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Luca Pulese appointed
executive chef
Dominique Ronge, General Manager of Centara Grand
Pratamnak Resort Pattaya, has announced the appointment of Luca Pulese as
Executive Chef. Luca is an Italian national who has 20 years of experience
in the hospitality.
 Luca
Pulese.
Luca started his career at Hotel Le Boulevard in Venice,
then moved to Osteria Alle Testiere as assistant chef. In 2003, Luca
transferred to Hilton Amsterdam as assistant sous chef then moved to Hilton
Resort and Spa Rangali Island, Maldives. In 2006, he transferred to the
Great Wall Sheraton Hotel in Beijing then moved to Royal Orchid Sheraton and
Towers Bangkok, Thailand in 2008 as executive sous chef. Luca then
transferred in 2010 to Sheraton Dameisha Resort in China as executive chef
and, prior to join Centara Grand Pratamnak Resort Pattaya, he was executive
chef at Twelve at Hengshan, a Luxury Collection Hotel in Shanghai.
Centara Grand Pratamnak Resort Pattaya is a new luxury hotel in Pattaya
located at Pratamnak Hill, south Pattaya’s residential area and literally a
few steps from the beach (opening Q3 2013).
The hotel features a splendid decor with subtle alludes to a mesmerizing
underwater world and offers superb facilities and dining experiences
together with a variety of outstanding accommodation options that will suit
the needs of couples, families and business travelers.
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Handing over the reins of the Thai Garden Resort kitchen operations
Charan Thonghoom, the Executive Chef of the Thai
Garden Resort, has spent the last 40 years in the kitchens of
prestigious hotels. Having worked for the last 7 years at the Thai
Garden Resort he has decided that the time has come to announce his
retirement.
Charan has done an excellent job raising the culinary standards of the
resort over the years and the management was hesitant to let him go.
However, his decision to spend more time with his family and enjoy his
retirement was well respected.
On April 10, 2013, he handed over the management of the kitchen
operations to Thianchai Lorlertsakun, who was warmly welcomed at the
Thai Garden Resort. Executive Chef Thianchai brings with him a wealth of
experience from Hyatt Hotels and Inter Continental hotels in the Middle
East. Previously he was the Executive Chef for H.E. the Sultan of Brunei
with whom he travelled around the world to prepare banquets and gala
dinners for royalty.
Being a Thai national, Chef Thianchai wanted to come back to his beloved
Thailand and worked at the Impact in Muang Thong Thani in Bangkok, the
largest convention and exhibition centre in Bangkok where he cooked for
both small very large events. However, with his family living in Pattaya
he still found Bangkok too far away and when the position at the Thai
Garden Resort became available it was an easy decision for him to move
back home to Pattaya.
The management of the Resort is proud to have Chef Thianchai on board as
he will ensure that the legacy of Chef Charan will continue in the
future. Seen in the photo are Chef Charan on the left and Chef Thianchai
on the right.
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Metlife meeting meets Royal Cliff’s Green Standards
Royal Cliff Hotels Group General Manager
Christoph Voegeli (right) presents Metlife CEO Kim Jong Woon (left) with the
Royal Cliff Green Certificate.
From April 9-13 MetLife (Korea) held the first of a series of three meeting
at Royal Cliff Hotels Group. Over 500 participants and their families were
accommodated at the hotels group and held many of their functions around the
property including PEACH (Pattaya Exhibition And Convention Hall); a
prominent flagship of Royal Cliff Hotels Group. By choosing the Royal Cliff
and adhering to the property’s green-oriented culture and standards, MetLife
was honored with the ‘Green Certificate’.
The ‘Green Certificate’ is awarded to selected organizations for having
taken great steps in helping to safeguard the environment, and help reduce
global warming by opting to have their event at Royal Cliff Hotels Group.
The event resulted in the reduction of many emissions, pollution and use of
natural resources following the ‘Initiative on Green meeting’, the extensive
and heavily implemented environmentally friendly initiatives and policies in
place at the Royal Cliff Hotels Group and PEACH which have already served to
improve the local environment and community.
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Thailand is ready for TTM 2013 June 5-7
Andrew J Wood
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is ready to organize another
travel extravaganza to restate Thailand’s stance as the regional hub for
holiday business.
TAT Governor Suraphon Svetasreni revealed that the tourism authority will
hold “Thailand Travel Mart Plus The Greater Mekong Subregion” or TTM+2013,
June 5-7 at Impact Muang Thong Thani, in suburban Bangkok.
Suraphon said the upcoming travel promotion event is aimed at promoting Thai
travel destinations and tourist service in the international market through
business deals and negotiations between Thai and foreign business operators.
He added that the TAT hopes the event will help open more doors for small-
and medium-sized businesses to meet markets outside Thailand.
The TAT Governor stated that this year’s event will be organized under the
theme “Customize Your Experience” and will see the participation of at least
400 local businesses, ranging from travel agencies to hotels and resorts,
airlines, golf courses and spa services.
Suraphon said that 413 buyers from 62 countries already confirmed their
presence at the event.
He also noted that TTM+2013 will also be an opportunity for tourism
businesses in the Greater Mekong Subregion to join and help highlight
Thailand’s position as the travel hub of this region.
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Hilton Worldwide extends Carbon Offset Program in Southeast Asia
Over 4,500 tonnes of carbon emissions from meetings and events offset in the first six months
Audrey Wong
Hilton Worldwide Asia Pacific
Hilton Worldwide last week announced the extension of its Carbon Offset
Program in Southeast Asia with the inclusion of Conrad Bali and Hilton
Bandung in Indonesia. They join 11 existing properties in Southeast Asia
already offsetting carbon emissions from events and meetings. Since its
introduction on 1 October, 2012, the Hilton Worldwide Carbon Offset Program
in Southeast Asia has successfully offset more than 4,500 tonnes of carbon
emissions. The amount of carbon offset is equivalent to taking over 470
economy class flights around the world.
At no additional cost to customers, the program measures carbon generated by
events and meetings and offsets these through the purchase of carbon
credits. The credits are used to fund projects in Borneo and Cambodia that
have strong community and environmental benefits beyond carbon. From 1
April, 2013, 13 Hilton Worldwide properties in Indonesia, Malaysia,
Singapore and Thailand are part of the program.
“Hilton Worldwide is committed to leading the hospitality industry in
sustainable practices,” said William Costley, vice president, operations -
Southeast Asia, Hilton Worldwide. “The exceptional results from the first
six months of the Hilton Worldwide Carbon Offset Program in Southeast Asia
demonstrate the meaningful contribution an organization can make to the
environment and communities it operates in.”
Hilton Worldwide is the first and only major multi-brand hospitality company
to make sustainability measurement and corrective action a brand standard at
each of its over 3,900 hotels globally.
The program has been well received by customers including large
multinational companies that put a premium on sustainability. In the first
six months of the Hilton Worldwide Carbon Offset Program in Southeast Asia,
around 70 percent of events and meetings offset were from corporate
customers.
“The Carbon Offset Program has definitely drawn great interest from our
customers, and there is a growing trend for companies to conduct events, and
other aspects of their business, in environmentally responsible ways. The
program offers a competitive edge for clients that take sustainability
seriously and provides them with an avenue to give back to the environment,”
said Heinrich Grafe, general manager, Conrad Centennial Singapore.
Working with Climate Friendly, a carbon offset solutions provider, Hilton
Worldwide identified two initial beneficiaries of the carbon offset program
in Southeast Asia. They are the Borneo Rainforest Rehabilitation Project and
Cambodia Cookstove Project.
Participating hotels in the Hilton Worldwide Carbon Offset Program in
Southeast Asia are: Conrad Centennial Singapore, Hilton Singapore, Hilton
Kuala Lumpur, DoubleTree by Hilton Kuala Lumpur, Hilton Petaling Jaya,
Hilton Kuching, Millennium Hilton Bangkok, Conrad Bangkok, Hilton Phuket
Arcadia Resort & Spa, Hilton Pattaya, Hilton Hua Hin Resort & Spa, Conrad
Bali, and Hilton Bandung.
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TAT launches global digital marketing campaign to
promote Voluntourism
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has launched a global digital
marketing campaign to promote Voluntourism, which affords travelers the
opportunity to have a life-changing adventure: A two-weeks volunteer
vacation in Thailand.
Called “The Little Big Project”, the campaign is designed to tap into a
growing industry trend known as Volunteer Tourism, or Voluntourism -
travelers seeking “a purposeful vacation” that goes well beyond more than
just having fun during a holiday abroad. Thousands of active travelers from
all over the world are looking to make a big difference through doing little
things such as preserving the environment, sharing their skills or
contributing to local communities.
Pongsathorn Kessamli, TAT deputy governor of Policy and Planning, notes that
“volunteer tourism … is now very popular with youth travelers. It is also
gaining popularity amongst many retirees who are still fit and active, with
time on their hands. They want to make the world a better place, and seek to
do something meaningful when they travel.”
The mission of The Little Big Project is to help others, but it is also a
competition: one overseas visitor and one Thai will team up for 2 weeks to
work on anything from helping save the elephants at a nature park in Chiang
Mai, to a community development project for hill tribe children, to marine
conservation in Koh Talu. Anyone interested in participating should create a
1-minute English-language digital video to introduce themselves and briefly
discuss why they’re uniquely qualified to partake in the campaign in
Thailand. Applications will be accepted through May 20th, 2013, and the 10
best video submissions will be selected - 5 from Thai citizens and 5 from
overseas registrants.
An online registration form can be found at
www.TheLittleBigProjectThailand.com where entrants can provide a
link to their YouTube-hosted video.
They will also have the chance to share their philanthropy efforts with a
world-wide audience by making blog posts, uploading photos and videos, and
telling their story through social media. Prizes will be awarded, too.
* The team with the most votes for their blog will win $5,000 USD for
donation to their project for continued funding, plus a hotel voucher valued
at $500 USD for their personal enjoyment.
* The visiting competitor whose video receives the most views will win an
Apple gift card worth $1,000.
Said Pongsathorn, “The TAT believes The Little Big Project will give people
looking to do something different on vacation an opportunity to have a
life-changing adventure. Voluntourism gives this niche market that
opportunity. The goal is to connect these tourists to Thais at the local,
community level, which will bond them much more intimately to Thailand than
standard tour packages.
In addition to the competition, TAT is forging partnerships with key
voluntourism agencies such as
www.responsibletravel.com,
www.volunteeringsolutions.com,
www.planmygapyear.co.uk,
www.openmindprojects.org,
www.universalgiving.org,
www.kayavolunteer.com, and
www.gapyearthailand.org.uk.
They will help TAT promote Voluntourism in Thailand by offering up to 50
programs for voluntourists, as well as special hotel deals offered by
www.hotelthailand.com
until July 31st, 2013.
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