Australian hotels join new Accor collection

The new Sydney boutique hotel The Morris, featured here a few weeks ago, is one of 12 small properties around the world initially selected for a new collection of hotels noteworthy for their charm and character.

The Handwritten Collection will be a small portfolio of "bespoke hotels that offer an intimate and stylish hospitality experience".

Handwritten Collection properties opening over the next several months include Hotel Shanghai Sheshan Oriental in Shanghai, China (top); Le Saint Gervais Hotel & Spa  in Saint Gervais, France; (below); Wonil Hotel Perth in Perth; Hotel Morris in Sydney and Le Splendid Hotel Lac d'Annecy, 

Additional properties will open throughout the remainder of the year and beyond, including Hotel Les Capitouls Toulouse Centre, France; Oru Hub Hotel in Tallinn, Estonia; Square Lodge Hotel La Roche sur Yon in La Roche-sur-Yon, France; Sunrise Premium Resort in Hoi An, Vietnam and Paris Montmartre Sacré Coeur in Paris.

Properties will also be unveiled in Bucharest, Romania and Madrid, Spain.

The Handwritten Collection portfolio is expected to reach more than 250 hotels by 2030.

"Handwritten Collection enriches Accor’s offering in the ‘collection brands’ segment with a curated selection of hotels that exhibit charming and one-of-a-kind concepts," said Alex Schellenberger, Chief Marketing Officer, Premium, Midscale, Economy Brands, Accor (Whew! Quite a title, Alex).

"Our aim, beyond delivering a truly authentic guest experience, is to support the growing number of independent and boutique hotel owners looking to boost their global profile, connect with more audiences and grow their revenue without losing their identity..

“The hotels we will feature in Handwritten Collection are those sought out by travellers who appreciate heart-warming travel experiences and a twist on traditional hospitality, as well as by hoteliers who cherish the unique personality of their properties while desiring the benefits that come with a leading global partner.”

Handwritten Collection will bring together hotels with individual personalities, intimately reflecting the character and warmth of their operators, the Accor blub says.

“The manner in which each host interacts with their guests is thoughtfully considered and brings to life their own personal passions,” said Caroline Bénard, Global SVP Economy & Midscale Brands, Accor.

Las Vegas hotel to attract different style of high roller

Las Vegas is set to welcome its first cannabis-friendly hotel.

The former Artisan Hotel Boutique is undergoing a revamp and will soon be reborn as the "cannabis inclusive" Lexi Hotel.

Alex Rizk, CEO of Elevation Hotels and Resorts, says the new look will pay tribute to the hotel's history, while appealing to a new crowd.

He says the 64-room hotel will be open to both cannabis enjoyers and those who don't partake in a spliff or two, with a combination of cannabis-inclusive and cannabis-free areas throughout the property.

"One of our goals is to destigmatize the use of cannabis in the proper areas," said Rizk. "So, we are following and will follow the local laws, even though some of our hotels will have more flexibility depending on where they are."

Rizk says the Lexi will feature a pot lounge at some point, subject to statutory approval.

In addition to a potential lounge, the newly branded resort will also feature an exclusive members-only lounge, achapel and an events centre. There will also be a café, a Cajun-inspired steakhouse and live music.

Located just minutes from the Las Vegas Strip, The Lexi will have all new guest rooms, and host pool parties over spring and summer.

"The Lexi allows the Elevations Hotels and Resorts brand to truly showcase our commitment to creating a new type of hotel concept that is defined not only by our acceptance and normalization of cannabis in the hospitality space, but also by our dedication to reclaim storied properties and transform them for the modern-day travellers," says Rizk.

For more details see www.lexilasvegas.com

Qantas deal makes travel to India easier

Qantas has announced more codeshare options across India as part of an expansion of its partnership with low-cost carrier IndiGo.

Qantas launched the first phase of its codeshare agreement with IndiGo in August last year, offering connections from Qantas flights in Bengaluru and Delhi onto IndiGo services to other major Indian cities, including Mumbai and Chennai, as well as smaller destinations such as Pune and Goa.

Under the second phase of the agreement, Qantas customers can now travel to an additional eight cities, bringing the total number of Indian destinations available for connection from Delhi and Bengaluru to 21.

Qantas customers will also have more choice across IndiGo’s domestic network with more than 250 new flights available for booking.

Qantas Frequent Flyers can earn and redeem points on connecting IndiGo flights (with a QF code) and IndiGo recognises Qantas Frequent Flyer benefits for tiered members (Silver, Gold, Platinum and Platinum One) including priority check-in and priority baggage.

“Qantas’ new routes to India have proven to be incredibly popular with our customers," said Qantas Chief Customer Officer, Markus Svensson

“Our codeshare partnership with IndiGo has improved the way our customers travel between Australia and India, and the additional destinations give travellers even more options."

The codeshare destinations are Guwahati, Indore, Chandigarh, Mangalore, Jaipur, Nagpur, Thiruvananthapuram and Visakhapatnam.

Qantas operates four return flights from Melbourne to Delhi per week and four return flights from Sydney to Bengaluru per week.

IndiGo is reportedly among the fastest growing low-cost carriers in the world with 275+ aircraft connecting 73 domestic destinations and 24 international destinations.

See www.goIndiGo.in.

New moscato pushes wine boundaries

I think it would be fair to say that I am not the target market for the latest Australian wine industry wheeze.

Two of Australia’s leading gourmet brands have teamed up to create a limited-edition moscato flavour that has just been released.

Inspired by a Gelato Messina classic, the Brown Brothers Moscato Strawberries & Cream is obviously aimed at a young, sweet-toothed demographic.

It is being billed as "a flavour-filled dream from two strong, family-owned brands that share a love for innovation, taste, and adventure".

The new wine has been infused with natural ingredients to create a strawberry and cream taste profile, that is supposed to be enjoyed well chilled.

It is available at Brown Brothers' Milawa cellar door, online at brownbrothers.com.au, or at Coles Liquorland, First Choice, Vintage Cellars and select independent retailers.

The RRP is $16.50 and the wine comes in at just 8% alcohol. It is made for drinking now.

And no, I have not yet tried it. Nor am I keen to do so. 

# For younger readers, a wheeze is a clever or amusing scheme, idea, or trick

Canadians warned to cut down on alcohol consumption

Canadians have been given a stark health warning and told to limit themselves to a maximum of two alcoholic drinks a week. 

Not two alcoholic drinks per hour. Two per week. 

New national guidelines released this week also say that “any amount of alcohol is not good for your health”.

The report by the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) was issued after two years of research, a review of nearly 6,000 studies and a survey of around 1,000 members of the public.

Funded in part by Health Canada, it says drinking alcohol, including wine, represents an increased risk in negative outcomes, including various cancers.

Canada defines a ‘standard’ drink as a bottle of beer, glass of wine, a single shot of spirits or a bottle of cider.

In 2011, a report named Canada’s Low-Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines recommended a maximum of 10 drinks a week for women and 15 drinks for men. 

So either alcohol has become more dangerous, or the experts have become smarter, or perhaps more cautious. 

Dr Erin Hobin, a member of the panel of experts responsible for putting together the guidance document, said:  “The main message from this new guidance is that any amount of alcohol is not good for your health.

"And if you drink, less is better.”

The Canadian drinks industry went into positive spin mode. 

"We're encouraging people to track the number of standard drinks that they're consuming and to make informed decisions about alcohol and their health," said Rob Taylor, a spokesman for Wine Growers Canada, which was not involved in the survey.

CJ Helie, president of Beer Canada, said to CTV News that the industry was voluntarily advising people to moderate their drinking, rendering health warning labels unnecessary.

“A number of Canadian brewers, including a number of our members, have voluntary health warning labels or pictographs on packaging dealing with warnings against drinking while pregnant and driving while intoxicated,” he said.

Image: Marie Dashkova, Scop.io

Smoking ceremony launches 2023 Hunter Valley wine vintage

Vintage 2023 is up and running in the Hunter Valley wine region and over a hundred local winemakers, grape growers and tourism industry representatives gathered on Thursday morning to take part in the Hunter Valley's inaugural Vintage Smoking Ceremony.

The ceremony was conducted by Uncle Warren, an elder of the Wonnarua people.

The event was held at the Audrey Wilkinson cellar door in Pokolbin, with guests given the opportunity to connect with each other and with the land, at an important time for the local wine industry.

This ancient method of cleansing bad energy, both physically and spiritually, uses smouldering native plants, such as eucalyptus or emu bush, to produce a smoke with antimicrobial effects that are passed on to the vines and soil.

"This ceremony will help local wine producers and growers to connect with the land by having mother nature and the spirits of Baiame and Kawal on their side to provide protection to the vineyards and their roots over this vintage," said Uncle Warren.

"This protection will help provide the right amount of rain, the right amount of sun and everything from Mother Nature to provide a successful harvest of the vines upon this land."

Hunter Valley Wine & Tourism Association president Stuart Hordern of Brokenwood Wines opened the ceremony and said: "This has been a challenging growing season for all and we are grateful to Uncle Warren for his time and positive energy ahead of our 23 Vintage.

"We understand this is the first time any wine region has undertaken a smoking ceremony ahead of a vintage and it is fitting that it should be in the birthplace of the Australian wine industry.

"The wines we make in the Hunter Valley are internationally renowned for having a unique regional character about them and acknowledging the country and its indigenous connection to it is a uniquely Australian extension to the concept of terroir."

Some Hunter producers have already commenced harvesting given the drier weather the region has benefitted from recently, and the majority of white grapes will start to be harvested in the next couple of weeks.

The Hunter Valley Wine & Tourism Association said it "looks forward to this becoming an ongoing tradition within the industry".