Credit: Naumi Hospitality

SINGAPORE-BASED Naumi Hospitality is marking its entry into Australia with the purchase of Rendezvous Hotel Sydney Central in a A$38 million (US$27.7 million) acquisition deal that took effect on October 6, 2015.

The 116-room hotel, located in Sydney’s CBD, will continue to operate under the management of Rendezvous Hotels.

Situated 25 minutes from Sydney Airport, the 32-year-old hotel has a restaurant and bar, two conference rooms for up to 80 guests and a heated rooftop swimming pool with views of the CBD area.

It is also a stone’s throw away from Railway Square, Darling Harbour, Chinatown and the upcoming Sydney International Convention, Exhibition and Entertainment Precinct.

Gaurang Jhunjhnuwala, CEO for Australia and New Zealand, Naumi Hospitality, said: “Following our foray into New Zealand with our Auckland property, this continues to affirm our commitment towards the aggressive growth of the Naumi brand into leading markets, especially Australasia.”

(From left) Nijaporn Charanachitta, director and senior executive vice president, Italian-Thai Development Public Co.; Peter Henley, CEO, Onyx Hospitality Group; Trinh Thanh Huy, chairman, HB Group; Olga Safronova, investment director, HB Group.

THAILAND-BASED Onyx Hospitality Group has signed an agreement with HB Group to manage Ozo Hoi An, marking the group’s first foray into Vietnam.

Scheduled to open in late 2016, the 364-key beachfront resort, located in the New Hoi An City area, is part of a master development which includes a retail complex, dining and entertainment village, residential apartments, villas and recreational facilities.

Guest rooms will feature linen beds, high-speed Wi-Fi, flexible workspaces equipped with multimedia panels and built-in connectors, black-out curtains and sound proofing.

Amenities include signature all-day dining restaurant Eat, a gym, beach pool and deck, plus a range of retail shops and independent F&B outlets. Guests can also make use of interactive lecterns containing original insider destination content, free drinks in the evenings and paperless check-in and check-out facilities.

Peter Henley, CEO of Onyx Hospitality Group, said: “Vietnam is one of the region’s fastest-growing travel destinations, and we are excited to have Ozo Hoi An as part of our continuing expansion plans. With the increasing popularity of Vietnam’s South Central Coast among regional and international visitors, we have identified a gap in the market for a select service hotel like Ozo.”

The first Ozo-branded hotel opened in 2013 and is now currently available in five locations in Asia including Hong Kong, Pattaya, Koh Samui, Colombo and Kandy. The group also has several more Ozo hotels in the pipeline in locations such as Penang, Iskandar and Xiamen.

Credit: 123rf

SINGAPORE Airlines has unveiled Amsterdam as the inaugural destination for its new-generation Airbus A350 fleet, with services expected to begin by April 2016.

The airline expects to take delivery of 11 A350-900s in the aircraft’s first year of operation, with the inaugural plane due for delivery in January. In addition to a total of 63 confirmed orders, the airline also has purchase options for 20 additional A350s.

Prior to the start of the Amsterdam services, the aircraft will be operating on select Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur flights on a temporary basis, for crew training purposes.

Lee Wen Fen, senior vice president, marketing planning, Singapore Airlines, said: “Our investment in the A350s is in line with Singapore Airline’s longstanding commitment to operate a young and modern fleet. The highly efficient new aircraft will offer us the potential to open new routes, enhancing our network and further strengthening the Singapore hub.”

Additional A350 destinations will be revealed in the coming months.

Credit: Castlewood Group

SINGAPOREAN commercial real estate developer, Castlewood Group, has unveiled their flagship luxury hotel development in Phuket, named the Dream Phuket Hotel & Spa.

This is the first project cementing the recently established strategic collaboration with Debut Hotel Group for the development and operation of the upscale lifestyle brand Dream Hotels and its expansion into Asia.

Located on Phuket’s northern peninsula of Bang Tao Beach, the hotel will open on November 15, 2015 and offer 174 guestrooms, suites and villas.

The hotel focuses on reducing its eco-footprint with environmentally-friendly features such as greywater collection and filtration processes on the roof that reuses rainwater for irrigation, energy efficient LED lights that reduce electricity consumption, passive ventilation designs to encourage natural airflow, and overhanging balconies and “green” walls that provide natural shade.

Hotel amenities include the swim-up Pool Bar with private cabanas and sun beds; Indulge, a lounge featuring over 200 types of wine, tapas and a selection of cigars; the Sanctuary spa; and Dream Beach, a beach club located five minutes away from Layan Beach.

One of the main highlights of the new hotel is the introduction of Trilogy, their signature restaurant, which will offer food prepared by Michelin-star chefs.

“Dream Hotels and the Debut Hotel Group are both innovative brands that share Castlewood Group’s vision of delivering world-class hotels and experiences. We are confident that our first development launched with Dream will pave (the way) for a strong growth story for both parties, as well as rewarding returns for our buy-to-lease investors,” said Chris Comer, CEO of Castlewood Group.

The group also plans to develop up to 20 more new hotels in Asia over the next 10 years.

Concorde Bar. Credit: British Airways

BRITISH Airways is providing an exclusive offer for its Club World business class customers from Singapore to celebrate the opening of its new lounge at Changi Airport.

Customers from Singapore who purchase Club World business class tickets will receive a one-way free upgrade to First and a S$120 (US$85.50) F&B credit. Those who choose to stay at the Shangri-La Hotel, The Shard, London also gets a free one-way airport transfer.

The offer is available for booking until October 20, 2015, valid for flights from Singapore until March 31, 2016. The one-way free upgrade is available on one leg of the flights operated between Singapore and London with fares starting from S$8,184, including taxes.

The special offer entitles customers to premium perks, such as entry to the new British Airways lounge and Concorde Bar at Changi Airport. Meanwhile, the main lounge area offers space to work, relax or dine.

Access to the new lounge is limited to British Airways’ First and Club World business class customers, British Airways Executive Gold and Silver members, and oneworld frequent flyers with Emerald and Sapphire status. The Concorde Bar is only for British Airways’ First customers and eligible guests.

Credit: Wyndham Hotels and Resorts

INDONESIA is set to welcome its first Wyndham Hotels and Resorts property when Wyndham Resort Tamansari Jivva opens its doors in January 2016.

Designed by award-winning Indonesian architect Gregorius Supie, the US$22 million resort will comprise eight villas and 214 apartments set on 1.4ha of beachfront land. It will be sited at Bali’s Lepang Beach, minutes from popular surf break Keramas.

The resort will feature an open lobby surrounded by a pool; a second, separate oceanfront pool; a beach bar, an all-day dining restaurant; conference facilities; and a gym.

“As we continue to strategically grow Wyndham Hotel Group across the Asia-Pacific region, we seek out the most desirable locations where we know our brands and and our owners will be successful,” said Barry Robinson, president and managing director of South-east Asia and Pacific Rim, Wyndham Hotel Group.

The group currently has four properties opened and operating in Indonesia under its Ramada brand flag.