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Hyatt Regency Suzhou Opens in Eastern China

SUZHOU, China, Aug. 29, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — Hyatt Regency Suzhou today announced the opening in Suzhou, one of the most important economic, cultural and historic cities of Eastern China, neighboring Shanghai.

VIPs at the Grand Opening of Hyatt Regency Suzhou

Charity Donation from Hyatt Regency Suzhou and Jinghope, the owning company of the hotel

29-floor high atrium at Hyatt Regency Suzhou, the highest in the city

The city of Suzhou, known as “the Venice of China,” is renowned for its ancient canals, stone bridges and UNESCO-listed classic gardens. Hyatt Regency Suzhou provides contemporary comfort and high-tech amenities to business and leisure guests in the thriving heart of this historic city.

“We are thrilled that Hyatt Regency Suzhou is now part of this vibrant community. The opening of Hyatt Regency Suzhou is a strategic step for Hyatt as we grow our brand presence in China,” said Christopher Koehler, vice president of operations – China, Hyatt. “We believe that the authentic hospitality and care delivered by our colleagues will be well received by the hotel’s guests and the community. We look forward to fostering meaningful connections among business and leisure travelers around the world.”

Strategically nestled in the Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP) with a subway station at its doorstep, Hyatt Regency Suzhou is part of Jinghope Plaza, a new complex project that includes a luxury shopping mall, entertainment venues and two Grade-A office buildings.

Hyatt Regency Suzhou is a key connecting point between Suzhou and Shanghai, offering easy accessibility to visiting guests. It takes just 25 minutes by train to reach Shanghai, one hour by car to reach Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport, and 10 minutes by car to reach Suzhou SIP Railway Station, the transportation hub of Yangtze River Delta region. Neighboring the picturesque Jinji Lake, Suzhou Culture and Arts Center, Suzhou International Expo Center and the Ferris Wheel Park, Hyatt Regency Suzhou will also provide a convenient blend between the ancient Suzhou city and new district.

The hotel offers 355 spacious guestrooms and suites plus a Regency Club. There are five restaurants and lounges, more than 15,000 square feet of innovative meeting, event and wedding venues, and spa and wellness facilities.

The refreshing, contemporary design by LTW Designworks features a breathtaking 29-story triangular atrium topped with a glass roof. The interior design is inspired by Suzhou’s classic gardens offset by large-scale contemporary artworks and abstract patterns that reference the modern face of Suzhou.

“We are delighted to introduce the Hyatt Regency brand’s signature world-class dining, hospitality and amenities to one of China’s most historic cities,” said Gary Chan, general manager of Hyatt Regency Suzhou. “As the first Hyatt hotel in Jiangsu province, Hyatt Regency Suzhou will be an inspiring place to connect, dine, meet, celebrate and relax in the city. With an energetic team of expert planners and passionate hoteliers, we are ready to welcome our guests from the neighborhood and around the world.”

Contemporary Accommodation

Hyatt Regency Suzhou’s 355 contemporary guestrooms encircle an eye-catching 29-story atrium, offering impressive city views from every room. The bright, modern design incorporates Suzhou stylistic influences – from a large black-and-white mural featuring snapshots of classical architecture and garden images to woven cane lanterns and an abundance of natural woods and textures.

Starting at a spacious 430 square feet, all guestrooms offer premium amenities, including: a large-screen LED TV with satellite channels and free on-demand movies; coffee and tea sets; individually controlled air conditioning; and complimentary high-speed broadband/Wi-Fi Internet access. An oversized table is equally comfortable as a work desk and dining table. Bathrooms feature a deep-soaking tub, spacious shower and separate toilet, plus all-natural bath products.

Regency Suites, starting at 968 square feet, feature a separate living/dining area, a coffee machine and freestanding window bathtub. The Regency Club provides the highest level of personalized services, including exclusive access to the 28^th floor’s Regency Club lounge, serving complimentary breakfast, all-day refreshments and evening cocktails. Guests can also enjoy the Regency Club boardroom, express check-in/out and dedicated receptionist and concierge services.

Destination Dining

Hyatt Regency Suzhou brings Hyatt-renowned dining experiences to Suzhou with five destination restaurants and lounges. The hotel offers both international flavors and authentic local dishes with fresh seasonal ingredients.

Ascending the grand staircase from the lobby, the second floor’s Hua Chi 88 is a vibrant Chinese dining restaurant serving authentic Suzhou and Huaiyang cuisines, Taihu Boat cuisine from nearby Tai Lake, and the city’s finest Peking Duck roasted over fruitwood in the traditional duck oven. Live show kitchens throughout the dining room add to the theatrical atmosphere. Six private dining rooms feature large windows and private bathrooms.

The Fireplace on the third floor is an international grill restaurant with a sophisticated European bistro-style ambience. The open kitchen serves up Italian pizzas and grilled specialties. Wood-paneled walls, mounted animal heads and peacock blue, semi-circular booths make it a destination to impress. The Fireplace also features a mosaic and marble bar with a Manhattan vibe, ideal for relaxing before or after dinner with an artisanal cocktail, such as the signature Whisky Sour.

Tea House on the ground floor combines the conviviality of a traditional Chinese teahouse with a modern style, and it serves light snacks, beverages and cocktails. By day, it’s a great place to work, meet and socialize with free Wi-Fi. By night, Tea House transforms into a relaxed bar.

Beneath the magnificent 29-story atrium, The Atrium is an elegant spot for informal meetings and gatherings. Market Café occupies a second-floor space with double-height windows where guests can eat out of the pan, off the grill and out of the wok. The freshest ingredients are used to create a la minute dishes from across China, Asia and the world, plus a delicious dessert selection.

Innovative Events and Weddings

Hyatt Regency Suzhou is the place for every occasion with more than 15,000 square feet of innovative meetings and events space.

The Residence is a new-concept events venue comprised of four multifunctional rooms with large French windows, hosting up to 360 guests. The rooms feature versatile sliding screens that open onto a large foyer, and a dedicated Loft Kitchen is fully equipped for creative dining experiences. The Residence is ideal for conferences, meetings and cocktail events. It is also a great choice for wedding parties and family gatherings.

Designed in contemporary style, the 6,240-square-foot Regency Ballroom can host up to 450 people for a cocktail event and 340 for a private dining event. The ballroom can also be divided into two rooms for smaller gatherings. A large VIP/Bridal Dressing Room and lounge are available. All venues are appointed with advanced technology and communications systems as well as complimentary wireless Internet connectivity. A private street-front entrance provides exclusivity.

Spa and Wellness Facilities

Yue Spa at Hyatt Regency Suzhou is designed to restore and maintain the natural equilibrium, or “yin yang,” which is critical to human wellbeing. Six private spa suites plus two reflexology areas provide a full range of body and facial treatments. Spa guests can enjoy the hydrotherapy facilities featuring Roman-style baths and an oversized steam room.

Signature treatment combines traditional Chinese techniques with using a choice of aromatherapy or therapeutic oils. Authentic Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) treatments are also available in Yue Spa, together with a certified TCM doctor and Tai Qi master ready for consultations and movement practice.

The hotel also features a 25-meter indoor swimming pool on the third floor with floor-to-ceiling city views. As an added artistic touch, the pool is framed by intricate mosaic artworks featuring scenes of old Suzhou canal. The 24-hour fitness center offers the latest cardio and strength equipment, which enables guests to share their workout stats via social media apps.

About Hyatt Regency

The Hyatt Regency brand is an energizing hotel brand that connects travelers to who and what matters most to them. More than 140 conveniently located Hyatt Regency urban and resort locations in over 30 countries around the world serve as the go-to gathering space for every occasion – from efficient business meetings to memorable family vacations. The brand offers a one-stop experience that puts everything guests need right at their fingertips. Hyatt Regency hotels and resorts offer a full range of services and amenities, including notable culinary experiences; technology-enabled ways to collaborate; the space to work, engage or relax; and expert planners who take care of every detail. For more information, visit hyattregency.com.

The term “Hyatt” is used in this release for convenience to refer to Hyatt Hotels Corporation and/or one or more of its affiliates.

About Hyatt Hotels Corporation

Hyatt Hotels Corporation, headquartered in Chicago, is a leading global hospitality company with a proud heritage of making guests feel more than welcome. Thousands of members of the Hyatt family strive to make a difference in the lives of the guests they encounter every day by providing authentic hospitality. The Company’s subsidiaries manage, franchise, own and develop hotels and resorts under the Hyatt®, Park Hyatt®, Andaz®, Grand Hyatt®, Hyatt Regency®, Hyatt Place®, Hyatt House®, Hyatt Zilara™ and Hyatt Ziva™ brand names and have locations on six continents. Hyatt Residential Group, Inc., a Hyatt Hotels Corporation subsidiary, develops, operates, markets or licenses Hyatt Residences® and Hyatt Residence Club®. As of June 30, 2014, the Company’s worldwide portfolio consisted of 563 properties in 48 countries. For more information, please visit www.hyatt.com.

Photo – http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20140826/0861406096-a
Photo – http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20140826/0861406096-b
Photo – http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20140826/0861406096-c

Aviation

The Forefront of Japan’s Subculture — the Ever Evolving “Akihabara”

TOKYO, Aug. 25, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — “Akihabara“is well known to those not only in Japan but also overseas as “the City/Mecca of Electronics & Home Appliances”. You will still see a lot of major home electronics retailers lined up side by side, and many people from the country and all over the world have made visits to the city looking for Japan’s electronic appliances for decades. However, the city has now evolved brilliantly throughout the changes of a new era. Nowadays, “Akihabara” not only represents a name of a city, but also became an iconic figure that embodies Japan’s own subculture. Japan’s unique subculture scene largely represented by this city attracts travelers from all over the world. Akihabara, which is continuously evolving its appearance every minute, also owns its very unique in-station facility that fittingly serves as an entrance to the city. Here we will introduce you to some of the newest faces in Akihabara you will likely encounter in the station or somewhere under an elevated structure:

Why don’t you get Japanese souvenirs and the hot items in Akihabara?

An art-turned train! Even a non-hardcore fan should stop by — “TRAINIART“

“Atre Akihabara 1” is connected directly to JR East Railway Akihabara station’s Electric Town exit (or “Denki-gai” exit). On the 2^nd floor you will find “TRAINIART“, a boutique shop selling railroad/train merchandises. Here you will find a vast variety of railroad/train designed goods, from stationaries to accessories, all focused on both [design] and [functionality]. You will notice most of these goods are well-suited for its own brand name “-ART”, all richly designed, stylishly finished that one would definitely be tempted to pick them up in their hands, and are very popular among the females. You can also find a pair of train-designed T-shirts tailored for parent-child； you would definitely find a train-designed merchandise of your own that you would probably want to bring home.

“CHABARA”“NOMONO” – For those looking for tasting/bringing home Japan’s regional local gourmet foods

In Japan, you will encounter distinctive local gourmet foods in each region throughout the country. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could enjoy all sorts of gourmet foods from all regions in Japan even if you could only stay in Tokyo?

That’s when we highly recommend“CHABARA“, located under an elevated bridge connecting JR Akihabara Station and Okachimachi Station. You will find a rich variety of specialty goods, seafoods, and soil foods delivered directly from local producers throughout the country. Perhaps, it’s a good idea to make gifts to your friends with soy-sauce, miso, tonkotsu (or pork bone soup) or other unique ramen noodles delivered from local producers, or for anybody, whose dad loves Japanese Sake, why not make a gift for him with a Japanese Sake processed with pure water and high quality grain of rice!

On the other hand, “NOMONO“, located inside Akihabara Station, is “A shop introducing the allure of Japanese food” that is always crowded with visitors as, albeit its somewhat limited space, it is conveniently located inside the station. At “NOMONO Kitchen” located on 2^nd floor, you will enjoy the aspects of traditional local culture and all sorts of menu filled with highly selective and seasonal ingredients from the east regional Japan.

In Akihabara, the city that constantly provides us with the latest cultural ingredients, its nearest station is equally unique as well. As the forefront of Japan’s cultural movement, we highly encourage you to visit there.

Aviation

Hong Kong Airlines Awarded SKYTRAX World’s Best Improved Airline

HONG KONG, July 15, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — Hong Kong Airlines is pleased to announce that the company is the winner of “World’s Most Improved Airline” by SKYTRAX this year and is honoured as the “World’s Best Improved Airline.” Meanwhile, Hong Kong Airlines is awarded the highly-esteemed SKYTRAX 4-Star rating for the third consecutive year. On behalf of the company, Mr. Sun Jianfeng, Vice President of Hong Kong Airlines, attended the award presentation ceremony held on July 15 (BST) in London, the UK.

Mr. Sun Jianfeng, Vice President (second on the left) and Mr. Stanley Kan, Director of Service Delivery of Hong Kong Airlines (second on the right) received the award of SKYTRAX “World’s Best Improved Airline” in London on behalf of the company

“The SKYTRAX ‘World’s Best Improved Airline’ is a great recognition and encouragement for our company. With a history of eight years, Hong Kong Airlines has been committed to providing passengers with quality service. By adhering to the people-oriented service approach, we have achieved remarkable improvement in various service categories and recorded rapid growth over the years. As a Hong Kong-based airline, we feel very honoured and proud to stand out among airlines worldwide. We owe this success to our highly devoted and professional team, especially the front-line staff who serve passengers with great dedication. We would also like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the passengers and industry partners who have been supporting us all along. Riding on the expanding route network, Hong Kong Airlines will continue to focus on providing excellent customer service to bring our passengers more pleasant travel experiences,” remarked Mr. Zhang Kui, President of Hong Kong Airlines.

SKYTRAX are specialist Research Advisors to the air transport industry. The annual global customer satisfaction survey “World Airline Survey,” launched by SKYTRAX since 1999, is an industry benchmark of high authority. Based on the survey results, the annual “World Airport Awards” are the most prestigious accolades for the industry. The award category of the “World’s Most Improved Airline” is aimed at rewarding the airline’s remarkable progress in its front–line products and service standards over the past year. This year’s survey is based on 18 million customer nominations across over 100 nationalities of air travellers, covering over 200 airline companies worldwide. The survey evaluates customer satisfaction across 41 key performance indicators for airport service and products including check-in and boarding experiences, onboard seat comfort, cabin cleanliness, food, beverages, IFE, staff service and associated travel items. The winning of “World’s Best Improved Airline” as well as the SKYTRAX 4-Star rating three years in a row serves as a clear evidence of Hong Kong Airlines’ establishment of international standards in both its ground and onboard services.

When talking about bringing better service to passengers, it is worth mentioning that Hong Kong Airlines has upgraded its service principle since the beginning of 2013 and launched a “PEOPLE” service approach riding on past hands-on experience and customer’s suggestions. By strengthening the six points of “Passion to deliver, Extra to give, Opinions to offer, Promise to fulfill, Lasting impression to create, Emotional quotient to serve” during daily work, each one of its front-line staff has gained deeper understanding and delivered more people-oriented services, making prominent progress as a whole.

The current network of Hong Kong Airlines covers nearly 30 business and leisure travel destinations in mainland China, Taiwan and Southeast Asia. Hong Kong Airlines carried over 4.8 million passengers in 2013, an increase of 35% year-on-year, and a 50% increment year-on-year in Business Class sales. Recently, Hong Kong Airlines has also expanded its flight service to provide new destinations including Tianjin and Kagoshima. Leveraging Hong Kong’s status as an international air hub, the flights to major destinations like Beijing, Shanghai, Taipei, Bangkok, Hangzhou and Nanjing have increased frequency to three to five flights daily, and the frequency of flights to popular leisure travel destinations like Okinawa and Bali has also been increased to two to three daily, offering travellers a wide range of choices.

Photo – http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20140715/0861404990