HOSPITALITY TRENDS
globenewswire | May 12, 2023
Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (PCNA) and Nobu Hotel Atlanta have teamed up to create an immersive, first-of-its-kind hospitality experience for travelers from across the globe. Located just north of Porsche’s U.S. headquarters, Nobu Hotel Atlanta unveils today the new Porsche Icon Suite and Porsche Classic Room. As the first Nobu property worldwide to offer a Porsche-themed experience, the newly opened Buckhead hotel offers stunning accommodations and a host of exclusive amenities designed to give guests an unforgettable stay.
“From our sports cars to the experiences we offer, the goal is to provide an elevated experience for everyone who engages with our brand,” said Ayesha Coker, Vice President of Marketing of PCNA. “We’re thrilled to see this collaboration come to life as two luxury brands come together for Atlantans and travelers from around the world who’re seeking a unique and immersive stay while visiting Atlanta.”
Nobu Hotel Atlanta has elegantly designed a room and suite that seamlessly integrates sleek Porsche-inspired art and decor as well as exclusive memorabilia celebrating iconic Porsche moments. Guests will also find best-in-class amenities consistent with Nobu’s signature attention to detail and customized for the Porsche-minded lifestyle. Among these are a Porsche-dedicated executive conference room onsite for guests looking to host business meetings. For those who are interested in exploring the city, they can take a ride in one of the property’s all-electric Porsche Taycan house cars, expertly navigated by dedicated personal drivers.
With excitement in store at every turn, Nobu Hotel Atlanta will offer an elevated package for those looking to shift their stay into high gear with a two-night stay in the Porsche Icon Suite with breakfast for two and Nobu’s Signature Omakase dining experience. Guests will also enjoy a stylized Nobu Champagne bottle in-room and will receive a personalized Porsche bathrobe to take home. For off-site excursions within a three-mile radius, the hotel will provide its Porsche house car service upon request.
“At the heart of every Nobu Hotels’ collaboration is a desire to thoughtfully curate compelling experiences that enhance our guest journey,” said Rachael Palumbo, VP Global Hotel Branding at Nobu Hospitality. “With 75 years’ worth of brand excellence to its name, Porsche’s reputation as an automotive legend complements our global vision of delivering the highest level of luxury hospitality at an intimate level.”
AboutNobu Hotel Atlanta
Nobu Hospitality’s first Georgia hotel and restaurant are located in Atlanta’s prestigious Buckhead community. The new property features 152 rooms and suites; a Nobu restaurant with a bar and lounge; a rooftop swimming pool and deck; conference center; and a state-of-the-art fitness center with Technogym equipment. Designed by Rockwell Group, the hotel and restaurant are located within the Phipps Plaza luxury retail center, alongside Life Time® Athletic and Life Time Work®, a healthy living and entertainment destination; a 13-story, LEED-certified, Class A office building; and Citizens Culinary Market (opening soon).
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DESTINATION AND TOURISM
geekwire | April 06, 2023
For many travelers, technology long ago supplanted travel agents for the basic booking of flights, hotels, and excursions. But how quickly will artificial intelligence replace humans for trusted travel advice?
That’s the larger question behind Expedia’s announcement this morning that it will offer a new “travel planning experience” powered by OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Debuting today on Expedia’s iOS app, it’s part of a growing wave of AI-powered travel- and trip-planning technologies from a variety of startups and app developers.
Travel advice is already one of the most commonly cited scenarios for people using ChatGPT in its raw form or in Microsoft’s Bing search engine, for example. However, Expedia’s significant presence in travel makes this rollout especially interesting as a gauge of AI’s potential to serve in a role traditionally left to human expertise.
One of the ways Expedia is trying to differentiate its ChatGPT implementation is by automatically saving hotels discussed during a chat session to a “trip” in the app to make it easier to book a stay.
This capability will expand later to other forms of reservations, including flights and rental cars, Expedia CTO Rathi Murthy told the Wall Street Journal.
On the topic of privacy, Expedia won’t share customer data with OpenAI from ChatGPT searches in the app, but it may use the data in the future to further personalize the experience, Expedia Group CEO Peter Kern told the WSJ.
For now, Expedia is classifying the initial feature on iOS as a beta, which means it’s not necessarily ready for prime time.
For example, Lance Ulanoff reports on TechRadar this morning that he encountered a bug in which the app didn’t save his preferred hotel after he tested the chat function to plan a hypothetical family vacation.
Expedia says it will “rapidly evolve the experience” based on how people use it.
“It’s also important to remember that while many measures have been taken to limit inaccurate results and inappropriate responses, at times the experience may not work exactly as expected,” the company adds. “Feedback from both our employees and all those using the experience will be continually looked at to make sure responses meet our standards.”
In other words, your mileage may vary, perhaps literally.
Ultimately, this rollout promises to be an important test for this emerging era of generative AI. Just be sure to double-check its accuracy in the meantime before spending thousands on a trip to Europe.
About Expedia Group
At Expedia Group we believe that travel is a force for good it opens minds, builds connections, and bridges divides. We create transformative tech that fuels partner growth while enabling unforgettable experiences for all travelers, everywhere. Our trusted family of brands are known and loved by millions, and we power more trips than anyone else. To learn more about our vision of a more open world through travel, visit www.expediagroup.com.
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TRAVEL TECHNOLOGY
businesswire | May 29, 2023
Interval International, a leading worldwide provider of vacation services, welcomes Multivacaciones Decameron to its coveted collection of affiliated hospitality brands. The agreement introduces 27 hotels and resorts across Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Panama, El Salvador, Jamaica, and Mexico to Interval’s growing exchange network of over 3,200 properties. Nearly 200,000 Multivacaciones Decameron members will have the opportunity to access Interval’s numerous travel and leisure benefits, including the ability to exchange for stays at resorts in more than 90 countries and territories.
Decameron’s hotels are located in the region’s alluring beaches, jungles, mountains and cities. Its vacation club, with members in Latin America and abroad, provides memorable experiences along with the relaxation that comes with its attractive all-inclusive concept.
In a recent survey, over two-thirds of Interval’s Latin America-based members stated they are likely to book an all-inclusive vacation, making the addition of Decameron’s hotels and resorts an exciting opportunity for vacationers seeking the perfect balance of comfort and entertainment in their own region.
“Multivacaciones Decameron is pleased to work with Interval to offer even more flexibility to our members,” says Fabio Villegas, president of Decameron Hotels and Resorts. “Interval’s elevated standards and commitment to quality meet our members’ expectations for their well-deserved vacations. Additionally, Interval’s network of resorts in the world’s most desirable destinations aligns perfectly with their travel goals. We are excited to continue our collaborations as we further strengthen the value proposition for our members through new exceptional benefits.”
“We are thrilled to welcome Multivacaciones Decameron to the Interval portfolio. Their strong presence and solid reputation in the region make them a standout in our network,” says Marcos Agostini, Interval’s senior vice president of global sales and business development. “Not only does affiliating with Interval provide an enhanced vacation experience with exchange and year-round lifestyle and leisure benefits, but it also creates an incredible opportunity for Interval’s worldwide members to discover Decameron resorts.”
New Multivacaciones Decameron purchasers will be enrolled as Interval Gold® or Interval Platinum® members with access to several upgraded benefits including Interval Options®; the ability to use points toward a hotel stay, cruise or experiential travel; ShortStay Exchange® for long weekends and midweek resort vacations; savings on Getaway vacation rentals; dining and leisure discounts, special deals on select hotel bookings, and VIP ConciergeSM, for personal assistance, 24/7.
About Interval International
Interval International operates membership programs for vacationers and provides value-added services to its developer clients worldwide. Based in Miami, Florida, the company has been a pioneer and innovator in serving the vacation ownership market since 1976. Today, Interval's exchange network comprises over 3,200 resorts in more than 90 countries and territories. Through offices in 12 countries, Interval offers world-class products and benefits to resort clients and nearly 1.6-million-member families who are enrolled in various membership programs. Interval is an operating business of Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corporation (NYSE: VAC), a leading global vacation company that offers vacation ownership, exchange, rental and resort and property management, along with related businesses, products, and services.
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