InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has appointed Leanne Harwood to the role of managing director, Australasia and Japan.
Based in Sydney, Leanne will be replacing Karin Sheppard, who moves to London to take on the new position as IHG’s managing director, Europe.
As one of IHG’s Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia senior leaders, Leanne will be responsible for the operations, growth and performance of more than 70 hotels in the Australasia and Japan business unit.
Prior to her appointment, Leanne was based in Bangkok as vice president for IHG’s operations in South-east Asia and South Korea, overseeing the operations and performance of more than 60 hotels in the region.
The industry veteran has more than a decade of experience at IHG, and has worked for a number of hotel companies in countries including Australia, New Zealand, Vietnam and French Polynesia.
Location
It can be hard to find a novel spot in Singapore, which is why InterContinental Singapore Robertson Quay benefits from the element of surprise in its location.
In this up-and-coming riverfront neighbourhood of Robertson Quay, cafes, bars and restaurants huddle up against quiet residential clusters, lined by cobblestone streets reminiscent of European canalways.
The district is situated away from the city crowds of Singapore, and the nearest station, Fort Canning, is 15 minutes away by foot.
Ambience
This InterContinental property puts a fresh spin on luxury hotels with a modish and laid-back vibe. The hotel’s plush interiors – down to the lounge and meeting spaces – are inspired by the modern home.
The warm communal Quayside Lounge sits within the lobby on the fourth storey, where guests can relax over tipples at a mini-bar and wait to be checked in.
Guests who have the privilege of patronising the Club InterContinental lounge can take a day to soak in the captivating view of lush greenery sprawled amidst Singapore’s rustic housing estates.
Rooms
Consistent with the hotel’s common spaces, the rooms are comfortably chic with a touch of homely cosiness. Daylight floods in through the expansive floor-to-ceiling glass panels – a feature across all rooms – and the open-concept bathroom vanity adds to the feeling of spaciousness.
Deluxe Room
I stayed in the Club Studio room, which gave me access to Club InterContinental. Each room is fitted with a Bose sound bar and Nespresso machine, as well as a mini-bar with DIY recipes for guests who like to mix it up during their stay.
F&B
Moving away from traditional design, InterContinental Singapore Robertson Quay takes cue from its trendy surrounds, and offers ‘two-and-a-half’ dining spaces.
By day, Publico Ristorante is a relaxed restaurant with indoor and al fresco areas, and Publico Deli is an American diner-style café that serves brunch grub and coffee. Come evening, half of Publico Deli transforms into Marcello, a bar specialising in Italian craft cocktails.
Publico Ristorante’s menu is stocked full of authentic Italian fare, including my favourite dish: the highly raved-about Tartufata pizza endorsed by the hotel’s general manager Mark Winterton.
Service
The staff was not only knowledgeable about their brand, but also passionate. Working in Club InterContinental and dinner at Publico Ristorante was all the more enjoyable and comfortable with personable waitstaff, and friendly managers who were more than eager to recommend.
Verdict
InterContinental’s newest addition is an easy choice for travellers in search of premium hospitality with a touch of home.
No. of rooms: 225 Rates: From S$250 (US$189) a night
Arief: the tourism ministry is effectively a marketing body
Indonesia’s Ministry of Tourism has undergone a major restructuring effective January 4 to better reflect its role as a marketing body, a move tourism minister Arief Yahya believes is crucial to meeting the country’s arrivals target.
In an official statement from the ministry, Arief said: “I have taken a look at the structure we have been using, and my conclusion is that (if we continue with the status quo) we would not be able to bring in 20 million travellers by 2019.”
Arief: the tourism ministry is effectively a marketing body
The minister explained that the old structure was more administrative and functional, while the envisioned one will take on a greater customer-centric dimension.
“The Ministry of Tourism in reality is a marketing ministry. Its task is marketing the tourism destination products to attract (the target number of visitors). It is not just running a routine governmental activities.
“It is not much different from a company. It has annual targets and a turnover, which is the foreign exchange earned from traveller spend. The difference is that in a company the profit goes back to the company, while the ministry’s turnover is returned to the people for the welfare of the country.”
Going forward, the ministry will focus more on customers, understanding their needs and being nimble to meet these needs.
The new structure comprises four deputies: deputy minister for marketing development zone I and II respectively, deputy minister for tourism destination development, and deputy minister for tourism ministry and institutions.
The deputies for tourism marketing development are divided into zones based on travellers’ origin. FormerIy in charge of all overseas marketing development, I Gde Pitana has been appointed deputy for Zone I – covering Indonesia, South-east Asia, Australia and Oceania. Esthy Reko Astuti, who used to spearhead the marketing development for the domestic market, is now the minister’s expert staff for multicultural affairs.
The deputy for zone II – comprising Asia, Africa, the US and Europe – is yet to be announced.
The deputy ministers will be assisted by directors who are responsible for specific regions such as Europe, Asia and Indochina within the portfolio.
Ouster spells more trouble for the repeatedly stalled destination campaign; pictured, Kandy in the fog
A furore broke out this week in Sri Lanka’s tourism industry after the chairman of the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB), Udaya Nanayakkara, refused to abide by the tourism minister’s order to step down and deemed the decree “illegal”.
Nanayakkara had been preparing plans for a destination marketing campaign to take off this year, as a budget of 5.3 billion rupees (US$35 million) had been set aside for calendar 2018, the largest ever in a single year, for two campaigns and other promotional activity.
“This is very disturbing, coming at a time when the long-overdue marketing campaign is about to get off the ground,” said the head of a tourism conglomerate who agreed to speak on the basis on anonymity.
Ouster spells more trouble for the repeatedly stalled destination campaign; pictured: Kandy in the fog
The shocking move came just as the Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators and The Hotel Association of Sri Lanka released a joint statement welcoming efforts to expedite the digital advertising campaign planned for early 2018 and the global advertising campaign scheduled later in the year.
While the reason given for the dismissal was that the ministry wanted to re-constitute the board, none of the other 10 board members received similar letters.
The minister said the board will be chaired by the secretary of the Ministry of Tourism in the interim and assured that all marketing plans are on track.
The minister had also told local media that the move was made considering complaints from within the industry of delays in rolling out projects. Industry players, however, alleged the dispute was due to the minister’s advisors interfering in decisions and trying to secure contracts for known parties.
As well, the legality of the dismissal has also become a point of contention. The country’s independent Election Commission, which will conduct island-wide polls to local authorities on February 10, has issued a directive to all state institutions banning new appointments, promotions and demotions, etc, until February 15. This is a routine order to guard against the ruling party offering jobs to party supporters during elections.
PATA is rallying support for a campaign to raise awareness about food waste and challenge the travel industry – particularly the hospitality sector – to reduce food waste to landfill.
The main activities in the BUFFET (Building an Understanding For Food Excess in Tourism) initiative will include raising awareness of food waste and creating regional-based resources to help hospitality and tourism professionals drive change and ultimately reduce their waste to landfill.
Raising awareness of food excess
The association is already working with project partner Scholars of Sustenance (Thai-SOS) and knowledge partner Futouris to drive the campaign forward, but is seeking to engage further with hotels interested to reduce waste to landfill or those already implementing food waste solutions, sponsors, as well as those who would like to help in raising awareness.
While the initiative aims to impact the industry at large, it will also focus additional efforts on hotels and F&B providers in Asia, as well as specific hotel properties in Bangkok as part of the Bangkok Hotels Project, with the expertise of Thai-SOS.
PATA CEO Mario Hardy said: “With significant growth expected in the industry and especially the Asia-Pacific region in the near future, greater waste can be expected. Our aim is to curb that waste by bringing the tourism and hospitality sectors together to reduce our impact on the planet by reducing our industry’s food waste to landfill. Reducing food waste will reduce the cost for operators in the industry while benefiting the environment at the same time.”
The association shared that food waste is the third biggest contributor to climate change, while one-third of all foods produced in the world is wasted. Additional pressures arise from GHG emissions caused by food production and transportation, PATA shared.
Artyzen Hospitality Group (AHG) has appointed Michael Wu as head of China as it plans an aggressive expansion in the market.
Based in China, Wu will oversee AHG’s business in the market and lead the team in driving strategic growth in this market.
Prior to joining AHG, he was vice president, operations for InterContinental Hotel Group North China where he oversaw the operation of close to 60 hotels. He has also worked with Westin in the US and Shangri-La in Asia.
W Hotels Worldwide will open an outpost in Japan come 2021.
The first-ever W in Japan will have 27 storeys and 337 guestrooms, including 35 Suites, two WOW Suites and one EWOW Suite (the brand’s Presidential Suite).
First W Hotel in Japan located an hour’s drive from Kansai International Airport
The hotel will also feature multiple dining and craft cocktail concepts including the WOO Bar, and a second bar located on the WET Deck (swimming pool). Other recreational facilities include a fitness centre and spa, while event planners can utilise the 400m2 Great Room or three meeting rooms.
The property will be located along the city’s main thoroughfare on Mido-Suji Boulevard, just an hour from Kansai International Airport.
The 20-year-old JW Marriott Hotel Bangkok has completed its first phase of upgrades as part of a three-year transformation announced last year.
The hotel’s first stage of renovations saw the addition of 130 luxury rooms and suites in December 2017, while the second phase, which will complete this fall, includes the restyling of 178 guestrooms and its all-day dining outlet.
Premier room
The final renovation phase will commence in mid-2019 for all remaining guestrooms.
JW Marriott Hotel Bangkok will be operating as usual during the whole renovation process.
Holiday Inn Vana Nava Hua Hin
The first Holiday Inn water park resort in Asia has opened in the Thai seaside town of Hua Hin. The property offers 300 keys that include a series of inter-connecting rooms and KidSuites – “secret” rooms decked out with bunk beds and play areas. Children aged 12 and under can stay and eat for free, while all guests will be provided with free in-room Wi-Fi, and unlimited access to Vana Nava Hua Hin Water Jungle. In addition, the resort has a large infinity pool on level 26, Tea Tree Spa, a 24-hour fitness centre, a kids’ club, children’s pool, three F&B establishments, 950m2 of flexible function space and complimentary shuttle bus service to Hua Hin Beach.
Amara Signature Shanghai
Singapore-based Amara Hotels & Resorts has opened the 343-room Amara Signature Shanghai at the intersection of Changshou and Jiaozhou roads. Rooms are located between the 7th and 30th floors, and range from 32 to 149m2. All come furnished with complimentary Wi-Fi, floor-to-ceiling windows that open out to city views, and a flatscreen TV with satellite channels. F&B establishments include all-day dining restaurant Blu, lobby bar Flo and the Grab N Go boutique. Other facilities include an outdoor pool, 24/7 fitness centre, a Grand Ballroom and 10 multipurpose function rooms. The hotel is also adjacent to 100AM Shanghai, a 10,500m2 complex comprising an office tower and retail mall.
Artotel Yogyakarta
Six local contemporary artists help to create the artistic elements found at this new art-inspired design hotel in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Ranging from 23 to 41m2, the hotel’s 105 rooms are equipped with a 43-inch TV, safe deposit box, mini bar and coffee maker. Amenities include restaurant and bar Roca, four meeting rooms with capacity up to 120 pax, swimming pool, and a soon-to-open rooftop bar Bart. Wi-Fi is also available throughout the hotel for free.
Avani Luang Prabang
Come March 2018, Avani Hotels & Resorts will boast a 53-room property in Laos following the property’s rebrand from the Azerai Luang Prabang. Guestrooms feature French-styled louvred wooden doors that open out to a balcony overlooking either the pool or a private courtyard. Amenities on-site include a bistro, bar, spa with four treatment rooms, gym, 25m-long swimming pool, and 60m2 sheltered outdoor Pavilion for events. The property will also be offering a variety of excursions from overnight Mekong River cruises to a guided hike up Mount Phousi.
Hotel Ease Access Wan Chai
Located in the heart of Wan Chai, Hotel Ease Access Wan Chai by Tang’s Living Group features 50 guestrooms, half of which have views of Victoria Harbour and Hong Kong’s iconic skyscrapers. Rooms are equipped with complimentary Wi-Fi, and a smartphone with unlimited data access and free international calls to selected countries. The property has collaborated with a local photographer and has on display photographs of old Wan Chai in every guestroom.
Stay package includes complimentary tickets to Disney on Ice show
The 464-key New World Millennium Hong Kong Hotel has launched an exclusive Disney On Ice Room Package.
Guests can book a City View Room at a starting rate of HK$2,050 (US$262) per room per night to enjoy two complimentary tickets to the Disney On Ice Celebrates 100 Years of Magic show valued at HK$400 each, as well as a special Disney On Ice gift pack.
Stay package includes complimentary tickets to Disney on Ice show
The Disney On Ice Celebrates 100 Years of Magic show will be performed from January 25-28 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Reservations are open now until January 18, for stay any time from January 26-28.
Location
Holiday Inn Vana Nava Hua Hin
Amara Signature Shanghai
Artotel Yogyakarta
Avani Luang Prabang
Hotel Ease Access Wan Chai
