2016 Top Luxury Hotel & Brand Report released by ReviewPro

Group travel in London becomes easier with Group Day Travelcards now available online
By buying online from the TfL Visitor Shop, which VisitBritain operates on behalf of TfL, visitors travelling in groups can get their cards before their trip and start using them as soon as they arrive in London.

New online resource for those seeking the finer side of African travel
A new, comprehensive website is now available to help travelers plan and book high-end adventures in Africa, from Cairo to Cape Town.

SAS and Samsung make flying simpler with Gear S2 smart watch
SAS’s innovation division, SAS Labs, has teamed up with Samsung to develop a solution that gives travelers access to the SAS app and Smart Pass via Samsung’s Gear S2 smart watch.

UK tourists suffer from anxiety and embarrassment over lack of foreign language skills
65% of Britons think it is important to learn the local lingo before going on holiday abroad, 19% deliberately choose destinations based on knowledge that they won’t need to speak a foreign language

The Visitors’ Terrace at Frankfurt Airport reopened, following major renovations
The Visitors’ Terrace will now be open from Monday to Friday between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., and until 7 p.m. on weekends, on holidays in the German state of Hesse, and during some special events at the airport.

Leading New Zealand tourism marketing company opens office in New Orleans
Auckland’s Tomahawk Agency ready to do business in the U.S.

Courtyard hotel opens in Quebec City, Quebec
Located in the blooming Lebourgneuf district, just 10 minutes from charming Old Quebec and the Jean-Lesage International Airport, the Courtyard Quebec City offers guests convenient access to the Videotron Centre, the ExpoCite’ Centre and Les Galeries de la Capitae Mall & Amusement Park.

Expedia helps holidaymakers plan city break budgets
Travel company aims to make holiday budgeting simpler with new planning tool.

Hermes-Sojitz launches boutique hotel chain in Italy
The chain will include 12 exclusive hotels with 20–24 rooms.

Primo Destinations introduced a new concept for luxury vacation rental property management franchising
Primo’s intention is to create a national vacation rental company serving the top 100 luxury rental markets in North America

Michele Caniato joins sbe as Chief Brand Officer
Design industry power broker to advance sbe’s brand development across all subsidiaries.

Elite Alliance welcomes Elite Alliance Hospitality to its brand portfolio
Incorporating the Elite Alliance luxury brand standards and service expectations, Elite Alliance Hospitality’s on-site management delivers exceptional performance for developers and exceptional experiences for real estate owners, club members and hotel guests at some of the best properties in the world.

Germania increases connections from Dresden, Nuremberg and Munster/Osnabruck in Summer 2017
In order to meet the needs of the increased frequencies and additional routes, Germania will be stationing a second aircraft in each of the three departure airports next summer.

Hotel meeting rooms now available on-demand in New York, Chicago and San Francisco
Bizly replaces routine booking practices and eliminates phone calls, paper contracts and endless negotiating.

Sheraton Hotels & Resorts debuts 15th hotel in Texas
The first full-service hotel in Georgetown, Texas, opens its doors to the community.

Grand reveal for Edinburgh’s newest tourism development
Due to open in summer 2017, The Edinburgh Grand is the latest addition to luxury accommodation provider, Lateral City Apartments’ portfolio of beautifully appointed serviced accommodation.

Accorhotels: Solid first-half 2016 results driven by the transformation plan
Revenue up 2.0% (LFL) to 2,598 million euros; EBIT down 4.0% (LFL) to 239 million euros; Net profit, group share of 74 million euros; Full-year 2016 EBIT target: between 670 million euros and 720 million euros.

Embraer introduces a new evolution of the Phenom 100
The aircraft will enjoy dual launch customers, each with unique operating requirements.

DMCA announces formation of RASEINA Maritime Domestic & Leisure Working Group
The group has been created in a push to advance the Maritime Sector Strategy and further lead Dubai into becoming one of the world’s most important maritime centers.

AAA survey reveals national parks can expect to welcome more travelers in the year ahead
According to a recent AAA survey, 79 percent of Americans say they are as likely (42 percent) or more likely (37 percent) to visit a national park in the next 12 months, building on the momentum of this year’s centennial celebrations.

South Africa’s hotel and tourism sector set for steady growth as visitor numbers continue to grow
The new visa regulations had a sharp impact on the South African tourism industry.

Britons would pay more to have a more environmentally friendly flight
An online flight comparison company has revealed the top aspects that Britons would like introduced to flights, that they’d happily pay an additional charge for, including a more eco-friendly flight, extra leg room as standard and more personalised in-flight entertainment. According to the poll, Britons would be happy to pay on average £75 more per flight for any of these aspects to be introduced.

Presidian bringing first Premium Hotel to Bulverde
Ground breaking ceremony held for Hampton Inn by Hilton property and Bulverde Visitors & Convention Center.

Top ancillary revenue rates reach $52 per passenger and $6 billion per airline
CarTrawler-sponsored analysis shows best ancillary revenue results have doubled between 2008 and 2015. Top performer per passenger is Spirit, at $51.80 per customer; Spirit also tops the list for revenue share, at 43 percent of total sales.

Plan-it Fez grows into Plan-it Morocco
Plan-it Fez changes its name to Plan-it Morocco and launches a new website.

Park Plaza Arena Pula modernizes guest service with implementation of ASSA ABLOY Hospitality Mobile Access
Newly renovated Croatian property maximizes convenience by providing guests with option to skip front desk check-in using digital key technology.

Mike McNeill named General Manager for Doral Arrowwood, Rye Brook, New York
Mike McNeill was previously managing director for Dolce Norwalk of Norwalk, Connecticut.

Virgin America expands service to New York area
The new service comes as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved Virgin America’s request to operate two additional daily flights to Newark

STR: Canada and Mexico hotel performance for Q2 2016
Compared with Q2 2015, the Canadian hotel industry’s occupancy was nearly flat (+0.4% to 67.1%). Average daily rate was up 2.5% to CAD146.90. Revenue per available room increased 2.9% to CAD98.62. Compared with Q2 2015, the Mexican hotel industry’s occupancy was mostly flat (-0.5% to 63.3%). However, average daily rate was up 15.8% to MXN2,079.87, and revenue per available room grew 15.2% to MXN1,317.20.

Tourico Holidays forecasts 30% growth in United Kingdom hotel room nights
According to company booking data, Tourico has already sold nearly a quarter of a million room nights in the United Kingdom in 2016 – led by a 12 percent year-over-year increase from the United States.

Searcys at 30 Pavilion Road welcomes Franck Jeandon as Executive Chef
Searcys at Pavilion Road has long been a luxurious setting for private dining and corporate events.

UAE to represent 90% of Middle East leisure tourism market by 2020
In 2016 alone, four major new theme parks are anticipated to open in the UAE.

AccorHotels to acquire John Paul, world leader in the concierge market
After Wipolo, Oasis Collections, SquareBreak and onefinestay, the acquisition of John Paul, world leader in the customer loyalty and concierge markets marks a major new step in transforming AccorHotels into a travel companion providing innovative services to travelers at every step of their journey.

LeisureLink and ICE Portal join forces to offer visual content distribution for vacation rentals
For vacation rental suppliers, this partnership will streamline distribution of property photos and better showcase curated visuals to travelers.

Major boost for UK and London economy as London City Airport receives planning permission for expansion
The City Airport Development Programme (CADP) is a £344 million privately funded investment which includes plans for 7 new aircraft stands, a parallel taxiway and passenger terminal extension.

Royal Air Maroc saves fuel and reduces its carbon emissions thanks to SkyBreathe Fuel Efficiency
This innovative software enables a reduction of CO2 emissions and fuel consumption of between 2 and 5%, a strategic expense for the airlines given that fuel accounts for some 30% of their costs.

New research from Priority Pass shows direct correlation between digital engagement and brand advocacy
The emergence of a new digital breed of flyer was evident, with 81% of European travelers considering flight status alerts as being important or vital when traveling by air and 62% agreeing that digital boarding passes and e-tickets make the airport experience easier.

2016 Beach Price Index: 6 Greek beaches ranked among the top 250 worldwide
TravelBird 2016 Beach Price Index calculates “the cost of one day at 250 beaches worldwide”. The Index calculates the cost of a day at each seafront, allowing travellers to worry less about the costs of their break and focus more on having an amazing travel experience.

Budget airlines: Not so cheap when the add-ons add up
With the British pound now more affordable due to Brexit, refund.me researched the cost for a family (two adults and two children aged 2-11) to vacation in London, travelling from New York to London August 11-18. The price for the family to fly British Airways (BA) economy class totals $4099.10 including taxes and service charges.

HNA publishes definitive notice of the final result of the public tender offer for gategroup Holding AG
95.32% of all listed gategroup shares have been tendered to HNA Group. Settlement of offer expected at the end of the 3rd quarter/beginning of the 4th quarter 2016.

Record month for business aviation signals growing economy
According to Argus International, overall business aviation activity increased 2.2% from May 2015 to May 2016.

WeTravel launched to manage group trips without spreadsheet and payment nightmares
The platform targets everyday people who organize trips for their family and friends such as school trips and reunions, and individuals leading multi­day trips for public such as yoga retreats, surf camps, and bike trips.

Belfast parks retain Green Flag excellence
The UK wide Green Flag status is awarded to parks that show excellence in management and maintaining clean aesthetic open spaces.

The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management Partners with Hospitality Asset Managers Association MEA
This agreement with EAHM serves to educate students on the possibility of Asset Management as a career path and further helps to bridge the gap between an increasingly complex industry and education.

Delta to partner with Port Authority on LaGuardia terminal redevelopment
Delta’s new terminal at LGA will consist of 37 gates located on four concourses connected by a centralized check-in lobby, security checkpoint, and baggage claim.