Worldwide briefing
Essential news from around the world…
Marriott expands Spanish timeshare Marriott has opened its latest resort in Spain, through its Vacation Club International timeshare division. The 225-apartment Playa Andaluza is on the Costa del Sol near the yacht port of Puerto Banús. The first 32 apartments opened in July and the complex is designed to ease pressure on the nearly sold-out Marbella Beach Resort.
Roses bloom for Le Méridien
Le Méridien will open a five-star hotel in Agadir in Morocco next month. The 402-room Le Méridien Palais des Roses was completed at the beginning of May. It will include six restaurants, three bars, an 8,000sq m swimming pool and 4,000sq m of lagoon. Its opening will mean the company manages four hotels in the country: two already up and running in Casablanca and a third, Le Méridien Villa d'Anfa in the city, scheduled to open in the first three months of next year.
Costa coffee heads east
The Costa coffee bar chain is to be extended into Egypt and Lebanon, owner Whitbread has said. The operation will be run through a franchise agreement with Middle East food retail group Americana, with the first stores due to open in Cairo and Beirut during October. There are already more than 50 Costas across the Middle East, including in Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait.
Eateries lose one-fifth of trade
The Sars outbreak cost Hong Kong restaurants a 20% fall in business in the first three months of the year, latest Government figures have shown. Total receipts fell to HK$10.5b (£849m), with Chinese restaurants hit hardest, down by 26%. Receipts in bars fell by 21% and non-Chinese restaurants saw takings down by 15%.
Accor exports Ibis to China
Hotel chain Accor is to open nine hotels in China, in what it has described as its most significant expansion in the country since first opening there nearly 20 years ago. The move will mean it will have 26 hotels up and running in China by the end of this year, with a further five due to open during 2004. The new hotels will be a combination of Sofitels, Novotels and, for the first time, the economy Ibis brand, with the 154-room Ibis Tianjin, south of Beijing, due to open in October.
Hyatt completes San Diego build Hyatt has completed its $240m (£151m) expansion of the Hyatt San Diego in California. With 1,625 bedrooms, it is now the city's largest hotel. The expansion has seen the chain build a 33-storey, 750-room tower to connect to the 40-storey, 875-room existing hotel.
Thai restaurant in health scare Health officials in the Australian state of Victoria are investigating a possible link between the death of a 49-year-old man and a gastroenteritis outbreak at a restaurant in the town of Footscray. The outbreak struck 38 people and led to 11 having to go to hospital. All had eaten pork rolls from the Thanh Phu restaurant. The restaurant has been closed while health authorities and the local council investigate.
