For Immediate Release | Official News Wire for the Travel Industry
Where press releases are breaking news
Passenger numbers remain very low in Frankfurt – Repatriation of passengers largely completed – High demand for freight capacities – Some airlines use passenger airplanes as freighter-only aircraft – Continued reduction of cargo throughput, due to lack of belly freight (shipped on passenger aircraft)
| Week 17/2020 (April 20-26) | Week | Δ %* |
| Passengers | 45,270 | -96.80% |
| Cargo (airfreight + airmail) in metric tons | 33,694 | -12.90% |
| Aircraft movements | 1,605 | -84.00% |
| *Change compared to Week 17 of 2019 |
Business News first on FIR:
MOJAVE, Calif.–()–Virgin Galactic Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SPCE) (“Virgin Galactic” or “the Company”), a vertically integrated aerospace company, today announced its financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2019.
“Throughout 2019, we continued to achieve key milestones in our mission to open access to space in a safe, innovative and affordable way,” said George Whitesides, Chief Executive Officer of Virgin Galactic. “During the fourth quarter, we took major steps toward reaching that goal by completing our transaction with Social Capital Hedosophia and becoming publicly listed on the NYSE, as well as building operational readiness at Spaceport America in New Mexico. The progress we made in 2019, combined with the high level of interest from potential customers, underpin the steps we are taking toward reopening ticket sales. We are continuing to build on our strong momentum as we enter the most exciting chapter of our story to date and prepare for commercial launch.”
Fourth Quarter 2019 Business Highlights:
Fourth Quarter 2019 Financial Highlights:
Recent Business Highlights:
“One Small Step” Sales Initiative
In a separate press release issued today, Virgin Galactic announced its “One Small Step” initiative, an important milestone in its strategy to position the Company optimally for the re-opening of spaceflight sales. Under this program, interested online registrants will be invited to pay a refundable $1,000 deposit to secure a front-of-line position for future ticket reservations. Upon Virgin Galactic releasing its next tranche of seats for sale, “One Small Step” registrants will be offered the tickets first, allowing them to make the “One Giant Leap” to a confirmed spaceflight reservation and gain full membership to the thriving Virgin Galactic Future Astronaut Community. Additional details on this initiative can be found in the separate press release, accessible on the Company’s Investor Relations website at investors.virgingalactic.com.
Fourth Quarter and FY 2019 Financial Results
|
|
Three Months Ended |
Twelve Months Ended |
|||||||||||||||
|
|
(In thousands) |
||||||||||||||||
|
2019 |
2018 |
2019 |
2018 |
||||||||||||||
|
Revenue |
$ |
529 |
|
$ |
1,287 |
|
$ |
3,781 |
|
$ |
2,849 |
|
|
||||
|
Cost of revenue |
|
314 |
|
|
814 |
|
|
2,004 |
|
|
1,201 |
|
|
||||
|
Gross Profit |
|
215 |
|
|
473 |
|
|
1,777 |
|
|
1,648 |
|
|
||||
|
Selling, general, and administrative expenses |
|
37,447 |
|
|
13,513 |
|
|
82,166 |
|
|
50,902 |
|
|
||||
|
Research and development expenses |
|
36,754 |
|
|
32,961 |
|
|
132,873 |
|
|
117,932 |
|
|
||||
|
Operating loss |
|
(73,986 |
) |
|
(46,001 |
) |
|
(213,262 |
) |
|
(167,186 |
) |
|
||||
|
Interest income |
|
1,160 |
|
|
289 |
|
|
2,297 |
|
|
633 |
|
|
||||
|
Interest expense |
|
34 |
|
|
2 |
|
|
36 |
|
|
10 |
|
|
||||
|
Other income |
|
– |
|
|
29 |
|
|
128 |
|
|
28,571 |
|
|
||||
|
Loss before income taxes |
|
(72,860 |
) |
|
(45,685 |
) |
|
(210,873 |
) |
|
(137,992 |
) |
|
||||
|
Income tax expense (benefit) |
|
(61 |
) |
|
32 |
|
|
62 |
|
|
147 |
|
|
||||
|
Net loss |
|
(72,799 |
) |
|
(45,717 |
) |
|
(210,935 |
) |
|
(138,139 |
) |
|
||||
|
Other comprehensive income (loss): |
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||
|
Foreign currency translation adjustment |
|
56 |
|
|
(35 |
) |
|
(23 |
) |
|
(52 |
) |
|
||||
|
Total comprehensive loss |
$ |
(72,743 |
) |
$ |
(45,752 |
) |
$ |
(210,958 |
) |
$ |
(138,191 |
) |
|
||||
Conference Call Information
Virgin Galactic will host a conference call to discuss the results at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time (5:00 p.m. Eastern Time) today. To access the conference call, parties in the United States should dial (833) 224-0545 and international parties should dial (825) 312-2253, and enter the conference ID number 7782487. The live audio webcast along with supplemental information will be accessible on the Company’s Investor Relations website at investors.virgingalactic.com. A recording of the webcast will also be available following the conference call.
About Virgin Galactic Holdings
Virgin Galactic Holdings, Inc. is a vertically integrated aerospace company, pioneering human spaceflight for private individuals and researchers, as well as a manufacturer of advanced air and space vehicles. Using its proprietary and reusable technologies and supported by a distinctive, Virgin-branded customer experience, it is developing a spaceflight system designed to offer customers a unique, multi-day, transformative experience. This culminates in a spaceflight that includes views of Earth from space and several minutes of weightlessness that will launch from Spaceport America, New Mexico. Virgin Galactic and The Spaceship Company believe that one of the most exciting and significant opportunities of our time lies in the commercial exploration of space and the development of technology that will change the way we travel across the globe in the future. Together we are opening access to space to change the world for good.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities laws with respect to Virgin Galactic Holdings, Inc. (the “Company”), including statements regarding the Company’s spaceflight systems, markets and expected performance. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by words such as “believe,” “project,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “strategy,” “future,” “opportunity,” “plan,” “may,” “should,” “will,” “would,” and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections and other statements about future events that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this presentation, including but not limited to the factors, risks and uncertainties regarding the Company’s business described in the “Risk Factors” section of the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K that it will file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), in addition to the Company’s subsequent filings with the SEC. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause the Company’s actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and, except as required by law, the Company assumes no obligation and does not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures
This press release references Adjusted EBITDA, a non-GAAP financial measure. The Company defines Adjusted EBITDA as earnings before interest expense, taxes, depreciation and amortization, stock-based compensation, and certain other items the Company believes are not indicative of its core operating performance. Adjusted EBITDA is not a substitute for or superior to measures of financial performance prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (GAAP) and should not be considered as an alternative to any other performance measures derived in accordance with GAAP.
The Company believes that presenting Adjusted EBITDA provides useful supplemental information to investors about the Company in understanding and evaluating its operating results, enhancing the overall understanding of its past performance and future prospects, and allowing for greater transparency with respect to key financial metrics used by its management in financial and operational-decision making. However, there are a number of limitations related to the use of non-GAAP measures and their nearest GAAP equivalents. For example, other companies may calculate non-GAAP measures differently, or may use other measures to calculate their financial performance, and therefore any non-GAAP measures the Company uses may not be directly comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies.
A reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to net loss for the three months and years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively, are set forth below:
|
Amounts in thousands ($) |
Three Months Ended Dec. 31 |
Twelve Months Ended Dec. 31 |
||||||||||||||
|
2019 |
2018 |
2019 |
2018 |
|||||||||||||
|
Net Loss |
$ |
(72,799 |
) |
$ |
(45,717 |
) |
$ |
(210,935 |
) |
$ |
(138,139 |
) |
||||
|
Income Tax Expense (Benefit) |
|
(61 |
) |
|
32 |
|
|
62 |
|
|
147 |
|
||||
|
Interest Expense |
|
34 |
|
|
2 |
|
|
36 |
|
|
10 |
|
||||
|
Depreciation & Amortization |
|
2,079 |
|
|
1,552 |
|
|
6,999 |
|
|
5,807 |
|
||||
|
EBITDA |
|
(70,747 |
) |
|
(44,131 |
) |
|
(203,838 |
) |
|
(132,175 |
) |
||||
|
Cash Incentive Plan Disbursement* |
|
9,867 |
|
|
– |
|
|
9,867 |
|
|
– |
|
||||
|
Non-capitalized Transaction Costs** |
|
3,577 |
|
|
– |
|
|
4,692 |
|
|
– |
|
||||
|
Stock-Based Compensation |
|
2,535 |
|
|
– |
|
|
2,535 |
|
|
– |
|
||||
|
Adjusted EBITDA |
|
(54,768 |
) |
|
(44,131 |
) |
|
(186,744 |
) |
|
(132,175 |
) |
||||
* Represents a cash disbursement to settle amounts owed to participants of the VG Companies’ amended Cash Incentive Plan upon the achievement of the second qualifying milestone in connection with the closing of the transaction with Social Capital Hedosophia.
** Non-capitalized transaction costs include non-recurring expenses related to public listing (i.e., consulting, legal, professional fees, business organizational expenses, etc.)
__________________________________
1 Registrations of interest in flight reservations as of February 23, 2020, up 124% from 3,557 as of September 30, 2019.
Jamaica Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has indicated that Jamaica is taking note that the potential global economic downturn and sargassum phenomena are real threats to the tourism industry.
“We recall the recession of 2008 that impacted economies globally and recognize the need to strategize in light of data and trends. Despite this global recession, Jamaica’s tourism grew by an average 3.5% and we will need to learn from those lessons,” said Minister Bartlett.
There is general concern that the global economy may be on the verge of a slight downturn and possible recession. There is also concern regarding sargassum, which is a type of seaweed that can negatively impact tourist destinations when washed up on shore.
Minister Bartlett said, “The possibility of a global economic downturn can have a devastating impact on not only Jamaica’s tourism but the region’s tourism. Coupled with this potential threat is now the impending influx of sargassum on our shores. What this means is that we must act decisively and swiftly to collaborate on the best way forward to get ahead of these threats.”
Minister Bartlett was speaking at a meeting with members of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) today at the Montego Bay Convention Centre, to discuss the threat of sargassum on the island’s tourism. The meeting included senior officials from the Ministry and its agencies, key hotel stakeholders and President of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourist Association.
“This meeting with our hotel partners is critical as we seek ways to develop economic resilience. These threats have the potential to negatively impact our livelihoods given the fact that the Caribbean is so heavily dependent on tourism.
Last year, the Caribbean welcomed 29.9 million visitors and contributed 40% of the region’s GDP but if we do not act, we could see our growth in arrivals and earnings go down,” added Minister Bartlett.
Minister Bartlett also used the opportunity to have partners from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) make a presentation on their suggested strategy to cut off the sargassum prior to it reaching our shores and to get feedback from hoteliers.
President of the JHTA, Omar Robinson also highlighted the need to urgently identify solutions to “mitigate against any potential fallout this could have on our tourism product.”
Minister Bartlett added that as it relates to sargassum, “The Global Tourism and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCM) is leading the charge to collaborate and conduct research to come up with workable solutions. Earlier this week, the GTRCM also met with the United Nations Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea, to explore future collaboration regarding research on the sargassum challenges faced by the Caribbean towards identifying solutions.”
Minister Bartlett, through the GTRCM, recently spearheaded a regional sargassum forum which included mechanical engineers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Precision Engineering Research Group; and noted researchers from the University of the West Indies, Mona and the GTRCM.
On October 9 and 10 of this year, the GTRCM will host a second summit with leading researchers geared towards climatic disruptions with a focus on sargassum.
Media Contact:
Corporate Communications Division
Ministry of Tourism
64 Knutsford Boulevard
Kingston 5
Tel: (876) 920-4926-30
Fax: (876) 906 1729
“My personal hero today is Ms. Patricia Dzai. Patricia works for Swissport in Johannesburg, South Africa,” said eTN Publisher Juergen Steinmetz. Swissport is one of the largest aviation ground-handling agencies operating in countries around the world.
Major airlines hire Swissport to manage customer relations and logistics when it comes to baggage handling, including lost or misplaced items.
Lufthansa German Airlines’ ground handler in Johannesburg is Swissport. I recently traveled from Nice to Cape Town via Frankfurt and Johannesburg on Lufthansa German Airlines. I am a United Airlines Star Alliance Gold member and traveled on Lufthansa in Business class. Lufthansa is a member of Star Alliance.
When I arrived in Johannesburg, I heard my name called by Lufthansa’s lost baggage office handled by Swissport.
I was told my tube was still in Frankfurt, and they would put it on the next flight to Johannesburg. I explained it was of utmost importance to have the tube for an important trade show event, the World Travel Market in Cape Town, in the morning.
Patricia Dzai, the Swissport agent in Johannesburg, wanted to make sure this would be possible and sent an urgent message to Lufthansa in Frankfurt. The message said:
I was pleased to know my tube would go on LH 576 directly to Cape Town almost in time for the start of World Travel Market.
I went on to fly to Cape Town and received a text message in the evening saying my tube would be on the Lufthansa flight to Johannesburg, which was different from what Patricia had requested. Since it was late and the Swissport office in Johannesburg was closed, I was able to find a non-published phone number for Lufthansa baggage service in Frankfurt. Lufthansa, like most airlines, is hiding phone numbers to encourage passengers to communicate only by email.
I was told by Lufthansa Baggage Service in Frankfurt no such message to forward my tube to Cape Town was ever received by Swissport Johannesburg. The agent went on to say that passengers are often not told the truth by Swissport agents.
The Lufthansa agent in Frankfurt explained that his job was not to help me, since this was only handled in Johannesburg. I argued my tube is in Frankfurt and not Johannesburg, and the handling agent for Swissport in Johannesburg was closed.
The agent then said he was now doing a one-time exception for me and would reroute my tube on LH576 directly to Cape Town. He said there were 5 hours to get this done, still plenty of time according to him.
The next day I received another message telling me again the tube was on its way to Johannesburg instead of Cape Town.
I called Swissport in Johannesburg, and the news not could have been worse. They told me, apologizing, that my tube was still in Frankfurt for a second day, and they did not know why.
I again called the baggage-handling office in Frankfurt and was again told it’s all Swissport’s mistake for not telling them where to send it.
This time I was angry and called Swissport Johannesburg again. I asked Patricia why she was lying about this. I told her she never sent this request to Frankfurt, according to Lufthansa.
Ten minutes later, I received an email with a time-stamped screenshot from Patricia Dzai showing me exactly what was requested by her in the first place.
Patricia actually had gone out of her way originally to make sure I would be united with my tube on time and in Cape Town. I felt bad thinking she didn’t care and didn’t do anything, when in fact she did.
It shows that big companies like Lufthansa have a serious customer service issue. They hide behind a huge system and are trained to say it’s not their job and simply blame others for company shortcomings.
There was no way I could talk to anyone at Lufthansa about this, and my urgent email to them on the day I was trying to get the tube re-routed was just responded to 2 weeks after I was already back home in Hawaii. Lufthansa offered a 200 euro compensation.
No explanation was given and no apology for accusing Patricia Dzai and Swissport for not doing their job.
I finally received my tube on the last day after the trade show and took it back to the US unopened. When I changed planes in Frankfurt, I asked the agent working in the Senator Lounge to speak to a supervisor in baggage handling about this case and compensation. She told me I have to send an email, which I had already done days ago.
She gave me some chocolate and said they get customers’ complaints all the time and do their best to help and respond, but the back-up system by the airline is not there.
It’s all about a giant non-caring anonymous machine.
I extend my apologies to Patricia Dzai from Swissport, as I now understand she was also a victim of shortcomings created by Lufthansa German Airlines.
Patricia Dzai is the eTN Hero for today.
The Minister for Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine, Minister Didier Dogley accompanied by the Principal Secretary for Tourism, Anne Lafortune and the Director for Tourism Human Resource Development, Diana Quatre visited graduates of Shannon College at their current place of employment as part of a mentoring initiative, following a resolution at the last committee meeting held in December 2018.
The visit was conducted at four different hotels, namely the Four Seasons Resort Seychelles, Kempinski Seychelles Resort, AVANI Seychelles Barbarons Resort & Spa and the Constance Ephelia Seychelles on Monday 15th April 2019.
The purpose of the visit was to meet with graduates of Shannon College who are working in the hotels of Seychelles and establish a communication channel between the graduates and the Ministry.
The first hotel to be visited was the Four Seasons Resort Seychelles employing the largest cohort, comprising of 7 Shannon graduates. This was followed by Kempinski Seychelles Resort & Spa with two graduates, Avani Seychelles Barbarons Resort & Spa with one graduate and the Constance Ephelia Seychelles with 3 Shannon graduates.
During the visit, graduates were given the opportunity to express their views, in the presence of their hotel managers. The main point of discussion was centred on the minimum salary and career progression within the hospitality industry. Overall the graduates in the four hotels were satisfied with their working condition and the opportunity offered to develop their career further.
Minister Dogley stated that “The visits of the Shannon graduates in their workplace and the meetings held with their General Managers provided an excellent opportunity for me to learn about the progress they have made as professionals in the hospitality industry. Most of them had clear career paths and personal development programs.
It was a real pleasure and an eye opener to discover that the majority of them are already working as managers in some of our top brand hotels. This in itself shows that the vision government had for more well-trained and highly skilled Seychellois to take leadership roles in our hospitality industry is becoming a reality.”
The Ministerial delegation will also be visiting graduates from the other tourism establishments in order to provide similar opportunities for interaction. These visits are in line with the goal of the Ministry to ensure that the tourism sector is equipped with qualified individuals and shall endeavour to continue to assist graduates in achieving their dreams of progression to senior positions within the hotel industry.
To date, there are 74 Shannon College graduates who have gone through this programme.
Hotel Oriental Express in Tokyo Ginza is scheduled to open on July 26, 2019.
The concept of Hotel Oriental Express Tokyo Ginza is the “Art Gallery Hotel” where guests can experience an extraordinary stay in the whimsical atmosphere of Ginza artworks generated in collaboration with art galleries in Ginza. The hotel also aims to play a role for Japan based young talented artists to express their artworks to guests from all over the world.
The lobby and rooms, which are themed in white with an accent of silver or in Japanese, “Gin” for “Ginza,” are decorated with carefully selected wall art which express the four seasons of Japan. The lobby doubles as a gallery space, featuring beautiful artworks from partnered galleries in Ginza. Hotel guests can purchase their favorite artworks on the spot.
Experience the town of art Ginza
The lobby and rooms, which are themed in white with an accent of silver or in Japanese, “Gin” for “Ginza,” are decorated with carefully selected wall art which express the four seasons of Japan. The lobby doubles as a gallery space, featuring beautiful artworks from partnered galleries in Ginza. Hotel guests can purchase their favorite artworks on the spot.
Ms. Maya Ogata began her art career with a graphic design company after graduating from university. While working for this company, Ms. Ogata was actively engaged in numerous solo and group exhibitions as a wall art artist. Ms. Ogata has painted walls of guest houses, stores, and event spaces as well as presented her art in live performances nationwide.
Revive Your Senses
Breakfast: On a daily basis, the breakfast buffet offers five types of seasonal soups. The hotel’s chef recommends this simple but nutritious breakfast to revive your senses and to start your day. The soups can also be made to go, so guests can enjoy their breakfast at their convenience.
Cafe: During the daytime, the restaurant area is exclusively open to all hotel guests to be used at their leisure. Guests can freely relax and enjoy their time surrounded by artworks, with a drink of their choice from the hotel’s selection of coffee, herbal tea, green tea etc.
Enhance your sensitivity
Music: All guest rooms are equipped with a Bluetooth speaker and embellished with carefully selected wall art depicting beautiful flowers of each season in Japan. Guests can look, feel, and embrace the art and sounds while spending a relaxing time in their room.
https://tokyoginza.hotelorientalexpress.com/
Based on US market statistics, the combined hospitality segment produces close to 440 billion pounds of solid waste per year. A great amount of this waste is made up of discarded soap and bottled amenities. However, through Clean the World’s Hospitality Recycling Program, these life-saving hygiene products can skip the landfill and, instead, be sent to one of Clean the World’s five Recycling Operations Centers where the products are sanitized, fully recycled, and given a second-life to help those in need. It’s a win-win for the hospitality industry, helping to reduce waste and transform lives around the world.
In celebration of Earth Day, Clean the World, dedicated to WASH (WAter, Sanitation and Hygiene) and global sustainability, is joining forces with RLH Corporation to collect and recycle gently-used bars of soap and bottled amenities at Hotel RL locations nationwide to help fight the spread of preventable diseases while preserving our planet.
“We are excited to collaborate with Clean the World,” said RLH Corporation SVP of Brand Strategy Amanda Marcello. “At Hotel RL, we are focused on the modern-day traveler, with core hotel elements that allow guests to immerse themselves in local culture while maintaining their connection to the world. We are always searching for opportunities to better our planet, the communities we live in and those around the world. With Clean the World, we will now be able to make a significant improvement in reducing the amount of waste our hotels produce while benefiting communities worldwide by recycling our bath amenities.”
Together, this Earth Day, Clean the World and RLH Corporation are bringing awareness to sustainable practices within the travel and hospitality industry. Eight Hotel RL locations adopting the Hospitality Recycling Program this week will begin recycling all soap and bottled amenities from over 1,600 guestrooms. In just one year, the Hotel RL portfolio of hotels is projected to provide over 6,700 pounds of soap and bottled amenities to Clean the World, resulting in the creation of an estimated 23,000 bars of newly-recycled soap to be distributed to those in need locally and globally.
“We are thrilled to join forces with RLH Corporation this Earth Day to share the importance of implementing new, eco-friendly approaches to daily operations that benefit and help to preserve our planet,” said Shawn Seipler, founder and CEO of Clean the World. “By diverting leftover soap and bottled amenities from landfills, RLH Corporation will not only help Clean the World provide health and hygiene programs to children and families around the world, but also set a great example of CSR and sustainability throughout the hospitality industry, encouraging others to help make a difference.”
Through this joint venture, newly-recycled bars of Clean the World soap will make their way to shelters, food banks and disaster relief initiatives in the United States, in addition to supporting hygiene education internationally through Clean the World Foundation’s WASH Education programming. Our global programming, in places like India, Kenya and Tanzania, has contributed to a 60 percent decrease in the rate of hygiene-related deaths in children under 5, helping to keep children healthy and in school.
Many of us traveling around the globe on business have travel stories to tell. I spend more than 100 fully-paid nights every year in Hyatt Hotels around the world. Doing this, you get to know a brand more closely.
I am collecting my own list of heroes and honoring each of them eTN Heroes. You cannot buy eTN Heroes, and this title is a publisher’s recommendation based on personal experience.
I realize there are so many heroes in the hospitality industry and even more in the rest of the travel and tourism industry, so my personal experience is only a very small token of well-deserved recognition.
Today, I would like to introduce Cordelia Igel, a senior team leader at Vox Restaurant at the Grand Hyatt, Berlin, Germany as the latest eTN Hero.
Travelers like me experience hotels as a second home. When something doesn’t make sense, I am always outspoken and hope my criticism is heard. I want the businesses that cater to my travel to do well.
Loving my espresso every day is a passion many fellow travelers share. For me, it doesn’t make sense when international hotels cannot see that good espresso is a major selling point. For me, it’s a major buying point when selecting a hotel.
For example, I stopped staying at the Marriott Newark Airport where the Starbucks in this hotel is only open from 6 am to 10 am.
It boggles my mind because people come in 24 hours a day because after all, it’s an airport hotel.
With travelers arriving or leaving this hotel don’t always go by Eastern Standard time.
A good cup of coffee becomes as important as a good bed or a hot shower.
The same goes for food. I select hotels where I can get my breakfast, lunch, or dinner 24/7 because my body time clock is not always synchronized with the time in the destination.
Mistakes happen, especially when you’re jetlagged. One of the worst was when I picked up a suitcase that belonged to another passenger in Tokyo after arriving from Abu Dhabi and showed up at the Grand Hyatt Tokyo with the wrong luggage. Takashi Kai, Assistant Manager at the Grand Hyatt Tokyo, was my first eTN Hero that day and managed this impossible and frustrating situation for me.
Here why I am so thankful to Cordelia Igel, the senior team leader at Vox Restaurant at the Grand Hyatt Berlin, my latest eTN Hero.
In March during ITB I stayed at the hotel for 8 nights.
The hotel has a fantastic breakfast and a great pool/gym area along with a very central and exciting location close to Potsdamer Platz.
Rooms are a little small and average in Berlin, but acceptable. I may have been spoiled. I stayed at the Hyatt Haus Duesseldorf before arriving in Berlin during the same trip and also one night at the Park Hyatt Hamburg and loved my apartment and hotel suite. My apartment at Duesseldorf Hyatt Haus was over the top – washer, dryer, living room, bedroom, and an outside patio with a million dollar view, and enough space to entertain 100 people.
Here is why Cordelia at the Grand Hyatt Berlin is my hero. Attending a very busy trade show is always a challenge when managing a busy scheduled and sleep. My morning espresso is of utmost importance. In the past, when staying at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Berlin, I went to Starbucks across the street from the hotel, but this year, Starbucks was no longer there.
What were my options? As a Globalist member in the Hyatt loyalty program, my breakfast is always included. Hyatt Germany is not one of the hotels forcing Globalists to take their breakfast only in the Club lounge.
The continental breakfast at the Hyatt Grand Clun is usually not comparable with the wide variety of food found at VOX restaurant.
So everything was perfect in the morning, right? Wrong!
When trying the Club lounge espresso, I should have known it wasn’t up to my standards as it was served from a push-button machine. However, not all Grand Clubs are the same. At the Grand Hyatt Seoul, Korea the Espresso machine is the best I found in the Hyatt system so far.
At the Grand Hyatt Berlin, when dining in the hotel’s 5-star restaurant VOX, a 3-star espresso is served from a push-button machine.
When I asked the lead server, Cordelia, why they are serving such a superb breakfast and offer only a push button machine-made espresso she offered a solution.
The only good espresso machine in the hotel not using push-buttons was at the hotel bar. Cordelia went to the hotel bar and personally hand-crafted a cup of real espresso for me. She also managed to bring it back within one minute after pouring. Magical!
Every morning after that, Ms. Igel knew what to do. And for that extra touch of service and not hesitating a second to go above and beyond, Vielen Dank Frau Igel, you are my eTN Hero today.
Tourism and Dairy are popular in Port Campbell, a coastal town in Victoria, Australia. The town is on the Great Ocean Road, west of the Twelve Apostles, in the Shire of Corangamite and has less than 500 residents.
Two of these residents a father and son today drowned trying to rescue a tourist from rough on Sunday have been described as selfless members of the local community and “like peas in a pod”.
Ross, 71, and Andrew Powell, 32, were life-long members of the Port Campbell Surf Life Saving Club and were prominent figures in the local dairy farming industry.
They, along with one other lifesaver, were attempting to save a tourist at Sherbrook River, near the Twelve Apostles on Victoria’s south-west coast, on Sunday morning when their boat flipped.
The father and son were declared dead at the scene, while the third lifesaver was seriously injured and airlifted to The Alfred hospital.
A 30-year-old male tourist got into trouble wading near the entrance to the Sherbrook River, a 10-minute drive from the Twelve Apostles, about 11am.
Rough surf caused the rescue boat to flip, tossing the three lifesavers into the ocean in an area Cr Trotter said was notoriously dangerous.
The surviving rescue worker, a man in his 50s, has injuries to his back and legs and was airlifted to The Alfred hospital in a serious condition. He remained in a serious but stable condition on Sunday evening.
The tourist who was swept into the water suffered hypothermia and was taken by road ambulance to the Warrnambool hospital in a stable condition.
Mr James said initial investigations found all three lifesavers had been wearing life jackets.
Earlier reports suggested the tourist was taking photographs when he was swept off a rock at the mouth of the river, but emergency services say this was not the case.
The Port Campbell Hotel said on Facebook that live music at the venue had been canceled due to the “heartbreaking tragedy in our community”.
Police are preparing a report for the coroner
Ghana Tourism is a big business and full of surprises. This is also true for Mr Guru, Ghanaian, a comedian who went to Facebook after being asked to pay GH¢4.00 , what is a little less than a US-Dollar when he wanted to take a photo when crossing Kwame Nkrumah bridge.
In his Facebook message he addressed the Ghana President: “Your Excellency Mr. President, this is the receipt given to me today 19th April 2019 at Adomi bridge as a fee for pictures I wanted to take as a Ghanaian on the bridge Kwame Nkrumah built and which Mahama renovated.
The people in charge told me that the order is from the President, that even if you want to take selfie it’s 2gh per person. Your Excellency if indeed you authorized this God forsaken tax then am disappointed in you. How much do Ghanaians pay when they travel to Dubai, China, American, etc yet those countries are 100× developed. Even China’s world’s longest 30 miles sea bridge to Hong Kong is free, what is happening? What a shame!!!!
It’s said; there is no free lunch anywhere. Henceforth, you may have a good phone with a good front camera but you may have to pay between GH¢2.00 and GH¢4.00 to pose for a picture on Kwame Nkrumah’s Adomi Bridge.
One of the longest bridge on the Volta Lake in Ghana built some decades ago was recently renovated to avert any possible danger to the lives of motorists.
The government instituted the levy as a measure to rake in some revenue to sustain its numerous projects hence a levy on the bridge.
Tourists have taken to social media to cry over the levies expressing disappointment at the move by government.
Johannes Nartey Mr Guru, Ghanaian comedian took to Facebook to lament after being asked to pay GH¢4.00
