Twenty-five undergraduate students from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU)"s School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) form an organising committee and take charge to run the 11th Asia Pacific Forum for Graduate Students Research in Tourism (APF) and International Convention & Expo Summit 2012 (ICES), scheduled to take place in Hong Kong in May 2012.
Although Anne began her career in her native England, her hospitality experience includes senior appointments with luxury hotels in Australia and Southeast Asia. From 1992-95, Anne was based in Hong Kong as Regional Director of Sales and Marketing for Movenpick Hotels before moving to Australia to assume the role of Corporate Director of Marketing for Euro-Asia Hotels. Returning to Asia in 1997, Anne worked for Starwood Hotels and Resorts in a variety of locations and roles. After two years as Hotel Manager for Sheraton Grande Laguna Phuket, Anne moved to the Sheraton Denarau Resorts Fiji where she oversaw operations as Resorts Manager. In 2002, Anne was appointed Regional Director of Marketing for Starwood Hotels & Resorts in Thailand, Hong Kong and Macau. Continuing to explore new challenges, she spent three years as General Manager of the luxurious Empire Hotel & Country Club in Brunei, a five-star 423-room property set on a 180-hectare estate. Prior to joining HKRI, Anne was General Manager of the Hilton Brighton Metropole, the largest residential event hotel on England’s South Coast.
In the fast-paced hospitality industry, increasing competitiveness is pushing organisations to seek ever more adaptable senior executives who can strengthen leadership strategies and boost competitive advantages. The Executive Masters (EM) in Global Hospitality Leadership is designed to meet the needs of these executives in their pursuit of global leadership in the ever evolving hospitality business.
Eaton Smart, Hong Kong has announced the appointment of Mr. Simon Kwok as Financial Controller. Mr. Kwok has over 15 years’ experience in auditing and accounting in hospitality sector. He obtained his Master Degree of Science in Finance at Chinese University of Hong Kong, and he is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in Hong Kong.
Eaton Smart, Hong Kong is pleased to welcome a new Director of Sales & Marketing, Gary Ma to the team. With over 15-year extensive working experience, Mr. Ma is no stranger to the hospitality industry. Prior to this appointment, Mr. Ma was the Director of Sales & Marketing for the 5-star Caravelle Hotel, Ho Chi Minh City; he also held senior sales positions at various Hong Kong hotels previously including InterContinental Hotels Group, InterContinental Grand Standford and Crowne Plaza Beijing.
The 11th Asia Pacific Forum for the Graduate Students Research inTourism and International Convention & Expo Summit 2012(APF & ICES 2012) is a 2-in-1 conference which will be held at Hotel ICON, the state-of-the-art teaching and research hotel in Hong Kong, on 22-24 May 2012. The theme for this year is "Initiate Connecting Opportunities Now!"
Onyx Hospitality Group has taken over the management of the Wesley hotel located next to Admiralty in the vibrant Wanchai district of Hong Kong. Appointed by Methodist Centre Limited, Onyx will close the property to undertake an extensive refurbishment programme before relaunching it as OZO Wesley Hong Kong in the last quarter of 2012.
Forget bunk beds. In Hong Kong, capsule hotels just might be the next big thing for budget travelers. Hoping to capitalize on what seems like an ideal conundrum — a dense metropolis where both occupancy rates and per-night prices are high and centrally located land to develop new hotels is scarce — Galaxy Stars Limited, a local company, has started offering pod-beds for sale.
Shangri-La Asia Limited today announced that the company will build and operate a multi-use complex on Hung Luen Rd at Hung Hom Bay to include a Traders Hotel as well as retail and leisure facilities. The announcement followed the official confirmation that Shangri-La won the bid for the land acquisition at a government auction. The Traders Hotel will be the fourth property for the company in Hong Kong.
Swire Hotels is delighted to share an animation from its social media campaign, featuring their properties in Beijing, Hong Kong and the United Kingdom, capturing the carefree spirit and freedom of travel. The animation creatively showcases the wonderful feelings of travel and stay, whether it's for work or for play, mixing whimsical moments with delicate details from each hotel that seek to create a unique experience for all guests.
With more than 2 decades of hospitality experience, Peter Hildebrand has worked in many key cities, such as Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Singapore, where he had the great opportunity to become part of the local scene, understanding the local cultures as well picking up a smattering of Cantonese and Mandarin along the way. Peter started his career as a Corporate Management Trainee with Hyatt Group in Hong Kong in 1989 and developed his responsibility within Sales & Marketing. In 1998, Peter joined Starwood Hotels & Resorts as Director of Marketing and Business Development at Sheraton Towers Singapore. After continuing his hospitality career in Hyatt Group for another 9 years, Peter rejoined Starwood Hotels & Resorts in 2010, commencing his first General Manager appointment at the Westin Fuzhou Hotel, where he led his team to introduce the Westin brand in China’s Fujian province and to successfully open the hotel.
Prior to this appointment, Mr. Perusset was the Managing Director of The Ritz-Carlton, Jakarta, The Ritz-Carlton Jakarta, Pacific Place, JW Marriott Jakarta, and Mayflower Marriott Executive Apartment.
Formerly Manager of the hotel’s sleek executive floor lounge, Club L, Vincent in his new role, will work closely with the hotel’s talent to infuse a fresh perspective into the hotel’s innovation revolution. Through measuring guest experience, interacting regularly and monitoring operational standards, Vincent will identify improvements dedicating to the “Know Our Guest, Build Great Memories” company vision. By proactively bringing the hotel’s sparkling service to the next level, Executive Assistant Manager, Simon McHendry – Rooms says of Vincent’s role, “We always look to take Langham Place, Mongkok, Hong Kong to immeasurable heights. With Vincent’s creative energy and in-depth knowledge of the hotel, he will play a conducting role in stimulating and influencing our team to deliver memorable and engaging experiences to our guests.”
Hotel performance in Hong Kong is in a healthy state, according to data from STR Global. Year-on-year growth in RevPAR for the year-to-September 2011 is well into double digits at 28%. The increase is largely attributable to substantial improvements in ADR as well as strong growth in occupancy.
Cathay Pacific Airways has joined together with Swire Hotels to launch an exciting new inflight menu promotion for passengers travelling in First and Business Class. Starting this November, a selection of the delectable dishes found on the menus at Swire Hotels restaurants in Hong Kong and Beijing will be made available onboard selected Cathay Pacific flights departing from Hong Kong.
Swire Hotels is pleased to announce the following management appointments to its regional hotel and operations team in Hong Kong. Jennifer Cheung, formerly Director of Sales & Marketing at EAST becomes Hotel Manager, EAST working together with Willem van Emden in the position of Executive Assistant Manager.Brian Williams, Managing Director of Swire Hotels comments “I am pleased to share this individual recognition of the Hong Kong management team as we move forward to the next stage in the development of our collection of individual hotels from both a regional and, international perspective.”
Swire Hotels is pleased to announce the following management appointments to its regional hotel and operations team in Hong Kong. Marcel Thoma, previously Director of Guest Experience at The Upper House now becomes Hotel Manager, The Upper House.
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) today (20 October) released the PolyU Tourist Satisfaction Index (PolyU TSI). This year's PolyU TSI stood at 72.61, indicating that inbound tourists are generally satisfied with the services they received during visits to Hong Kong.
The acquisition of Rosewood Hotels & Resorts by New World Hospitality for USD229.5 in July 2011 was the winner of the HICAP Merger & Acquisition Deal of the Year Award. Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, with an international collection of luxury hotels, will operate as the premium ultra-luxury brand in New World Hospitality's portfolio.
The special CosMorganic concept aims at providing all basic needs and to bring into indispensable elements for an unpretentious and natural stay experience. The hotel is also equipped with a 24-hr open fitness studio while free WiFi is accessible in hotel lobby and restaurant. Multilingual staff are available proficient in Korean, Japanese and even French. Cinecittà is the Italian restaurant for a meal to remember.