New Taj boost for Bangalore


Taj Hotels Resorts & Palaces has unfurled its new premium city brand in International Tech Park, Bangalore. Vivanta by Taj takes the number of hotels operated by the group in the city to five. The design-conscious newcomer has 199 rooms, three restaurants, including a rooftop bar and grill, a 25m pool, tennis courts and gym. Unsurprisingly, given its location, the rooms have a strong tech orientation: interactive TVs, high-speed Wi-Fi and home-theatre surround system. Vivanta also has conference and banquet facilities.

Wizz Air opens Prague hub


Hungarian no-frills airline Wizz Air is now operating out of Prague, flying to Luton, UK, and Milan four times weekly (daily from July) and Rome and Brussels four times a week; and to Paris and Eindhoven thrice weekly from July. Wizz aims to become central Europe’s leading no-frills airline. It flies to 50 European airports and Prague is its ninth operating base.


Austerity sets in


Research by the Economist Intelligence Unit and IT provider Amadeus may strike fear into the luxury end of the hotel industry. Of the 350 executives who took part, 46% said they would take fewer trips this year, while over a quarter expected to be downgraded from five-star hotels to three- or four-star options. And 54% valued convenience over comfort, citing the value of good transport links, a quiet room and a central location. The most valued service was a rock solid, free internet connection, which few five-star hotels offer.

Breath of fresh Swiss air


One of Switzerland’s grande dames, Park Hotel Weggis, on Lake Lucerne, is targeting the younger set with a sister property: Post Hotel Weggis. The Post features an “urban design” and 45 “chill-out rooms” with lake-view balconies, PlayStations, Blu-ray players and “LED-illuminated bathrooms”. The hotels share a spa and wine cellar. Meanwhile, The Restaurant at Zurich’s recently revamped Dolder Grand has just received a Michelin-star. Dishes include lobster with strawberries, and beetroot and gruyère with fig coffee.

Wyndham bites Big Apple


Wyndham Hotels and Resorts has opened its first two New York hotels, the 224-room Wyndham Garden Hotel Midtown Convention Center and 124-room Wyndham Garden Hotel Manhattan. Midtown’s lobby is designed to appeal to the chain’s “Gen X demographic and travellers’ mobile computing needs”. The space has “power booths” with flat-screen TVs and signature Wyndham Smart Chairs, both wired for internet access. There is also 290m2 of flexible meeting space.

Conran sets new Boundary


The latest notable hotel to open near the City of London is Boundary, a former Victorian warehouse in Shoreditch. Boundary is the first private venture from prolific entrepreneur Sir Terence Conran since his era-defining restaurant Bibendum debuted in London in 1987. Boundary has three restaurants and bars — including comfort food café Albion — 17 large bedrooms and suites, a bakery and food store. Menus are based on classic French and English recipes, with a large selection of crustacea, charcuterie, roast meat and cheese promised. Boundary Rooftop includes a large bar with seating arranged around an open fireplace, a 48-seat grill restaurant and a garden. There are 360˚ views from Canary Wharf to the City’s Gherkin and Barbican, to the rooftops and spires of east London.

No excuses for delays


A ruling has closed a loophole that allowed airlines to claim that technical glitches are beyond their control and so avoid paying compensation to delayed passengers. This could cost airlines millions and leave only events such as terrorism and sabotage as reasons not to pay compensation. The ruling came after an Austrian family sued Alitalia after a flight in 2005 was cancelled minutes before take-off. Judges hearing the case in the European Court of Justice said: “Technical problems which come to light during maintenance of an aircraft or on account of failure to carry out such maintenance do not constitute, in themselves, extraordinary circumstances.” Passengers can now receive between €300 and €620 in compensation, depending on the length of flight.