by editor’s office, ch

Mister Klaus, Kempinski Hotel Bristol Berlin, which is under your management, is one of the first “Leading” hotels in Germany. You said recently that being a member of this marketing association had resulted in prestige, but little profit. Has the annual membership fee of USD85,000 ever paid off?

Uwe Klaus: “The membership needs to be viewed from different angles throughout the years, of course. Firstly, the fee has developed over many years. Secondly, the Berlin market has, of course, seen drastic change. We used to be the first and only LHW hotel in town and thus enjoyed the according prestige and booking volumes. By now, both the number of LHW hotels and the presence of luxury brands have risen rapidly

In July 2009, the Radisson Hotel Pudong Century Park officially launched the Artwork Exhibition Series 1 with an evening of beautifully prepared South American cuisine and exciting flamenco dance.

The hotel is renowned for its contemporary art design and a series of artwork exhibitions have been held at the hotel. The hotel has invited two famous Chinese Oil Painting artists to exhibit their stunning and thought provoking artworks in the pubic areas of the hotel as part of the hotel’s ongoing art programme. This current exhibition combines two extremely different art expressions from the youthful to a mature perception.

The ongoing global economic crisis appears to have no impact on the hotel market. Even though Berlin’s existing hotels are doing all but well, the flow of new developments is unbroken. Experts are talking of occupancy rates of 53-60% at existing establishments in Berlin, and of a stagnating tourism. All this does not appear to stop the international hotel corporations from building one new hotel after the other in the German capital.

@Leisure BR BV first member from the Netherlands to join VIR as sustaining member

With 15,000 residences in 17 European countries, @Leisure is one of the leading suppliers of holiday homes and apartments in its business segment. As sustaining member of “Verband Internet Reisevertrieb” (Internet Travel Marketing Association), the Eindhoven-based company hopes to benefit from the intensive exchange of experiences and more thorough integration in the on-line travel industry, as well as from the valuable findings of VIR’s market research, which is accessible to members, exclusively. In Germany, @Leisure is best known for its website www.belvilla.de.

In opening a branch in Hanoi Downtown, Avis will be the first international car rental company to venture into the Vietnamese market. “Vietnam was one of the few countries that Avis did not yet have a branch in – something we had to change. The great demand among our clients – in both the tourism and business segments – showed us that there is a need for an internationally operating car rental here,” said Eric Brun, General Manager, Avis Asia.

by editor’s office, l/p

In an unprecedented step by the current administration, Bernhard Bohnenberger is the first foreigner appointed as an Honorary Advisor to the President of the Senate of Thailand. As a member of an elite panel, he may be called upon to advise Professor Prasobsook Boondech – President of the Senate, on all matters relating to high-end tourism, which is a focus for the country’s important inbound leisure sector.