THE Westin Singapore rolled out the red carpet to guests this morning, marking the brand’s comeback to the city-state following a decade-long absence (TTG Asia e-Daily, September 23, 2013).
Occupying the 32nd to 46th floors of the new Asia Square Tower Two development, the 305-key hotel which overlooks Marina Bay comes with floor-to-ceiling windows in all rooms for unobstructed views of the city.
With its claim as the highest hotel lobby in Singapore at level 32, the Westin is also the first integrated upscale hotel to be located within an office building in Singapore.
Speaking to TTG Asia e-Daily, Lance J Ourednik, general manager of the Westin Singapore, said: “With our ideal location in the heart of Singapore’s financial district, we are definitely looking at attracting the corporates.”
Ourednik said about 85 to 90 per cent of guests will likely be business travellers, largely from countries in Asia such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Hong Kong and China. “Travellers spend a lot of time commuting from one country to another such that when they are on the ground they will want to minimise the amount of travelling between where they meet and stay.”
The Westin Singapore will welcome an 80-pax global corporate group this weekend, helping to bump up occupancy to 40 per cent – a “very encouraging” number given that the hotel is the latest kid on the block.
While the year-end period is normally a quieter season for business, Ourednik said meeting spaces in November have been taken up “very quickly” for one-day corporate meetings.
When asked to compare between the new and old Westin, Ourednik said: “In all fairness, you cannot make a comparison given that they are two generations apart. The brand has since evolved and it now has quite a different look and feel in today’s world.”
The hotel features a range of F&B venues, including the signature Seasonal Tastes offering five interactive kitchens and lunch and dinner buffets, and gastro pub Cook & Brew. Other facilities include a spa, a fitness studio and an outdoor infinity pool on level 35.
For business meetings and events, The Westin Singapore has 10 individual meeting rooms spanning 1,350m2 of space.
