News

It’s reported that France’s SNCF will restart its Paris-Nice sleeper train next month. This development has led to some rail enthusiasts likening it to the revival of the famous Le Train Bleu or Blue Train.

Hyatt Hotels has opened its first Grand Hyatt property in Saudi Arabia. Grand Hyatt Al Khobar Hotel and Residences, featuring 368 rooms, including 54 residential units, is located in the commercial and retail heart of Al Khobar with a connecting bridge to Al Rashid Mall.

Service Properties Trust (SPT) has received a notice of termination regarding the management agreement for 22 Hyatt Place hotels owned by subsidiaries of SPT, the company announced. Hyatt's obligations under the agreement, which requires minimum annual returns of $22 million, are supported by a $50 million limited guaranty, according to SPT.

Aimbridge Hospitality has added 25 Extended Stay America hotels to its growing portfolio. With the addition of these new properties, all situated in prime locations throughout Texas and the Midwestern region, Aimbridge has become the largest third-party manager of Extended Stay America hotels.

Two men BASE jumped from the rooftop bar of the Grand Hyatt hotel in Nashville on Friday, causing a "mass panic" among the bar's patrons, police said. Hotel security told police that two men approached the ledge of the rooftop bar on the hotel's 25th floor on Friday evening and jumped off it, according an incident report from Metro Nashville Police.

Holiday Inn has opened a new Wren Healthcare clinic at its London Heathrow M4 Junction 4 property, offering Covid-19 PCR tests and guaranteed ‘Fit to Fly’ certificates for travellers. The hotel has launched a package dubbed ‘Stay/Test/Go!’, which costs £229 and includes an overnight stay, breakfast eight days parking and the PCR test and certificate. Additional guests can be added to the package for £120.

Reflecting the impact of a second lockdown, Europe's hotel industry reported much lower performance levels from the prior month, according to November 2020 data from STR.

A Spirit Airlines plane skidded off the taxiway at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport on Thursday morning after a powerful winter storm created slick conditions.

Kempinski Hotels S.A. in Geneva has appointed Bernold Schroeder as chairman of the management board and CEO ad interim. The news follows the decision of the Kempinski supervisory board to part ways with former CEO Martin R. Smura.

Accor has signed two European properties under its residential Movenpick Living brand. The extended stay brand offers stays of up to 120 days, and aims to combine “the comfort and privacy of home, with hotel services on top”.

The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), the world’s largest business travel association, has completed its acquisition of key assets of the Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE), continuing its pledge to unify the industry and help lead business travel out of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Chinese President Xi Jinping is appealing to world leaders to create a globally-accepted COVID-19 health-tracking system to enable the resumption of trade and travel.

British Airways is selling off surplus inflight crockery, glassware and blankets, as well as trolleys from retired B747 aircraft, in an attempt to raise much needed funds.

Plans have been unveiled for the first London hotel by German-based Amano Group. Drury House on the corner of Russell Street and Drury Lane is set to be converted into the Amano Covent Garden.

Accor has announced plans for its first property under the luxury SO/ brand in Moscow. SO/ Moscow will form part of the Poklonnaya 9 complex, a 32-storey tower located close to Kutuzovsky Prospect and the Triumphal Arch of Moscow, which will also comprise residential apartments.

The Asia Pacific hotel industry has reported continued performance improvement from COVID-19 low points, thanks to strong domestic demand and holidays, according to STR's Jesper Palmqvist, area director for the region. In September, 70% or better occupancy levels were registered in key China markets such as Sanya, Shenzhen, Chengdu and Xian.

“The local administrations will need to actively disburse the awarded grants and provide us with the list of recipients to ensure the program’s success,” Hengky said at a virtual discussion on Oct. 23. “We expect the grant disbursements to be finished by November.”

The Expedia Group arm Expedia Partner Solutions (EPS) will provide Expedia partners access to tens of millions of traveler reviews and ratings, in an effort to boost consumer confidence during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Chinese government is to keep the current ban on inbound and outbound tour groups, amid fears that the winter months could bring a resurgence of Covid-19. The Bangkok Post reports that the country’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism has confirmed on its website that the ban remains in place. After several months with very low case numbers, officials are wary of the virus surging back this winter.

Hyatt has announced plans for its second hotel in the Portuguese capital Lisbon.

Newly-appointed British Airways CEO Sean Doyle has made his first public appearance at the Airlines 2050 summit, in which he called for the introduction of pre-departure Covid-19 testing . Doyle took over as BA’s chief executive last week, replacing Alex Cruz, and gave a keynote address aT the virtual aviation summit.

Wyndham, Prism and Advantage Hotels are all strengthening their roster of leaders with recent appointments: Wyndham Appoints Several Regional Directors in Europe, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts has appointed four regional leadership roles across Europe. The new hires are part of the company’s strategic plans to place regional resources closer to the business in the local markets, and provide closer enhanced support to its hotels partners across Europe, Middle East, Eurasia and Africa (EMEA).

Jumeirah Hotels and Resorts is gearing up to reopen its Carlton Towers property in London’s Knightsbridge later this year. The hotel was closed in September 2019 for “significant remodelling”, and is now advertising a reopening date of December 2020.

The Lux Collective, a luxury hotel management operator headquartered in Singapore, has signed an agreement with Mingshi Yijing Tourism, to manage its first international five-star resort in Chongzuo, Guangxi which will open in January 2021.