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Umana Bali opens as Hilton’s first LXR Hotels & Resorts property in SE Asia

Umana Bali opens as Hilton’s first LXR Hotels & Resorts property in SE Asia

The 72-villa Umana Bali opens, representing Hilton’s first luxury offering in South East Asia under its LXR Hotels & Resorts portfolio.

Introducing Umana Bali, Hilton's first luxury property in Southeast Asia under the LXR Hotels & Resorts portfolio.

This stunning resort is located on the southern tip of Bali, offering breathtaking views of Melasti Beach and the Indian Ocean. The unique design of the property, with its terraces of limestone cliffs, is reminiscent of ancient rice paddy fields known as 'uma.'

The Resort

The resort features spacious one-bedroom villas with private pools and outdoor hot tubs, perfect for a luxurious getaway.

For larger groups or families, the three-bedroom Umana Pool Villa offers a 25-meter infinity pool and personalized butler service.

The resort also boasts a clifftop chapel for romantic sunset weddings, a state-of-the-art fitness center, and a kids' club.

Wellness at the Spa

Guests can indulge in ancient healing practices and modern therapies at The Lohma Spa, including the signature Indonesian massage using energized gemstones.

Dining

The dining options at Umana Bali are exceptional, with over 80% of the ingredients sourced from local farms and their own hydroponic garden. Mediterranean cuisine can be enjoyed at the clifftop restaurant, Oliverra, while Commune offers South East Asian dishes with interactive cooking demonstrations.

The Pad Pool Bar serves handcrafted cocktails overlooking the ocean, and Mer Lounge allows guests to create their own refreshments from the minibar.

Coming soon

Coming in April 2024, Uma Beach House will offer a Miami-inspired design and delectable Peruvian cuisine.

Hilton Honors

Umana Bali is proud to be part of Hilton Honors, providing guests with even more benefits and rewards for their stay.

To further enhance this offer, book through Rewarding Travel to receive complimentary perks at no additional cost.  Rewarding Travel is our associated Travel Agency and is an affiliate of Fora Travel Inc.

Hilton Named No. 1 Best Place to Work in the World

Hilton Named No. 1 Best Place to Work in the World

Recognition marks the first time a hospitality company has ever topped this prestigious list

For the first time ever, Hilton has been named the No. 1 World’s Best Workplace by Fortune magazine and Great Place to Work.   Our congratulations to all involved!

This recognition – the culmination of eight consecutive appearances on the “World’s Best” list – also marks the first time a hospitality company has achieved the top honor in this best-in-class program. Since first earning a spot on this list in 2016, Hilton has continued to build its strong culture through an unwavering focus on creating a workplace that is inclusive, offers strong growth opportunities, is driven by purpose, and provides the kind of support that empowers its 460,000 team members around the world to thrive each and every day.  

“Around the world at Hilton, our 460,000 team members are united by a common purpose: to fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality. That purpose was formed more than a century ago, when Conrad Hilton set out to change the world through travel. He built this company on the noble premise that Hilton could be a force for good in the world, and famously urged us all to think big, act big, and dream big,” said Chris Nassetta, president and CEO, Hilton.

“Today’s recognition by Great Place to Work and Fortune is validation that our team members were the people he imagined in his bright vision for the future. It is their dedication, hospitality and passion for the stays they create that has made Hilton the No. 1 best place to work in the world.” 

Hilton is dedicated to building an inclusive culture that supports team members at every stage of their personal and professional journey and empowers each of them to bring their true, authentic self to work.  

The hospitality company provides best-in-class benefits to both hourly and salaried team members, including expanded parental leave, adoption assistance and exciting travel benefits through its popular Go Hilton team member travel program

How Poor Hotel Selection Can Ruin Enjoyment of a Destination : Hilton “It Matters Where You Stay"

How Poor Hotel Selection Can Ruin Enjoyment of a Destination : Hilton “It Matters Where You Stay"

Hilton is debuting “It Matters Where You Stay”, a new advertising campaign using humor to highlight some of the common but unspoken pitfalls of travel, boldly poking fun at what can go wrong when booking accommodation or on a trip. The campaign will initially launch in the US.

In one of the featured TV spots, the brand pokes fun at what can go wrong when booking online for a vacation rental – depicting a family showing up to a hilariously creepy property that wasn’t exactly as advertised.

Another zeroes in on a unique Hilton feature that addresses a very real pain point of family travel, the importance of securing connected rooms at the time of booking.

A timely reminder that while selecting your destination is important, the accommodation booking can make or break both your enjoyment of it and the memories you will have.

Sometimes, "when you pay peanuts, you get monkeys".


Each year Travel + Leisure magazine taps into its readership and invites thousands to complete a survey that rates airlines, spas, hotels, islands and more on many factors. The detailed survey evaluation results in its readers' rankings of the best hospitality has to offer from around the world.

Participants in the survey collected data from late October 2021 through to the end of February 2022. They rated (with a maximum score of 100) hotels, airlines, cruise lines, tour operators, etc on numerous characteristics, with the option of rating excellent, above average, average, below average and poor. A minimum number of responses was necessary for a candidate to be eligible for Travel + Leisure‘s World’s Best Awards.

This year’s results spanned a whopping 120 categories among hotels, resorts and hospitality brands in cities, countries and regions globally; to spas, favourite global cities, and best islands, cruise lines, tour operators, safari outfitters, airlines, car rental companies and National Parks.

Some key observations:

The overall winner was the super-luxury Rosewood Castiglion del Bosco, Montalcino. Rosewood also had 2 other properties in the top 100. 

Auberge and Shangri-La also both had 3 properties in the top 100.

The groups with the most properties in the top 100 both have Indian roots - Oberoi and Taj both had 6 properties in the list of top 100 hotels. 

While Preferred Hotels owns no hotels of its own, it markets (and offers a loyalty program) for 5 of the top 100 hotels (Pendry Chicago #25, Riggs Washington D.C. #31, Finca Cortesín Hotel Golf & Spa, Málaga #44, Grand Hotel Tremezzo – Lake Como, #53 and Rancho Santana – Tola, Nicaragua, #56). 

Multi-brand Marriott had 4 properties, while Capella, Hilton, Six Senses (IHG), Rocco Forte and Mandarin Oriental each had 2 properties rated in the top 100.


In terms of the Best 25 Hotel Brands in the World, the Accor stable rated very well, with 3 of its brands rated in the top 25 (Raffles #4, Sofitel Legend #6 and Banyan Tree #11). Global Hotels Alliance (GHA) also had 3 of its brands rated in the top 25 (Viceroy #10, Anantara #14 and Capella #17).  

Of the major, multi-brand chains, IHG (Six Senses #19), Hilton (St Regis #24) and Marriott (Luxury Collection #25) each had 1 brand in the top 25.

If you'd like to know more about any of the hotels or brands, our associated Travel Agency is a specialist advisor for Langham, Shangri-La. Rosewood, Four Seasons, Waldorf Astoria, Raffles, Preferred Hotels, Hyatt, IHG, Conrad and St Regis - able to offer free perks like room upgrades and property credits when you book.


Our congratulations to Rosewood Castiglion del Bosco and all category winners. Far too many to list here entirely, so we list below a selection of the results:

100 Best Hotels in the World

Rosewood Castiglion del Bosco (99.25),
Grace Hotel, Auberge Resorts Collection (99.22),
Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi (99.11),
Pickering House Inn, Wolfeboro (98.95) and
One&Only Reethi Rah (98.93).


25 Best Hotel Brands of the World

Oberoi Hotels & Resorts (97.50),
One&Only Resorts (96.20),
Oetker Collection (96.15),
Raffles Hotels & Resorts (95.5) and
Red Carnation Hotel Collection (95.32).


5 Best Resorts - South Pacific

Namale Resort & Spa, Savusavu, Fiji,
Conrad Bora Bora Nui,
St. Regis Bora Bora Resort,
Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora,
InterContinental Tahiti Resort & Spa.


Best Islands of the World

Ischia, Italy (94.61),
Maldives (94.44),
Bali (92.51),
Milos, Greece (92.50) and
Fiji Islands (92.38).


5 Best International Spas

Rancho La Puerta, Tecate, Mexico (95.76),
Sha Wellness Clinic, El Abir, Spain (95.20),
Therme di Saturnia (94.15),
Mountain Trek Fitness Retreat & Health Spa (93.26),
Chable Maroma, Punta Maroma, Mexico (89.90).


25 Best Cities in the World

Oaxaca, Mexico (92.96),
San Miguel de Allende, Mexico (91.77),
Ubud, Indonesia (91.73),
Florence (91.06) and
Istanbul (90.97).


Best City Hotels - Europe


Hôtel Madame Rêve, Paris (98.73),
Rosewood Villa Magna, Madrid (98.67),
Portrait Firenze, Florence (98.25),
Raffles Istanbul (98.25) and
Shangri-La at the Shard, London (97.86).


Best City Hotels - Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific


The Langham, Melbourne (92.53),
Park Hyatt Sydney (90.40),
Four Seasons Hotel Sydney (88.30),
InterContinental Sydney (87.76) and
Shangri-La Sydney (86.40).


Best Islands - Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific

Fiji Islands (92.38),
Moorea, French Polynesia (90.24),
Bora Bora, French Polynesia (87.70),
Great Barrier Reef Islands (86.90) and
Tahiti, French Polynesia (83.33).

Melbourne to host 2026 Commonwealth Games

Melbourne to host 2026 Commonwealth Games

The 2026 Commonwealth Games will be hosted in the Australian state of Victoria in March 2026.

The sporting extravaganza will take place across multiple cities and regional hubs, including Melbourne, Geelong, Bendigo and Ballarat (each about 60 - 90 minutes drive from Melbourne.

The Opening Ceremony will be staged at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (pictured) that seats approx 100,000 people. This was the stadium built for the 1959 Summer Olympic Games and is located walking distance from the CBD, with public transport also serving it.

There will be plenty to see around Melbourne.  Plenty to do too after the events, as the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival both run from March through April.

Accommodation at current properties will be booked quickly.  Thankfully there are new properties due to open in/near the CBD prior to then, including :
*  Hotel Indigo (4* by IHG)
*  Courtyard West Melbourne (4* by Marriott)
*  Melbourne Four Seasons (5*),
*  Shangri-La Melbourne (5*) and the
*  Hilton Melbourne Square (5*).

Waldorf Astoria to debut in Australia

Waldorf Astoria to debut in Australia

Set to open early in 2025, Australia's first Waldorf Astoria (Hilton’s ultra-luxury hotel brand) property will be located at One Circular Quay in Sydney.

The prime location will offer sweeping views across the harbour from Sydney Harbour Bridge around to the Sydney Opera House. The location is within short walking distance of the Rocks area, the Opera House, Royal Botanic Gardens, the Museum of Contemporary Art and up-market fashion and retail.

Peacock Alley, a signature space for Waldorf Astoria properties around the world, will serve as a central gathering place and gastronomes will be please to know that there will be two original restaurant concepts, as well as a rooftop bar featuring uninterrupted views of the stunning Sydney Harbour.

Waldorf Astoria Sydney will participate in the loyalty program - Hilton Honors.  If redemptions are at a reasonable level, this will be a stunning use of those hard-earned points.


S&P Global's Sustainability Yearbook 2022 considered over 7,500 companies across 61 industries around the world and selected 716 companies for this year’s edition based on their S&P Global ESG Scores using this Yearbook Methodology. Prize winners in the 2022 edition included:

Airlines
Gold:  ANA     Silver:  China Airlines, EVA     Bronze:  LATAM Airlines      Honourable Mention:  Air France-KLM, JAL, American Airlines

Hotels, Resorts & Cruise Lines
Gold:  Hilton Wordwide      Silver:  Melia Hotels    Bronze:  NH Hotels

Interestingly, both Melia Hotels and NH Hotels are Spanish companies.  Of the total 716 companies selected this year, 26 ( 3.6%) are Spanish companies - a strong showing.

Congratulations and thanks to all whose efforts made the grade for this year’s yearbook !

For more information...


Hilton Honors (advertiser) members purchasing between 15,000 and 80,000 points through February 9th will receive an equal amount of bonus points.

Under this promotion, you could receive up to 160,000 points. Enough for a long-weekend somewhere very nice !

T&C's apply.


Hilton Honors has launched another of its Points Unlimited promotions.

For each and every stay booked and completed within the promotion period, registered members will receive 2,500 bonus points in addition to the base points earned.

T&C's apply.  Further information is on our Hilton Honors Promotions page.


Last Friday, Hilton Honors announced the further extension of benefits for its members.

Early confirmation of room upgrades - if a complimentary room upgrade has been awarded for your forthcoming stay, you'll be notified 3 days prior to check-in.

Further extension of elite tier status & benefits:

  • Elite members will now keep their current Status through 31 March, 2023, even those who were scheduled to downgrade.
  • Status tier requirements will also continue to be lower, which means you’re closer to enhancing the way you stay.
  • ALL your 2021 nights will roll over to next year, giving you a head start to upgrade your Status faster in 2022.
Points expiration deferred - Points expiration has been extended again, to 31 December, 2022.

Nice to see a loyalty program continuiing to reward loyalty when members need it most.

For more detailed information on the 2022 Policy Changes...

Hilton Honors 80% - 100% bonus points promotion

Hilton Honors 80% - 100% bonus points promotion

Purchase a minimum 5,000 Hilton Honors points through 31 December & reveive bonus points.  The offer seems to be targetted and is either 80% or 100%.

You can purchase up to 80,000 poionts per calendar year.  Bonus points do not count against this limit.

This can often be a good way to extend the life of your existing points balance.  However, Hilton has already extended points expiry for all Honors members through 31 December, 2022

So this particular offer may be best for members with a planned redemption who just need to top-up.

Compare against prior offers and/or buy Hilton Honors through the member website.
 

Hilton Launches “Travel the World” for APAC travel closer to home

Hilton Launches “Travel the World” for APAC travel closer to home

This week, Hilton announced “Travel the World,” its new marketing campaign inspiring consumers to explore closer to home the wonders of local alternatives in Japan, Australia, Malaysia, & Thailand  that match the experiences at some of their favourite international destinations.

The new campaign aims to showcase how domestic travel offers a wealth of similarly wonderful experiences that are a lot more accessible. This is anticipated to appeal to in particular to families who are now more actively looking to book domestic travel versus pre-pandemic.

There is no shortage of options for culture, nature, adventure, and food and wine in these countries and the campaign seeks to highlight the best travel experiences across the region:

  • AUSTRALIA: From sipping an espresso in a Melbourne laneway café as if on the streets of Rome, to swapping the vineyards of Bordeaux for the Barossa Valley and its world-renowned shiraz, to experiencing the wildness of Litchfield National Park just outside of Darwin in place of the Amazon or diving the Great Barrier Reef outside of Cairns whilst the Maldives are off the cards.
  • JAPAN: From swapping the street foods of Thailand and Vietnam for snacking on takoyaki in Osaka and ramen in Fukuoka, to hitting the slopes of Niseko in place of the mountains in Whistler, Canada or having some retail therapy in Ginza and Shibuya instead of Paris.
  • THAILAND: From making the most of Pattaya’s vibrant rooftop dining and drinking experiences in place of Singapore and Los Angeles, to exploring the water canals of Bangkok by traditional wooden boat instead of Amsterdam and Venice or escaping to Koh Samui for its while sandy beaches and crystal clear waters while enjoying a meaningful stay scouring the home-grown farm at the resort for your dinner - similarly to Bali.
  • MALAYSIA: From swapping the historical sites of Portugal for the beautiful ruins of the Portuguese era in Malacca, to a day trip to the charming French village of Colmar Tropicale just an hour outside of Kuala Lumpur for a French food fix, or a visit to the lush green vistas and relaxing surrounds of Kokol Hills in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah as an alternative to the rice terraces and forests of Ubud in Bali.
For more information, you can watch Hilton's "Travel the World" video.

Hilton recognised as #3 workplace in the world

Hilton recognised as #3 workplace in the world

For the 6th year in a row, Hilton has been recognised as one of the world's top 25 workplaces. 

Hilton ranked #3 on the 2021 Fortune Magazine / Worlds Best Workplaces awards announced today and remains the only hospitality company on the list.

Congratulations to Hilton, its managers and team members !

For travellers, my experience is that happy employees result in exceptional service. To experience this yourself, take advantage of the latest Hilton Honors promotions.

For more information on its loyalty program, see our complete Guide to Hllton Honors.


Hilton Honors has launched its latest promotion, where you can purchase up to 160,000 points and they will match it 1 for 1 with 100% bonus points.  

This offers good value at an effective price of USD 5.00/ thousand, which is less than our valuation of USD 5.50/ thousand - especially for Elite Tier members who combine this offer with their 5th night free benefit for a handy discount for their next lovely stay.
 
T&C's apply, including that you must buy:

  • at least 15,000 points
  • before 7 December 2021
  • no more than 160,000 points - double the usual limit.
Click below to see our analysis and recommendation for the Hilton Honors 100% bonus points offer.


For travellers with young families wanting to book a holiday, Hilton has launched a new family-friendly booking feature.

Confirmed Connecting Rooms will enable individuals to easily book and instantly confirm at least two connecting rooms (at participating hotels, which I expect will increase as the technology is rolled-out).  This will reduce the potential stress both at the time of booking adn during your stay, as anyone who has holidayed with particularly a younger family will appreciate.

While I see it as ideal for young families, it is also a boon for other multi-generational holidays, friend groups, wedding attendees and other travel parties who wish to stay near one another rather than potentially be spread across multiple floors.  

In the past there have always been many benefits to staying in connecting guest rooms—but the booking process wasn’t always seamless.  

Hilton seems to have overcome this with a smart, easy-to-use solution.  Hopefully others will follow Hilton's lead.
For more details, or to make a booking at participating hotels with Hilton Confirmed Connecting Rooms, use the link below.
  


Get twice as many HIlton Honors points when you buy or gift at least 10,000 points before 31 December 2020. That's a whopping 50% discount !  

The annual limit on the number of points you can purchase has been temporarily increased to 160,000 - and the bonus points don't count towards this limit.

This brings the purchase price down to USD 5 per thousand. What could you do with this?  Read on to learn more.


Our regular update on the world of hotels and their loyalty programs.  Best Western sneaks in a points devaluation - possibly related to WorldHotels | Hilton offers a new way to redeem points (but don't) | Hilton, Marriott and Hyatt all running points offers with discounts, but do they offer value?