In the news: Thailand’s IMPACT’s new Android app, Tune Hotels’ first hotel in Scotland, 2012 SLH’s best year.

Navigating Thailand’s IMPACT makes easier with new Android app

Thailand’s IMPACT Arena, Exhibition and Convention Center launched an event calendar app for Android, which makes it easier for users of this platform to look for events and promotions at the venue.

The app, downloadable from Android;s Play Store, enables online users to search for calendar events including exhibitions, consumer/trade events, conferences, concerts, or other activities at the center.

There is already a calendar app for iOS for the iPhone, which IMPACT launched in 2012. With the Android app the centres expects users of both platforms to top 200,000.

The app displays events by list or calendar format, schedules/details of events in both Thai and English languages and links to the official event page/event organiser’s website. There are also links to online booking sites for concerts at IMPACT. An added function is sharing event details on your Facebook wall or interact with IMPACT on its Facebook fan page.

Paul Kanjanapas, managing director of IMPACT Exhibition Management, said the tool was not only useful for event visitors but also acts as a marketing channel to attract more fans and business partners.

“Through the application, users can find promotions or exclusive offers from IMPACT restaurant outlets and shops within IMPACT,” he added.

Tune Hotels sets foot in Scotland with its first hotel

Malaysia based value hotel brand, Tune Hotels, expands its presence in the United Kingdom with the recent opening of its first hotel in Scotland – Tune Hotel Haymarket, Edinburgh.

Located opposite Haymarket station the hotel has 179 en-suite bedrooms including double bedrooms with and without windows, alongside twin and accessible bedrooms with windows. True to its brand of offering guests value for money the Haymarket hotel’s rates start from £25 a night.

Mark Lankester, Tune Hotels group CEO, said introducing the Tune Hotel brand to Scotland was an important business move for the hotel group.

“The demand for a low cost hotel that offers good quality basics and, importantly a great night’s sleep, is becoming ever more important as tourists and business travellers are swayed by price but unwilling to trade down.”

Tune Hotel Haymarket expands the group’s portfolio of hotel in the UK to five, with four in London. Lankester said the group would look to introduce the brand to a number of other Scottish cities.

2012 is best year ever for SLH

After 21 years in the hotel business Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) celebrated its best year ever in 2012, reporting an increase of 10% increase in room nights from 2011 to 341,000 and US$119 million in revenue.

The Club saw an increase of 56,000 members to 190,000 in 2012, a 46% growth compared to the previous year. The group’s goal for 2013 is to increase its top tiered Club members by over 50%.

The company’s website received four million visits, a 19% increase over 2011’s. Reservations through the site have gone up by 26%, and SLH.com increased its share of bookings by 15% compared to 2011. iPad visits totalled 500,000 (+167%) and iPhone visits increased by 132%, showing the growing trend towards new technology.

Paul Kerr, SLH CEO, attributed the secret of the group’s success, despite the current economic climate, to choice. “With over 520 hotels in more than 70 countries and multiple means of booking, we give the customer the freedom to choose how, where, when and why. Our Club is also a big part of the reason we have so much to celebrate – this year our Club accounted for 22% of our bookings, which is significant compared to last year.”

SHL added 63 new hotels to the brand in 2012 – 13 in the Americas, 17 in the Asia Pacific region and 33 in EMEA (Middle East, Europe & Africa). Some of these new hotels are in key areas such as Hawaii, Israel, The Galapagos, Japan, China and Nicaragua.