Club Med coming to China

by Melanie Nayer on

The famous foam parties are heading to China.

Club Med announced it will open new hotels at the Sun Mountain Yabuli resort, a destination ski resort in northern China. The two hotels will make up Club Med Yabuli Resort and include 133 and 155 rooms, respectively in each hotel.

According to a press release, Club Med will provide up to $3 million in funding for additions to the two hotels that include new facilities and renovations that are synonymous with the Club Med brand.

Melco China Resorts, also located in the Sun Mountain Yabuli Resort, will manage all ski activities, retail and commercial operations, winter and summer resort attractions, mountain operations (lifts and snowmaking), and the existing 20-suite mountain top hotel and mountain top dining.

“China is an exciting and dynamic country for tourism and one we are committed to as a growth market for Club Med,” said Henri Giscard D’Estaing, Chairman of Club Med. “Over the last two years we have conducted extensive consumer research and the number of mainland Chinese guests visiting our Asian resorts continues to grow. We have reviewed many resorts across the entire country and in Sun Mountain Yabuli and Melco China Resorts, we have found a resort and company that shares our focus for excellence and the overall customer experience.”

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8 great bug-eating videos from around the world

by Gadling Staff on

There’s nothing better than having new and exciting experiences while traveling the globe. But, are you gutsy enough to try eating delectable delicacies such as grasshoppers, cockroaches, and gigantic worms?

Me neither … but these eight people are.

Giant Chinese Cockroach – Thailand

This cockroach is so big, I’m surprised they didn’t sell it by the pound.

Fresh Weevil Grubs – Amazon Jungle

Bear Grylls stars in this “Man vs Fresh Weevil Grub” clip. Oops, sorry for the squishy bits. Hope you didn’t get squirted.

Large Crunchy Cockroaches – Thailand

These guys went looking for the “Bug Carts” in Bangkok. I’m not sure that’d be my first stop.

Scorpions – China

“Kinda like eating an eyebrow,” he says. This guy eats four of them!

Giant Mangrove Worms – Philippines

Giant worms pulled from trees… and I mean GIANT. Could you eat the whole thing?

Deep Fried Tarantula – Cambodia

“Eat your heart out.” Looks kinda chewy if you ask me.

Giant Waterbug – Thailand

This poor guy had no idea what he was in for. Is he crying? There’s no crying in bug-eating!

Grasshoppers – Thailand

Thai Lady: “It’s crunchy.”
Director: “Like potato chips.”
Thai Lady: “Yeah. Kind of.”
Director: “$15 bucks and you got a whole meal here.”

Enough said.

Chinese city rethinks renaming mountain after Avatar

by Kraig Becker on

A few days back we posted a story about how the Chinese city of Zhangjiajie, located in the southern Hunan Province, had renamed a mountain in the region after the blockbuster film Avatar, which is said to have found inspiration in the nearby landscapes. Now, according to ABC News, officials from the city are back peddling, denying that they changed the name at all, following online backlash over the affair.

Earlier in the week it was reported that a ceremony was held on Monday to officially rename a local peak formerly, known as “Southern Sky Column”, to “Avatar Hallelujah Mountain”. According to local oficials, a Hollywood photographer was in the area back in 2008 taking photos of the mountain, and those images would go on to inspire director James Cameron to create the floating mountains that wowed audiences in the film.

As word of the name change spread across China however, there was an outcry amongst the citizens there. The local government officials in Zhangjiajie were accused of being greedy and too accepting of western culture when they hastily renamed the mountain after the movie, which has been extremely popular with Chinese audiences.The choice to rename th e mountain was so unpopular in fact that an online poll logged a vote of 54,619 against the move, with just 5,897 in favor.

The sudden change in heart also signals a shift in the city’s tourism plans as well. Local guides were already offering “Avatar Pandora Tours”, but considering the public outrage, it seems the region will have to rethink their marketing strategy.

Seven new hotels around the world from Fairmont in 2010

by Tom Johansmeyer on

This year promises to be exciting for fans of the Fairmont. New properties are set to open in London, China and many other cities, each with a distinct style. There’s no question that the Fairmont has the art and science of hospitality mastered, so these new properties are going to be exciting to watch.

1. The Savoy
With a design nodding toward Edwardian and Art Deco, the hotel reopens after a restoration program costing more than GBP100 million. The property has 268 guestrooms and a new luxurious Royal Suite. The Savoy Grill is going to come back … under the management of Gordon Ramsay Holdings. Look for the doors to swing open in the second or third quarter of this year.

2. Fairmont Peace Hotel
This Shanghai landmark will reopen in the second quarter of this year, with 269 guestrooms over 12 floors. The hotel faces the Pudong area over the Hangpu River, making it a great spot.

3. Makkah Clock Royal Tower
The Makkah will open in Saudia Arabia in the third quarter, where it will be the focal point of the Abraj Al Bait Complex. With 858 rooms, there will be plenty of space near Masjid al Haram, the Islamic holy site. The hotel stretches 76 stories high and will be the world’s tallest upon completion. The Makkah opens in the third quarter.4. Fairmont Pacific Rim
The 377-room luxury property will open this quarter in Vancouver and will include 175 residential condos. The property will be near the ocean, with great views, and the Willow Stream Spa and Fitness Center will make a commitment wellness easy to maintain. The Pacific Rim is scheduled for a first quarter opening.

5. Fairmont Pittsburgh
The new hotel, with 185 rooms, is intended for LEED certification, demonstrating Fairmont’s commitment to corporate social responsibility. Look for a mix of environmental concern and palpable luxury … and easy access to theater, entertainment and financial districts. Look for this property to open in the first quarter of this year.

6. Fairmont Beijing
Located close to The Forbidden City, the 222-room Fairmont Beijing is a solid location for visitors who worry about being intimidated by the scope of the city. After you’ve experienced the excitement of China’s capital, head back to the Willow Stream spa to have your muscles rubbed back to normal. The Fairmont Beijing is going through a soft opening already.

7. Fairmont Zimbali Resort
Enjoy views of the Indian Ocean from this South African resort, which is tucked between a forest reserve and the sea. The 154-room hotel is intimate and infused with luxury. Look for it to open in the first quarter. This property is scheduled to open in the second quarter.

[Photo courtesy of Fairmont Hotels & Resorts]

China renames mountain that inspired Avatar

by Kraig Becker on

While James Cameron’s latest epic, Avatar, continues to smash box office records around the globe, a remote Chinese mountain has been renamed to honor the film, and no doubt attract fans of Pandora in the process.

Located in the Zhangjiajie region of the Hunan province, the mountain was formerly known as the “Southern Sky Column”. Local officials claim that the rocky spire was the inspiration for the floating “Hallelujah Mountains”, the mystical floating peaks that are prominent in Avatar.

According to this story from Reuters, a Hollywood photographer was in the area in 2008 capturing the look of the mountain from a variety of angles. Those photos would later be used to construct the flying mountains of Pandora that would later appear in full 3D on the silver screen.

This past Monday a ceremony was held in Zhangjiajie to officially rename the peak “Avatar Hallelujah Mountain”, and the local tourism board is hoping that fans of the blockbuster film will want to come visit the place for themselves. The mountain is located in the Wulingyan National Park, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which is home to more than 3000 similar peaks. Reportedly, local tourist agencies have already begun to offer “Avatar-Pandora Tours”, taking visitors to see the mountain, promising to deliver a bit of Pandora here on Earth.

As of this writing, Avatar has earned more than $80 million in China, making it the most popular film of all time in that country. Earlier this week, the film also passed the $1.84 billion mark in box office receipts, surpassing Titanic as the highest grossing film in history.