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The Peninsula Beverly Hills has completed a renovation of its 193 guestrooms , suites and villas with the debut of four specialty suites , each with its own distinct color palette and style . “ We wanted to offer a touch of variety to guests , who see our largest suites and villas as their home away from home ,” says Managing Director Offer Nissenbaum .
Beverly Hills-based Forchielli Glynn designed three of the four suites , including the 2,250-sq-ft ( 209-sq-m ) Peninsula Suite , promising an “ East-meets-West ” ambiance ; the 2,250-sq-ft ( 209-sq-m ) Royal Patio Suite , featuring cream tones accented with gilded and hand-painted finishes ; and the 1,500-sq-ft ( 139-sq-m ) Grand
Pearl plunge
Forget scuba diving or skydiving — Jumeirah Group has come up with a more distinctive diving adventure . In partnership with the Emirates Marine Environmental Group , the Dubai-based company has launched a traditional pearl diving experience at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel in Dubai .
Dressed in traditional diving clothing , guests board an authentic
Nancy Corzine designed the “ Blue Suite ” as a space “ that a California blonde would look fabulous in .”
Deluxe Suite , showcasing hues of deep rose accented by Dior gray .
Los Angeles-based Nancy Corzine designed the other 1,500-sq-ft ( 139-sqm ) Grand Deluxe Suite — the “ Blue Suite ” — highlighting an ice-blue palette accented with Venetian silver , cream and white . Jokes Corzine , “ I wanted to create a suite that a California blonde would look fabulous in .”
In addition to pearl diving , guests will take part in singing and storytelling and eat a typical Emirati lunch on board the dhow .
dhow boat off the shores of Jebel Ali . Diving to depths of around 10 ft to 16 ft ( 3 m to 5 m ), they can use original pearl diving methods to collect oysters and keep any pearls they find .
On board the dhow , guests will take part in singing and storytelling and eat a typical Emirati lunch of fish and rice dishes .
The experience costs US $ 190 ( 700 dirhams ) per adult .
( Travel ) shop ’ til you drop
A study released by PhoCusWright and commissioned by Amadeus offers some key findings about consumer behavior and motivation when shopping for travel online .
The study surveyed 4,638 travelers in the United States , United Kingdom , Germany , India , Russia and Brazil who represent early adopters whose behaviors are likely to indicate broader future trends . Here are a few key conclusions :
• All consumers face frustrations during shopping for travel online , but frustration is greater among those in emerging markets . For example , in the shopping process , 47 % of U . S . travelers experience frustration online , compared to more than 78 % of Russian travelers .
• In the developed markets , nearly 50 % of travelers had a particular destination in mind , whereas in the emerging markets , it was only about a third of travelers .
• Mobile device usage for travel is more than twice as common in emerging markets , most notably India , where nearly 24 % of travelers research destinations online on their phones .
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“ We don ’ t charge for Internet access , and our system allows for an unlimited number of devices to connect at no charge . It will be interesting to see how the competition addresses connectivity , as they have been collecting a lot of revenue over the years charging Internet fees that people won ’ t need as more people pick up tablets .” – Steven Rudnitsky , president and CEO of Dolce Hotels and Resorts , Rockleigh , New Jersey , on guests ’ evolving technology needs
72 HOTELS April 2012 www . hotelsmag . com