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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, bars and banqueting services are a way in which hotels can differentiate themselves from one another. A great hotel restaurant, stylish bar and state-of-the-art banqueting and conference offering stand out and ensure … Read the rest

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 signed by all of the members of the Rolling Stones rock band, raised some R620 000. This brings to around R8-million the total funds raised for the trust that will ensure that hundres … Read the rest

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 from their participation.

“All AA Quality Assured Accommodation members – of which there are currently just under 2 500 in southern Africa – have automatically been entered into the awards,” says Sand.

Guests … Read the rest

Restaurant – Lucky Chip at the Sebright Arms, Bethnal Green

Meat-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 patty with smoked bacon, blue cheese and jalapenos.
• 31-35 Coate Street, E2, 07795 816355, facebook.com/Luckychip. Open Mon-Thurs 6pm-10pm, Fri, Sat 6pm-11pm, Sun 1pm-5pm

The best view of the Olympic Stadium without hiring … Read the rest

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 heating; the Plum room also has a huge, freestanding bath. Food is another draw; guests can book in for three-course dinners at weekends or order locally sourced deli platters on other evenings. Unusually … Read the rest

Theatre

The 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 fecund fields by Monet, Renoir and all the impressionist greats.

In The Moment: The Sports Photography Of Tom Jenkins, Kings Place Gallery, N1, to 24 Aug, kingsplacegallery.co.uk Powerful images by the world-renowned … Read the rest

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 it say goodbye to the film nuances that were its hallmark since opening 15 years ago. In those days, its proximity to the offices of the Cape Town traffic department and the … Read the rest

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 strategies.

Frequent-Flier Know-How
When it comes to accruing miles, business travelers know that it isn't the eventual free ticket that counts -- it's the perks that come with elite frequent-flier status that matters. … Read the rest

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 the French failed to complete their own canal in Panama, the U.S. bought the land rights for $40 million, and after much toil and strife it became the marvel that it remains … Read the rest

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' village of Roslin, with its rows of stone-built terraced cottages, is famous for the extraordinary Rosslyn Chapel. Conceived by Sir William Sinclair (circa 1404-80) and dedicated to St. Matthew in … Read the rest

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 and a number of trade and media stakeholders. Activities in France include:

FTTSA hopes for a positive response from the French market, which is a relatively new market for the organisation.

In addition, … Read the rest

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 of "Please pass the duck confit" at a meal of your making.

Patricia Wells, Vaison La Romaine
www.patriciawells.com
"If you are very well-financed you could treat your mother to 4 days of … Read the rest

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 the country. Nine second-year students from the nearby Granger Bay culinary institution took part.

The intense competition saw three student chefs conceive and cook a three-course meal, assisted by three sommeliers and a … Read the rest

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 patterns of painted tiles, mosaics, and cobblestones lining the city. I've always loved decadent, faded old cities, and I wanted to see Lisbon before its heralded "Renaissance" stripped its walls clean. The opportunity … Read the rest

Stoke Newington

Stoke 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 for antique bargains at the Cobbled Yard on Bouverie Road (cobbled-yard.co.uk). Real-ale lovers should head to the Jolly Butchers (jollybutchers.co.uk) on the High Street, where there are at least seven ales on tap … Read the rest

Borger Dalr, Borrowdale

Distance 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 finest views you will ever see. Take a moment to pause at Peace How, a small summit bought for the benefit of the nation in 1917 as a place where soldiers … Read the rest

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 Smith from Bushmans Kloof Wilderness Reserve and Wellness Retreat.
Guests were welcomed by Toni Tollman, who announced the introduction of a new range of South African spa and body care products named in … Read the rest

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 meet the bishop on an Alitalia night flight from New York to Rome, where, at a secret meeting of the Vatican Council, he will collect an important package. Although the action of … Read the rest

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. Today it expanded its coverage to London with deals on a selection of 20 properties.

An inventory of hotels with rooms to sell is released every day at noon, with three deals published … Read the rest

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, viticulturist and general manager of Uitkyk, said owl specialist Lianda Naude had found evidence on the farm of both barn owls and spotted eagle owls, with Cape eagle owls higher in the mountainous … Read the rest

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 Town bid for the 62nd IAC that will attract 2 500 delegates.
The company was approached in 2008 by the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) to help develop a bid to bring … Read the rest

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. With this year’s theme being “Make it Happen” the expo is now in its third year and aims to drive South Africa’s National Tourism Sector Strategy’s goal of creating 225 000 tourism jobs … Read the rest

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 add up on an all-inclusive and how you can avoid sticker shock. 

Resorts
Resort packages typically include all food and beverages, but remember to check details carefully. Those "three meals a day" might … Read the rest

"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 in November, Joburg is brimming with a broad range of consumer, lifestyle and sporting events.”

Besides being the beginning of spring in Johannesburg, September is also Tourism Month and celebrates Heritage Day on 24 … Read the rest