Melbourne becomes the home of luxury travel network with Virtuoso’s Symposium

Travel and Tour World | May 08, 2019

Melbourne has taken centre stage today as more than 500 of the world’s most influential decision-makers in luxury travel arrived for a week-long conference of networking events and experiences.Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Martin Pakula welcomed Virtuoso at its Symposium to an audience of interstate and international media, strengthening our relationship with the tourism economy.Virtuoso’s Symposium was last held in Sydney in 2009 and now through Visit Victoria, in partnership with Tourism Australia, the Andrews Labor Government is bringing it to Melbourne, supporting this unique and prestigious event as a perfect opportunity to engage with the rapidly growing high-value traveller market.Victoria has experienced its biggest year on record for international visitors with an unprecedented $8.5 billion expenditure in 2018, up 12.9 per cent on the previous year.

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Explore cutting-edge revenue strategies in the hospitality industry. Adopt the latest hospitality management trends to optimize the revenue stream.

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Explore cutting-edge revenue strategies in the hospitality industry. Adopt the latest hospitality management trends to optimize the revenue stream.

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Business Travel

Atrium Hospitality Completes Multimillion-Dollar Makeover at Embassy Suites by Hilton Albuquerque in New Mexico

businesswire | July 13, 2023

Enjoy the Land of Enchantment in the newly redesigned guest accommodations at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Albuquerque. Operated by award-winning Atrium Hospitality, our centrally located hotel in downtown Albuquerque, New Mexico, has completed a four-phase, multimillion-dollar transformation of all 261 two-room guest suites. Alpharetta, Georgia-based Atrium Hospitality, one of the nation’s largest hotel operators, manages a portfolio of more than 80 hotels in 28 states and approximately 3 million square feet of event space. The Embassy Suites by Hilton Albuquerque’s tastefully updated guest suites and bathrooms — including a presidential suite — feature new furniture and fixtures in a modern style. Attractive textile coverings and wall art in an inviting color palette of gray, white, and hues of apricot and brown complement Albuquerque’s natural beauty. Each two-room suite features new 55” televisions, luxurious bedding, a mini-refrigerator, a microwave, a large desk, WiFi, and a full-size sofa bed in a separate living area. This Embassy Suites offers a premium upgrade to Pure Wellness suites, which incorporate science and technology to treat the surface and air in rooms, creating a wellness environment. “We’re excited to offer freshly renovated guest accommodations at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Albuquerque as our full-service hotel continues to serve as a hospitality staple in downtown Albuquerque,” said Steve Ator, Vice President, Operational Strategies West Region, Atrium Hospitality. “Our guests and team members are enjoying the new, modern look of our hotel’s transformed spaces and appreciate the beauty and comfort of our redesigned guest suites.” Plentiful Space to Gather The Embassy Suites by Hilton Albuquerque features 30,000 square feet of flexible event space comprised of 19 meeting rooms that are A/V capable. Our hotel’s more than 12,000-square-foot Sandia Ballroom, named after the area’s scenic Sandia Foothills Open Space, can accommodate up to 1,500 guests. Our experienced events team is ready to help plan the ideal gathering. Our full-service Embassy Suites is one mile from the Albuquerque Convention Center and the University of New Mexico and three miles from the Albuquerque International Airport. Several popular area attractions are nearby. Serving With Atrium SPIRIT Atrium Hospitality’s six core values of Service, Perseverance, Inclusion, Respect, Innovation and Teamwork guide the Atrium SPIRIT for creating a welcoming environment for all, encouraging the personal and professional growth of the company’s Associates, and being a responsible community partner. Atrium Hospitality supports the American Hotel & Lodging Association’s (AHLA) Responsible Stay environmental initiative, which complements Atrium’s commitment to preserving the planet’s natural resources and being efficient in the operations of the company’s properties nationwide. The Embassy Suites by Hilton Albuquerque participates in LightStay, Hilton’s award-winning, comprehensive platform to measure and manage energy, water and waste. Atrium-managed properties nationwide are proud to take part in Project SEARCH, a school-to-work program for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities, with numerous program graduates hired by our hotels. Five participants recently graduated from the Project SEARCH program hosted at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Albuquerque, and six program participants are slated to begin at our hotel in fall 2023. In addition, the Embassy Suites by Hilton Albuquerque conducts monthly volunteer service with a range of causes, including community cleanup projects and food drives for a local food bank, among others. “For 18 years, the Embassy Suites by Hilton Albuquerque has served as a collaborative community partner in New Mexico’s largest business center,” said Scott Cape, Area General Manager, Embassy Suites by Hilton Albuquerque. “We strive to grow hospitality career journeys and are excited to have been recognized in the New Mexico Top Workplaces 2023.” Scott continued, “The redesign of all of our guest suites was inspired by New Mexico’s remarkable beauty. Our renovated spaces create an inviting atmosphere to work or relax and offer views of Albuquerque’s wonders.” Located at 1000 Woodward Place NE in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the Embassy Suites by Hilton Albuquerque all-suite hotel offers two-room suites; a free made-to-order breakfast; a complimentary evening reception with drinks and snacks; a business center; a 24-hour fitness center featuring a Peloton® bike; an on-site restaurant, lounge and café; room service; and an indoor pool. The Embassy Suites by Hilton Albuquerque is part of the Hilton Honors award-winning guest-loyalty program, which offers Digital Key for accessing your guest room. For more information, to make a booking, or to schedule an in-person or virtual tour, call (505) 245-7100, go to the hotel’s website, or connect with the hotel on Facebook. About Atrium Hospitality Atrium Hospitality is ranked as one of the nation’s largest hotel operators. Headquartered in Alpharetta, Georgia, the company manages a portfolio of 82 hotels in 28 states, representing well-known brands such as: Hilton, Marriott, IHG, and Wyndham, among others. Atrium operates 20,463 guest rooms/suites and approximately 3 million square feet of event space. Atrium Hospitality’s six core values of Service, Perseverance, Inclusion, Respect, Innovation and Teamwork guide the Atrium SPIRIT for creating a welcoming environment for all, encouraging the personal and professional growth of the company’s Associates, and being a responsible community partner. Atrium is conserving the planet’s natural resources and being more efficient in support of the company’s commitment to sustainability, all while providing exceptional guest experiences. In 2022, Atrium Hospitality added another Atlanta Top Workplaces win to the company’s accolades and celebrated being recognized by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution for a second year. Atrium supports a range of civic and community activities, and Atrium-managed properties nationwide are proud to take part in Project SEARCH, a school-to-work program for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

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Hospitality Trends

NuZee Subsidiary Dripkit Coffee Partners with The Junto Hotel for Ohio State-Themed In-Room Coffee Solution

prnewswire | August 22, 2023

Dripkit Coffee, a leading single-serve pour over solution for a variety of roasters and wholly owned subsidiary of NuZee Inc. (Nasdaq: NUZE), is teaming up with new Columbus, Ohio hotel, The Junto, to launch an in-room coffee solution honoring Ohio State's 1926 homecoming queen, Maudine, the Holstein cow. In 1727, Benjamin Franklin — you may have heard of him — founded a "club for mutual improvement," which he styled The Junto. Ben's club brought together people from diverse backgrounds to discuss issues and ideas of the time. The Junto hotel is a modern-day embodiment of this idea. With an emphasis on public gathering spaces, the hotel gives visitors, locals, entrepreneurs, and artists alike a place to come together, exchange ideas, and inspire one another. In designing the packets for this collaboration, The Junto and Dripkit teams drew inspiration from the hotel's breakfast and coffee shop, Maudine's. In 1926, when Rosalind Morrison won the distinction of Ohio State University Homecoming Queen and learned that she had received more votes than there were students at the school, she passed her crown to the runner-up, Maudine Ormsby. An esteemed member of the university's dairy herd, known for her award-winning milk production, Maudine was officially declared Queen. The black and white cow print Dripkits featuring a small yellow crown can be found in all 198 rooms of the hotel for guests that need a pick-me-up before heading down to Maudine's for breakfast, visiting the hotel's two restaurants or walkup food window, meeting in the multiple event spaces, or hitting one of the many amenities including a gym, patio, working spaces, and "Gear Garage," where hotel guests can borrow bicycles, kayaks, paddleboards, instant cameras, backpacks, and GoPro video cameras. Founded in 2017 by Ilana Kruger, Dripkit offers single serve pour over coffee formats on a large scale to combine convenience and quality. Dripkits produce a 10oz cup of coffee using 17g of roasted and ground coffee without the prep or cleanup of a traditional pour over. The just-add-water format enables hotel guests and visitors to brew the perfect cup of coffee in two minutes and enjoy freshly roasted specialty coffee on-the-go, sans equipment, and without the mess. The Junto joins an esteemed line of Dripkit hospitality partners, which include Kayak and Autocamp. Dripkit Coffee is a business division of the NuZee (NASDAQ: NUZE) brand portfolio. To learn more, please visit https://dripkit.coffee. About The Junto The Junto is an independent hotel developed by Columbus-based Rockbridge, under the company's Makeready division. This is Makeready's first Columbus hotel, following hotels in Savannah, Charleston, Nashville, Denver and Dallas. The company is planning a second hotel in the Merchant Building underway next to the North Market. About Dripkit Dripkit offers a large-size single serve pour over format that delivers what it believes to be a barista-quality coffee experience to coffee drinkers in the United States. The brand has combined its focus on convenience and quality, as well as a goal of using first-rate, ethically sourced coffee beans, to become a leader in the single serve coffee category. About NuZee Coffee NuZee, Inc., (NASDAQ: NUZE), is a leading co-packing company for single serve coffee formats that partners with companies of all sizes to help them develop within the single serve and private label coffee category. Providing innovative and eco-conscious solutions with the flexibility and capacity for both small roasters and large global brands, NuZee is revolutionizing the way single serve coffee is enjoyed in the United States. Through the brand's unique process, NuZee fulfills every aspect of co-packing needs, from roasting and blending, to packing and packaging. NuZee has production facilities in the United States and Korea.

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Travel Technology

Timesaver! Alaska Airlines and CLEAR team up to make travel easier and more secure

prnewswire | June 27, 2023

Our commitment to care for our guests comes in all forms, including improving their travel day. To help do that, Alaska Airlines is partnering with CLEAR – the secure identity company – to provide friction-free and predictable travel experiences with CLEAR Plus. With our new partnership, Mileage Plan members can take advantage of a discounted rate for a CLEAR Plus membership and also receive bonus miles for a limited time. This is the first step in the partnership to accelerate the adoption of digital identity and remove friction throughout the travel journey. CLEAR Plus is an opt-in program that allows its members to travel faster through security at 52 airports nationwide by verifying their identity with their eyes or fingerprint, replacing the need to take out their wallet and driver's license. After verification, a CLEAR Ambassador escorts members through a dedicated lane and directly to TSA physical security, saving them time waiting in line at the security checkpoint. "We understand from our guests how important it is for them to have the best possible experience when traveling with us, and part of that is saving time when they're at the airport," said Shane Jones, vice president of real estate and business development at Alaska Airlines. "Our frequent flyers are already big fans of CLEAR Plus. With a discounted CLEAR Plus membership available to all of our Mileage Plan members, we believe more of our guests will appreciate this valuable travel benefit." All Mileage Plan members can enroll in CLEAR Plus at a discounted rate of $179 a year at clearme.com/alaska. Plus our elite Mileage Plan members – MVP, MVP Gold, MVP Gold 75K and MVP Gold 100K – who enroll will receive 1,500 Mileage Plan bonus miles. Elite Mileage Plan members who renew an existing CLEAR Plus membership and link it to their Mileage Plan account will receive a total of 1,250 miles every year upon renewal. In addition, to celebrate the launch of the partnership, between now and July 16, 2023, all Mileage Plan members – elite or non-elite – who enroll in a new CLEAR Plus membership will receive 1,000 Mileage Plan bonus miles. "CLEAR is obsessed with delivering the best customer experience, so we're excited to provide Alaska Airlines' Mileage Plan members with the confidence and predictability of CLEAR Plus," said Kasra Moshkani, executive vice president of operations at CLEAR. "We look forward to expanding our partnership with Alaska to continue unlocking seamless experiences for their frequent flyers from home to gate and beyond." CLEAR Plus is available at Alaska's key hub airports in Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Mileage Plan members who join CLEAR Plus can add up to three family members or friends to their account for just $70 each. Family members under 18 years old can always join CLEAR members in the CLEAR Lane for free. CLEAR has more than 16 million members. While CLEAR Plus and TSA PreCheck are independent of each other, many passengers use CLEAR Plus and TSA PreCheck together for the fastest way through airport security. About Alaska Airlines Alaska Airlines and our regional partners serve more than 120 destinations across the United States, Belize, Canada, Costa Rica and Mexico. We strive to be the most caring airline with award-winning customer service and an industry-leading loyalty program. As a member of the oneworld alliance, and with our additional global partners, our guests can travel to more than 1,000 destinations on more than 25 airlines while earning and redeeming miles on flights to locations around the world. Learn more about Alaska at news.alaskaair.com and follow @alaskaairnews for news and stories. Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air are subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group. About CLEAR CLEAR's mission is to create frictionless experiences. With more than 16 million members and a growing network of partners across the world, CLEAR's identity platform is transforming the way people live, work, and travel. Whether you are traveling, at the stadium, or on your phone, CLEAR connects you to the things that make you, you - making everyday experiences easier, more secure, and friction-free. CLEAR is committed to privacy done right. Members are always in control of their own information, and we never sell member data.

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