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Volume 6, Issue 29, July 23, 2008 |
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Doing business in Beijing around the time of the Olympics shouldn’t be an impossibility, thanks to new transportation options and a plethora of new hotels.
Last week, a spokesman for the Beijing Tourism Authority said that more than half Beijing’s hotel rooms were still available, though bookings were building. At the moment, projected occupancy rates are actually lower than last August’s 70 percent, thanks to more than 20 new hotels built during the Olympics run-up.
According to Reuters, Beijing expects to host only 6 to 17 percent more foreign visitors than last August, despite the Olympics. Most of the expected influx of hotel bookings in the next month will be from the domestic population, with rooms in the top international hotels expected to stay open.
A new transit system opens in Beijing this week, with new subway and rail service available to compensate for stricter controls on automotive traffic during the Olympic period. A new airport line runs between the airport and the central business district, while two new train lines will serve the Olympic areas. 
The rental-car company practice of charging high rates for refueling returned vehicles, once a convenience-fee profit center, now seems prescient. Partly as a result of that cushion against escalating gas prices, car renters are one of the few segments of the travel industry to be relatively unscathed by the economic slowdown. Hertz is now revising its charges to reflect the new realities: Vehicles returned with less than full tanks will now be charged actual cost per gallon rather than a standardized rate.
After a six-month remodel, Thai Airways has launched its new Royal Silk Lounge at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL). The new lounge, which includes an 11-seat VIP section, is available for use by Thai’s business-class passengers, Royal Orchid Plus gold members, Singapore Airlines and Lufthansa premium-class passengers, and Star Alliance Gold Card members.
London ’s famed, and recently refurbished, Connaught Hotel has just opened Helene Darroze at The Connaught, led by its namesake two-star Michelin chef. The cuisine will combine the ingredients of southwest France with traditional British fare, and the restaurant aims to serve one of the most distinctive wine lists in London A carryover from the chef's Left Bank restaurant will be the Armagnac Trolley, with 44 vintages.
If you’re doing business in Australia, a sensible choice is Qantas’ Aussie Airpass, good for departures from Aug. 1 through Sept. 21 from Los Angeles (LAX), San Francisco (SFO) or Honolulu (HNL). Choose Sydney (SYD), Melbourne (MEL) or Brisbane (BNE) as your destination and you can stop in three additional cities from a list of nine including those and Canberra (CBR), Adelaide (ADL) and more.
While airlines are cutting back on flights, international route expansion goes on. The latest is Delta’s new nonstop service between New York (JFK) and Lyon (LYS), flying Boeing 757-200 aircraft in a two-class configuration. As part of Delta’s joint venture with Air France, passengers will be able to connect to 40 other European destinations via Lyon. Business Elite passengers can take advantage of Delta’s new arrangement with U.S. Helicopter for free flights between either Manhattan heliport and JFK; free flights are also being offered until Aug. 29 to travelers holding first-class or full-fare economy tickets on nonstop domestic Delta flights.
Courtyard San Diego Downtown
530 Broadway St.
San Diego , CA 92101
tel 619 446 3000
www.marriott.com/sancd
We were arriving in San Diego in the afternoon and leaving early the next morning, so we wanted a hotel conveniently located. This Courtyard by Marriott was perfect. It was a short walk to the waterfront (for sightseeing) and to PETCO Park (home of the San Diego Padres, our nighttime destination). It is located in the business district and is one of San Diego's most prominent landmarks, the former San Diego Trust & Savings Bank.
There are 14 floors, housing 230 rooms, 15 suites and five meeting rooms. Each room has high-speed Internet access, along with a spacious work area. More important are the two best features of the room, the bed and the shower. The bed and pillow provided the most comfortable sleep I have ever had in a hotel. The shower had a strong, steady water flow, perfectly refreshing.
Lincoln’s Bar and Grill is located within the hotel. It offers American cuisine on its extensive menu. A large breakfast buffet is offered, featuring healthy and tasty options. Several other dining options, including a fine steakhouse, a deli, a coffee house, a pizzeria and a jazz-filled café, are available within a one-block walk.
The hotel staff was extremely helpful and pleasant. They offered several suggestions on various inquiries we made, which couldn’t be very easy considering there were six of us talking at once.
Our stay was short, but it was extremely pleasing. The Courtyard San Diego Downtown didn’t just provide a decent night’s sleep for six travel-weary baseball fans. It provided a comfortable, reinvigorating hiatus from the fast pace of the trip. I could not have asked more of any hotel.
Score: ••••• John Wroblewski
If you fly Emirates from Houston (IAH) or New York (JFK) this fall, you can not only save on fares but stop over in Dubai (DXB) for free. Special fares good from Sept. 10 through Oct. 10 begin at $1,275 New York-Dubai, with most fares to other Mideast and African destinations under $1,600. Adding a stopover in one of those cities is only $100.
Alitalia is partnering with La Cucina Italia to sponsor a sweepstakes with a yummy prize: a trip for two to Milan, four nights at a top hotel, five cooking classes at La Scuola da Cucina Italia and a celebratory Tuscan-themed dinner and wine-tasting. Register to enter (no purchase necessary) by Sept. 30.
If you are in New York City on Friday, July 25, you can take advantage of a 60th-anniversary promotion for John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) by riding the AirTrain for free. For a longer stay, two Kimpton Hotels, 70 Park Avenue and The Muse New York, offer Big Savings in the Big Apple specials through Sept. 7, with 20 percent off their best available rate.
Use your British Airways Visa card (or apply for one) and you can get a companion ticket for free when you buy any first-, business- or premium-economy-class ticket on the airline for use by the end of the year. The offer is good from the United States to any destination British Airways serves.
If you can book by July 31, Korean Air Lines is offering some genuine bargain late-summer fares between the West Coast and Mumbai (BOM). Round-trip economy fares start at $1,169 from Los Angeles (LAX), San Francisco (SFO) or Seattle (SEA), for travel between Aug. 21 and Sept. 30, Monday through Thursday; add $80 for weekend fares. The price includes fuel surcharges, but not taxes/fees.
You’ve got more time to check out THAI’s latest deal. For travel Nov. 1 and later, THAI is offering special promotional fares in premium economy between Los Angeles (LAX) and Bangkok (BKK) starting at $1,380 round trip, including fuel surcharges (taxes and fees extra). Maximum stay is 90 days.
