Credit: Castlewood Group

SINGAPOREAN commercial real estate developer, Castlewood Group, has unveiled their flagship luxury hotel development in Phuket, named the Dream Phuket Hotel & Spa.

This is the first project cementing the recently established strategic collaboration with Debut Hotel Group for the development and operation of the upscale lifestyle brand Dream Hotels and its expansion into Asia.

Located on Phuket’s northern peninsula of Bang Tao Beach, the hotel will open on November 15, 2015 and offer 174 guestrooms, suites and villas.

The hotel focuses on reducing its eco-footprint with environmentally-friendly features such as greywater collection and filtration processes on the roof that reuses rainwater for irrigation, energy efficient LED lights that reduce electricity consumption, passive ventilation designs to encourage natural airflow, and overhanging balconies and “green” walls that provide natural shade.

Hotel amenities include the swim-up Pool Bar with private cabanas and sun beds; Indulge, a lounge featuring over 200 types of wine, tapas and a selection of cigars; the Sanctuary spa; and Dream Beach, a beach club located five minutes away from Layan Beach.

One of the main highlights of the new hotel is the introduction of Trilogy, their signature restaurant, which will offer food prepared by Michelin-star chefs.

“Dream Hotels and the Debut Hotel Group are both innovative brands that share Castlewood Group’s vision of delivering world-class hotels and experiences. We are confident that our first development launched with Dream will pave (the way) for a strong growth story for both parties, as well as rewarding returns for our buy-to-lease investors,” said Chris Comer, CEO of Castlewood Group.

The group also plans to develop up to 20 more new hotels in Asia over the next 10 years.

Concorde Bar. Credit: British Airways

BRITISH Airways is providing an exclusive offer for its Club World business class customers from Singapore to celebrate the opening of its new lounge at Changi Airport.

Customers from Singapore who purchase Club World business class tickets will receive a one-way free upgrade to First and a S$120 (US$85.50) F&B credit. Those who choose to stay at the Shangri-La Hotel, The Shard, London also gets a free one-way airport transfer.

The offer is available for booking until October 20, 2015, valid for flights from Singapore until March 31, 2016. The one-way free upgrade is available on one leg of the flights operated between Singapore and London with fares starting from S$8,184, including taxes.

The special offer entitles customers to premium perks, such as entry to the new British Airways lounge and Concorde Bar at Changi Airport. Meanwhile, the main lounge area offers space to work, relax or dine.

Access to the new lounge is limited to British Airways’ First and Club World business class customers, British Airways Executive Gold and Silver members, and oneworld frequent flyers with Emerald and Sapphire status. The Concorde Bar is only for British Airways’ First customers and eligible guests.

Credit: Wyndham Hotels and Resorts

INDONESIA is set to welcome its first Wyndham Hotels and Resorts property when Wyndham Resort Tamansari Jivva opens its doors in January 2016.

Designed by award-winning Indonesian architect Gregorius Supie, the US$22 million resort will comprise eight villas and 214 apartments set on 1.4ha of beachfront land. It will be sited at Bali’s Lepang Beach, minutes from popular surf break Keramas.

The resort will feature an open lobby surrounded by a pool; a second, separate oceanfront pool; a beach bar, an all-day dining restaurant; conference facilities; and a gym.

“As we continue to strategically grow Wyndham Hotel Group across the Asia-Pacific region, we seek out the most desirable locations where we know our brands and and our owners will be successful,” said Barry Robinson, president and managing director of South-east Asia and Pacific Rim, Wyndham Hotel Group.

The group currently has four properties opened and operating in Indonesia under its Ramada brand flag.

Immigration at Soekarno Hatta International Airport. Credit: 123rf

THE Indonesian government has granted 45 new countries visa-free access with immediate effect, resulting in a total of 90 countries now requiring no visas when entering Indonesia.

With this latest round of additions, countries such as Taiwan, India and France are now included in the list. The government has also increased the number of immigration check points which can provide the visa-free facility. While entry points remain at the same five airports and nine seaports, the exit points now include 19 airports and 29 seaports.

Additionally, a new regulation on yacht and cruise ships was introduced. Arief Yahya, Indonesia’s minister of tourism, said: “The new regulation lifts the cabotage rights for international cruises and yachts. Now, international cruise liners are allowed to lift and disembark passengers in five Indonesian seaports.”

These seaports are Tanjung Priok Jakarta, Tanjung Perak Surabaya, Belawan Medan, Soekarno-Hatta Makassar and Benoa Bali. Formerly, only Indonesian-flagged ships had the rights to lift and disembark passengers in Indonesian waters.

“The regulation also makes it easier for foreign yacht owners to obtain permits in 18 seaports around the country. We expect this will boost yacht arrivals to Indonesia to reach 6,000 yachts by 2019 and contributing US$600 million in earnings,” added Yahya.

Phuket, Thailand. Credit: 123rf

HOTELS in Phuket are taking precautionary measures as the smoke haze, which has plagued the South-east Asian nations of Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia for more than a month now, creeps over Southern Thailand.

Thailand’s government had earlier declared the air quality in Phuket and in the Southern areas as “unhealthy”, and urges the sick, elderly and children to stay indoors.

Hotels in Phuket are now facing issues with cancelled or redirected flights due to visibility problems. “At the moment, very few guests at AccorHotels have highlighted or shared negative feedback about the haze. The largest impact on our guests has been in the form of flight delays,” said Ianic Menard, vice president of sales, marketing & distribution at AccorHotels, Upper South-east Asia.

“Domestic flights are either diverted back to Bangkok or are hovering above Phuket for up to an hour before being able to land. Fortunately, while it has been a disruption, it has not really had an impact on occupancy in our case,” said Robin Lee, general manager of Wyndham Sea Pearl Resort Phuket.

Other hotels have responded by providing face masks while keeping abreast of developments. “Luckily, we are positioned far from the main haze area, however, we did provide masks for our hotel guests and staff just in case,” Sebastian Tronchet, general manager at Grand Mercure Phuket Patong told TTG Asia e-Daily.

Lee added: “We are continually keeping guests informed, monitoring if the haze reaches a critical level, and warning those with respiratory disorders, cold, flu or heart conditions to remain inside and drink lots of water.”

Credit: 123rf

THE Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and the Workforce Development Agency (WDA) have launched a Sectoral Manpower Plan (SMP) to improve the skills and productivity of the hotel industry.

With the number of rooms predicted to increase more than 20 per cent by 2020, the hotel industry is expected to face increasing challenges like slower workforce growth and mismatched aspirations between job seekers and hospitality jobs.

The SMP – the first to be launched under SkillsFuture – aims to better attract and retain Singaporeans for the industry, groom talent for leadership roles, improve job quality and identify emerging skills needed.

Lionel Yeo, chief executive, STB, said: “As part of STB’s ongoing journey towards quality tourism, we are ramping up our efforts in working with the tourism industry to raise capabilities so as to better deliver a differentiated experience to Singapore’s visitors.

“In this regard, the hotel SMP is a critical blueprint to attract and retain Singapore talent, as well as develop a skilled workforce to support the industry’s growth,” he said.

The plan comprises five key initiatives to help employers manage a tightening labour market: Enhanced internships; SkillsFuture Earn and Learn Programme; SkillsFuture Leadership Development Initiative; SkillsFuture Study Awards; and measures to galvanise interest in hotel careers.

WDA’s chief executive, Ng Cher Pong, said: “With the hotel SMP, we have mapped out the exciting career progression pathways for individuals who are keen to enter the hotel industry.

“The SMP identifies emerging skills required in this industry and outlines how individuals will be supported in their quest to acquire deep skills…we believe that it will help to transform the hotel industry and enable it to be future-ready,” Ng added.

Credit: Carnival Corporation

CARNIVAL Corporation has revealed that its new cruise ship, Majestic Princess, will be homeported in Shanghai year-round beginning summer 2017.

Sister ship to Royal Princess and Regal Princess, Majestic Princess will become the first vessel built specifically for Chinese guests. The ship will also carry its Chinese name, 盛世公主号, on its hull.

“Royal Princess and Regal Princess were named after previous iconic vessels whileMajestic Princess will carry a name that was chosen by our global employees,” said Jan Swartz, president of Princess Cruises.

The 143,000-tonne ship is currently being built at the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy. When completed, she will carry 3,560 guests for cruises to Japan and South Korea. Onboard features are similar to her sister ships, with a multi-storey atrium serving as the social hub of the ship.

The over-the-ocean SeaWalk, Princess Live! interactive studio and Chef’s Table Lumiere, a private dining experience that surrounds guests in a curtain of light, will be available.

Dining options are plentiful with cuisine from Italy, France, North and South America, South-east Asia, Japan and China available onboard.

The ship will also offer Princess’ signature Movies Under the Stars, with the largest outdoor screen at sea, and the Princess Water Colour Fantasy Fountain and light show.

Accommodation will be configured to appeal to families and multi-generational travellers while all outside staterooms will have private balconies.