Philippine Airlines (PAL) will launch a new service to Tokyo Haneda Airport this summer. Commencing on 30 March 2014, the national carrier will operate twice daily flights to the Japanese hub, using its Airbus A340 aircraft. The new service will complement PAL’s existing three flights per day to Tokyo Narita Airport, for a total of five daily flights between Manila and Tokyo. Haneda becomes PAL’s fifth gateway in Japan, following Narita, Fukuoka, Osaka and Nagoya, and the new flights will boost the airline’s total Japanese capacity to 47 flights a week.

Mantra Group is continuing to expand in Australia with plans for two new properties in Queensland. The hotelier will rebrand a hotel in Brisbane under its midscale BreakFree brand, while the northern city of Townsville will see the opening of a new-built upscale Mantra-branded hotel. The BreakFree Fortitude Valley Brisbane will open in March 2014, offering a range of studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, plus a swimming pool, barbeque area and gymnasium. In Townsville, the brand new 185-room Mantra Townsville hotel is expected to open in 2016, as part of new leisure precinct planned for the city’s CBD. It will offer a pool, gym and spa, plus extensive conference and banqueting facilities.

U Hotels, the upscale brand from Absolute Hotel Services (AHS), has announced plans to launch its first property in Bangkok. Due to welcome its first guests on 1 March 2014, the U Sukhumvit Bangkok will be located on Sukhumvit Soi 15, in the centre of the Thai capital. The hotel will feature 82 rooms, designed to represent the four regions of Thailand, along with facilities including a restaurant, rooftop infinity-edged swimming pool, fitness centre, library and business centre. As with all U Hotels, guests will be offered free Wi-Fi, 24-hour room rental from the time they check-in, free breakfast at any time of day, and pre-selected pillows, soap, tea and music.

IHG has unveiled plans to bring its luxury InterContinental hotel brand to the Indonesian city of Bandung. Set to open later this year, the 204-room and 19-villa InterContinental Bandung Dago Pakar will be located in the upscale Dago neighbourhood of the city, overlooking the 18-hole Mountain View Golf Course. It will form part of a mixed-use development, approximately 3km from Bandung city centre. Facilities at the hotel will include two restaurants, a spa and one of the largest ballrooms in Bandung.