Featured in this Asia Pacific Hospitality Newsletter - Week Ending 6 June 2008
Cebu City Marriott Hotel To Undergo Multimillion Peso Renovation
China's Sichuan Earthquake Dampens Hong Kong Holidaymakers' Travel To Mainland China
India Tourism Development Corporation Launches Major Renovation Exercise For Its Hotel Properties
Swissotel Expands China Portfolio
Regal Hotels Experiencing Positives Of Beijing Olympics
Australian Tourism Market May Be Facing Decline
Absolute Share Price Performance, As At 6 June 2008


Cebu City Marriott Hotel To Undergo Multimillion Peso Renovation Return to Headlines

The Cebu City Marriott Hotel, a joint venture between Cebu Holdings Inc and Ayala Hotels Inc, is expected to undergo a multimillion Peso renovation between June 2008 and December 2008. Located at the Cebu Business Park, the Philippines, the 301-room hotel is expected to carry out its refurbishment in two phases. The first phase which comprises the renovation of 185 rooms, the lobby, lobby bar and lounge, restaurant, pool deck, pool bar and alfresco dining is expected to commence on 8 June 2008 and be completed by mid-September 2008. The second phase involves the refurbishment of 116 rooms and other areas of the hotel and is likely to be carried out from mid-September 2008 to 31 December 2009. Upon completion of the renovation works, the hotel is expected to feature a new lobby, a newly designed pool, trendy food and beverage outlets and wireless Internet in all the rooms.


China's Sichuan Earthquake Dampens Hong Kong Holidaymakers' Travel To Mainland China Return to Headlines
The Sichuan earthquake has dampened Hong Kong holidaymakers' travel to mainland China, including provinces such as Yunnan, Hunan and Guizhou, which are not affected by the disaster. According to Travel Industry Council Executive Director Joseph Tung Yao-chung, enquiries and bookings for mainland China tours have declined by 30% to 50% since the disaster occurred in Sichuan Province on 12 May 2008. The decline in travel is due mainly to fears of aftershocks and concerns about the safety of travelling to tourist destinations such as the Jiuzhaigou Valley. It is expected that travel to Sichuan would resume to normal by the end of 2008 as visitors are likely to travel to less affected tourist destinations within the province, such as Leshan and Mount Emei.

India Tourism Development Corporation Launches Major Renovation Exercise For Its Hotel Properties Return to Headlines
India Tourism Development Corporation's ('ITDC') Ashok Group of Hotels has witnessed increased profits upon a major renovation and upgrading exercise for the group's hotel properties located in Ranchi, Puducherry and Bhopal in India. These include the renovation of 40 rooms at the Brahmaputra Ashok, Guwahati, with plans to add a wellness-cum-convention centre which is expected to be completed in 2009; the renovation of the front wing of Hotel Janpath, New Delhi, with plans to refurbish the hotel's back wing and lobby in 2008; the revamp of 59 rooms at Hotel Ashok, New Delhi, with another 182 rooms, the convention centre, lobby and some public areas to be renovated by 2010 at a cost of approximately US$34 million; the upgrading of a floor to five-star standard and the addition of a banquet hall at Hotel Patliputra Ashok, Patna; and the upgrading of a floor at Hotel Kalinga Ashok, Bhubaneswar. In addition, renovation works on two convention rooms at Hotel Pondicherry Ashok are almost completed and plans are underway to include ten cottage rooms and a wellness centre with a swimming pool.

Swissotel Expands China Portfolio Return to Headlines
Swissotel Hotels and Resorts ('Swissotel') has opened its fourth property in China, the 234-room Swissotel Foshan in Guangdong Province. The 208-metre tall hotel features four food and beverage outlets, seven meeting rooms inclusive of a grand ballroom which can accommodate 800 people, a spa and a fitness centre among its facilities. Foshan offers a wide variety of tourist attractions including the Zumiao Ancestral Temple built in 1078 and the Nan Feng ceramic workshops which date back to the Ming Dynasty. In addition, a museum dedicated to the martial arts legend, Bruce Lee, is also expected to attract tourists.

Regal Hotels Experiencing Positives Of Beijing Olympics Return to Headlines
Hong Kong's Regal Hotels International Holdings ('Regal Hotels') has recorded a year-on-year double-digit growth for the average room rates of the group's five local hotels in the first quarter of 2008. Regal Riverside Hotel in Sha Tin, one of the designated hotels for the equestrian events which Hong Kong is hosting for the Beijing Olympics, has also achieved positive advanced bookings amidst the slow take-up at an average of 50% occupancy in other Hong Kong hotels. Regal Hotels is also likely to bid for government sites for hotel development and seek acquisition opportunities in mainland China.

Australian Tourism Market May Be Facing Decline Return to Headlines

According to Tourism Research Australia, there were a total of 5.2 million international arrivals to Australia between March 2007 and March 2008, reflecting a mere one-percent increase from the previous year. During this period, tourism spending was recorded at approximately US$15.3 billion. It is expected that the number of outbound Australians will outnumber the inbound international arrivals in 2008. In view of this situation, the relevant authorities are planning to spend approximately US$190 million in promoting domestic travel.


Absolute Share Price Performance, as at 6 June 2008
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