Northstar

www.travelweekly-asia.com 17 OC TOBER 2018 TRAVEL WEEKLY ASIA I T B A S I A S H O W D A I L I E S 19 Avis Budget Group in Asia recently announced the launch of its training platform, Beep, a one- stop portal for travel trade professionals. The platform provides an overview of the company's brands, Avis Car Rental and Budget Car Rental, and features training modules, booking tools, destination and driving guides. The Beep platform will make it easier for travel trade professionals to offer products and services from the two brands to their customers. Both the Avis and the Budget platforms will be rolled out simultaneously. The Avis platform includes the premium Avis products from its 5,500 locations in approximately 170 countries, while the Budget platforms will carry the same well- maintained and great value vehicles from approximately 3,500 locations in more than 120 countries. Beep aims to make the booking process simpler, By Will Chin Avis Budget Group introduces Beep: a one-stop-shop A screenshot of Avis Budget Group's Beep platform. A screenshot of Avis Budget Group's Beep platform. more efficient and rewarding for Avis Budget Group's valuable travel trade partners with the added benefit of all bookings made through the platform being commissionable. Avis Budget Group will also progressively launch incentives and competitions as the platform is introduced to different countries across Asia. At initial launch, the platforms will be in English, with plans to gradually update languages to include Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Thai. Angeline Tang, regional director for leisure travel and partnerships in Asia, said, "Beep makes it easier for our trade partners to offer products and services from our two brands to their customers through a simpler and more efficient booking process, and at the same time, they can receive commission when they make a booking through Beep." WYNDHAM WANTS TO PUT YOU TO SLEEP W yndham Hotels and Resorts wants to put its guests to sleep so that they can rise in the morning "ready to conquer the day". "For the majority of our guests, getting a good night's sleep is the most important aspect of their stay," says Joon Aun Ooi, president and managing director, South East Asia and Pacific Rim, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. "To help them achieve this, we're creating the perfect sleep-inducing environment. From the comfort of the bed to the quality of the light and air, we want to provide calming, wellness- BY IAN JARRETT Joon Aun Ooi, president and managing director, South East Asia and Pacific Rim, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts "Beep makes it easier for our trade partners to offer products and services from our two brands to their customers through a simpler and more efficient booking process." – ANGELINE TANG, REGIONAL DIRECTOR, LEISURE TRAVEL AND PARTNERSHIPS, ASIA VISIT BOOTH: R15 focused sanctuaries where guests can easily drift off to sleep and wake up fully refreshed." The brand is teaming up with wellness innovator Delos and designer Jeffrey Beers to outfit Stay Well rooms that inspire "rest, comfort and relaxation". Six Wyndham properties in North America are involved in the pilot scheme followed by a worldwide rollout. Wyndham Hotels & Resorts is the largest hotel franchising company in the world, with nearly 9,000 hotels across more than 80 countries on six continents. Its brands include Ramada, Super 8, Days Inn and Wyndham. Wyndham cites evidence that shows jet lag, unfamiliar routine and the general stress of travel contribute to poor sleep and post-travel illness. A recent University of Texas study found disrupting sleep and impacting circadian rhythm – commonly caused by jet lag – not only leads to chronic fatigue and insomnia but also causes accelerated aging. Stay Well rooms incorporate state-of-the-art wellness technologies to help improve indoor air quality, sleep patterns and physical comfort, as well as reduce exposure to germs and allergens. Rooms will offer air purification, circadian lighting to emulate the colour of outdoor lighting, an alarm clock that simulates a sunrise, allowing for a more natural waking process and a memory foam mattress derided from organic cotton, pure heves milk and essential oils. The move comes coupled with a total redesign for the brand's interior by architecture and design firm Jeffrey Beers International (JBI).

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