BY BW Hotelier THE ICONIC Vivanta by Taj-Fisherman’s Cove began the new year with a new beginning, the launch of its all new Upper Deck which according to its press release is a new concept in dining with unites bistro style food with chic casual setting. The newly launched Upper Deck has one large dining space and three more intimate ones for smaller gatherings or romantic evenings. The restaurant has a new bar with an extensive collection of single malts and of course cocktails for everyone’s taste from chilli mango margaritas to the Chennai pineapple rasam. The bistro style menu, inspired from the continental cuisine from Northern France and North Western of Italy, presents an artistic blend of the classic with the modern. The menu is a collection of family traditional recipes from these regions, carefully cooked by our chefs using fresh ingredients and presented with healthy salads and aromatic sauces. The approach to Upper Deck is an enchanting drive through lush greenery as one soaks in the scenic beauty, according to the release while the restaurant is situated on a split-level lawn. The effort all along is to ensure nothing interferes with the stunning sea view or the inspired bistro fare on the table. The timber deck adds a rustic touch to the ambience while the elegant wooden lightings lends drama to the atmosphere.
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By BW Hotelier JW MARRIOTT Hotel, Pune is all set to bring its ’Food Truck’ at Pune Baking Company (PBC) located on the lobby level of the hotel. This latest offering will bring on the platter the best of street food which is the latest obsession for foodies, from around the world. To start with, the Food Truck will offer a much loved New York Style Street Food for the street food lovers in the city. ’Munching on fresh, interesting and reasonably charged street food is a very contemporary thing outside India. Keeping our tradition alive of bringing new concepts in the food and hospitality, we are pleased to offer this relatively new concept of Food Truck in PBC which is already so popular amongst youngsters. We are happy that our patrons for whom sitting, meeting and enjoying at PBC is almost a ritual, are already liking and appreciating the concept very much,’ said Executive Chef Mayur Tiwari, JW Marriott Hotel, Pune. Launched recently the truck offers a pocket friendly food in calm and green atmosphere and is operational from 5 PM ’ 9 PM on Fridays, Saturdays and Sunday and will feature New York style Street food menu like hotdogs, sandwiches, burgers, fries coupled with colas and slushes of the food truck to start with. In the months to come, the menu will keep changing and patrons will get to enjoy lip smacking street food from all over the world. There is indoor as well outdoor seating facility made for patrons. Patrons will get to start- with- the sides of salads and fries, stomach fillers of flat breads and inside the buns like ’ burgers and hotdog, flat breads along with the great thirst-quenchers of slushies, shakes and smoothies to wash down all that saucy food and the sundae later, adds a cherry on top to the perfect meal.
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By Rashmi Pradhan IN RESPONSE to the changing nature of family travel in Asia, including the rise of multi generational travel and parents’ desires to provide their children with learning experiences even when on vacation, Marriott Rewards, Marriott International’s loyalty program has launched MAX. A new and exclusive kids program which aims to enrich the travel experiences of children through holistic activities. Entitled to the kids of Marriott Rewards Members, MAX is a holistic children’s program that truly elevates the family holiday experience. The program will be available to members staying at participating Marriott International properties throughout the Asia-Pacific region starting from the 21st of this month. Launched in Mumbai at JW Marriott Mumbai Juhu, over 100 kids, (see photo) whose parents are Marriott Rewards Elite Members, sampled MAX at this exclusive event. Chef Surjan Singh Jolly, Director of Food and Beverage, JW Marriott Bengaluru guided kids in cooking classes creating culinary delights and learning the nutritional value of their products. Sucheta Pal, a master Zumba trainer took kids through a mix of music and dance. Created for children between five to twelve years, MAX is founded on four activity pillars: Be Active offers action-packed sessions, ranging from pool activities to dance lessons; Stay Curious encourages intellectual curiosity with activities such as cooking and arts-and-crafts; Go Explore will appeal to children’s sense of adventure; while Just Relax offers more tranquil pursuits. The four pillars are consistent throughout all offering properties; however, the specific activities will be curated by each property, making the experience authentic to the location and culture. Speaking to BW Hotelier on how the program was evolved, Anka Twum-Baah, Vice President, Customer Loyalty & Content, Asia Pacific, Marriott International, said, ’About a year ago, the Marriott operations team had a question on whether they should do something for children staying at Marriott properties. When I joined Marriott (less than a year ago), we started by asking our members and associates on what are things they expect in a hotel when travelling with kids. We received many interesting feedbacks, however the four pillars of MAX really standout. Based on input from its current members, Marriott Rewards developed this unique program that caters to these evolving demands and offers activities that are both educational and fun, nourishing children’s innate desire to learn and stay active. We are launching MAX with the aim of inspiring children to enjoy a range of memorable experiences that they can share with their family and friends. It is more about a holistic development of a child.’ On asking why India was chosen to launch the program in Asia Pacific, Twum-Baah said, ’In Asia Pacific, the rise of the middle class, changing consumers’ behavior and increase in desire to travel especially in India inspired us to choose India for the launch. India was on top of the lists. India from a population perspective is growing rapidly and is an emerging market and thirdly, we saw a need for such program in India. There are certainly activities in the school but we don’t see activities in the hotels at this level. We looked at a lot of different places but we wanted to do it in a JW Marriott hotel that was important to us. It was important to have it in a place that has vibrant and rich culture and a hotel that was supportive. We have always received great support from the India team.’ Similar events will be organized in Hong Kong and Thailand By introducing MAX, Marriott Rewards aim to exceed the high expectations parents have when they choose a hotel for their family vacation. Providing children with enriching experiences has a positive effect on their lives. Twum-Baah added, with MAX parents are assured that their children’s sense of curiosity and desire to learn about their surroundings will be encouraged and celebrated. She informed, ’We were contemplating whether to keep the upper limit to 13 or 15 years but after having discussions with them we released that child in their teens don’t want to get associated with kids program.’ The MAX program roll-out will begin at resorts of all brands and JW Marriott Hotels in Asia Pacific and continue to all other hotels in the Marriott International portfolio with the exception of The Ritz-Carlton and Bvlgari brands. The MAX programme extends to 43 hotels across Australia, Greater China, India, South Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. In India JW Marriott Hotel Bengaluru, JW Marriott Hotel Chandigarh, JW Marriott Mumbai Juhu, JW Marriott Hotel Mumbai Sahar, JW Marriott Mussoorie Walnut Grove Resort & Spa, JW Marriott Hotel New Delhi Aerocity, JW Marriott Hotel Pune and Goa Marriot Resort & Spa.
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By BW Hotelier WITH THE days turning colder, many start to think about taking a quick family break. To help ensure that travellers make the most of their much needed vacation time, Hotels.com, online accommodation booking website, has compiled a list of travel tips to ensure your holiday is a memorable one! Travel light: It is always best to pack light. You might have to run-up and down hundreds of stairs to catch a train with a heavy bag or spend additional money for those extra kilos of baggage. Talk to your well-traveled friends or a stylist at a fashion store to help you plan your wardrobe for your holiday. Pack the essentials: The items below are a must-have in your travelling bag for winter: Woolens: Stylish and trendy jackets, cardigans, scarves, leather boots and caps to keep you warm. This will also accentuate your winter getaway look and can be matched with different attires. Skin care: A nourishing moisturizer to protect you from dry skin is a must. Do not forget to carry a good waterproof, high-factor sunscreen if traveling to beach destinations and a medicine box for emergency. Arrive at the airport early: Winter is a busy season for airports. You are bound to face long queues, delays in parking and so on. Hence, it is always safer to arrive a little early and give yourself enough time to complete the formalities. Online check-ins are also recommended. Keep a check on your flight status if traveling to cities where fog is a nightmare. Look out for last minute deals: If your trip is planned at the last minute, do not worry! Last minute deals on hotels can save you a considerable amount of money. For instance: Hotels.com app for smartphones and tablets gives you access to 20,000 last minute deals on popular hotels worldwide. Make use of loyalty programs: Winter vacations tend to be longer in duration. Hence, it is best to be a part of a loyalty program and make use of the points you accumulate on your holiday. For instance: If you sign up to the Hotels.com loyalty program, Hotels.com Rewards, you can get one night free for every 10 nights stayed. Choose your destination wisely: While the Swiss and Alps continue to remain travelers favorite, to grab a best bargain it is advisable to opt for an off-beat destination. One can also find some amazing deals to these locations as they are not the most sought after destinations by travellers. Skiing holiday: Another option for a last minute winter break is to head off on a ski holiday! By not booking your trip until the last minute, you can ensure that there’s plenty of snow in your chosen destination ’ making sure that your trip will be a great getaway. Whether you fancy heading to a resort in France or want to head over to the mesmerizing valleys of upstate New York and Denver in USA, there are some great last minute deals available ’ especially if you can be flexible with your dates. When to book: Booking 2 months in advance is ideal if you opt for a popular destination as last minute availability might be a constrain. If you have to travel at a certain time or have a specific room or hotel requirement, booking in advance will mean you won’t have to compromise on your day of departure, or any other element of your break ’ as you can choose your hotel or hotel room type, destinations and holiday length. Opt for the middle weeks rather than traveling at weekends to keep costs as low as possible. Compare airline options: It’s simply down to the fact that a large part of the holiday cost is driven by the air fare, and airlines have some great sales to attract passengers for those months. It’s vital you compare various airline options for all the deals and offer.
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By BW Hotelier ASSORTED SPICES from India, fossilised bird dropping and even an Australian didgeridoo. These are just a taste of the most memorable souvenirs received and bought by travellers from around the Asia, Middle East and Africa (AMEA) region, according to the multi-part Holiday Inn Souvenir Study. In the third and final instalment, which polled 900 jetsetters from Australia, India, Japan, the Middle East, South Africa and Southeast Asia, respondents describe the trinkets, tokens and, in some cases, throwaways, they’ve received from friends and loved ones returning from abroad. On a scale of love to hate and from wacky to wonderful, local keepsakes like Vietnamese coffee and African drums scored high on the ’love it’ scale while educational or novelty items like sushi shaped USB flash drives scored a chuckle but not pride of place on a recipient’s mantelpiece. Also revealing an interesting insight, the Souvenir Study shows souvenir preferences and wackiness/wonderment are not mutually exclusive, particularly since magnets of global landmarks ’ those cheap and cheerful items on every traveller’s souvenir list ’ though considered wonderful, are generally not thought that highly of. On the bright side, people across the region are happy to receive food and art or antique pieces reflecting an authentic experience. Similarly, travellers who embrace the element of surprise are fans of wacky souvenirs, such as a sheep’s wool belly button warmer from New Zealand. LeeLin Teo, Brand Marketing Director (Holiday Inn Brand Family) at InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) said, ’These insightful and sometimes humorous results from the Holiday Inn Souvenir Study helps us delve into the psyche of travellers from across this diverse region through the sort of souvenirs they both buy and like to receive. They want to bring home a part of their travels and share their experiences with friends, family and colleagues. By uncovering the type of souvenirs that travellers prefer to receive, we want to inspire our guests with clever ideas when shopping around for souvenirs. ’Love them or hate them, wacky and wonderful souvenirs are simply memorable, proving that there are more ways than one to leave a lasting impression. From this research, we will look at how we can help our guests find the perfect and most memorable memento from their travels.’ The first two parts of the study reveal the ’Evolution of Souvenirs’ as well as the ’Value of Souvenirs’, which investigates souvenir-buying habits and preferences of travellers from across the region.
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By BW Hotelier INTERCONTINENTAL HOTELS & Resorts has released the Insider Guide to Travelling for Culinary Exploration ’ a celebration of gastronomy that offers a menu of exclusive insights and expert recommendations on the art of dining from across Asia, Middle East and Africa (AMEA). Featuring in-depth insider knowledge and tips from specialists in the food and beverage industry including renowned chefs and award-winning IHG Culinary Ambassadors, the latest issue is an indispensable handbook for food lovers. A complete guide, it covers top dishes from the region as well as practical information such as food photography tips and a guide of enticing food festivals across the AMEA region. Bruce Ryde, Director Brand Marketing, IHG, Asia, Middle East & Africa said, ’We are extremely proud of the culinary heritage of InterContinental Hotels & Resorts and we consider food one of the best ways to explore a new culture, with our latest guide being a gastronomic celebration of some of these unique cultures. ’As a hotel brand that prides itself on curating authentic experiences, we always strive to incorporate local flavours and tastes in our venues. With our signature restaurants and bars providing exceptional dining experiences and our exclusive partnerships with some of the best culinary talents in the world, we’ve tapped into the wealth of knowledge we have to bring food lovers insights into some of the best dining experiences from this diverse region.’ For those interested in eating like a local and discovering the best hidden gems, the Insider Guide for Food points guests in the right direction for a culinary journey down the road less travelled. A preview of these insights are: India: When in Mumbai travellers must take a walk down the streets of Colaba to discover the authentic aromas of chaats, savoury snacks which are typically served at road side stalls. Japan: Starting your day with breakfast at the famous Tsukji Fish Markets in Tokyo makes for a unique experience as you watch the freshest catch being auctioned to the highest local bidders. Middle East: A local staple in Jordan is kunafe, a sugar syrup drenched Levantine cheese pastry with a crumbly orange semolina crust soaked in sweet syrup. Singapore: For a unique Singapore dining experience, take a stroll down to the one of the many locally popular food hawker centres like Maxwell Food Market where you’ll find local favourites like chicken rice, laksa and spicy noodle soup. South Africa: A popular South African snack is bitong, a dried and cured meat jerky snack, using beef, game meat or event ostrich.
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