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Shangri-La issues statement: Attack on the Shangri-La Hotel Colombo Table One Restaurant

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An explosion took place in Shangri-La Hotel, Colombo’s Table One Restaurant on Easter Sunday during Easter Brunch at 9.05 am. As reported on eTurboNews on Sunday the veteran chef was killed with her daughter.

The explosion was part of a coordinated terror attack in Sri Lanka. A statement by Shangri La was received today in regards to the attack on their hotel. The statement says:

It is with great sadness that we can confirm that we are aware of a number of casualties among our guests and colleagues. This includes three of our colleagues who were fatally injured in the course of their duties. We will continue to work closely with local authorities and emergency services to provide our fullest assistance and support to all affected parties. Our hotel remains secured by the military and the police. We have also decided that the hotel will be closed until 30 April.

Our immediate priority continues to be the safety and well-being of all affected. We have also proactively carried out the following measures since the attacks in Colombo:

· We will continue to provide alternative accommodation for our affected guests

· Our team has been assisting with guest requests for transportation and flight arrangements

· We also have staff stationed at the airport and at the hospitals to render assistance where needed

· A dedicated Call Helpline (+603 2025 4619) has been set up for affected guests and/or their loved ones

· We are working closely with relevant embassy officials to support their respective citizens.

Our hotel team remains ready to offer any other assistance to our guests and their families and to provide the necessary support to our colleagues and their next of kin during this very difficult time. As this is an active investigation and out of respect to our guests and staff’s privacy, we are unable to provide further details at this stage.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Marpunta Resort welcomes new Hotel Manager

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Santikos Collection welcomes Georgios Kritikopoulos as the new Hotel Manager of Marpunta Resort, Alonissos following 10 years of cooperation with Fairmont Hotels & Resorts Worldwide.

In his role, Georgios Kritikopoulos will focus on all operational departments of Marpunta Resort and succeed the overall guest experience according to Santikos Collection standards. With rich knowledge gained in some of the finest hotels in the world and his passion for guests and colleagues alike, Mr. Kritikopoulos will ensure the continuation of offering guest services at the highest standards as defined by Santikos Collection but will also focus on continuously developing the skills and knowhow of the operations team.

Georgios has vast experience as an operations expert with great success in building & bonding productive teams, managing employee relationships, overseeing large-scale projects and communicating product standards. He will build upon the company’s proven results, guest loyalty and assist by attracting new guests and further enriching the experiences of the clients on the island. This expertise, combined with an entrepreneurial approach and results-oriented management style make him the ideal choice to operate Marpunta Resort, Alonissos.

Travel News | eTurboNews

New director of marketing named for The Kartrite Resort & Indoor Waterpark

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Benchmark has appointed Courtney Dall’Olmo director of marketing for The Kartrite Resort & Indoor Waterpark. The Benchmark Resorts & Hotels property is located in Monticello, New York, within the Catskill Mountains, and includes 1,600 wooded acres, the site of the Resorts World Catskills entertainment complex. David Kohlasch, general manager, made the announcement.

“I am very pleased to welcome Courtney to The Kartrite and back to Benchmark,” said Mr. Kohlasch. “She comes to us with keen understanding of the resort market, and as a former Benchmark employee now returned to us, an important awareness of our company’s signature Be The Difference service culture.”

Courtney Dall’Olmo previously served as the director of marketing and communications for the Topnotch Resort of Stowe, Vermont. Prior to this she held the position of marketing supervisor for the legendary Trapp Family Lodge, also of Stowe.

Ms. Dall’Olmo is a graduate of the University of Vermont where she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Public Communications. She is the previous recipient with her colleagues of Benchmark’s Sales & Marketing Team of the Year Award. Ms. Dall’Olmo has relocated to the Monticello area.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Millennium Airport Hotel Dubai honors Spaceship Earth

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The Millennium Airport Hotel Dubai joined the Earth Hour celebration this spring emphasizing its commitment to addressing environmental issues for Spaceship Earth – a world view encouraging everyone on the blue planet to act as a harmonious crew working toward the greater good.

The hotel took part in the movement through several initiatives in Dubai.

A majority of the hotel participated by turning off their non-essential lights for an hour contributing to the global efforts to raise awareness of the impact energy savings. Also, the hotel turned down the lights in the lobby, restaurants and other public areas.

The hotel management encouraged the guests to participate through placing letters in the rooms as a reminder to encourage them to do the same.

Human Resources team prepared a few activities at the colleague’s accommodation such as cake cutting, games, and awarding for minimal consumption of water and electricity.

Earth Hour is now the world’s largest grassroots movement for the environment, inspiring millions of people to act for our planet and nature. It is an initiative led by the World-Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

Commenting on the initiatives, Mr. Simon Moore, General Manager of Millennium Airport Hotel Dubai said, “This year, we celebrated the diversity of life on Earth, and we invited not only our hotel guests and colleagues but also our friends and families. Earth Hour complements our Green Key strategy and ambition to be the driving force of a more sustainable hospitality industry.”

Travel News | eTurboNews

Centara Privilege Club: Centara launches all-new exclusive lifestyle benefits program

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Centara Hotels & Resorts, Thailand’s leading hotel operator and one of the region’s most innovative hospitality brands, is launching “Centara Privilege Club”, a brand new benefits program that offers exclusive privileges, discounts and experiences to Centara customers.

Members joining Centara Privilege Club receive exciting lifestyle benefits focused on food and drink, accommodation, spa and more, including attractive guaranteed savings, an available complimentary night’s stay, cash certificates and many other member-only advantages.

“Centara Privilege Club was created to strengthen the loyalty of Centara’s biggest fans and frequent visitors,” said Tom Thrussell, Centara Vice President – Brand, Marketing & Digital. “The program features an array of privileges well suited to our guests’ lifestyles and provides unbeatable dining, drinking, hotel room, spa and other benefits that keep our guests returning again and again”.

Centara Privilege Club is a paid membership program with privileges available at all Centara Hotels and Resorts properties throughout Thailand. Members are guaranteed experiences, savings and recognition, and can use their benefits to host parties of family, friends and colleagues at great value.

Centara launches Centara Privilege Club via a collaboration with Hospitality Marketing Concepts (HMC), the world’s leading provider of paid membership loyalty programs, to create an engaging loyalty program to meet the needs of its operating 33 hotels in Thailand and exceed the expectations of Centara’s prestigious clients.

“Hospitality Marketing Concepts (HMC) is committed to ensuring the new programs’ success while creating an innovative program which complements the ever-growing digital mobile world,” said Mokhtar Ramadan, CEO, Hospitality Marketing Concepts. “Together with Centara Hotels and Resorts, HMC will deliver on our mission to provide world-class loyalty programs to luxury hotel brands around the world. Together with HMC’s new mobile app, members can enjoy the benefits of membership at their fingertips.”

The Centara Privilege Club is technology-driven and features an industry-leading mobile app that lets members redeem digital e-certificates and eliminate outdated paper-based voucher booklets and plastic membership cards. The app also delivers targeted mobile push notifications about hotel promotions based on geo-location, preferences and purchasing behavior. This technology focus is in keeping with both Centara’s focus to meeting the needs of today’s smartphone generation, and its commitment to sustainability and the reduction of paper and plastic usage.

The program is distinct from and complementary to Centara’s CentaraThe1 loyalty program which is free to join and sees members earning points for stays and on-property spend, which can then be redeemed for future stays and a variety of other benefits. The CentaraThe1 program currently has over 3 million members and members can actually use their earned points to purchase a Centara Privilege Club membership.

Learn more about Centara Privilege Club membership benefits and become a member only by visiting https://centaraprivilege.com.

Travel News | eTurboNews