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Norwegian Sun returns to Port Canaveral  for second year of Cuba cruises

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Norwegian Cruise Line’s Sun returns to Port Canaveral today for a second season of popular cruises from the Port to Cuba, as well as excursions to the Bahamas.

Starting Monday, April 15, the Norwegian Sun, which in 2018 became the first homeported cruise ship to sail from Port Canaveral to Cuba, will offer four-, five- and seven-day cruises to Havana, Cuba, with select sailings also calling to Key West during its four-day cruises. Ports of call during the Sun’s five- and seven-day voyages include Key West, Nassau, Bahamas, or Norwegian’s private island beach at Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas.

“We are excited that the Norwegian Sun is returning for another season of cruises to Cuba,” Port CEO Capt. John Murray stated. “More than 30,000 guests sailed on cruises from the Port to Havana last year, and we’re pleased to be hosting more sailing opportunities this summer season.”

The 1,936-guest vessel will kick off its summer sailing season this afternoon with a three-night voyage to Key West and Grand Bahama Island, Bahamas.

For its four-night Cuba cruises, the Sun will depart the Port each Monday during the summer sailing season and return each Friday. Three-night cruises to the Bahamas sail on Fridays and return on Mondays.

In Cuba, the Sun will berth in Havana Harbor in the heart of Old Havana, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Guests can experience the culture and history of Cuba with OFAC (U.S.Treasury Office of Foreign Assets)-compliant shore excursions.

Built in 2001, the 78,309 gross-ton Sun underwent an extensive three-week dry-dock refurbishment in May 2018, emerging with updated staterooms, restaurants and public spaces, as well as three new venues – Los Lobos Cantina, Bliss Ultra Lounge and Spinnaker Lounge. The cruise ship offers 14 dining options, bars and lounges, onboard shopping, the Mandara Spa, the Sun Club Casino and entertainment. All guests sailing aboard the Norwegian Sun’s Cuba or Bahamas cruises from Port Canaveral can enjoy unlimited complimentary beverages included in their cruise fare as a part of the ship’s all-inclusive program.

The Sun, which was homeported at Port from 2010 to 2012, will be berthed at Cruise Terminal 10 as it was in 2018. CT-10 recently received more than $35 million in renovations.

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Boutique Venice Beach, Hotel Erwin, announces new GM

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Boutique hotel in Venice Beach, California, Hotel Erwin, recently announced the appointment of new General Manager, Derek Haug, to oversee all hotel operations and management.

Mr. Haug comes to Hotel Erwin with more than 20 years of hospitality experience and a well-rounded understanding of all facets of hotel management. Most recently, Derek held leadership roles with Loews Hotels for the past twelve years and comes to Hotel Erwin from Loews Santa Monica Beach. There he oversaw all food, beverage, conference, catering and spa operations for the resort, creating and launching new restaurant and bar concepts. He has more than six years of experience in Southern California in addition to hospitality experience in Tucson, Arizona, Snowmass Village, Colorado. Derek holds a degree in hospitality management from the University of Minnesota.

With his extensive knowledge and experience with lifestyle brands and resorts, Derek is a great asset to Hotel Erwin’s dedicated team of associates as they undergo concept changes and renovations to the unique property with unparalleled rooftop and signature restaurant. Derek strives to continue to provide guests with a memorable Venice experience and uphold the standards of excellence and effortless Venice beach culture Erwin himself has infused into the hotel.

“Hotel Erwin never gives the ‘normal’ experience. I am excited to join a team who truly embodies the colorful culture of Venice Beach. A team who is pushing the boundaries of what we can do to make a guest’s experience above the ordinary,” Derek said. “It’s evident that the dedicated team at Hotel Erwin takes pride in the mission and values of the culture ownership has created.”

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19 more hotels with 3000 rooms to be added to Marriott Hotels in Middle East and Africa

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Marriott International expects to add 19 new properties and more than 3,000 rooms to its  Middle East and Africa portfolio in 2019.  Underpinning a strong demand for its diverse brands, the new additions are in line with the company’s expansion plans to add more than 100 new properties and nearly 26,000 rooms across the region by the end of 2023.  Marriott estimates its development pipeline through 2023 represents up to $8 billion of investment from property owners and is expected to generate over 20,000 new jobs across the region.

“Our growth across the Middle East and Africa is fuelled by a strong demand for our diverse range of well-established brands, each offering different attributes that cater to this region’s ever changing and evolving marketplace,” said Jerome Briet, Chief Development Officer, Middle East & Africa, Marriott International. “This region continues to present us with opportunities to further grow and enhance our portfolio across new and established markets.  While the majority of our growth will be through new-builds, we are seeing an increasing number of conversion opportunities, especially in the luxury space.”

Year-to-date, the company has opened five new properties in the region and is expected to add 14 more – bringing its portfolio across the Middle East and Africa to nearly 270 properties and over 60,000 rooms – by the end of the year.

Unwavering Demand for Luxury Brands that offer Unrivalled Experiences

The company is poised to expand its luxury footprint in the region by more than 70 percent by the end of 2023, with more than 25 luxury properties under development.   The company expects to grow its luxury portfolio in 2019 with seven anticipated openings across four brands:

  • With the recent opening of W Dubai – The Palm and the anticipated openings of W Muscat and W Yas Island, W Hotels should double its portfolio in the region.
  • St. Regis anticipates debuting in Jordan and Egypt with the openings of The St. Regis Amman and The St. Regis Cairo.
  • The iconic North Island is expected to of world-renowned hotels and resorts.
  • JW Marriott anticipates marking its entry into Oman with the opening of the JW Marriott Muscat Convention Center.

Substantial Growth across Premium Brands

The growth of Marriott’s premium brands remains steady across the region with more than 30 hotels expected to be added to the portfolio by the end of 2023. By the end of 2019, the company expects to have added four new hotels under its premium portfolio for the region:

  • The Autograph Collection anticipates marking its debut in Kenya with the addition of Sankara Nairobi.
  • Marriott Hotels and Marriott Executive Apartments strengthened its presence in Saudi Arabia with the recent openings in the Diplomatic Quarter of Riyadh.  Marriott Executive Apartments is also expected to open a new property in Madinah later this year.
  • Marriott Hotels is also planning to open its second property in Algeria, in the capital city of Algiers

In addition to the openings in 2019, Marriott is also focused on the transformation journey of Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, the company’s most global brand.  In the region, Sheraton Jeddah Hotel and Sheraton Grand Hotel, Dubai are currently undergoing renovations that represent the brand’s vision for the future.

Regional Demand for Select-Service Hotels Continues to Fuel Growth

Currently representing over 40 percent of the company’s development pipeline through 2023, select-serve brands continue their rapid growth trajectory across the Middle East and Africa.  Building on the momentum from 2018 – with ten properties added across the region, including four Aloft hotels in the UAE – the company expects to add seven new properties by the end of this year:

  • Four Points by Sheraton anticipates expanding its portfolio with a total of four openings in 2019.The brand recently opened properties in in Sharjah (UAE) and Setif (Algeria) and is on-track to open two more properties this year including, Four Points by Sheraton Dar es Salaam New Africa in Tanzania and Four Points by Sheraton Lahore in Pakistan.
  • Residence Inn by Marriott expects to make its debut in Algeria with the opening of Residence Inn by Marriott Algiers
  • Protea Hotels by Marriott plans to expand the brand in Uganda with the opening of Protea Hotel by Marriott Naguru Skyz.
  • Element Hotels is set to launch its first property in Africa with the opening of Element Dar es Salaam in Tanzania.

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