Marriott plans to Expand Business in Russia

Marriott International will open eight new hotels in Russia in 2013, reported the Commercial Director of Marriott, Rene Muren.

The number of Marriott Luxury Hotels in the Slavic country will increase from 12 to 20.

“Russia is very important, first because it is a country where we have built many of our hotels, and second, because every time we have more and more customers from Russia in Marriott Hotels in the world,” the executive said while adding that current market Russia is the ninth by income.

According Muren, global forecasts indicate that in the coming years, tourists from the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China) will register high growth rates, above many other states.

After analysis Muren reports that 50% of coustumers are Russian , the second place U.S. travelers and the third place tourists from Europe (Marriott Hotels located in Russia)

The expansion plans of the Company in Russia include the opening of five Hotels in the following cities : Krasnodar, Rostov-on-Don, Nizhny Novgorod, Omsk and Krasnoyarsk late 2012.

Do&Co “Attention to Detail”

Attila Dogudan arrived in Vienna when he was 10 years old. His family decided to emigrate from Istanbul to Vienna to seek better opportunities as millions of Turkish immigrants living in Germany or Austria.
In 1981 they opened a Restaurant in the Austrian Capital. Few years later thanks to the success of the Restaurant Attila Dogudan decided to open 3 more Restaurants and a Catering Service Company.
No doubt the Catering Service is the most successful branch of the current Company.

In 1987 they signed a contract to run the kitchen of Lauda Air and in 1992 became the Official Caterer of the Formula 1.

In 1999 they built a Logistic Center in New York and in 2000 another in Miami.
In 2002 the Company acquired the legendary Viennese pastry shop Demel  and increased sales

In 2007 born Turkish Do & Co based in Istanbul and owned mainlly by Do & Co and Turkish Airlines
TURKISH DO & CO has been operating nine gourmet kitchens all over Turkey: Istanbul (Atatürk Airport and Sabiha Gokcen), Ankara, Antalya, Izmir, Bodrum, Trabzon, Dalaman and Adana. Over 60 national and international Airlines are catered from fhese locations. (Austrian, EVA Air, Malaysia Airlines, SkyEurope, Royal Air Maroc …)

The Company also manages Restaurants inside the Lufthansa VIP Lounge in Frankfurt and inside the Fly Emirates VIP Lounge at JFK (New York)

Today. the company owns Restaurants and Cafes in Vienna, Munchen, New York, Salzburg, London.

Do & Co Hotel in Vienna is a five-star Hotel Boutique in the very heart of Vienna with spacious, luxurious rooms overlooking St. Stephen’s Cathedral.
The same attention to detail that Carried Attila Dogudan from local to international food restaurateur has-been celebrity Applied to Vienna’s DO & CO Hotel
The Hotel Offers Everything you from state-of-the-art technology in your room, Including a large flat screen television, to a 24-hour breakfast.

Do & Co in 2012 will be the Official Caterer for the UEFA Euro 2012 which will take place in Ukraine and Poland.

First Seven-Star Hotel in Europe

Danish Promoter “Residencial Bahia Fenicia” , will build in Almuñecar (Granada) a “seven-star Hotel and 200 luxury Apartments. A total investment of 230 million euros will be needed, as confirmed by the Manager of the Company, Jesper Brinkmann and 600 permanent jobs will be created

As explained by Brinkmann, the “project will be built  in three phases.” Works are scheduled to begin in “this fall” and the first phase will be ready in late 2013, according to his calculations. In these two years, they will raise the Hotel : 180 rooms, including Suites and 50 private apartments that are managed by the Hotel,owners and their guests can enjoy all their services.”

The Hotel Management will not be run by the owner Bahia Fenicia Company but by Banyan Tree Holding based in Singapore

Banyan Tree Holdings operates about 30 resorts and hotels, about 60 spas, some 80 galleries and three golf courses in the Asia Pacific Region with the highest quality possible,

“In Europe there is currently no hotel with these qualities. This project would help to promote Spain as a luxury tourist destination and enhance the quality of tourism in the area,” said Brinkmann. “Banyan Tree also manages an extensive program of training for Hotel Staff, with an undeniable positive impact on the rest of tourism in the area,” explained the Manager.

The Company is “famous for offering its customers a unique experience of physical or spiritual care, offering Asian hospitality services with relaxation, wellness and rejuvenation for each client in an environment where attention has been paid to every detail to create a environment of beauty, warm and relaxed, “said Brinkmann.

The second and third phases of the project involves the construction of 200 houses planned, “the same high quality as the Hotel and Apartments.” Will be ready between 2014 and 2015, although not stated how many Apartments will be built in each phase.

The project aims to “segment of upper-class tourists,” they said. Plus, because it “Banyan Tree is a well known Hotel Operator in the Asian markets, this initiative will attract, not only to the upper segment of tourists, but also opens the way to a highly attractive market as the Chinese market and other Asian markets “Spain will have more visitors from these countries.

The Highest Hotel in the World

Ritz Carlton just opened a hotel in Hong Kong, which has become  the highest in the world, says the company, located at the top of the International Commerce Centre (ICC) in the center of the city.

Ritz Carlton Hong Kong is a 5 star hotel which has 312 deluxe rooms available, distributed between 106 and 117 floors. The entrance is on the ninth floor, restaurants can be found from the floor 102, the spa is located at 116 and in the gym and indoor pool in the 118 floor. It also has more than 1,300 square feet of meeting and convention space.

The hotel is able to offer such good views of the Hong Kong  Harbour while you are enjoying a dinner at the splendid Restaurant or having a swim

The hotel is owned by Sun Hung Kai Properties, one of the first developers in Hong Kong. The company asserts that the establishment, inspired by the dynamic culture of the city, reflects the union of East and West.
With this opening are 75 hotels in the portfolio of  Ritz Carlton, 16 of them in Asia.

Just a reminder : Ritz Carlton Hong Kong didn´t beat Dubai´s Burj Khalifa as the highest building in the World.

 

 

“Jordan is a quiet and safety holiday destination”

Spanish Tourism magazine “Hosteltur”  had the chance to interview  Nayef H. Al Fayez (General Manager of Jordan Tourism Office in Spain) in Berlin.

During the interview they talked about the current  arab uprising and their impact in Jordan Tourism.

Here you are the whole interview translated to english.

“The Arab Tourism Organization, based in Cairo, estimated that the tourism industry in Arab countries this year will suffer losses amounting to 2,000 million dollars in 2011, as a result of popular uprisings. Do you agree with this forecast?
In fact, it could be a lot higher, as Egypt, one of the countries most affected by the riots, is the most important destination in the Arab world. Tunisia is also another great destination. We are talking about a big impact on two key destinations where tourism has stopped in the first quarter.

How many tourists have visited Jordan so far in 2011?

In January there was an increase, but in February there was a slight fall, but as a result of the cancellation of combinated packages Jordan-Egypt.

The political situation in Jordan is different from Egypt and Tunisia, while many European consumers do not appreciate the nuances …

Indeed. Jordan has been characterized by stability and tranquility. You can not compare with what happened in other arab countries like Egypt or Libya. Tour operators understand it. The problem is that people look at the region as a whole.

So what are the main rules for managing a crisis of confidence?

Since the beginning of the crisis we have worked closely with the media, taking dozens of travel journalists to Jordan, to explain their experience in the field. We also interviewed at random tourists from different nationalities who were visiting the country and have posted the videos on Youtube with their testimonies, each speaking in their own language. This has helped a lot. We have also increased co-marketing activities with tour operators to boost sales in different markets.

Synthesizer, is the rule for crisis management transparency and open doors?

For us there is nothing better than transparency. Because, with social networks today, people can see what you want. In fact, we will further promote social networking. The message we want to convey through these actions is that Jordan is an unique and stable destination
Have you been forced to increase its marketing budget in 2011?

We could not, it was previously approved. Jordan is not a rich country which can take money out of the hat. What we are doing is to choose exactly what prioritize actions to achieve the most efficient way possible to consumers, travel agents and tour operators.

And with all that is happening in the Arab world, have some foresight or objective for 2011?

It is very difficult to predict. Our goal is to stay as close as we can from the figures in 2010 which was an excellent year. In fact, there are new hotel projects under way: Within three years we will have 5,000 new rooms, mostly in Aqaba on the Red Sea.”

Cafe Louvre Prague

Few Cafes in Europe can boast of belonging to the elite of intellectuals, writers, journalists … and Cafe Louvre is one of them

Opened in 1902 in the current Narodni street 20. After climbing a staircase beautiful decorated. we arrived at Cafe louvre on the first floor.
You are greeted by a smart waiter dressed in traditional french cafe attire .The smell of coffee is all around on the first floor.

During the morning we can enjoy pastries, cakes, breakfast dishes, coffee or tea. In the evening salads, sandwiches or soups are offered to visitors.
The rooms are elegantly decorated in a style similar to old European Cafes such as Paris or Vienna.

• Shade pale walls
• Mirrors
• Elegant Furniture
• Large windows give great light to the Cafe and let us see the hustle in Ferdinand and Narodni Avenues where cars, trams and people are passing by the whole day

During Communism (1948) the cafe had to shut down and the building was damaged. The building was abandoned.
Finally, in 1992 improvements works were carried out and Cafe Louvre re-openned trying to keep the essence of the past years.
Where the pool tables used to be, there is now a special room which works as a Restaurant. The nice pool area is now next to the Cafe

Really we recommend a visit if you want to enjoy a very laid back atmosphere and let your mind go back to 30 `s

Opening hours Mon-Fri 8:00 to 23:30, Sat-Sun 9:00 to 23:30
Summer: Terrace
Non-smoking area
Prague Centre

Some of the celebrities who have visited the Louvre Cafe are Albert Einstein and Franz Kafka and a large group of Czech writers and philosophers who met weekly to discuss and share theories.

Masa: The Most Expensive Restaurant in NYC

Once again Japanese Rest. Masa was considered the most expensive Restaurant in NYC. But let´s see what´s behind scene

A closer look reveals more than a avant-garde Restaurant. In Masa we can feel a real culture for excelence and
Chef´s food can take us till the millenarian Japan trhough palate.

Chef Masayoshi Takayama was born in a small town in Japan where his family ran a fish-shop and catering company.
Soon He decided to move and got to Tokyo. After few years working at Ginza Sushi-ko (one of the most famous places in
Tokyo for eating Sushi) he decided to move agian , this time he went to United States.

The first city he lived was Los Angeles where opened a Sushi Restaurant. After twenty successfully years he sold the
Restaurant and moved to NYC.

In NYC he opened Masa Rest in 2004. Since then Masa Restaurant has won reputation and has received many awards (Mobil 5 stars,New York Times 4 stars and Michelin 3 stars)

The Restaurant is decorated in a very cozy way , with no unnecessary elements and Japanese inspiration.
Maybe the most amazing point to raise is the fact that the client doesnt make his choise.
The Chef decides what is your election of the day and the price fluctue according to season.
The client is fed with fresh japanese seafood , tempuras, maki rolls…

The price for one person is about $500 and $600 so a dinner for two can exceed $1000 but really a experience that everyone deserves to live

Contact Info Tel: 212-823-9800
Fax: 212-823-9809
Email: info@masanyc.com

Location

10 Columbus Circle,
Time Warner Center, 4/F
New York, NY 10019
(Cross Streets: Broadway and 59th Street)

Open Hour

Open Monday to Saturday 12:00pm-11:00pm
Lunch served from 12:00pm-3:00pm
“GoGo” served 3:00pm-6:00pm
Dinner served 6:00pm-11:00pm
Closed Sundays

Amazing Luxury Coach

Many of you have probably heard of the luxurious lifestyle of the Arab Sheiks.
Today we bring you the bus exclusively designed for Prince Sultan Bin Fahd.Pictures speak for themselves.

Prince Sultan Bin Fahd recently resigned as President in the Saudi Soccer Federation.
Saudi Arabia has an economy based largely on oil. It has 25% of global reserves of oil. (first exporting country in the world)
The oil represents 75% of the government budget.
Thanks to this oil development the country has large monetary reserves and many fortunes have emerged.

Does Abramovich Own The Most Expensive Painting in History?

Last May the Picasso painting “Nude, Green Leaves and Bust” was sold for a record-breaking $106.5 million at Christie’s New York.
The painting had belonged to Frances Lasker Brody´s family in California

The painting had a presale estimate between $70 mill and 90$ mill.As you can watch in this video below it was a nine minute battle and the final bid was $95 mill but the buyer’s premium took the sale price to $106.5 mill
The buyer was an unidentified telephone bidder.

At that time it was rumored that a Russian oligarch living in London was the buyer.But nothing was confirmed by R.Abramovich.Recently the painting have been lent to Tate Modern Museum in London by the unnamed private collector.
The fact that the unidentified buyer is based in London too(where R.Abramovich owns the Chelsea Football club an a &230 mill mansion) become evident.
The previous record for a work of art at auction was $104.3 million for “Walking Man I,” (Alberto Giacometti) sold on Feb 3 in London

Omega Ladymatic: The Watch of the Gods

 

Omega watch brand has recently released its most luxury watch and Nicole Kidman one of  the most delicated woman in Hollywood  was chosen to be the image of the company.

Honestly it is The Most Beautiful watch we’ve ever seen
This watch is composed of a sapphire crystal, scratch-resistant, antireflection, gold case, white mother of pearl dial with diamonds, and an exclusive arabesque style decoration, The 34mm wide watches come in steel, yellow or red gold.

The watch has a Free sprung-balance system with silicon balance-spring.
Automatic winding in Both directions to reduce winding time.
But you get to beleive that its most striking  feature is the elegance you can feel when someone is wearing this watch.  A watch which honor women.

Omega WAS found in 1848 by 23 year old Louis Brandt in, Switzerland. Over the years Omega has become one of the most relevant luxury watch companies in the world.

In 1969 was the first watch in the Moon (now the watch is believed lost). Also was the official watch for J. F. Kennedy , George Clooney, Michael Phelps or James Bond.