CARLTON Properties (Singapore) has opened its second hotel in the Lion City and is seeing “satisfying” demand from corporate travellers, a segment the new Carlton City Hotel Singapore is keen on.
Within the first few days of its soft opening on August 5, the 386-room upscale business hotel in the Tanjong Pagar business district saw more than 100 rooms occupied, according to general manager Mark Bulmer.
“It is difficult to define how occupancy has been since our soft opening, as our rooms are coming online progressively. However, we are impressed with the speed at which bookings are picking up along the way. There is now a steady flow of business from the offices nearby.
“All facilities are open, and by the end of this week we will have 300 rooms operational,” said Bulmer.
Bulmer believes that the hotel’s prime location and inventory of “functional and good-sized rooms compared with other new hotels in Singapore” will win the favour of business travellers.
The hotel’s Deluxe, Executive and Carlton Club rooms all measure 32m2, while the Carlton Suite offers 64m2 of space. A three-metre high ceiling further enhances the spaciousness of all rooms. Besides presenting clear views of the harbour or the city through large windows, the rooms are also furnished with plush carpets, quality bedding, a large work desk with an ergonomic chair, a roomy bathroom with a separate bath and standing shower.
Complimentary Wi-Fi across the hotel is available to all guests.
Other facilities include a stylish Club Lounge on the 28th floor, four dining outlets including a rooftop bar that is available for private event hire, and an outdoor pool with a Jacuzzi.
“I would like to see 75 per cent of the business coming from corporates. Although we will primarily target the offices around the central business district, Singapore is small so we will also reach out to offices elsewhere in the country,” he said, adding that his team has been working with travel consultants to garner weekend bookings from leisure FITs.
Jacqueline Ho, director of sales and marketing with the hotel, said: “Although the hotel is in a business district, it is a short walk to the train station (Tanjong Pagar MRT Station) and close to Chinatown. This location is gaining popularity among leisure travellers.”
Bulmer also expects the hotel to do well during the coming F1 race season, which will see Deluxe rooms going for S$350++ to S$400++ per night. This compares with the current opening promotion corporate rate of S$258++, inclusive of breakfast.
