July Business Travel Product News
July Business Travel Product News
Best Western Test Voice Activated Rooms
Best Western is the latest major hotel group to try out devices like Amazon's Alexa and its new voice-activeated assistant Dot in its guest rooms. This report from Skift reveals that Amazon Dot could be helpful, not only to customers but also for hotel housekeeping staff. The pilot project will be rolled out to a dozen hotels initially.
Sleep & Fly Dubai
Options for bleary-eyed business travellers travelling through Dubai International have been significantly improved thanks to the arrival of a new Sleep 'n Fly Lounge (pictured above) in the Terminal 3. 27 Scandianvian-designed pod and cabins will be available, including 20 state-of-the-art ‘igloo’ sleep pods, plus seven premium double cabins with pull-out children’s beds.
Kimpton Opens First Hotel in Europe
Kimpton opens its first property outside of the Americas, with a 247-room boutique hotel in Amsterdam. The Kimpton De Witt, is a 20th century building located in the Palace Quarter, a short walk from Amsterdam Centraal train station.
Hamburg Fontenay Hotel Opening
Hamburg's central Lake Alster district will benefit from the opening of a new luxury hotel this autumn. The Fontenay will open in October, offering 131 rooms, a rooftop bar and terrace in a landmark building surrounded by parkland.
Delta Glasgow to New York Route
Delta is launching a new service between Glasgow and New York this summer. The non-stop route will be the airline's first service in Glasgow, providing onward connections to over 60 destinations on their network. All flights offer fully flat-bed seats in Delta One and Virgin Upper Class and on-demand, in-seat entertainment for every passenger on the aircraft.
Lufthansa Baggage Fees
Lufthansa is increasing short-haul hold luggage fees, plus adding a £4 charge on bags booked via a GDS. Passengers flying with Lufthansa, Austrian and Swiss airlines on ‘Economy Light’ ticket will not have free baggage allowance included in their fare. This follows previous fees introduced by the airline for non-direct flight bookings.