The Osaka Station Hotel, Autograph Collection, Japan
The Osaka Station Hotel, Autograph Collection in Osaka features 418 rooms and is located in JP Tower Osaka, with each room arranged in an L-shape along the perimeter of the building, allowing guests to enjoy different views from the east, west, north and south.
The hotel’s Specialty Suites comes with check-in and check-out assistance, breakfast, snacks, afternoon tea, cocktails and nightcaps served in the Specialty Salon on the 38th floor.
For F&B, there is seasonal Afternoon Tea at the lobby bar, a Farm to Table & Charcoal Grill buffet, as well as a teppanyaki restaurant. Facilities include a fitness centre and events spaces.
Best Western Sagita Hotel Jayapura, Indonesia
Best Western Sagita Hotel Jayapura is nestled in the centre of Jayapura, the province’s largest city which lies on the north coast of the island of Papua.
Offering 72 rooms and suites, hotel facilities comprise a social lobby lounge, all-day dining restaurant, and six meeting rooms.
Nearby attractions include Hamadi Beach, mangrove forests, and Jayapura City Tower’s viewing platform, while the Sentani International Airport is just 30km away.
Marriott Executive Apartments Bangkok, Sukhumvit 101, Thailand
Situated in the South Sukhumvit district of Bangkok, Marriott Executive Apartments Bangkok, Sukhumvit 101 puts guests on the doorstep of the Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Center, True Digital Park and Mega Bangna, one of the country’s biggest shopping complexes.
The serviced residence is just a 40-minute drive away from Suvarnabhumi International Airport and nearby BTS Punnawithi Station.
It has a selection of 140 serviced apartments, ranging from studios to two-bedroom suites, with most units including a private balcony. Onsite are also an all-day dining bistro, fitness centre, swimming pool and meeting spaces.
The StandardX, Melbourne, Australia
The StandardX, Melbourne boasts 125 rooms across eight floors, from a Cozy King to a Suite Spot that offer views of Fitzroy and the city skyline.
The hotel offers three dining venues: the all-day Thai restaurant that draws influence from Asian flavours to redefine street food; The Roof, a secret hideaway accessible exclusively to hotel guests; and The Box in the lobby that includes everyday essentials, lifestyle items, as well as snacks and beverages to be enjoyed on-the-go or in room.
The winning feature looked into what convention centres in the region are doing to make a significant impact on net zero carbon goals set by the business events industry and their national government.
While some travel and tourism companies have recently put forth subdued business outlook, citing slowing demand and shorter booking lead times from their major US source markets, Malaysian and Indonesian inbound travel players are still basking in brisk business across the remaining months of 2024.
Inbound specialists in Malaysia told TTG Asia that the boost in bookings this year was partly due to tourism-friendly policies, such as visa exemptions for the country’s top two medium-haul source markets – China and India – and the extension of auto-gate facilities at entry points for travellers from 63 countries. The latter benefits travellers from several of Malaysia’s key source markets, such as Singapore, Brunei, South Korea, China, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.
Anthony Wong, managing director of The Frangipani Langkawi Resort and Spa, reported that RevPAR for 1H2024 increased by 15 per cent year-on-year. Forward bookings for 2H2024 are promising, with occupancies nearing pre-pandemic levels of 2019.
However, high airfares for both domestic and international flights remain a significant stumbling block, reflected Wong.
To grow business, The Frangipani is working to recover bookings from Eastern European and Central Asian markets through collaboration with OTAs and traditional travel agents. Pre-pandemic, these markets were strong for the Malaysian island of Langkawi.
For Essence of Asia Tours & Travel in Malaysia, markets in the Middle East and North Africa region and India subcontinent have contributed strong bookings for 2H2024.
Executive director Arokia Das Anthony said visa-free entry for Indian passport holders, valid for up to 30 days from December 1, 2023 to December 30, 2024, fired up Indian arrivals during the recent summer peak season. Forward bookings for 2H2024 from India, the Middle East and regional South-east Asia markets have also been strong, driven by Tourism Malaysia’s promotions and gradual improvements in air connectivity, especially those linking secondary overseas markets to Malaysia.
Indonesian travel specialists also shared optimism for the coming months.
Major travel company Pacto has reported outstanding performance that is aligned with the surge in air capacity into Indonesia.
Umberto Cadamuro, COO inbound for Pacto, said: “All markets for us were over-performing compared to the previous year, both in arrivals and revenue. Notably, the lion’s share of the business came from GITs.”
He observed that the Indian travel market was back in full swing while good traffic from Italy in 2Q2024 would spill into 2H2024. The Spanish market has, however, been underperforming along with the US East Coast. The latter was likely due to flying concerns over or near the Middle East “given the situation”.
Cadamuro noted that Bali, Yogyakarta and Komodo Island remained popular among travellers, while Sumba, which has good access, new properties and unique culture, could shine next. Sumatra was also regaining popularity.
Hospitality firm Archipelago International said India and Australia markets are its enduring top performers, while China has started to rise in value, surpassing Russia. International guests accounted for 40 to 43 per cent of the company’s total business in 1H2024.
There has also been a “notable increase” in bookings from North America as a result of intensified promotional efforts in the region.
John Flood, CEO of Archipelago International, said the company’s expanding portfolio of hotels overseas is helping to spotlight properties in home base Indonesia.
Besides Bali and Lombok, Archipelago’s properties in Sorong (West Papua), Surabaya, Bandung and Yogyakarta are heating up among holidaymakers. Meanwhile, Jakarta continues to be a key destination for corporate clients.
Flood is confident of good performance the rest of the year, with business from both longhaul and Asian markets. Travellers from North America and Europe would be strong, “driven by ongoing promotional efforts and brand expansion” while robust performance was expected from Australia, India, China, and the Philippines, where the company is expanding its footprint through its Powered by Archipelago connectivity and distribution service. – Additional reporting by Mimi Hudoyo