Northstar

NEWS www.travelweeklyweb.com First St. Regis Resort in China debuts in Tibet TIBET – Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, has announced that The St. Regis Lhasa Resort will open in November 2010, which will be the first St. Regis resort in China. Located on the "Roof of the World", 3,680 meters above sea level. Located on Jiangsu Road and situated in the famous ancient Barkhor area, The St. Regis Lhasa Resort is just minutes away from the holy Potala Palace and 75km away from Gongga Airport. It features 150 oversized rooms and villas and 12 suites including the Presidential Suite, as well as world- class restaurants, bars, an exclusive Iridium Spa, ballroom and state-of-the- art meeting space. The St. Regis Lhasa Resort will be the first international luxury hotel in Tibet. "Lhasa is truly one of the world's most fascinating destinations; the rich culture and spiritual history make it quite captivating to our global St. Regis guests," said Qian Jin, senior vice president of Operations, China & Taiwan, Starwood Hotels & Resorts. "The St . Regis Lhasa Resort will undoubtedly be heralded as one of the most extraordinary luxury resorts not only in Asia, but in the entire world." All the hotel guest rooms are accented by local ar t i facts and distinctive décor ref lecting rich Tibetan culture and heritage. Plasma TVs, multi-channel cable, high speed internet access, spacious marble bathroom, exquisite furnishings and exclusive amenities create a soothing yet luxurious setting for discerning global travelers. The St. Regis Lhasa Resort will also offer an array of epicurean tastes and experiences with over 140 labels of wine, liquors and aged cigars. Anantara plays host to Bangkok Airways new flight times to the Maldives MALE – Anantara Hotels, Resorts and Spa's recently hosted Bangkok Airways to announce Asia's only boutique airline's new Bangkok to Male timetable. The four day event covered a wide range of activities celebrating the tropical archipelago's amazing lifestyle included reef snorkeling, sunset dolphin spotting cruises and a tropical themed painting lesson by renowned artist, Christopher Hogan. Bangkok Airways flies to Male Airport three times a week and its new earlier flight schedule aims to bring more tourists flying from Thailand to the island paradise. Anantara's two luxurious five-star boutique hideaways, Dhigu and Veli and its sister brand resort of Naladhu are located on the South Male Atoll and are all conveniently located only 30 kms from the Maldivian capital of Male. Anantara also plans to open a new level of unparalleled luxury with the launch of Anantara Kihavah Villa's in January 2011. Craig Seaward heads up W Retreat & Spa Bali-Seminyak BALI – Craig Seaward leads the energetic team of the W Retreat & Spa Bali-Seminyak as a general manager. In his role, he heads-up the innovative, design-led hotel, which is set to mark its debut in Seminyak, Bali this 15 December 2010. Craig's stint in Bali started in the year of 1991 when he was offered an opportunity as a Director of Food & Beverage in The Laguna Bali Nusa Dua, then expanded the spectrum of his role and spearheaded the operations in The Westin Bali and the Bali International 6 | ■ TRAVELWEEKLY ASIA | 26 OCTOBER 2010 Convention Center. A South African national with nearly three decades of experience in the hospitality circuit, Craig has forged an outstanding career across regions covering various locations such as Zimbabwe, South Africa, China, South Korea, Australia and Indonesia. Through his career, he has spent 20 years with Starwood Hotels & Resorts as a general manager for Sheraton in Yogyakarta, Surabaya and Perth, Australia and The Westin Chosun, Busan in South Korea. www.travelweeklyweb.com

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