Hotel industry and travel news from around the Asia Pacific region: First Curio Collection opens in Australia, AVANI to debut in Luang Prabang - Laos, Maldives aims to diversify tourism growth with nfrastructure investments outside Malé and more...

First Curio Collection by Hilton hotel Opens in Australia

US-based Hilton Worldwide (“Hilton”) has debuted its upscale soft brand, Curio Collection by Hilton (“Curio”) in Australia with the opening of the West Hotel Sydney. The hotel, operated under a management contract with Singapore-based M&L Hospitality, is located adjacent to the dynamic waterfront leisure and commercial Barangaroo precinct on the Western Corridor, a growing fashion and design hub in the city. The West Hotel Sydney has adopted a botanical theme throughout the hotel, with a unique open-air garden atrium, and features 182 rooms, including four suites, an all-day dining restaurant and bar, a fully-equipped gym, and a 48-square-metre meeting space that can accommodate up to 30 people. The West Hotel Sydney’s opening marks the second Curio in the Asia Pacific region, following the opening of Sanya Yazhou Bay Resort.

AVANI to Debut in Luang Prabang, Laos

Thailand-based group AVANI Hotels & Resorts has announced their first hotel signing in Luang Prabang, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in northern Laos. The existing Azerai Hotel will undergo refurbishment before rebranding to an AVANI Hotel in March 2018. Housed in a French neo-classically designed building dating back to 1914, the 53-key hotel is sited on a narrow downtown peninsula at the junction of the Nam Khan and Mekong River. In addition to the spacious guestrooms, AVANI will provide an all-day dining bistro, a spa with four treatment rooms, a fitness center and a meeting space in the form of a covered outdoor, sixty square metre Pavilion. The hotel is also within walking distance of Luang Prabang’s famous night markets.

Maldives aims to diversify tourism growth with US$28 million infrastructure investments outside Malé

The Government of Maldives has announced to allocate MVR444 million (US$28 million) of the Public Sector Investment Programme (“PSIP”) to investments for infrastructure projects outside the capital Malé. Of the total budget, an estimated US$6.9 million will be utilised for the reclamation of more than 10 hectares from 20 lagoons for commercial purpose, while an estimated US$21 million will be spent for the development of domestic airports of Kulhudhuffushi Island of Haa Dhaala Atoll, Funadhoo Island of Shaviyani Atoll, Nilandhoo in Faafu Atoll and Maavarulu Island in Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll. These infrastructural projects will complement the existing mega-infrastructure projects in Malé. To further develop the capital, the PSIP has allocated MVR1 billion for the development of a new runway at Velena International Airport, MVR539 million for the construction of the airport’s new terminal, MVR246.6 million for the Hulhumalé development project and MVR213 million for the China-Maldives Friendship Bridge project.

Hoshino Resorts Co., Ltd. announces a new activity-focused brand OMO

Japan-based Hoshino Resorts Co., Ltd. (“Hoshino”) has announced a new hotel brand called OMO. Joining Kai, Hoshinoya, and Risonare, OMO will be the fourth brand under Hoshino’s umbrella and will be positioned as an urban-based, midscale hotel chain. Under its concept “Get down with the local rhythm”, OMO will cater to business travellers who seek for more personalized services and focus on actively introducing guests to local experiences. Hotel names will include numbers that signify the range of services offered, with zero denoting a no-frills and nine the full OMO experience. OMO’s first two hotels, OMO7 Asahikawa in Hokkaido and OMO5 Tokyo Otsuka, are scheduled to open on April 28 and May 9, respectively.

Dusit Thani Laguna undergo THB300 million Renovation

The Dusit Thani Laguna is pushing forward with the biggest renovation in its 30-year history in order to keep up with the pace of tourism in Phuket. The three-year makeover began two years ago with an investment of 300 million baht. The hotel has already retouched 135 guestrooms, the swimming pool, the lobby, two restaurants and its fire safety system. By June 2018, the hotel plans to complete the remaining 85 rooms as well as another restaurant. In addition to the renovations, the hotel plans to place a greater emphasis on emerging segments such as families, weddings, MICE, on both a domestic and international level. Currently, 80% of the hotel’s guests are foreign, however in the coming years the hotel aims to increase its share of the domestic market.

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