Mövenpick hotel brand coming to New Zealand
Mövenpick hotel brand coming to New Zealand -
Accor’s premium Swiss-born hospitality brand, Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts, launches its first property in New Zealand with the official…
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Melbourne
MICE: When 12 heads are better than one
BestCities Global Alliance, a community of 12 cities around the world, dedicated to the betterment of international conferences and meetings, believes, naturally, that the right partner is…
onefinestay launches in Sydney, Melbourne and… Mykonos
Private rental brand and Accor Group subsidiary onefinestay, has unveiled a glut of new sites to its global portfolio of luxury destinations today, with the announcement it will add 22…
Zhengzhou gets first Australian connection
Zhengzhou, the capital of central China's Henan province, will get its first direct connection to Australia later this year.
Jetstar has announced plans to start flying direct to the…
Vietnam embarks on Australian tourism roadshow
The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) has kicked off a three-city roadshow in Australia.
Supported by Singapore Airlines, the Vietnam Tourism Roadshow will include events…
Australia’s Mantra Group agrees artistic acquisition
Mantra Group, the Australian hotel company, has entered into an agreement to acquire the Art Series Hotel Group.
The deal with the Deague Group is worth approximately AU$52.5 million…
AccorHotels plans first double-decker hotel
AccorHotels has revealed plans for its first "vertical dual hotel", with a new tower in Australia featuring a Novotel sitting on top of an ibis.
Scheduled to open in central Melbourne…
Where to Stay: new hotels from Fairmont, Regent, Hilton and more
Hilton Garden Inn Singapore Serangoon
Location: Singapore's Little India district
Grade: Midscale
Keys: 328
Facilities: Restaurant, 24-hour "grab and go" F&B outlet, fitness…
Qatar Airways flies A380 to Melbourne
Qatar Airways has started flying its largest aircraft, the Airbus A380, to Melbourne.
The double-decker aircraft was introduced to the Australian city for the first time on 1 July 2017,…
Where to Stay: new hotels in Vietnam, China and Australia
Fusion Resort Phu Quoc
Location: Cua Can Bay in the north of southern Vietnam's Phu Quoc Island
Grade: Luxury
Keys: 97 pool villas with up to five bedrooms
Facilities: Several…
Melbourne Airport unveils T4 upgrade
Melbourne Airport has revealed its new-look Terminal 4 to travellers flying on Tigerair.
The enhancements made to the end of the terminal's Pier F have almost doubled the available…
Eco-friendly hotel brand to launch in Australia
Marriott International has revealed plans to launch its eco-friendly Element Hotels brand in Australia.
The company has penned a management deal for a new-build hotel located in…
Jetstar’s Dreamliner takes off to Vietnam
Australia's Jetstar Airways has launched its first flights to Vietnam, using its new Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet.
The inaugural service departed this week and Jetstar will now operate…
Asian air route updates from AirAsia, Bangkok Airways, Air Astana and more
AirAsia launches Borneo's new intra-island route
Where? Kuching (Malaysia) to Pontianak (Indonesia)
When? Daily, effective immediately
Who? AirAsia
Why? Low-cost carrier expands…
Asian air route updates: including Singapore Airlines’ latest European connection…
SIA expands A350 network in Europe
Where? Singapore to Stockholm (Sweden)
When? Five times a week, effective immediately
Who? Singapore Airlines
Why? SIA continues to utilise its new…
Asian air route updates: new flights from JAL, Air Astana, China Southern and more…
China Southern adds Shenzhen's first link to Melbourne
Where? Shenzhen (China) to Melbourne (Australia)
When? Twice a week, effective immediately (rising to three times a week on 3 July…
Asian air route updates: new flights from AirAsia X, SriLankan, SilkAir and more…
Thai Lion links Bangkok with Bali
Where? Bangkok Don Mueang (Thailand) to Denpasar (Indonesia)
When? Daily, effective 1 July 2017
Who? Thai Lion Air
Why? Connecting two of Southeast…
Asian air route updates: new flights from Norwegian, Spring, Air China and more…
Spring adds low-cost link between key Asian cities
Where? Shanghai Pudong (China) to Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam)
When? Four times a week, effective immediately
Who? Spring Airlines
Why?…
Air New Zealand opens new Melbourne lounge
Air New Zealand opened a new, larger lounge at Melbourne Airport this week.
Located on the ground floor of the terminal, the lounge follows the design concept first seen at Air New…
Where to Stay: New hotels in Bangkok, New York, Melbourne and more…
Mercure Bangkok Makkasan
Location: Next to Makkasan station, the main downtown hub for Bangkok's Airport Rail Link
Grade: Upper-midscale
Keys: 180
Facilities: Outdoor pool with…
Asian air route updates: new flights from Korean Air, Vietjet, Air Canada and more…
Korean Air connects Seoul with Spain
Where? Seoul (South Korea) to Barcelona (Spain)
When? Three times a week, effective immediately
Who? Korean Air
Why? Rising demand for flights…
Air Canada expands APAC links from Vancouver
Air Canada has continued to expand its trans-Pacific connections from Vancouver, with the launch of a new route to Asia Pacific.
The airline has already announced plans to launch new…
Virgin Australia kicks off new trans-Pacific route
Virgin Australia launched a new trans-Pacific route this week, flying direct between Melbourne and Los Angeles.
The inaugural service departed at 1130 on 4 April 2017 and landed at…
Where to Stay: New hotels in Melbourne, St Petersburg, Marbella and more
Four Points by Sheraton Melbourne Docklands (pictured above)
Location: Part of the Marina Tower complex on Pearl River Road, in Melbourne’s Docklands area
Grade: Midscale
Keys: 273…
Asian air route updates: Virgin Australia, Thai Lion, Air India and more…
Bangladesh gets low-cost Dubai link
Where? Dubai (UAE) to Sylhet (Bangladesh)
When? Four times a week, effective immediately (rising to six per week in May 2017)
Who? Flydubai
Why? New…
Cunard to spend record two months in Australia
Cunard has released details of its 2019 international cruise programme, which will include a record two-month season in Australia.
Australians will be able to choose from 27 local…
Garuda boosts Australian routes
Garuda Indonesia will increase its flights to Australia this summer, providing more connections to and from Jakarta and Bali.
In a joint press conference with Tourism Australia, the…
Qantas forms Asian connections with Israel
Qantas and El Al have formed a new partnership aimed at improving flight connectivity between Australia and Israel.
Under the new agreement, the national carriers will connect with…
Australia considers high-speed Hyperloop
The Australian government is considering plans to use Elon Musk's Hyperloop as an ultra-high-speed way of connecting Sydney and Melbourne.
The Hyperloop was suggested this week in a…
W Hotels to debut in Melbourne
W Hotels, the former Starwood luxury brand now operated by Marriott, has unveiled plans to make its debut in Melbourne in 2020.
The new-build property will rise on Collins Street in…
Australian hotel rates hit record high
Hotels in Australia are cashing in on strong demand by raising room rates to record levels.
According to the latest data from STR, the country's average daily rate (ADR) reached…
Asian air route updates: HK Express, Tianjin Airlines and more
HK Express completes Pacific island double
Where? Hong Kong to Saipan (Northern Mariara Islands)
When? Three times a week, effective immediately
Who? HK Express
Why? New leisure travel…
Australia’s Jetstar plans first flights to Vietnam
Vietnam's tourism industry will get a lift this year when Australian low-cost carrier Jetstar launches its first two routes to the country.
In May 2017, Jetstar will start operating…
Melbourne hotels exceed 80% occupancy
Melbourne's hotel sector continues to boom, with rates rising and occupancy in excess of 80%.
Publishing the city's preliminary results for December 2016, hotel analysts STR revealed…
Qantas boosts Japan with new Narita service
Qantas has expanded its presence in Japan with the launch of new direct flights linking Melbourne with Tokyo's Narita Airport.
The new daily service, which is being operated using a…
Qatar Airways reveals latest A380 destination
Qatar Airways has revealed that Melbourne will become the next destination to be served by its largest aircraft, the Airbus A380.
Commencing on 30 June 2017, the 517-seat…
Qantas reveals first Dreamliner route
Qantas has revealed that the trans-Pacific route between Melbourne and Los Angeles will be the first to be operated by its new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.
The long-haul jet's inaugural…
AccorHotels adds upscale apartments in Melbourne
AccorHotels will open a new apartment hotel in Melbourne next month.
The Sebel Melbourne Moorabbin, which is a new-build upscale property, is scheduled to open its doors in January…
Mantra signs five in Australia & NZ
Australia's Mantra Group has added five more hotels to its portfolio.
The new signings cover two of its brands - upscale Mantra and luxury Peppers - and five destinations, including…
Hainan Airlines opens first two routes to Melbourne
Hainan Airlines launched its first flights to Melbourne this week, from two Chinese cities.
On Tuesday (8 November 2016), the carrier kicked off a new twice weekly service from Xi'an…
Air India adds Australian flights due to “overwhelming” demand
Air India will introduce three more flights to Australia next year.
The Economic Times reported the national carrier's chairman & managing director, Ashwani Lohani, as confirming…
Virgin Australia spreads wings east and west
Virgin Australia has revealed plans to revise and expand its long-haul routes, both east across the Pacific and west across the Indian Ocean.
Commencing in 2017, the airline will…
THAI postpones A350’s international launch
Thai Airways International (THAI) has delayed the launch of its brand new Airbus A350 on the Bangkok-Melbourne route.
Following a series of short-haul services to Chiang Mai, the…
Qingdao gets connected with new long-haul flights
The Chinese port city of Qingdao will soon be accessible from more parts of the world, following the launch of a series of new international flights.
China Eastern Airlines recently…
Australian prison hotel to offer nights behind bars
Visitors to Australia will soon be able to spend the night behind bars, without the need to get arrested first.
The historic Pentridge Prison, which is located just 8km from central…
Starwood brings Aloft brand to Melbourne
Starwood has signed an agreement to debut its Aloft brand in Melbourne.
Scheduled to open in early 2019, the new-build hotel will form the centrepiece of the 402 Chapel development,…
SilverNeedle continues Sage expansion in Australia
SilverNeedle Hospitality has continued to expand its Sage Hotels brand in Australia with the signing of a new property in Melbourne.
The new Sage Hotel Ringwood will form part of new…
Emirates promises shorter flight times to Melbourne from the UK
Passengers travelling to Melbourne, Australia from the UK will now have another direct flight option with Emirates announcing that flights EK408 and EK409 will begin operating as nonstop…
Emirates de-links KL from Melbourne
Emirates will cease operating its Dubai-Kuala Lumpur-Melbourne service later this year, as it opts to cut out the Malaysian capital and fly direct to Australia.
The re-routing, which…
Etihad upgrades Australian routes with newest aircraft
Etihad Airways has upgraded its Australian network with the deployment of new aircraft to two destinations.
The UAE-based airline’s Airbus A380 will touch down in Melbourne today (2 July…
China’s Capital Airlines flies to Australia
Capital Airlines, a subsidiary of China’s HNA Group, will make its debut in Australia later this year.
Commencing on 29 September 2016, the airline will operate three weekly flights…
Melbourne convention centre to expand by 40%
Plans have been unveiled for a significant expansion of the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre (MCEC).
The project will add nearly 20,000m² of event space to the facility,…
SilverNeedle unveils Next hotel in Australia
SilverNeedle has signed an agreement for another Next hotel in Australia.
The contract with QIC Global Real Estate will see the new-build hotel rise in Melbourne, as part of a…
Etihad opens new Melbourne lounge
Etihad Airways has opened its new Premium Lounge at Melbourne Airport.
Measuring 800m² and with floor-to-ceiling glass windows that overlook the runway, the new facility is the airline’s…
AccorHotels adds four in Australia
AccorHotels, which is already Australia's largest hotel operator, has continued to expand its nationwide portfolio with the addition of four new properties.
Announced at the…
China Southern plans second Australian route from Shenzhen
China Southern Airlines has applied for permission to launch direct flights between Shenzhen and Melbourne.
If approved by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), the new…
AirAsia X adds more flights to eight destinations
AirAsia X has unveiled plans for a major expansion of its operations, with additional flights to eight destinations across the Asia Pacific region.
The Kuala Lumpur-based low-cost…
Tigerair Australia touches down in Asia
Tigerair Australia embarks on its first flights to Asia today (23 March 2016), with two the launch of three flights to Bali.
The low-cost carrier's first Bali-bound flight departed…
Xiamen Airlines reveals new long-haul routes
China’s Xiamen Airlines is stepping up its long-haul expansion with plans to launch flights to Vancouver, Seattle, New York and Melbourne in the coming months.
The airline launched its…
Air China to connect Shenzhen with Melbourne
Following the recent launch of the first flights between Shenzhen and Sydney, Air China has applied for permission to launch services from the southern Chinese city to Melbourne.
In…
Australian Open boosts Melbourne hotels
Hotels in Melbourne experienced significant increases in occupancy and average daily rate (ADR) during the recent Australian Open tennis tournament.
According to data from STR Global,…
Tigerair Australia welcomes new aircraft for Bali flights
Tigerair Australia has unveiled the first of three Boeing 737-800 aircraft to be based at Melbourne Airport, ahead of the airline’s new direct services to Bali.
The new single-aisle…
Jetstar adds more Melbourne flights
Jetstar will expand its operations at Melbourne's Avalon Airport next year, with the launch of flights to Hobart and Adelaide.
The new service to Adelaide will commence on 27 March…
China Southern to connect Shenzhen with Sydney
China Southern Airlines will launch a new service connecting Shenzhen with Sydney early next year.
Commencing on 20 January 2016, the new route will mark the first direct link between…
UAE to increase flights to Australia
The UAE and Australia have signed an agreement that will see a significant boost in flights between the countries.
It is hoped the move will see an increase in tourism between the two…
Beijing Capital Airlines targets UK, Australia
Beijing Capital Airlines, the Chinese airline that recently entered the long-haul market, is planning to launch its first flights to the UK and Australia.
According to a statement on…
Scoot launches first flights to Melbourne
Scoot touched down in Melbourne for the first time on 1 November 2015.
The Singapore-based low-cost carrier received a traditional water cannon welcome on Sunday, when its Boeing 787…
Etihad to launch A380 flights to Melbourne
Etihad Airways will commence daily Airbus A380 services to Melbourne next summer.
Launching on 1 June 2016, the 496-seat double-decker jet will operate as flights EY460/461 - one of…
Emirates expands A380 services to Asia Pacific
Emirates will expand its Airbus A380 services in the Asia Pacific region next year, with the addition of a second daily flight to Singapore and its sixth A380 service to Australia.…
Jetstar flies Dreamliner to Singapore
Jetstar has deployed its Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft to Singapore for the first time.
The twin-aisle jet started operating the Melbourne-Singapore route on Thursday and will now…
China Airlines expands in Oceania
Taiwan's China Airlines will add Melbourne to its route map in October.
Commencing on 25 October 2015, the airline will operate three weekly flights (departing every Tuesday, Friday…
Etihad launches second daily Melbourne flight
Etihad Airways’ second daily flight to Melbourne will launch on Saturday.
The new service, EY462, will depart Abu Dhabi at 1030 and touch down in Melbourne at 0605 the next day. The…
China Southern ramps up Australian routes
China Southern Airlines will enhance its Australian operations in the coming months, with the addition of more flights to Perth and Melbourne.
Last week, the Chinese airline added an…
Company launches Hindi tours in Melbourne
Safir Tours has launched the first ever Hindi language tours in Melbourne.
Designed for Indian visitors to the Australian city, including the large VFR (visiting friends and…
Abu Dhabi International Airport’s busiest summer ever
Abu Dhabi International Airport is readying itself for its busiest ever summer.
It is scheduled to note 1,504 flights departing from the UAE capital each week, 22% more than in the…
Air China flies to Melbourne and Montreal
Air China is expanding its long-haul international network with the launch of two new routes, to Melbourne and Montreal.
The new direct Beijing-Melbourne service will commence on 1…
Air China expands international network
Air China has unveiled plans to launch several new international services, including an alliance with Air New Zealand.
The Beijing-based carrier will launch a new daily direct service…
Ritz-Carlton hits new heights in Melbourne
Ritz-Carlton has signed a new property in Melbourne which is set to become the highest luxury hotel in Australia.
Located on Spencer Street, the Ritz-Carlton Melbourne will form part…
AirAsia finally gets approval for Bali-Melbourne flight
AirAsia has finally received permission to launch its direct Bali-Melbourne service and will commence flights on 18 March.
The route, which will be the first operated by new…
Jetstar expands Dreamliner flights across Asia Pacific
Jetstar has unveiled plans to launch its new Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft on a series of new routes across the Asia Pacific region.
Already this month, the low-cost carrier has…
Mantra opens biggest hotel
Mantra Group has added the largest hotel to its network, with the rebranding of the 844-room Bell City hotel complex in Melbourne.
The group now manages the two hotel towers, which it…
Royal Brunei and RAK Tourism seek UK consumers
Royal Brunei Airlines has forged a long-term agreement with Ras al-Khaimah Tourism (RAK) to develop the UAE destination with UK consumers.
As part of the agreement, Royal Brunei will…
Qantas to add new Queensland connections
Qantas has unveiled a series of new domestic and international services for Queensland.
Following the recent announcement of its new Brisbane-Tokyo Narita service, which starts in…
Rydges adds new hotel in Melbourne
Rydges will launch its third hotel in Melbourne next month.
Following a rebranding and refurbishment of the former Urban St Kilda hotel, the new Rydges St Kilda will launch on 2…
P&O ships tennis fans to Australian Open
A shipload of tennis fans set sail for Melbourne on Monday, to watch the Australian Open.
A total of 1,800 cruise passengers were onboard P&O Cruises’ Pacific Pearl liner when it…
Jetstar to link Cairns with Bali
Jetstar will expand its operations in Bali next year, with the launch of a new direct service to the island from Cairns.
Commencing on 31 March 2015, the Australian low-cost carrier…
Etihad goes double daily to Melbourne
Etihad Airways will continue its expansion in Australia next year with the launch of a second daily flight between Abu Dhabi and Melbourne.
Commencing on 1 August 2015, the additional…
Scoot moves into Melbourne
Singapore-based low-cost carrier Scoot has revealed that it will launch its first flights to Melbourne next year.
Commencing on 1 November 2015, the airline will use its brand new…
Mantra to manage large hotel complex in Melbourne
Mantra Group is set to manage an 844-room complex in Melbourne.
The Australian hotelier has been appointed to operate the Bell City development, which is currently managed by Rydges.…
DoubleTree debuts in Melbourne
Hilton has opened its first DoubleTree hotel in Melbourne.
The new DoubleTree by Hilton Melbourne Flinders Street marks a rebranding of the former Citigate Melbourne. It reopens…
Ovolo opens Australian headquarters
Hong Kong's Ovolo Hotels has established a new international headquarters in Australia.
The new Melbourne office forms part of a major Australian expansion effort for the company, which…
Qantas reschedules London-Melbourne A380 service
Formula 1 racing driver Daniel Ricciardo was on hand as Qantas Ambassador to launch the airline’s new schedule for its London to Melbourne A380 service.
The reschedule means the…
Australia attracts Indian television audience
Australia will showcase Melbourne as a honeymoon destination through primetime television show in India.
Tourism Australia (TA) along with Tourism Victoria (TVIC) and Malaysia…
Melbourne hits the right social media note
Tourism bosses in Melbourne, Australia have hailed a ‘remote control tourist’ campaign a success after its website and YouTube views soared.
More than 103,000 people visited Tourism…
Etihad Airways outlines Australian expansion
Etihad Airways outlined a range of major changes to its Australian operations, including new aircraft, new routes, additional flights and new airport facilities. James Hogan, president and…
Qatar Airways brings on a flavour of jazz in Melbourne
Qatar Airways brought in a flavour of Jazz in the city down under, Melbourne with the sponsorship of the world renowned Melbourne International Jazz Festival, which kicked off in the…
Grand Hyatt Melbourne unveils revamped rooms
Grand Hyatt Melbourne is pleased to announce that the interior redesign of the hotel's premium suites, the Grand Club Lounge and the Club floors (the hotel's top seven floors) are now…
