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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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Swiss-Belhotel International appoints new General Manager for Swiss-Belinn Muscat

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Swiss-Belhotel International has appointed Paul Uglesic as the General Manager for Swiss-Belinn Muscat in Oman. Paul has ten years of outstanding experience in the hospitality industry working with some of the world’s leading brands.

Making the announcement, Laurent A. Voivenel, Senior Vice President, Operations and Development for the Middle East, Africa and India, Swiss-Belhotel International, said, “We are delighted to welcome Paul Uglesic to lead the team at Swiss-Belinn Muscat in Oman. Paul has a decade of strong knowledge and understanding of the hospitality sector as well as excellent pre-opening expertise targeted at achieving operational excellence and guest satisfaction. We are confident under his leadership this superb property, that is in advanced stages of development, will provide outstanding facilities in the 3-star category.”

Paul started his executive career in the industry at Radisson Blu Resort & Spa in Croatia in 2009. In 2015, Paul moved to Dubai taking up the role of Executive Assistant Manager at Radisson Blu Hotel Dubai Deira Creek and performed a task force role as the acting General Manager at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Dubai Downtown. His most recent posting was at the Park Inn by Radisson Dubai Motor City as the opening General Manager.

Upon joining the Swiss-Belinn Muscat Paul said, “I am truly proud to take up the position at the fantastic Swiss-Belinn Muscat in Oman. It is an exciting adventure for me since Swiss-Belhotel International is a great brand to work for. Together with my team, I am looking forward to launching the hotel and positioning it as a preferred address for both regional and international travellers.”

Paul holds a bachelors’ degree in economics from the University of Adelaide in Australia along with several certifications and professional diplomas in hospitality management, hotel revenue management, and general manager’s program from the acclaimed Cornell University.

Expected to open this year, Swiss-Belinn Muscat is a superb 3-star hotel enjoying an outstanding location in close proximity to Muscat International Airport. Equipped with 128 rooms and suites, the hotel is being developed to offer its guests a comprehensive range of facilities including an all-day-dining restaurant, meeting space, gym, Wi-Fi access and 24-hours room service. Given its fantastic location near the airport, the hotel will serve as the perfect abode for transit passengers looking for stop-overs and airline crews as well as corporate travellers on a short visit to Oman or those facing unexpected flight halts.

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Brazil announces visa-free entry for US, Canadian, Australian, and Japanese citizens

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Brazil is open for you! The Brazilian Government announced that Brazil would allow visa-free entry for citizens of The United States, Canada, Australia, and Japan, effective in 90 days (June 17th). Until then, the current e-visa will be required.

Citizens of those countries wishing to visit Brazil will no longer need to apply or pay for a visa. They will be able to stay in Brazil for 90 days from the date of first entry in the country, extendable for an equal period, provided that it does not exceed one hundred and eighty days, every twelve months, counted from the date of the first entry into the Country.

These developments come as part of a series of measures that Brazil has taken to facilitate visitor access to the country. Last year, the government launched an e-visa platform through which travelers could apply for visas with more efficiency and ease.

Brazil has already seen extremely positive results with an increase of about 35% in the visa application in less than a year since implementing e-visa. These four countries are considered strategic for the development of tourism in Brazil.

According to the Foreign Ministry, in 2017, 169,910 visas (either for business, tourism or transit) had been issued to citizens of the four countries. With the implementation of e-visa, the number rose in 2018 to 229,767.

“This is one of the most important achievements of the Brazilian tourism industry in the last 15 years and we are confident that it will be extremely beneficial to the country,” said Marcelo Alvaro Antônio, Minister of Tourism. “This decision of the Brazilian government proves that we are living a new moment and that tourism is being seen as a vector of economic and social growth of the entire nation. This is the first step; we still have much to celebrate,” explained Minister Antônio.

“The United States was very receptive to the issuance of electronic visas. The World Tourism Organization says that when adopting an electronic visa, visa issuance increases by 25%, so we have exceeded that mark,” said Teté Bezerra, president of Embratur (Brazil’s Tourism Board, a federal agency and part of the Ministry of Tourism).

Now, with a strong Dollar and dozens of daily flights, experiencing Brazil is just a matter of desire and grabbing a plane. From the Amazon in the North to the wines in the South; from the exotic Pantanal in the Midwest to the lush beaches of the Northeast; amazing cities like Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Salvador and hundreds of hidden gems are just a few hours away.

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LGBT Hawaii supports Lesbian Tourist and today’s U.S. Supreme Court Ruling

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LGBT Hawaii thanked lesbian couple Diane Cervelli and Taeko Bufford from California for standing up for what is decent and right. “It makes a difference to all our LGBT visitors and for the travel and tourism industry and for our State as a whole. We welcome LGBT visitors with open arms”,  said Scott Foster of LGBT Hawaii.

LGBT Hawaii issued a statement today applauding today’s ruling by the US Supreme Court that rejected the appeal of a Hawaii Bed and Breakfast owner who denied renting a room to a lesbian couple.

Their decision upholds an earlier Hawaiian State court ruling that found the Aloha Bed & Breakfast in Hawaii Kai violated Hawaii’s anti-discrimination law by denying the couple a room because of the owner’s religious beliefs. B&B owner Phyllis Young had admitted during the Hawaii court proceedings that she turned the women away because she believed that LGBT relationships were “detestable” and “defiled the land.”

California couple Diane Cervelli and Taeko Bufford were represented by Lambda Legal, a nonprofit LGBTQ rights organization.

Scott Foster of LGBT Hawaii said: There is no room for discrimination in Hawaii. Hawaii is an open and tolerant rainbow society ruled by the spirit of Aloha. We welcome every visitor, regardless where they are from, and regardless of their sexual orientation. We’re pleased with the decision of both the Hawaii and U.S. Supreme Court.

Here is what happened: In 2007 a Lesbian couple Diane Cervilli and Taeko Bufford visited the Aloha State of Hawaii and booked a room at the Aloha Bed & Breakfast in Honolulu.

The owner of the B&B Phyllis Young refused to rent a room to the couple claiming a conflict with her religious belief.  The couple went to court and a Hawaii State court ruled that Young ran afoul of Hawaii’s public accommodation law, which among other things bars discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

Young took the case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. The highest court in the United States handed a defeat on Monday to a bed and breakfast owner in Hawaii who turned away the lesbian couple. Litigation will now continue to determine what penalty Young might face.

SOURCE: www.lgbthawaii.com 

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