Bits: Hyatt opens in Zadar, TAP and Etihad partner, ITA launches Milan lounge

News in brief:

Hyatt opens its first hotel in Croatia

Hyatt has opened Hyatt Regency Zadar, its first hotel in Croatia.

Says Hyatt:

Located at the heart of Croatia’s Adriatic coast, and just a short walk from Zadar’s UNESCO-listed Old Town, the hotel offers an enriching and inspiring setting for curious travelers exploring local attractions. Rooted in a culture of community, the hotel will inspire creativity and cultivate a genuine sense of connection.

Blending rich cultural heritage with breathtaking natural beauty, the hotel offers guests sweeping sea views, a unique fusion of historic architecture and contemporary design, and a distinctly Mediterranean atmosphere. It invites an open-minded exploration of all that Croatian culture has to offer.

The 113 rooms and suites are described as having panoramic views of the coastline. It appears to be aimed as much at the corporate as the tourist market, with over 700 sq m of event space and a 400 sq m pillarless ballroom with a poolside terrace.

The hotel spa includes heated indoor and outdoor pools, sauna, steam room, hammam, hot tubs and treatment rooms. It is not on a beach but offers ‘transfers or a boat ride to a nearby coastal town, where guests can enjoy private cabanas and beachfront dining along the Adriatic’.

You can find out more on the Hyatt website here.

TAP Portugal and Etihad launch a frequent flyer partnership

In 2023, TAP Portugal and Etihad launched a codeshare agreement.

This has been extended into a full frequent flyer partnership:

• TAP Miles&Go members can earn and spend miles on Etihad flights

• Etihad Guest members can earn and spend miles on TAP Portugal flights

There are a couple of interesting angles here:

• Etihad Guest lets you cash out your miles for, well, cash via the Etihad Guest Reward Card which we covered here. If you have a one-off TAP Portugal flight, it may be worth crediting it to Etihad and then cashing out rather than being stuck with a few Star Alliance miles.

If you have a one-off Etihad flight, you may prefer to credit it to TAP Portugal and use the handful of miles for a short-haul Star Alliance flight on Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian, TAP etc.

• Etihad Guest now has a very strict expiry policy – you need to fly Etihad or one of its partner airlines every 18 months or your miles will be wiped out. A quick trip down to Portugal may be the least worst way of doing this if you have a large unused Etihad Guest balance to protect.

ITA Airways opens a new Milan lounge

ITA Airways, which is in the process of moving to Star Alliance following an investment by Lufthansa, has opened its fully refurbished flagship lounge at Milan Linate.

The Runway Lounge is a large 482-sq m space where “each detail is designed to turn every moment at the airport – from the designer furnishings to the collaboration with first-rate, all-Italian partners – into an exclusive experience”.

This includes:

• an illycaffè
• a Campari aperitif experience
• furnishings by Poltrona Frau
• lighting by IGuzzini

There are 125 seats spread across three zones dedicated to food, relaxation and business.

The most bizarre area is “an evocative silent room housed in a replica of an airplane cabin, a suggestive scenic touch with which ITA Airways sets out to pay tribute to the world of aviation.” Image above!

The access rules are complicated, because ITA is not currently in an airline alliance. It has left SkyTeam but has not yet joined Star Alliance.

Entry is restricted to:

• Business class passengers on ITA flights (no guests)

• Business class passengers on Lufthansa Group flights (Lufthansa, SWISS, Brussels Airlines, Austrian, Discover Airlines, Air Dolomiti, Edelweiss, Eurowings, Lufthansa City Airlines) (no guests)

• Premium and Executive members of Volare if flying ITA or a Lufthansa Group airline in any class (one adult guest and up to two children)

• Senator or HON Circle members of Miles & More if flying ITA or a Lufthansa Group airline in any class (one adult guest and up to two children, extra guest if HON Circle)

• Star Alliance Gold members if flying on a Lufthansa Group airline in Star Alliance (Lufthansa, SWISS, Brussels Airlines, Austrian) in any class (one guest)

The lounge is open from 6am to 10pm. Hot meals are served from 11am to 2pm and 7pm to 9.30pm. Aperitifs are served from 5pm to 7pm.

You can find out more on the ITA website here.