Accompanying the topping out ceremony of the new Meininger Berlin Hauptbahnhof, Stiftung Warentest rated the Meininger hotels as recommendable in its recently published issue on “Good Value Stays”, with an overall rating of “Good” (2.2). The rating “Excellent” was not awarded.

Stiftung Warentest assessed room furnishing, breakfast, information and booking options via Internet, as well as further services and public areas.

Germany’s second-largest airline is expanding its route network and will be flying to Israel for the first time this summer. From July 7, 2009 onwards, Air Berlin passengers will have a choice of two non-stop flights a week from Berlin to Tel Aviv. There will also be feeder flights from various German cities. The Air Berlin jets will be taking off from Berlin on Tuesday and Thursday evenings to land in Tel Aviv the following day.

The most important trade show for the Asian market has opened its new website. Buyers, exhibitors and media can now register at www.atfbrunei.com.

The ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) is a cooperative regional effort to promote the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region as one tourist destination. This annual event involves all the tourism industry sectors of the 10 member nations of ASEAN: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Renaissance Hotels & Resorts Welcomes Newest ‘Gem’ to its Global Collection – Renaissance New York Hotel 57

Renaissance New York Hotel 57 is the newest gem in the Renaissance brand’s global collection of 140 properties. The highly distinctive Hotel 57 is nearing completion of a $40 million makeover and is the second Renaissance in Manhattan. The property, located at 57th Street & Lexington Avenue, is owned by Apple Eight Hospitality Management of Richmond, Virginia.

The evening’s center of attention was 262.5 meters long, 32 meters wide, weighed 76,998 gross register tons and is the first ship of TUI Cruises: The “Mein Schiff” was christened in a grand ceremony at the St. Pauli Fish Market in Hamburg, Germany. Renowned artists, such as Udo Lindenberg and Jan Delay, celebrated the “Mein Schiff” and sent it off to its great voyage. Multi-faceted artist Ina Müller, being the godmother, was given a very special role: Around 09.20 p.m., she recited the baptismal verse in Low German before smashing the champaign bottle on the bow of the “Mein Schiff”.

Journalist and MICE Awards announced – plans for the promotion of Sabah

Berlin, Germany. Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Sutera Harbour Resort in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia, Mr. Ravi Kathiravelu paid a friendly trade visit to Germany, where he introduced Sutera Harbour’s vast family of products and services to members of the local media.

Along with the recently appointed Director of Business Development Europe, Joachim Fischer, Berlin, the COO visited German cities, using the opportunity to inspect various hotels in order to take a look at what German tourists expect from, and appreciate in hotels. In the course of his visit, the COO announced the recently launched, first awards of the Sutera Harbour Group