A new reason to spend the holidays in Bangkok

Bangkok's holiday festivities will hit new heights with Beautiful Bangkok, a 60-storey light-and-sound spectacular from seven top Thai artists under the theme The Symphony of Happiness.

The Thai capital will be set alight by Magnolia Quality Development Corporation Limited (MQDC), the company behind the high-tech 3D projection mapping and laser show, which will run from December 18 to New Year's Eve, drawing Thais and tourists to Ratchaprasong, a district famous for festive displays and 'countdown' parties.



MQDC CEO Mr Visit Malaisirirat said: "Beautiful Bangkok celebrates New Year by commissioning the greatest artists to capture the city's true beauty - the happiness of its people - and confirms Bangkok as Asia's 'countdown city'.

"We worked on The Symphony of Happiness with seven of Thailand's most famous contemporary artists, offering them the vast canvas of Magnolias Ratchadamri Boulevard (MRB), a 60-storey residence and the home of Waldorf Astoria Bangkok. 

"MRB's striking façade, inspired by magnolia flowers, provides the perfect setting for this huge event."

The seven artists (and you have to love some of the names) are P7, Mue Bon, Pai Lactobacillus, Tikkywow, Keep Your Eyes On team, TRK, and Bonus TMC, all from Thailand's thriving street art scene.

MQDC will continue to host Beautiful Bangkok each year, said Mr Visit (what a great name for someone involved in the tourism industry).

"MQDC will do this every year as our special gift to Thailand. We seek to capture and celebrate the beauty of Thai happiness. The annual shows will spotlight Bangkok as a great place to greet the New Year, a countdown city on a par with Hong Kong, Singapore and Sydney. 

"The show will once again draw a vast audience, amazing and delighting Thais and tourists alike."

There will be seven performances a night. See www.magnolias-ratchadamri.com/happenings.

Hobart's new $400 million hotel at MONA unveiled

Hobart's world-famous MONA has unveiled details of its plans for a new five-star waterfront hotel. 

MONA owner David Walsh announced today that the new hotel will not be named HOMO, or HOON, as had been mooted, but Motown.

The design, like the name, has been recycled through many iterations, emerging through the collective efforts of architect Nonda Katsalidis, Walsh and others.

"We wanted an inverted suspension bridge," Walsh said on the MONA website. "But then the value engineers got at it. Now it’s a shopping trolley that looks a bit like an inverted suspension bridge."

The five-star hotel complex will encompass 172 rooms looking towards kunanyi/Mt Wellington or up the Derwent River towards Claremont and Otago Bay. There will be a theatre, spa centre, outdoor concert stage and library (below), as well as conference and auditorium facilities, and several new artworks. 

Several of the high-end rooms will feature works by "some really-quite-good artists" Walsh says.

The new library will be spread over three levels and will house Walsh's "large and growing nerd fest of bibliophilic paraphernalia", including Einstein, Newton, Darwin and Dickens. 

Hotel access will be mainly via the water with Venice-style motoscafi ferries dreamed up in collaboration with Mona’s ferry operators, Navigators. There will be another ferry, and eventually a boardwalk link to the main road.

Walsh says the new hotel complex should be opened by 2024 and will cost $400 million. 

Mona’s development application for Motown has been submitted to Crown Land Services and Glenorchy City Council. Once Crown approval has been granted, the development application assessment process will formally commence with Glenorchy City Council. 

A new look for an old favourite in the Hunter Valley

Farewell Small Winemakers' Centre, hello to Wine House Hunter Valley. 

There has been a re-branding, re-furbishing and re-naming, as well as the arrival of an all-day lounge with a all-day share plate menu to match the wines of producers including The Little Wine Company, Silkman Wines, Thomas Wines, David Hook and Hart and Hunter. 

Several of the wineries involved have their own cellar doors, but the Wine House is designed for visitors who want to taste several different styles in the one spot.   

The change comes after 30 years, with well-known local chef Ros Baldwin joining the team.

The menu in the former Epicure Cafe space features share plates of dishes like slow-cooked lamb shoulder with pomegranate seeds, coriander, barley and hummus and goat cheese croquettes with braised pepperonata and herbed crème fraiche. There is also a range of deli platters and a selection of desserts.

The tasting bar and wine lounge offer an ever-changing selection of more than 40 wines by the taste or by the glass, from the Hunter Valley and beyond.  

A series of structured wine experiences with various themes will be presented with culinary pairings with Enomatic machines allowing visitors to compare Australian varieties alongside international wines for a global wine experience.

Suzanne Little, winemaker of the Little Wine Company and Director of Wine House Hunter Valley says: “Whether people are here to simply enjoy wine and time with good friends or they are on a quest to further their wine knowledge, we believe that their tasting experience is as important as the wine itself. 

"Keeping this in mind we have designed the Wine House to ensure it is welcoming, informative and relaxing. We are excited to be building on what this boutique collective has been offering for the past 30 years.

”The ethos here is that wines have to be made by their owners - people who are on site here in the Hunter." 

An ideal one-stop shop for anyone lacking enough time to explore. 

Wine House Hunter Valley is at 426 McDonalds Road, Pokolbin. www.winehousehuntervalley.com.au. (02) 4998 7668. Open seven days a week 11am-5pm, and until 7pm Fridays and Saturdays. 

Hotels taking the human element out of hospitality

I quite enjoy checking in to a hotel. I ask the receptionist for local tips, where the nearest shop is, the location of the swimming pool etc.

All that will be a thing of the past as the "hospitality" industry moves to replace humans with computer check-in counters.

It may well save money for the operator, but it sure isn't hospitable.

The new Ruby Apartments on the Gold Coast today sent out a press release saying how much its guests "are really enjoying the seamless check in process".

The first tower in this billion-dollar development showcases Australia’s first Enzosystems hospitality kiosks and CEO David Brook says he's delighted.

“The Enzosystems hospitality kiosks are our new front desk," he says. "There’s no longer a need for a full reception desk, as these systems offer a complete check-in and check out process.

“Our lobby area houses a circular check-in desk with six check-in stations where guests are guided through a self-check-in process with the help of our fully trained Ruby Ambassadors.

“Guests are no longer required to wait in line filling in mountains of paperwork, including information that has already been provided when booking. All information is entered into our check-in system at the time of booking, which means that guests check-in time is much faster, and they can start enjoying their holiday as quickly as possible.”

I say phooee.

How long before the ambassadors are phased out - just as they have been by airlines with automatic check-in kiosks?

Ruby Apartments boast that the "Enzosysystem hospitality kiosks are very easy to use. They hand out room keys and also take care of guest payments at time of check-out. They can even be used by visitors who arrive without a booking; with the kiosks housing updated information on what rooms are available at any given time."

Which is all well and good until there is a glitch, or the system fails.

Call me old fashioned but I prefer to detail with people rather than machines.

If you should be tempted by a brave new world check out www.therubycollection.com.au/special-offers

Is this the best-located accommodation in the Hunter Valley?

So you want to visit several cellar doors in the Hunter Valley without having to drive?

There are several hotels and motels close to one or more wineries but it is hard to beat the Mercure Hunter Valley Gardens Resort when it comes to location.

It's an old favourite within a very short stroll of the McGuigan and Brokenwood cellar door complexes, with the newly refurbished Wine House just across the road, as is the Roche complex (formerly Tempus Two), with drawcards including Tempus Two cellar Door, Hunter Valley Smelly Cheese Shop, Oishii, Meerea Park’s Cellar Door and Goldfish cocktail bar.

Head in the opposite direction to Hunter Valley Gardens and Harrigan's Irish Pub. 

A slightly longer walk is concert venue Hope Estate, but there is still no need to worry about drink-driving.

I stayed at the Mercure this week and found it not only centrally situated but staffed by switched-on young people.

Each of the 72 rooms opens out onto a private balcony or courtyard and suites each feature a separate lounge, a fireplace and spa bath.

My room had a comfortable bed, mini bar, fast free wifi and a serviceable, if slightly old-fashioned, bathroom. All rooms are air-conditioned and have tea- and coffee-making facilities.

The buffet breakfasts are very good while éléments restaurant (which I did not sample) offers French-accented cuisine.

Mercure Resort Hunter Valley Gardens is a premium 4.5 star property with a pool, sauna, spa with massage facilities, tennis courts and function space for conference and weddings.

It is 45 minutes' drive from Newcastle and two hours' drive from Sydney if the traffic gods are kind (which, to be honest, they are often not). 

Midweek prices this week were from $239 per night. Weekends can be more expensive. 

www.mercurehuntervalley.com.au

Boost for adventure tourism on Bruny Island

The Tasmanian Walking Company has invested in the Bruny Island Long Weekend experience, a three-day 35km walk offers a fully-guided luxury camping experience of the southern Tasmanian island.

BILW is an award-winning tour operator with founder Robert Knight based at a 100-acre private sanctuary that fringes the national park. The investment will see both parties collaborate, develop and manage the operation.

"I am delighted to be teaming up with 30-year old Tasmanian Walking Company," said BILW owner Rob Knight.

"Adventure tourism is a growing sector and Bruny Island Long Weekend will now realise its full potential under this new partnership.

"I started the business on my own in 2013, and I am looking forward to moving into the next phase of expansion and growth with the support and guidance of a partner who equally values and appreciates the natural ecosystem.”
TWC General Manager Heath Garratt said: “We are excited to welcome Bruny Island Long Weekend to our portfolio of walks in a partnership that complements our vision of becoming one of the great tourism experiential brands.

Rob has created a hidden gem where raw, natural beauty is in abundance, and together we share a determination to continue raising the profile of guided walks with outstanding environmental credentials.”

BILW comprises a three-day showcase of the pristine wilderness of Tasmania with a guided walk through varied terrain including beaches, rocky headlands, and rainforest.

BILW’s sustainable luxury tented accommodation sees walkers sleep under the stars in one of four spacious tents each with private deck and furnished with king-size bed and creature comforts. The off-grid facilities exist in harmony with the surrounding environment, with structures constructed from timber salvaged from Southern Tasmanian forestry coupes and outdoor hot showers framed by tall eucalypts.

The journey takes guests by private boat from Hobart down the Derwent River to Bruny Island where walkers can learn the art of oyster shucking at a local farm before exploring the wilds.

For Bruny Island Long Weekend bookings visit www.tasmanianwalkingcompany.com.au or call +61 3 6392 2211.