London was ranked the tenth most expensive city in the league table, making it cheaper than cities including Copenhagen, Rome and Tokyo but more expensive than Hong Kong, Berlin and Amsterdam.The cheapest of the 26 cities in the so-called Club Sandwich Index (CSI) is New Delhi, where the average Club costs £5.91. Alison Couper, an executive at Hotels.com, said: “Paris may well be the gastronomic capital of the world, but at an average of £20.43 per Club, travellers may be better off sticking to a Croque-Monsieur.” Hotels.com took its prices from 10 five-star, 10 four-star, and 10 three-star hotels in each city. In total 750 prices of a Club Sandwich were measured across 750 hotels. Local currencies were converted to pound sterling at the correct exchange rate on 25 April 2012.

“This is a damaging break in the UK’s export chain, and its consequences are a real concern for businesses across the country.” Such is the threat to the UK’s prominence that Dubai is set to overtake Heathrow by 2016 as the world’s largest international airport.  Aggressive growth of Paris and Frankfurt has intensified pressure from aviation and business leaders for the Government to have a change of heart.

Willie Walsh, the head of the International Airlines Group, welcomed the Coalition’s decision to reopen the debate on runway capacity in the South East, but added that all options should be considered. James Hogan, the chief executive of Etihad, also called for Heathrow to be allowed to expand. “We currently fly three services a day into Heathrow, we would like to operate five.

“Heathrow will not be able to compete unless it opens another runway.” The plight has been thrown into even sharper focus by Dubai’s plans to overtake Heathrow by 2016 as the world’s largest international airport. Last year Heathrow handled 69.4 million passengers. With both parties opposing expansion and the building of a third runway. By 2020 Dubai expects to cater for 90 million passengers thanks to expansion of existing terminals and the construction of a new one capable of handling 20 giant Airbus A380s. Even this will be dwarfed by Dubai’s plans for a new monster airport by the middle of the next decade. With five runways, it is anticipated that it will be cater for 160 million people by the late 2020s.

Commenting on the above, the CEO of RTA Strategy & Corporate Governance Sector Abdul Mohsin Younes said, “The RTA Strategic Planning Department studied the impact of the metro stations on the surrounding lands & properties in coordination with the Dubai Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA), which provided the data about the rates of lands & properties in areas close or far from the metro stations.

The study revealed that the value of lands & properties adjacent to the metro stations has soared since the operation of the metro and reached in some cases up to 34% as a result of the high demand for buying lands & renting properties in close proximity to the metro stations; which is attributed to the ease of mobility, and the provision of multi transit options at lower costs of transit aboard the Dubai Metro; which is characterized by absolute minimal fares and high efficiency across the city, particularly for those inhabiting near the metro stations. This explains the huge impact of the transit network on the economy of the Emirate, and reflects the importance of the metro in pushing up the economic development drive in the field of property development, and stimulating the tourist & commercial movement in various parts of the Dubai Emirate. “The study monitored the changes in rates of these lands & commercial properties in 2011 compared to the rates prevailing in 2009 before the opening of the metro; which illustrate the importance of the Metro in boosting the market value of lands & properties, particularly in the surrounds of the metro stations.

“A comparative study with the experiments of countries which have made advanced progresses in mass transit systems, particularly the metro, such as the UK, Germany, Japan, Hong Kong, and the USA, revealed that public transit means in general have a positive impact on appreciating the value & rents of properties, and that such rates made remarkable hikes ranging from 3 to 50%,” continued Abdul Mohsin.

Instead, those passengers will be asked to book in the 350-seat economy class zone on the main deck, which the airline has designated as its child-friendly zone. In a statement, the airline cites the availability of extra family-friendly facilities, including eight toilets for the lower-deck economy section and a dual aerobridge that offers “speedier/faster embarkation and disembarkation for this group of passengers.”

But the policy may have more to do with the comfort of its upper-deck fliers.   “Malaysia Airlines is trying to make its premium product on the A380 more appealing to the high-yielding business passengers,” said Shashank Nigam, CEO of SimpliFlying, a company specializing in airline branding and customer engagement. “They value their peace and quiet and [this way] can rest assured that they won’t be disturbed by kids on long-haul flights.”

Along with the new Airbus A380-800s, Malaysia Airlines has already reconfigured the first class cabins on the airline’s Boeing 747s to no longer accommodate bassinets, effectively making that section baby-free. Bassinets, however, are available in business or economy class. Some have called Malaysia Airline’s plan discriminatory to families. But child-free sections on airplanes would be “no different than the ‘quiet cars’ provided by train companies,” said Suzanne Rowan Kelleher, editor-in-chief of WeJustGotBack.com. “My guess is that many parents would opt for kid-free zones on planes when they’re traveling without their children.”

Kelleher said many family-friendly hotels and resorts now have designated spaces, such as spas, adult-only pools, fitness rooms and formal restaurants, where kids are not allowed. And most cruise lines offer adult-only areas such as pool decks and quiet restaurants. “Even Disney Cruise Line does this, much to the delight of adults on board,” said Kelleher.

Joe Brancatelli, publisher of the business-travel website JoeSentMe.com, understands those who would want babies and young children banned from the premium-class cabins. But he suspects that when it comes to other carriers following Malaysia Airlines’ lead, dollars may over rule toddlers. “I doubt anyone will match, although Asia is a unique market,” said Brancatelli. “But it comes to this: If a parent wants to pay to bring a child in a premium cabin, well, it’s hard to turn away the money.”

He may be right. In a memo clarifying its policy, Malaysia Airlines states, “Where there is overwhelming demand for seats in economy class from families with children and infants, resulting in full load in the main deck, we will still accommodate such demand in the 70-seat upper deck economy class zone of our A380.”

MICROS eCommerce Services|TIG Global will showcase the hotel’s unique charm to new and returning guests alike, with an innovative web design, strategy and marketing efforts to deliver a seamless and rewarding user experience that is unmatched in the industry. In addition, Royal Park has opted to use Revinate and SocialBuzz to help monitor their online and social media presence.

“We are pleased to be partnering with MICROS eCommerce Services|TIG Global in designing a new web presence that will help our property continue to grow and thrive in the local, national and global community,” stated Jay Haratsis, General Manager of Royal Park Hotel.

“We look forward to showcasing a new product that serves as a compelling first point of contact for hotel guests and at the same time provides a valuable marketing and revenue-tracking service for the hotel,” stated Jos Schaap, President of MICROS eCommerce Services|TIG Global.

Starwood Strengthens Luxury Position

In just four years, Starwood has grown its global luxury room count by 75 percent. Turning to 2012, more than 60 percent of Starwood’s new hotels will be in the luxury and upper-upscale segment.

The luxuriously appointed guest rooms and suites all benefit from traditional decor, wireless Internet access, air conditioning, large writing desk and bathrooms are stocked with luxury Ren toiletries. The stylish rooms and opulent suites have magnificent views of the city or the hotel’s internal courtyard.

Dining facilities include the Michelin-starred “Number One” restaurant, famous for award-winning cuisine in an elegant setting. Considered as one of Scotland’s best restaurants, it serves an outstanding variety of traditional gourmet cuisine. The Balmoral Spa offers a 15 metre swimming pool, gym, steam room and range of pampering therapies.