BA Haiti relief flight

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Rituals store for terminal 4

BA premium lounge terminal 5B

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Surinder Arora and Albert Roux on Sofitel

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Surinder Arora, chairman Arora International, and consultant chef Albert Roux talk about newly-opened London Heathrow Sofitel

Kylie Minogue flies to US tour

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Aircraft from control tower

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Virgin plans Ghana service

     Virgin Atlantic is planning to launch a new service between Heathrow and Accra, the capital of Ghana, from 24 May 2010. 
     The airline plans to operate three services a week, subject to government approval, using an Airbus A340-300 aircraft with 240 seats onboard -34 Upper Class, 35 Premium Economy and 171 Economy. 
     Steve Ridgway, chief executive of Virgin Atlantic, said: “We are delighted that we are able to launch services to this fast growing and vibrant capital city with its historic links to Britain, thriving economy and growing oil and gas industry.  Nearly 200,000 people fly between London and Accra each year and our new services will give them more choice and better value for money.
    “Ghana is a beacon for economic success in West Africa, and with Africa showing greater economic resilience and growth than other global regions, we are thrilled that this will be our fifth route in Africa.  We look forward to offering the best possible service to travellers between Ghana, the UK and the United States,” he said.
    The London-Accra route is currently served by British Airways and Ghana Airways. The new Virgin service will operate from Terminal 3.

Heathrow – New Delhi route for Kingfisher

India’s Kingfisher Airlines will launch a new non-stop service on the New Delhi – Heathrow route from March 28, it announced

Kingfisher Airlines’ flight IT 001 will take off from New Delhi at 1.20 pm and arrive at London Heathrow’s Terminal 4 at 6.10 pm, local time. From London, flight IT 002 will leave at 9.05 pm and arrive the next day at 10.20 am in New Delhi, local time.

“Guests planning to fly on these routes can now look forward to the award-wining Five Star Kingfisher service at very competitive fares”, said a statement.

The flights on the New Delhi-London sector will be operated using a new Airbus A330-200. Configured in two classes, Kingfisher First and Kingfisher Class, the spacious full-length wide-bodied twin aisle cabin of the A330-200 has gone to great lengths to make flying feel a more natural and pleasurable experience, it says.

The route is already served by British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Air India and Jet Airways.

Business travel award for Heathrow Sofitel

Sofitel London Heathrow has been named the “Best Airport Hotel in the World” for 2009 by the USA Business Traveler Magazine.

“The Sofitel London Heathrow is not an airport hotel, it’s a five star luxury hotel which just happens to be at an airport,” says Surinder Arora, chairman of Arora International Hotels, owners of the Sofitel.

The five-star, 605-bedroom Sofitel London Heathrow is one of the world’s largest, luxury airport, meetings and events venues, linked to London Heathrow’s Terminal 5 (T5) by a bridge. Just 21 minutes from central London via the Heathrow Express it also offers the largest onsite, undercover parking facilities in the area.
The hotel’s Concept Architect is Stephen Williams, who previously designed the Conrad Hotel in Chelsea Harbour, while the hotel’s glamorous interiors have been designed by KCA International’s Khuan Chew, who is renowned for her work on the Burj Al Arab in Dubai.

Khuan Chew has focused on the concept of a ‘gateway to the world’ as her design inspiration and themes of country and continent resonate throughout the hotel. ‘Antarctica’, for example, takes centre stage in the entrance lobby with a dramatic water fountain centrepiece commissioned from RHS Chelsea winner, David Harber. Among Chew’s touches in the hotel’s fabulous 165m2 Imperial Suite are the first Swarovski crystal bathrooms featured in a European hotel.

The Sofitel features a wide range of food and beverage options. Chef Consultant Albert Roux oversees the hotel’s fine dining restaurant, Brasserie Roux, and brings a touch of fabled French gastronomy to Heathrow. The Sofitel also houses Tea 5, an exquisite tea salon complete with its own Tea Master and signature delicacies. The hotel’s Icelandic blue Sphere Bar is a vibrant and informal meeting place, while the more intimate Library Bar serves up signature cocktails taken from London’s hippest bars.

Sofitel London Heathrow introduces the UK to its first experience of ‘couture meetings’ facilities. The hotel contains 45 individually designed meeting rooms (with a maximum capacity of 1700 in the 1309m2 Arora Suite) along with a tiered theatre seating 117, and three high-tech boardrooms (with a choice of a private dining room or a Chef’s table in Brasserie Roux). Exhaustively equipped with the latest in technology of the highest standard, the hotel boasts Sofitel’s trademark world class service. ‘Couture meetings’ also includes the newest conference dining experience in ‘Vivre – l’expérience des saveurs’. This initiative allows the event’s pace and style to be matched with the theatrical sensation of 15 cooking styles.

‘The Spa at Sofitel London Heathrow’ provides a luxurious sanctuary for soothing relaxation and natural treatments using ESPA products. Spa wellness programmes include a specially formulated ‘Bodyclock’ programme.

Heathrow boutique hotel to reopen

Heathrow Airport boutique hotel, The Stanwell, will open its doors again in April following refurbishment.

The Stanwell is a privately-owned four-star boutique hotel located two miles from Terminal 5 (M25, Junction 14) and three miles from Terminal 4, set in almost an acre of grounds.

The Stanwell Hall Hotel first opened in 1951 and was the original airport hotel at Heathrow. The new Stanwell will be marketed as part of the Inn-genious Hotel Group, a new brand from the owners of the B+B Collection.

The hotel will have 54 bedrooms (previously 19) offering three different accommodation experiences: Victorian Rooms in the main house; Stable Rooms across the courtyard and new Garden Rooms.

The hotel will have a meeting room on the ground floor with natural daylight with capacity for up to 60 delegates. Manuel Zamora, The Stanwell’s resident chef, returns with new dishes for Zamora’s Restaurant which has been modernised with floor-to-ceiling French windows opening out onto the private rear patio and landscaped gardens.

Director of Sales Sue Bertram, said: “The Stanwell is a breath of fresh air from Heathrow and a real alternative for small businesses looking to hold meetings, conferences and events on touch down in a contemporary environment.”

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