Moxy Munich Airport opens in Germany

Moxy Hotels has opened its latest hotel in Munich, Germany. Moxy Munich Airport will offer the style and soul of a boutique hotel that is surprisingly affordable.

The first Moxy Hotel opened in Milan, Italy in 2014. “Moxy offers a new way of traveling where affordability is not a sacrifice of style, nor a loss of comfort,” said Amy McPherson, president and managing director, Marriott International, Europe.

“At Moxy Munich when we say: ‘less is more’ we accentuate more. Not less.”

The interiors of the property fuse refined and raw materials, organic and linear lines, and shared spaces.The Moxy experience will kick-off with a bright, airy and buzzing lobby. The contemporary lobby modern furniture invites uests to relax, pick up a book from the Moxy library, connect and catch up with friends or retreat to the gym to re-energise by punching the pink Moxy punching bag.

Sealed concrete floors, walls lined with intriguing art and fun references to local culture including artistic beer jugs displayed on the walls are complemented by ambient lighting and comfortable accents of colour. The Living Room also features abundant power and USB outlets, and furiously fast and free Wi-Fi for ultimate connectivity. A high-energy yet cosy space for gatherings, special events or cocktails, the lounge plays host to eclectic upbeat music that sets just the right mood. Moxy Munich nine flexible meeting rooms are individually designed with natural daylight.

For inspiring brainstorming and spontaneous idea sharing, choose The Brain Box, which offers bean bags, blackboard walls and interesting wall hangings including a wooden elephant to encourage guests to discuss ‘the elephant in the room’.

Hyatt acquires Thompson Miami Beach hotel

Hyatt Hotels Corporation has entered into an agreement to purchase the 380-room Thompson Miami Beach hotel from an affiliate of Geolo Capital. The transaction is expected to close in late April, and the hotel will be rebranded as The Confidante upon opening, joining the existing properties in the recently launched The Unbound Collection by Hyatt brand.

“The acquisition of this high-quality hotel allows Hyatt continued strategic growth in a critical market for both the company and for our newest brand, The Unbound Collection by Hyatt,” said Stephen Haggerty, global head, real estate and capital strategy for Hyatt. “We are thrilled to expand our presence in Miami Beach, a market in which we have great unmet demand from our guests. The property will have the freedom to establish and maintain its individuality and distinct character while benefiting from the operational excellence and efficiencies that come from being part of Hyatt.”

The Confidante draws inspiration from the notion of being a trusted friend, providing guests with everything they need for an uncomplicated and timeless Miami Beach experience. Taking cues from its mid-century modern design, The Confidante will celebrate its unique, storied history, as well as its future, with historical details throughout its spaces, bright colors, whimsical accents, and a relaxed, elegant vibe.

 

With deep historical roots in Miami Beach, The Confidante is a three-towered property that pays homage to the vibrant feeling of the city in the 1950s. Serving at one time as the tallest modern building in Miami Beach, The Confidante originally opened as the 18-floor Lord Tarleton Hotel on Collins Avenue, making headlines and representing a boom for the city’s economy. In 1955, it reopened as the Crown Hotel and later was converted into a three-tower apartment building. Since 2014, the property has operated as Thompson Miami Beach hotel.

“The Unbound Collection by Hyatt is all about giving the properties within this brand the freedom to be extraordinary and providing guests with the social currency and story-worthy experiences they crave. The Confidante’s rich history steeped in Miami Beach’s golden era will do just that,” said Maryam Banikarim, global chief marketing officer for Hyatt. “It will provide a playful and sophisticated backdrop, much like a friend’s beach house, where guests can get away and relax while enjoying the vibrancy and energy of Miami Beach.”

Oberoi Group plans luxury hotel in Maldives

The Oberoi Group have signed a memorandum of understanding with the government of Maldives to build a luxury resort in Maldives.

The investment for acquisition and development of the resort will be undertaken by SCDCL, a Bangalore -based real estate development company.

Commenting on the partnership, Mr K.N. Balasubramanyam, chairman, SCDCL said: “A luxury resort in Maldives requires expertise in design and operations of world-class standards.

“The Oberoi Group, which is rated as the best luxury hotel brand in the world, is well suited for this development.

“We look forward to working with The Oberoi Group to create more of such luxurious offerings globally and would like to say that this extraordinary project will make a major contribution to our long-term partnership.”

The deal was signed in the presence of Moosa Zameer, minister of tourism, government of Maldives.

Zameer stated after signing the deal: “With growing demand of luxury hospitality services in Maldives , it is imperative to bring in the best in the industry and our partnership with The Oberoi Group will be a testament to this.”

Fastjet to introduce Johannesburg-Victoria Falls flights

fastjet has announced it will commence flights to Victoria Falls from Johannesburg on March 25th, 2016, in response to strong passenger and tour operator demand from within the South African market.

Services between Johannesburg O.R. Tambo International Airport and Victoria Falls International Airport will operate using fastjet’s modern Airbus A319 jet aircraft with seating for up to 156 passengers.

Initially operating twice a week on Fridays and Sundays, fastjet’s flights will depart Victoria Falls at 12:40 and land in Johannesburg at 14:15, with a flight time of one hour 35 minutes.

The return flight from Johannesburg departs at 14:55 and lands in Victoria Falls at 16:35.

“fastjet believes that affordable air travel is key to the continued growth of tourism between Zimbabwe and South Africa, with Victoria Falls being long established as a tourism drawcard to the region,” said Richard Bodin, fastjet chief commercial officer.

“Launching this route between Victoria Falls and Johannesburg makes it more affordable for South Africans to visit the area’s many sights and attractions.”

 

Bodin added: “Prior to announcing these flights to Victoria Falls, fastjet had detailed discussions with South African and Zimbabwean tour operators in order to deliver suitable flight components to include in packaged tour offerings.

“We will rely on continued support from the travel agents and tour operators due to the destinations’ strong tourism attractions.”

The new route between Victoria Falls and Johannesburg follows closely on the success of fastjet’s route launches between Harare and Victoria Falls, and its first international route from Harare to Johannesburg.

fastjet increased the frequency of its flights from Harare to Johannesburg just two weeks after the first flight took to the skies, and now connects the two cities 12 times each week.