Travel Agent - April 28, 2008 - (Page 29)

LEFT: An impressive view of the lobby at the Grand Hyatt Shanghai a great location, convenient transport links and easy access to surrounding tourist attractions. International cruise ships started visiting Shanghai in 2000, and the city is gung-ho on developing its cruise business. In 2007, 47 ships and nearly 100,000 domestic and foreign cruise passengers passed through Shanghai. This month, Royal Caribbean Cruises (www.royalcaribbean.com) started operating cruises from Shanghai, using its 2,400-passenger ship Rhapsody of the Seas. Shanghai currently has a facility for larger cruise vessels at the Waigaoqiao Terminal, 18 miles from the city. Meanwhile, Shanghai currently offers plenty of top hotels. The Grand Hyatt Shanghai (www.shanghai.grand.hyatt.com) has been singled out in the 2000 Millennium edition of the Guinness Book of Records as being the tallest hotel in the world. The hotel crowns the 88-story Jin Mao Tower, commencing on the 53rd floor and rising to the 87th. The property’s 12 Grand Deluxe Riverview Rooms are popular with guests. These have floor-to-ceiling windows with 180-degree vistas, which include the Bund, the Huangpu River, and the Shanghai Oriental TV Pearl Tower (the city’s iconic landmark). These rooms also have oversized double-sided closets with access from both the bathroom and bedroom. Grand Riverview Deluxe Room 6015 has particularly exceptional Bund views. The Grand Riverview Suites have all of the elements of the Grand Deluxe Riverview Rooms, with the addition of spacious living rooms and separate work areas. The hotel has a total of 226 connecting rooms. If you have a large family traveling together, consider booking them into a connecting Grand Suite and Grand Room Twin room. This will give the family a living room, bedroom with a king or queen bed for the parents, bedroom with a twin bed for the kids and three separate bathrooms. The hotel’s spa, Club Oasis, has nine treatment rooms. Deep Tissue Body Massage is considered the spa’s signature treatment, and Ms. Wei holds the title of most popular masseuse. For advance spa reservations, contact Champion Fang, assistant manager of Club Oasis (86-21-5049-1234, ext. 8947, champion.fang@hyatt.com). The hotel has 11 food and beverage outlets serving various types of cuisine, including Japanese, Italian, Canton, American Grill and Shanghai. Of these, Club Jin Mao-Shanghai Cuisine Restaurant, on the 86th floor, offers authentic Shanghai cuisine and 360-degree city views. For those unfamiliar with Shanghai cuisine, it typically consists of fish, eel, crab and chicken combined with alcoholic spirits and then lightly steamed or served raw. The general manager for the hotel is Peter Chau (86-21-5049-1234, ext. 8630, info. ghshanghai@hyatt.com); however, agents with special requests are directed to contact the reservation desk (86-21-5049-1234, info. ghshanghai@hyattintl.com). Revamping the Ritz The Portman Ritz-Carlton, Shanghai (www. ritzcarlton.com) is in the midst of upgrades and room renovations, which are scheduled for completion this month. Guests will find new Deluxe Rooms, refurbished Executive and Penthouse Suites, and the largest Presidential Suite in the city at 1,640 square feet. They’ll also discover a new Ritz-Carlton Club Lounge, a new restaurant called Tables, a refurbished business center and a residential Hospitality Suite for up to 30 guests. In addition, wine dinners are held regularly in Palladio Italian Restaurant. The property’s new Shanghai Rooms have a spacious layout and boast such perks as a sweeping expanse of Italian marble that extends from the entrance to the bathroom and 32-inch LCD TV. Rooms in the numbers 11 to 20 series enjoy a view of Nanjing Xi Lu, Shanghai’s main shopping street. The hotel has 50 connecting rooms. The two-bedroom Penthouse Suites are also good for families traveling together. The Club Level rooms and suites afford access to The Ritz-Carlton Club Lounge, where five food-and-beverage presentations are served daily. In addition, guests can avail themselves of one complimentary suit-pressing upon arrival and complimentary use of the meeting room for one hour. Rainer J. Burkle, area vice president and general manager (86-21-6279-8896, rainer.burkle@ ritzcarlton.com), can field agents’ VIP inquiries. Travel agents can also contact Adam Yuan, assistant director of travel trade (86-21- 62798888, ext. 7051, adam.yuan@ritzcarlton.com). The hotel’s spa has five treatment rooms. The most popular treatment is Chinese Traditional Massage and Kin Chen is the most-requested masseuse. Agents can book treatments for clients ahead of time by contacting Sean Chua, The Ritz-Carlton health club manager (86-21-62798888, ext. 5922, sean.chua@ritzcarlton.com). Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts (www. shangri-la.com) will open two luxury hotels in Shanghai in 2011. The properties will be part of the Jing An Kerry Centre, a new business, retail, entertainment, dining and conference complex on Nanjing Road. The 347-room Jing An Shangri-La, Shanghai will open mid-2011 and will occupy the top 24 floors of a 58-story building, while the 600-room Shangri-La’s Jing An Kerry Centre Hotel, modeled on the company’s Kerry Centre Hotel in Beijing, will open at the end of 2011. Meanwhile, the Pudong Shangri-La (www. shangri-la.com) in Shanghai is going great guns. One of the hotel’s selling points is its CONTINUED ON PAGE 30 A well-appointed guest room at The Portman Ritz-Carlton, Shanghai April 28, 2008 TravelAgent | 29 http://www.royalcaribbean.com http://www.ritzcarlton.com http://www.ritzcarlton.com http://www.ritzcarlton.com http://www.shanghai.grand.hyatt.com http://www.shangri-la.com http://www.shangri-la.com http://www.shangri-la.com http://www.shangri-la.com http://shangri-la.com http://www.shangri-la.com http://www.shangri-la.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Travel Agent - April 28, 2008

Travel Agent - April 28, 2008 Online Now Contents Contributors From the Editor Africa: Where to Stay in the Gateway to Southern Africa South Pacific/Australia: Luxury Lodges in Queensland and Tasmania Pacific/Asia: Shanghai, China’s Cosmopolitan Powerhouse, Sees New Hotel and Cruise Development Canada: Downtown Calgary is Easy to Get Around and Filled with Historic and Cultural Attractions California: Laguna Beach Blends Culture with Coastal Beauty Florida: Golf, History, Food and Fun Defined Our Stay at the Renaissance Resort in St. Augustine Las Vegas: Vegas Hotels Gamble on the Allure of Men’s Grooming Pacific Northwest: Washington Inns Emphasize Local Charm Mexico: Tulum Comes Into its Own as a Luxury Destination Europe: Cruising the Mosel and Rhine Rivers with Amadeus Waterways Rudi Schreiner, President of Amadeus Waterways, Talks about River Cruises Caribbean: Travel Agent Reports From the Dominican Annual Tourism Exchange The Slot Spot: Gaming at the Casino Dominicus Cruise: Suppliers and Businesses Use Ships as Springboards to Satisfy Enthusiasts’ Hobbies and Passions Key Legal Decisions Will Affect the Future of Alaska’s Cruise Industry Cover Story: Exclusive Beach Destinations Hotels: The Girlfriend Getaway is an Exploding Market Agent Profile: Sabine Harris’ Personal Touch Provides a Memorable Experience Virtual Tourism: New Websites Give a New View of Tourist Destinations Agenda: Fam Trips, Deals & Incentives, Calendar Anguilla’s Cap Juluca Sold Aloha Airlines is Grounded Exorbitant Hotel Rates Make Alternatives More Appealing Koepf takes Helm at NACTA, Plans to Expand Membership In the Spotlight Classified Marketplace Editorial Index Advertising Index Trendwatch

Travel Agent - April 28, 2008

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