After much speculation in the market, AccorHotels has just announced the the signature of an agreement with Mantra Group Limited with the view to acquire all of the issued capital in Mantra by way of a scheme of arrangement to be approved by Mantra shareholders. Under the terms of the agreement AccorHotels would offer AUD3.96 in cash for each Mantra share including any potential special dividend.
Read MoreFollowing the successful launch of Club Marriott 2.0 back in May last year, Marriott International has announced the launch of a brand new integrated Club Marriott 3.0 which brings together three of Asia Pacific's most prominent dining loyalty programs – Club Marriott, Eat Drink & More, as well as Star Privilege. This brand new Club Marriott membership will allow members to benefit from a greater selection of properties (now that some of the Starwood properties are participating as well) and discounts when dining out at one of 250 participating hotels across the region.
Read MoreSuzhou is often recognised as one of China's most famous historical and cultural cities. The first Le Méridien hotel to open in Suzhou, the Le Méridien Suzhou, Suzhou Bay, is expected to provide creative-minded guests and travellers the opportunity to unlock the destination through the Le Méridien brand lens which highlights coordinates, culture and cuisine.
Read MoreFollowing the grand opening of The Ritz-Carlton, Langkawi two weeks ago, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. has just unveiled the latest addition to its collection of global properties with its first presence on the Eastern coast of Thailand, Koh Samui. The Ritz-Carlton, Koh Samui is located on the Gulf of Thailand and it seamless combines the brand’s legendary service with the traditional spirit of Thai hospitality and colorful Samui island life culture to create a unique melting pot of indelible new memories.
Read MoreSlated to open in October 2017, the Courtyard by Marriott Singapore Novena is one of the newest hotels that will be opening in Singapore this year. The hotel will occupy the 22nd to 33rd floor of the Royal Square @ Novena which is a mixed-used development building that is directly linked to the Novena MRT Station. At the time of writing, the property is taking reservations from 01 November 2017 and it is possibly the lowest-priced Marriott property (excluding Starwood Hotels & Resorts properties) in Singapore.
Read MoreAccorHotels has just unveiled her very first property in Mongolia - the 95-room ibis Styles Ulaanbaatar Polaris which is located in the Khan Uu District. The property is a short 15-minute drive from the Chinggis Khaan International Airport and it features a sleek interior design with bright colours of orange and turquoise echoed by a wall of playful graffiti artwork.
Read MoreAccording to the latest Mastercard Global Destinations Cities Index 2017 released today, travel and tourism in Asia-Pacific are both expected to grow steadily in the period ahead. Bringing in $91.16 billion USD in travel expenditure in 2016, Asia Pacific outpaced Europe ($74.74 billion USD), and North America ($55.02 billion USD).
Read MoreWhile looking for accommodation in Bangkok, I chanced upon the brand new Hyatt Place Bangkok Sukhumvit which is scheduled to open in October 2017 (but taking room reservations from December 2017 only). It will be located approximately 200m away from Phrom Phong BTS SkyTrain Station where travellers can enjoy the massive EmDistrict - Emporium, EmQuartier and the soon-to-open EmSphere mall.
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