Mardan Palace, TurkeyLONDON - The $1.4bn luxury resort Mardan Palace was unveiled last night at a spectacular opening party in Antalya, Turkey. The Dark Side of ‘Cheap’ Online Hotel DealsSYDNEY - So you think you’ve found a “cheap” online hotel deal. Then came the hitch of booking fees, taxes and other sneaky fees. For some unexpected reason you now need to cancel your reservation only to learn that your “special” hotel rate was non-refundable. Sometimes “cheap” online hotel deals just don’t turn out that cheap after all. Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces Announces a Premium HotelPANAJI, Goa - Vibrant Experiences With Charming Hospitality! Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces announce their new premium hotel, “Vivanta by Taj - Panaji, Goa”, slotted in the “upper upscale” segment. Keeping the spirit of Goa, the hotel located in Panaji, addresses the needs of Goa’s expanding business environment, and offers contemporary experiences for the sophisticated and cosmopolitan customer. Vivanta also gives Leisure guests coming into Goa an opportunity to sample the culture & charm of this historic city before or after their sojourn to the beaches. Combined with the Taj’s strong presence in both North & South Goa, Vivanta Panaji gives full coverage and multiple choices to this key tourist market for both domestic as well as international travellers. Five Star RivieraLONDON - Overseas Living magazine is proud to announce VFI Overseas Property - based in Calabria, Southern Italy - has won the award for Best Five Star Development in Italy, as part of the magazines Luxury Lifestyle Awards, 2009. Global Airline Capacity for May Holds Steady, Reports OAGLONDON - Year on Year Decline has not Accelerated; 5% Fewer Flights and 2.7% Fewer Seats LONDON, May 20 /PRNewswire/ – Expedia Unveils Easy-To-Manage, Commission-Based Hotel ProgrammeBELLEVUE, Washington - ‘Expedia Easy Manage’ programme a simplified option for accessing the world’s largest source of online travel demand From High Tech to Baroque - Hannover has it allHANNOVER, Germany - Modern infrastructure, a central position, incomparable event locations, comprehensive service - the City of Hannover has established itself as a vibrant metropolis at the heart of Europe with all-round capability and competence for events of every kind. |
