Fireworks light up the sky above the Enchanted Storybook Castle
Disney celebrated the grand opening of Shanghai Disney Resort earlier this week on June 15, marking the first Disney-branded resort to be planted in mainland China.
Photo of the Day: Shanghai Disneyland open for business
Metasearchers need to go beyond affordable fares: Kayak
EVEN as metasearch engines continue to pride themselves in helping travellers trawl through massive amounts of data for low-cost fares, prevailing travel habits are prompting them to look at differentiating themselves beyond mere prices.
Speaking to TTG Asia e-Daily on the sidelines of a panel discussion yesterday, Imbert Fung, director Southeast Asia of Kayak, said: “Ultimately for the travel industry (and its various product segments) including hotels, car rental or flight products, there will (eventually be a greater focus on) differentiation rather than price.
“There will definitely be players, especially luxury players, who want to put in additional attributes that they know people will be willing to pay for.”
Elaborating, Fung said: “Passengers have so many choices with flights these days and price is important but maybe ultimately they want a comfortable flight with Wi-Fi on board and maybe there can be a simple filter we can provide (for that).
“Or it could be a filter for economy flights that provide USB ports,” he added.
While the effectiveness of such filtering functions depends on whether suppliers put them in the API feed, Fung is optimistic that such a service will come on board soon enough.
Fung highlighted how Kayak has in the meantime offered the first-ever Holiday Travel Hacker last year, which provided information on how and where to spend the holidays along with travel tips and median airfare.
He said: “Our customers will continue to be loyal as long as our products are relevant.”
TAT partners with Baidu to attract China’s well-heeled
(From left) Zhang Shaoyu, general manager of Baidu Global Map; Chen Jiang, culture counselor, the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Thailand; Hu Yong, general manager, global business unit of Baidu; Yuthasak Supasorn, TAT governor; Srisuda Wanapinyosak, TAT deputy governor for international marketing, Asia and South Pacific; Visanu Jaroensilp, TAT deputy governor for tourism products and business
THE Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and Baidu have signed a MoU to work towards attracting more high-end Chinese travellers to Thailand.
Yuthasak Supasorn, TAT governor, said: “TAT aims to restructure the market by (targeting) high-end tourists from various cities of China like Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chongqing and Chengdu. This cooperation will allow TAT to reach this target group directly and rapidly.”
Areas of collaboration discussed include the exchange of information on traveller trends and characteristics as well as public relations initiatives for 17,000 places of interest.
TAT and Baidu also plan to work together on a project in Thailand in July, aimed at highlighting locations related to love and romance, such as love-confession spots, honeymoon places and wedding destinations.
Smart Guide, an audio guide for use at major tourist attractions, is also being developed. So far, Baidu has tested the guide at Temple of the Emerald Buddha in Bangkok and The Sanctuary of Truth in Pattaya City, which are attractions popular among Chinese tourists.
In addition, Baidu will be unveilling the new Baidu Map, a modern mapping service technology that will assist Chinese tourists in locating attractions, restaurants, products and services when travelling abroad, with an emphasis on Thailand.
In August 2016, the Women’s Journey project will also be deployed on Baidu Map, displaying information on privileges that female tourists can enjoy at participating shops and businesses.
Training hotel opens in Xiamen University
Students from Xiamen University welcome officiating guests to the ceremony
A NEW hotel dedicated to training hospitality students at a tertiary level has been unveiled yesterday at Xiamen University in China.
The property, established with a donation made by Genting Hong Kong, is named Lim Goh Tong Building, in honour of Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong, the late founder of Genting Group.
The three-storey building, located at the south entrance of the university, is now also the academic and research centre of Xiamen University’s School of Management’s Tourism and Hotel Management Department.
It houses approximately 82 demonstration hotel rooms offering students hands-on experience and training in a real-world setting.
“Through the establishment of China’s first teaching hotel in a top level tertiary educational institution, we hope to support Xiamen University in cultivating the next generation of tourism professionals and talent to further contribute to the development of this industry sector in China and in the region,” said Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay, chairman of Genting Hong Kong, who attended the opening ceremony of the building.
Also commenting at the ceremony, Zhang Yan, secretary of party committee, Xiamen University, said: “The Lim Goh Tong Building is of great significance to Xiamen University because this marks the establishment of our very own academic and research centre for the Tourism and Hotel Management Department.
“It is our vision for Xiamen University’s School of Management to learn from Genting’s great experience and long history in hotel management and turn this facility into a platform to nurture a new wave of tourism students to better serve the community and to contribute to China’s economy.”
Nok Air needs internal ‘shake-up’ to keep flying high
NOK Air is in desperate need of an internal shake-up if it is to keep its remaining credibility with passengers and travel agents, a leading analyst has warned.
Endau Analytics aviation analyst Shukor Yusof said while the airline had attempted damage control and rebranding after the pilot strike and mass cancellations earlier this year, “the damage has been done”.
“In my view they took a while to realise the gravity of the situation and the problems,” Yusof said.
“It’s an airline under the aegis of Thai Airways – the flag carrier – so it retains some form of credibility. But only just.
“Nok needs a real shake-up internally. Unless that happens it will continue to struggle to face the competition judging from its recent US$10 million losses.”
The airline was hit with another public relations headache this week as a co-pilot joked on social media about crashing a plane carrying former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand is seeking clarification after the Nok Air co-pilot described passengers as “victims” and wrote “do a CFIT”, or controlled flight into terrain, in a Line group chat.
Nok Air also last week changed its slogan from “We Fly Smiles” to “Smiling Across Asia” as it moved to capitalise on joining the Value Alliance.
CEO Patee Sarasin said the slogan reflected the airline’s efforts to raise its profile from a national to a regional level. However, Nok Air did not respond to questions about steps it had taken to avoid a repeat of the mass cancellations seen in February and March.
Yusof said Nok Air was hoping to piggyback on stronger partners through the Value Alliance, but it had always played second fiddle to Thai AirAsia.
Asked if the new slogan would help, Yusof said: “No, but a new CEO might.”
Uber booking now on Hotels.com mobile app
USERS of Hotels.com can now hitch an Uber ride directly via the OTA’s mobile app.
Customers who book a room through Hotels.com will see an Uber button appear in the app on the day their hotel stay begins, both on the homepage and in the reservation section. Tapping on the button then automatically populates the user’s current location and hotel address into Uber’s application for an expedited booking process.
The service is currently only available on Android platforms and in 30 languages.
Dan Craig, senior director mobile for Hotels.com, said: “At Hotels.com we pride ourselves on being at the forefront of mobile technology developments in the travel industry, so being one of the first OTAs to offer this Uber service is fantastic news.”
He added that more features are being planned for their mobile app, which currently has more than 50 million downloads.
Integration of the apps is being powered by Button, a mobile commerce solutions provider based in New York.
Yotel confident of fast Asia expansion with first opening in Singapore
Daly: Yotel Singapore will showcase to Asia the Yotel concept
YOTEL, pioneer of sleek, digital-driven ‘cabin’ accommodation, is confident of expanding rapidly in Asia following the opening of the first Yotel in the region in Singapore early next year.
The 610-cabin Yotel Singapore, located on Orchard Road next to the Thai Embassy, is looking to charge a rate of S$200 (US$148) to S$240, according to its newly-appointed general manager, Brendan Daly.
The Yotel concept is new to most Asian customers. Currently, there are only four properties in operation, the flagship Yotel New York and three Yotel Air at London Heathrow and Gatwick and Amsterdam Schipol. The company’s CEO, Hubert Viriot, unveiled this new brand architecture to TTG Asia e-Daily, saying going forward, the brand Yotel will comprise city hotels while Yotel Air will be airport hotels. A third brand, to be announced, will cover serviced apartments.
Viriot and Daly are going all out to ensure Yotel Singapore will showcase Yotel as the best-in-class provider of affordable luxury accommodation. Said Daly: “As it is the first Asian property, it has to showcase the Yotel concept, which is about giving people the experience they want.
Affordable hotels have been around but other brands tend to dumb down. Our room may be 14m2, but we make it count and our R&D is on guest comfort for the 21st century traveller – mattress, monsoon rain shower, no long queues, high technology, etc. It appeals to the digital-driven, smart traveller of any age, both leisure and corporate clients.”
The first hotel will set the tone for the brand in Asia and open the eyes of Asian consumers to the brand, added Viriot, who is confident it will be the catalyst for more Yotels in the region once consumers and the investment community see and experience it.
Viriot said the company was eyeing 50 hotels by 2020 and “not less than a quarter of this will be in Asia”.
Currently, Yotel has a pipeline of 12 hotels, two of which are Yotel Air (one at Paris Charles de Gaulle opening next month and the other at Changi Airport to open in 2018). Of the 10 Yotels, four have just been signed – in Dubai, Riyadh, Geneva and London – and the other six are being developed in Boston, San Francisco, Williamsburg Brooklyn, all opening in 2017; Miami (2018), Yotel Singapore and Yotel Dubai opening in 2018, which will also be its first serviced apartment product.
Oasia Hotel Downtown, Singapore
The two-month old hotel in Singapore’s Tanjong Pagar is a tropical building juxtaposed with an urban landscape of concrete and steel. Rachel AJ Lee is impressed with the sedate spaces and the welcome respite it affords
Location
Situated just a three-minute walk from Tanjong Pagar MRT, this 27-storey property is one of WOHA’s – a local award-winning architecture practice – latest creations. The red, orange and pink aluminium-mesh building in downtown Singapore sticks out like a sore thumb, but in an eye-catching way.
Interspersed on its façade are 21 species of creepers, along with other flowering plants. Over time, WOHA has envisioned the creepers will cover a good part of the façade, where the look will mimic nature with bright flowers set against a backdrop of green leaves.
While this is the second hotel under the Oasia brand to open in Singapore, Oasia Hotel Downtown is styled differently from its sister hotel, Oasia Hotel Novena. Gone are the cookie-cutter lobbies and run-of-the-mill rooms, as Far East Hospitality has taken to hiring renowned designers to style its spaces.
Rooms
The hotel has 314 rooms in three categories – 140 Superior Rooms, 84 Deluxe Rooms, and 88 Club Rooms – all with a maximum occupancy of two. Room interiors, conceived by Spanish architect and designer Patricia Urquiola, feature a fair bit of natural wood and Moorish-inspired motifs.
Club Room
I stayed in the 28m2 Club Room which came with a comfortable king-sized bed, 55-inch LED Smart TV, Nespresso machine and other standard amenities, while the ensuite featured a rainshower and half-sized bathtub. The minibar can be stocked upon request, but for club guests, complimentary wellness drinks like coconut water are provided.
Club Rooms are located on the 22nd to 25th storeys, and the unobstructed floor-to-ceiling view of northern Singapore’s skyline took my breath away when I first stepped foot into the room.
An InFocus smartphone (with 3G connectivity and free calls to selected countries) was also provided, but upon testing, I found the unit to be slow and unresponsive. I preferred using the speedy Wi-Fi instead.
Facilities
The reception on level 12 is airy and green thanks to a courtyard lawn, where cushioned armchairs and plush sofas, shielded by pergolas, dot the area. Regular guests check in here.
Meanwhile, club guests get to check in at their own lobby on level 21. Also on the same level is the club-access only infinity pool and Club Lounge, which offers snacks and non-alcoholic drinks all-day, and cocktails and canapés between 18.00 and 20.00.
I spent a good part of my afternoon lounging in one of the cabanas, surrounded by lush trees and flowering plants. It was a tranquil respite, peaceful and pleasant. For that moment in time, it felt like I was in an exclusive resort in another country.
Level 21, exclusive club floor
There were two other pools, mirror images of each other, on level 27, the hotel’s rooftop. Open to all guests, the common space on the roof is gaily decorated with a mix of colourful armchairs and whimsical hanging cocoons – I wish I had one in my home – from Patricia Urquiola’s Tropicalia collection.
For meetings and events, there are two retreat rooms on level 12, and a Skyline Pavilion on level 21 for hire.
While there is a 24-hour gym on level 12, the hotel noticeably does not have a spa. However, there’s a space on the rooftop that has yet to be utilised, and upon enquiry, the Oasia Hotel Downtown’s general manager James Coleman said that a spa or restaurant might take up residence there in the future.
F&B
Located in the lobby is the spy-themed Cin-Cin Bar and The Marmalade Pantry restaurant, which provides the hotel’s complimentary breakfasts. The restaurant also serves lunch and dinner.
For foodies, the hotel is well-positioned in the Tanjong Pagar area which has no shortage of eateries. Popular cafes and restaurants like Ninjabowl, Cake Spade, Teppei Japanese Restaurant, Two Men Bagel House and Tendon Ginza Itsuki are merely a short stroll away.
Service
The staff I interacted with were affable, warm and hospitable. One particular lady, Ifa, stood out. She checked me in swiftly and courteously greeted me by name whenever we crossed paths. But what impressed me most was that she was also barista-trained, and she made me a cup of flat white (complete with latte art) in the Club Lounge.
Verdict
An oasis of calm, the weekend stay recharged, refuelled and refreshed my body and mind completely.
No. of rooms 314
Rates From S$330 (US$243)
Contact details
Tel (65) 6812 6900 / (65) 6881 8888
Email info.ohd@fareast.com.sg
TCEB intensifies courtship of mega-size events
THE Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) has unveiled its strategic direction for 2016, highlighting key strategies to attract more large-scale meetings and incentives (M&I) by allocating a sales promotion budget under the Thailand Big Thanks! campaign
Nooch Homrossukhon, director of meetings and incentives, TCEB, said: “The emergence of mega-size M&I has been our new target over the past three years. We have put in place strategic plans, from raising awareness of Thailand as a premiere destination for M&I travel in Asia, to increasing marketing development activities through products and services promotions, and VIP receptions to event logistics and facilitation.”
The Thailand Big Thanks! campaign was created to help drive the M&I travel sector through a financial subsidy scheme of up to two million baht (US$257,740) for eligible events with more than 2,000 international delegates staying at least three nights in Thailand. The package started on October 1, 2015 and will run through to September 30, 2017, but travel must take place between October 1, 2015 until December 31, 2017.
Nopparat Maythaveekulchai, TCEB president, said: “With high spending power, every mega-size event can help inject healthy MICE revenue into our economy.”
While China is a major contributor, other key source markets for Thailand’s M&I drive include other Asian countries. Secondary markets include the US, Europe and Oceania.
“We believe that the effectiveness of the mega-size strategy for M&I sector, along with support for (other mega events), will play a vital role driving the Thai MICE industry to achieve this year’s target of 1,060,000 MICE travellers, and help to generate 92,000 million baht in MICE revenue for our economy,” Nopparat concluded.
In 2015, Thailand welcomed a total of 1,095,995 MICE travellers from around the world, generating 95,857 million baht in MICE revenue. Of these, 516,663 travellers and 44,533 million baht were from the M&I sector.
Sea World expands MICE offering with new Plaza
SEA WORLD on Australia’s Gold Coast is gearing up for the launch of its new Plaza venue this August, just over a year on from the opening its Conference Centre.
Located in the heart of the theme park, adjacent to a number of rides and animals exhibits, the Plaza will be an al fresco venue with shelter, good for 800 delegates.
Speaking to TTGmice e-Weekly, Village Roadshow Theme Parks’ sales manager – conferences and events, Caroline Duveau-Clayton, said the Plaza had been designed to attract larger events looking for a unique venue.
“The Sea World Plaza venue can be themed to any formal or casual occasion, which will leave delegates with a lasting impression,” she said.
Duveau-Clayton also added that the Conference Centre, which celebrates its first birthday this month, has exceeded expectations and continues to grow.
“Being able to do business on a much larger scale has had a positive impact in all areas of our business including special events at our sister properties.”
