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Tag: hotels

  • Hotels told to cough up for playing music on TV by Vietnam’s copyright watchdog

    Hotels told to cough up for playing music on TV by Vietnam’s copyright watchdog

    Collection of the controversial royalty fees will resume after a three-month break following a public backlash.Vietnam’s music copyright watchdog has announced that it will resume charging hotels across the country royalty fees for playing music on TV.

    The Vietnam Center for Protection of Music Copyright (VCPMC) will be charging all hotels VND25,000 ($1.1) per year for each room equipped with a TV.

    The amount is based on similar fees charged in other countries based on information provided by the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC) and adjusted to Vietnam’s economy, the center stated.

    At a press conference on Monday, the VCPMC cited Vietnam’s intellectual property law to reaffirm its right to collect royalty fees from hotels that play music.The culture ministry has asked the VCPMC to start collecting fees again after they were put on hold in May following a public backlash, according to Pho Duc Phuong, the center’s director.

    The center also said that 80 percent of the royalties would go to the copyright holders and it would only retain 20 percent to cover its operating costs, Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reported.

    The collection process will be public and transparent, and the royalties will be paid to the copyright holders every three months, said Nguyen Hoang Giang, director of the VCPMC’s northern chapter.

    “The hotels will supply us with lists of songs they frequently play, and after subtracting administrative expenses, we will split the royalties equally among copyright holders,” Giang said.

    However, the VCPMC did not explain how the hotels will be able to compile these lists, or how it will verify them.

    In May, the center’s southern chapter started asking 1, 2 and 3-star hotels in Da Nang to pay music royalty fees and threatened to take legal action against those that refused to cooperate. Many hotel owners were surprised to learn about the new fees and were quick to protest, claiming most visitors don’t use their TVs to play music and not all hotels play music in their lounges.

    However, the VCPMC has been charging 4 and 5-star hotels music licensing fees for the last 10 years, and has been organizing conferences since 2013 to inform all hotel owners of copyright laws and regulations, Tuoi Tre quoted Dinh Trung Can, the VCPMC’s deputy director, as saying.

    Following the public backlash in May, the Copyright Office of Vietnam instructed the VCPMC to temporarily stop collecting music royalty fees until it could devise a more transparent and appropriate roadmap for the collection process.

    The VCPMC is a non-governmental and non-profit collective copyright management organization. It claims to represent nearly 4,000 songwriters and copyright holders of Vietnamese songs, and more than 4 million international writers.

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  • Accor Hotels to operate 200 hotels in Indonesia by 2020

    Accor Hotels to operate 200 hotels in Indonesia by 2020

    Global hotel management chain AccorHotels is seeking to operate a total of 200 hotels in Indonesia by 2020 on the back of the country’s rapid development.

    At the end of 2016, the company was managing 106 hotels, an increase of 11 units compared to 2015.
    “We aim to have 200 hotels in Indonesia by 2020,” AccorHotels Malaysia-Indonesia-Singapore chief operating officer Garth Simmons said in Makassar on Saturday after launching its latest addition, Ibis Styles Makassar Sam Ratulangi.

    In 2017 alone, it plans to open between 15 and 20 new hotels, five of which will be located in the eastern part of Indonesia, mostly on Sulawesi.

    The chain is planning to make Sulawesi its eastern hub to help expand operations to the other parts of the country, especially Papua.

    “Frankly, we really want to expand to Papua, but we have to strengthen the distribution network first,” Simmons said.

    In 2016, the group had a 70 percent average occupancy rate, with Bali and Jakarta as its strongest bases, where the rate reached 90 percent.

    The Sumatra region has a 70 percent occupancy rate, while eastern Indonesia had around a 55 percent occupancy rate.

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  • Starwood Hotels & Resorts To Debut Four Points Jakarta, Thamrin In The Capital Of Indonesia

    Starwood Hotels & Resorts To Debut Four Points Jakarta, Thamrin In The Capital Of Indonesia

    Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, along with PT Thamrin Ekspress Indonesia today jointly announced the opening of Four Points Jakarta, Thamrin. The opening marks the first Four Points property in Jakarta, and the sixth in Indonesia. The hotel is part of an approximate 159,000 square foot mixed used development that consists of offices located on the upper floors of the building and the hotel.

    “Built for the smart, independent business traveler, Four Points continues to offer our guests exactly what they need while on the road,” says Vincent Ong, Senior Director, Asia Pacific Brand Management, Four Points. “We are excited to open Four Points in Indonesia’s capital of Jakarta, one of the fastest growing cities in Southeast Asia and continuing the immense growth momentum of the brand in the region and generating a halo-opening effect.”

    Four Points Jakarta, Thamrin features 164 guest rooms with fast and free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel. Guestrooms are fitted with the Four Points brand’s signature bedding, 43” LED flat-screen TVs, and complimentary bottled water. The hotel features an all-day dining venue, which incorporates the brand’s signature Best BrewsTM program, allowing guests to sample a range of local craft and artisan beers. For meetings and events, Four Points Jakarta, Thamrin has three comfortable, stylish meeting spaces totaling 1,615 square feet that overlooks the lively Thamrin business district. The hotel also offers a 24 hour fitness center that is fully equipped with a range of high-endurance and low impact workout equipment.

    Four Points Jakarta, Thamrin is strategically located along Jl M.H. Thamrin at Menara Topas, a major road running through the Central Business District in Jakarta with high visibility for corporate clients. The hotel is located just under one half a mile north of the famous Selamat Datang roundabout near multinational corporate offices, embassies, megamalls, retail shops, restaurants and bars. For guests looking to immerse in the rich history and culture of Jakarta during their stay at the hotel, they can visit Pasar Baru, the oldest shopping center in the city that dates back to the Dutch colonial era, Sunda Kelapa, a 17th century port to see the world’s last wind-powered trading schooners, or take in captivating views from the observation deck at Monas, a National Monument located in the center of Freedom Square. All are located within 7.5 miles of the hotel.

    Starwood Hotels & Resorts is rapidly growing in Indonesia alongside the increasing number of domestic and international travelers. Currently there are 19 properties across Indonesia with 15 hotels under construction. In Jakarta alone, Starwood has five properties representing the Le Méridien, Tribute Portfolio, The Luxury Collection and Sheraton brands, with six more hotels opening by 2020, including the debut of the Westin brand in August, 2016 and the Aloft brand by 2018.

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  • Swiss-Belhotel International extends Indonesian footprint with opening of Swiss-Belhotel Jambi

    Swiss-Belhotel International extends Indonesian footprint with opening of Swiss-Belhotel Jambi

    Swiss-Belhotel International continues its growth in all segments of the Indonesian hospitality industry with the opening of the four-star Swiss-Belhotel Jambi, Central Sumatra.

    The hotel is the first international property in Jambi with an impressive grand ballroom with seven-metre high ceilings, capable of hosting over 1,200 guests.

    The opening ceremony was led by the Mayor of Jambi, H. Syarif Fasha, ME who was accompanied by PT Selaras Jaya Indah Hotelindo President Commissioner Bapak Begawan Kamto, Swiss-Belhotel International Chairman and President Mr. Gavin M. Faull and Senior Vice President of Operations and Development Mr. Emmanuel Guillard.

    Swiss-Belhotel International Chairman and President Mr. Gavin Faull said: “Swiss-Belhotel International is delighted to welcome Swiss-Belhotel Jambi to our global portfolio of hotels and further strengthen our business in Sumatra.”

    Swiss-Belhotel Jambi offers 136 rooms with a minimum size of 31 square metres.

    “The property is ideally located in the business district and caters ideally to the local business community as well as leisure travellers who can now enjoy international standards of hospitality and service in the city.”

    As well as offering extensive function space, Swiss-Belhotel Jambi, boasts the largest lobby in town, extensive parking, rooms starting at a minimum size of 31 square metres and exceptional dining experiences highlighted by The View Café and signature rooftop outlet, Resto.

    The 136-room Swiss-Belhotel Jambi offers international standard amenities and facilities including individual air-conditioning units, in-room refrigerators, an IDD/NDD telephone system, laptop size in-room safety deposit box, tea and coffee making facilities, wifi internet access, in-room dining, five meeting rooms and ballroom, swimming pool, gym and business centre.

    Strategically located in the central business district, the hotel provides convenient access to a variety of local attractions, shopping malls and culinary options, making it an ideal choice for business or leisure travellers to Jambi.

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  • Trump’s luxury hotels in Indonesia could face backlash over his anti-Muslim remarks

    Trump’s luxury hotels in Indonesia could face backlash over his anti-Muslim remarks

    Few villagers living near a half-built golf course in Indonesia’s West Java province know the name Donald Trump, and fewer still are aware that one of his firms will be managing a six-star hotel and luxury resort in their backyard.

    But in the capital, Jakarta, a growing number of Indonesians want the U.S. presidential candidate and his businesses banned from the world’s most populous Muslim-majority nation after Trump pledged to temporarily bar Muslims from entering the United States if elected.

    The anger simmering across the Pacific is a likely preview of the strained relations a Trump presidency could expect from the Muslim world.

    Indonesia, whose more than 200 million Muslims largely practice a moderate form of Islam, has close relations with the United States. Many Indonesians think highly of President Barack Obama, who spent part of his childhood in Jakarta.

    “If (Trump) continues his racist position, it will bring danger to American assets,” said Hasanuddin, a parliamentarian who is also a member of the assembly’s commission overseeing foreign policy. “Donald Trump’s arrogance could be harmful for U.S. citizens around the world.”

    Fadli Zon, the deputy speaker of the house, said he would seek restrictions on U.S. trade and investment if Trump became president.

    The United States is Indonesia’s second-largest export market, worth about $16 billion last year, and is a popular study destination with children of the elite.

    An online petition, set up anonymously, is urging Indonesian President Joko Widodo to ban the billionaire and his businesses from the country and has received more than 45,000 signatures.

    “Donald Trump doesn’t want Muslims of the world to enter the United States . . . so we should do the same to him,” signatory Ayu Dyah wrote on the petition website. “Condemn, refuse and boycott every Donald Trump business and his affiliations. . . . We should prove that we have power.”

    Widodo has not responded to the petition.

    Trump’s comments on Muslims have already provoked strong reactions elsewhere, with British politicians in January debating barring the real estate tycoon from entering the country, where he also has business interests.

    The hostility toward Trump could threaten his company’s expansion efforts into Southeast Asia’s largest economy, Indonesian lawmakers and government officials said.

    “It’s just his statement hurts many people in this Muslim-majority country,” said Edy Putra Irawady, Indonesia’s deputy chief economic minister. “Surely it will be a black shadow for his business.”

    Trump Hotels Collection last year announced a partnership with Indonesia’s PT Media Nusanta Citra (MNC) to manage new luxury hotels on Bali and in West Java, the Trump unit’s first foray into Asia.

    In Bali, one of Asia’s most popular holiday destinations, Trump Hotels will operate a six-star hotel atop a cliff overlooking the Indian Ocean and Tanah Lot, a popular sea temple on a small rock formation.

    MNC, which will be building both resorts, declined to comment on Trump’s politics.

    “Business is business. The implication for wider Indonesia, we have to see later,” said Syafriel Nasution, corporate secretary of MNC Group, adding that he had not seen any damage to the company’s brand due to its relationship with Trump.

    MNC Group is controlled by billionaire Hary Tanoesoedibjo, Indonesia’s 28th-richest person, who also owns four national television stations and last year launched a new political party.

    A senior member of Muhammadiyah, Indonesia’s second-largest Muslim organization, said protests are possible if Trump becomes president, though none were yet planned.

    “Indonesian Muslims are very strongly united,” said Abdul Mu’thi, the group’s secretary general. “If he is elected, there will be a strong reaction from Indonesian communities to any business that is run by Donald Trump.”

    In West Java, near where Trump’s golf resort will be built, one villager said he had never heard of Trump and wouldn’t be protesting against him. “If we protest, he will likely close his business,” said Agus, who owns a small mobile phone shop. “And for the time being, earning money is hard.”

  • VP Kalla reviews preparation to build hotels in Mandalika

    VP Kalla reviews preparation to build hotels in Mandalika

    Vice President M. Jusuf Kalla had the opportunity to review the preparations for the construction of four five-star hotels at Mandalika Special Economic Zones in Central Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, Saturday.

    The Vice President reviewed the area together with Peoples Consultative Assembly (MPR) Chairman Zulkifli Hasan and Tourism Minister Arif Yahya.

    Arriving on the scene, the Vice President and the group immediately got the exposure of a number of investors who will build the four five-star hotels at the Mandalika Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Central Lombok.

    Four hotels to begin construction in 2016, are Pullman Hotel of the investment fund PT Indonesia Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC), which is a state-owned enterprise (SOEs) in the field of tourism.

    Other hotels are Intercontinental Hotel, Club Med Hotel and Lees Hotel, and the construction of the entire capacity of the 850-room hotels was targeted to be completed within a period of two and a half years.

    “Everything has been completed, and there no reason not to accelerate the construction of these four hotels,” the vice president noted.

    After hearing the exposure of investors, the vice president then listened to the explanation of President Director of PT ITDC, Abdulbar M. Mansoer, related to the development of Mandalika SEZ within the next 10 years.

    In addition to building hotels, ITDC will also build the basic infrastructure needed by the hotels to support their operation, such as the need for clean water that will utilize seawater through the refining process.

    This work is done by establishing a partnership with EBD Bauer, one of the American companies engaged in the purification of seawater into fresh water.

    Other infrastructure that is in the process of being set up is a solar power plant (SPP) and gas power plants for hotels in Mandalika SEZ, which will not use electrical energy from the State Electricity Company (PLN).

    ITDC is also getting constructed the Tourism College (STP), which will create the human resources needed by the hotels.

    “Thus, some 20 star-rated hotels will be built in the Mandalika Special Economic Zone within 20 years. For the first stage, we will build four five-star hotels, and we have prepared the basic infrastructure,” said Abdulbar.

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