Accountants dominate new Air Malta board

Valletta, 25/05/11 - Following the appointment of Louis Farrugia as chairman of Air Malta, the Minister of Finance, the Economy and Investment, Tonio Fenech, has also appointed Alison Attard, Andrew Calascione, Alan Caruana, Roderick Chalmers, Adrian Coppini, Helga Ellul and Mark Micallef Eynaud as directors of the board.

Alison Attard is an accountant, obtaining an international qualification through the Association of Certified Chartered Accountants. She has been employed with the Foundation for Medical Services since 2001 and held several posts there. Attard held the post of commercial manager on two major contracts as part of the team that successfully completed the Mater Dei Hospital project. She was later appointed financial controller of the foundation, primarily responsible for the finance, cost and contract unit. She has been a director of Air Malta for the past three years.

Andrew Calascione holds a degree in systems analysis from the United States. In recent years, as CEO of Retail International, Calascione has been instumental in launching international retail brands like Marks & Spencer, Next, Mango and several others in North African countries. He remains actively involved in the local commercial scene as a non-executive director on various boards operating in the agricultural, industrial, food, and retail sectors in Malta.

Alan Caruana is a fellow of the Malta Institute of Accountants, an ICT auditor, and holds a MBA in general management. He currently heads the secretariat to the Minister of Finance, the Economy and Investment. His current role is that of managing multiple national projects where the government has the lead role. He is a member of the University of Malta Council and the FinanceMalta board.

Roderick Chalmers has been the chairman of Bank of Valletta Malta since 2004. He serves as a director of the Gasan Group and has been a director of Simonds Farsons Cisk since May 2006. Chalmers is a chartered accountant by profession. He was formerly the senior partner of Coopers and Lybrand in Hong Kong and chairman of the firm’s South East Asia Regional Executive. Upon the merger of Coopers and Lybrand and Price Waterhouse, Chalmers was appointed chairman Asia Pacific for PricewaterhouseCoopers and was a member of the PwC global management board. He served as a non-executive director of the Securities and Futures Commission and on the Takeovers Panel and Banking Advisory Committee in Hong Kong.

Adrian Coppini is the HR and corporate services department manager at Banif Bank. He has played a fundamental role in the current restructuring process at Air Malta. He is also chairman of the airline’s ICT governance committee which is responsible for the mapping and oversight of the company’s ICT strategy. During his time at Air Malta in the role of chief officer HR and corporate services he had overall responsibility for ICT services, human resources, and project management. He is also a director on the SITA board representing the western European and African airlines.

Helga Ellul is chief executive officer at Playmobil Malta, which employs more than 900 people. Until March 2011 she was president of the newly merged Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry. Ellul is also a governor at the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology and a board member of the Ricasoli Tank Cleaning. Recently she was appointed to the policy board at the Office of the Prime Minister. Earlier this year, she received the Officer's Cross of the Order of Merit on behalf of the German president. In 1994 the president of Malta also honoured her with the 'Midalja g?all-Qadi tar-Repubblika' on an honorary basis.

Mark Micallef Eynaud is a pilot and administrator with Cathay Pacific Airways. After a three year cadetship at the Royal Air Force College in the UK he was commissioned into the RAF. He served in the RAF for 19 years on operational squadrons, staff tours and on exchange with the United States Marine Corps. He retired from the RAF in 1987 and joined Cathay Pacific Airways, based in Hong Kong

Imperial extends WiFi service

Sliema, 25/05/11 – The three star Imperial Hotel has now extended its WiFi service to all bedrooms, public areas, garden, pool area and improved reception in its ballroom. The service comes at a charge.

“With this new extended service, the Imperial Hotel shows that although being the longest serving hotel in Malta since 1865, it still keeps abreast with modern technology for the benefit and comfort of our clients”, says general manager Joe Attard.

Farrugia named KM chairman

Valletta, 20/05/11 – Businessman Louis Farrugia (left) has been appointed the new chairman of ailing Air Malta. He was offered the post after Sonny Portelli asked not to be reappointed for a second term.

Farrugia moves to KM from the Malta Tourism Authority, bringing with him a lifelong experience in the private sector and in public appointments. He is the chairman of brewers Simonds Farsons Cisk and of Multigas, Liquigas Malta and Farrugia Investments Ltd.

Farrugia has served on a number of government boards, is a member and past president of the Malta Chamber of Commerce and served as a non-executive director of HSBC Bank Malta for four years.  He is also a director of the Commonwealth Business Council.

In December 2004 Farrugia was nominated a member of the Order of Merit by the president of Malta in recognition of his contribution to industry in Malta.

Air Malta appoints chief restructuring officer

Luqa, 19/05/11 - Air Malta has appointed Ray Hart to the newly-created post of chief restructuring officer of the airline.  He will be working under the direction of CEO Peter Davies and will be responsible for the reorganisation and spearheading change management at KM.

The restructuring process of the Maltese flag carrier is starting in parallel with discussions with the European Commission and in the coming weeks Hart will be joined by “further internal as well as external support”.

Australian-born Hart, who has worked with Davies before, has “vast experience in business restructuring and implementation”. A chartered accountant by profession he has previously been involved in several airline projects.

Turkey’s Carisma comes to the InterContinental Malta

St Julian’s, 12/05/11 – Cynergy, the health club at the InterContinental, is being refurbished and another squash court has been installed. The adjacent indoor pool area has also come in for a major facelift along with the introduction of an internationally branded thalasso centre.

Car?sma Spa and Wellness, a Turkish company that has been offering spa services in five star hotels and holiday villages since 1990, is now operating at the InterContinental. The staff at the spa is all fully qualified and experienced an all the treatments offered.

Programmes and treatments have being specially selected to provide maximum relaxation and therapeutic benefit for otherwise busy people enjoying a well-deserved break in the sun.

Naturally, treatments have a Turkish bias, such as the famed Turkish bath. Known locally as a hamam, the Turkish bath became popular during the Roman and Byzantine periods. It is now an essential part of the local culture and a “luxurious and revitalising experience for special occasions or to simply refresh and purify mind, body and soul”.

The hamam at the InterContinental is a work of art in itself – a luxurious marble construction of ornate designs that is kept permanently heated to a constant temperature. The marble also acts like “a conductor to extract the negative ions which build up in one’s body especially under stress”.

While there are different treatments available in the hamam programmes, the basic principle and idea is to clean and rejuvenate the skin, remove body acids and toxins, open the pores, stimulate blood circulation and the sensory nerves.

Grima appointed sales manager at the Westin Dragonara Resort

St Julian’s, 21/04/11 - The Westin Dragonara Resort has appointed Michael Grima as groups sales manager.

He brings to the Westin 10 years experience in the MICE segment following his most recent position as sales manager MICE at the Grand Hotel Excelsior since September 2007 and other sales roles in five and four star properties in Malta.

Shareholders visit Corinthia Hotel London

London, 08/04/11 - As part of the month-long pre-opening preparations for the Corinthia Hotel London, the hotel hosted a group of 160 investors and bond-holders of various Corinthia public companies, including IHI plc, Corinthia Finance plc and MIH plc, to a three day visit to London, offering them the unique opportunity of being among the very first guests to stay at the property.

The investors were treated to a full programme of events to experience the ambiance and cuisine at the hotel’s many outlets. The highlight of the trip took place on the last night with a grand formal dinner at the elegant and opulent ballroom.

Developed at a cost of €360 million over the last two and half years, the new Corinthia Hotel London joins Corinthia’s family of luxury hotels in Europe and the Middle East and is expected to quickly establish itself as one of London’s most elegant and trendy hotels. Centrally located at Whitehall Place, it is within easy reach of London’s major historic landmarks, theatres, museums, shopping and entertainment outlets.

Hotel owner appointed Air Malta CEO

Luqa, 26/03/11 – Last autumn Peter Davies (left), 61, and his wife Sue bought the Mill End Hotel on Dartmoor, in the west of Britain. And after spending a six-figure sum renovating the upscale, 15-room hotel, he was appointed chief executive officer of Air Malta yesterday, replacing Joe Cappello – who has been named executive director at SMS Travel & Tourism.

Davies joins Malta’s flag carrier, for a reported €500,000 a year package, following his position as managing director of Air Southwest in the UK.

Davies has more than 35 years experience in the aviation industry, both in passenger and express cargo operations. As CEO of SN Brussels Airlines, the Belgian national airline he was responsible for the turnaround following the bankruptcy of Sabena Airlines.

Prior to that he was chief operating officer of DHL Express, US, where he was responsible for more than 10,000 people and realised a significant turnaround in profitability and increased sales margins from four per cent to 12 per cent. Before that, he was regional director, DHL Europe where he established DHL as the leader in express delivery across emerging markets in central, southern and eastern Europe.

In 2006 Davies accepted the appointment as chief executive of BWIA West Indies Airways that closed later that year. A new regional airline Caribbean Airlines of which he was chief executive commenced operations in January 2007.

A qualified pilot, Davies has also held operational and marketing positions in Qantas and as managing director at XP Express Systems, a subsidiary of KLM.

MHRA launches recommended restaurants scheme

Valletta, 15/03/11 - Parliamentary Secretary for Tourism, Dr Mario de Marco, together with the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association (MHRA), presented the official guidelines on the MHRA Recommended Scheme to the first 11 restaurants participating in the initiative. This is a voluntary scheme organised in collaboration with the Malta Tourism Authority (MTA).

The representatives were given the guidelines and criteria that each would have to fulfil to be awarded the MHRA Recommended Label Scheme.

De Marco said the restaurants industry has made positive leaps forward in the past years. The scheme ensures that this sector continues to improve its service. De Marco said that the scheme allows tourists to identify the quality level of a restaurant while it ensures that restaurant owners invest in the all the aspects of a restaurant experience. He said that the Recommended Label Scheme would also serve to encourage the restaurant industry to remain competitive. He stated that tourism operators must continue to ensure that they adapt to the demands of tourists from different countries and to the changes in the tourism market.

The scheme was developed by the MHRA earlier this year and aims to incentivise restaurant operators to adopt best practices throughout all levels of operation and in turn be acknowledged for their high level of service.

The first group of 11 participants will be allowed a six-month adjustment period to implement the necessary standards, policies, procedures and training as indicated in the Operational Guidelines Manual. They will also have to produce complete and convincing evidence of compliance in all areas plus a mark of 75 per cent or higher through a mystery guest audit.

MHRA president George Micallef said the association “has always encouraged members to raise standards and deliver the best possible service to customers. The restaurant sector is considered a vital component of Malta’s tourism product and through this scheme, the MHRA is aiming to award those that achieved and seek to maintain very highest operational standards”.

The label will be a way of informing both local customers and tourists that the restaurant is committed to high professional standards amongst the best on the islands. Restaurateurs participating in the scheme that fulfil all the necessary criteria will be awarded the MHRA Recommended Label. 

Prior to being awarded the Recommended Label, participating restaurants will be assessed by an independent board and will continue to be assessed at regular intervals by various methods including mystery guests.

The scheme encompasses a total of 10 areas of assessment which include the identification and adoption of a mission statement; service standards; full compliance with MTA requirements; full compliance with health and safety regulations; full compliance with fire and safety requirements and an average of a grade A or B during the last three inspections held by the Occupational Health and Food Division.

The restaurant must also include an on-going customer survey, the proper recording of complaints and follow-up, the provision of staff training and staff handbook, consistency in the service offer and clear marketing policy including a restaurant website. The MHRA will seek to give successful participants as much exposure as possible through listing on its home website and on dineinmalta.com, in the association’s quarterly magazine and the Malta Tourism Authority.

Kempinski San Lawrenz rebrands spa

San Lawrenz, 04/03/11 - Kempinski Hotel San Lawrenz was selected to be a new ambassador of Kempinski The Spa brand, a bespoke concept developed especially for Kempinski Hotels by Resense Spa.

Inspired by “the true meaning of wellness and spas”, Kempinski Hotels and Raison d’ Etre created a new spa brand in 2009, Resense Spa SA. This collaboration brought together Kempinski’s hotel operations knowledge and Raison d’ Etre’s reputation for creating bespoke spas around the world. Resense Spa is based in Geneva, and has created a spa concept exclusive to Kempinski Hotels - Kempinski The Spa. Resense Spa provides services for the development of spas, staff recruitment, training, spa openings and ongoing management.

Kempinski The Spa at Kempinski Hotel San Lawrenz offers its clientele a unique variety of services through several retreats that help them not only to feel good and look vibrant, but also ultimately to stay healthy. On almost 2,000 square metres and with 27 treatment rooms, every aspect of the spa is designed to soothe. Services offered range from a simple manicure to an all-day body and mental well-being packages. Guests may indulge in one-off treatments that last for as little as an hour or sign on for the entire programmes or packages of treatments that may take up to a whole day or even one or two weeks.

Kempinski The Spa at Hotel San Lawrenz is the group's sixth of its kind worldwide.

The Kempinski’s Ayurveda centre, meanwhile, continues to provide authentic Ayurveda treatments with a Mediterranean touch.

For the past three years, the luxury countryside resort has been voted Malta's Leading Spa Resort at the World Travel Awards. The new, fresh concept of Kempinski The Spa will enhance the high quality reputation for which the spa has been renowned.

12 winners for the MTA’s STAR awards

St Julian’s, 04/03/11 - The sixth edition of the Malta Tourism Authority (MTA) STAR awards was held today at the Radisson Blu Resort St. Julian’s. The 2010 STAR awards (Special Thanks And Recognition) consisted of 11 awards for outstanding service and hospitality, and one award for an exemplary employee in the hotel sector – the Hotel Worker of the Year.

The 11 winners in the service categories were selected through a process of tourist nominations, while the popular Hotel Worker of the Year award, now in its third year, was based on nominations by the industry and judged by a selection panel composed of four different tourism-related entities.

During his opening speech, the Authority’s CEO, Josef Formosa Gauci, congratulated all the nominees and said that hundreds of individuals working in various sectors related to tourism were nominated in 2010, as a result of more than 6,000 nominations.

Each of the STAR award winners received a certificate, an 18 carat gold lapel-pin and €800 cash prize, whereas the runners-up received a certificate and a cash prize of €150.

The winners of the STAR Awards for 2010 were:
• Robert Aquilina – concierge, InterContinental Malta (Hotel Worker of the Year)
• Anna Azzopardi – receptionist, Maria Giovanna Hostel
• David Busuttil – manager, Munchie Shack Bar
• Michael Camilleri – taxi driver, Belmont Garage
• Eddie Corrin – diving instructor, Paradise Diving
• Gerald Cutajar – horse-drawn cab driver
• Patricia Flores Martin – tourist guide
• Vasco Lazarova – travel representative, Saga
• Jason Portelli – coach driver, Ventura Coaches, KoptaCo
• Ivan Vassallo – custodian, Malta at War Museum
• Joseph Vella – head bartender, Seashells Resort at Suncrest
• Paul Zammit – boatman, Mermaid Cruises.

The STAR scheme will continue in 2011. Tourist nominations are already reaching the MTA and all nominations received till 31 December 2011 will automatically enter the scheme.

Granny’s Inn named top Malta hostel, again

Sliema, 03/03/11 - Granny's Inn Hostel, which opened in 2008, has won a fourth award; this time for being “top hostel in Malta in 2010”.

Hostelworld.com customers also voted this as best hostel in Malta in 2008.

Family-run Granny's Inn accommodates up to 20 people in rooms sleeping from one to six. The hostel only accepts guests who are 20 years old or older.

Rooms come equipped with bunk beds, have ceiling fans and heating, wash basins, a refrigerator and tea and coffee making facilities.

Public amenities in this city-centre hostel include free WiFi, two computers with online access, TV room, two terraces, a fully stocked vending machine, laundry and luggage storage.

Dublin-based Hostelworld.com, meantime, was set up in 1999 to provide online bookings for hostels, budget accommodation centres and package tours, as well as comprehensive content such as city and country guides.

Maltese-American agents meet to boost US travel to Malta

New York, 24/02/11 - Five Maltese-American travel agents met here today under the chairmanship of Malta’s ambassador to the United States with the aim of exploring ways of boosting American tourism to Malta.

The meeting was the brainchild of Connecticut-based Charlie Gatt, publisher of Travel World News who is convinced that potential American tourism to Malta is grossly underrated.

Gatt persuaded Malta’s ambassador, Mark Miceli-Farrugia, to call a meeting of The Travel Friends of Malta. These Maltese-American travel agents from around the US organised their first meeting in New York under the auspices of Malta’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Saviour Borg.

This was the first in a series of brainstorming sessions designed to incentivize American tourism to Malta. The most cost-effective ideas will subsequently be submitted for consideration to the Malta Tourism.

Taking part at the meeting, and photographed above, were Mark Miceli-Farrugia, ambassador of Malta to the US; flanked by (clockwise from left) Saviour Borg, ambassador and permanent representative of Malta to the UN; Adam Kuymizakis, consul of Malta in New York; John Xuereb, Alvare’ Associates, Pennsylvania; Dave Randon, Travel Patriots, New Jersey; Robert Lowell, RAL Travel, New Jersey; Charlie Gatt, Travel World News, Connecticut; and Claudia Caruana, freelance travel writer, New York.