Fairmont Hotels & Resorts And SOL Properties To Debut Fairmont Residences Solara Tower Dubai

Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, a world-renowned luxury hotel brand within the Accor group, has partnered with SOL Properties, a leading developer in the UAE, to launch a standout private residence development, Fairmont Residences Solara Tower Dubai. Redefining luxury real estate in Downtown Dubai, the project is currently underway and is scheduled for completion by Q3 of 2027.

Fairmont Residences Solara Tower Dubai combines Fairmont's distinguished brand standards and global reputation in luxury hospitality with SOL Properties' vast expertise in luxury real estate to establish new benchmarks in upscale urban living. The development will include meticulously designed spaces, blending elegance and timeless opulence. With a wide array of spacious layouts and custom amenities, these residences represent the pinnacle of luxury lifestyle for today and tomorrow, with expansive terraces offering breathtaking views of the Burj Khalifa and the exquisite Dubai Fountain.

Ajay Bhatia, Founder and CEO of SOL Properties, said: "Alongside the team at Fairmont, we at SOL Properties are elated to provide a completely new standard of luxury living in Downtown Dubai. Our goal is to provide residents with exclusive amenities and personalised offerings, thereby setting a new precedent for comfort and convenience for our owners. By combining Fairmont's exceptional hospitality and thoughtful service with our integrated residential environment and attention to quality, this project is certain to offer residents unmatched lifestyle experiences."

In response to the evolving demands of urban homeowners, the residential project promises a suite of premium amenities and services. Residence owners will have exclusive access to Fairmont's wide range of integrated amenities, which include gourmet restaurants, private swimming pool, fitness centre, spa and wellness centre, offering a resort-like experience within the confines of their own home.
Omer Acar, CEO for Fairmont, commented: "We are delighted to continue bringing the Fairmont experience around the globe. Drawing on both Accor and Fairmont's long history and notable expertise in managing luxury branded residential, and working with leading developers and partners such as SOL Properties, we are able to deliver a living experience that is poised to truly redefine luxury residential in an already competitive market such as Dubai, or in other top destinations worldwide."

The project exemplifies the ongoing expansion and appeal of luxury living in Dubai, with the luxury residential real estate market projected to grow by more than 8 percent by 2029. Opening as the premiere luxury real estate in Downtown Dubai, Faimont Solara Tower reinforces Dubai's demand as a global destination, attracting high-net-worth individuals and investors seeking to diversify their portfolios with the city's strategic location and investor-friendly regulations.

Fairmont Residences Solara Tower Dubai joins a portfolio of 16 Fairmont-branded residences, each a sanctuary with the luxury of Fairmont and the privacy of home, from Mayakoba in Mexico, Rabat and Marrakech in Morocco, to Los Angeles in the USA. Globally renowned for the brand's expertise in luxury residential, Fairmont has another 22 projects in the pipeline. The project is supported by Accor One Living, an industry-first platform focused on the design and operation of innovative mixed-use hospitality solutions for a new generation of investors and homeowners.

Jeff Tisdall, Chief Business Officer, Accor One Living, said: "We are very proud to be partnering with SOL Properties on this landmark Fairmont branded residence development, a leading example of an exciting new generation of standalone private residences supported by Accor One Living. We are confident the ultra prime location, extensive private facilities for residence owners, and elevated residential living experience made possible by Fairmont, combined with SOL Properties' reputation for quality and luxury, will be very well received by homeowners."

About Fairmont

Fairmont Hotels & Resorts is where the intimate equally coexists with the infinite – an unrivaled portfolio of more than 90 extraordinary hotels where grand moments of life, heartfelt pleasures and personal milestones are celebrated and remembered long after any visit. Since 1907, Fairmont has created magnificent, meaningful and unforgettable hotels, rich with character and deeply connected to the history, culture and community of its destinations – places such as The Plaza in New York City, The Savoy in London, Fairmont San Francisco, Fairmont Banff Springs in Canada, Fairmont Peace Hotel in Shanghai, and Fairmont The Palm in Dubai. Famous for its engaging service, awe-inspiring public spaces, locally inspired cuisine, and iconic bars and lounges, Fairmont also takes great pride in its pioneering approach to hospitality and leadership in sustainability and responsible tourism practices. Fairmont is part of Accor, a world leading hospitality group counting over 5,600 properties throughout more than 110 countries, and a participating brand in ALL - Accor Live Limitless – a lifestyle loyalty program providing access to a wide variety of rewards, services and experiences. fairmont.com | all.accor.com | group.accor.com

About SOL Properties

Founded in 1974 under the patronage of the Bhatia Group, SOL Properties is a distinguished leader in the UAE's real estate sector, renowned for its luxury property developments. Over the past 50 years, SOL Properties has delivered over 250 transformative projects, encompassing exquisite residential developments, iconic commercial spaces, and luxury hotels. The company's diverse portfolio includes iconic projects across Dubai, such as Ocean House, Oakley Square, Hillside Villas, SOL Bay, and hospitality projects like The Dubai Edition, Downtown Dubai, and Radisson Beach Resort, Palm Jumeirah. SOL Properties' dedication to innovation and excellence shines through in every project, as they blend creative ingenuity with architectural brilliance to redefine luxury living and working environments. For more information, visit www.solproperties.ae

SOURCE Fairmont Hotels & Resorts

New York City Is Getting Its First Ever 'Soccer' Stadium, Opening In 2027

New York City is getting its first-ever soccer-specific stadium, but with a housing crisis and dozens of already established sports venues (not to mention you can’t swing a cat) how have they pulled this off?

An aerial CGI shot of New York City's new stadium in Queens, New York (Image credit: New York City FC)

It could easily be the name of a Netflix docu-series your work colleagues won’t shut up about, but the ‘Valley of Ashes’ is an epithet for the plot of land where New York City’s first purpose-built soccer stadium will open in 2027.

The moniker was coined exactly 100 years ago by F Scott Fitzgerald in his novel ‘The Great Gatsby’. It’s a fictional name for a real-life refuse dump at Willets Point. ‘Valley of Ashes’ lends more colour than ‘Willets Point’ and in the book the area represents a byproduct of industrialisation which made protagonist Jay Gatsby’s booming lifestyle possible.

In 2024 a well-struck baseball could theoretically land here from Citi Field next door. Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, home of the U.S. Open, is within walking distance. “It's an area that has been so desolate for a very long time,” explains Jen O’Sullivan, Chief Operating Officer at New York City FC. “If you grew up in this area, you knew it as the place to go if you lost the hubcaps on your car – it was just full of these ‘chop shops’ and auto body shops and not much else.

“With The Mets, the Tennis Centre, and UBS arena [home of the New York Islanders ice hockey team] not too far away, there becomes this sort of this sports hub if you will. Two major airports are also here. So it's just a tremendous location for so many reasons.”

As of 2011 the area had a population of just 10, there are no paved roads, no proper sewage system, and after several false starts (New York Mets owner initially pushed to build a casino on the land) City Council members voted 47-1 to proceed with plans for a soccer stadium in April.

At the heart of the push was Councilmember Francisco Moya. “I'm Ecuadorian,” he explains, “I'm born with a soccer ball in my crib, that's how real the passion for the sport of football is in my household and a lot of Latino households in Queens.”

Behind Moya hangs a picture of him taken at the Nou Camp with his father. “I go to the Clasico every year, I haven’t missed once since 2007, plus two Champions League finals, in London and Berlin.”

Moya was born in Corona, Queens and has served the district on the New York City Council since 2018. “When I got into office the vision I had was to develop something special. If you walk the streets of my neighbourhood, you're going see people wearing their favourite team’s jersey or the jersey of their home country. TVs are all filled with soccer.

Having the opportunity to bring a soccer-specific stadium, not just to Queens, but to the neighbourhood I grew up in is pretty incredible

Francisco Moya

"Having the opportunity to bring a soccer-specific stadium, not just to Queens, but to the neighbourhood I grew up in is pretty incredible. I have to give it up to New York City Football Club who are going to privately finance the construction [$800m]. We're also going to bring in over 14,000 union jobs [during construction], and over 1,500 permanent jobs after that.

"We’re bringing in 2,500 units of affordable housing, a brand new school, retail – turning the so-called ‘Valley of Ashes’ into a beautiful neighbourhood, community and place of gathering.”

Moya emphasises this isn’t just about soccer, but about building an “economic engine” that can keep a community like this thriving. “It's taken close to 10 years of my career trying to make this come to fruition.” New York City mayor Eric Adams described it as “the goal of the decade”.

https://www.fourfourtwo.com/us/author/matthew-ketchell

American Airlines Submits Application To U.S. Department Of Transportation To Serve San Antonio International Airport From Washington Reagan National

American today formally submitted an application to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to operate daily, nonstop service between San Antonio International Airport (SAT) and Washington Reagan National Airport (DCA). The 2024 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization bill was signed into law in May, awarding five new roundtrip flights serving DCA.

The city of San Antonio is the fastest-growing city in the United States and is home to one of the largest concentrations of military bases in the country. It is the largest city in Texas lacking nonstop service to DCA and the largest city in the U.S. with a majority Hispanic population without nonstop service to DCA, which is the most convenient airport for travelers visiting Washington, D.C.

American’s proposed service between SAT and DCA will complement the carrier’s more than 25 daily departures from SAT to seven cities across the U.S. In addition to offering convenient nonstop connectivity between San Antonio and the nation’s capital, American will offer one-stop connections via DCA to destinations in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Canada.

“American is proud to submit an application to provide the only nonstop service between San Antonio and Washington, D.C.,” said Brian Znotins, American’s Senior Vice President of Network and Schedule Planning. “This new service will expand American’s industry-leading domestic network connecting customers to the places they want to visit most.”

“Adding a nonstop route to Reagan National Airport is part of our efforts to expand air operations for the San Antonio region,” said Jesus Saenz, Director of Airports for the San Antonio Airport System. “We’re grateful to American Airlines for their shared vision to improve connectivity and for helping us elevate our service options with a route that will be especially beneficial to our business and military communities. This is yet another step in our commitment to modernize our airport and improve the traveler experience.”

“We have a historic opportunity to increase San Antonio’s access to the nation’s capital, which is particularly important for the members of our military community who rely on air connectivity for operational needs,” said San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg. “Nonstop access to the nation's capital will strengthen our economic ties with leaders in Washington, D.C. and enable greater collaboration with the Pentagon, other federal agencies and leading research institutions. We are grateful to American Airlines for partnering with us to establish this nonstop route that will greatly enhance our city's prosperity.”

For the only nonstop between SAT and DCA, American will use special flight numbers to commemorate the city’s rich history and significant military contributions. Flight 1718 recognizes the year San Antonio was founded and Flight 1947 celebrates the year the U.S. Air Force was established. American’s proposed operation is as follows:

Flight Departure Airport Departure Time Arrival Airport Arrival Time Aircraft Type

1718 SAT 6:35 a.m. DCA 10:59 a.m. Airbus A321

1947 DCA 7:45 p.m. SAT 10:20 p.m. Airbus A321

American is prepared to support appropriate schedule adjustments that allow for the safe and efficient integration of its SAT-DCA service into operations at DCA and the broader Washington, D.C. metropolitan area airspace.

American’s application to DOT includes more than 150 letters of support from the San Antonio community, including bipartisan policymakers, mayors, military organizations, chambers of commerce, advocacy organizations and nonprofits from across the region to express their strong support of the potential SAT-DCA route.

“American’s commitment to delivering the City of San Antonio a direct flight to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport represents an important step not just for the residents of Military City USA, but the entire Lone Star State,” said Sen. Ted Cruz. “I am proud to have led the fight to help deliver the five long-haul slots that we included in this year’s FAA reauthorization bill, and I will continue to press the U.S. Department of Transportation to quickly approve American's application for the San Antonio route.”
“San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the country, and last year, more people moved to San Antonio than any other city in the U.S.,” said Sen. John Cornyn. “After years of hard work from the Texas delegation in Congress and many leaders in Military City, USA, nonstop flights between San Antonio, Texas, and Washington, D.C., could be on the horizon, and I look forward to seeing American Airlines serve this route for visitors, businesses and our military.”

“In May, I was proud to be part of the effort to authorize more direct flights into Washington D.C. and open the door for a nonstop flight from San Antonio,” said Congressman Joaquin Castro. “American’s proposed direct flight will make travel easier for thousands of military, business and leisure travelers and attract new jobs for our talented workforce. San Antonio is a world-class city, and a decision by the FAA to approve this direct flight to our nation’s capital would be an important step for our city’s growth.”

“San Antonio is home to 82,000 active-duty military and civilian support personnel, tens of thousands of veterans and is the seventh-largest city in the U.S.,” said Congressman Chip Roy. “American’s partnership with San Antonio International is valuable to the people of our community and the ability for Texans to access a direct flight to our nation's capital.”

About American Airlines Group

To Care for People on Life's Journey®. Shares of American Airlines Group Inc. trade on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol AAL and the company's stock is included in the S&P 500. Learn more about what's happening at American by visiting news.aa.com and connect with American @AmericanAir and at Facebook.com/AmericanAirlines.

Air Travel Is Getting Worse. That’s What Passengers Are Telling The US Government

Air travel got more miserable last year, if the number of consumer complaints filed with the U.S. government is any measure.

The Transportation Department said Friday that it received nearly 97,000 complaints in 2023, up from about 86,000 the year before. The department said there were so many complaints that it took until July to sort through the filings and compile the figures.

That’s the highest number of consumer complaints about airlines since 2020, when airlines were slow to give customers refunds after the coronavirus pandemic shut down air travel.

The increase in complaints came even as airlines canceled far fewer U.S. flights — 116,700, or 1.2% of the total, last year, compared with about 210,500, or 2.3%, in 2022, according to FlightAware data. However, delays remained stubbornly high last year, at around 21% of all flights.

So far this year, cancellations remain relatively low — about 1.3% of all flights — but delays are still running around 21%.

More than two-thirds of all complaints last year dealt with U.S. airlines, but a quarter covered foreign airlines. Most of the rest were about travel agents and tour operators.

Complaints about treating passengers with disabilities rose by more than one-fourth compared with 2022. Complaints of discrimination, while small in number, also rose sharply. Most were about race or national origin.

The Transportation Department said the increase in complaints was partly the result of more consumers knowing about their rights and the ability to file a complaint. The department said it helped Southwest Airlines customers get more than $600 million in refunds and reimbursements after the carrier canceled nearly 17,000 flights during December 2022. Southwest also paid a $35 million fine.

Airlines receive many more complaints from travelers who don’t know how or don’t bother to complain to the government, but the carriers don’t release those numbers.

The Transportation Department is modernizing its complaint-taking system, which the agency says will help it do a better job overseeing the airline industry. However, the department now releases complaint numbers many months late. It did not issue figures for the second half of 2023 until Friday.

The Transportation Department’s online complaint form is at https://secure.dot.gov/air-travel-complaint

AP

Hong Kong Retailers Bank On Duty-Free Quota Hike To Boost Sales

An increase in the duty-free quota for Chinese tourists to Hong Kong may go some way to support the city's retailers, but visitors from the mainland say prices are still unattractive.

From expanding the solo travel scheme for Chinese visitors to Hong Kong in May to bumping up the duty-free shopping quota, the China and Hong Kong governments are striving to lure tourists from across the border.

This comes as Hong Kong residents increasingly flock to the mainland for shopping and entertainment, saying prices there are generally lower and the service is better, and the Asia financial hub struggles to recover after the pandemic.

Starting from July 1, the duty-free shopping quotas for Chinese tourists in Hong Kong were increased from 5,000 yuan ($688) per trip to 15,000 yuan for those visiting via six land border control points.

The new measure will be expanded to include Chinese visitors entering Hong Kong at all border control points from Aug. 1.

The government said it expects the measure to bring additional shopping spending of between HK$8.8 billion ($1.13 billion) and HK$17.6 billion to the city.

Annie Tse Yau On-yee, chairwoman of the Hong Kong Retail Management Association, said it would take time to see the benefits of the changes.

Hong Kong's May retail sales slumped 11.5% from a year earlier, government data showed on Tuesday, reflecting a surge in outbound trips, strength in the local currency and a high base of comparison for visitor spending last year.

"Considering the speedy business downturn, together with high rent and manpower costs, other economic factors, such as the strong Hong Kong dollar, also pose challenges to the retail industry," said Bond Law, an executive director of the association, adding the situation is expected to remain difficult for some time.

Harbour City, a shopping mall in the tourist area of Tsim Sha Tsui, said it believes "this policy change will have a positive impact, driving up retail sales and attracting more tourists to Hong Kong and to our mall". Hong, 49, and his wife Chen 43, who were visiting Hong Kong from China's Guangxi province for the first time, said the cost of dining in the city was still a barrier.

"The food here is five times more expensive than the food back in the city where I currently live," Chen, who only wanted to be known by her surname, said as she held bags of clothes and cosmetics from various luxury brands.

The number of Chinese visitors has risen in recent months, according to data from the tourism board, but analysts say consumption trends have changed.

Cost-conscious Chinese tourists have replaced many of the cash-rich mainland travellers who once flocked to Hong Kong, with some only interested in free walking tours of the city and taking photographs.

Sienna Zheng, 29, a tourist from the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen said she did not plan to purchase many luxury goods during her fourth visit to Hong Kong.

"I came to visit different places for photos and try out the foods," Zheng said, adding that even though the products in Hong Kong are tax-free the prices are similar to the mainland.

($1 = 7.2701 Chinese yuan) ($1 = 7.8093 Hong Kong dollars)

Reporting by Jessie Pang and Marcus Lum; Editing by Anne Marie Roantree and Jacqueline Wong, Reuters

Ruins Of Ancient Garden Likely Owned By Emperor Caligula Uncovered Near Vatican During Excavations

Archaeological excavations near the Vatican uncovered the remains of an ancient garden overlooking the right bank of the Tiber River that was likely owned by Roman Emperor Caligula, Italy’s culture ministry said Thursday.

The discovery was made during construction work to create a pedestrian piazza linking Castel Sant’Angelo to St. Peter’s Basilica and its Via della Conciliazione boulevard, some of Rome’s most visited tourist sites.

In ancient times the area housed prestigious imperial residences overlooking the Tiber with spectacular porticos, promenades and gardens. What remains underground are a travertine wall, the foundations of a colonnaded portico and a garden, the ministry said.

The excavations also uncovered a lead water pipe stamped with the name of the owner of the water supply and likely of the garden.

The details point to Caligula, son of Germanicus and Agrippina the Elder, and emperor of Rome from 37 to 41, the ministry said, adding that there are literary references that seem to confirm the connection of the site to Caligula.

The excavation also revealed an important series of figurative terracottas used to decorate roofs, with unusual mythological scenes, reused as covers for the sewers, but originally probably made for the covering of some structure in the garden, the ministry said.

The construction project is part of the Vatican’s 2025 Jubilee, a holy year that is expected to draw some 32 million pilgrims to Rome. The runup to the Jubilee has involved launching dozens of long-delayed construction projects, including the 79.5 million euro piazza, with a tunnel below it redirecting traffic underground.

The project, located at Piazza Pia, is expected to be completed by December.

BY GIADA ZAMPANO, AP

Delta’s New Seat Concept Lets Passengers Fly In Their Own Wheelchair

Travelling isn’t easy for passengers with reduced mobility. Getting on and off the plane requires care and additional time. Purpose-designed equipment can also be required to safely lift the passenger from a wheelchair into their airline seat. But a new concept by Delta Flight Products aims to change all that.

Designed in collaboration with AirForAll, the new ‘PRM Suite’ concept would allow wheelchair users to remain in their own chairs. The thinking is simple: travellers with disabilities can already do this on buses and trains, so why not on planes as well?

Until now, the design of aircraft cabins has made that impossible. But the PRM Suite concept would accommodate this on US domestic flights. Work is already underway to achieve this for passengers in both First and Economy Class.

Many in our community require highly supportive and specialised wheelchair seating designed to their specific needs. An airline seat, and even the harnesses available to use in an airline seat, do not provide enough support to allow these people living with a disability to travel. It’s not a matter of choosing not to travel; they simply can’t.

It has been encouraging to see Delta Air Lines trialling various ways to make this possible. Aircraft design needs to take into account the incredible variation in wheelchair size and functionality, like tilt-in-space chairs. It is a massive challenge, and my concern is that those with the highest needs will still not be accommodated with the designs I’ve seen to date.

– Julie Jones, Editor, Travel Without Limits

While there’s still work to be done, Delta’s new seat concepts were getting quite some attention at the recent Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) in Germany. I stopped by to have a look for myself.

Up close with Delta’s new accessible-friendly seat concept

The idea behind the design is simple. Much like on buses and trains, designated aircraft seats could fold up to create space for a wheelchair. The passenger can then be positioned in the space normally occupied by a fixed seat. The wheelchair’s own seatbelt keeps the passenger safely in the chair, and the chair itself can then be secured in place.

For the airline, converting a seat to accommodate a wheelchair would take 90 seconds at most. Seat cushions are easily removed, the seat base folds up and locks into place, and voila. I’m told that the concept would be limited to the front row in each cabin, specifically at the bulkhead, to accommodate the extra forward space required by a wheelchair.

For safety reasons, wheelchairs are expected to meet certain requirements—to be outlined in full at a later date. For instance, I’m told that only powered chairs would be accepted, not manual wheelchairs. The images below show manual wheelchairs only for a demonstration of Delta’s concept.

It’s certainly an interesting concept by Delta. If adopted, ‘PRM mode’ would be something of a hidden feature. When that functionality isn’t needed, the seat reflects the airline’s standard configuration and appearance. The difference will be almost indistinguishable to travellers without a disability. I only notice that the PRM-capable seat is marginally wider than the seat next to it when I try both in quick succession.

Perhaps rather than airlines racing to be the first to send passengers into space we could set a goal of being the first to comfortably transport travellers with a disability across the globe.

My hope for the future is that everyone that wants to travel by plane, with or without disability, will have the ability to do so.

– Julie Jones, Editor, Travel Without Limits

The next steps

Right now, Delta’s new seating concepts don’t yet have certification from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Those approvals can take 2-3 years – so you won’t see this on a plane in 2024 or 2025.

Delta Flight Products is also a wholly owned subsidiary of Delta Air Lines, but that’s no guarantee the parent carrier will adopt the seat. It’s fair to say, though, that Delta wouldn’t be investing time and money into this if it weren’t at least considering adopting its own creation onto its fleet.

These concept seats are part of a broader collection of improvements currently on the table at Delta Flight Products. Delta is also working on a new aircraft restroom design that can better accommodate wheelchair users and travellers with hidden disabilities. This includes features to help passengers move out of and back into their wheelchairs inside the restroom.

Artificial intelligence also has a role to play on board. I’m told that automated closed captioning of any inflight announcements is also on the table, with those captions able to appear on the mirror of that accessible restroom. (Potentially, captions of announcements could also appear on inflight entertainment screens.) Delta is also working on a storage device that can more reliably transport manual wheelchairs in the hold, significantly reducing the chance of a chair being damaged in transit.

It’s still early days, and there’s a lot of work to do. But it’s great to see Delta taking the initiative to make travel more accessible. Delta Flight Products also routinely offers its services and licences its creations to other airlines, so it’s possible that the idea may one day become commonplace in aircraft cabins around the world.

https://www.pointhacks.com.au/