Concierge: Discounted hotel rates, halal travel glossaries, Paris during Christmas

Holiday Inn Resorts across South-east Asia, including Phuket (above), are offering discounted stays.
Holiday Inn Resorts across South-east Asia, including Phuket (above), are offering discounted stays. PHOTO: INTERCONTINENTAL HOTELS GROUP

Discounted hotel rates

Holiday Inn Resorts is offering up to 30 per cent off room rates for its resorts across South-east Asia and the Maldives till Dec 19. InterContinental Hotels Group Rewards Club members receive an extra 5 per cent discount.

For instance, a one-night stay in its hotel in Baruna, Bali, would cost US$74 (S$104), down from US$105, while a one-night stay in a superior room in its hotel in Patong, Phuket, would cost US$95, down from US$140.

For more information, go to www.holidayinn.com.


Halal travel glossary

Muslim travellers, take note. CrescentRating released the world's first halal travel glossary earlier this month.

The e-glossary, which is in English, contains more than 150 key terms and expressions and will be updated regularly.

CrescentRating plans to make it available in other languages as well as turn it into an online resource in the near future.

The glossary can be downloaded for free at www.crescentrating.com.


Emirates' special deals

Emirates is offering special economy class fares in alignment with its Be There campaign, a digital and social media campaign where seven of its employees travel the world to discover hidden gems in cities.

All-inclusive economy-class return fares start from $998 to Europe, $668 to Australasia, $1,138 to Africa, $1,488 to North America and $1,788 to South America.

All bookings have to be made by Sept 2 for outbound travel by May 26 next year. Travel dates for Australian and New Zealand cities are until Dec 31 this year.

For more information, go to www.emirates.com.


Visit Paris during X'mas

If you are thinking of visiting the City of Light, consider going between Dec 18 and Jan 3. Travel search engine Kayak.sg reports that airfares from Singapore to Paris during this period are 18 per cent cheaper than the annual average - compared with fares to most other destinations, which are on average 15 per cent more expensive during the holiday season.


Noma goes to Sydney

Scandinavian restaurant Noma, which claimed top spot in The World's 50 Best Restaurants list last year, is making its way to Sydney in January.

For 10 weeks, the restaurant with two Michelin stars based in Copenhagen, Denmark, will do a pop-up in the Australian city.

Go to noma.dk/australia to make reservations at Noma.

Deborah Lee and Lydia Ann Vasko

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Sunday Times on August 30, 2015, with the headline Concierge: Discounted hotel rates, halal travel glossaries, Paris during Christmas. Subscribe