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Accor welcomes 21c Museum Hotels into MGallery Hotel Collection

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Accor today announced that the Group has officially welcomed 21c Museum Hotels into the MGallery Hotel Collection, a global network of more than 100 storied boutique hotels located in 26 countries. The announcement marks the arrival of the MGallery brand into North America.

Bearing both the MGallery and 21c brands, 21c Museum Hotels – MGallery represents a shared commitment to inspiring guests to delight in and fully discover the very best the world has to offer. 21c Museum Hotels – MGallery will maintain 21c’s distinctive spirit and pioneering vision of combined contemporary art museum, boutique hotels and chef-driven restaurants, and preserve the singular personality, style and story of each individual property. 21c will be fully integrated into the MGallery collection, bringing to life the passion for rich experiences and local discovery for which MGallery is known.

“MGallery was first created in 2008 to share a new vision of high-end, boutique accommodation featuring highly emotive experiences designed to be inspiring, engaging, and richly imbued with character. This ambition gave rise to a collection of unique storied boutique hotels that are captivating, memorable and individually-styled. As sought out addresses for those who relish memorable experiences, bespoke design and off-the-beaten-track moments, each MGallery hotel is remarkable for its singular personality and is deeply rooted in the destination’s history,” said Yohan Amiot, vice president brand management, MGallery.

Yohan Amiot comments further, “Today we are honored to welcome 21c Museum Hotels into the MGallery family. 21c envisions a new kind of hospitality, which promotes accessible, unexpected and innovative arts, cultural and culinary experiences for guests and locals alike, globally connected to contemporary culture, yet firmly rooted within each local community. The 21c brand is the perfect complement to MGallery’s concept of bespoke, creative hospitality for lovers of travel, the arts and immersive experiences.”

21c Museum Hotels – MGallery currently includes eight properties in Bentonville, Cincinnati, Durham, Kansas City, Lexington, Louisville, Nashville and Oklahoma City. Additional projects are in development in Chicago, slated for debut in late 2019, and Des Moines.

The brand also just announced that 21c Museum Hotels has been selected as the brand and management company for a combination boutique hotel, contemporary art museum and independently branded, chef-driven restaurant anticipated to open in the restored YMCA building in downtown St. Louis in late 2020.

“We are embarking upon an exciting period of growth for 21c Museum Hotels and the MGallery Hotel Collection,” said Chris Cahill, deputy chief executive officer, Accor. “Marrying 21c’s exceptional and distinctive brand with the influence of the MGallery collection and strength of Accor’s global platform deepens the full range of unparalleled experiences available to our guests. The official North American introduction of the MGallery brand marks the continued expansion of our lifestyle ‘boutique’ footprint.”

21c Museum Hotels – MGallery are now bookable through Accor reservations systems. 21c will also officially join Le Club AccorHotels as of April 1, 2019, affording 21c guests full access to Le Club AccorHotels member benefits, status points, and the earning and burning of rewards points.

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Iberostar Hotels & Resorts launches voice bookings with ‘Google Assistant’

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Iberostar Hotels & Resorts has launched an innovative option enabling guests to book rooms through voice commands thanks to an integration with Google Assistant. This is a major step forward for customers, who, from now on, will be able to explore this option from their assistant-enabled devices using voice search. When a customer says, “Hey Google, I want to book a room at,” followed by the name of an Iberostar hotel, its location and the desired dates, Google will provide the details of that hotel’s availability and rates and finalize the booking using Google Pay credentials. In turn, the hotel will be notified of the booking via the channel selected by the user.

Voice bookings through Google Assistant is the latest addition to Iberostar’s innovation plan to provide its guests a great experience, even before their stay. The feature is already available in English for users in the US on Android and Apple smartphones, as well as household devices. During the initial stage, customers will be able to book the following Iberostar city hotels immediately with no advance reservation restrictions in various locations around the world: Iberostar Las Letras Gran Vía (Madrid), Iberostar Lisboa (Lisbon), Iberostar 70 Park Avenue (New York), Iberostar Paseo de Gracia (Barcelona), Iberostar Grand Budapest (Budapest), Iberostar Grand Mencey (Santa Cruz de Tenerife) and the Iberostar Berkeley (Miami).

“We strive to provide our guests not only with a platform to create great memories during their stay at any of the destinations where we operate, but also with services that cater to their needs,” said Javier Delgado Muerza, Iberostar Group’s Chief Digital Officer. “We are working on connecting with them and facilitating their experience with us. This is a step forward in the company’s current digitalization plan, which is centered on users and innovation, while remaining committed to providing an outstanding hotel experience”.

Iberostar has entered into a strategic alliance with Mirai for the development of this project, aimed at boosting sales thanks to multi-channel connectivity, which includes this cutting-edge voice recognition-based solution that positions the brand amongst the world’s leading international chains.

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Turkish suspect in Utrecht terrorist attack arrested

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Utrecht’s police chief has confirmed that the 37-year-old Turkish suspect in the deadly shooting on a tram in the Netherlands has been arrested.

Gökmen Tanis was arrested after a major manhunt following the shooting which authorities have confirmed killed three people and injured nine more. The terror threat level for Utrecht was reduced after the suspect’s arrest.

A police spokesperson said Tanis was arrested on Oudenoord street near where a red Renault Clio which he was believed to have been driving was found.

The attack prompted Dutch police to be put on high alert, with military police sent to national airports, railways stations and major roads as citizens were advised to stay indoors. Schools were also closed while the hunt was underway.

Dutch Prime Minister Rutte said during a press conference that the suspect’s motive is still unclear and that there are “many questions and rumors.” Earlier the Dutch counter-terror agency said it appears to be a terror attack.

Utrecht police had warned citizens to watch out for Tanis but not to approach him. Sources told BBC Turkish that the 37-year-old had previously been arrested over “suspected links” to Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) a few years ago, but was later released.

Following the attack, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the Turkish intelligence agency is investigating whether it was linked to terror.

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Mandarin Oriental opens first hotel in Beijing

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Hongkong Land today announced the completion of its prestigious WF CENTRAL premium lifestyle retail destination, located in the capital city’s historic Wangfujing area, with the opening of Mandarin Oriental Wangfujing, Beijing. Executives from Hongkong Land and Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group celebrated the occasion with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new hotel, Mandarin Oriental’s first hotel in Beijing.

Seamlessly connected with WF CENTRAL, the hotel features 73 rooms and suites which are among the largest in Beijing. The rooms are designed with a contemporary residential style combined with subtle traditional Chinese elements, an array of luxury amenities and expansive, spa-like bathrooms. Many rooms have superb views towards the Forbidden City. The hotel is also home to stylish restaurants and bars, including the signature Mandarin Grill + Bar, casual dining restaurant Cafe Zi, and the sleek, sophisticated MO Bar — all of which have direct access to an expansive rooftop garden terrace.

Those seeking rejuvenation in the heart of the city may visit The Spa at Mandarin Oriental Wangfujing, Beijing, which offers a range of curated wellness and beauty treatments as well as a 25-metre indoor lap pool with natural light and a comprehensive gym.

“Since its opening in May 2018, WF CENTRAL has been playing a crucial role in the redevelopment of the historic Wangfujing area of Beijing into one of the city’s premium lifestyle retail destinations,” said Mr Raymond Chow, Executive Director of Hongkong Land. “The opening of Mandarin Oriental Wangfujing, Beijing, completes our work and exemplifies this strategy, as we are bringing Mandarin Oriental’s legendary hospitality together with a compelling mix of retail and dining, all nestled within one of the world’s most important and historic cities.”

Mr Richard Baker, Chief Relationship Officer, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, said, “Mandarin Oriental is delighted to partner with Hongkong Land in the creation of Mandarin Oriental Wangfujing. This is our third successful collaboration and we are immensely proud to be part of WF CENTRAL, Beijing’s preeminent lifestyle retail destination. We look forward to introducing the Group’s legendary hospitality to China’s capital and to welcoming guests through our doors.”

WF CENTRAL, Hongkong Land’s flagship development in Beijing, is a US$1.2 billion retail-led project designed to be the city’s premier shopping and lifestyle destination. It is also expected to be a major contributor to the transformation of Beijing’s historic Wangfujing area into a hub for retail, dining and business. The complex has a total gross floor area of more than 150,000 sq. m., including 43,000 sq. m. of retail space that hosts an exciting, diverse mix of tenants according to five core categories: “Luxury”, “Fashion”, “World-class Gastronomy”, “Lifestyle & Wellness” and “Art & Culture”.

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Brand USA Board of Directors approves committee assignments

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On Wednesday, March 13, members of the Brand USA board of directors convened for a quarterly meeting in Washington, DC where they welcomed newly appointed and reappointed members and approved members to officiating positions and committees.

The confirmed committee assignments are as follows:

Finance Committee

Chair: Kyle Edmiston, deputy director/chief operations officer for Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana Convention & Visitors Bureau

Committee Members

• John Edman, director of Explore Minnesota
• Noel Irwin Hentschel, chairman and chief executive officer of AmericanTours International, LLC
• Mark Hoplamazian, president and chief executive officer of Hyatt Hotels Corporation
• Alice Norsworthy, chief marketing officer of Universal Parks & Resorts
• Barbara Richardson, chief of external relations of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Metro)

Conflict of Interest Committee

Chair: Tom O’Toole, senior fellow and clinical professor of marketing at the Kellogg School of Management of Northwestern University

Committee Members

• Andrew Greenfield, managing partner of the Washington, DC office of Fragomen
• Barbara Richardson

Audit Committee

Chair: Tom O’Toole

Committee Members

• Paul Brown, chief executive officer of Inspire Brands
• Noel Irwin Hentschel

Governance & Nominating Committee

Chair: Andrew Greenfield

Committee Members

• John Edman
• Mike Gallagher, co-chairman and co-founder of CityPASS

Marketing Committee

Chair: Alice Norsworthy

Committee Members

• Kristen Branscum, commissioner of Kentucky Department of Tourism
• Paul Brown
• Kyle Edmiston
• Mike Gallagher
• Noel Irwin Hentschel
• Tom O’Toole

Full recordings of the board meetings can be found here. For more information about the newly appointed members, please access the press announcement here. A complete list of the board of directors and their bios is available here. The next board meeting will take place on Wednesday, May 22, 2019.

Thank you to all staff, board members, partners, and stakeholders for their continued support.

Together, we are marketing the USA!

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Oman Air climbs to first place in one of Heathrow’s greenest years yet

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Oman Air has landed first place in the latest Heathrow “Fly Quiet and Green” league table, due to its use of ‘Continuous Decent Approach’ which helps to reduce fuel burn and minimise noise by arriving aircraft. This achievement builds on the strides made in the previous quarter (Q3) which saw Oman Air leaping up 26 spots after phasing out their older aircraft and replacing them with the ultra-quiet and green 787 Dreamliners. Oman Air’s drastic improvement shows the impact technology can have on an airline’s environmental performance and the importance of the “Fly Quiet and Green” league – the UK’s first in advocating sustainable action.

The latest Heathrow “Fly Quiet and Green” league table publishes the top 50 busiest airlines at Heathrow on seven noise and emission metrics from October to December 2018. The results show Heathrow airlines have a clear commitment to modernising their fleet and working to adopt techniques which will help to reduce the airport’s impact on local communities. In addition to this public ranking, Heathrow encourages new technology through environmental pricing incentives, which reduce landing charges for airlines operating their greenest and quietest aircraft at our airport. The top environmental performers such as the Boeing 787 Dreamliners and Airbus A350s now make up over a tenth of planes at Heathrow.

Other airlines at the top of the League rankings included British Airways (short haul fleet), which jumped up to second place due to its improved punctuality benefitting both local communities and passengers alike. SAS placed third, moving up three places in the latest table due to the introduction of A320 neos to their fleet. Icelandair earns most improved airline, jumping an astounding 40 places to take the 11th spot. The airline has worked to improve its use of Continuous Decent Approach, whilst sticking more closely to the designated flight paths set for pilots, which assists the provision of predictable respite for local communities.

This news comes shortly after the conclusion of Heathrow’s eight-week Airspace and Future Operations consultation during which local residents were given the opportunity to share their views on the airport’s future airspace design – both for the existing two runways and as part of the proposed expansion. Heathrow’s consultation is part of a nationwide move to modernise the country’s airspace for the first time since the 1960s, potentially boosting punctuality for passengers by reducing the need for routine stacking as well as providing guaranteed respite for the airport’s local communities and reducing airplane emissions.

Matt Gorman, Heathrow’s Director of Sustainability, said:

“As we prepare to expand our airport, we’re working with airlines to encourage fierce competition for the top spot of the ‘Fly Quiet and Green’ league table and it’s brilliant to see more airlines vying for pole position. As airlines modernise their fleets, we’ll also be engaging with local communities to modernise the UK’s airspace, enabling aircraft to more efficiently use the skies around us, increasing punctuality whilst reducing emissions and noise in future.”

Abdul Aziz Al Raisi, Chief Executive Officer, Oman Air said:

“We follow Heathrow’s Quiet and Green league table very closely and it is indeed gratifying to see Oman Air rank first for the fourth quarter of 2018. Moving to the quieter, more efficient Boeing 787 Dreamliner has had a positive impact and shows our commitment to operating the most environmentally friendly aircraft across our growing international network. This is indeed a proud moment to see our efforts recognised by one of the world’s leading airports.”

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