Travel News for April 2015

Bangkok — Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit GM William Haandrikman (center) and Chanelle Garvey, the hotel’s director of sales and marketing (1st from right), recently hosted a memorable “Soirée Art de Vivre” at Le Grand Ballroom to celebrate the luxury hotel’s third anniversary and also to officially unveil its new art-inspired lobby. Several distinguished guests attended the glitttering evening, including (from left): Varavuth Laohapongchana, PR & Communications director for Christian Dior Thailand; Nuchanart Raveesangsoon; Supee Pongpanich, senior vice president, advertising and promotions director for Siam Commercial Bank PCL; Lee Puengboonpra, and Vee Marr.

Bangkok — CapitaLand’s wholly-owned serviced residence business unit, The Ascott Limited, continues its environmental protection efforts with the support of the Earth Hour in its properties for the ninth consecutive year. All Ascott properties switched off their lights for the whole night during last month’s World Earth Hour, starting from 8:30 pm (local time).
In addition, Ascott has also been implementing and promoting its own ‘Green Concept, Go Green @ Ascott’ to staff and residents throughout the year via various campaigns and activities.

Bangkok — Arnoma Grand Bangkok’s MICE venues has been officially recognized as “meeting the criteria for professional international events,” and was recently inducted into the elite group of Bangkok properties that meet the Thailand MICE Venue Standard Award 2015 standards. The award was presented at ceremonies held at Millennium Hilton Bangkok.

Arnoma Grand has just completed the first phase of a recent multi-million baht refurbishment. As part of an improvement program, all 369 rooms and restaurants will be fully renovated and operational by the end of 2015, ensuring that Arnoma Grand continues to be one of Bangkok’s iconic hotels in a prime location.

Hua Hin – Cape and Kantary Hotels Project Development Manager and representative of Cape Nidhra Hotel Hua Hin, Tirawan Pangsrivongse (2nd right), received the “Best Overseas Design Hotel Award” from Victor Wong (2nd left), Small Luxury Hotels of the World area & development director-Asia Pacific. Also present during the acceptance of the award are Cape House Langsuan GM Teeraya Samittinon (left), and Cape and Kantary Hotels PR manager, Kulaseth Hovongratana (right).

The award was presented by The Bund Magazine, one of China’s top lifestyle magazines, which has been organizing the “Best Design Hotel Forum & Awards” in the past six years. The new category for overseas hotels was introduced two years ago. Cape Nidhra Hotel Hua Hin is the only hotel from Thailand to receive this coveted award.

Sri Racha — Centara Hotels & Resort’s latest venture is a brand-new property now being built in Sriracha, Chonburi: The Centara Sonrisa Residence and Suites Sriracha. Currently being developed by Smile Condo (2011) Co. Ltd, it will operate as a family-friendly four-star residence. The hotel is now in the design phase and the Centara Group expects that it will open on schedule in the first quarter of 2017. The new hotel will contain 150 comfortable, modern rooms, each approximately 32sqm in size. On the premises will also be a full-service restaurant, a fitness center, a generous swimming pool and outdoor leisure area, children’s facilities, and an ‘E-Room’ business center along with two meeting rooms suitable for 30 to 50 people.

Bangkok – AshleyMadison.com, one of the world’s leading match-up sites, has been launched in Thailand. This development comes after recent statistics from match.com announced that Thailand is the most adulterous nation in the world. In the survey, 56 percent of Thai married adults admitted to straying from their marital vows; auspicious timing for AshleyMadison.com, who saw 17,000 people sign up to their Thailand site in the first week after it’s launch in early 2015.

“Thailand is a thriving market for a website providing the exclusive services that we offer, and this has been confirmed by the latest statistics. Our site is globally known as a safe and discreet platform and that is what makes us different,” says AshleyMadison.com CEO and founder Noel Biderman. The exponential success of the website, with 32 million members and counting, relies on the security innovations that protect their users with guaranteed full anonymity and account safety. This includes the chance to completely erase your account with no trace, or the ‘panic button’ that redirects users to a neutral website if they are interrupted while online.

“Our website is an outlet for something that people may be interested in. We have a winning formula that has been successful around the world and so far Thai’s are seeing the value in our services,” says Christoph Kraemer, spokesperson for AshleyMadison.com.

Pattaya – A biker team from Hilton Pattaya, led by general manager Rudolf Troestler, recently rode over some 200km from Pattaya to Chanthaburi to donate soft toys to the children at Baan NumKhun School and Child Development Center of Ban Tung Chan Dum.

“This is our second corporate responsibility (CR). We aim to make a difference through community service by sending a team of volunteers to inspire the children as part of the hotel’s fifth year anniversary celebrations,” said Troestler.“I am overwhelmed by the generosity of our team members and guests — who contributed soft toys for the children. We presented more than 400 soft toys to young children in the rural areas of Chanthaburi.”

In line with the hotel’s commitment to remain a core pillar of Hilton Worldwide’s corporate responsibility strategy — ’Travel with Purpose’ — the Hilton Pattaya Blue Energy team promised to continue working closely with local organizations and taking the lead in implementing sustainable activities and enhancing corporate social responsibility.

Bangkok– The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and VISA are again collaborating to promote Thailand as a destination of world-class dining experiences with the “Thailand Splash and Spice 2015.”

Now in its 4th year, the festival runs until May 31, and offers international and Thai Visa cardholders great deals at some of the country’s leading hotels and restaurants.

Up to 80 participating hotels–in Bangkok, Pattaya, Chiang Mai, Phuket, Samui, and Hua Hin–will offer special discounts, with hotel fine-dining experiences starting at THB 749+ for lunch. Some participating hotels will also offer special packages and discounts for accommodation.

Samui — Absolute Hotel Services Group CEO Jonathan Wigley recently announced the opening of another U resort in Samui: The Treasure Samui, which is currently going through a renovation and rebranding process. The resort will be ready for relaunch as U Koh Madsum Samui in July.

U Koh Madsum Samui is located on one of Thailand’s last untouched islands and offers travelers a unique tropical setting with uninterrupted views of the Gulf of Thailand and neighboring islands.

“Koh Madsum is an unspoiled island where there are still no cars, fast food chains, private residences or bustling tourist centers. The only sights and sounds guests will be confronted with are those created by Mother Nature,” says Wigley.

Bangkok — lebua at State Tower Bangkok was named “Best International Hotel for Business Travel in Thailand” at the recent Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards 2014.

he award acknowledges lebua for its spacious suites, which are famous for stunning views from their balconies, as well as for combining high-end comforts and high-speed Wi-Fi connectivity.

According to the citation: “Beyond the luxurious suites, lebua was picked out for its Sky Bar, one of the world’s most stunning rooftop bars, and Sirocco, the world’s highest al fresco restaurant, both of which make lebua an ideal and incredibly good value destination for the discerning business traveler.”

This is the latest in the string of awards for lebua at State Tower Bangkok.

Bangkok — Suwit Jaipom, Wattana Poolcharoen, and Chingchai Udomcharoenkij, three of the nine famous artists of Thailand who participated in the art exhibition ‘Our Beloved King’ at the Novotel Suvarnabhumi Airport Hotel recently, represented the organizers and the artists in donating the revenue from the charity event.

Samarnmit Pattana, head of Lukphradabos Foundation Samutprakarn, received the THB 55,000 donation on behalf of the Phradabos Foundation.

Hua Hin — Sirirat Murphy, Banyan The Resort Hua Hin GM, says the hotel is now a ‘fin free’ establishment, meaning it does not serve shark fin in its restaurants and room service. Fin Free Thailand encourages businesses to ban shark fin and advises consumers to refrain from eating it by drawing attention to the environmental impacts and health risks. Seen receiving the ‘Fin Free’ posters: GM Sirirat (second row, 2nd from right) is seen with Cindy Burbridge, brand ambassador of Fin Free Thailand; Pramote Sampao-ngern (front row on the right), vice governor of Prachuab Khirikhan; and Pornchai Thomkrachang (front row, left), chief district of Hua Hin.