AirAsia’s website registered 300 million hits in the first 11 hours of its Free Seats campaign, its regional commercial head Kathleen Tan said.
She also noted that at least 300,000 seats were sold in less than 24 hours.
In a statement yesterday, she said AirAsia’s server capacity had been doubled to cope with the congestion on http://www.airasia.com/.
“The rush for the free seats is a real testament that today’s consumers are online savvy and embracing the low-cost revolution happening in Asia.”
To those who had not succeeded in making their bookings, she urged them to keep trying for the remaining 700,000 free seats.
The campaign ends on Nov 15.
Source : STAR
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]
Thursday, November 12, 2009
AirAsia offering one million free seats
Low-cost carrier AirAsia is giving away a million free seats from today to more than 70 destinations in China, India, Taiwan, Indonesia and Thailand.
Those interested in enjoying the free seats can book their tickets from today until Sunday, for flights between May 1 and Oct 30 next year.
AirAsia’s regional commercial head Kathleen Tan said when the economy was tough, people looked for travelling options that offered them better value for money.
“With no fuel surcharge and administration fee, this deal offers fantastic value to our guests,” she said in a statement yesterday.
She said to complement the free flights, AirAsia’s one-stop travel portal was also offering deals and packages including “free rooms” in more than 180 Asia-Pacific hotels online at http://goholiday.airasia.com.
For more information on free seats and other promotional tickets, visit www.airasia.com or mobile.airasia.com.
Source : STAR
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]
Those interested in enjoying the free seats can book their tickets from today until Sunday, for flights between May 1 and Oct 30 next year.
AirAsia’s regional commercial head Kathleen Tan said when the economy was tough, people looked for travelling options that offered them better value for money.
“With no fuel surcharge and administration fee, this deal offers fantastic value to our guests,” she said in a statement yesterday.
She said to complement the free flights, AirAsia’s one-stop travel portal was also offering deals and packages including “free rooms” in more than 180 Asia-Pacific hotels online at http://goholiday.airasia.com.
For more information on free seats and other promotional tickets, visit www.airasia.com or mobile.airasia.com.
Source : STAR
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]
The Autograph Collection - Marriott's New Brand and Exclusive Group of Independent Hotels and Resorts
Marriott International, Inc. launched today The Autograph Collection, a new brand within the company's global portfolio comprised of upper upscale and luxury, independent, hotels with distinctive personalities in major cities and desired destinations worldwide.
"The Autograph Collection will take the innovative approach of grouping these iconic hotels according to the unique experience that guests are seeking whether it's a resort, historic hotel, boutique arts, or urban edge hotel in a dynamic gateway city," said Don Semmler, executive vice president of brand management for Marriott International. "Each hotel will be highly unique and distinct with its own identity, appealing to a growing segment of our customers who are looking for an experience that an independent hotel can deliver."
There are currently plans to add approximately 25 hotels through 2010 with locations throughout the world. The Autograph Collection provides Marriott with another attractive platform for future global growth. The benefit to member properties includes tapping into Marriott's industry-leading global reservations system, and powerful consumer outreach through its leading technology, and sales and marketing platforms which have helped build Marriott into one of the world's leading hotel operators.
Marriott has been successful in developing brands across a wide spectrum of customer segments and each is uniquely positioned against a specific target segment. While there may be some cross selling opportunities, The Autograph Collection gives Marriott the ability to capture a broad audience that would not have typically considered a branded concept - appealing to guests who want to stay in independent hotels.
Each hotel will be required not only to meet Autograph's discriminating product standards, but will also need to demonstrate continued high guest satisfaction and quality assurance scores to remain part of The Autograph Collection. In addition, each hotel will go through the same hotel and operator approval processes as other Marriott full-service hotels.
The Autograph Collection will be featured on Marriott.com and affiliated with Marriott Rewards, Marriott International's award-winning guest loyalty program, where guests can earn points at more than 3,000 hotels in 68 countries.
Source : Hotels
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]
"The Autograph Collection will take the innovative approach of grouping these iconic hotels according to the unique experience that guests are seeking whether it's a resort, historic hotel, boutique arts, or urban edge hotel in a dynamic gateway city," said Don Semmler, executive vice president of brand management for Marriott International. "Each hotel will be highly unique and distinct with its own identity, appealing to a growing segment of our customers who are looking for an experience that an independent hotel can deliver."
There are currently plans to add approximately 25 hotels through 2010 with locations throughout the world. The Autograph Collection provides Marriott with another attractive platform for future global growth. The benefit to member properties includes tapping into Marriott's industry-leading global reservations system, and powerful consumer outreach through its leading technology, and sales and marketing platforms which have helped build Marriott into one of the world's leading hotel operators.
Marriott has been successful in developing brands across a wide spectrum of customer segments and each is uniquely positioned against a specific target segment. While there may be some cross selling opportunities, The Autograph Collection gives Marriott the ability to capture a broad audience that would not have typically considered a branded concept - appealing to guests who want to stay in independent hotels.
Each hotel will be required not only to meet Autograph's discriminating product standards, but will also need to demonstrate continued high guest satisfaction and quality assurance scores to remain part of The Autograph Collection. In addition, each hotel will go through the same hotel and operator approval processes as other Marriott full-service hotels.
The Autograph Collection will be featured on Marriott.com and affiliated with Marriott Rewards, Marriott International's award-winning guest loyalty program, where guests can earn points at more than 3,000 hotels in 68 countries.
Source : Hotels
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Sheraton launches new website, adds Facebook
Sheraton Hotels & Resorts announced today the launch of the new sheraton.com, the first hotel industry website to feature Facebook Connect and allow visitors to interact with their friends and family by sharing their travel experiences through today’s most popular social networking site. In 2006, sheraton.com became the first hotel industry website to embrace social media by featuring user generated content. Today, the brand continues to enhance the social media experience for guests by tapping into new social networking channels and enabling a two-way dialogue through the unique global travel community on sheraton.com. The launch of the new site is part of a $6 billion worldwide effort to revitalize the iconic Sheraton brand, including an investment of $2.3 billion in new hotels, $1.5 billion in renovations and $400 million in signature brand initiatives throughout North America.
Facebook Users can Now Share and Discover via sheraton.com
The new site enables Facebook members to interact through sheraton.com over travel experiences by sharing stories, tips and photos about their best travel finds, destination favorites and passion for travel. Users can visit sheraton.com and now post their stories by logging into their Facebook account via Facebook Connect. Once a story is approved and posted to the site, Facebook Connect enables sheraton.com users to tag their Facebook friends in their story, inviting them to jump into the conversation as well as share their travel experiences with all of their Facebook friends. Not a Facebook member? No worries – anyone can post their travel tales and photos by simply entering their email address. Have a question or comment for Sheraton Hotels about an upcoming stay or recent visit? The new site also lets visitors create a two-way dialogue with the brand through its online community.
“The new sheraton.com reflects how people communicate and stay connected today,” said Hoyt H. Harper, senior vice president for Sheraton. “Our guests are technologically-sophisticated travelers who are eager to share their experiences through today’s most popular social networking sites, like Facebook. We wanted to use the power of social media to go beyond merely just transacting with customers and provide a meaningful experience by creating a global community where travelers can easily engage in an active, exciting dialogue about their passion for travel.”
Explore Our Global Neighborhood
Upon entering the new sheraton.com visitors can click on “our community”, or go directly to sheraton.com/community, where they will be welcomed by a globe that represents the Sheraton brand’s “global neighborhood” and invited to explore what other guests are saying about their travels as well as share stories of their own. The globe is organized by region and powered by Microsoft’s Bing Maps and populated with pictures and stories that have been submitted by guests and travelers. Users can log in thru Facebook Connect, allowing them to "connect" their Facebook identity, friends and privacy to the site. The site’s new search optimization also allows visitors to search stories by activity and interest, including beach, romance, sports, business and spa, so that relevant stories are immediately accessed. Each story is additionally accompanied by hotel information, a booking portal and applicable special offers for effortless access to relevant information.
To explore the Sheraton brand’s global neighborhood, share your story or discover new destinations please visit the new www.sheraton.com.
Sheraton Hotels, like all brands within Starwood’s robust portfolio, is proud to offer the Starwood Preferred Guest® program, which made headlines when it launched in 1999 with a breakthrough policy of no blackout dates on Free Night Awards. SPG® offers members the ability to redeem awards at more resorts, more luxury properties, more European hotels and more golf properties than any other hotel program.
Visit : http://www.sheratonbetterwhenshared.com/?IM=SI_HP_PRIM_EN_GLOBE
Source : TDA
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]
Facebook Users can Now Share and Discover via sheraton.com
The new site enables Facebook members to interact through sheraton.com over travel experiences by sharing stories, tips and photos about their best travel finds, destination favorites and passion for travel. Users can visit sheraton.com and now post their stories by logging into their Facebook account via Facebook Connect. Once a story is approved and posted to the site, Facebook Connect enables sheraton.com users to tag their Facebook friends in their story, inviting them to jump into the conversation as well as share their travel experiences with all of their Facebook friends. Not a Facebook member? No worries – anyone can post their travel tales and photos by simply entering their email address. Have a question or comment for Sheraton Hotels about an upcoming stay or recent visit? The new site also lets visitors create a two-way dialogue with the brand through its online community.
“The new sheraton.com reflects how people communicate and stay connected today,” said Hoyt H. Harper, senior vice president for Sheraton. “Our guests are technologically-sophisticated travelers who are eager to share their experiences through today’s most popular social networking sites, like Facebook. We wanted to use the power of social media to go beyond merely just transacting with customers and provide a meaningful experience by creating a global community where travelers can easily engage in an active, exciting dialogue about their passion for travel.”
Explore Our Global Neighborhood
Upon entering the new sheraton.com visitors can click on “our community”, or go directly to sheraton.com/community, where they will be welcomed by a globe that represents the Sheraton brand’s “global neighborhood” and invited to explore what other guests are saying about their travels as well as share stories of their own. The globe is organized by region and powered by Microsoft’s Bing Maps and populated with pictures and stories that have been submitted by guests and travelers. Users can log in thru Facebook Connect, allowing them to "connect" their Facebook identity, friends and privacy to the site. The site’s new search optimization also allows visitors to search stories by activity and interest, including beach, romance, sports, business and spa, so that relevant stories are immediately accessed. Each story is additionally accompanied by hotel information, a booking portal and applicable special offers for effortless access to relevant information.
To explore the Sheraton brand’s global neighborhood, share your story or discover new destinations please visit the new www.sheraton.com.
Sheraton Hotels, like all brands within Starwood’s robust portfolio, is proud to offer the Starwood Preferred Guest® program, which made headlines when it launched in 1999 with a breakthrough policy of no blackout dates on Free Night Awards. SPG® offers members the ability to redeem awards at more resorts, more luxury properties, more European hotels and more golf properties than any other hotel program.
Visit : http://www.sheratonbetterwhenshared.com/?IM=SI_HP_PRIM_EN_GLOBE
Source : TDA
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]
RM350 MILLION JOHOR'S FAMILY INDOOR THEME PARK, FIRST IN ASIA TO FEATURE BARNEY, THOMAS & FRIENDS, BOB THE BUILDER, PINGU, ANGELINA BALLERINA
- Sanrio Hello Kitty Attraction First To Be Set-up In Southern Asia
Nusajaya: Themed Attractions And Resorts Sdn Bhd (TAR), A Wholly-owned Subsidiary Of Khazanah Nasional Berhad, Yesterday, 7 November 2009 Entered Into A Strategic Alliance With 5 Partners To Create The First Family Indoor Theme Park Featuring World-renowned And Popular Children’s Characters.
Once completed, the 60,000 sq. ft. indoor facility located in Nusajaya, one of the 5 flagship zones in Iskandar Malaysia, will comprise – The Little Big Club that is designed around HIT Entertainment's popular characters namely Thomas & Friends™, Bob the Builder™, Angelina Ballerina™; Barney & Friends™ and Pingu™; Sanrio Hello Kitty Attraction showcasing Hello Kitty and other Sanrio characters by Sanrio; and a themed family restaurant of popular local cartoonist, Lat. The indoor theme park is located in a complex that also offers a 300-room facility under the Traders brand by Shangri-la Hotels and Resorts and approximately 100,000 sq. ft. of retail space.
Tunku Dato’ Ahmad Burhanuddin, Chief Executive Officer / Managing Director of TAR, signed the agreements with Frank Foley, General Manager Asia, HIT Entertainment Limited for The Little Big Club; Makoto Sato, Managing Director of Sanrio Entertainment Co., Ltd and Managing Director of Sanrio Co., Ltd for Sanrio Hello Kitty Attraction; Madhu Rao, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts; and Wan Abdullah Wan Ibrahim, Chief Executive Officer / Managing Director of UEM Land Holdings Berhad. Tunku Ahmad Burhanuddin also signed a Heads of Agreement with Datuk Mohammed Nor Khalid, or more popularly known as Lat, the Managing Director of Kampung Boy Sdn Bhd, for the themed family restaurant. The signing was witnessed by Datuk Haji Abdul Ghani Othman, Johor Menteri Besar, Chye Kuok, Chairman of Kuok Brothers Sdn Bhd, Tan Sri Azman Mokhtar, Managing Director of Khazanah Nasional Berhad and Harun Johari, Chief Executive Officer of Iskandar Regional Development Authority.
Tunku Dato’ Ahmad Burhanuddin in his speech said: “These partnerships are a landmark achievement for Malaysia, giving the much-needed boost for our leisure and tourism industry. The arrival of these strong global brands, who will share the same roof as Malaysian owned brands, marks a unique and first of its kind initiative in the region. Following the signing of Legoland Malaysia in December 2008, today's signing will further strengthen Iskandar Malaysia as a major tourist destination for families with children under 12."
"We are expecting approximately 400,000 visitors to the gated indoor theme park in the opening year, with a majority coming from Malaysia, Singapore and countries in the neighbouring region, particularly since the theme park is strategically located near the Second Link,” said Tunku Ahmad Burhanuddin.
The project, according to Tunku Ahmad Burhanuddin, has the capacity to further stimulate Johor’s economy and will benefit its people through the creation of over 1,000 job opportunities. “We want this indoor theme park to be more than just an attraction. With all the facilities that we are building, it will be a destination for families and friends to spend quality time and forge closer ties,” he further elaborated.
Mr. Jeff Dunn, President and CEO HIT Entertainment, commented: “Attractions are a significant part of HIT Entertainment’s business and Puteri Harbour provides an exciting opportunity for the company to launch its very first The Little Big Club in Asia. This is the next major milestone in the developmental journey of The Little Big Club brand, which we intend to expand further. Children across the globe love our brands and we hope that through The Little Big Club experience, which is both fun and educational, they can fully immerse themselves in the lives of their favourite characters - Thomas & Friends, Bob the Builder, Angelina Ballerina, Barney & Friends and Pingu.”
Mr. K. Tsuji, Executive Vice President of Sanrio Co., Ltd. Said: “We are very excited to see Sanrio's first entertainment facility, the Sanrio Hello Kitty Attraction, in southern Asia. We are pleased to have TAR as our partner for this important project. Our theme park - Puroland in Japan is a place for kids to have their dreams come true and we believe the new facility in Puteri Harbour will carry on the same mission to entertain children from this region."
“This is a new phase for the Malaysian cartoon-art scene– the little Kampung Boy and friends joining the big gathering of popular children’s characters loved by many from all over the world,” enthused Datuk Mohammed Nor Khalid.
“The Traders brand has become a well-known brand in Malaysia since the opening of the Traders Hotel, Kuala Lumpur in 2006, a hotel that caters to smart business and leisure travelers. We are very experienced in managing hotels in integrated developments and are delighted to be working with TAR to establish Puteri Harbour as a key destination for leisure and business travellers in the area,” said Mr. Madhu Rao, managing director and chief executive officer of Shangri‑La Hotels and Resorts.
Encik Wan Abdullah Wan Ibrahim, CEO and Managing Director of UEM Land Holdings said: “We are excited about the proposed development as it is in line with UEM Land’s overall vision for Puteri Harbour. We expect that it will create commercial activities and spillover effects that will add further value to Puteri Harbour. This type of strategic development and alliance are key factors in realising UEM Land’s vision of developing Nusajaya into a regional city.”
Construction for the estimated RM350 million complex located at Puteri Harbour is expected to commence mid-2010, with completion expected at the end of 2012. The indoor theme park has 3 gated floors with the 2 umbrella brands, namely Sanrio Hello Kitty Attraction and The Little Big Club, taking centre-stage. A series of entertaining rides and other attractions will be available for those visiting Thomas & Friends on the upper floor. Lat’s themed family restaurant, on the ground floor will offer visitors a taste of Malaysia’s favourite and popular dishes. Other attractions at the theme park include interactive games, activities and play structures of the various characters.
About Themed Attractions and Resorts Sdn Bhd
Themed Attractions and Resorts Sdn Bhd or TAR, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Khazanah Nasional Berhad. It was incorporated in June 2009 to develop and operate themed attractions and resorts to enhance the leisure and tourism industry in Malaysia, with a special focus on families. TAR is currently managing two projects namely Kidzania which is located in Kuala Lumpur and the Family Indoor Theme Park located in Puteri Harbour, Johor.
About Khazanah Nasional Berhad
Khazanah is the investment holding arm of the Government of Malaysia entrusted to hold and manage the commercial assets of the Government and to undertake strategic investments. Khazanah was incorporated under the Companies Act 1965 on 3 September 1993 as a public limited company. Khazanah has a nine member board comprising representatives from the public and private sectors. YAB Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib Bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak, the Right Honorable Prime Minister of Malaysia is the Chairman of the Board.
Khazanah has stakes in more than 50 companies with assets valued in excess of USD25 billion. Khazanah is also the state agency responsible for strategic cross-border investments. These companies are involved in various sectors such as power, telecommunications, banking, automotive, airport management, infrastructure, property development, broadcasting, semiconductor, steel production, electronics, investment holding, research technology and venture capital.
About HIT Entertainment Limited
HIT Entertainment, owned by private equity investment group Apax Partners, is one of the world's leading independent children's entertainment producers and rights-owners. HIT's portfolio includes properties, such as Barney™, Bob the Builder™, Thomas & Friends™, Pingu™, Fireman Sam™, Angelina Ballerina™ and Rainbow Magic™. HIT represents Chapman Entertainment’s Fifi and the Flowertots™ and Roary the Racing Car™ in North America, as well as Wallace & Gromit™, Shaun the Sheep™, Timmy Time™ and Aardman Classics from Aardman Animations. HIT’s lines of business span television and video production, content distribution, publishing, consumer products licensing and live events and has operations in the UK, US, Canada, Hong Kong and Japan. HIT is a part-owner of US-based preschool channel, PBS KIDS SproutSM, and international preschool channel JimJam, (outside of the US, UK and China). For more information, visit www.hitentertainment.com.
About Sanrio
In Spanish, “San” means sacred, and “Rio” means rivers. As the founder believes civilisation originated from rivers, he used “Sanrio” as the company name and developed a business based on the concept of social communication, to show his respect to human civilisation. Founded in 1960, the company made “communication” as its business objective. It’s main aim is to promote social communication, encouraging people to give fine gifts to their friends to strengthen their friendship."Small Gift, Big Smile" is the foundation of everything Sanrio did. We are proud to say we have been creating smiles for over 40 years. Sanrio believes that a gift is more than just a gift. A gift is a means of expressing our heartfelt feelings for others. An individual is able to successfully demonstrate their concern and love to the person receiving the gift. In the end, the gesture of giving gifts creates a “feel-good’ emotion for both the sender and receiver and puts a smile on everyone’s face. This principle is shown in all Sanrio activities; be it in designing a stationery set, theme park, retail store or an animated television series. Sanrio boutiques showcase the ultimate Sanrio collection to all.
About Kampung Boy Sdn Bhd
Kampung Boy Sdn Bhd has been producing Malaysian cartoon artworks for newspapers, comics, story books and TV animation since the 1980’s. It is the production house for cartoonist Lat, 58, who is popular for his “Kampung Boy” books and TV animation series that depict his simple life as a village boy. Lat’s cartoons transcend the differences of the multi-races in Malaysia and entertain people of all ages.
About Traders Hotels
Hong Kong-based Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts currently owns and/or manages 65 hotels under the Shangri-La and Traders brands, with a rooms inventory of over 28,000. Traders Hotels are designed to satisfy the needs of the fast growing mid-market travel segment by offering a wide range of facilities, and efficient, practical and friendly hospitality, at competitive rates. Traders Hotels are located in Abu Dhabi, Beijing, Changzhou, Dubai, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Penang, Shenyang, Singapore and Yangon, with scheduled openings in Bangalore and Macau. The group has over 40 projects under development in Austria, Canada, mainland China, France, India, Macau, Philippines, Qatar, Seychelles, United Kingdom and the United States. For more information and reservations, please contact a travel professional or access the website at www.tradershotels.com.
About UEM Land Holdings Berhad
UEM Land Holdings Berhad is the flagship company for the real estate investment and development businesses of UEM Group and Khazanah Nasional Berhad. UEM Group is wholly-owned by Khazanah, the investment holding company of the Government of Malaysia.
UEM Land Holdings’ wholly-owned subsidiary UEM Land, is currently undertaking the development of Nusajaya, the key driver of Iskandar Malaysia, into a regional city with diverse catalysts developments to create and promote economic growth and development in the area and to meet various economic activities and market demands.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT :
NAME: T. Buvanes
TEL: 014 2611 859
EMAIL: buvanes@gmail.com
NAME:Jasmine Low
TEL:017-623 0288
EMAIL:jasminelow@gmail.com
DATE OF RELEASE: 9 NOVEMBER 2009
RELEASED BY BERNAMA MEDIA RELATIONS & EVENT MANAGEMENT
Source : Bernama
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]
Nusajaya: Themed Attractions And Resorts Sdn Bhd (TAR), A Wholly-owned Subsidiary Of Khazanah Nasional Berhad, Yesterday, 7 November 2009 Entered Into A Strategic Alliance With 5 Partners To Create The First Family Indoor Theme Park Featuring World-renowned And Popular Children’s Characters.
Once completed, the 60,000 sq. ft. indoor facility located in Nusajaya, one of the 5 flagship zones in Iskandar Malaysia, will comprise – The Little Big Club that is designed around HIT Entertainment's popular characters namely Thomas & Friends™, Bob the Builder™, Angelina Ballerina™; Barney & Friends™ and Pingu™; Sanrio Hello Kitty Attraction showcasing Hello Kitty and other Sanrio characters by Sanrio; and a themed family restaurant of popular local cartoonist, Lat. The indoor theme park is located in a complex that also offers a 300-room facility under the Traders brand by Shangri-la Hotels and Resorts and approximately 100,000 sq. ft. of retail space.
Tunku Dato’ Ahmad Burhanuddin, Chief Executive Officer / Managing Director of TAR, signed the agreements with Frank Foley, General Manager Asia, HIT Entertainment Limited for The Little Big Club; Makoto Sato, Managing Director of Sanrio Entertainment Co., Ltd and Managing Director of Sanrio Co., Ltd for Sanrio Hello Kitty Attraction; Madhu Rao, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts; and Wan Abdullah Wan Ibrahim, Chief Executive Officer / Managing Director of UEM Land Holdings Berhad. Tunku Ahmad Burhanuddin also signed a Heads of Agreement with Datuk Mohammed Nor Khalid, or more popularly known as Lat, the Managing Director of Kampung Boy Sdn Bhd, for the themed family restaurant. The signing was witnessed by Datuk Haji Abdul Ghani Othman, Johor Menteri Besar, Chye Kuok, Chairman of Kuok Brothers Sdn Bhd, Tan Sri Azman Mokhtar, Managing Director of Khazanah Nasional Berhad and Harun Johari, Chief Executive Officer of Iskandar Regional Development Authority.
Tunku Dato’ Ahmad Burhanuddin in his speech said: “These partnerships are a landmark achievement for Malaysia, giving the much-needed boost for our leisure and tourism industry. The arrival of these strong global brands, who will share the same roof as Malaysian owned brands, marks a unique and first of its kind initiative in the region. Following the signing of Legoland Malaysia in December 2008, today's signing will further strengthen Iskandar Malaysia as a major tourist destination for families with children under 12."
"We are expecting approximately 400,000 visitors to the gated indoor theme park in the opening year, with a majority coming from Malaysia, Singapore and countries in the neighbouring region, particularly since the theme park is strategically located near the Second Link,” said Tunku Ahmad Burhanuddin.
The project, according to Tunku Ahmad Burhanuddin, has the capacity to further stimulate Johor’s economy and will benefit its people through the creation of over 1,000 job opportunities. “We want this indoor theme park to be more than just an attraction. With all the facilities that we are building, it will be a destination for families and friends to spend quality time and forge closer ties,” he further elaborated.
Mr. Jeff Dunn, President and CEO HIT Entertainment, commented: “Attractions are a significant part of HIT Entertainment’s business and Puteri Harbour provides an exciting opportunity for the company to launch its very first The Little Big Club in Asia. This is the next major milestone in the developmental journey of The Little Big Club brand, which we intend to expand further. Children across the globe love our brands and we hope that through The Little Big Club experience, which is both fun and educational, they can fully immerse themselves in the lives of their favourite characters - Thomas & Friends, Bob the Builder, Angelina Ballerina, Barney & Friends and Pingu.”
Mr. K. Tsuji, Executive Vice President of Sanrio Co., Ltd. Said: “We are very excited to see Sanrio's first entertainment facility, the Sanrio Hello Kitty Attraction, in southern Asia. We are pleased to have TAR as our partner for this important project. Our theme park - Puroland in Japan is a place for kids to have their dreams come true and we believe the new facility in Puteri Harbour will carry on the same mission to entertain children from this region."
“This is a new phase for the Malaysian cartoon-art scene– the little Kampung Boy and friends joining the big gathering of popular children’s characters loved by many from all over the world,” enthused Datuk Mohammed Nor Khalid.
“The Traders brand has become a well-known brand in Malaysia since the opening of the Traders Hotel, Kuala Lumpur in 2006, a hotel that caters to smart business and leisure travelers. We are very experienced in managing hotels in integrated developments and are delighted to be working with TAR to establish Puteri Harbour as a key destination for leisure and business travellers in the area,” said Mr. Madhu Rao, managing director and chief executive officer of Shangri‑La Hotels and Resorts.
Encik Wan Abdullah Wan Ibrahim, CEO and Managing Director of UEM Land Holdings said: “We are excited about the proposed development as it is in line with UEM Land’s overall vision for Puteri Harbour. We expect that it will create commercial activities and spillover effects that will add further value to Puteri Harbour. This type of strategic development and alliance are key factors in realising UEM Land’s vision of developing Nusajaya into a regional city.”
Construction for the estimated RM350 million complex located at Puteri Harbour is expected to commence mid-2010, with completion expected at the end of 2012. The indoor theme park has 3 gated floors with the 2 umbrella brands, namely Sanrio Hello Kitty Attraction and The Little Big Club, taking centre-stage. A series of entertaining rides and other attractions will be available for those visiting Thomas & Friends on the upper floor. Lat’s themed family restaurant, on the ground floor will offer visitors a taste of Malaysia’s favourite and popular dishes. Other attractions at the theme park include interactive games, activities and play structures of the various characters.
About Themed Attractions and Resorts Sdn Bhd
Themed Attractions and Resorts Sdn Bhd or TAR, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Khazanah Nasional Berhad. It was incorporated in June 2009 to develop and operate themed attractions and resorts to enhance the leisure and tourism industry in Malaysia, with a special focus on families. TAR is currently managing two projects namely Kidzania which is located in Kuala Lumpur and the Family Indoor Theme Park located in Puteri Harbour, Johor.
About Khazanah Nasional Berhad
Khazanah is the investment holding arm of the Government of Malaysia entrusted to hold and manage the commercial assets of the Government and to undertake strategic investments. Khazanah was incorporated under the Companies Act 1965 on 3 September 1993 as a public limited company. Khazanah has a nine member board comprising representatives from the public and private sectors. YAB Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib Bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak, the Right Honorable Prime Minister of Malaysia is the Chairman of the Board.
Khazanah has stakes in more than 50 companies with assets valued in excess of USD25 billion. Khazanah is also the state agency responsible for strategic cross-border investments. These companies are involved in various sectors such as power, telecommunications, banking, automotive, airport management, infrastructure, property development, broadcasting, semiconductor, steel production, electronics, investment holding, research technology and venture capital.
About HIT Entertainment Limited
HIT Entertainment, owned by private equity investment group Apax Partners, is one of the world's leading independent children's entertainment producers and rights-owners. HIT's portfolio includes properties, such as Barney™, Bob the Builder™, Thomas & Friends™, Pingu™, Fireman Sam™, Angelina Ballerina™ and Rainbow Magic™. HIT represents Chapman Entertainment’s Fifi and the Flowertots™ and Roary the Racing Car™ in North America, as well as Wallace & Gromit™, Shaun the Sheep™, Timmy Time™ and Aardman Classics from Aardman Animations. HIT’s lines of business span television and video production, content distribution, publishing, consumer products licensing and live events and has operations in the UK, US, Canada, Hong Kong and Japan. HIT is a part-owner of US-based preschool channel, PBS KIDS SproutSM, and international preschool channel JimJam, (outside of the US, UK and China). For more information, visit www.hitentertainment.com.
About Sanrio
In Spanish, “San” means sacred, and “Rio” means rivers. As the founder believes civilisation originated from rivers, he used “Sanrio” as the company name and developed a business based on the concept of social communication, to show his respect to human civilisation. Founded in 1960, the company made “communication” as its business objective. It’s main aim is to promote social communication, encouraging people to give fine gifts to their friends to strengthen their friendship."Small Gift, Big Smile" is the foundation of everything Sanrio did. We are proud to say we have been creating smiles for over 40 years. Sanrio believes that a gift is more than just a gift. A gift is a means of expressing our heartfelt feelings for others. An individual is able to successfully demonstrate their concern and love to the person receiving the gift. In the end, the gesture of giving gifts creates a “feel-good’ emotion for both the sender and receiver and puts a smile on everyone’s face. This principle is shown in all Sanrio activities; be it in designing a stationery set, theme park, retail store or an animated television series. Sanrio boutiques showcase the ultimate Sanrio collection to all.
About Kampung Boy Sdn Bhd
Kampung Boy Sdn Bhd has been producing Malaysian cartoon artworks for newspapers, comics, story books and TV animation since the 1980’s. It is the production house for cartoonist Lat, 58, who is popular for his “Kampung Boy” books and TV animation series that depict his simple life as a village boy. Lat’s cartoons transcend the differences of the multi-races in Malaysia and entertain people of all ages.
About Traders Hotels
Hong Kong-based Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts currently owns and/or manages 65 hotels under the Shangri-La and Traders brands, with a rooms inventory of over 28,000. Traders Hotels are designed to satisfy the needs of the fast growing mid-market travel segment by offering a wide range of facilities, and efficient, practical and friendly hospitality, at competitive rates. Traders Hotels are located in Abu Dhabi, Beijing, Changzhou, Dubai, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Penang, Shenyang, Singapore and Yangon, with scheduled openings in Bangalore and Macau. The group has over 40 projects under development in Austria, Canada, mainland China, France, India, Macau, Philippines, Qatar, Seychelles, United Kingdom and the United States. For more information and reservations, please contact a travel professional or access the website at www.tradershotels.com.
About UEM Land Holdings Berhad
UEM Land Holdings Berhad is the flagship company for the real estate investment and development businesses of UEM Group and Khazanah Nasional Berhad. UEM Group is wholly-owned by Khazanah, the investment holding company of the Government of Malaysia.
UEM Land Holdings’ wholly-owned subsidiary UEM Land, is currently undertaking the development of Nusajaya, the key driver of Iskandar Malaysia, into a regional city with diverse catalysts developments to create and promote economic growth and development in the area and to meet various economic activities and market demands.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT :
NAME: T. Buvanes
TEL: 014 2611 859
EMAIL: buvanes@gmail.com
NAME:Jasmine Low
TEL:017-623 0288
EMAIL:jasminelow@gmail.com
DATE OF RELEASE: 9 NOVEMBER 2009
RELEASED BY BERNAMA MEDIA RELATIONS & EVENT MANAGEMENT
Source : Bernama
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]
Pan Pacific KLIA Voted World's Leading Airport Hotel
Pan Pacific Kuala Lumpur International Airport has been voted "Asia's Leading Airport Hotel" and "World's Leading Airport Hotel" for the second time by over 170,000 industry professionals in a global poll conducted by the World Travel Awards.
The poll this year saw the highest participation in awards' six-year history, with industry professionals casting their votes for what they considered to be the very best travel, tourism and hospitality products and services in various regions around the world.
"Our quest is to give our guests memorable hospitality experiences and conveniences an airport hotel can ever give," said Pan Pacific Kuala Lumpur International Airport's executive assistant manager Sharmini Moganasundram.
"Doing it all with a passion for excellence and unbridled warmth and enthusiasm clearly sets us apart," she said in a statement on Monday.
The hotel has won a string of awards and accolades this year, including being named as "Best Airport Hotel in Asia" by Business Asia magazine.
Source : Bernama
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]
The poll this year saw the highest participation in awards' six-year history, with industry professionals casting their votes for what they considered to be the very best travel, tourism and hospitality products and services in various regions around the world.
"Our quest is to give our guests memorable hospitality experiences and conveniences an airport hotel can ever give," said Pan Pacific Kuala Lumpur International Airport's executive assistant manager Sharmini Moganasundram.
"Doing it all with a passion for excellence and unbridled warmth and enthusiasm clearly sets us apart," she said in a statement on Monday.
The hotel has won a string of awards and accolades this year, including being named as "Best Airport Hotel in Asia" by Business Asia magazine.
Source : Bernama
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]
Hilton Worldwide Launches Most Comprehensive iPhone Applications
Hilton Worldwide announced today that it is launching the most comprehensive iPhone and iTouch applications in the lodging industry. The company unveiled the new applications across seven hotel brands including its Conrad, Hilton, Doubletree, Embassy Suites, Hilton Garden Inn, Homewood Suites and Hampton Inn brands in the United States. The new applications have features that are a first for the hotel industry including a "Request Upon Arrival" service that enables a traveler to place an order for room service and have a meal in the guestroom upon arrival at the Hilton, Doubletree and Embassy Suites brands. The new applications also offer "e-check in," a feature that provides remote check-in up to 48 hours in advance.
The announcement comes as the industry is experiencing an increase in hotel reservations made on mobile devices. Hilton Worldwide reports a 59 percent increase in mobile revenue, during the third quarter of 2009 compared to the first quarter of 2009, generated primarily from the company's mobile-enabled website. The company's mobile revenue has increased every quarter in 2009.
"Our new iPhone and iTouch applications are like having a hotel concierge in your pocket 24 hours-a-day seven days-a-week. We are constantly working to anticipate our guests' needs and this is a great way for us to make the entire hotel experience more convenient," said Paul Brown, President of Global Brands and Commercial Services, Hilton Worldwide.
The Hilton and Doubletree brand's iPhone and iTouch applications will be available first, and the other brands launching applications during November and December 2009. The new applications enable guests to manage their hotel experience from the palm of their hand and provide the following features:
Search for hotels nearby via address, city, airport or even GPS mappingMake a new hotel reservation at any of Hilton Worldwide's 3,400 hotelsView, modify and cancel existing reservationsCheck-in online up to 48 hours in advance for gold and diamond members of the Hilton HHonors frequent-guest programOrder food and/or services to be available "upon arrival" at the Hilton, Doubletree Embassy Suites and brandsRedeem points and stays for members of the Hilton HHonors frequent-guest programCheck point balances for members of the Hilton HHonors frequent-guest program
The announcement comes after Hilton Worldwide has already enjoyed one of the most successful mobile optimized websites in the industry which was launched more than two years ago. In addition, the company has already launched an iPhone application for the Hilton brand in the United Kingdom. Additional markets are being evaluated for mobile applications with a focus on countries such as Germany and Japan that have high concentrations of people who use mobile devices.
Source : Hotels
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]
The announcement comes as the industry is experiencing an increase in hotel reservations made on mobile devices. Hilton Worldwide reports a 59 percent increase in mobile revenue, during the third quarter of 2009 compared to the first quarter of 2009, generated primarily from the company's mobile-enabled website. The company's mobile revenue has increased every quarter in 2009.
"Our new iPhone and iTouch applications are like having a hotel concierge in your pocket 24 hours-a-day seven days-a-week. We are constantly working to anticipate our guests' needs and this is a great way for us to make the entire hotel experience more convenient," said Paul Brown, President of Global Brands and Commercial Services, Hilton Worldwide.
The Hilton and Doubletree brand's iPhone and iTouch applications will be available first, and the other brands launching applications during November and December 2009. The new applications enable guests to manage their hotel experience from the palm of their hand and provide the following features:
Search for hotels nearby via address, city, airport or even GPS mappingMake a new hotel reservation at any of Hilton Worldwide's 3,400 hotelsView, modify and cancel existing reservationsCheck-in online up to 48 hours in advance for gold and diamond members of the Hilton HHonors frequent-guest programOrder food and/or services to be available "upon arrival" at the Hilton, Doubletree Embassy Suites and brandsRedeem points and stays for members of the Hilton HHonors frequent-guest programCheck point balances for members of the Hilton HHonors frequent-guest program
The announcement comes after Hilton Worldwide has already enjoyed one of the most successful mobile optimized websites in the industry which was launched more than two years ago. In addition, the company has already launched an iPhone application for the Hilton brand in the United Kingdom. Additional markets are being evaluated for mobile applications with a focus on countries such as Germany and Japan that have high concentrations of people who use mobile devices.
Source : Hotels
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]
Monday, November 09, 2009
Malaysia Airlines Voted Asia's Leading Airline
Malaysia Airlines, the national carrier of Malaysia was voted "Asia's Leading Airline" by over 180,000 industry professionals in a global poll conducted by the World Travel Awards.
The poll this year had the highest participation in World Travel Awards' 16-year history, with industry professionals in over 160 countries casting their votes for what they consider to be the very best travel, tourism and hospitality products and services in Asia.
The national carrier's chairman, Tan Sri Dr Munir Majid said this award indicated that Malaysia Airlines' "5-star airline" concept is working.
"We are delighted with this recognition which is testament to the hard work of our employees. Our focus has always been on serving customers. Anchoring this is our commitment to continuous service improvement and delivery, with our customers' needs in mind," he said after the event Saturday night.
He said in achieving this, the airline collate the information from our customers' feedback from all touch points including internal and external surveys, reports from the crew after each flight, and through the customer relations unit.
"This recognition bears testament to the fact that the industry and travellers recognize Malaysia Airlines' brand of service delivery," he added.
Malaysia Airlines has won a string of awards and accolades in 2009. This year, for the 4th consecutive year since 2005, the airline have been accredited a "5-Star Airline" by Skytrax. It is one of only six airlines worldwide to be given this award.
Malaysia Airlines' cabin staff also won the accolade of "World's Best Cabin Staff" by Skytrax. The team has won this over six years, 2001-2004, 2007 and 2009 - the most for any airline.
The World Travel Awards were launched in 1993 to acknowledge and recognize excellence in the world's travel and tourism industry. The awards are regarded as the very highest achievement that a travel product could ever hope to receive.
Among the inherent principles under which all nominations are judged are consistent overall business performance and success; high levels of customer satisfaction; valuing personnel and expansion and development.
Votes are cast by travel professionals from 183,000 travel agencies, tour and transport companies and tourism organizations in over 160 countries across the globe.
Attended by senior executives from major travel companies, operators and destinations, WTA events are universally respected as providing established, top-level networking opportunities, regionally and globally.
Other winners from Malaysia includes Pan Pacific, KLIA for Asia's Leading Airport Hotel Award, Resorts World Genting for Asia's Leading Casino Resort Award and Asia's Leading Family Resort Award, Hilton Kuala Lumpur for Asia's Leading Design Hotel Award and Malaysia, Truly Asia for Asia's Leading Marketing Campaign.
Source : Bernama
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]
The poll this year had the highest participation in World Travel Awards' 16-year history, with industry professionals in over 160 countries casting their votes for what they consider to be the very best travel, tourism and hospitality products and services in Asia.
The national carrier's chairman, Tan Sri Dr Munir Majid said this award indicated that Malaysia Airlines' "5-star airline" concept is working.
"We are delighted with this recognition which is testament to the hard work of our employees. Our focus has always been on serving customers. Anchoring this is our commitment to continuous service improvement and delivery, with our customers' needs in mind," he said after the event Saturday night.
He said in achieving this, the airline collate the information from our customers' feedback from all touch points including internal and external surveys, reports from the crew after each flight, and through the customer relations unit.
"This recognition bears testament to the fact that the industry and travellers recognize Malaysia Airlines' brand of service delivery," he added.
Malaysia Airlines has won a string of awards and accolades in 2009. This year, for the 4th consecutive year since 2005, the airline have been accredited a "5-Star Airline" by Skytrax. It is one of only six airlines worldwide to be given this award.
Malaysia Airlines' cabin staff also won the accolade of "World's Best Cabin Staff" by Skytrax. The team has won this over six years, 2001-2004, 2007 and 2009 - the most for any airline.
The World Travel Awards were launched in 1993 to acknowledge and recognize excellence in the world's travel and tourism industry. The awards are regarded as the very highest achievement that a travel product could ever hope to receive.
Among the inherent principles under which all nominations are judged are consistent overall business performance and success; high levels of customer satisfaction; valuing personnel and expansion and development.
Votes are cast by travel professionals from 183,000 travel agencies, tour and transport companies and tourism organizations in over 160 countries across the globe.
Attended by senior executives from major travel companies, operators and destinations, WTA events are universally respected as providing established, top-level networking opportunities, regionally and globally.
Other winners from Malaysia includes Pan Pacific, KLIA for Asia's Leading Airport Hotel Award, Resorts World Genting for Asia's Leading Casino Resort Award and Asia's Leading Family Resort Award, Hilton Kuala Lumpur for Asia's Leading Design Hotel Award and Malaysia, Truly Asia for Asia's Leading Marketing Campaign.
Source : Bernama
[tags : malaysiahotelnews hotels malaysia resorts news travel tourism travel tourism news]
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