Atlantis opens shop in Sanya, China
THE 1,314-key Atlantis Sanya opened its doors in Time for Chinese New Year on Hainan Island as China’s first integrated entertainment resort.
Located on the Haitang Bay National Coast, Atlantis Sanya is the first Atlantis resort in China, joining the flagship Atlantis, The Palm in Dubai as well as The Royal Atlantis Resort & Residences in Dubai and Atlantis, Ko Olina in Hawaii, both currently in development.
Serge Zaalof, chief operating officer Atlantis Resorts & Residences, comments: “The Atlantis brand is known for unique, ocean-themed destinations offering a wide variety of entertainment experiences and Atlantis Sanya is no exception. The owner, Fosun International, is an incredible partner and together we have created a resort that offers unprecedented experiences to its guests.”
The property features 1,314 guestrooms including 154 suites, five of which are underwater suites, and encompasses 540,000 sq m. Built around the myth of The Lost City of Atlantis and overlooking the South China Sea, the resort houses Aquaventure Waterpark, The Lost Chambers Aquarium, the largest open-air aquarium in the world, The Ambassador Lagoon.
New hotel planned for Lhasa, Tibet
TIN Hotels International Group Ltd, the joint venture partnership between General Hotel Management Ltd (GHM) and van de Bunt Partners to introduce lifestyle travellers to a new generation of accommodations, has inked a management agreement with China’s Tibet Da’ji Hotel Co. Ltd. to plant the TIN Hotels flag on the soil of the Tibet Autonomous Region.
TIN Lhasa will boast an excellent location: as the anchor to a nearly 29,000 square-metre six-storey mixed-use development, its close proximity to the main tourist attractions such as Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Square and Potala Palace lends enhanced accessibility for travellers and allows them to be closer to all that they can experience of the destination the moment they step out of the hotel.
The hotel’s facilities and amenities, in line with the brand direction for TIN Hotels, will focus on creating an elevated experience for the discerning traveller that extends beyond a place to rest. Instead, it is a social space where real-life encounters with the community provides for a transformative and enlightening experience.
Westin Abu Dhabi introduces glamping
THE Westin Abu Dhabi Golf Resort & Spa launched the first-ever, five-star glamping experience in the UAE capital.
The first three glamping units will be up and running for guests until mid-May and coming back late October. Glamping starts at Dh650++ ($177) per night for two in a smartly decorated, spacious canvas Bedouin tent set in at the beautiful, lush garden area, with amazing views of the sky and surrounding scenery. Each cottage is equipped with double bed, tea and coffee facilities, towels, outdoor game box to reconnect with your loved one or family, lighting, patio heater and outdoor pop-up chairs. Bathrooms and showers facilities will be located close to the camping sites.
BBQ dinner and luxury breakfast hampers will be delivered at a Time chosen by the guests in the morning. Added extras will also be made available upon request for those wanting to make it a special occasion.
Global hotel inventory up 18pc in 10 years
GLOBAL hotel inventory has gone up 18 per cent over the past decade, with STR reporting close to 17 million rooms open around the world.
According to the data from STR, a global data benchmarking company, there are currently 184,299 hotels comprising 16,966,280 million rooms around the globe.
STR defines a hotel on three exclusionary criteria: 1) generates revenue on a nightly per-room basis, 2) has 10 or more rooms and 3) is open to the public (excludes those properties requiring membership, affiliation or club status).
Since the launch of its international business, STRís hotel sample has grown by almost 3 million rooms (up 49 per cent).
Based on that sample, the global hotel industry recorded an average occupancy level of 67.5 per cent for the 12 months ending with February 2018.