Innehållsförteckning för May 2024 från Business Traveller

TRAVELODGE HAS PUBLISHED its financial results for 2023, reporting annual revenues of more than £1 billion for the first time. Revenue was up 13.7 per cent on 2022, with EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation) up 14.6 per cent to £243.9 million. The group opened four hotels in 2023, and plans to open six UK properties this year, including Travelodge London Bermondsey, which is taking reservations from 15 July. The group also provided an update on its refit programme, which was unveiled in 2022 and features a new “timeless classic style” reception, as well as a contemporary Bar Cafe concept and redesigned rooms. Travelodge said it was accelerating the programme “following positive impacts on both commercial and customer metrics”, with plans for 50 per cent of the group's…

LUFTHANSA GROUP has passed the milestone of one million passengers purchasing its Green Fares. The group launched the fare option as a pilot project in August 2022, before rolling it out across the group's European and North African routes in February 2023, and subsequently to selected long-haul routes. The fare allows passengers to purchase a ticket that includes the offsetting of their individual flight-related CO2 emissions, along with other benefits including additional status miles and a free rebooking option. Lufthansa Group said that an average of 3 per cent of passengers opted for the fare in its first full year of launch, with this figure rising to 11 per cent of business class bookings made via Lufthansa Group portals. The most popular routes for Green Fares have been Hamburg-Munich, Zurich-London…

LORE GROUP has partnered with Netherlands-based water charity Made Blue Foundation for an initiative that enables guests to donate clean water to a water project of their choice. The hospitality group, which comprises six hotels including One Hundred Shoreditch and Sea Containers London in the UK, aims to raise awareness about the world water crisis by encouraging guests to take shorter showers. The Made Blue Foundation says that a guest would need to reduce their shower time by just 15 seconds to recoup a donation of 5 cents per night. Guests will have the opportunity to donate 100 litres of clean water per night to a water project of their choice, with information on available recipients and destinations provided to all Lore Group guests. If guests do not choose a…

BUSINESS TRAVELLER has teamed up with Holiday Inn Stuttgart to offer one lucky reader and guest a two-night stay in an Executive Room, including breakfast. Indulge in comfort at the business hotel in northern Stuttgart, which is ideal for both business and leisure stays. A perfect venue for every occasion! For full terms and conditions and to enter, visit businesstraveller.com/competitions…

Some might consider the mid-20th century as the real ‘golden era’ of travel, when jet aircraft came to the fore. With the launch of the Boeing 747, highflying passengers could leave their seats to explore sizeable onboard bars and lounges. But despite the era's glitz and glamour, one reality remained true: flying first class across oceans still meant merely reclining in a seat – not lying down. Over time, first class evolved from that comfortable chair into an actual bed. In the early stages, there was little focus on privacy. The very novelty of having a bed in the sky was a drawcard, with no need for sliding doors or showers. Meanwhile, business class made its grand debut back in 1970, but it wasn't until 2000 that an airline dared…

Small in size but mighty in its business output and natural beauty, Wales is a country that is both innovative and heritage-rich. It has made great gains in an array of industries, such as manufacturing, fintech, creative and renewables, and it has one of the greenest capital cities in Europe, with city parks, gardens, wildlife areas, forests, playgrounds and bodies of water. With constant investment into key industries and better living, Cardiff – and Wales as a whole – should be on your business map. As one of the first countries to write sustainability into its statute, Wales is at the forefront of innovation, research and technology when it comes to renewables, greener living and fair trade. Manufacturing continues to be a huge industry here, spanning aerospace, automotive, low carbon,…

LEISURE The design has been woven into the fabric of the landscape for the past two decades Stroll along the cobbled pathways of the Terre Blanche resort and you'll be forgiven for mistaking it for an authentic Provençal village. Firstly, there's its size, occupying 301 hectares of land in Provence – for context, that's 1.5 times the size of the principality of Monaco. Then there's the design, which has been woven into the fabric of the landscape for the past two decades. Buildings have been constructed with white stone from nearby quarries, while terracotta-toned interiors have been achieved thanks to the use of local red clay. The 115 suites and villas feel more residential than hotel-like, largely owing to the layout of independent houses dotted across the labyrinthine resort. As…

BACKGROUND Philippine Airlines operates flights from Singapore Changi Airport to Manila's Ninoy Aquino International Airport, using A321ceo aircraft, which stands for ‘current engine option,’ indicating an older aircraft than the A321neo. My flight (PR502) was a morning departure at 1035, arriving 1425 local time in Manila. CHECK - IN Visitors to the Philippines must have proof of a departure ticket and have registered with the digital eTravel system up to 72 hours prior to their arrival in the country. Travellers receive a QR code via email once completed, which may be required at immigration. I checked in online, however, and was not able to download my boarding pass, so staff needed to confirm I had a departure ticket. I arrived at 0725 for my 1035 departure. The airline's check-in desks…

BACK GROUND The Hoxton brand debuted in London's Shoreditch in 2006 and is part of Ennismore, in which Accor holds a majority stake. The brand has 16 properties across Europe and North America, including two in Amsterdam – the first opened in 2015 in the city centre, followed by this property in the Eastern Docklands in August 2023. The hotel occupies a historic 1920s building designed by architect Evert Breman, which began its life as the headquarters of the Royal Holland Lloyd Shipping Company. In later years it became a shelter for refugees, then a prison, artist studios, and the former Lloyd Hotel. WHERE IS IT? In Oostelijke Eilanden, Amsterdam's Eastern Docklands area. It's a three-minute walk from Rietlandpark tram stop, which takes you to Centraal Station in just ten…

CATHAY PACIFIC REVEALED mock-ups of its new premium economy product in Hong Kong last month. The new cabin is set to debut on the upgraded Boeing 777-300ER aircraft later this year, alongside the new business class Aria suite. The seats will remain the same size in terms of width (21 inches), pitch (40 inches) and recline (8 inches), and in a 2-4-2 layout. But they'll have a new look, with green-greys and brown leather accents, and better privacy and tech. A new extended wing design on headrests hides your neighbour's face, and contains a personal reading spotlight. Brown leather cushioned headrests and footrest straps add comfort and a premium feel. New storage options include a leather pouch on the inside of the seat, along with a new USB-C port. Regular…

WYNDHAM HAS LAUNCHED its 25th brand, following a strategic agreement with upscale extended stay brand WaterWalk. Now known as WaterWalk Extended Stay by Wyndham, the brand adds a total of 11 US properties and 1,500 rooms to Wyndham's portfolio, in locations including Tuscon, Jacksonville and Wichita. WaterWalk was founded in 2014 by the late Jack DeBoer, an American entrepreneur and hotelier who also created Residence Inn, Candlewood Suites and Summerfield Suites brands. The WaterWalk concept includes STAY units, which are fully furnished and cater to guests looking for a traditional extended-stay, residential-like experience, and LIVE units, which are unfurnished, allowing guests to create their own long-term space. The brand joins Wyndham's two existing extended stay brands – the established midscale Hawthorn Extended Stay by Wyndham, and the economy Echo Suites…

IHG HOTELS & RESORTS has announced a new partnership with EV charging solutions provider EnviroSpark, with the aim of scaling up the availability of chargers across its properties in the US and Canada. The rollout will require buy-in from individual hotel owners, but the agreement means properties “can now partner with EnviroSpark on EVCs depending on their individual needs and requirements”. IHG says that around 1,100 of its hotels globally already have EV charging facilities, and it is supporting owners in North America “with an EV charging guide with best practices to encourage installation of EV chargers across its portfolio of more than 4,100 open hotels” in the region. The group has also added an EV charger search filter to its IHG One Rewards app to help customers plan ahead.…

MANCHESTER AIRPORTS GROUP is calling for household waste to be used to make sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) instead of incinerating it to make electricity. Research from transport sustainability experts ICF revealed that if all the rubbish currently burned by the UK was used to make SAF, the carbon saving would be equivalent to the emissions of at least 46 million people flying from London Stansted Airport to Madrid every year. Every year, around 8.5 million tonnes of household rubbish are incinerated to make electricity, but the same waste could be diverted to UK refineries to produce SAF. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is allowing councils to send collected waste to SAF plants, with many disposal contracts due for renewal in the coming months and years.…

VIRGIN HOTELS EDINBURGH has launched a new three-month Artist in Residence initiative, offering local artists free workspaces and the chance to showcase their creations in the hotel. Artists will gain access to the Unicorn Room – a creative studio within the old India Buildings turret of the hotel – and will be given free gallery space to display and sell their work. Guests, meanwhile, can book a private tour of the Unicorn Room to get a peek inside the process. Virgin Hotels Edinburgh employee, Charlie Yates, was awarded the first slot, with applications open for future artists. See our Tried and Tested hotel review online.…

Manila hasn't always been the easiest city to explore, something Coldplay would attest to. In January 2024, when the band performed here, lead singer Chris Martin was so shocked by Manila's traffic that he sang an impromptu ditty about its congested roads. It's true, Manila can seem chaotic, particularly in neighbourhoods like Binondo, the world's oldest Chinatown – a place where jeepneys (beautifully painted buses cobbled together using leftover parts from vehicles abandoned by US soldiers) dodge wooden handcarts being pulled through its streets, but that's part of its charm. In reality, there are cities with worse traffic, and Manila is also becoming much more accessible these days. The Philippines Department of Tourism introduced Manila's first Hop-On-Hop-Off (HOHO) bus in 2023. Stops include the National Museum, Binondo and Intramuros, and…

LEISURE How many cities in the world have a population of millions, yet have protected about 40 per cent of their land area? Where forests of concrete towers are backed by hillsides more tree-covered today than at any time since the Second World War? Which has a vibrant and culturally important paddling scene, and since a trawling ban was enacted at the end of 2012, boasts increasing areas of recovering coral reef? For a place whose name conjures images of bustling streets flanked by jutting skyscrapers, Hong Kong offers surprising opportunities for a lover of the outdoors. That starts with the ease of access. Much of the countryside is cheek by jowl with city blocks and the public transport system is extensive and cheap. The MTR (the city's underground and…

BACKGROUND The London Hilton on Park Lane opened in 1963 – the first Hilton property in the UK. To celebrate its 60th anniversary last year, the hotel embarked on an extensive multi-million pound refurbishment led by the GA Group. So far this has seen the renovation of suites and executive rooms as well as the lobby and ground floor F&B spaces. The renovation is ongoing, with the rest of the rooms set to be spruced up (though entire floors are blocked off to buffer the sound, and I didn't notice any noise or disruption during my stay). WHERE IS IT? Located in Mayfair, the hotel is within walking distance of key landmarks including Buckingham Palace and Green Park. The closest underground connections are Hyde Park Corner (for the Piccadilly line)…

NORSE ATLANTIC HAS announced that it will fly between Gatwick and Las Vegas later this year. A three-times-weekly service will launch on 12 September, departing Gatwick at 1200 on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, arriving into Harry Reid International Airport at 1440, with the return leg leaving Las Vegas at 1645 and arriving back into London at 1035 the following day. Norse will compete with British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, which both operate year-round flights from Heathrow. British Airways also resumed its seasonal Gatwick-Las Vegas service last year. The new route follows confirmation in January that Norse Atlantic will not resume flights from Gatwick to Washington DC and Boston this summer. The carrier will however increase its Gatwick-New York JFK service, with up to two flights per day during the peak…

UP FRONT DELTA HAS PUBLISHED images of prototype uniforms that are under development. The carrier is working on the collection with GPS Apparel by Gap Inc – a division of the clothing retailer focused on uniform design. Delta said that the prototypes are “anchored in deep navy blues and rich burgundy, with accents of bright red and white”, and incorporate the Delta “widget” – the triangular shaped icon which was first introduced in 1959 and features on the tailfins of Delta aircraft. Readers hoping to see Delta employees in the new uniforms may have to wait though. The carrier will begin “extensive wear testing for each uniform garment” this autumn. “The roll-in of new uniform pieces across all workgroups is not expected for the next few years”.…

THE WORLD TRAVEL & TOURISM COUNCIL is projecting a record-breaking year for travel and tourism in 2024, with the sectors’ global economic contribution predicted to exceed US$11 trillion. The WTTC's 2024 Economic Impact Research found that the sector will contribute an additional US$770 billion over its previous record, and WTTC expects 142 countries of the 185 analysed to outperform previous national records. International visitor spending is also forecast to come close to the pre-pandemic peak, reaching US$1.89 trillion. Julia Simpson, WTTC president and CEO, said: “This isn't just about breaking records, we're no longer talking about a recovery – this is a story of the sector back at its best after a difficult few years, providing a significant economic boost around the world and supporting millions of jobs.”…

MANCHESTER AIRPORT has provided details on confiscated items at security to remind passengers of hand luggage regulations. The most-confiscated item “by far” is a cigarette lighter, with 284 lighters handed in over the course of one morning. While passengers are allowed to carry one lighter with them, provided it fits into a clear resealable plastic bag and contains under 100ml of liquid, they cannot have multiple. Almost 400 items were confiscated in one morning at the airport, with further items including 22 pairs of scissors, five multi-tools, four corkscrews, two hacksaws and two packs of darts. All of these items are forbidden as they do not abide by UK aviation security regulations, which prohibit sharp items or blades with a length or more than 6cm (2.3 inches). Additionally, eight toy…

AIR NEW ZEALAND has carried out a trial of “single-use cup free flights”, as it explores how to reduce the millions of cups used on its aircraft each year. The carrier trialled the initiative on six domestic flights in March, with customers being encouraged to bring reusable cups with them, or being provided with one for use during onboard service. ANZ said that “knowledge gained from customer feedback, operational logistics, and impact will help to determine the viability of implementing the initiative in the long term”. The airline recently removed all single-use cups from its domestic airport lounges —equating to the saving of around one million single-use cups per year – but admitted that doing the same inflight “is a much greater challenge”. ANZ's chief sustainability officer Kiri Hannifin said…

EASYJET HAS PARTNERED with start-up Sustainaholics to stock its Alumini bottles, crafted from 100 per cent post-consumer recycled aluminium. The Alumini bottles were launched in June 2023, and weigh just 60g when filled with a spirit, compared to 136g in a glass bottle. EasyJet will serve spirits from UK-based brands including Two Drifters, Ellers Farm Distillery, Penrhos Spirits and Wildjac on routes operated by its A321 fleet from Gatwick and Bristol airports. Simon Cox, director of inflight retail at easyJet, said: “We are delighted to be offering our customers even more choice and variety as we welcome a variety of UK-based spirits affiliated with Sustainaholics to our drinks trolley, while collaborating with a brand that aligns with our approach when it comes to sustainability and innovation.”…

It's 2034. You're getting ready to head to the airport when Genie pings – your personal AI travel assistant. Genie has a travel update: your flight has been cancelled due to a typhoon in Singapore. Before you can even start processing the inconvenience, Genie pings again. It has checked your diary and offers the best alternatives: either catch a layover via Dubai leaving in six hours, or delay your flight until the next day. You choose option one. Genie confirms and advises that your Uber transfer has been rescheduled and a refund processed. (Genie has also reserved a massage for you in the lounge during your layover and pre-ordered your favourite welcome drink.) Genie also drafts an email to your first client, advising of the delay and providing suitable alternative…

1 MIRAFLORES BOARDWALK Lima boasts 43 districts so don't press yourself to visit the whole city, but instead kick off your visit with a stroll along this six-mile ‘malecón’ in the affluent Miraflores neighbourhood, located south of the downtown area. This boardwalk, which runs along coastal cliffs that drop into the Pacific Ocean, is a hive of activity throughout the day. Locals run along the beach and surfers ride the waves in the morning haze, while the afternoon skies are dotted with paragliders swooping terrifyingly close to Miraflores’ high-rises. Join Lima locals in their sporting endeavours, people-watch or embrace the urban oasis of Miraflores after all, mirar translates to “look at” and flores means “flowers”. 2 LOVE PARK Lovers come together at this Gaudí-esque public park, where undulating mosaiced walls…

BACKGROUND Germany's Ruby Hotels launched in 2013, and operates 17 properties in locations including Amsterdam, Dublin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg and Zurich. Described as a “lean luxury” brand, the group debuted in the UK in 2020 with Ruby Lucy in London's Waterloo. Ruby Zoe in Notting Hill followed in July 2023, with a hotel in Clerkenwell opening this month, and a property in Southwark to follow. WHERE IS IT? A couple of minutes’ walk from Notting Hill Gate Underground station with links to the Central, District and Circle Lines. The hotel is within walking distance of Hyde Park and the iconic Portobello Road. WHAT'S IT LIKE? Ruby Zoe is housed within a six-storey new-build property on Notting Hill Gate – guests arrive into the bar area that doubles up as reception.…

We all know that online activity needs to be private and secure. If you suspected that the business-critical information you're about to share with a colleague is at risk of being seen much more widely, you would hesitate to send it. This is where VPNs – short for Virtual Private Networks – come into play. While it once seemed that they were used for suspect practices or dodgy dealings, today's rise in remote working, whether at home or on the road, has changed this perception. VPNs offer convenience, security and access to the internet wherever you are. A VPN can help to ensure that online activity remains confidential. It may even allow you to continue to do business freely when travelling in a country with government restrictions or online censorship.…