Reporter’s Notebook: ITB, Part 2
Universal Studios
Senior VP of sales Frank Belzer says a key highlight is Skull Island – Reign of Kong, opening this summer in Islands of Adventure, adjacent to Jurrasic Park. It’s a six-minute ride incorporating live action and interactive elements. Coming in 2017, “Fast & Furious” will be based on the movie franchise. Also, the Hulk roller coaster has been redesigned and will reopen this summer. Sapphire Falls Resort also opens this summer; it’s a 1,000-room Caribbean-themed property located on the waterway, with water taxi service to City Walk. Its features include a huge family pool area and Strongwater Tavern, with a rum-focused menu. Guests enjoy early park admission and free package delivery to their hotel for purchases made in the park. All Universal hotels have been renovated in the past two years, Belzer noted, and the resort has just launched a travel-agent training program.
Bahamas
Joy Jibrilu, director general, said the luxury favorite One & Only Ocean Club is looking better than ever, with an infinity pool and upgrade of all rooms and public areas. The Pointe, a multiuse development adjacent to The British Colonial incorporates hotels, features an amphitheater, shopping mall, 11 restaurants, and a new boardwalk leading from the port, marketplace, and Junkanoo beach.
On Bimini, a new-build Hilton-branded hotel with 200 rooms and conference facilities, spa, and casino will cater to travelers who like fishing and diving. Warwick Paradise Island, Bahamas, is opening Summer 2016. It is a new four-star, adult all-inclusive contemporary resort overlooking Nassau Harbour. Its beachfront location is sure to make it popular.
Getting to the Bahamas is getting easier. Southwest is launching nonstop service from Ft. Lauderdale to Nassau. Delta is opening a route from Atlanta to Marsh Harbour and increasing Eleuthera to three flights per week.
Grenada
Calabash Grenada Hotel & Spa just completed a complete renovation of all 32 rooms with new contemporary styling, as well as upgrades to the beach bar, spa, and pool area. It was recently voted the #9 hotel in the world by Trip Advisor users and #2 hotel in the Caribbean.
Dominican Republic
At Eden Roc in Punta Cana, Stefano Baratellis says he is building 22 new beachfront suites adjacent to the Beach Club, which just went through a $16 million upgrade. A new wellness center opens this summer, featuring beachfront treatment suites and panoramic views of the ocean.
Greater Ft. Lauderdale
Greater Ft. Lauderdale CVB vice president of marketing communications Kim Butler said a new Conrad opens this summer, upping the destination’s luxury quotient. Additionally, Gale Boutique Hotel & Residences will bring a new 96-room luxury boutique hotel in a restored 1948 landmark structure, just one block from the beach.
Norwegian will start Ft. Lauderdale-to-Paris flights August 4, while JetBlue started Quito-Ft. Lauderdale service in February and starts Ft. Lauderdale to Barbados April 28.
Qatar Airways
The Doha-based carrier announced more than a dozen new destinations.
New European destinations include:
Starting on August 2, with daily non-stop A320-family service from Doha, Pisa will be the fourth Italian destination for Qatar Airways, joining Venice, Rome, and Milan.
Service to Sarajevo (Bosnia) will start on September 7, with three flights per week on A320-family aircraft.
Daily non-stop flights from Doha to Helsinki will start on October 10, offering new connections between oneworld hubs.
Three-times-weekly service between Doha and Skopje (Macedonia) will begin in November. Both new cities will be served with A320-family aircraft.
Qatar Airways will return to Nice by summer 2017, with five flights per week in wide-body aircraft.
Qatar Airways will begin services to six new destinations in Africa:
Marrakech (Morocco) will begin in July, three times per week, from Doha, on the airline’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft.
Four flights per week between Doha and Windhoek (Namibia) will begin in September.
Daily scheduled service to the Seychelles will resume on December 12.
In January, Qatar Airways will offer three flights per week from Doha to Douala (Cameroon) and Libreville (Gabon) utilizing one aircraft. Non-stop service, three times weekly from Doha to Lusaka (Zambia), will begin by summer 2017.
New Qatar Airways destinations in South West Pacific/Southeast Asia are:
Daily service to Auckland. Qatar Airways’ first route to New Zealand, and what will be the world’s longest flight, will begin Dec. 3. Qatar Airways will use the Boeing 777 aircraft for this route.
Qatar Airways will also begin four flights per week to Krabi (Thailand) on Dec. 6 and three flights per week to Chiang Mai (Thailand) also in December, enhancing overall connectivity to Thailand through four gateways. Qatar Airways currently flies to Bangkok and Phuket.
