News from the world of travel
The AJN takes you around Australia and the world to see what’s new in travel.
Israeli hotels offer shelter to displaced citizens.
The Dan Hotels chain is providing 2500 rooms to house evacuees from communities near the Gaza Strip and from border towns with Lebanon impacted by the war with Hamas.
After the fateful Hamas attacks of October 7, the Dan management team and members of the Federmann family offered shelter and assistance to Israelis at 10 of its hotels. Dan Hotels CEO Shlomi Tahan said: “As a nation we are going through very hard and sad times with many of our citizens being displaced from their homes.
“Ten of our properties are dedicated to helping as many people as possible and providing them with shelter, food and some comfort to make them feel at home as best we can.”
The Dan Hotels providing free rooms are in Jerusalem (Dan Panorama, Dan Jerusalem and Dan Boutique), Haifa (Dan Carmel, Dan Panorama and The Mirabelle Plaza), Eilat (Dan Panorama and Neptune), Dan Accadia in Herzliya and the Ruth Zefat in northern Israel.
Apart from offering rooms, the hotels are also providing meals and organising entertainment for children.
Many volunteers are helping to sort clothes and toys that have been donated as well as pack and distribute food parcels around the country. Founded in 1948, the Dan Hotels chain is one of the leading luxury hotel groups in Israel.
FBI Travel wins prestige industry award
More than 1300 people attended the 2023 National Travel Industry Awards at Melbourne’s Crown Palladium on November 18 to honour the winners in 34 categories for excellence in the travel industry.
FBI Travel of Caulfield North won the award for Most Outstanding Leisure Travel Agency – Single Location.
Joint managing directors of FBI Travel, Mark Chaskiel and Danny Englman, said in a statement: “This notable recognition underscores our unwavering dedication to excellence and the exceptional efforts of our dedicated team.
“This accolade signifies the outstanding contributions FBI Travel has made to the travel industry. We are both honoured and humbled to be acknowledged for our innovative approaches, steadfast commitment to quality, and the positive influence we’ve had on our clients and the industry at large.” FBI Travel previously won a NTIA award in 2017.
Apartment living at Meriton Suites Melbourne
Meriton Suites Melbourne at 140 King Street is the latest addition to the city’s skyline.
Meriton Suites Melbourne, the newest apartment-style hotel in the Meriton Suites stable which opened in late September, has got off to a flying start.
The hotel, situated at 140 King Street at the Southern Cross Station end of the CBD, has 298 apartment-style one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three-bedroom suites spread over 57 levels. It is topped by two spacious penthouse suites on the 56th floor featuring a full-sized gourmet kitchen, large lounges and three bedrooms, plus spectacular city views.
While the majority of the suites have one-bedroom, there’s also two-bedroom and three-bedroom suites for families or groups of friends enjoying a city escape.
With a modern décor and a home-away-from-home feeling, all the suites feature king-size beds, kitchen, separate bathroom, internal laundry with washing machine and dryer. Also included is a coffee pod machine with pods.
TVs are wall-mounted in the bedrooms and lounge and offer Staycast streaming from more than 1000 apps using your mobile phone and the hotel’s free wifi. While all the suites have air conditioning, windows can be opened for fresh air. Facilities include an indoor pool and spa, and a fitness centre.
The two-bedroom luxury suite is ideal for a group of four or two couples travelling together, with two separate bathrooms and plenty of space in the lounge and kitchen area. The hotel is close to supermarkets, cafes and restaurants, offering options for enjoying meals in the apartment or dining out.
Harry Triguboff, founder and managing director of the Meriton Group, launched his apartment business in Sydney in 1963 and the hotel division in 2003 and now operates 23 Meriton Suites hotels around Australia.
For more information: meritonsuites.com.au
Kosky and Lior back for 2024 Adelaide Festival
ADELAIDE Festival’s new artistic director Ruth Mackenzie has announced the line-up for next year’s festival, which will feature 64 events from March 1-17.
It will be headed by its centrepiece production – Igor Stravinsky’s opera The Nightingale and Other Fables directed by Canadian Robert Lepage and performed in Russian starring Grammy Award-winner contralto Meredith Arwady, Ukrainian bass Taras Berezhansky and Australian tenor Andrew Goodwin. It’s an international co-production between Opera national de Lyon, Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, Canadian Opera Company, Dutch National Opera in collaboration with Ex Machina and the State Opera South Australia.
Director Barrie Kosky, who has won international acclaim while in charge of Komische Oper Berlin from 2012–22, helms a production of The Threepenny Opera, written by Bertolt Brecht and Elizabeth Hauptmann with music by Kurt Weill and performed by the Berliner Ensemble.
Israeli-born Melbourne-singer Lior returns next year with two concerts on the same bill that have featured in Adelaide in recent years – Compassion and Ngapa William Cooper, performed by Lior, Lou Bennett and Nigel Westlake with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra.
Acclaimed Icelandic pianist Vikingur Olafsson will make his Australian debut when he performs his interpretation of J S Bach’s monumental Goldberg Variations.
Among the other highlights are The Promise, performed by Wende and co-conceived by Chloe Lamford, and Grand Theft Theatre created and performed by Pony Cam and David Williams.
While the Adelaide Festival takes centre stage, also popular is the Adelaide Fringe (February 16-March 17, 2024), WOMADelaide music festival in Adelaide’s Botanic Park (March 8-11, 2024) and Adelaide Writers’ Week (March 2-7, 2024).
Bookings: adelaidefestival.com.au
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