In accordance with the expansion strategy of MH&R of developing projects in European capitals and key destinations, a 4-star-plus hotel in Amsterdam will supplement the portfolio in the future. The hotel will be a part of the "Oostelijke Handelskade" quarter that is currently being created, and is located directly on the landing pier terminal for cruise ships and which will accommodate, among others, the new "BIM Huis" concert building, banks, offices and a touring coach terminal. Dam Square and the Royal Palace, as well as downtown Amsterdam with its numerous sights, can be easily reached on foot, and the Mövenpick Hotel Amsterdam will therefore form an ideal starting point for both tourists and leisure travellers. In addition, the generously dimensioned conference facilities of the 22-storey hotel will offer attractive accommodation at a central location to business and conference travellers. Junior and Executive suites, a Lobby Bar with lounge, a cigar lounge, a restaurant, a business centre and a Wellness area round off the range of facilities. The draft for the hotel project came from the architects Claus en Kaan, who are very well known in Holland and who have already won numerous competitions.

"Following hotels in Rome, Istanbul und Berlin we will now be able to offer our guests a further European capital, Amsterdam," explained Stefan Flury, Senior Vice President Europe of MH&R. "In addition, our two Mövenpick hotels that have been operating in the Dutch market for some years now in Voorburg/Den Haag and 's-Hertogenbosch are running successfully, and have created a good local reputation for our company name".

“With the increasing demand for high-speed internet access, we have been aggressively installing it in our hotels for the past several years,” said Lou Paladeau, vice president, technology business development. “Most business travelers won’t even consider staying at a hotel that does not offer high-speed internet access. They want to be connected on the road.”

Marriott offers free high-speed internet access at Courtyard, Residence Inn, TownePlace Suites and SpringHill Suites hotels. Fairfield Inn will begin offering free high-speed internet access in July.

Marriott also offers “Wired for Business” at more than 220 Marriott and Renaissance hotels. “Wired for Business” combines in-room high-speed internet access and unlimited local and long-distance phone calls within the U.S. for $9.95 per day. The service is designed to meet the needs of guests who want to stay connected to work and home by offering them a bundle of communications services for one low price.

The company expects to complete installation of high-speed internet access in the U.S. at all its Marriott, Renaissance, Courtyard, Residence Inn, Fairfield Inn, TownePlace Suites and SpringHill Suites hotels by the end of 2004.

The response from passengers has been entirely positive. Matthias Krage, Managing Director of the Munich-based net-n-net agency says: "Lufthansa's new system is incredibly practical because it saves a terrific amount of time." On the twelve-hour flight to Los Angeles, he communicates with his staff by e-mail and visits the websites for which his company is responsible. Michael H. Weisman, MD, of the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles uses the VPN connection to communicate via e-mail with his office. "It is an excellent opportunity for me to get my work done. In fact, that is why I flew this airline today."

The FlyNet portal, which was developed and is operated by Tomorrow Focus AG, can be used free of charge. It contains more than 1,000 pages of constantly updated news, the latest stock market reports and weather and travel information in German and English. Passengers can therefore rest assured that they will be kept up-to-date, for example, on the latest results of the UEFA European Championships.

Passengers from both airlines taking the daily Air France flight from Paris-CDG2 to Singapore will hence be able to continue their trip on a Qantas flight to Adelaide, Brisbane, Darwin, Melbourne, Perth or Sydney. The same service will be available on flights from Australia to France. Air France will also tailor its flight schedule to minimize transit times in Singapore.

Both airlines will market their flights between the two countries under their respective "AF" (Air France) and "QF" (Qantas) codes. Air France Fréquence Plus members will be able to accrue Miles on "AF" flights.