Hotel and restaurant news

In this fourth part of a five-part series, Susan Reynard chats to management and staff at Hilton Sandton to find answers to the burning question: What brings guests back? Food and beverage together with functions and events are key revenue streams in hotels. They represent the social side of a business, which is where guests interact with each other, conduct business meetings, and relax during mealtimes. Restaurants, ...

The grand finale, a gala dinner at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg for the Bidvest World Chefs Tour Against Hunger on 30 August, was a sold out hit. Some 1000 guests attended the four-course dinner, with wine and beverages supplied thanks to many generous sponsors including SAB, as well as an entire evening of entertainment. The auction of special pieces of memorabilia, including a guitar ...

Particulars of the 2012 AA Quality Assured Accommodation Awards programme have been announced. The programme, South Africa’s only consumer-based accommodation awards, has undergone extensive changes to keep up with modern trends in the hospitality industry. Vanessa Sand, MD of AA Travel Guides, the convenors of the awards, says the programme is keeping up with trends in the accommodation sector so that achievers gain the maximum benefit ...

Restaurant – Lucky Chip at the Sebright Arms, Bethnal GreenMeat-loving Londoners had already traipsed to a church in Kensal Rise and a Hackney car park in search of the Lucky Chip van and its gourmet burgers and hand-cut chips. So news of a semi-permanent home in east London's Sebright Arms is very welcome. We're most excited about the return of El Chapo, an aged beef ...

Boltongate Old Rectory, nr Ireby Southwest of Carlisle and a smidgen north of the Lake District national park, this luxury B&B is a great base for exploring both the northern Lakes and the less well-trodden north Cumbrian coast, including the Solway Coast AONB. Set in an old rectory, bedrooms here come with big beds, fresh flowers, guest dressing gowns and en-suite shower rooms fitted with underfloor ...

TheatreThe Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time, National Theatre: Cottesloe, South Bank, SE1, to 27 Oct, Simon Stephens' adaptation of Mark Haddon's bleakly humorous and award-winning novel following 15-year old narrator, Christopher John Francis Boone's investigation into his neighbour's dog's death. From Paris: A Taste For Impressionism, Royal Academy, W1, to 23 Sep, royalacademy.org.uk Delicious paintings of Belle Epoque peacocks, hazy seaside days and ...

The Protea Hotel Victoria Junction in Cape Town has reopened after being closed for four months for refurbishment. Owned by the Hospitality Property Fund, the hotel is on Somerset Road in an area known as the Pink Mile in Green Point and is said to be one of the greenest operations in the city. The hotel closed in May for a four-month total make-over that has seen ...

Road warriors reveal the tricks of the business travel game... No one knows travel better than someone who does it for a living. From knowing how to get discounts on luxury hotel rooms to obtaining perks and dealing with long-haul flights, business travelers know the ins and outs and ups and downs. Get the most out of your vacation time by adopting some of their well-tested ...

1. Fact: You can see both the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean when standing on the 11,450-foot-high summit of Volcán Barú, the highest point in Panama. See it: Two trails to the summit penetrate the wilderness of the Parque Nacional Volcán Barú. Learn more. 2. Fact: Nicaragua was the original location of the Panama Canal, but a stock crash in the U.S. nixed those plans. When ...

On the road with the Da Vinci Code in Scotland, where the trail takes us to Rosslyn... All Things Grail Lead to Rosslyn With a little help from Sir Isaac Newton, Langdon breaks the second cryptex code, after which he and Neveu journey to Rosslyn Chapel, Scotland's most famous Templar temple, but what they find is not what they expect. On Tour Rosslyn Chapel. The pretty little U-shaped miners' ...

Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa (FTTSA) has joined forces with South African Tourism (SAT) to promote fair and responsible tourism in a number of European source markets. This joint campaign includes a number of public relations and marketing initiatives, and the development of further Fair Trade Travel packages in collaboration with European tour operators. Jennifer Seif, FTTSA executive director, visited Paris to meet with SAT ...

Interested in cultivating your culinary prowess? If so, sign up for a hands-on short cooking course on your next trip. Here we serve up an amuse-bouche of classes, a taste-teaser if you will, of the international kitchens in which our talk forums' gourmands have gleefully slaved. France Nothing could impress guests at your next dinner party more than a five-course parade of fine-dining delights. Imagine the utterance ...

For its Young Stars of Tomorrow Competition, Showcook’s Annette Kesler headed for one of country’s top hotel schools and best hotels. The final cook-off, sommelier and service competition for contestants from the Cape Town Hotel School (part of the Cape Peninsula University of Technology) was held at the One&Only Cape Town hotel. The competition was created by online food portal Showcook to foster food culture in ...

Fodor's Art Director Fabrizio La Rocca recently set down his X-acto blade and took up his walking stick for an exhilarating journey to Lisbon, a magical and atmospheric city of medieval citadels, cobblestone streets, and extravagant bakeries. Why Lisbon? I love the steep, Moorish alleyways of the Alfama district, the medieval São Jorge citadel, the restaurants and squares of the Baixa and Chiado, and the infinite ...

Stoke NewingtonStoke Newington isn't on the tube, but it's worth making the short trip by train (from Liverpool Street) or bus to hang out in this former enclave for radicals and nonconformists, which still has an independent vibe. Stay on and around Church Street and you won't go far wrong – it's great for pubs, cafes and quirky shops, especially interiors and vintage fashion. Search ...

Borger Dalr, BorrowdaleDistance 4 miles Start Grange in Borrowdale, grid ref NY253174 National Trust downloadable route and map Borger Dalr was described by the famed fellwalker and writer Alfred Wainwright as the "finest square mile in Lakeland" and it's not difficult to see why. You'll climb Castle Crag, the site of a hill fort some 2,000 years ago, which, though small in stature, offers some of the ...

When the Tollman family and Red Carnation Hotels officially opened the new spa at the Twelve Apostles Hotel in Cape Town this week, the group’s South African executive chefs combined their skills to feed and entertain the stream of guests invited to tour the revamped facility. In the picture above are, from left, Henrico Grobbelaar from Twelve Apostles, Kevin Joseph from The Oyster Box and Floris ...

On the road with the Da Vinci Code in Rome, where the trail takes us to the Papal summer retreat... Secret Meeting at the Vatican After learning from the Vatican Council that a secret society, the Priory de Sion (headed by Jacques Sauniere), has been making plans to uncover shocking news about Jesus, Opus Dei's Bishop Manuel Aringarosa accepts a mission to quash the revelations. We first ...

Ever missed the last train home because you've had to work all night, or for more exciting reasons – a hot date perhaps? A new travel app offering same-day hotel bookings could solve your next late-night dilemma about where stay that night. San-Francisco-based Hotel Tonight is a simple, mobile booking service featuring discounts of up to 70% on hotel rooms in 40 US and Canadian cities. ...

Uitkyk wine estate outside Stellenbosch has launched a project to increase the owl population on the farm by creating suitable habitats for these birds of prey. Uitkyk, a Biodiversity & Wine Initiative champion, was one of the first in the Winelands to appreciate the value of owls in rodent control when several years ago it erected “owl posts” in the vineyards to facilitate hunting. Rudi Buys, ...

TSG Tourism Services Group will assist with facilitating destination marketing and housing services for the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) 2011 that begins on October 3 in Cape Town. To be held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, the event will be the first international space congress to be hosted in Africa. Jonathan Weltman and his team at TSG Tourism Services were instrumental in securing the Cape ...

The National Tourism Careers Expo (NTCE) experienced record attendance with over 18 000 visitors attending the interactive exhibition designed to showcase the career opportunities available in tourism. The NTCE, which ran from 23-25 September, is supported by the National Department of Tourism (NDT), Department of Economic Development and Tourism KwaZulu-Natal and CATHSSETA (Culture, Art, Tourism, Hospitality and Sport Education and Training Authority), previously known as THETA. ...

When it comes to all-inclusive getaways, it pays to investigate the fine print... For many travelers, all-inclusive getaways are the only way to go. Everything is figured out in advance of departure -- accommodations, food, drink, entertainment, and most or all fees. Sometimes, though, the difference between "most or all" fees can take travelers by surprise. Below, we've outlined a few of the ways costs can ...

"Every year, Joburg bursts into spring with a flurry of festivals and events, encouraging all to celebrate the new season by getting out and about, and this year is no different,” says Lindiwe Kwele, CEO of the Johannesburg Tourism Company (JTC). “From signature events like Arts Alive and the Joburg Shopping Festival in September, to Africa Fashion Week in October and the Sansui Summer Cup ...