Friday newsletters always feature travel contests, tips, or news.
Today: March 2024 luxury travel news
Every last Friday of the month, you can read my news round-up of what’s happening in the world of luxury travel. In this issue:
- Cathay Pacific unveils new Aria Business Class suite
- The Aman brand opens its first Janu Hotel in Tokyo, Japan
- Four Seasons announces a Red Sea Resort in Saudi Arabia
- Hyatt will bring the Andaz brand to Miami, USA
- Six Senses will open a resort in South Carolina, USA
- Malaysia Airlines unveils its new A330neo Business Class cabin
- Air Canada revamps its inflight menus in Business Class
- Jetblue introduces new Business Class amenity kit
- Minor Hotels announces the signing of Anantara Zanzibar Resort
- Regent Seven Seas announces the most expensive world cruise
1. Cathay Pacific unveils new Aria Business Class suite
A new Cathay Pacific Business Class experience is on the horizon, as the flag carrier of Hong Kong is introducing the all-new Aria Suite in their redesigned Boeing 777-300ER cabins. The state-of-the-art Business Class suite aims to offer the ultimate in comfort, privacy and practicality. The large lie-flat beds will fully extend for a restful sleep, and personal lighting will be customised from any seat position. According to the airline, each feature of the new suite has been designed to be as intuitive and useful as possible, from smart stowage to personal high-speed charging ports and wireless charging stations. The Aria Suite will also give passengers space to unwind, with its wrap-around seat design, privacy door and sliding partition between seats. Other design elements will include a 4K widescreen TV, with features that allow you to adjust your seat position, check lavatory occupancy sync up your inflight entertainment with your travel companion.
2. The Aman brand opens its first Janu Hotel in Tokyo, Japan
Aman – one of the world’s most exclusive hotel groups – has opened the first hotel of its new brand – Janu – in the Japanese capital. At the heart of Tokyo’s Azabudai Hills development – a vibrant community hub of nature, culture and art – Janu Tokyo features 122 guest rooms, eight restaurants and an expansive spa and wellness center inside a new, landmark building designed by visionary architects Pelli Clarke & Partners. Derived from the Sanskrit word for ‘soul’, Janu aims to be a visionary hotel, residence and lifestyle brand designed to encourage connection, restore balance and promote collective joy. Serving as a catalyst for Aman Group’s evolution, Janu marks a progressive new chapter, harnessing the potential of the legendary Aman brand to achieve a pipeline of sustainable growth. While Aman is renowned for its hallmarks of whisper-quiet seclusion and unparalleled service, Janu strategically positions itself at the vanguard for luxury hospitality, committed to providing a more dynamic, sociable experience.
3. Four Seasons announces a Red Sea Resort in Saudi Arabia
Marking a new chapter for comprehensive wellness tourism, Four Seasons is the latest luxury hospitality brand to be announced at Triple Bay, the pinnacle of luxury wellness tourism along Saudi Arabia’s northwestern coast. Four Seasons Resort and Residences AMAALA at Triple Bay will feature 220 keys comprising of rooms and suites, as well as villas with their own private pools, and 26 branded residential villas, all thoughtfully designed to offer breathtaking bay and sea views, setting the stage for Four Seasons renowned luxury service and experiences for guests and residents alike. Four Seasons Resort and Residences AMAALA at Triple Bay will include a luxury spa nestled within its garden of tranquillity and inspiration featuring a sculptured waterfall. In addition to the myriad wellness offerings, the new property will feature six restaurant and bar outlets, meetings and event spaces.
4. Hyatt will bring the Andaz brand to Miami, Florida
Hyatt Hotels announced an update on the anticipated renovation of The Confidante Miami Beach and its complete transformation into the new Andaz Miami Beach, which is slated to open in the fourth quarter of 2024. With three towers overlooking the beach, the hotel will offer the first-of-its-kind ocean view check-in experience in Miami Beach, a reinvention of all culinary offerings and dynamic spaces including the restaurant outdoor terrace and a second level outdoor Andaz Lounge, which will be a bar-forward destination designed to become the veritable living room of the neighborhood, with a palpable energy and authenticity that will invite guests and locals to gather, socialize and share ideas in a comfortable and informal setting. The property will offer 25,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event experience space from ballrooms with ocean views to a pool equipped with technology that converts the space to a hard surface for gathering and activations within minutes.
5. Six Senses will open a resort in South Carolina, USA
Six Senses, part of IHG Hotels & Resorts, will open an eco-conscious resort along the South Carolina shores in 2026. The property will span 460 acres across multiple coastal locations, including Hilton Head Island, Daufuskie Island, and Bay Point Island. Hilton Head Island, known for its small-town charm and protected wildlife, will serve as the main entry point for Six Senses South Carolina Islands, and offer a restaurant and retail outlet. Daufuskie Island will feature guestrooms, suites, and cottages along the beachfront and maritime forest. An all-day restaurant will be joined by a specialty eatery, beach club, pool grill, and more. Over in Bay Point Island, the villas will be a testament to Six Senses’ mission of sustainability. The modular, hurricane-resilient, biophilic, and self-contained residential accommodations will feature state-of-the-art infrastructure and waste handling, renewable energy, reverse-osmosis water supply, and helical piling to limit soil disruption and lighten their footprint.
6. Malaysia Airlines unveils new A330neo Business Class seat
Malaysia Airlines – the flag airline of Malaysia – has unveiled its new AirbusA330-900neo Business Class seats as part of its fleet modernisation plan, ahead of the first aircraft’s scheduled delivery in Q3 2024. The new Airbus A330-900neo cabin will feature many ‘firsts’ for the airline. Among those is the introduction of the Collins Aerospace Elevation Business Class seats, featuring an all-suite cabin with individual privacy doors, as well as wireless charging pods available at all 28 of the Business Class seats. The airline is set to become the world’s leading carrier to feature Elevation seats on the A330 airframe, solidifying its position as an industry leader in passenger experience and innovation. The A330neo will comprise 297 seats (28 in Business Class and 269 in Economy Class, of which 24 seats come with extra legroom). Malaysia Airlines has 20 A330neo aircraft on order.
7. Air Canada revamps its inflight menus in Business Class
Air Canada announced a comprehensive upgrade of its award-winning menus for all passengers, with 100+ new rotating seasonal recipes showcasing bigger, bolder flavours alongside craveable new snacks and beverages. In Business Class, new dishes include succulent chicken thigh accompanied by mandi rice and Emirati bzar sauce, roasted salmon in teriyaki sauce with Shandong noodles and a Middle Eastern mezze plate appetizer. An array of fresh homegrown ingredients also shine among Air Canada’s latest lounge and in-flight offerings, including wild-caught Fogo Island cod. Sparkling wine connoisseurs will delight in new Champagnes selected by sommelier Véronique Rivest. Fresh bubbly pours include Haton Cuvée Classique and Duval-Leroy Brut Réserve on international flights, and Jaillance Brut Traditionnel, a Crémant de Bordeaux AOP of French “fines bulles”, on flights within North America and the Caribbean.
8. Jetblue introduces new Business Class amenity kit
As New York’s Hometown Airline, JetBlue is bringing the best of NYC to the skies with a new roster of amenity partners for its Business Class product (called Mint). Designed by Caraa, the new amenity kits contain popular wellness products from New York-based brands Dr. Dennis Gross and Plus Ultra. On transatlantic routes, Mint passengers will find their charcoal-colored Caraa sport mesh pouch unfolds into a mint-colored, functional backpack ideal for use as a travel day pack, hotel gym bag or beach tote. On domestic routes, Mint customers will discover a snappable pouch that holds all travel essentials—and with four colorways (sage, clay, sand, gunmetal), customers can collect them all to mix and match with their own style, mood and travel accessories. Created in partnership with Buzz, the amenity kits continue to elevate JetBlue’s premium Mint experience while maintaining focus on sustainability with their intentional design for reuse.
9. Minor Hotels announces the signing of Anantara Zanzibar Resort
Minor Hotels, an international hotel owner, operator and investor with more than 540 hotels in 56 countries in Asia Pacific, the Middle East, Africa, the Indian Ocean, Europe and the Americas, announced the signing of a new Anantara resort to be developed in Zanzibar, Tanzania. Located on the northern coast of Zanzibar Island, the group will launch the 181-key Anantara Zanzibar Resort in 2027. The new-build property will feature 37 luxury suites, one presidential villa, and 73 one- and two-bedroom sea view villas with private pool. Culinary excellence will be a keen focus with six restaurants and bars offering all-day destination dining, a speciality beach grill, a beach club bar and a gourmet delicatessen café alongside a themed tikki bar and an al fresco pool bar. Other premium amenities at Anantara Zanzibar Resort will include an Anantara Spa, kids’ and teens’ clubs, gym and fitness facilities, a water sports club, a lagoon pool and a library.
10. Regent Seven Seas announces the most expensive world cruise
Beckoning to curious travelers and discerning adventurers, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, the world’s leading luxury ocean cruise line, has unveiled its 2027 World Cruise – World of Splendor. The voyage sailing from January 11, 2027, will be on board one of Regent’s newest ships Seven Seas Splendor. Sailing from Miami, Florida to New York, for a total of 140 nights, the all-inclusive 2027 World Cruise travels to 71 ports of call in the Caribbean, the Pacific Islands, Australia and New Zealand, Asia, Africa and Europe. Guests will travel 35,668 nautical miles across three oceans, exploring 40 countries on six continents. With over 480 included shore excursions and 14 overnight stays, luxury travelers will have the opportunity for total destination immersion and even visit 73 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Fares for the 140-night voyage start from $91,499 per guest for a luxurious Veranda Suite up to $839,999 per guest for the opulent Regent Suite.
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