Jetsettersblog

This summer, officials in Jordan’s Petra park introduced a new electronic ticketing service, to facilitate quicker entry for visitors, according to the Petra Archaeological Park (PAP). Petra ticket barcodes now indicate the numbers and nationalities of visitors streaming in each day.

The system, under which officials check tickets with hand-held scanners, also allows park officials to check what time tourists enter and track peak visiting hours for future management plans at the park.

According to the Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority (PDTRA), future plans include an expanded electronic service whereby visitors can reserve a day and time for their visit from kiosks to be placed in Amman, Wadi Musa and Aqaba.

Under the expanded system, visitors will be required to present their tickets at both entry and exit points, so that park officials can keep tabs on the number of tourists in the ancient Nabataean city at any given time, PDTRA officials told The Jordan Times.

Managing the flow of visitors has been at the top of park officials’ agenda, as peak times for tour groups lead to overcrowding, particularly in the Siq, which currently serves as both the entrance and exit to the park. As part of their plans for visitors, Petra officials have considered introducing an alternate exit and imposing limits on how many visitors can enter in a given hour.

PDTRA figures released earlier this week revealed that some 53,283 people visited the ancient Nabataean city last month, a 23 percent increase compared to the same period in 2009, when 43,147 tourists visited the site. Approximately 515,000 tourists visited Petra in the January to July period, 40 percent more than in the first seven months of 2009, when 368,000 tourists visited the site, the PDTRA indicated.

For more information, visit www.visitjordan.com

Brussels-based hotel management company The Rezidor Hotel Group has announced the opening of the Radisson Blu Resort Split in Croatia. After extensive renovation to the 50-year-old former “Hotel Split,” Radisson Blu Resort Split debuts on the Adriatic coast, offering panoramic views of the Mediterranean Sea and Croatian islands of Brac and Solta.

The 240-key property joins an existing Radisson Blu resort in Dubrovnik, Croatia.

Situated on the Adriatic Sea, Radisson Blu Resort Split is a 15-minute walk from the historic city center, making it a unique combination of city hotel and sea resort.

The property’s 240 rooms and 25 suites all offer complimentary high-speed Internet access and sea views. The suites feature balconies, Nespresso machines, bathrobes and slippers. The two 853-square-foot Presidential suites offer three bedrooms, a private terrace with Jacuzzi and an outdoor sauna.

Dining options at the resort include two restaurants, a bar and a lobby lounge, The Fig Leaf, which serves Mediterranean and Continental specialties enhanced with live cooking stations and a sea-facing terrace, as well Radisson Blu’s signature 100-dish “super breakfast” buffet.

The Caper, a sleek modern grill restaurant, combines sweeping sea views with local and international grilled dishes and a Croatian and international wine list.

The Door bar offers modern, international cocktails and outdoor seating.

The resort offers an exclusive Anne Sémonin Spa that includes eight treatment rooms, a whirlpool, sauna and steam baths. Resort facilities also include a private beach with dedicated bar service and reserved sun beds, as well as an indoor and outdoor pool, fitness center and an international casino. Radisson Blu Resort Split also offers nearly 6,000 square feet of meetings and events facilities, including seven meeting rooms and a 3,800-square-foot ballroom, all equipped with state-of-the-art technology.

Opening room rates start at 112 euros ($144) per room per night excluding breakfast.

Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels released its annual bilingual research study, Lodging Industry in Numbers — Brazil 2010, which reveals that Brazil’s quick rebound in economic fundamentals in the second half of 2009 resulted in average daily rate (ADR) growth of 10.4 percent for the year, one of the highest growth rates posted by any large country worldwide last year.

The firm’s report provides a detailed performance analysis of more than 340 hotels, condo hotels and resorts in Brazil, in what is the largest surveyed sample of hotels since the report’s inception.

While occupancy rates softened by 1.4 percentage points in 2009 for the properties in the survey sample, the decline was far outweighed by the 10.4 percent growth in ADR.

“This resulted in revenue per available room (RevPAR) growth to BRL 112 — the highest RevPAR in Brazil’s history,” said Ricardo Mader, executive vice president for Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels in São Paulo.

Overall, the gross operational profit (GOP) of the properties in the firm’s survey sample declined by 1.1 percentage points in 2009 as companies reduced the number of meetings, events and banquets.

But Brazil’s recession was short-lived, and the economy is again on a fast pace of growth.

“Across the 15 hotels we asset manage across Brazil, we have already been observing double-digit RevPAR growth thus far in 2010,” said Mader.

Approximately 93 percent of hotels in Brazil, representing three-quarters of the country’s current room inventory, are unaffiliated with an international or domestic brand. However, the proportion of branded hotels is on the rise as the market continues to be evaluated by foreign investors.

According to the firm’s proprietary database, there are currently 153 hotel projects in construction or in an advanced stage of planning that will be affiliated with the main hotel chains present in Brazil.

“These development projects encompass 24,147 rooms and are concentrated in the economy and mid-scale segments,” said Manuela Gorni, senior vice president for Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels in São Paulo.

The impending room supply represents only a 5.5 percent increase of total existing rooms in the country spread over several years.

The current growth in occupancy and average daily rates, driven by the improvement in the country’s economy, coupled with the relatively tepid increase in the country’s hotel supply, are setting the stage for significant further growth in Brazilian hotels’ performance over the next three years. “We expect a new hotel development and investment cycle to gain traction in Brazil, as the country prepares for the FIFA Soccer World Cup to be hosted in 12 cities across the country in 2014 and the Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016,” said Gorni.

To request a copy of the report, visit www.joneslanglasallehotels.com  or www.jllhss.com

Travellers wishing to experience the Caribbean island of Dominica before they visit, or for those wanting to savour the memories of their trip, island vodcasts are now available to download on iTunes.

The series of mini-documentary videos were specially commissioned by the Dominica Tourism Authority and can be downloaded for free from iTunes using this link http://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/discover-dominica/id326457573

The videos focus on highlighted aspects of the island including:

• Responsible Tourism – Information on how Dominica preserves its unique character and how tourism contributes to local communities

• Carib Culture – An insight into the Caribbean’s last indigenous Carib Indian population which resides in Dominica

• Hiking – An overview of the island’s trail network including details of the Waitukubuli National Trail which is due to open in 2011

• Creole cookery – Preparing a traditional Dominican dish using local ingredients

Other videos available provide an overview of the island’s history, activities plus cultural highlights such as local music.

This is just the latest way the Discover Dominica Authority is using social media platforms to promote the island: travellers can find out further information and ask questions on the Dominica Facebook fan page and through the island’s Twitter stream.

Travellers are also encouraged to upload their own Dominica videos onto the dedicated Discover Dominica You Tube channel and share with fellow travellers.

To further explore Discover Dominica’s social networking outlets, click on the following links:

YouTube:
www.youtube.com/discoverdominica

Facebook:
www.facebook.com/discoverdominica

Twitter:
www.twitter.com/Nature_Island

For general tourism information on Dominica, please call 0800 012 1467 or see www.DiscoverDominica.com.

Foxwoods Resort Casino, the East Coast’s resort casino destination, and Live Nation, the live music company, announced a multi-year agreement that grants Foxwoods the exclusive naming rights to the former Hilton Theatre on Broadway’s historic 42nd Street in New York’s Times Square (originally the Ford Center for the Performing Arts).

The venue is now called the Foxwoods Theatre. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Under terms of the agreement, the Foxwoods brand will be incorporated into all exterior and interior venue signage, including the theater’s iconic sign overlooking 42nd Street and in the theater’s VIP Suite and the Dress Circle Lobby. Foxwoods Theatre will feature a unique logo and web domain, www.foxwoodstheatre.com.

The sponsorship also provides Foxwoods with access to the venue for corporate and philanthropic events and tickets to performances at the theater, most notably to “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark.”

The Foxwoods name will be included on all tickets as well as all elements of “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark’s” extensive advertising campaign.

Foxwoods Theatre, operated by Live Nation, accommodates nearly 2,000 theater-goers.

Originally constructed in 1996 on the site of the Apollo and Lyric theatres, the venue combines architectural preservation with new construction and technology.

The newly renovated space pays homage to the spirit and character of New York’s grandest historic theater, with sparkling chandeliers, a two-story rotunda ringed with columns, magnificent marble mosaics and an elegant limestone staircase, and now features the technical amenities of a cutting-edge, modern facility.

“Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark” features music and lyrics by 22-time Grammy Award-winners Bono and The Edge of U2, with direction by Tony Award-winner Julie Taymor (“The Tempest,” “Across the Universe,” “The Lion King”) and a book by Julie Taymor and Glen Berger (“Underneath The Lintel”).

For more information, visit

www.foxwoodstheatre.com

By year end, Crystals retail and entertainment district at CityCenter in Las Vegas will add 12 new brands to its collection of retailers and restaurants, including flagship stores for Prada and Gucci, as well as boutiques for Yves Saint Laurent, Balenciaga, Stella McCartney, Donna Karan, Emilio Pucci and Harry Winston.

They are joining recent additions Ermenegildo Zegna, Christian Dior, Brunello Cucinelli and Social House at Crystals.

These new additions will join Crystals’ existing stores, including luxury retailers that have opened their largest locations at Crystals, as well as restaurants like Eva Longoria Parker’s Beso, Mastro’s Ocean Club, Todd English P.U.B., Wolfgang Puck Pizzeria & Cucina and The Pods by Wolfgang Puck.

The retailers of Crystals are open Sunday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to midnight.

For more information, call 866-754-2489 or visit www.crystalsatcitycenter.com

The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art, the most comprehensive collection of Louis Comfort Tiffany materials in the world, will open a new 12,000-square-foot wing in February 2011. The addition will provide, for the first time, long-term public access to the recently restored Daffodil Terrace from Louis Comfort Tiffany’s celebrated Long Island home, Laurelton Hall. The new galleries will also feature approximately 250 art and architectural objects from or related to the long-lost estate. Highlights include prize-winning leaded-glass windows, iconic Tiffany Studios lamps, as well as art glass and custom furnishings.

The new Laurelton Hall galleries will provide 6,000 square feet of additional public exhibition space and will deepen the Morse’s interpretations of Tiffany’s life and legacy. Laurelton Hall, every room and architectural detail designed and controlled by Tiffany, was destroyed by fire in 1957. The 11 new galleries at the Morse will showcase surviving components of Laurelton Hall’s dining room, living room and reception hall — also known as the Fountain Court — as well as other rooms. Photographs of interiors from the much-published estate aided the museum’s efforts to suggest the true experience of Laurelton Hall.

Working with the Morse Museum’s staff, George Sexton Associates of Washington, D.C., designed the lighting and installations in the museum’s new addition to evoke the essence of Tiffany’s design vision.

The Daffodil Terrace, installed in a new glass-enclosed gallery, will serve as a focal point for the new wing. The 18-by-32-foot outdoor terrace exemplifies Tiffany’s exotic and extravagant style.

Supported by eight 11-foot marble columns that are topped with bouquets of glass daffodils, the terrace’s coffered ceiling is composed of hundreds of stenciled wood elements and molded tiles in three bays.

The central bay features a skylight covered by six large panels of iridescent-glass tiles in a pear-tree motif.

The terrace, pieced together from more than 600 distinct parts and fragments, is the museum’s most significant conservation project since reassembling Tiffany’s chapel interior from the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago.

The conservation team, headed by Griswold Conservation Associates LLC, of Culver City, Calif., was able to reconstruct the terrace using old black-and-white photographs, historical descriptions and computer technology. The terrace will be visible from vantage points both inside and outside the museum. Situated with a view of an expanded garden courtyard at the museum, the Daffodil Terrace, for the first time, will be presented in a manner related to its original location at Laurelton Hall.

For more information, visit www.morsemuseum.org

Housed in Chicago architect Daniel Burnham’s Continental & Commercial National Bank Building, Marriott’s first JW Marriott hotel in Chicago will open this fall, after a $396 million restoration, with 44,000 feet of meeting space and state-of-the-art conference and recreation facilities.

Located in the heart of Chicago’s financial district at 151 West Adams St., the 610-room JW Marriott is within walking distance to some Chicago’s most famous sites, including the Art Institute, Millennium Park and the theater district.

The hotel will be home to one of the most comprehensive meetings facilities in the city, including an 8,453-square-foot grand ballroom, a 6,096-square-foot junior ballroom featuring the building’s original arched glass ceiling, 35 breakout rooms, GoThere Virtual Meetings studio with AT&T & Cisco Telepresence, and wireless and high-speed Internet and video conferencing.

Basketball, tennis, golf, bowling and billiards will all be part of the 50,000-square-foot sports, lifestyle and entertainment complex available when the JW Marriott Marquis Miami hotel makes its debut in October 2010.

The two-story facility will feature a 10,000-square-foot NBA-approved basketball arena, full-size tennis court, Jim McLean Golf School, Rik Rak Spa & Salon, virtual bowling alley, Met 2 Fitness and more.

The multiplex entertainment facility will span the hotel’s 19th and 20th floors. Also sharing these amenities are guests of the exclusive, 44-room Hotel Beaux Arts Miami, an art-infused, urban retreat located directly above the JW Marriot Marquis Miami.

The entertainment complex creates a diverse landscape of recreational activities comprised of competitive and leisure sports, fitness, beauty and rejuvenation.

Extended across the hotel’s 19th floor is an arsenal of sports options as well as a high-tech 3D media room, and a fashionably furnished pool deck — which touts a heated stainless steel pool and whirlpool.

A golf enthusiast’s haven, the property’s Jim McLean Golf School will offer skilled personal instruction, virtual golf simulators, two putting greens, lounge seating, a Pro Shop, and sweeping city views.

Centered on the same floor will be a 10,000-square-foot Arena with a multi-use portable floor system — the same flooring used at the Miami Heat’s home stadium, the American Airline Arena — that transforms into an NBA-approved basketball court, a tennis court featuring the identical surface used at the Sony Ericsson Open or carpeted event space.

Those seeking more leisurely sports pursuits will enjoy the hotel’s Billiard Room, featuring a top-of-the-line midnight blue Brunswich Treviso pool table, and its Virtual Bowling Alley.

By combining today’s high-tech video and simulation games, bowling is brought to the next generation of fun.

From a classic game to bowling in outer space, to a cyber ketchup factory or penguin-themed arctic alley, once entered into the games “virtual world,” the possibilities are endless.

The 20th floor of the JW Marriott Marquis Miami will house a sanctuary for wellness and relaxation with a full-service spa, beauty salon and fitness center. Featuring extraordinary city and bay views, its 4,500-square-foot state-of-the-art fitness center will be outfitted with eco-friendly Technogym equipment, the world’s most advanced fitness equipment, used in the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Located in downtown Miami’s new Metropolitan Miami (The Met) development, a much desired urban destination, the JW Marriott Marquis Miami offers a vibrant, urban destination in a diverse setting of business, meeting and pleasure travel pursuits.

In addition to its sports, lifestyle and entertainment offerings, the 41-floor hotel will feature a 20,000-square-foot Grand Ballroom, the largest in the area, as well as Miami’s first DB Bistro Moderne, a French/American restaurant by chef-restaurateur Daniel Boulud.

The JW Marriott Marquis Miami and Hotel Beaux Arts Miami are scheduled to open October 2010.

For more information on the JW Marriott Marquis Miami, visit www.jwmarriottmarquismiami.com . For more information on Hotel Beaux Arts Miami visit www.hotelbeauxartsmiami.com

Denver-based Sage Hospitality announced the Omaha Holiday Inn Convention Center will operate under the banner of the CoCo Key Water Resort-Hotel & Convention Center, Omaha, effective Aug. 20.

The 383-room hotel in Omaha will be the brand’s third flag, following the CoCo Key Cherry Valley Hotel in Columbus, Ohio, and the CoCo Key Hotel and Water Resort-Orlando, which made its debut in mid-April.

The resort’s executive leadership team remains intact and there will be no staffing changes.

For more information, visit

www.cocokeywaterresort.com