CapitaLand touts Chongqing ‘crown jewel’ – a 300m skybridge

February 27, 2018

Artist_s_impression_of_Raffles_City_Chongqing — Artist impression of Raffles Hotel Chongqing, a 1.1 million-square-metre 'urban district'

In what CapitaLand hails as an engineering and architectural feat, Raffles City Chongqing’s 300m-long “horizontal skyscraper”, perched 400m above sea level, is set to become the world’s highest sky bridge linking the most number of towers when it opens next year.

The 10,000m² accordion-shaped structure, named The Conservatory, will connect a total of six towers – four at its base and two adjacent towers by cantilever bridges – and house an observation deck, sky gardens, an infinity pool and an F&B zone.

Lucas Loh, CEO of CapitaLand China, added: “A highlight is the observation deck, which features an outdoor patio with see-through glass flooring – the tallest of its kind across the whole of west China for the best vantage point to enjoy views of the Yangtze River and Jialing River merging at Chaotianmen.”

Artist impression of Raffles Hotel Chongqing, a 1.1 million-square-metre ‘urban district’

No less brag-worthy, it seems, is the rest of the 1.1 million-square-metre, RMB24 billion (US$3.8 billion) Raffles City Chongqing, an urban district on Chaotianmen riverfront comprising a retail podium and eight skyscrapers for residential, office, serviced residence and hotel use. The complex is designed by starchitect Moshe Safdie.

Raffles City Chongqing is located at the confluence of Yangtze and Jialing rivers in Yuzhong District, next to the traditional Jie Fang Bei CBD. It is also fully integrated with a transport hub comprising a metro station, bus interchange, ferry terminal and cruise centre.

It is designed by starchitect Moshe Safdie, who drew inspiration from the region’s thousand years of waterway transportation culture to create an image of powerful sails upon the river for Raffles City Chongqing to symbolise the host city’s surging growth.

The development is CapitaLand’s eighth Raffles City development in China. The seven others in Beijing, Chengdu, Hangzhou, Ningbo, Shanghai (with two Raffles City developments) and Shenzhen are operational.

The Great Room gets bigger with second co-working location in Singapore

By TTG Asia

February 27, 2018

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The-Great-Room-Centennial-Tower---Drawing-Room — The Drawing Room, a space for mingling and dining

The Great Room, a hospitality-led co-working space, has expanded to its second location in Singapore – the CBD’s Centennial Tower.

Spanning 3,345m² over two floors with a 360-degree wrap-around view of downtown Singapore, The Great Room says the opening is a response to strong demand for its first One George Street location, which launched in 2016.

The Great Room experience begins at The Drawing Room, which serves as a reception area housing the Bar and Café, and an event space for members to gather for evening cocktails and “large-scale fireside chats”.

The Drawing Room, a space for mingling and dining

A more intimate Club Lounge caters specially to The Great Room Business Club members, which The Great Room says provides access to a social and professional network.

The Circle brings to mind a private supper club, where deals are done around the design team’s interpretation of the modern bonfire. “Like-minded tribes” from eight to 80 pax can gather in a variety of meeting spaces – a 14-pax boardroom; Studio, for 16 pax; Parlour, for six pax; or study, also for six – whether for learning, meeting, impressing or entertaining.

Hot desks and hot offices are also available.

Co-founder and CEO, Jaelle Ang, said: “We wanted to create an all-encompassing work and play experience… This opening further cements our purpose to change the way people feel about going to work. Because beyond productivity, work is also about new conversations, connections, inspiration, contemplation and repose. It’s our job to design the perfect backdrop to the highlights of life happening.”

The Great Room will also have a business and cultural programme for members, focusing on growth across professional, personal, wellness, creativity and cultural development.

By end-2018, The Great Room expects to be serving a community of over 700 companies in technology, finance, lifestyle and media, across its seven locations in four cities, namely Bangkok, Hong Kong, Jakarta and Singapore.

Membership at The Great Room is tiered, starting from a basic fee of S$750 (US$569.80) for hot desk and hot office access. Other tiers include Dedicated Office memberships for as many as teams of 40 people; and Business Club memberships.

The Great Room at Centennial Tower opens from 0.900 to 18.00, Mondays to Fridays.

Le Méridien plans Australia debut in Melbourne

By TTG Asia

February 27, 2018

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le-meridien-noumea — The Melbourne property will join the current four Le Méridien hotels in the Pacific

Marriott International has signed its first Le Méridien in Australia, with the brand scheduled to launch in Melbourne come 2020.

Converted from a low-rise building, the 12-storey, 235-room Le Méridien Melbourne will feature facilities such as a 210m² function space, three breakout rooms, a heated swimming pool and fitness centre.

The Melbourne property will join the current four Le Méridien hotels in the Pacific; Le Méridien Nouméa pictured

The traditional lobby space will be reimagined into the brand’s signature Le Méridien Hub, which evolves from a coffee house by day to a cocktail bar by night. Other F&B concepts include the 70-seat M Salon bar; the 50-seat Latitude Bar, which will offer light bites and illy coffee; and Cuisines, a 90-seat all day dining restaurant.

The hotel sits amid art galleries, boutiques and bistros, with the city’s cultural centre close by. It fronts the Bourke/Spring Street tram stop and is located a stone’s throw from Victoria’s Parliament Square.

Commenting on the brand’s launch in Australia, Richard Crawford, senior director development, Australia, New Zealand and Pacific, Marriott International, said: “It comes at a perfect time. Alongside Melbourne’s growing demand from domestic travellers, new international direct routes from the US, Asia-Pacific and South America are driving continued growth in international visitation.”

Upon opening, Le Méridien Melbourne will join Marriott International’s growing portfolio in the Pacific, with 29 hotels in operation, including four existing Le Méridien hotels: Le Méridien Tahiti, Le Méridien Bora Bora, Le Méridien Isle of Pines and Le Méridien Nouméa.

The signing comes as part of Marriott International’s plan to open 50 hotels in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific by the end of 2021.

Sabre gets a new director for South Asia

By TTG Asia

February 27, 2018

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Sabre Corporation has appointed Sandeep Shastri as regional director, South Asia, within its Travel Network team in Asia-Pacific.

In this role, Sandeep will lead Sabre’s Travel Network business in South Asia and be responsible for its sales performance, customer engagement and overall growth across the region.

Sandeep brings with him over 15 years of career experience in the travel and financial services sectors, including with American Express, Standard Chartered and Egencia, where he held the position of managing director, responsible for the development and implementation of strategies for operational transformation.

More recently from 2016 to 2018, Sandeep was senior national agency manager – key partnerships with Qantas Airways, based out of its headquarters in Mascot, Sydney, where he led the OTA strategy for the group.

“Sabre Travel Network has a strong track record and an impressive customer footprint in Asia-Pacific, and we see significant opportunity to broaden our customer base by introducing our solutions to more agencies across the South Asian market,” said Todd Arthur, vice president of Sabre Travel Network, Asia Pacific.

Singapore’s One°15 marina club sails to Phuket with multimillion-dollar deal

By TTG Asia

February 26, 2018

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onedeg15-phuket — The integrated club concept will be a berthing spot for yachts complete with a range of club facilities

The One°15 brand, best known for its upscale yacht club in Singapore, will soon make its way to Phuket, as the brand’s owner SUTL Enterprise enters into a conditional sale and purchase agreement with Thailand’s Makham Bay Marina (MBM) for S$5.6 million (US$4.2 million).

MBM has construction permits and development rights for a proposed marina to be located at Phuket’s Makham Bay, for which it holds the land side and accompanying water area body for a 30-year leasehold period.

The integrated club concept will be a berthing spot for yachts, complete with a range of club facilities

As part of the agreement, SUTL will be involved in the design, construction, development, operation, and maintenance of the integrated marina club and its facilities.

The integrated marina club is positioned as a nautical lifestyle resort equipped with yacht chartering for nautical sports and recreation programmes, a spa and wellness area and hotel room facilities to cater to both members and the general public.

The project, which will bear the One°15 brand, will have a total land area of approximately 38,400m², and feature a 171-berth marina, which can accommodate super-yachts up to 200 feet and 25 hard-stand spaces with 80 dry-stack storage.

The hospitality component will include 66 hotel rooms including four three-bedroom villas, a spa, a gym, a lifestyle pool, meeting rooms, banquet hall and multiple F&B outlets. Other facilities such as boat brokers’ offices, dive operators, yacht charter companies, retail shops and other nautical lifestyle related outlets are also part of the development.

SUTL Enterprise executive director and CEO, Arthur Tay, said after looking for a location in Thailand for a long time, Phuket has proven ideal, being adjacent to the only deep seaport in Phuket. Moreover, being naturally sheltered, it will offer 24-hour access to yachts with no tidal restrictions.

Tay added: “Phuket’s marine industry has grown rapidly in the past decade such that the existing marinas are struggling to cope with the demand. The Thai government recognises this burgeoning tourism sector and is keen to develop and promote Phuket as a premium yachting destination by encouraging more investment in infrastructure to support this industry.”

One°15 Marina Sentosa Cove, Singapore was the first marina built by SUTL. The Phuket project will be the seventh to bear the One°15 brand, adding to locations including Brooklyn, Jakarta, Guishan (Zhuhai), Taihu Lake (Suzhou) and Puteri Harbour (Johor Bahru).

Malaysia lays out Middle East charm offensive to tackle visitor decline

By S Puvaneswary

February 26, 2018

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kuala-lumpur5 — Funds set aside for infrastructure development, SME loans, medical tourism promotion give trade many reasons to cheer

After seeing a double-digit decline in visitor arrivals from its high-spending source markets of Saudi Arabia and the UAE, Malaysia will this year ramp up promotions to reestablish its presence in the Middle East.

Arrivals from Saudi Arabia had declined 16.6 per cent to 92,789 tourists for the first 10 months of 2017, whereas arrivals from the UAE were down 38.9 per cent to 7,255.

Tourism Malaysia’s reduced promotional budgets in 2016 and 2017, which resulted in a weaker presence in the UAE compared to competing destinations such as Thailand and Indonesia, was part of the reason for the decline, said a source from the NTO.

Malaysia concerned about the decline of some of its top spending source markets

The source added: “There is also increased competition from other countries to attract Middle Eastern travellers. Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan have become hot destinations for Middle Eastern travellers due to affordable airfares offered by LCCs and short flight time of between three to four hours.

“Also, the decline in tourist arrivals from Saudi Arabia was partly due to the austerity measures taken by the Saudi Arabian government to save money after tumbling oil prices. This included cutting minister’ salaries by 20 per cent and scaling back perks for public sector employees from September 2016 until March 2017. The uncertainty in the economy led some travellers to hold back on their longhaul holiday plans.”

The Ministry of Tourism and Culture Malaysia and its promotional arm, Tourism Malaysia, are understandably concerned as Middle Eastern travellers are the top spenders in Malaysia and spend between seven to 10 nights, depending on their country of origin.

A tourist from Kuwait spends an average of RM1,185 (US$303) per day, while UAE tourists spend RM1,046 per day and Saudis RM943.

In comparison, Singaporeans, who make up close to half of total arrivals to Malaysia, spend an average of RM720 per day with an average length of stay of four nights.

From this year, Tourism Malaysia is ramping up international promotions to all major markets, including the GCC countries in a lead up to Visit Malaysia Year 2020. It will, for example, promote the campaign at the Arabian Travel Mart this year.

At the same time, Tourism Malaysia will work with various partners including airlines and travel agents in the UAE on targeted marketing campaigns, which will use traditional media as well as social media such as Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat.

“We also maintain constant engagement with frontliners by updating them with new products and destinations such as Ipoh and Desaru Coast to attract repeat visitors and avoid product fatigue,” said the Tourism Malaysia source.

In Saudi Arabia, Tourism Malaysia will participate in major tourism fairs such as Jeddah International Travel and Tourism Exhibition (February 28 to March 2) and Riyadh Travel Fair (April 10 to 13), and emphasise more on e-marketing and social media to target millennials and independent travellers.

Malaysia’s mid-year mega sales period has been specially timed to coincide with the summer holidays, which is also the peak arrival period of Middle Eastern travellers to Malaysia. Known as Carnival Mega Sale, it will run from June 15 to August 31 as part of the government’s efforts to promote Malaysia as a shopping paradise to the Middle Eastern traveller.

Your face could soon be your passport at Sydney Airport

By TTG Asia

February 26, 2018

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facial-recognition2 — Trial will begin with Qantas passengers flying in and out of Sydney Airport's international terminal

Passengers travelling out of Sydney Airport’s international terminal may soon go passport-free as the country’s biggest airport begins its biometric trial in May, The Sydney Morning Herald reports.

“Your face will be your passport and boarding pass. There will be no fumbling for passports,” Sydney Airport’s new chief executive, Geoff Culbert, was reported as saying.

Trial will begin with Qantas passengers flying in and out of Sydney Airport’s international terminal

Biometric processing is expected to revolutionise the check-in process, allowing passengers to use their face instead of their passports.

By this year-end, Qantas passengers wanting to be part of the trial will be able to use their face to pass through the six steps of check in, bag drop, border processing, security screening, airport lounge and boarding gate after showing their passport only once for verification.

If successful, the trial will be extended to other airlines.

Passengers who wish to be part of the trial will need to register with the Australian Border Force once the testing begins in May. No details have been announced about exactly what information, such as photographs that passengers will need to provide.

Hong Kong Disneyland sinks deeper into the red

By TTG Asia

February 26, 2018

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Hong Kong Disneyland’s (HKDL) loss-making streak continues after it netted a loss of HK$345 million (US$44.1 million) in FY2017, double that of FY2016.

The park attributes the loss to rising costs associated with the launch of Iron Man Experience and Disney Explorers Lodge, as well as depreciation associated with the park expansion project.

International visitor numbers hit record high of 1.6 million

There were some positive numbers for HKDL despite the deficit. For the fiscal year that ended on September 30, 2017, the park generated revenues of HK$5.1 billion, representing an eight per cent increase from the prior year. EBITDA were up 28 per cent, reaching HK$914 million.

HKDL says a contributing factor is the record high per capita spending – marking eight consecutive years of spending growth – driven by the launch of new attractions and entertainment offerings, including the new Iron Man Experience, Disney Parks’ first Marvel-themed ride, and Disney Explorers Lodge, the resort’s third hotel.

The park further attributes revenue gains to an increase in room nights sold at the resort hotels, cost management efforts and sales and marketing strategies.

At the resort hotels, room nights sold increased by 16 per cent. Given the additional inventory created by Disney Explorers Lodge however, occupancy was down to 70 per cent from approximately 80 per cent over the last two years.

The park also saw a record number of international visitors last fiscal year, after international attendance increased five per cent to reach approximately 1.6 million.

Overall, HKDL welcomed 6.2 million guests, up three per cent from the prior year.

The growth trend continued into 1Q2018 with a double-digit increase in guests, which the park attributed to limited-time offerings during the quarter including Halloween and Christmas events.

With a slew of attractions and events scheduled for the year, HKDL expects to see continued growth in attendance.

Following Chinese New Year and its inaugural night market, the park will debut the ‘We Love Mickey!’ Main Street Projection show in mid-March, and the Karibuni Marketplace at Adventureland on March 30. The bazaar will feature textiles and crafts, games, food and Disney characters including Moana, Nick and Judy from Zootopia, Jasmine, Pocahontas and Marvel’s Black Panther.

And in May, a new entertainment venue in Adventureland will open with a stage show titled Moana: A Homecoming Celebration, marking the first completed project under the latest phase of expansion. The park will also launch a new Disney‧Pixar-themed Water Play Street Party! along Main Street, U.S.A. where characters from Disney‧Pixar productions such as The Incredibles and Toy Story will join more than 30 performers for the summer celebration.

Swiss-Belhotel to add more Zest to Indonesia

By TTG Asia

February 26, 2018

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Swiss-Belhotel International is embarking on an expansion of its budget brand, Zest Hotels, with plans to triple its portfolio of properties in Indonesia within three years.

At present, seven Zest Hotels are operating in the country, located in Jakarta, Surabaya, Yogyakarta, Bandung, Batam, Bogor and Bali.

Zest planning hotels in Ambon, Solo, Timika, Manado and Jailolo

The expansion will see the addition of at least seven new hotels, which have already been signed, adding 768 rooms to nearly double the brand’s total nationwide inventory.

Zest Hotels is also targeting approximately six additional signings, potentially taking the brand’s total portfolio size to 20 hotels by 2020. This will include properties in popular destinations like Jakarta and Bali and emerging regions like Sulawesi, Kalimantan, Sumatera and North Maluku.

In line with the government’s efforts to spread tourism benefits to more parts of the country, Zest Hotel’s development drive will see more hotels added in key cities like Jakarta, while also reaching towns and cities including Ambon, Solo, Timika, Manado and Jailolo.

“We see strong potential for the expansion of Zest Hotels across Indonesia,” commented Emmanuel Guillard, CEO of Zest Hotel International and Swiss-Belhotel International’s senior vice president of operations & development for Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam, citing “Indonesia’s large and youthful population, the rapid growth of second and third tier cities, and enhanced low-cost air connectivity”.

Zest Hotels all feature an array of guest-friendly offerings, such as 24-hour room use, Wi-Fi connectivity and other 24-7 services.

The expansion is also being driven by healthy operating performance. Total revenues surged 18.8 per cent in 2017, compared to the previous year, and the group’s operating profit jumped 21.3 per cent, according to a statement from the group.

Kkday bags US$10.5mn in Series B funding led by H.I.S

By TTG Asia

February 26, 2018

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Taiwanese travel e-commerce platform KKday has raised a US$10.5 million Series B funding round led by Japanese travel giant H.I.S.

The funds will go towards growing KKday’s Asian operations, reaching into US and European consumer markets, as well as enhancing product offerings and customer experience.

Commenting on the deal, founder and CEO of KKday, Ming Ming Chen, said: “In the market of travel experience platform globally, there are no giants yet like Expedia and Agoda for hotel reservation platforms. KKday decided to partner with Japan’s travel giant H.I.S. to strengthen its market positioning as the leading company in the market of travel experiences platform in Asia.”

Existing KKday investor, MindWorks Ventures, also participated in this funding round.

CapitaLand touts Chongqing ‘crown jewel’ – a 300m skybridge

The Great Room gets bigger with second co-working location in Singapore

Le Méridien plans Australia debut in Melbourne

Sabre gets a new director for South Asia

Singapore’s One°15 marina club sails to Phuket with multimillion-dollar deal

Malaysia lays out Middle East charm offensive to tackle visitor decline

Your face could soon be your passport at Sydney Airport

Hong Kong Disneyland sinks deeper into the red

Swiss-Belhotel to add more Zest to Indonesia

Kkday bags US$10.5mn in Series B funding led by H.I.S

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