Hotel industry and travel news from around the APac region; this week: AirAsia adds Lombok, Ibis launched in Malaysia and more....
AirAsia Launches Lombok Route Malaysian-based low cost carrier, AirAsia, has launched its inaugural flight from Kuala Lumpur (KL) to the Indonesian island of Lombok. The KL-Lombok direct route is the 15th Indonesian city that AirAsia is operating from KL and will be flown three times a week. Located in the West Nusa Tenggara, close to Bali, Lombok is one of Indonesia's emerging tourist destinations. Tourism destinations in Lombok include Mount Rinjani, the Gili Islands and Narmada Park. With this new service, this is the only scheduled direct air link between the Malaysian capital and Lombok.
Accor Introduces Ibis Styles in Malaysia
The opening of the ibis Styles Kuala Lumpur Fraser Business Park and ibis Styles Kuala Lumpur Cheras will mark the debut of ibis Styles in Malaysia. The brand, which is Accor's premium economy and design hotels, is known for its all-inclusive accommodation, which includes breakfast and complimentary internet access. When opened, ibis Styles Kuala Lumpur Fraser Business Park will be one of the largest ibis Styles hotels in Asia Pacific. Located in Fraser Business Park, KL's newest shopping and lifestyle development, the property will have 500 rooms. ibis Styles Kuala Lumpur Cheras is located 15-minutes away from Kuala Lumpur City Centre and features 156 rooms. Both properties will be opened by October 2012.
Jumeirah Partners with CtripDubai-based Jumeirah Group has signed a Global Direct Connectivity Partnership Agreement with China's online travel agency, Ctrip, to increase their presence in China. This new partnership will enable Ctrip customers to make reservations more efficiently for Jumeirah hotels. This move marks the latest phase in Jumeirah's Chinese strategy, with Chinese visitors representing the sixth largest source market for the group. Currently, the hotel chain has one hotel in China, the Jumeirah Himalayas, with five more properties scheduled to open, including the Jumeirah Guangzhou, Jumeirah Macau, Jumeirah Clearwater Bay Resort in Sanya, Jumeirah Hangzhou and Jumeirah Thousand Island Lake Resort in Qiandaohu.
Wyndham Expands in IndonesiaWyndham Hotel Group has signed four deals for hotels in Indonesia, including the debut of Howard Johnson in the country. The US hotel company will launch three Howard Johnson properties in Indonesia, the Howard Johnson Bali Benoa, Howard Johnson Surabaya East and Howard Johnson Makassar Central. Another Wyndham property, the Ramada Bali Lake Buyan, will also be opening in the country. The company currently has three properties in Bali, all operating under the Ramada brand. With this deal, Ramada's Indonesia portfolio will more than double, bringing it to seven properties in total. Wyndham currently has more than 540 hotels open in Asia Pacific and has also recently launched its extended stay Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham brand in India.
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