TRAVELWATCHER
Insider news & notes from your business travel authority 
JULY 2015
UP IN THE AIR
United Airlines to pull out of JFK 

United Airlines plans to end service in October at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, where it failed to profit over seven years, partly because it offered few connections to other cities, and add flights at its Newark, New Jersey, hub. Delta plans to acquire United's slots at JFK. 

HOTELNEWS
Hotel openings we're excited about
One&Only Hayman Island, Australia: This 726-acre private island retreat in the Great Barrier Reef off of Australia's Queensland coast was reimagined, renovated and reopened. Now more than half of its accommodations are suites, villas and penthouses occupying three distinct sections that each have their own appeal and atmosphere. The three-bedroom, three-bath Owner's Penthouse includes a wraparound balcony.

Raffles Jakarta, Indonesia: This luxury hotel in Indonesia's bustling capital city is dedicated to art and culture like its sister hotel, Le Royal Monceau in Paris. Drawing entrepreneurs and artists from around the world, the hotel is directly linked to the new Ciputra Artpreneur Center, an art gallery and theater complex in the central business district at Ciputra World Jakarta. 

Shangri-La Hotel, Nanchang, China: Sited on one of the most sought-after locations on the Ganjiang River, this high-rise offers views of the 1,300-year-old Tengwang Pavilion, and is a five-minute walk to Qiushui Square in Nanchang's central business district. Inside, guests are treated to walls decorated with traditional Chinese ink paintings, blue and white porcelain, and the lotus emblem to honor Zhu Da, a prominent calligrapher from the Ming Dynasty.

Condado Vanderbilt Hotel, Puerto Rico: As late afternoon transcends to evening in San Juan, a quartet sets up on the sidelines of Vanderbilt Court, the dramatically large, elegant cocktail lounge at the newly reopened Condado Vanderbilt. The vibe is mellow at first but as the night matures the music elevates into an all-out celebration of Latin music, piano, bass and conga each taking turns with solos. All the while, the lounge has filled with sophisticated guests. 

The Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach: With only 237 rooms and suites, this hotel offers what could easily be called a boutique experience and is something special, even for luxe-heavy Dubai. First off, guests here have access to a dedicated 886 feet of Jumeirah Beach and butler service is available upon request for all guests. The Royal Suite has a full kitchen, media room and two terraces (which come furnished with loungers and a table for six guests to dine al fresco). The Presidential Suites have separate living and dining rooms, a media room, a dedicated study and a private gym. For families and groups, all rooms and suites are connected.

Baccarat Hotel & Residences New York: The first hotel and global flagship for the 250-year-old Baccarat crystal brand, is a contemporary Manhattan take on a classically elegant Parisian hotel. Sought after Paris-based design duo Gilles & Boissier created nearly every piece of furniture for the hotel's rooms and public spaces. Directly across the street from the Museum of Modern Art, a few blocks from Rockefeller Center and Broadway theaters, and steps away from Tiffany & Co. and other upscale shops on Fifth Avenue, the hotel has a French restaurant, a bar, an outdoor terrace, a pool and the Spa de La Mer.
TECHNOLOGYCORNER
More great mobile apps for travelers

KeepTrax: Privately and automatically captures all your important places as you go about your day. No check-in required. Key details such as location, address, arrival time, departure time, duration, and your photos are automatically attached to each visit, so you will always have a digital record of the places you've been to. All the data is stored privately and safely just for you. You can easily personalize place details, add notes, apply star ratings, see calendar info, and view your visits by location or by date. Your digital journal for personal and/or business use.

http://keeptraxapp.com

 

CudaSign: Allows you to trace your signature with a finger using legally recognized eSign technology. This app works with email attachments, Dropbox or your camera roll, and you can even add fields for clients and colleagues to input extra info. Encrypted with bank-level security and works with forms from Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, Office 365 and more. Fees are charged.

https://www.cudasign.com

 

Entrain: Anti-jetlag app is based on the premise that your body's circadian clock relies heavily on light to know what time of day it is. By recording your lighting history, Entrain simulates your body's clock and makes recommendations for behavior. http://entrain.math.lsa.umich.edu

YOURLIFE
10 of Bangkok's best new restaurants
  1. Osha: Thai food is created and presented with wit and thoughtfulness.
  2. El Osito: A true open kitchen where customers can walk in and see chef Daniel Bucher in action.
  3. Savelberg: A number of Michelin-lauded chefs have opened up satellite establishments in Thailand but Henk Savelberg has gone the whole hog, shutting down his place in the Netherlands and moving to Bangkok for good. His menu hits a midpoint between classic French and nouvelle cuisine.
  4. Ginza Sushi Ishi: Ishibashi Masakazu is the executive head chef, a spinoff from the Tokyo favorite.
  5. Le Du: For anyone dining at Le Du, it's probably easiest to just pick one of the set menus (four- or seven-course) and enjoy the journey chef Ton Tassanakajohn has created. The food is identifiably Thai but at the same time unpredictable.
  6. L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon: Joël Robuchon establishments around the world hold 28 Michelin stars. Many saw the 2014 arrival of his latest as emblematic of the increased seriousness with which the city's eating scene is being taken.
  7. Kom-Ba-Wa: The decor at Kom-Ba-Wa (Japanese for "good evening") is best described as retro quirk.
  8. Peppina: Relaxed, family friendly Peppina has gained masses of fans in Bangkok, many now addicted to chef Paolo Vitaletti's Neapolitan take on pizza.
  9. Benjarong: Benjarong has been around since the early 1990s, but since the arrival of chef Morten Bjostrup Nielsen (formerly at the Michelin-starred Kiin Kiin in Copenhagen) this once stodgy hotel restaurant has been reborn.
  10. Mejico: Mejico may not be the truly authentic Mexican place that Bangkok needs, but it's a cut above most of the Tex-Mex joints around.
10 Reasons to use a Travel Agent

With the summer travel season in full swing, don't get stuck without a professional agent. You need surgery? Go to a surgeon. Need to create an LLC? Call a lawyer. Have mission-critical business travel or vacation of a lifetime? Call a Protravel agent!

  1. Remember when you used that obscure website to book your hotel, and when you got there you spent your beach vacation overlooking a parking lot?
  2. How many hours were you on hold with the airline when your flight was canceled because of a snowstorm?
  3. Did you really mean to spend your honeymoon at that resort where the one tiny swimming pool was filled all day long with a dozen screaming children?
  4. Who knew that when you booked that "villa" in Tuscany, it would be a small room with a kitchenette and no air conditioning? Funny, it looked much better on the Internet.
  5. No one explained to you that in July, it's winter in Rio, and so you showed up there with nothing but five tank tops
  6. How about the time you really needed a restful vacation, and you ended up in New Orleans during Mardi Gras and someone threw up on your shoes?
  7. Yes, I guess that hotel must have used a telephoto lens when they took a picture of those guest rooms that you saw on their website.
  8. I suppose contacting the Attorney General to resolve the fact that that Internet site has billed your credit card three times instead of once is the only route to take at this point.
  9. It was definitely odd that there were no cab drivers at the airport at 3 o'clock in the morning when you finally landed in Costa Rica, but booking a transfer to your very remote hotel would have been a good thing to remember when you purchased your airline ticket and hotel online.
  10. You've Googled "Mexico vacation," and come up with 17.8 million responses. Need a little help differentiating among those choices?
THEGREATESCAPE
Elegant European Suites from Hyatt
Embrace the rich culture and heritage of Hyatt's many destinations and discover a range of elegant suites in our hotels and resorts across Europe. In each hotel and resort, you'll find distinctive design, extraordinary service, world-class amenities and award-winning cuisine. Contact your Protravel agent to book and receive exclusive VIP amenities...

Participating hotels include:

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