Travellers' checks

The former Xian People's Hotel is an interesting choice for the Sofitel Legend brand's first foray into China. Relaunched last month, the hotel (above) - first opened in 1953 - is now known as the Sofitel Legend People's Grand Hotel, with the retention of the word "people's" suggesting some sort of joint venture/compromise with the local government. Sofitel Legend describes its small handful of upmarket hotels as "a collection of precious luxury properties and palaces … Legendary Places, hosting Legendary People, creating Legendary Stories", so any communist-era austerity, it must be supposed, lives on only in name. When used as the state guesthouse, with the likes of Zhou Enlai and Marshal Chen Yi calling down for bottles of mao-tai and Panda cigarettes on room service, the old place had a grey, gloomy look to it but, with the Sofitel touch, it seems to have perked up a bit. Hermès toiletries and French-designed floral arrangements have replaced the bathplugs-on-demand and plastic chrysanthemums that were once hallmarks of such establishments, and with only 71 rooms and suites, the set-up appears to be surprisingly boutique for such a large building. Further Western decadence is offered in the form of a personalised butler service and a bar named after Louis XIII of France. The quickest way to find the hotel and its opening rates online is with the help of Google, rather than sofitel.com.

Hyatt's Andaz brand, which began welcoming guests with trendy, tablet-toting staff rather than a reception desk in 2007 at the Andaz Liverpool Street, in London, now has a presence in Tokyo. Located on the upper floors of the Toranomon Hills complex (right), in the Minato district, the Andaz Tokyo has 164 guestrooms, including eight suites, a rooftop bar with views over Tokyo Bay, a swimming pool overlooking the Imperial Palace and - presumably for guests wanting to get closer to their maker - Tokyo's highest stand-alone chapel. The hotel's Opening Celebration Offer, which includes free breakfast and a few other sweeteners, will be available until the end of August at tokyo.andaz.hyatt.com. Also, Cathay Pacific Holidays is also selling a two-night Andaz Tokyo Toranomon Hills package starting from HK$5,760 with reservations open from July 1 at www.cxholidays.com.

Parkroyal Hotels & Resorts is running a useful promotion for families travelling with children under the age of 12 this summer. Ten properties in Singapore (including Parkroyal on Pickering; above), Penang, Kuala Lumpur, Ho Chi Minh City, Sydney and Melbourne are offering the Parkroyal Getaway package, which includes complimentary breakfast for adults and free meals and accommodation for children. You can find a list of participating hotels and further details about the offer, which will be open until the end of September, at www.parkroyalhotels.com.

The Jumeirah Grand Hotel Via Veneto, in Rome, Italy, has just launched a Fiat 500 Tour, which gives guests the chance to get behind the wheel of a vintage model of the diminutive Italian runabout either in convoy with other drivers or with a chauffeur. Sights to be seen along the fixed route include the Coliseum, the Garden of Oranges, with views over Rome, the Church of Santa Sabina and Monte Testaccio. Prices start from €250 (HK$2,625) for two guests. See jumeirah.com for more details.

arrington American Express Travel is offering three nights for the price of two at a couple of Chiang Mai's better resorts from July 1 until the end of August. Spa Suites at the Dhara Dhevi Chiang Mai (below; formerly the Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi) are priced from HK$5,450 including daily breakfast, while HK$5,590 will get you a Garden Pavilion at the Four Seasons Resort. As well as three nights' accommodation, these prices include round-trip, economy-class flights with Dragonair and travel insurance. Cheaper options include two nights at the Veranda Chiang Mai from HK$2,290 which includes round-trip airport transfers and Wi-fi. For full details and reservations, go to www.amextravel.com.hk or call 3121 3121.