August 2005
When Brussels sprouts a winner • Starwood personnel managers meet in Malta • Brewery sponsors hoteliers association • Bay Point hosts guest for his 500th night at a Radisson SAS hotel • Corinthia appoints industry heavyweights to corporate boards • Historic Cities drawing competition winners announced • They made it

When Brussels sprouts a winner

Floriana, 25/08/05 - Jill Attard of Sliema won a weekend for two at Le Méridien Brussels inclusive of flights. The weekend break was the top prize in the Taste of Brussels promotion by Le Méridien Phoenicia held at the Pegasus Brasserie. Air Malta and Le Méridien in Brussels sponsored the prize.

Le Méridien Phoenicia brought Belgium closer to Malta for a month. Andy Gaskin, executive head chef, prepared a menu of Belgian specialities including fresh mussels prepared in Belgian beer served with french fries, mayonnaise and mustard and Belgian chocolate desserts.

Starwood personnel managers meet in Malta

St Julian's, 24/08/05 - The Italy and Malta division of Starwood Hotels and Resorts recently held it annual personnel regional meeting at the Westin Dragonara Resort.

Led by regional human resources director for Italy and Malta Mario Di Loreto, this full day meeting was attended by personnel and training managers from 15 Starwood properties in Italy and Malta.

The aim of the meeting was to discuss upcoming human resource projects, to review the first six months in each of the properties, to exchange ideas and to collaborate on various projects.

Brewery sponsors hoteliers association

Sliema, 24/08/5 - Mriehel-based brewers Simonds Farsons Cisk (SFC) have become a sponsor of the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association (MHRA).

The association's president Justin Zammit Tabona said that SFC's sponsorship was tangible recognition of the MHRA's efforts to promote tourism in Malta and Gozo.

Speaking at the signing of the sponsorship agreement, Zammit Tabona added that SFC was an icon of Maltese industry and directed a substantial part of its business towards hotels, restaurants and the tourist sector in general. The MHRA, as part of this agreement, will promote SFC among its members and during its public functions.

Such synergies, said Zammit Tabona, augured well for the work of the MHRA, particularly in campaigning for the development of the Malta product and the promotion of the Maltese islands in source markets.

This is becoming an ever more important function of the MHRA at a time when competition from other destinations is growing and becoming more intense. The support of SFC provides real encouragement to the association, Zammit Tabona added.

SFC chief executive Louis Farrugia said that Farsons was proud to be assisting MHRA in its endeavours to further develop the tourism product and to lobby in the interests of this important sector for Malta's economy.

Bay Point hosts guest for his 500th night at a Radisson SAS hotel

St Julian's 15/08/05 - The Radisson SAS Bay Point Resort has just hosted Richard Cooper, one of the most loyal Radisson SAS Hotels and Resorts customers. Cooper and his family arrived for their holiday at the Radisson SAS Bay Point Resort on 6 August; during their stay at the five star property they spent their 500th night in a Radisson SAS hotel.

On arrival Cooper, accompanied by his wife and daughter, were picked up from the airport in a stretch limousine and driven to the Radisson SAS Bay Point Resort where they were welcomed by general manager Ernest Barry and guest relations manager Marika Abela.

Barry said it was a pleasure to welcome the Coopers and "extend the Yes I Can service promise and commitment to which guests like Mr Cooper reward the Radisson SAS chain with their loyalty and patronage. It is an honour for us that such a loyal Radisson SAS guest will be spending his 500th night at a Radisson SAS property in our resort in Malta".

Corinthia appoints industry heavyweights to corporate boards

Floriana, 15/08/05 - Cornelia Kausch, former general manager of the five star Corinthia Grand Hotel Royal in Budapest has been appointed chairperson of IHI Hungary, the hotel's owning company. IHI Hungary is a wholly-owned subsidiary of International Hotel Investments, in which Malta's Corinthia Group holds a majority interest.

IHI was incorporated in the Corinthia Group to develop and invest in upscale hotels in Europe and the Mediterranean region. The company was floated on the Malta Stock Exchange in April 2000.

Corinthia Hotels International, meanwhile, has appointed Christian Windfuhr as an executive board director of the company. Windfuhr is a seasoned hotelier with experience in Europe, the US, South Africa, the Middle East, the Far East, Australia and New Zealand. Until recently he was CEO of Maritim Hotels.

Historic Cities drawing competition winners announced

Valletta, 15/08/05 - The winners of the Discover the Magic of Our Historic Cities drawing competition have received their prize - a fabulous Playmobil castle.

The competition was launched in April during the AMITEX show. The winner in the six to eight years old category was seven-year-old Andreas Castillo, while the winner in the nine to 12 years old bracket was 11-year-old Arlene Cassar.

Playmobil chief executive officer Helga Ellul and Malta Tourism Authority executive chairman Romwald Lungaro-Mifsud presented the prizes.

The competition - a joint initiative between the MTA and Playmobil - forms part of the authority's drive to raise awareness and appreciation of the islands' cultural and historical heritage.

"Our historic cities, apart from being architectural gems, are home to some of our finest monuments, works of art and museums", said Lungaro-Mifsud. "Moreover, they are all major attractions visited by practically every tourist on the islands".

They made it

Mosta, 25/07/05 - Corinthia Hotels International’s Shawn Pisanialong with friends Douglas Barbaro Sant of TravelTrade and Patrick Busuttil climbed Mount Kilimanjaro earlier this month in a bid to raise at least Lm10,000 for charity.

The charities are Ir-Razzett tal Hbiberija (the Park of Friendship), an organisation with a long history of providing therapeutic, entertainment and educational services to the disabled. The Step By Step Foundation, which was founded by the mother of a brain-injured child, provides educational and - when necessary and possible - financial support to parents of brain injured children. The third beneficiary is Kane Corradi, a nine-year-old boy born with a very rare and dilapidating condition called Chromosome 13 deletion. This condition affects his body’s immune system and leaves Kane severely handicapped, both mentally and physically. Luana, Kane’s mother, has to support him and his healthy twin sister single-handed, and because of the expensive treatment Kane requires to survive, every cent helps.

Although they climbed the mountain, they are still accepting donations - please be generous. The sms donation lines are now closed, however the Bank of Valletta account is still open (number 40013653925) and people may donate by bank transfer or simply sending a cheque to Shawn Pisani at Corinthia Hotels International, Head Office, 1 Europa Centre, Floriana VLT 15. Cheques should be made out to the Kilimanjaro Trek for Life 2005.