Meeting News - March 24, 2008 - (Page 20)

International European Suppliers Respond to Weak U.S. Dollar Promotions locking in rates try to lift up sagging confidence in U.S. overseas meetings New York—The dwindling value of the U.S. dollar has instilled fears in planners staging overseas meetings, especially in Europe, and has caused some to ditch plans altogether. In response, some European hospitality suppliers are rolling out promotions to ease planners’ currency concerns. Such promotions include the aptly named “Euro Exchange Rate” program by the Grand Hotel Parco dei Principi, in Rome. The citycenter hotel, with 180 rooms and 16,000 sf of meeting space and two adjacent 18-hole golf courses, will lock in an exchange rate of $1.30 to 1 euro for any meeting program booked for 2008, and $1.10 to 1 euro for select dates. At press time, the dollar hovered around $1.50 to 1 euro. The promotion is being conducted through Associated Luxury Hotels International.“This is a great opportunity to lock in terms,” said David Gabri, ALHI’s president and CEO. He cited, for example, that a 200-euro hotel room would cost $293, but with the promotion, would cost $260. In transportation, global motorcoach tour provider Trafalgar Tours is honoring its 2008 brochure pricing on services in Europe. Trafalgar’s president, Paul Wiseman, said the company will hold the line on prices, while claiming that competitors have put in exchange-rate surcharges. A Swiss boutique hotel is also getting into the act. The 53-room Park Hotel Weggis outside Zurich is promoting that the exchange rate be- Edited by William Ng william.ng@nielsen.com tween the U.S. dollar and the Swiss franc remains essentially one to one. The hotel, with 3,000-plus sf of recently redesigned meeting space, including the 250-capacity Aquarius Hall, is offering U.S. planners allinclusive meeting packages beginning at $250 per individual room night. More can be found at www.parkhotelweggis.com. Meanwhile, St. Maarten’s Sonesta Maho Beach Resort & Casino, with 25,000 sf of meeting space, is supplementing the island’s U.S. tax incentive with a $200-per-room credit. The “In Your Pocket” promotion by the resort is designed to defray airfare costs to St. Maarten; it applies for meetings held between April 1 and Dec. 22 when booked by March 31. Through the Tax Information Exchange Agreement, U.S. companies that hold meetings in St. Maarten can claim the same tax benefits as meetings held in the States. The Sonesta Maho has a casino with 400 slot machines and 30 table games, a 750-seat theater with in-house entertainment, and a nightclub. Meetings properties like the Grand Hotel Parco dei Principi in Rome are looking to keep U.S. groups coming. Starwood is in Morocco White Plains, NY—After the recent announcements by Wyndham Hotels and Resorts and Raffles Hotels & Resorts to build resorts in the northern African country of Morocco (Jan. 7 MN, p. 22), Starwood Hotels & Resorts has thrown its hat into the ring with the announcement of a 150-room W hotel to open in mid2010 in Marrakech. W Marrakech will be close to the city’s historical center, Medina, and it will be part of the Al Maaden Resort development. The hotel will have indoor and outdoor pools, a luxury spa, and two restaurants. It will have a total of 10,700-plus sf of meeting space. 20 MeetingNews March 24, 2008 But Fairmont Spreads In Egypt, Eastern Africa Toronto—Fairmont Hotels & Resorts has debuted two more African properties, including its first in Cairo, Egypt, for a total of five properties on the continent. One of them, the reflagged Fairmont the Norfolk, in Nairobi, Kenya, has intensified the firm’s presence in eastern Africa. Opened in 1904, the colonial Norfolk underwent a multimillion-dollar renovation and now has 165 guest rooms and three meeting rooms, including a ballroom that holds 175 attendees. The property is Fairmont’s third in eastern Africa, following the Fairmont Mara Safari Club in southwestern Kenya (Nov. 19, 2007 MN, p. 30) and the Fairmont Zanzibar off the coast of Tanzania, both geared for incentives. A fourth property, the incentive-driven Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club, is due soon. In Cairo, the hotelier has launched the 247-room Fairmont Towers Heliopolis with 48,000-plus sf of event space; its main ballroom accommodates 2,100 attendees. The adjacent, 544-room Fairmont Heliopolis, with 16,000 sf of meeting space, will shortly begin a refurbishment; there is no completion date yet. Fairmont has another five projects in its pipeline for the Africa/Middle East region, including another Cairo property slated to debut later this year. Foxwoods to Redevelop Grand Bahama Island Site Mashantucket, CT—Foxwoods Development Company will redevelop the Grand Bahama Island site formerly occupied by the Royal Oasis Resort destroyed by Hurricane Frances in 2004. While there is no set completion date, the project will involve 650 hotel rooms, meeting facilities, a casino, and two golf courses, as well as with restaurants and retail. Grand Bahama Island’s tourism minister, Neko Grant, said,“Foxwoods’ reputation as a high-quality operator will be a strong compliment to the relaunch of [the island] as a major Bahamas destination.” www.meetingnews.com http://www.parkhotelweggis.com http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/mn111907/index.php?startid=30 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/mn010708/index.php?startid=22 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/mn111907/index.php?startid=30 http://www.meetingnews.com

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Meeting News - March 24, 2008

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