Innehållsförteckning för April 2024 från Business Traveller

US HOTEL OWNER!OPERATOR MCR has announced plans to redevelop London's iconic BT Tower as a hotel. The 189-metre tower in Fitzrovia was opened in 1965 and at the time was the tallest structure in London. The Grade II listed building has previously housed a revolving restaurant, but this was closed in 1971 following an explosion, and public access to the tower ceased in the early 1980s, although it has continued to be used for corporate and charity events. MCR said that it would partner with London-based Heatherwick Studio “to consider how best to reimagine its use as a hotel”. Readers eager to visit the forthcoming hotel may have some time to wait though – MCR said that “BT Group will take a number of years to vacate the premises, due…

SINGAPORE AIRLINES (SIA) has refreshed its premium economy experience with improved F&B options and a new amenity kit. This marks the first major revamp of the experience since the carrier first introduced premium economy in 2015. SIA has developed over 200 new appetisers, main course and dessert options – tailored to each of the five regions, using local and seasonal ingredients and with customer profiles in mind. Customers will be offered a choice of two main-course options on each flight, with weight up by 33 per cent – options include beef bourguignon with bacon, mushrooms, vegetables and potato gratin, bak chor mee (minced pork noodles) and Thai-style crab curry with jasmine rice and vegetables. Meals come with a larger appetiser, new bread and dessert options, plus cheese and crackers and…

THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN Marriott International and MGM Resorts International has now gone live, with the new MGM Collection with Marriott Bonvoy comprising 16 hotels and resorts. The agreement means that Marriott Bonvoy members can now earn and redeem points at properties including New York-New York Hotel & Casino, MGM Grand Detroit and Luxor Hotel & Casino. Four of the hotels are also affiliated with Marriott brands – Bellagio, a Luxury Collection Resort & Casino, Las Vegas ARIA Resort & Casino, Autograph Collection, Park MGM Las Vegas, a Tribute Portfolio Resort, and The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, Autograph Collection. Members of the MGM Rewards loyalty programme can link accounts with Marriott Bonvoy to receive a status match, and Marriott is collaborating with gaming and sports betting operator BetMGM to enable members…

QATAR AIRWAYS IS SET TO unveil new first class cabins and a redesigned Qsuite business class product in the coming months. The carrier's group CEO Badr Mohammed Al-Meer gave an interview to CNBC, details of which were shared to other media by the airline's press office. Al-Meer said that Qatar Airways is nearing completion of designs for new first class cabins, which will be introduced “on some of its fleet”. The news differs from previous assertions from Al Baker who questioned the future of the carrier's first class, which is currently only available on a handful of the airline's A380 aircraft. “Based on the demand from certain sectors, we see a high demand for first class, and as such, have decided to introduce a newly-designed first class cabin unique to…

SUSTAINABLE UP FRETON TRAVELLER BA'S PARENT COMPANY International Airlines Group (IAG) has signed an agreement to purchase 785,000 tonnes of sustainable aviation fuel produced through power-to-liquid technology. Known as eSAF, the fuel is made from CO2, water and renewable energy, as opposed to standard SAF made from a range of feedstock including cooking oil, municipal waste and agricultural residues. The 14-year contract with California-based producer Twelve – which has “developed and patented a proprietary process that can produce high-quality synthetic fuels from renewable electricity and CO2” – will see IAG supplied with the eSAF “starting as early as 2025”. Twelve has been partnering with IAG since 2020, when it joined the group's Hangar 51 start-up accelerator programme. IAG is the first European airline group to announce an eSAF deal, and…

ACCESSIBLE HOTELS D isabled toilets used as storage cupboards, access ramps leading to steps, grab rails that can't bear any weight – these are just some of the indignities faced by those who require accessible accommodation. At its core, accessibility is a commitment to inclusivity, creating an environment where everyone feels welcomed, and where facilities and services can be used by all individuals. It's a sentiment that should be at the heart of hospitality, not to mention it's enshrined by law – the Equality Act 2010 sets out obligations for hoteliers (and all businesses) to make reasonable adjustments to cater for disabled individuals, which includes the provision of accessible rooms and bathroom facilities. And yet, finding appropriate accommodation can still be a huge challenge for large swathes of the population…

BACK GROUND SriLankan Airlines operates seven A330-300s, configured with 269 seats in economy and 28 fully flat seats in business class. These are mainly operated on medium- and long-haul routes, including the Colombo-Singapore service. Flight UL308 is scheduled to depart Colombo Bandaranaike International Airport at 1215 and land at Singapore Changi Airport's Terminal 3 at 1845. CHECK-IN I checked in online, which allowed me to request a special meal (vegetarian Hindu) and choose my seat free-of-charge. All passengers (including Singapore residents) must complete an electronic SG Arrival Card in the three days before they enter Singapore. Seat reservation is complimentary for Platinum members of the carrier's FlySmiLes loyalty programme, oneworld Emerald members, business class passengers, passengers with an economy flex ticket (myself included) and those travelling with infants or eligible…

BACK GROUND The Londoner Hotel, which opened in early 2021, is an all-suite 600-room hotel within the Londoner Macao integrated resort. The latter had its grand opening in May last year, with brand ambassador David Beckham in attendance. The resort comprises five hotels; in addition to The Londoner Hotel, it houses the Conrad Macao, the Sheraton Grand Macao, the St Regis Macao and Londoner Court. This enormous complex also has a life-size Elizabeth Tower (that's Big Ben to most of us) and a facade based on the Palace of Westminster. WHERE IS IT? On the Cotai Strip, the “Las Vegas of the East”. This reclaimed strip of land connects the former islands of Taipa and Coloane, and has a series of astonishing landmarks fronting its casinos. The Venetian, one of…

BACK GROUND Hilton Colombo has been operating in Sri Lanka's capital since 1987. Given its long-standing status and rather dated design, renovations of its guest rooms are underway, with all 345 set to be complete by 30 April, 2024. Hilton has three more properties in Sri Lanka, including Hilton Yala Resort (see page 40). WHERE IS IT? The hotel is located in Colombo's central business district and helpfully connected to the World Trade Centre by a walkway bridge. The Dutch Hospital shopping centre is five minutes away while Gangaramaya Temple is a ten-minute walk. The hotel can organise a car transfer to Bandaranaike International Airport, which is around 45 minutes away. WHAT'S IT LIKE? It's a vast 19-storey property with an energetic atmosphere as soon as you enter – wedding…

HAVE YOU EVER LEFT a treasured item behind on the train? LNER has revealed the objects left in its Lost and Found department, overseen by former engineer Maurice Green who reunites customers with their possessions. He has looked after thousands of items over the past six years – from the commonly lost mobile phones and laptops to the more unusual items, including a bright orange lifebuoy, a signed picture of Steven Gerrard taken at the 2005 Champions League final in Istanbul, and a prosthetic leg. Nearly 100 items arrive from one LNER station alone in an afternoon. Unclaimed items are sent to auction after a certain period of time, with proceeds donated to charity. For those still missing something, you can search for it online at lner.co.uk/support/lost-property…

HEATHROW IS TARGETING record traffic figures this year, as 2023 saw the airport post its first annual profit since before the Covid-19 pandemic. The London hub welcomed 79.2 million passengers last year, and hopes to increase this to 81.4 million in 2024, which would surpass the airport's previous record annual figures of 80.9 million passengers set in 2019. Heathrow restored its place as Europe's busiest airport last year, with Istanbul airport in second place with 76 million. Istanbul is targeting 85 million passengers in 2024, which would see it regain the number one spot. Heathrow recorded an adjusted profit before tax of £38 million in 2023, compared to a loss of £684 million in 2022. This represents the airport's first annual profit since 2019, driven by “a strong Q4 performance”.…

THE FORMER HOLYROOD HOTEL in Edinburgh's old town has been reflagged as the Edinburgh Marriott Hotel Holyrood following a £10 million refurbishment programme. Situated opposite the Scottish Parliament building, Dynamic Earth science attraction and Royal Holyroodhouse, the 160-room property now features the brand's signature M Club Lounge for Marriott Bonvoy elite members. Other facilities include an all-day restaurant and bar in the Greatroom lobby, a renovated spa and fitness centre with a 14-metre pool. Interiors have been inspired by the late Scottish artist Sir Eduardo Luigi Paolozzi, known for his sculpture and graphic work and considered to be one of the pioneers of pop art.…

TRAINLINE IS ENCOURAGING people to shift to rail travel in order to meet the UK's net zero goals for 2050. The platform's ‘I Came By Train’ campaign revealed that a 30 per cent increase in rail travel is needed by 2035 in order to achieve the net zero goals set by the UK Climate Change Committee for 2050. Trainline aims to build a coalition of tech, rail, policy makers, NGOs and community groups, calling on “collective action to inspire behaviour change”. This comes after research revealed 58 per cent of respondents have considered switching to train travel to reduce their carbon footprint. According to Trainline, if this cohort opted for the train on one 200-mile journey each year, that would deliver one third of the 30 per cent goal and…

IF YOU'RE AN AVIATION enthusiast that loves fine dining, then head to Brooklands by Claude Bosi, the rooftop restaurant at The Peninsula London inspired by the namesake racetrack in Surrey – the birthplace for British motorsport and aviation. It was awarded two Michelin stars within four months of operation, which is fittingly speedy given its association with the supersonic Concorde. Brooklands offers inventive menus, combining traditional French techniques with British ingredients, and engineering-inspired interiors designed by Archer Humphryes. Guests dine beneath a scale aluminium replica of the Concorde, while a blue constellation carpet adds to the space-like design. We opted for the five-course tasting menu (£175), with dishes including a celeriac ‘nosotto’ with crab and coconut, and a Scottish cèpe, banana and crème fraîche dessert. The departure gift ties up…

Rotterdam is a city that does things a little differently. One of its biggest (in every sense of the word) cultural institutions, for example, isn't a museum or gallery but the Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen – the world's first publicly accessible art storage facility, opened in 2021. Inside are 154,000 artworks, which are housed in 14 storage facilities with five different climates. Guided tours showcase not only the masterpieces stored in the Depot, but the work of those tasked with their preservation. Its spaceship-like exterior is equally impressive: clad with mirrored panels that reflect the surrounding cityscape, at night moving images are projected onto its reflective shell. You're never far from an example of ground-breaking design in the Netherlands’ second largest city. This legacy began in 1898 with the 45-metre…

DESTINATION Macau was among the first European settlements in Asia. Established by the Portuguese in 1557, it predated the founding of its bigger neighbour Hong Kong by nearly 300 years. For most of its life it was a sleepy poor relation of Hong Kong, often described as a backwater, yet ideally placed as a staging post for goods coming in and out of Canton (Guangzhou). More recently, it was chiefly known for its Macanese and Portuguese food, Vinho Verde wine, cheap hotels, seedy casinos and slightly grubby nightlife. Macau came under Chinese control in 1999, two years after Hong Kong's handover. For a while, much remained the same, but all that changed when the casino monopoly was broken in 2002 with the granting of licences to Sands China, Galaxy Entertainment…

LEISURE Walking in single file, voices low, we follow Sajith's lead and clamber through the grasslands, taking care not to become tangled in the twigs underfoot. Our ranger has an Indiana Jones-like persona and, armed with a trusty wooden cane and heightened senses, plots our route through the Yala bush. A deer's distress cry cuts through the air – echoed by a troop of monkeys sounding the alarm. Sajith follows the noise and later detects the scent of a fresh carcass in our midst. It's the calling card of the jungle's most elusive resident and the top of Sri Lanka's food chain. Yala has one of the highest leopard densities in the world, largely owing to the lack of other predators (there aren't any lions or tigers) and copious amounts…

BACK GROUND Frasers Hospitality took over this building in 2001, but it wasn't until 2014 that it was redeveloped into its current offering of 108 fully furnished serviced apartments, with 45 studio, 48 one-bedroom and 14 two-bedroom apartments, plus a three-bedroom penthouse. WHERE IS IT? On the edge of east London's Canary Wharf financial district, connected to the rest of the city via the DLR (Docklands Light Rail), the Jubilee and Elizabeth lines (which also offers easy connection to Heathrow Airport). The train station is a ten-minute walk away. There's also a Thames River ferry stop at Canary Wharf that will transport you upriver through the centre of the city. WHAT'S IT LIKE? The building is unprepossessing compared to the modern skyscrapers of Canary Wharf's banking behemoths, but looks down…

UPFRONT ONEWORLD HAS OPENED its second branded lounge of 2024, with the unveiling of a 473 sqm facility in the non-Schengen area of Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. Design elements include lighting pieces inspired by the spherical lights on many of Amsterdam's arched canal bridges, and amenities include buffet dining, a full-service bar and shower facilities, with mood lighting that changes depending on the time of the day. The lounge is located between D and E Gates on the third floor, and is open daily between 0530 and 2200. Eight oneworld member airlines currently operate nonstop flights to Schiphol airport: American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, Qatar Airways, Royal Air Maroc and Royal Jordanian. The opening follows the unveiling of the oneworld lounge at Seoul's Incheon International Airport in January.…

THE CHANCELLOR Jeremy Hunt has announced new increases to the rate of Air Passenger Duty paid by those travelling in premium cabins. Premium economy, business and first class passengers pay between £14 and £202 depending on the fight length, but in the Spring Budget Hunt confirmed: “The government is making a one-off adjustment to rates of Air Passenger Duty on non-economy passengers to account for high inflation in recent years and help to maintain the value of APD in real terms.” This adjustment will come into effect from 1 April, 2025. The rate for premium cabins on domestic flights will remain at the April 2024 level of £14, but Band A flights (up to 2,000 miles) will rise from £26 to £28. Band B flights (between 2,001 and 5,500 miles)…

THE INTERNATIONAL AIR TRANSPORT ASSOCIATION (IATA) has published its 2023 Annual Safety Report for global aviation, showing that last year was the safest for flying “by several parameters”. Data shows there were no hull losses or fatal accidents with passenger jet aircraft in 2023, and a single fatal accident involving a turboprop aircraft – a loss-of-control accident in Nepal in January 2023 that had 72 fatalities. This compares to five fatal accidents in 2022 and an improvement on the five-year average (2019-2023) which stood at five. The accident rate in 2023 was 0.80 per million sectors (equating to one accident for every 1.26 million flights), an improvement from 1.30 in 2022 and the lowest rate in over a decade. The fatality risk improved to 0.03 in 2023 from 0.11 in…

LANGHAM HOSPITALITY GROUP has introduced a new loyalty programme for guests staying at properties within its portfolio. Brilliant by Langham is the group's sole loyalty programme, replacing the previous Langham Supper Club and 1865 Privilege by Langham. The programme will incorporate 30 participating hotels across the hotel group's four brands and is free to join, with all members receiving special room rates, discounts at over 100 restaurants and the ability to earn status and award points for stays and their use of amenities. The programme has five tiers named after precious stones, which become rarer and more valuable as you ascend. Members start with Onyx and can proceed to Topaz with 12,000 status points, Diamond at 108,000 points, Sapphire at 360,000 status points and finally Ruby once they reach 720,000…

JETBLUE HAS LAUNCHED new summer seasonal flights to Dublin, with Edinburgh set to follow in May. As previously reported the carrier is operating daily services from both Boston and New York JFK to Dublin for the summer season until 30 September. JetBlue said that Dublin had been “among the most requested European destinations previously not served by JetBlue”, with US travellers accounting for nearly 20 per cent of all overseas tourism to Ireland. Flights from New York depart at 2047, arriving into Dublin at 0900 the following day, with the return leg leaving the Irish city at 1045 and landing back into JFK at 1322. Meanwhile the service from Boston departs at 2042, arriving into Dublin at 0820 the following day, with the return leg leaving Dublin at 1055 and…

SWEDEN'S GOTHENBURG welcomes World of Volvo on 14 April, a new 22,000 sqm centre dedicated to the famous Volvo brand. The centre launches with a 4,500 sqm exhibition focused on “omtanke” – care for people – and explores how the brand has played a role in everyday life and society. Guests can explore Volvo's iconic vehicles, discover real-life stories and take part in interactive activities – including a wind tunnel to experience aerodynamics. The building, constructed with 2,800 tons of wood from Sweden, Austria and Germany and large glass panes, will also offer cultural events and culinary experiences.…

GATWICK AIRPORT HAS SWITCHED its fleet of diesel vehicles to run on Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO), saving 950 tonnes of carbon emissions per year. The airport had around 300 vehicles, including fire engines, airside operations vehicles and snow ploughs powered by diesel. These account for around 85 per cent of Gatwick's fleet, and all will be powered by HVO until they are retired and replaced by electric vehicles. The airport said the move would reduce its Scope 1 (those directly produced/controlled by a company) vehicle emissions by 90 per cent. Gatwick stressed “an extensive trial concluded HVO had no impact on the performance of the vehicles, meaning the fire engines still have the capability to respond to call-outs anywhere on the airfield within three minutes”. The move is part of…

VIRGIN ATLANTIC HAS PARTNERED with Sapling Spirits to launch eco-friendly aluminium vodka bottles onboard. The 50ml bottles are available across the fleet in both economy and premium cabins. Virgin Atlantic will be the first airline to fly the miniatures, and also has set a target of planting over 20,000 trees throughout its year-long partnership with the British spirits brand. London-based brand Sapling Spirits was founded in 2018 and is regarded as a climate-positive brand due to its sustainable operations. The B Corp-certified brand uses local ingredients to reduce transport emissions and plants a tree for every bottle sold, with the aim of planting one million trees by 2027. Each bottle features a unique code telling you what tree was planted where.…

LEISURE Most people head north when it comes to Italy's second largest island, tempted by the beaches, lively nightlife and the famed Costa Smeralda – a playground for the yachting elite. But the south is the perfect place to dodge the crowds and discover authentic delights. The island's main airport, Cagliari Elmas Airport (CAG) – also called Mario Mameli Airport – is located in the southern Sardinian capital of Cagliari. The city is studded with medieval architecture, cathedrals and museums, with the striking Castello fortress on a hilltop and wide streets near the marina lined with pretty purple jacaranda trees. There's plenty of restaurants, bars, shops and boutique hotels – head to Fenu for the best gelato in town, with inventive flavour combinations inspired by local produce (think: ricotta, honey…

4 HOURS IN… 1 AUCKLAND BRIDGE CLIMB Scaling one of Auckland's most iconic structures – slap in the centre of the city, with stupendous metropolitan and marine views, plus bragging rights to match – is any visitor's quintessential amuse-bouche. The Auckland Harbour Bridge, which celebrates its 65th anniversary in May, is 43 metres high. Safety is paramount: climbers are kitted out in overalls; phones and similar clutter are banned; and a chatty, experienced (albeit laid-back – this is New Zealand) guide shepherds each group. Unlike a regular city sightseeing tour, the bridge climb requires a bit of physical effort but provides a real sense of reward. Automatic cameras snap photos of climbers along the way, and these are on sale at the end of the tour. (Tickets start from NZ$155/£75.)…

BACK GROUND Singapore-based COMO Hotels and Resorts is known for its emphasis on spas and wellness. The Metropolitan first opened in 1997 and was renovated in 2015 to become an “urban escape”, while the residences were renovated in the past year. WHERE IS IT? In London's luxurious Mayfair district. Piccadilly, Knightsbridge and Bond Street are all within walking distance, and Hyde Park Corner on the Underground's Piccadilly line is a few minutes’ walk away. WHAT'S IT LIKE? There are 144 rooms and suites in the main building (we reviewed these in 2016) and 19 private residences across Brick Street and Hertford Street. A private and very pleasant shared courtyard can be found between the two streets’ residences, where you can relax and dine. ROOMS The Hertford Street Residences range from…