Rubel Miah has joined the four-star Aloft Kuala Lumpur Sentral as general manager.
The hospitality veteran has 15 years of experience under his belt, having embarked on his career as a sales manager at the Novotel Peace Beijing. This was followed by a three-year stint with the Sofitel brand in China, before moving on to Sofitel Saigon in Vietnam as director of sales & marketing where he spent two years.
The French national then joined the pre-opening team of the Sheraton Chongqing Hotel. In 2012, he moved to Bangkok and joined Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit, A Luxury Collection Hotel, as director of sales & marketing. This led to his eventual appointment as hotel manager, a position he held for three years before moving to Malaysia.
Preferred Hotels & Resorts is a collection of 750 independent hotels, resorts, and residences around the world. Named “Most Excellent” large hotel chain globally in 2018 by TripAdvisor, they connect discerning travelers to unique luxury experiences. Find out what they offer from Josephine Lim, Managing Director, South East Asia.
How does Preferred differ from other hotel brands/consortia?
With 50 years of luxury hospitality experience, Preferred Hotels & Resorts (PH&R) is the world’s largest independent hotel brand, representing distinctive hotels, resorts, residences, and hotel groups spanning 85 countries. Through five global collections, we connect people to stays that meet their life and style preferences for each adventure. From legendary palaces to modern villas, each stay is one-of-a-kind.
What is the Preferred philosophy?
We believe in travel. Our brand offers unique, immersive stays and experiences in dream destinations all over the world. Our portfolio of 750+ hotels caters to discerning travelers who seek uncommon experiences – something our member hotels are inherently positioned to provide.
What achievements are you most proud of?
We are proud of connecting travelers with unforgettable experiences at unique hotels that consistently lead top travel lists and receive rave guest reviews. We are honored to support hotels that continuously inspire travelers by delivering authentic and memorable hospitality experiences.
Where are your hotels and would we know any of them?
Our diverse portfolio includes prestigious properties such as Andara Resort & Villas, Borneo Eagle Resort, Lelewatu Resort Sumba, One Farrer Hotel, Primus Hotel Shanghai Hongqiao, The Capitol Hotel Tokyu, Wanda Reign on the Bund and Hotel EQ, Kuala Lumpur. We will also have Fullerton Sydney soon. Around the world, in small towns, big cities, and everywhere in between, you will find us there.
How do you make sure your hotels meet quality standards?
To ensure the highest levels of customer satisfaction and elevated experiences, every property in our portfolio conforms to the Preferred Standards of Excellence™, renowned quality and service standards measured yearly anonymous on-site inspections carried out by professional third-party experts.
Who owns Preferred?
As a family-owned company led by the Ueberroth family, PH&R is driven by family values, the independent spirt, borderless hospitality, and a belief in travel and the power it has us for the better. As champions of independent hotels, we believe the most remarkable experiences happen when we leave the ordinary behind.
Do you offer any benefits for booking via Preferred?
Book a stay at a PH&R member property today and experience the difference. Get the best price when you book directly with us, and take part in special programs offering additional savings and perks for you and your clients.
I Prefer Hotel Rewards is the world’s first global points-based loyalty program for independent hotels. Members earn instant rewards and points with every eligible stay, and redeem points for perks like free nights.
The I Prefer Meeting Planner program is a loyalty program for meeting planners to earn points for booking programs at participating properties. Points can be redeemed for Reward Certificates for stays at any I Prefer participating hotel.
The I Prefer Alliance Program is an innovative loyalty platform for partner reward programs and their members through a points-exchange structure. Tokyu Hotels Comfort Rewards is one major partner, with members of both loyalty programs benefitting.
Preferred Residences™ and Preferred Golf™ offer additional benefits.
How do we book? One brand. Five distinctive collections. Endless unique experiences. Visit preferredhotels.com to discover more. To book, search for GDS code Chain Codes PH or Master Chain Code PV. You can also contact Nicole Foo by email at NFoo@preferredhotels.com or telephone +65 6909 8903.
Image: Serge Dive, CEO & Founder of Beyond Luxury Media
Over the last 10 years, Serge Dive has redefined luxury travel, taking his perspective-shifting events across the globe from Marrakech to Miami. His latest venture, Further East, hit Bali in November 2018, aiming to celebrating Asia’s rich heritage and powerful future.
Here, Dive shares his perspectives on the future of luxury travel in Asia – and how he believes hospitality professionals can tap into the trends shaping our ever-changing industry.
Authenticity is your greatest asset
“Everyone is building in Asia. But (luxury travellers) want to discover the real, fascinating Asia,” Dive warns. Globalisation is problematic for hotels and native brands, who risk losing their authenticity. “I think that the greatest challenge is to resist the temptation of globalisation that will dilute your brand’s identity – and embrace your uniqueness,” he advises.
“What Asia now needs to do now is truly capitalise on its assets – to cherish and display its traditions to international customers, while inventing its own future,” he advises. This belief underpins Dive’s long-term strategy for Further East. “We believe that Asian products should be displayed in a truly strong, Asian context, rather than at generic travel trade fairs that are potentially destructive to brand equity.”
Image: The Further East community gather for sunset networking at the first edition of AWAKEN, November 2018.
Look beyond tech (and into the past)
While many in the luxury travel industry are frantically finding ways to weave tech into every facet of their operations, Dive is less convinced.
“I am a huge skeptic when it comes to gimmicks – I think that VR and AI won’t be experiences in their own right; instead, they will help customers test travel products from their living room.” He also predicts that nostalgia, not tech, is the next trend set to disrupt the future of the travel industry in Asia. “I think we are actually returning to an analog way of travelling; nostalgia is returning because tastemakers are fed up of both tech and products born from globalisation.”
Life should be amplified – and optimised
Nostalgia aside, what is the next buzzword set to shape the travel industry? “I would choose two – amplified and optimised,” predicts Dive. “I think that luxury travel is the promise of a life optimised and amplified; optimised because we want be the best person we can be and do the best things we can out of the precious hours that we are on this planet. Amplified, because we want each of those hours to be as remarkable and memorable as possible.”
If the future of luxury travel in Asia resembles anything close to his vision for Further East, one thing is for certain – it will never be boring. From its oceanside location and holistic approach to its diverse guest list of iconic hospitality brands, it demonstrates a disarmingly different way to do business.
In today’s exciting and ever evolving digital landscape, the business meetings and events industry has to keep reinventing itself to stay relevant and innovative. We have to adopt creative ways to engage our audience and build sustainable value for the future. Some of the important and key questions we need to ask ourselves include these:
How do we create more purposeful events with innovation and inclusivity?
What kind of meaningful moments can we offer our audience and make our events and meetings powerful, impactful and memorable?
How can we best incorporate new technology such as AI, to better engage our clients and foster greater interactions amongst them?
How do we achieve strategic synergies with blending design and digital to produce spectacular user experience? What ideas can we borrow from other industries that can be applied to events and meetings?
What are the key global trends and developments in event spaces and immersive experiences that we need in order to stay ahead of the curve?
How do we get wired for the future? Wired for growth, to the right community and for authenticity?
How can you build greater rapport with your online community?
As our customers demand a “return on engagement”, and to ensure that they derive optimal value from their participation in the business events, it is imperative for us as organizers to plan and execute a well-designed interplay of online process and onsite experiences that represent a perfect blend of design, digital and community.
We are pleased to present SMF2019: Wired for The Future, SACEOS annual flagship event and most respected platform for the industry to gain deeper insights and true stories on journeys taken by rising stars and luminaries from both core and adjacent industries. SMF2019 (www.smfconference.org) will present a high value content program and a focused discussion on design, digital and community engagement for tomorrow’s business success. Presenters will share strategies and road maps on game changing ideas and how the industry can be wired for future success.
Here is a glimpse of what to expect at the event. SMF2019: Wired for The Future (25-26 July 2019, Singapore) will be an immersive experience for all participants, to model what the event of the future will be like.
The organizing team at SMF2019 invites professionals in the business meetings and events industry as well as those from the related fields of travel, hospitality, event venue and destination operators to join in this exciting journey to dream, act and grow as an ecosystem of dreamers and builders of the future. At this platform, discover new opportunities to collaborate with key industry Associations, technology partners and all relevant stakeholders from the industry.
More Malaysians starting to consider the Balkans; view of Dubrovnik port from the old city walls
Although Malaysian outbound travel spend is poised to grow faster than the regional average, industry players expect price-conscious travel patterns to continue shaping choice of destinations in the near future.
Taking an average of 1.8 trips annually, the average spending per travelling Malaysian household is expected to grow from US$3,100 in 2015 to US$4,400 in 2026.
More Malaysians starting to consider the Balkans; view of Dubrovnik port from the old city walls
This translates to a 3.6 per cent compound annual growth rate (CAGR), higher than the estimated CAGR of Asia-Pacific of 0.8 per cent over the same time period, shared Vivek Neb, managing director at Grail Insights, during a keynote during the recent Travel Meet Malaysia organised by Messe Berlin in Kuala Lumpur.
In 2016, 46.1 per cent of outbound trips were made by Malaysians earning more than US$30,000 annually, which accounted for 24.4 of total households, said Vivek. Millennials and Gen Z together accounted for 60 per cent of the Malaysian population who travel to get new experiences.
At the same time, Vivek pointed out that a majority of Malaysians are conscious about prices while making bookings, which affects the choice of their destination.
He said preference was to travel within South-east Asia due to time constraints and affordability. Word-of-mouth and online peer reviews are the most influential sources of information at the planning phase for Malaysian travellers. Vivek added that Malaysians tend to decide on activities while in destination.
Greyfurt Tour Europe executive manager, Hasan Turk, agreed that Malaysian outbound travellers had become more price conscious over the last few years due to the weakened ringgit.
He has seen demand for tours to Turkey and the Balkans growing year-on-year due to the greater affordability when compared to destinations such as Amsterdam and Zurich.
Foo Sze Zhaun, business development manager, Corporate Information Travel, said outbound ticketing to the US picked up this year, driven by promotions by Philippine Airlines and Chinese carriers offering airfares as low as RM2,500 (US$605).
Europanumdo Vacations, regional head for Asia Pacific, Steven Pearson, further observed the growing preference for off-the-beaten-track destinations among seasoned Malaysian outbound travellers to Europe. At Europanumdo, Moscow – Kazan coach tours were growing in popularity among Malaysians.
Hotel players have appealed to the government for financial relief
Hard hit by the Easter Sunday bombings, hotels in Sri Lanka, some of whom are recording occupancies as low as three per cent, are hoping for financial relief to tide them through waves of cancellation.
On Monday, members of the tourism industry met president Maithripala Sirisena and prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe at an emergency meeting.
Hotel players have appealed to the government for financial relief
“We made two requests; one is for financial relief and secondly for a more coherent strategy on public relations and profiling Sri Lanka abroad,” said Sanath Ukwatte, president of The Hotels Association of Sri Lanka (THASL).
The requests were for a two-year moratorium on the interest and capital repayments of loans taken by hotels and also for soft loans to pay wages and other benefits to hotel staff. Ukwatte said a Cabinet sub committee will be appointed to swiftly examine the proposals.
Ukwatte added that the industry is working on discounted packages for airfares and hotel stays, similar to what many countries hit by terror attacks have done.
Several big international hotel brands like the Grand Hyatt, Sheraton, ITC India, InterContinental and more Hilton-branded hotels were previously announced to open in the country in the next 12 to 24 months, but the hotel industry has taken a big hit following the Easter Sunday bombings.
Hoteliers said that occupancies in some hotels in Colombo, where the affected Shangri-La, Cinnamon Grand and the Kingsbury hotels are located, reported occupancies as low as three per cent.
“There have been 80 per cent cancellations in the next three months and hotels are struggling to pay salaries and other benefits to staff,” said a worried Ukwatte, who is also chairman of the iconic, colonial-era Mount Lavinia Hotel.
Despite the gloom, at least one Asian hotel brand has reiterated plans to open its Sri Lanka property in late 2019.
“The 164-room Next Hotel Colombo is slated to open in November 2019 and is located within the (new) Colombo City Centre (mall) in Colombo,” the Singapore-based Next Hotels & Resorts told TTG Asia.
“We are still working towards the scheduled opening date and will continue to monitor the situation.”
Next Hotels & Resorts is part of the Next Story Group, formerly known as SilverNeedle Hospitality.
Meanwhile a 60-strong Sri Lankan delegation led by state-owned Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau Chairman Kishu Gomes is currently attending the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai, which started on Sunday. Sri Lankan officials were also due to address the media during the four-day event.
Marriott International is entering into the vacation rentals space with the launch of Homes & Villas by Marriott International, a home rental initiative offering 2,000 premium and luxury homes located in over 100 destinations throughout the US, Europe, the Caribbean and Latin America.
“The launch of Homes & Villas by Marriott International reflects our ongoing commitment to innovation as consumer travel needs evolve,” said Stephanie Linnartz, global chief commercial officer, Marriott International. “What started out as a pilot a year ago is now a global offering, providing our guests with the space and amenities of a home backed by a trusted travel company, and the very best in loyalty benefits.”
Champagne Shores villa, Anguilla Beaches
Marriott revealed that its expansion into home rentals comes on the heels of its successful pilot under the brand extension Tribute Portfolio Homes. Nearly 90 per cent of the guests who booked a home during the pilot, which was only available in select European cities, were members of Marriott Bonvoy and over three-quarters were travelling for leisure with family and friends. During the pilot, the average guest stay was more than triple the typical hotel stay.
The introduction of Homes & Villas by Marriott International adds nearly 40 new leisure destinations for Marriott Bonvoy members to earn and redeem points, including Sorrento, Italy and the Amalfi Coast, Italy; North Lake Tahoe, California; and St. Barts in the Caribbean.
Marriott is launching Homes & Villas by Marriott International with select property management companies that are already managing these homes. At launch, the property management companies selected by Marriott include TurnKey Vacation Rentals, LaCure, Loyd & Townsend Rose, Veeve, London Residents Club as well as current hotel owners and operators like Mainsail Lodging, and Reserva Conchal.
Over time, Marriott expects to introduce Homes & Villas by Marriott International in additional markets as well as increase the number of homes offered in these launch destinations.
“Our approach to home rentals allows us to curate an incredible collection of homes that deliver an elevated travel experience,” said Jennifer Hsieh, vice president, Homes & Villas by Marriott International. “By working with a select group of professional management companies that understand and operate in this dynamic landscape, we are able to focus on what we do best – selecting a breadth of homes in inspiring destinations, setting standards for responsive service and designing a seamless booking experience that helps our guests navigate an increasingly complex and uncertain set of home rental choices.”
Starting next week, travellers can search and book homes on the Homes & Villas by Marriott International site. At that time, travellers searching on Marriott’s website for accommodations for three-plus nights in markets where home inventory exists will see links to Homes & Villas by Marriott International, promoting home rentals as an offering to meet their needs.
Marriott is in the process of determining how it will sell Homes & Villas by Marriott International through other channels, including the Marriott Bonvoy app and travel advisors, and will provide an update in the near future.
Earlier, Marriott finalised new, multi-year agreement with the Expedia Group, which the two say will result in “an innovative distribution agreement beyond transient retail bookings”. The new arrangement is expected to launch in the fourth quarter of the year.
When Homes & Villas launches next week, members of Marriott Bonvoy will be able to earn and redeem points at these homes, with criteria as follows:
– Members will earn points based on the same criteria as Marriott’s long-stay hotel brands – five points for each $1 spent
– Members will be eligible for Bonus points based on Elite status
– Eligible members will receive an Elite Welcome Gift of special amenities or points
– Members can use the points they earn on redemption stays at all participating hotels around the world, as well as experiences exclusively available on Marriott Bonvoy Moments.
The Malaysian Association of Tour & Travel Agents (MATTA) has recently signed a joint venture agreement with travel and tourism technology solutions provider, Grabini Malaysia, to develop a technology platform to sell Malaysia digitally.
The agreement was sealed at last weekend’s MATTA Travel Exchange (MTEX), a B2B travel trade event organised by MATTA and Tourism Malaysia in conjunction with the FATA Convention 2019 in Putrajaya.
Tourism Malaysia’s Zainuddin Abdul Wahab (centre) witnessed the signing between MATTA’s KL Tan (left) and Grabini Malaysia’s C Mahesh
Through the B2B platform, which is set to launch in 3Q2019 during the first phase of development, MATTA members will be able to access hotel and attraction inventories as well as inbound tour and travel packages created and uploaded by travel agents.
A B2C platform will mark the second phase of development, enabling MATTA members to sell products and services to a worldwide audience.
MATTA president, KL Tan shared: “It will assist small and medium sized inbound tour operators who make up more than half of MATTA’s 3,500 membership to up their game, while at the same time creating more inbound and domestic traffic.”
Both platforms will be developed and maintained by Grabini Malaysia. CEO, Alexander Abraham shared that it will take 18 to 24 months for the platform to generate income to cover the costs. However, the business model has yet to be determined at press time.
The recent MTEX featured 82 exhibitors from Malaysia comprising tour operators, hotels, product owners and state tourism organisations and 150 buyers from ASEAN and India.
This is the second MTEX event held, following the first organised in 2007.
KL Tan shared: “It was revived given its potential to boost arrivals from ASEAN which contributed more than 70 per cent of arrivals to Malaysia, and from India, which is the second largest medium-haul market to Malaysia, after China. We hope to make MTEX into an annual event.”
After Koh Samui and Krabi, Bangkok will be the third destination in Thailand to boost a Ritz-Carlton hotel, the first in the capital.
Opening in 2023, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Bangkok will feature 259 guestrooms, including 32 suites and one Ritz-Carlton Suite, occupying levels 1 to 25 of a 50-storey building.
The 259-key Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Bangkok to open within One Bangkok come 2023
Facilities will include four restaurants and bars, and function facilities, among which will be one of the largest ballrooms in the country. The signature Ritz-Carlton Spa will also be present, and will boast six treatment rooms, wet lounges, whirlpools, saunas and steam rooms.
Located on Wireless Road with views of the adjacent Lumphini Park, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Bangkok occupies a prime location within One Bangkok, a new landmark development expected to open in phases beginning in 2022.
A joint venture between TCC Assets and Fraser Property, One Bangkok will be home to five premium grade A office buildings, five luxury and lifestyle hotels, three luxury residential towers, four interconnected retail precincts, and art and cultural hubs.
Destinations farther afield are enjoying greater popularity among Chinese travellers for the May Day holiday this year, revealed Hotelbeds.
According to booking data from the Hotelbeds platform for this year’s four-day International Labour Day holiday period starting on Wednesday, 10 of the top 30 international destinations for Chinese travellers during International Labour Day in 2019 are non-Asian destinations, up from only three last year.
China’s outbound travellers are looking further afield this year; Arc de Triomphe and Champs-Élysées in Paris pictured
Paris and London are listed in the top 30 destinations in ninth and 15th places respectively, with Paris last year coming in at number 23 and London not ranking at all in the top 30.
Further down the top 30 ranking, Paris and London are followed by other non-Asian destinations such as Prague (22nd), Barcelona (23rd), Dubai (24th), Honolulu (26th), Madrid (27th), New York (28th), Melbourne (29th) and Rome (30th).
This year’s jump in the number of non-Asian destinations, said Hotelbeds, could in part be explained by the fact that this year Chinese citizens will enjoy an extra day of holiday during International Labour Day, taking the break to four days total.
However this year’s extra day was only announced recently by the Chinese state on March 22 when it announced a reshuffling of the non-working days for the Labour Day Holiday.
This has resulted in a surge of extra accommodation bookings – with Hotelbeds’ data showing a year-on-year increase of around 75 per cent in the weeks following the government’s surprise announcement.
