Roundup

New brand

FRHI Hotels & Resorts, in a joint venture with China's Jiangsu Golden Land Group, announced in late January the debut of Neqta Hotels, a new brand and hotel portfolio consisting of upper mid-scale hotels located in some of the most in-demand destinations across China. The inaugural hotel opened on Jan 25 in Shanghai's Xuhui district, close to the city's World Expo site, and a second state-of-the-art hotel is expected to debut soon in Nanjing, capital of neighboring Jiangsu province.

Campaigner for equality

Sbastien Bazin, chairman and CEO of AccorHotels, was recently invited by the UN to speak at the World Economic Forum in Davos as a Global Impact Champion. He appeared alongside UN Goodwill Ambassador Emma Watson and the brains behind the UN's HeForShe campaign Elizabeth Nyamayaro to show how corporations can help drive gender equality. AccorHotels is one of just 10 companies selected by UN Women as one of the champion corporations of the HeForShe - IMPACT 10x10x10 pilot initiative.

Culinary trips

Satisfying members' passion for world-class cuisine and luxury travel, SPG Moments launched by Starwood has unveiled an enhanced schedule of culinary events that offers even more access to legendary culinary experiences. Members will have the opportunity to participate in evenings of cocktails, kitchen tours and tasting menus at world-renowned restaurants, plus access to the top food and wine festivals in destinations including New York, Chicago and Tokyo. For more information on SPG's Culinary Moments, including a complete schedule of 2016 events and bidding details, please visit spg.com/moments.

For children

The Ritz-Carlton, Beijing, has launched its Ritz Kids Night Safari program, bringing to young children "a sense of adventure and priceless memories that last well beyond their stays". The program takes children aged from 4 to 8 on an adventure from the moment they check-in. It allows children to set up a specially provided camping tent inside their room, with special amenities to liven up the night, and inspires them to make new friends and discover the world beyond school. The program will last through March 31. 010-5908-8955

(China Daily 02/20/2016 page10)