World's Highest

World's Highest Hotel

The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong open and dominates the skyline as the world's "highest" hotel. Located at the very top of the International Commerce Centre (ICC) in Hong Kong, occupying floors 102 to 118, the hotel is the very pinnacle of luxury and a beacon of contemporary style and excellence in Asia's World City.  The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong is the newest addition to the brand's growing global portfolio of 75 luxury properties and its 16th hotel in Asia.  

The stylish and contemporary interiors by Singapore's LTW set the scene for this thoroughly modern hotel set in the heart of Hong Kong. The sense of arrival is breathtaking with views of Victoria Harbour and the iconic Hong Kong skyline as the backdrop. Guests will be welcomed into the arrival lobby on the 9th floor before being transported up to the hotel lobby on the 103rd floor where panoramic views over Hong Kong await them.
The hotel's 312 guest rooms all offer spectacular city and harbour views. Starting at 530 sqft for a Deluxe Room, and reaching 3,920 sqft for the magnificent Ritz-Carlton Suite, rooms provide state-of-the-art technology including WiFi, iPod docking stations, blu-ray DVD players and flat screen TVs. In addition, Club room guests can enjoy the panoramic view from The Ritz-Carlton Club Lounge with complimentary food and beverage presentations 24 hours a day. The Club also gives guests’ access to a dedicated Club Concierge, work stations, meeting rooms and WiFi throughout.  The hotel offers three restaurants on the 102nd floor, including Tin Lung Heen, which is a Chinese restaurant serving refined Cantonese cuisine, Tosca, an Italian restaurant which offers Southern Italian Cuisine with an open kitchen and the very stylish The Lounge & Bar which features stunning crystal fire pits. In addition, there is a chocolate-themed lounge named The Chocolate Library on the 103rd floor and a stylish patisserie located on the 9th floor.
Perhaps the jewel in the crown is Ozone located on the hotel's 118th floor. This sleek, stylish and contemporary restaurant and bar will set a new benchmark for Hong Kong's social and dining scene. Offering contemporary Asian tapas, signature cocktails and a stylish wine list, Ozone has bar and restaurant seating in zoned sections and the world's highest al fresco terrace where guests can indulge in the incredible views over the city.
The Ritz-Carlton Spa by ESPA is the ultimate in urban spa sanctuary experiences. Located on the 116th floor and featuring nine deluxe treatment rooms and two couple's suites all with floor-to-ceiling windows with panoramic views, the spa will appeal to both residential guests and Hong Kong citizens alike and offer a true escape from the city some 16,000 feet below.
The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong is strategically located at the heart of the city and will become a must-see tourist attraction now that it has opened.

Best Place to live.....

Best Place to live.....

In a world as large and diverse, it’s only natural for comparisons to be drawn between countries. Which is more liveable, New Zealand or Canada? Is Australia better than Switzerland for raising a family? Which countries are best for retirees?

This is what drives at MoneySense magazine to publish Best Places to Live. They look at empirical, objective criteria such as housing affordability, incomes, job prospects, crime rates and access to health care. Even weather is taken into account. Information is taken from the Census Metropolitan Areas, Census Agglomeration and Statistics.

MoneySense magazine include every community with a population of more than 10,000 people, 180 cities and towns in all. Each one is ranked in more than 20 different categories for a final figure out of a possible 105 points. The scores were close and no city is perfect. Only two scored higher than 70, and just barely.

The magazine doesn’t expect everyone to agree with their findings. What makes a city appealing for one person may make it unliveable for another. They were often asked, “what about the scenery, or the community spirit?” The fact is there are plenty of subjective, intangible criteria that we intentionally leave out of our formulas for the simple reason that they cannot possibly be measured.

For the second year in a row, Ottawa-Gatineau, Canada takes the top spot in their rankings. What does it have that other cities don’t? In a word, consistency. It does not rank particularly high in any individual category but it comes in above average across the board. It has jobs, accessible doctors, low crime, and household incomes and real estate are not drastically misaligned. There is a wealth of museums and galleries keep the culture-lover occupied, and the hostile winters are balanced out by beautiful summers.

Five Star MICE industry in ME

Five Star event for the meeting & events industry in the Middle East
GIBTM is the leading event for the rapidly developing Middle East Meetings, Events, Incentives and Business Travel industry and the driving force behind the development of the professional meetings (MICE) industry across the region.
Come along to ADNEC, Abu Dhabi on 28 - 30 March and meet with over 275 international and regional exhibiting companies, network with industry colleagues and update your knowledge by attending education sessions.
The 2011 global study of the meetings and incentives (MICE) industry for the Gulf and Middle East region was launched on Monday 28 March 2011, day 1 of GIBTM.
This is the fifth Middle East Meetings Industry Research Report produced by Reed Travel Exhibitions in association with meetme since 2007. Over that period the research has played an important role in gathering data which does not exist elsewhere and it provides insight into the developing meeting industry across the Gulf and wide Middle East/North Africa region. 71% suppliers think the value of their business will increase although the percentage thinking the volume of events will increase has not changed and 86% of suppliers will be developing new business from the region in 2011/12, with on average 14% of their marketing budget allocated to activities in the region. According to suppliers the key to increasing their business includes political stability and security, greater awareness of what the region has to offer through increased marketing, economic growth an improved financial climate, increased air routes and access and an easier visa process.

Sense of Humour

Sense of Humour

South Africa’s Kulula Airlines may be small, but it has a jet-sized sense of humour. Check out this paint scheme that points out everything from the black box to the loo. Their humour extends to their website, as well, where you’ll find such gems as this from the section on unaccompanied minors: "Unfortunately, we do not cater for unaccompanied kiddies on our flights. Your little monsters must travel with someone who can keep an eye on them." Kulula is a regional carrier based in Johannesburg.

Mobile check-in and boarding

Mobile check-in and paperless boarding for international travel

United Continental Holdings, Inc. announced the expansion of mobile check-in and mobile boarding passes to United customers travelling with international itineraries. Customers may check in at united.com using a Web-enabled mobile device beginning 24 hours before departure.

Additionally, United's mobile boarding pass option is now available to customers departing from airports in London, Munich, Amsterdam, Brussels, Geneva, Zurich, Moscow and Osaka. United plans to introduce the mobile boarding pass option at additional international airports, including Frankfurt, Tokyo Narita and Hong Kong, in the coming months. United currently offers paperless boarding at 62 U.S. airports, including its hubs in Chicago, Denver, Washington Dulles, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

"The expansion of our mobile check-in feature and paperless boarding option to international travel enables our customers to enjoy even more flexibility and control throughout their travel experience," said Martin Hand, vice president of customer experience.

Continental Airlines currently offers the mobile boarding pass option at 70 airports, including its hubs in New York, Houston, Cleveland and Guam, and international destinations including London, Frankfurt, Munich, Brussels, Zurich, Geneva, Amsterdam and Saipan. Customers flying on any Continental flight may check in at continental.com using a Web-enabled mobile device.

United and Continental mobile boarding passes display a two-dimensional bar code along with customer and flight information, which scanners at the security checkpoint and boarding gate validate. A refresh of the mobile boarding pass will reflect any changes to seat assignments, gate changes and upgrade confirmations. The technology prevents manipulation or duplication of the boarding passes and heightens security.

ICAO and four UN bodies declared

Air Travel to/from Japan safe
ICAO and four other UN bodies issued a joint statement declaring air travel to/from Japan safe, adding that they are "monitoring the situation closely and will advise of any changes."
With Japan scrambling to manage unstable nuclear reactors following the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, the World Health Organization, the International Atomic Energy Agency, the World Meteorological Organization and the International Maritime Organization joined with ICAO to state, "International flight and maritime operations can continue normally into and out of Japan's major airports and sea ports, excluding those damaged by the tsunami, according to the latest information available."
The organizations added that there is "currently no medical basis for imposing restrictions" and "screening for radiation of international passengers from Japan is not considered necessary at this time."
IATA said it welcomed the UN statement and reiterated that there "are no restrictions to normal air transport operations at Japan's major airports, including both (Tokyo) Haneda and Narita." DG and CEO Giovanni Bisignani said in a statement: "Effective air links are critically important at this time. Our members are rising to the challenge of bringing relief supplies, equipment and people to Japan as well as connecting families affected by this tragedy."
IATA has warned of a "major slowdown" near-term in the Japanese air transport market.