What we’re reading: Forbes Travel Guide honors Vegas properties, Jazz wants access to Toronto City airport, IHG demands improvement in hotels

Forbes Travel Guide and AAA honor Vegas properties with highest awards

The Forbes Travel Guide (formerly Mobil Travel Guide) and the AAA have bestowed awards upon several Las Vegas Properties.

Forbes Travel Guides bestowed their 2010 Four Star Award to M Resort Spa Casino. Even though the resort has only been open eight months, they’ve managed to impress the undercover judges enough to get this high ranking.

Further north on the Strip, The Venetian and The Palazzo have both been honored with AAA Five-Diamond Awards. So have the Bellagio, Skylofts at MGM Grand, The Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas, along with the Ritz-Carlton Lake Las Vegas.

Jazz keeps up fight for Toronto airport access

Air Canada feeder Jazz said it will continue its fight to have access to the Toronto City Centre airport.

A return to Toronto City Centre Airport, where privately held Porter Airlines has had a monopoly since 2006, is seen as significant for Jazz as it seeks to strengthen its business amid difficult market conditions.

Jazz recently dropped its long battle in Ontario Court with Porter and the Toronto Port Authority, which controls the Island airport on Toronto’s waterfront, but it is still seeking a remedy in Federal Court, though no appearances are scheduled.

IHG to 300 Holiday Inns: put up or shut up

Parent company Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG) has told owners of 300 Holiday Inns that they must make improvements or they won’t be allowed to use the brand.

Does 300 sound like a lot? It is. In fact, it’s 12% of the 3,300 hotels that fly the Holiday Inn flag. The holdouts haven’t begun to play ball with the brand’s requirements, which include new bedding, pillows and towels — not to mention modern music, a renovated lobby and green uplighting on the exterior. The total package is expected to cost around $1 billion.

Hotels have until February 1, 2010.

Tagged as: Bellagio, forbes, holiday inns, jazz, Las Vegas, MGM Grand, Porter Airlines, ritz-carlton lake last vegas, The four seasons, The Venetian, toronto city centre airport