Aloft Tokyo Ginza, Japan
Located in Ginza, Tokyo’s popular shopping, dining, and entertainment district, the new Aloft Tokyo Ginza is just a short walk away from Ginza Six shopping mall, the Mitsukoshi Ginza department store, Tsukiji Market, and the historic Kabuki-za theater. The hotel’s proximity to the Ginza and Higashi-Ginza stations also provides guests with quick and easy access to other areas of Tokyo and beyond.
The hotel is home to 205 guestrooms, each complete with free Wi-Fi, 55-inch flatscreen 4K televisions, and a walk-in rainfall shower. Dining and social spaces include The Warehouse, an all-day dining restaurant; Roof Dogs, an open-air rooftop bar; and Re:fuel by AloftSM, a 24/7 grab-and-go kiosk. The brand’s signature Re:mix Lounge provides locals and travellers a space to mix and mingle, while W XYZ Bar offers craft cocktails and light bites for guests to eat and sip over live music. There is also a 24/7 fitness centre.
Grand WuJi Hotel, The Unbound Collection By Hyatt, China
The wellbeing-focused Grand Wuji Hotel in Nanjing, the capital of Jiangsu Province, marks the fourth property in China for The Unbound Collection by Hyatt. Previously known as The Yovoy Hotel, Grand Wuji Hotel spans an area of 31,000m2, with a total construction area of 81,000m2.
The four free-standing buildings are linked by a central garden where guests can discover soothing spaces for meditation, outdoor yoga and Tai Chi. Four restaurants are on offer here: LVQI Lobby Bar, serving Chinese-style high tea and brewed tonics; Jia Shu, a vegan restaurant; Five Tastes, an all-day restaurant; as well as Jade Court, featuring Cantonese cuisine and classic Huaiyang dishes, with six private dining rooms.
The hotel offers 272 guestrooms, including 56 suites. Most rooms feature a ‘health corner’ with a Chinese-style daybed for tea and peaceful meditation. Each suite is also equipped with a smart mirror that automatically synchronises with a scale to offer guests personalised health data.
Accessed via a private entrance, nearly 3,000m2 of meeting venues are available to host a variety of conferences, special events and weddings. The 1,200m2 Five Season Banquet Hall can accommodate up to 1,200 people, while six multifunctional conference rooms provide elegant spaces for small and medium-sized meetings and banquets. Unique health amenities for conference attendees include customised seasonal menus and activities such as Tai Chi, yoga and meditation. As well, an inner courtyard leading out to an expansive lawn is open to host weddings.
At the 24/7 fitness centre, guests can benefit from a health assessment and join in workouts in the 200m2 Energy Room or indoor heated swimming pool. Guests are also encouraged to explore a deep sense of mindfulness and balance through cultural activities, such as traditional Chinese tea ceremonies in the Zen Tea Room.
Kimpton Shinjuku Tokyo, Japan; and Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok, Thailand
Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants’ expansion continues in Asia with the opening of Kimpton Shinjuku Tokyo and Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok.
Located in the heart of Shinjuku, Kimpton Shinjuku Tokyo boasts 151 rooms and suites furnished with La Bottega amenities and Kimpton perks including a ‘bath turndown’ with the brand’s own scented candles and bath salts. Each of the hotel’s dining destinations has origins steeped in New York culture, providing culinary experiences built on Kimpton’s legacy of one-of-a-kind, locally loved restaurants.
Meanwhile, Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok is located in the creative district of Langsuan. As a mixed-use new-build hotel and residences concept, the hotel features 362 rooms and suites, including 131 serviced residences, each with thoughtful details such as bespoke HARNN bath amenities and kimono robes designed by Christian Develter for Tube Gallery.
The hotel features four immersive dining venues such as the all-day dining Stock.Room that seats 400 guests. Elevating the neighbourhood grocerant concept with its six open kitchens, guests can also expect seasonal pop-ups serving Thai street eats, all the way to hosted master classes.
Four Points by Sheraton Phuket Patong Beach Resort, Thailand
Overlooking the Andaman Sea and located in the heart of Phuket’s most famous beach destination, Four Points by Sheraton Phuket Patong Beach Resort features 600 guestrooms and suites, including pool access rooms with private terraces. The Family Suite features a dedicated kids’ room including boat beds and children amenities. In addition, the Ocean View suites offer sweeping vistas of Patong Beach and the Andaman Sea.
The hotel features five dining venues: Chao Leh Kitchen, an all-day restaurant with a focus on Phuket cuisine, along with pan-Asian and Western favourites; Sears & Co., offering a casual dining experience with indoor and alfresco seating; as well as The Deck Beach Club Patong for light bites and signature cocktails. Alternatively, there is also the Lobby Bar and the Pool Bar, the latter featuring a seven-seat swim-up counter.
Other facilities include The Deck Beach Club Patong, 24-hour gym, a trio of swimming pools, including a saltwater lagoon pool. Youngsters will be entertained at the Little Sea Gypsies Kid’s Club, where activities range from cooking classes to face painting, kids’ boot camps and more.
With 1,200m2 of flexible function space including two ballrooms and over 1,000m2 of outdoor events space, the hotel offers venues for all types of corporate or social gatherings. The Akara Grand Ballroom, foyer and pre-function area can cater up to 500 people, while the Kathu Junior Ballroom can accommodate up to 170 delegates. Seven other meeting rooms can be adapted for a range of function types. Couples looking to tie the knot can opt to do so in the ballrooms or outdoors on the Garden Terrace.
Tourist arrivals to Macau are gradually picking up pace, with the special administrative region welcoming 156,000 visitors over the National Day Golden Week holiday, which took place between October 1-8, following the reopening of its borders to mainland visitors.
Although the figure marked a year-on-year fall of 86 per cent in average daily visitor arrivals, according to provisional statistics from the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO), it signalled a post-Covid rebound.
The city recorded 145,000 visitors from the mainland, which was the major source of visitors, constituting 93.1 per cent of total visitor arrivals with an 84 per cent decline in average daily visitor arrivals from last year.
Owing to virus containment measures, Macau registered only 9,614 and 1,231 visitor arrivals from the Hong Kong and Taiwan regions, respectively, as well as 13 visitor arrivals coming from international markets.
Visitor arrivals from the mainland have gradually risen in recent months as the pandemic situation stabilises in Macau and the mainland.
The rebound can also be attributed to MGTO’s active campaign to promote the reinstatement of travel permit issuance for mainland residents to Macau. From the first week after travel permit issuance was resumed up to the Golden Week, the average daily visitor arrivals rose from around 6,000 to nearly 20,000.
Figures provided by industry operators revealed that local hotel establishments (hotels and guest houses) saw an average occupancy rate of 43.6 per cent during the Golden Week, a year-on-year decrease of 50.4 percentage points. To date, the supply of local hotels and guest houses has reached a total of 42,441 rooms.
Industry figures show that the average occupancy rate for five-star hotels was 43.2 per cent, down 52.0 percentage points; for four-star hotels, 45.2 per cent, down 47.4 percentage points; for three-star hotels, 51.9 per cent, down 42.8 percentage points; for two-star hotels, 21.4 per cent, down 61.0 percentage points; and for guest houses, 23.9 per cent, down 51.7 percentage points.
The average room rate of hotel establishments in Macau was 1,290.5 patacas (US$161.9) during the Golden Week, a year-on-year decline of 30.0 per cent. The average room rates for five- and four-star hotels were 1,634 patacas and 605.2 patacas respectively, down 26.9 per cent and 49.4 per cent respectively; for three- and two-star hotels, 821.6 patacas and 285.7 patacas respectively, a decrease of 32.2 per cent and 69.7 per cent; for local guest houses, 240.3 patacas, down 65.7 per cent.