ASCOTT has signed seven more management contracts for serviced residences in South-east Asia, adding more than 1,500 units to its portfolio.

In Thailand, the Somerset Ekamai Bangkok is slated to open by this year, while in Vietnam, the Citadines Bayfront Nha Trang and Somerset West Point Hanoi will open in end-2016 and 2017 respectively.

Meanwhile, in Indonesia and Malaysia, the Citadines Kings Bandung, Citadines Ara Damansara Petaling Jaya, Citadines Batu Maung Penang and Citadines Montfort Shah Alam will open progressively from 2019.

“South-east Asia is Ascott’s fastest growing market and second largest globally after China. We continue to see strong growth opportunities in the South-east Asian markets, underpinned by rapid urbanisation, a large young population and rising domestic consumption,” said Lee Chee Koon, CEO, Ascott.

“The recently established ASEAN Economic Community that aims to integrate these markets and lower trade barriers will further increase foreign investments, fuelling demand for quality accommodation. In the year ahead, we can expect to see this robust growth trajectory across the other geographies as Ascott picks up momentum to double our portfolio to 80,000 units globally by 2020.”

KidZania Dubai

KIDZANIA Singapore, an interactive indoor edutainment centre, is scheduled to open in April at Palawan Beach on Sentosa Island.

The 7,600m² facility will feature 60 attractions and 90 role-playing activities suitable for children between the ages of four and 14, and has the capacity to entertain 1,500 visitors at any one time.

Unique to KidZania Singapore are private sector partnerships, such as with Maybank Singapore, to offer role-playing activities that are similar to real world experiences. There will also be a football stadium for children to practice and for coaching lessons.

Will Edwards, CEO (attractions) for Malaysia-based Themed Attractions Resorts & Hotels, said: “Singapore is a new market for us. Sentosa generates a lot of tourist visitations and we believe this new attraction will attract domestic visitors and tourists from China, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines.

“As such, we will develop special packages for tour operators and organise fam trips for overseas travel agents. It’s different compared to KidZania Kuala Lumpur, where the location attracts domestic visitors mostly from the Klang Valley.”

This is the second KidZania facility developed by the company. Their first facility, KidZania Kuala Lumpur, opened in 2012. There are currently KidZania parks in 17 countries including Indonesia, India, Thailand, Russia and South Africa.

HOTEL owners in the Philippines are increasingly developing their own hotel brands instead of relying on international operators.

Ayala Land Hotels & Resorts, one of the country’s biggest hotel investors, with names like Mandarin Oriental, Raffles, Fairmont, Marriott and Holiday Inn managing its properties, is expanding its homegrown Seda from a business hotel brand to also offer resorts and serviced apartments.

Roughly 2,000 keys under the Seda brand are currently under construction with openings slated from this year till 2018, said Al Legaspi, president, Ayala Land, during the inaugural Hospitality Investment Conference Philippines organised last week.

Another hotel investor, Robinsons Land, which has nine properties across the Philippines under its own Go Hotel brand, plans to double its room inventory within five years.

SM Hotels & Convention too, already has homegrown hotels in Tagaytay and Batangas, and are open to investing in areas like Cebu.

As well, more upmarket brands – including Bellevue, Henann Group, Astoria, Acacia and those under Discovery Leisure Group – have managed to expand overseas after finding success in the domestic market.

Grancis Gotianun, assistant vice president of Filinvest Hotels, said he is “very optimistic (about the performance of domestic hotel brands) particularly in the next five years” as the country’s travel infrastructure continues to be built up.

THE consolidation fervour that has hit the industry with the recent Marriott/Starwood, Accor/Fairmont and Commune/Alila/Destination Hotels & Resorts M&As is expected to flow on to ASEAN hotel groups.

Eric Levy, managing director of Tourism Solution International (TSI), said it was “inevitable” that consolidation would soon involve ASEAN region’s local hotel groups. Even financially strong, privately held companies such as Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group were being speculated in the news as exploring “strategic options”, he said.

TSI has been involved in numerous discussions with regional groups that are reviewing opportunities for inorganic growth outside their traditional markets. “Thus, while the global players will get the big headlines, we at TSI expect to see intra-regional consolidation to pick up pace as well,” he said.

During a panel session at the recent 5th Thailand Tourism Forum in Bangkok chaired by Levy, one of the panellists, Suparat Chirathivat, vice president business development at Central Hospitality International, said: “I think you will see acquisitions/mergers with regional operators (who are) trying to compete against the big players. We look for opportunities like this.”

Another panellist, Faez Jumabhoy, managing director & head of Real Estate Finance Investment Banking, CIMB Group, said: “In Asia, we are looking at mergers and acquisitions happening in the next 24 months. People are looking for lower risk capital markets, such as REITs, so there will be consolidation (across borders)”.

Levy added there was great opportunity for international operators to gain exposure to Asian markets through M&As of small, more locally-adapted management companies.

“Without a doubt, regional players will be involved in (consolidation) as Asia will continue to be the world’s most active growth market for the industry.

“I expect to see regional players involved in consolidation within the region, and further that global companies’ consolidation efforts will include regional players,” he said.

But the industry won’t end up having just a handful of mega hotel groups.

“Far from it,” said Levy. “Just as there remains many great independent hotels today, different categories of owner/operators, owners of hotels that employ third-party managers and travel trends of millennials will maintain the demand for true independent properties and intimately-sized hotel groups.

“Evolving technologies will enable these properties and hotel groups to serve the niche of the market that prefers the non-mainstream market and I do not see them going away. Many will thrive in the coming decades.”

Anthony Ross, CEO, Aryaduta Hotels Jakarta

ANTHONY Ross has left Preferred Hotels and Resorts after two years as executive vice president based in Hong Kong and has joined Aryaduta Hotels as CEO based in Jakarta.

Part of the Lippo Group, Aryaduta has nine existing hotels around Indonesia and another 40 properties in various stages of development.

“It is sure to be challenging and eventful, but it is something that I have always aspired to do and now I cant wait to get into it,” said Ross.

Preferred has yet to find a replacement for Ross. In the meantime, its executive chairman John Ueberroth is babysitting the role.

THE number of foreign visitors to South Korea tumbled nearly 7 per cent in 2015, with the outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) largely blamed for the decline, resulting in only 13.2 million arrivals last year.

This is the first time South Korea is reporting arrival contractions in 12 years.

The figures were particularly disappointing given that arrivals in the first five months of the year were up around 10 per cent compared to the same period in 2014, but soon plummeted after the MERS outbreak.

Arrivals from Singapore, Malaysia and Brazil were hit the hardest, said Irin Lin, spokesperson for the Korea Tourism Organisation (KTO) in Singapore.

“There were several factors for the decline in Singapore visitors to South Korea last year, including the outbreak of MERS during the June school holidays, which is usually one of the peak periods.”

Chinese visitors similarly stayed away, with numbers declining 2.3 per cent to 5.9 million arrivals last year as numerous flights and tour packages cancelled during the peak summer months.

But arrivals recovered after the outbreak was declared over and the KTO has been active in promoting South Korea as a destination for 2016 and beyond.

“In view of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, KTO has launched the Visit Korea campaign this year and it will run until 2018,” said Lin.

“During these three years, more activities, events and promotional campaigns will be lined up to encourage travel to South Korea.”

Shangri-La at the Fort, Manila’s deluxe room

THE 576-room Shangri-La at the Fort, Manila is set to open its doors come March 1 at the Bonifacio Global City (BGC) mixed-used development in Metro Manila.

Part of a landmark mixed-used complex, Shangri-La at the Fort has deluxe rooms measuring between 45m² and 47m², and are equipped with Shangri-La amenities, complimentary Wi-Fi and other modern luxuries.

Opening in tandem are the 97-key Shangri-La Residences, a collection of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, and the 98-unit Horizon Homes, a set of luxury private homes.

Shangri-La at the Fort, Manila’s facilities include five fitness zones, a spa with ten treatment rooms, tennis and squash courts, an NBA-grade indoor basketball court, and a children’s adventure zone with party rooms – all measuring a total of over 8,000m² of space across the fifth and sixth floors of BGC named Kerry Sports Manila.

The hotel also offers 21 event spaces, with the grand ballroom accommodating the largest space at 1,800m².

Seven dining and bar options are available inhouse, namely Samba, a South American restaurant and bar; Canton Road, a restaurant specialising in Cantonese and Huaiyang cuisines; Raging Bull Chophouse and Bar featuring grain and grass-fed dry-aged beef; Raging Bull burgers, a burger shop; High Street Cafe, a modern food hall; High Street Lounge serving coffee and tea; as well as Limitless, a two-level bar offering cocktails and bar snacks.

Shangri-La at the Fort, Manila is offering an introductory rate of 9,800 pesos (US$204) per night for a deluxe room including breakfast, complimentary use of Kerry Sports Manila and the outdoor pool, as well as late checkout until 14.00 subject to availability.

HONG Kong-based Dorsett Hospitality International has named Hotel Representation Australia (HRA) as its general sales agent (GSA) for the Australia and New Zealand markets, effective since February 1, 2016.

Sydney-based HRA, which has offices in Brisbane, Melbourne and New Zealand, will be responsible for sales and marketing activities, utilising contacts with key operators to negotiate the inclusion of Dorsett Hotels, undertake sales calls and participate in travel events, among other things.

“With their network and strong existing relationships with key business channels (wholesalers, corporate, MICE, leisure, media etc.), we are confident that HRA will play an instrumental role in assisting Dorsett Hospitality International to expand its market share in the Australian and New Zealand market,” said Rebecca Kwan, senior vice president sales, Dorsett Hospitality International.