Bali tourism operators get safety nod prior to reopening

As Bali prepares to welcome domestic tourists back, tourism players in the destination are required by authorities to obtain health and safety accreditation, as part of efforts to regain traveller confidence.

According to Tjokorda Oka Artha Ardana Sukawati, vice governor of Bali, the Bali administration plans to reopen the island’s tourism facilities to local Bali residents on July 9, followed by Indonesian travellers on July 31.

Bali ramps up safety measures ahead of domestic travellers’ return; tourists at Seminyak Beach in Bali […]

Accor’s new Raffles Bali opens amid pandemic

One of Accor’s most iconic luxury brands finally landed in Indonesia’s most famous tourist island when Raffles Bali soft-opened over the weekend on 4 July.

This Bali luxury outpost is the 15th Raffles property launched worldwide, and marks the brand’s second in Indonesia after Raffles Jakarta.

Initially slated to open in April 2020, Raffles Bali forms part of Accor’s plan to add over 10 hotels across Indonesia in 2020, according to Asia-Pacific CEO Michael Issenberg when he spoke to Travel Weekly Asia earlier […]

Pan Pacific Hotel Group presses ahead with expansion

Pan Pacific Hotels Group (PPHG) is rolling ahead with global expansion despite the Covid-19 pandemic, including debuting its first property in Europe next year and bringing forward the launch of ParkRoyal Collection Marina Bay to November 2020.

The Singapore-based hotel group, a wholly-owned subsidiary under UOL Group Limited, has openings marked for Melbourne, London, Dalian, Hanoi, Malaysia, Jakarta and Singapore in the next two years.

“Particularly, we look forward to planting our first flag in Europe with the opening of Pan Pacific […]

Former 2 Six Senses hotels in Singapore to reopen under Marriott’s Autograph Collection

Following Six Senses’s exit from Singapore, the two colonial properties it used to manage will reopen under the Marriott International flag, the hotels’ owner, The Garcha Group, revealed to CNA Luxury.

“The two colonial-era gems in the heart of Singapore’s buzzing and dynamic Tanjong Pagar enclave have been rechristened The Maxwell Reserve Hotel, Autograph Collection and The Duxton Reserve Hotel, Autograph Collection. We are very proud to announce that we are now part of the Autograph Collection, a curated collection of remarkable independent hotels across the […]

Thailand cautiously reopens doors to some foreigners

As Thailand began its fifth phase of relaxing Covid-19 restrictions, it is gradually removing restrictions imposed on international flights on Wednesday.

Certain groups of people now permitted entry into the country include business travellers and foreigners with spouses, work permits or residency in the country.

The announcement from the country’s civil aviation regulator came after Thailand’s Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) agreed to reopen the country’s borders gradually, initially for six groups of foreigners and citizens from Japan, South Korea, China, […]

Trump-backed ultra-luxury Bali project forced to scale back

Less than a year after Donald Trump Jr. visited Jakarta to mark the Trump Organization’s foray into Southeast Asia’s biggest country, his ultra-luxury project in Bali is facing a new reality: Indonesians are holding back spending as the coronavirus ravages the nation’s $1 trillion economy.

The U.S. developer’s local partner and conglomerate, PT MNC Investama, is now considering remodeling the design of the Trump-branded six-star hotel and residential venture in a bid to make the property more affordable to buyers seeking to save, […]