What’s happening with Alwaleed? It’s been more than two months since Prince Alwaleed bin Talal was first arrested and detained in what the Saudi government still calls an “anti-corruption” sweep. According to Reuters, the prince is now in the process of negotiating a possible settlement with authorities, but last week, things took a serious turn when Alwaleed was moved out of his restricted quarters at the Riyadh Ritz Carlton Hotel (which has since reopened for business) and into a maximum-security prison. But perhaps most shocking of all? The silence from bin Talal’s powerful foreign friends.
The wrong kind of tweet: Marriott International said it’s in the process of sacking an employee for “wrongfully liking” a Twitter post by a group that supports independence for Tibet in its latest effort to diffuse criticism sparked by a company survey that referred to the Chinese region, and self-ruled Taiwan, as countries, Chinese state media reported. Craig Smith, president and managing director of Asia-Pacific for Marriott International, made the announcement at a meeting with the China National Tourism Administration on Friday. Since the Marriott flub, China’s civil aviation and tourism authorities have asked foreign airlines and hotels operating in the country to audit their websites and mobile apps to ensure they have not listed Chinese territories as separate countries, reports Xinhua News Agency.
More from South China Morning Post
Trump D.C. taxes: U.S. President Donald Trump’s D.C. hotel received a US$53.6 million reduction in its 2018 assessment from the District of Columbia tax office, saving his company nearly US$1 million. D.C. assesses property two years ahead of when it is taxed, meaning the 2018 bill is based on an assessment of the building from 2016, the year it opened.
More Trump D.C., this time, Ivanka room: The price of the “Ivanka suite” at the Trump International Hotel in Washington D.C. has more than doubled since Donald Trump became president, and a watchdog group says this is just the latest evidence of the first family cashing in on its time in the White House. Named after Trump’s daughter and adviser, the suite now goes for US$2,134 per night, compared to US$914 at the same time in 2017, according to a new post by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), which is led by former Obama ethics attorney Norm Eisen.
And one more: Trump hotels across the country are being targeted by Yelp users leaving 1–star reviews and describing the facilities as “shitholes,” in reference to comments allegedly made by U.S. President Donald Trump last week. The effort caused the Trump International Hotel in Washington, DC, to temporarily drop to a 2–star rating, down from its average of 4 or 5-stars.
Ramada Encore: Oman-based trading and contracting company Al Khaleel Group has assigned the construction of the new Ramada Encore to Al Rawahi International. Al Khaleel Group had recently tied-up with the world-renowned Wyndham Hotel Group to launch two new hotels in the Sultanate under ‘Ramada’ brand name. With all-day dining restaurants and coffee lounge, the hotel will not only be the first Ramada Encore to open in Oman, but will also be the largest of its kind across the Middle East and Africa. Construction should be complete in 16 months.
Push to lift headscarf ban in Putrajaya: In Putrajaya, Malaysia, the Human Resources Ministry is finalizing the proposed draft of an amendment to an employment act to address the issue of workplace discrimination following the ban on women wearing headscarves. Minister Datuk Seri Richard Riot Jaem said the proposal to amend the act was made following a discussion in December and that the ministry has spoken with management at several hotels which agreed to lift the ban.
Chicago tourism boost: Chicago tourism in 2017 reached 55.2 million – a new record and 2.5% increase over the previous year. Chicago hotels reported an overall annual increase of 6.3%. This increase of the leisure segment was particularly strong in the key summer months as hotels reported an increase of 7.4% during the four-month period June through September – more than double the growth of the previous summer. Overall, Chicago hotel demand in terms of rooms occupied grew 3.3% in 2017.
Spain intercontinental flight data: Research released by ForwardKeys shows that Spanish intercontinental flight bookings for the first half of 2018 are currently 4.4% ahead of where they were at the same time last year. Growth in long-haul travel is set to be lifted by new routes from Barcelona and Madrid and substantially increased enthusiasm for Cuba, Dominican Republic, Egypt and Thailand. Looking ahead to the Easter holiday season (March 19-April 1), the largest long-haul destination for Spaniards will be the U.S., which has a dominant, 28%, share of the segment. The next most popular intercontinental destination is Thailand with a 10% market share.