In the Know Traveler » China

Air Mauritius Adds Capacity to Shanghai

ITKT Media Partner — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 22:30:35 +0000

Air Mauritius is increasing its capacity to Shanghai by over 100% (from 14,300 seats to 31,200 seats annually) as from 26th of March 2012.

The current weekly Airbus A330 flight to Shanghai will no longer stopover in Kuala Lumpur and will be operated by the larger Airbus A340 aircraft according to the following schedules ( All times local and subject to slot clearances and approval from authorities):

Departure Mauritius (Monday, 23h00)
Arrival Shanghai (Tuesday, 14h25)
Departure Shanghai (Tuesday, 21h25)
Arrival Mauritius (Wednesday, 04h45)

The airline will maintain its three weekly operations to Hong Kong and two weekly operations to Kuala Lumpur / Singapore hence offering the Chinese market 6 weekly options to Mauritius.

André Viljoen, Acting CEO stated: “We are obviously delighted to be progressing with our plans for China as announced earlier in the year. For the past two years we have been rebalancing growth to the emerging economies and Asia in line with Government’s strategy. Our direct operations has given a new boost to the marketing of Mauritius and the region in China and the objective of 10,000 Chinese tourists set for this year will be largely exceeded to reach around 14,000.

He also added “Our decision to fly non-stop will allow us to provide more capacity on the route and improve the product. We will also provide connections to Reunion, Madagascar and South Africa. We now look forward to a renewed engagement of our tourism partners and promotion agencies so that we all tap on the great potential of China.”

Air Mauritius Equipment: The Mauritius Air fleet is composed of two Airbus A340-300Es, two Airbus A319-100s, four Airbus A340-300s, two Airbus A330-200s and two ATR72-500s.

Air Mauritius Route Overview: Air Mauritius is based in Port-Louis, Mauritius and flies to:
Asia: Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi, Bengalaru (India), Dubai, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong
Europe: London, Paris, Munich, Geneva, Milan, Frankfurt
Australia: Perth, Melbourne
Africa: Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Antananarivo, Nairobi, Reunion, Rodrigues

Westin Set to Open Three New Hotels in China

ITKT Media Partner — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 21:30:31 +0000

(WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., Nov 08, 2011) — Surging ahead in China, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., today announced its popular Westin brand will open three new hotels in the fast-growing cities of Ningbo, Xian and Xiamen over the next six months. Earlier this year, Westin opened three hotels in several dynamic markets including its first hotel in Nanjing and Wuhan and its second hotel in Guangzhou. With the addition of these six hotels, Westin will boast a portfolio of 16 hotels in China by April 2012 and is on track to double its footprint in the region by 2014.

“Westin is rapidly branching out across China, fueled by growing enthusiasm among owners and developers who are eager to introduce the popular global brand to some of the country’s fastest growing cities,” said Brian Povinelli, Global Brand Leader for Westin Hotels & Resorts. “Our emphasis on wellbeing is resonating with travelers across China and around the world. More than 90% of Westin hotels currently in development will open outside the United States.”

“The phenomenal demand for the Westin brand is helping Starwood lengthen its lead in China, where we have nearly 100 hotels in the pipeline,” said Miguel Ko, Chairman and President of Starwood’s Asia-Pacific Division, a Chinese native who began his career with Starwood in 1979. “Demand for high-caliber global lodging continues to outpace supply in China, creating ideal conditions for the rapid expansion of all of our brands. We are also well positioned to leverage our long-standing relationships with local owners, who recognize the many benefits of joining the powerful Starwood network.”

The three new Westin hotel openings come on the heels of the month-long relocation of Starwood’s global headquarters to Shanghai, China this summer. The unprecedented managerial exercise highlighted Starwood’s evolution as a global company and the development boom in China.

The Westin Ningbo

Located in the heart of one of China’s oldest seaport cities, The Westin Ningbo is close to the Fenghua River in Ningbo’s central business district and close to the renowned Tian Yi Square’s many restaurants and boutiques. The 312-room hotel will offer six restaurants and bars, a Heavenly Spa and more than 14,000 square feet of meeting space for meetings, trade exhibits, and global conferences.

The Westin Xian

The Westin Xian is located in a vibrant entertainment and commercial area, near the ancient city’s numerous cultural attractions, ruins and temples, as well as its shops, restaurants, and corporate offices. The hotel will feature 326 guest rooms, a Heavenly Spa, an indoor swimming pool, 5,705 square feet of state-of-the-art meeting facilities and an art and artifact museum below the hotel.

The Westin Xiamen

The Westin Xiamen is strategically located in the new central business district and is part of a mixed use complex offering an art centre, retail shops and entertainment outlets. The hotel will offer 304 spacious guestrooms, a variety of Chinese and international cuisine at its three restaurants, a Heavenly Spa(R), indoor pool and more than 14,000 square feet of flexible meeting space for business meetings and social functions.

At all three new Westin hotels, the sensory-rich environment will offer a respite from the rigors of travel and sets a welcoming tone. Guestrooms will feature the world-renowned Westin Heavenly Bed(R) featuring lush sheets, down cushioning and a patented pillow-top mattress, which cradles and contours to the body for complete comfort. Another industry first, the Heavenly Bath(R) creates an invigorating spa-like experience, enhanced with the brand’s Heavenly Shower(R) Heavenly(R) Robe and exclusive White Tea Aloe bath amenities. In-room, high-speed Internet access and an ergonomic work space will offer travelers convenience and productivity in a tranquil setting.

For more information, please visit http://www.starwoodhotels.com.

China Spree’s “Best Treasure Tour” is Best Value

ITKT Media Partner — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 03:30:22 +0000

(Blaine, WA., November 10, 2011) —The best-value deal on the market is China Spree’s 14-day China’s Best Treasures tour. Depending on the departure date, the price starts at $2,199 from San Francisco, which translates to $150 a day for luxurious hotel accommodations; 32 delicious meals; knowledgeable and personable guides; a fascinating and fun itinerary; and all transportation, including transpacific flights.

The tour covers some standard destinations: Beijing, with the Forbidden City and Great Wall; Xian with its Terracotta Warriors; Guilin with its gorgeous landscape; Suzhou with its classical gardens; Tongli with its picturesque canals; and Shanghai, the lively, sophisticated financial center.

But the itinerary also includes rarely available, off-the-beaten path features like a hike to Long Sheng’s dramatic and beautiful Dragon Spine terraces (with a sensational lunch at the top). Among the other very special activities are a rickshaw tour of Beijing’s maze-like old neighborhoods with lunch in a family’s courtyard home; a walk through Xian’s Muslim Quarter; an overnight in Yangshuo, a town set in a classical Chinese landscape of soaring pinnacles (with the option of seeing a music and light spectacle on the Li River); a market tour and cooking class followed by a 5-course lunch; a “gondola” ride on Tongli’s canals; and a transfer on the Maglev, the world’s fastest magnetic levitation train.

There are special meals: a Peking duck dinner, a dim sum banquet, a hot pot lunch, a tea banquet, a farewell feast, and elaborate American breakfast buffets in every hotel.

And the hotels—Marriott Beijing City Wall, Pullman Shanghai Skyway, Xian Grand Noble, and Sheraton Guilin—are 5-star luxury with every comfort and convenience, including business centers.

The tour starts at $2,499 from New York, Washington, D.C. and Chicago, and add-on air fares are available from many other departure cities. All prices quoted are cash only, per person double occupancy, and are subject to availability.

For more detailed information about the China’s Best Treasures and other tours, log onto www.chinaspree.com and click “China Tours.”

The Revival of an Icon: Astor Hotel Tianjin

ITKT Media Partner — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 13:29:43 +0000

Tianjin, China, June 15, 2011 - Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc introduces its premium Luxury Collection brand to China with a suitably iconic property – The Astor Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel,Tianjin. The 148-year-old landmark in central Tianjin reopened in August 2010 after an 18-month, makeover by award-winning designer Alexandra Champalimaud. A central feature of the regeneration ofTianjin’s historic centre, the heritage gem evokes the romance of a bygone era with all the contemporary luxuries of a world-class hotel.

A Legendary History
The Astor Hotel overlooks the Hai River in the heart of the former British Concession, now the Heping financial district. It was first built by British Methodist missionary John Innocent in 1863, following the signing of the 1860 Beijing Agreement that opened Tianjin as a commercial port and divided the city into nine foreign concessions. Riding Tianjin’s wave of prosperity in the early 19th century, the hotel became the emblematic venue for political and social gatherings. It underwent several expansions, adopting different architectural styles, including classical Victorian, Indian and 1920s modernism.

Throughout its proud history as a ‘Diplomatic Hotel’, The Astor Hotel has hosted many global leaders and landmark events. Several international treaties – including the Sino-Denmark and the Sino-Holland treaty – were signed here, and for a few years Dr Sun Yat Sen presided over China from The Astor Hotel. The last Emperor Pu Yi and Empress Wan Rong used to dance in the hotel ballroom. In 1957, then Premier Zhou En Lai met the visiting Polish Premier here.

Reflecting its extraordinary heritage, The Astor Hotel is the only luxury hotel in China classified by the National Important Historical Relics Protection Unit.

A Stunning Revival
This treasured address has been chosen to debut Starwood’s Luxury Collection brand in China. The Luxury Collection is a premier tier for truly iconic world hotels promising a “unique and cherished experience of its location and a portal to the city’s indigenous charms and treasures”.

The renovation of The Astor Hotel was managed by award winning interior designer Alexandra Champalimaud. The New York-based designer’s celebrated heritage portfolio includes The Dorchester inLondon and The Carlyle in New York. The Astor Hotel maintains its 19th-century British architectural influences, combined with world-class contemporary luxury. In the lobby, an original carved wooden staircase and aged polished wooden floors laid with hand-woven rugs set the scene of timeless sophistication.

World Class Amenities
The Astor Hotel features 152 elegantly appointed rooms and suites in both classic Victorian style and more contemporary elegance. Guestrooms in the heritage Astor Wing yield gorgeous views over Victoria Park. Murano glass chandeliers, floor-length silk draperies, a four-poster canopy bed and original doors and paneling highlight the period charm of these rooms.

The Hai River Wing rooms boast a spacious, contemporary design and bay windows with panoramic river views. There are also 33 themed suites named after important guests and figures in The Astor Hotel’s history. All rooms are equipped with 42-inch LCD TVs, CD/mp3 sound stations and high-speed Internet access. Marble spa bathrooms delight with a large bathtub, rainforest shower and luxurious Remède bath products.

The Astor Hotel features five exciting dining and wining venues. Signature fine dining experience 1863 – The Dining Room serves gourmet Anglo-French specialties and vintage wines in an elegant historical setting that pays tribute to the original Astor experience. Chinese restaurant Shui An offers local and regional Chinese specialities in a modern-Zen dining room, and Café Majestic serves buffet breakfast and all-day a la carte favourites from an open kitchen.

O’Hara’s English Pub styled after an authentic British gentlemen’s club with Winchester sofas and an oversized bar counter, pours a large selection of beers, single malt whiskeys and innovative cocktails, and serves up live music from Tuesday to Saturday. The Victorian Lounge in the central glass atrium is the city’s most stylish spot for daily high tea, with orchestral accompaniment at weekends.

A total of 1,000 sqm of conference and meeting space includes the Buckingham Ballroom with a fine domed ceiling, and the Windsor Multi-Function Rooms. Five historical private dining rooms for up to 12 guests feature historical menus from visits by former guests, including Chinese Emperor Pu Yi, Dr Sun Yat-Sen, and former U.S. President Herbert Hoover. All venues feature decor in keeping with the classic British 19th-century style while seamlessly integrating cutting-edge amenities.

Rounding out the hotel facilities are a business centre, fitness centre and an indoor swimming pool. Over 700 square meters of space is dedicated to the hotel’s own museum, a testament to The Astor Hotel’s long heritage and pivotal role in Tianjin’s development. The nearby pier, which is owned by the hotel, will be used as a jump-off point for river cruises.

As a Luxury Collection Hotel, The Astor Hotel Tianjin provides a range of signature services, including ‘Luggage Liaison’, a suite of travel services including luggage storage and unpacking/packing services upon request, and ‘News Paper Direct’, a print-on-demand service for over 520 newspapers.

Since the hotel’s renovation was completed in August 2010, The Astor Hotel has garnered a host of hospitality awards, including a mention in the Top 10 Luxury Hotels 2010 by Travel & Leisure and Travel & Leisure Golf; Best Luxury Hotel by China Economic Week and MICE Now; and the International Hotel Forum Organisation’s Platinum Award.

For more information, please visit www.luxurycollection.com.

Macau, Don’t call it Vegas.

Jenny Block — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 01:30:45 +0000

Many people expect Vegas when they come to Macau. There are certainly a plethora of casinos and plenty of ready and able gamblers. But the gambling scene seems the least of it really when such a vast offering of cultural experiences await. The ruins of St. Paul, a plethora of temples from grande to tiny, the lavish Handover Museum, Senado Square, and the Mandarin House. We have only four days here and we take in as much as we can, breathing in the smells of street food, taking in the sights of people from all around the world, navigating the narrowest of streets. My head is happy and full but a little voice keeps whispering, “I need more time.” “One day, I promise,” I say back to quell it and I make a wish – more time to wander these streets and let Macau wash over me again and again.

Jenny Block is the author of “Open: Love, Sex, and Life in an Open Marriage” (Seal Hardcover, June 2008 and Seal Paperback, March 2009), which has been nominated for a Lambda Literary Award. She writes a weekly column for the Dallas Morning News publication Quick called “Sex Talk with Jenny Block” (quickdfw.com). Jenny holds both her BA and her MA in English from Virginia Commonwealth University and taught college composition for nearly ten years. She writes for a wide variety of publications and websites, including huffingtonpost.com, yourtango.com, American Way, Veranda, the Dallas Morning News, the Dallas Voice, edgedallas.com, literarymama.com, Spirit, chow.com, and ellegirl.com.

Cirque in Macau

Jenny Block — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 21:33:35 +0000

Cirque du Soleil’s first permanent show in Asia has finally found it’s way to Macau. The show is called Zaia and it’s housed in a theatre in The Venetian Macau on the Cotai Strip built especially for the show. It is only 90 minutes long in an effort to be family friendly and I was enthralled every second. Performers bicycled through the sky. Acrobats dangled impossibly high above our heads. Astronauts drifted through space. And a polar bear walked across the sky. It was a love story about our world and everything that is and might be beyond. I cried. I always do at Cirque. I love the clowns speaking gibberish and the bizarre costumes, the live music and the sometimes mournful, sometimes joyous singing. And I loved the heart shaped balloons that fell from the sky when the show ended. But not as much as the smiling tear stained face of the tiny little girl I gave it too when one didn’t float her way.

Travel Asia, Macau Must-Sees

Jenny Block — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 21:04:57 +0000

I don’t believe in those whirlwind “Europe in a week” tours. But if I am going to travel across the International Date Line, I like to know what I should be sure not to miss. So, don’t tell anyone I gave it to you, but here’s a very unofficial (and surely incomplete) check-list of the Macau (cultural) must-sees:

Penha Church

A-Ma Temple

Moorish Barrachs

Lilau Square

Mandarin House

St. Lawrence Church

St. Joseph Seminary

St. Francis Xavier Relic

Dom Pedro Theatre

St. Augustine Church

Sir Robert Ho Tung Library

Ruins of St. Paul

Macau Museum

Saint Dominic Church

Senado Square

Chinese Garden of Lou Lim IOC

Guia Fortress

Handover Museum

Cultural Center & Arts Museum

Kun Iam Statue

Rua da Felicidade

Cultural Club

Guia Light House

Grand Prix & Wine Museum

Taipa Monument, House Museum, and Food Street

A-Ma Village

St. Francis Church

Altira Hotel, My Kind of Digs

Jenny Block — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 20:58:14 +0000

Years ago, Martini and Rossi hosted me on a trip to Italy that included one evening at the Venice film festival. The roof top bar at the Altira Hotel in Macau reminded me of that terrace with groovy chairs in which couples can lounge head to toe and toe to head like a living Yin and Yang and a view of the city that rivaled any I have seen. Friday nights, the hotel offers a free wine tasting and a bounty of dried fruits and cheeses to enjoy along side, offering a great opportunity to mix with the locals. The night I was there, expats from Australia, Chicago, and Montreal gathered with natives of Macau and mainland China, and I couldn’t help but feeling a bit smug. Like for one evening, we here at least had this globalization all figured out. All it takes is a great Pinot.

Stranger in a Stranger land, Macau Eye-Opener

Jenny Block — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 20:09:12 +0000

I am the only Caucasian in the elevator, in the restaurant, on the street. I like it. It puts me in my place. It reminds me that English is a national language not an international one. Many people in Macau speak English. But plenty of others speak only Portuguese and/or Chinese. I am forced to attempt to interpret signs and evaluate context. I am forced to feel for the Asian tourist in the US holding up the line at McDonald’s trying to order lunch while the people behind her mutter beneath their breath, “Hurry it up, lady. Don’t you know how to order lunch?” I am humbled here. And it’s a good thing. Makes me wonder how the world would work if everyone took the time to hop on a plane and see the world. Broader horizons, broader minds.

More from the Sofitel Macau Hotel

Jenny Block — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 17:09:46 +0000

I have to admit, I dig any place where you can have dim sum and pan fried noodles for breakfast any day of the week and pork and shrimp dumplings in noodle soup is available 24 hours a day from room service. The Sofitel has an impressive breakfast buffet that runs the gamut from French pastries to satay. There is only the one restaurant and it’ll run you about twenty bucks. But no one will stop you from sitting for hours and drinking tea or coffee (self-serve) and nibbling on baked goods and made-to-order omelets and homemade yogurt with granola.