TTG Asia
Asia/Singapore Sunday, 21st December 2025
Page 204

Mövenpick launches its 2024 Kilo of Kindness campaign

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Aviation roundup: Philippine Airlines, Batik Air and more

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The new house that Quincy built

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Arthur Kiong; photo by Karen Yue

We are sitting here in your brand-new Quincy House Singapore. It is so stylish and welcoming. How would you describe the character of this serviced residence and what is the profile of guests it targets?
To answer you, I need to take a step back to give you a picture of the changing trend in the extended stay market.

Not too long ago, serviced residences catered to expatriate families arriving primarily from G7 countries. They would come on a very generous package from their employer and stay for a month or two in a serviced residence while waiting for their furniture to arrive and sorting other things out, like securing an international school for their kids.

As such, our serviced residences are more or less all the same – multi-bedroom apartments that are located in the heart of town, close to workplaces and international schools.

That customer profile has changed. Firstly, they are no longer all coming from G7 countries; they are coming from a very diverse range of geographies, like Eastern Europe, China, India, South Korea and Taiwan.

We also see the advent of the solo traveller. Companies have found it increasingly expensive to offer the traditional expatriate package, so many are picking the younger and more upwardly mobile staff who do not have a family relocating with them. These customers are also staying for a shorter duration, no longer for years.

So, demand for larger apartments is becoming less and seasonal.

Another important change is in location preference. While in the past location is very important, customers today prioritise accessibility. Their offices are no longer in the CBD, but in Singapore’s business parks. Customers want to be able to travel easily to the business parks, instead of staying there, and to be able to get around other parts in Singapore.

As a result, we are competing precinct to precinct, no longer block to block where differentiated layout (influences the customers’ decision).

In order to compete by precinct, we have to ensure the attractiveness of the area our serviced residences are in; they must be incredibly well integrated with their surroundings.

There are very few places in Singapore where locals and foreigners can agree on being a great place to be. I think Holland Village is one of the very few such places, so this is where Quincy House Singapore is.

At the same time, we know that the human touch and local experiences are important to extended stay customers. Upon arrival, they have to figure out their neighbourhood and essential services. They could do this themselves over time, or we could help them with information and to identify experiences they would like. Some argue that there is really no need to do this for extended stay customers because they would eventually figure it out themselves. But we think not – we know that people will appreciate their hosts for curating experiences according to their preferences.

So, this leads us to what Quincy House Singapore has to offer. One, it is different; it is not just for families but also for solo travellers, and we have different configurations to choose from. Two, it is not only in a great location, but also a very accessible one. Three, it has a very articulate level of service that would be relevant to the extended stay customer that is evolving.

If you plan on differentiating your product through curated experiences for residents, then you need to rely heavily on people who are curious about their neighbourhood, passionate about wanting to find the coolest things around, and willing to serve. How do you find such people?
Recruitment is horrendously difficult these days, but it helps when the organisation has a foundation and reputation of a culture that is endearing as well as a track record of creating noteworthy and award-winning experiences.

Far East Hospitality has built a reputation of both an endearing culture and a track record of award-winning experiences through our properties like Amoy, The Clan Hotel, The Barracks Hotel, The Outpost, and Village Hotel Sentosa. This makes it easier for us to recruit people with a particular profile.

Now, it obviously took us a long time to build this reputation and what we stand for. I would suppose being able to find these good people is testimony to the successful employer branding that we have worked for many years to establish.

I’ve always believed that organisations at the end of the day always get the employees they deserve.

So, where do we find these people? Is it from our existing staff? Is it from schools? Well, we must have a core team from the organisation going out to schools to engage with people who are graduating and want to do tourism. Another source is Singapore Workforce Skills Qualifications courses, which are taken by people who are in mid-career but wanting to switch to hospitality. The third source is fresh job seekers.

I see that Quincy House Singapore distributes a handy booklet that captures experiences in the Holland Village neighbourhood. How often is the content refreshed so that there is always something new for extended stay customers to discover?
We intend to critically review our Quincy Qurate Neighbourhood Guide every quarter. While we will obtain guest feedback on our curated experiences, we will do so with confidence and not with great sensitivity to polling. What this means is that we will not change something just because a guest said this and that. We know what the market is like, and which experiences are relevant.

You spoke of how Quincy House Singapore was created to serve this new breed of extended stay customers. What is the future for Far East Hospitality’s traditional service residences then?
Let’s talk about chicken rice for a moment. If you have a stall selling tasty chicken rice in a well-located hawker centre, you have a first call advantage and you are always full at lunchtime. But, if you are oblivious, you will not know that actually the market for chicken rice is declining over time, as more and more people are wanting to eat something else. You will probably only get a sense of that when people start to quibble with you over the price of your chicken rice.

What I am saying is, there is always demand for our traditional serviced residences, but we find that certain products are beginning to face price sensitivity. Is this price issue simply seasonal? We have to take a step back to find out.

Every now and again we have to come up with new products in order to get insights on market trends. If we were to only act when the trend becomes so clear because there is empirical data, we would be too late.

Did Far East Hospitality try out curated destination experiences for guests at its traditional serviced residences?
We did that when we launched the Adina brand of apartment hotels and serviced apartments. We refurbished the Regency House for Adina Serviced Apartments Singapore Orchard in 2022 and created something a bit more experiential to see whether the market was prepared to pay.

We built a network of partner merchants around the area to offer residents discounts and perks when they flashed their Adina keycard. We found that, yes, they responded well to such services. One of the most popular perks that our guests have responded positively to are F&B deals, especially those nearby the property.

So, we were emboldened and decided to try something a little more dramatic with the Quincy House Singapore.

Will you bring the Quincy House concept to other destinations, perhaps to Melbourne where your stylish Quincy hotel is doing so well?
It is our aspiration, but at this point in time we don’t have a specific plan. We have to see how Quincy House Singapore works, and then watch for a combination of opportunity and preparedness.

Well, Quincy House Singapore has now been opened for more than a week. How well is it doing?
It opened on October 1 and has beaten our own expectations. It is doing double the volume of what we had when we opened Oasia Residence in 2016.

This achievement is noteworthy because in terms of size, Quincy House Singapore has 255 rooms while Oasia Residence has 140.

The vast majority of customers here are booked for between a week to a several months, although we have a couple of bookings that stretch across years. We are really grateful and wish for more customers like that.

Unlock a wealth of perks with stays at ONYX Hospitality Group’s hotels

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Oriental Residence Bangkok is now part of prestigious Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH), guaranteeing the highest of luxury and distinction

Brought to you by ONYX Hospitality Group 

A leading player in Asia’s hotel landscape, ONYX Hospitality Group offers a diverse portfolio of brands tailored to meet the needs of modern travellers. 

At the forefront is Amari, known for its upscale hotels and resorts carefully planned to bring out the destination it is in, and caters to both business and leisure guests. 

OZO appeals to savvy midscale travellers with its focus on restful sleep and essential conveniences, while Shama provides stylish serviced apartments, perfect for short- and long-term stays in key urban destinations. 

One of the group’s standout properties, Oriental Residence Bangkok, has recently been awarded the prestigious Michelin Key, a testament to its excellence among hotels. The property has also joined the esteemed Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) community, further elevating its status in the luxury hotel market. This distinction provides travellers with the assurance of exclusivity and exceptional service.

Get more for less

With its diverse portfolio of brands offering exceptional experiences for all types of travellers, ONYX Hospitality Group further enhances guest loyalty through its comprehensive rewards programme – ONYX Rewards – designed to offer enhance convenience and flexibility for guests within the programme.

Rewards designed for the ultimate guest experience

With four categories of membership — Silver, Sapphire, Gold, and Platinum — each tier offers various perks. Silver is the entry tier and free to join; Sapphire is the next level, while Gold and Platinum are elite tiers.

Members of all tiers enjoy exclusive benefits, starting with guaranteed best available online rates plus 10 per cent on public room rates. Loyal guests will be able to enjoy the benefits of the programme designed to enhance guest experiences by making every stay as smooth and convenient as possible.

Platinum members get 24-hour check-in and check-out at their convenience, offering ultimate flexibility especially for guests travelling in from long international flights or for those with packed schedules, ensuring a relaxed and stress-free stay. 

Additionally, Platinum members can share the benefits of their membership by gifting Gold membership to friends or colleagues, which gives them instant access to perks such as automatic room upgrades, early check-in, and late check-out.

Both Platinum and Gold members have exclusive access to executive lounges where they can unwind after a busy day with a quiet breakfast, afternoon tea, or evening cocktails, in a cozy, private setting – a perfect spot for some much-needed relaxation.

Further benefits include an exciting new rewards section launching by end 2024, offering more redemption options, including dining and spa vouchers, branded merchandise, and exclusive services, giving members even more ways to indulge.

To make life even easier, the ONYX Rewards app allows members to customise their stay. Whether it’s arranging airport transfers, having a favourite meal prepared upon arrival, or booking a spa session, members have full control at their fingertips, making their stay feel more like a warm welcome home than a hotel check-in.

Members also enjoy exclusive perks across ONYX’S portfolio of hotels, resorts, and serviced apartments, with exclusive discounts from partner companies, further elevating their experience. 

ONYX’S partners include industry-leading brands such as Thai Airways, KrisFlyer, and Sixt, offering members exclusive benefits across categories such as airlines, transportation, and lifestyle. By booking with ONYX, members can earn miles for their future trips with partners airlines, enjoy discounted car rentals, and savour a culinary feast at reduced rates, enhancing their travel adventures and creating lasting memories.

Ready to be rewarded? ONYX’s new awards section launching soon will offer even more exciting perks — from rejuvenating spa treatments to exquisite dining experiences, each stay is about to get even more rewarding.

Want to enjoy these exclusive benefits? Join ONYX Rewards today.

Strong arrivals to Japan lift Asia-Pacific tourism performance

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Japan is leading the recovery of international tourism in Asia-Pacific, with visitor numbers so far in 2024 exceeding pre-pandemic levels, according to Harry Hwang, regional development for Asia and the Pacific at UN Tourism.

Speaking at Tourism Expo Japan, the country’s leading travel event, Hwang pointed to the country’s “record-breaking numbers of international tourist arrivals in the last few months, which is contributing significantly to the country’s economic revival”.

UN Tourism’s Hwang says Japan’s tourism industry has successfully navigated the challenges created by the pandemic

Japan attracted 31 million tourists between July 2023 and June 2024, making Japan the best-performing destination across the region in terms of visitor arrivals compared to 2019, according to the Central European Institute of Asian Studies, a think tank focused on Europe-Asia relations and developments in the Indo-Pacific region.

In July 2024, international arrivals to Japan numbered 3.3 million, 10.1 per cent up on July 2019 and the highest number of inbound tourists per month ever recorded, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization. August was also record-breaking, with inbound visitors totalling 2.9 million, 16.4 per cent more than the same month pre-pandemic.

With Japan’s tourism industry successfully navigating the challenges created by the pandemic, “the significance of tourism is more evident than ever,” Hwang continued, noting tourism’s potential to “drive future development and growth” in Japan.

Expo 2025 in Osaka, Kansai is also likely to act as “a new milestone” in the advancement of tourism in the country, he opined.

Scenic Group drops anchor in Singapore

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From left: Constance Seck; and Lim Yee Sher

Luxury travel company Scenic Group has established a new office in Singapore to capitalise on the growing demand for luxury travel in the Asia-Pacific region.

The new office, trading as Scenic Tours APAC, will be led by Constance Seck, who brings over 20 years of experience in the luxury travel industry. As the regional director, sales & marketing APAC, Seck has been tasked with implementing the company’s strategy in China, Japan, Taiwan, India, Hong Kong, Singapore and other key South-east Asia markets.

From left: Constance Seck; and Lim Yee Sher

Seck joins Scenic Group from Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH), and will report to Anthony Laver, Scenic Group general manager of sales & marketing APAC.

Seck will be supported by Ally Grueter, business development manager APAC, who has built strong relationships over the past seven years; and Lim Yee Sher as the marketing & services manager APAC. Lim brings with her a wealth of expertise from previous marketing, product and sales roles with NCLH and Citystate Travel.

From left: Ally Gruter; and Quoc Huy To

Joining the team is Quoc Huy To, accounting manager APAC. Prior to this move, he was the financial controller of Vietnam-based Asia River Cruises for eight years. He will relocate to Singapore this month, and will be the key contact for all finance-related matters.

Glen Moroney, chairman & founder of Scenic Group, said: “We are excited to open our new Scenic Group APAC office in Singapore as part of our ongoing global expansion. With the growth of our Scenic and Emerald Cruises luxury river cruise ships and innovative ultra-luxury yachts, this provides us with the foundation to meet the increasing demand from affluent consumers in the fast-growing markets across this region.”

Osaka prepares to welcome the world to World Expo 2025

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Construction of the World Expo 2025 venue on Yumeshima Island in Osaka Bay is progressing steadily, where the man-made island is being transformed into a major international event site expected to attract a projected 28 million visitors from around the world.

When TTG Asia paid a site visit on October 10, the wooden platform – with a circumference of two kilometres and a height of 12 metres – encircling the Expo was already up. Called the Grand Ring, it would be the world’s largest wooden structure upon completion, and stand as a symbol of “connecting” all life.

View of the Expo site from the Osaka Prefectural Government Sakishima Building; photo by Rachel AJ Lee

For the 2025 event happening over six months from April 13 to October 13, eight of Japan’s leading filmmakers, media artists, and professors will have their own pavilions under the theme of “life”. There will also be 13 pavilions taken by private sectors, such as a Mitsubishi Pavilion and Gundam Next Future Pavilion, alongside domestic pavilions such as the Osaka Healthcare Pavilion, and a Women’s Pavilion in collaboration with Cartier.

More than 160 countries and regions have signed up to showcase their unique cultures and technological innovations, as well as nine international organisations such as the Red Cross.

A variety of events will take place daily on-site, ranging from water shows to fireworks displays, to orchestral music and manga and anime-related events.

Organisers will be building a Forest of Tranquillity in the middle of the Expo site, and guests will be able to ride in electric buses to get around.

Matsuda Hirokazu, deputy director of the global public relations and promotions division, Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition, shared that a new train station, the Yumeshima Station, was specially built to help transport visitors to and from the Expo.

When asked what would happen to the station after the Expo, Hirokazu shared that there is a possibility it would continue operations in light of the upcoming integrated resort.

While there are discussions about repurposing the Expo site for large-scale events, the possibility of dismantling it also remains on the table.

The Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition is a special-purpose association that was formed five years ago – and staffed by various Japanese government organisations – when Osaka won the bid to host the World Expo.

Osaka last hosted the World Expo in 1970, which attracted 64.2 million visitors from 76 participating countries. This will also mark Japan’s third time hosting a World Expo, following the 2005 event in Aichi Prefecture.

Asia-Pacific tourism fuels global surge in international arrivals

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The global tourism industry is roaring back to life in 2024, with international arrivals up 16% compared to 2023 – a resurgence largely fuelled by the Asia-Pacific region, which is finally hitting its stride after a delayed post-pandemic reopening, shared ForwardKeys during the WTTC 24th Global Summit in Perth.

ForwardKeys is the Knowledge Partner of the WTTC.

Double-digit growth in arrivals to China, Malaysia, Japan, Thailand and Indonesia will lift regional travel and tourism performance this year

While the region still lags behind pre-pandemic levels, the current pace of year-on-year growth signals continued recovery and highlights the pent-up demand for travel within Asia-Pacific. This positive trend is set to continue through the end of the year, with double-digit growth in arrivals to China, Malaysia, Japan, Thailand and Indonesia fuelling a projected 19% overall increase.

Meanwhile, Oceania sees a 10% upswing, with arrivals to New Zealand and Australia being key drivers.

Increased connectivity boosts arrivals to Australia
Australia’s success story is particularly noteworthy, with a remarkable surge in arrivals from the US. In particular, bookings from US families (3-5 people) are up 43%, a positive indicator for the Australian economy, as families tend to spend more during their trips. Continued growth from China, projected at 25% through the end of 2024, further strengthens this positive trajectory.

A key factor in Australia’s tourism boom is the significant expansion of air connectivity. Airlines have increased overall capacity on international routes into the country by 8% for the latter part of 2024 – with higher growth in capacity from regional hubs like Thailand, Japan, Hong Kong, Vietnam, China, and Singapore.

Data on seasonality is key to sustainable growth
Australia’s tourism industry experiences a distinct seasonal ebb and flow. While the end-of-year holidays mark a peak period for travel, the southern hemisphere’s winter months see a significant dip in tourist activity. This pronounced seasonality contrasts sharply with destinations like Japan, which enjoys a more consistent flow of visitors throughout the year.

New Zealand, similar to Australia, experiences a pronounced peak season during the end-of-year holidays, with an even sharper decline during its winter months, highlighting the challenges and opportunities presented by seasonal variations in tourism.

“Destinations like Australia and New Zealand, with a distinct peak season, face the challenge of balancing demand throughout the year. Effective data-driven strategies are crucial for mitigating the negative impacts of seasonal fluctuations, such as overcrowding during peak periods and underutilised resources during the off-season. By diversifying source markets and promoting year-round attractions, destinations can ensure long-term, sustainable growth,”said Olivier Ponti, director of intelligence & marketing at ForwardKeys.

A 50 and Fabulous Special: Sheraton Hong Kong Hotel & Towers

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The story of Sheraton Hong Kong Hotel & Towers started on February 18, 1974, when it opened in the Tsim Sha Tsui tourism zone. It was a grand moment, as it was the second Sheraton branded hotel in the whole of Asia-Pacific. At that time, there were also not many international chain hotels in Hong Kong.

General manager Michael Müller said the hotel is the longest serving Sheraton property in the region and bears witness to the “transformation of Hong Kong in the 70s to the international metropolis it is today”.

A celebration befitting a hotel that has transformed along with Hong Kong; photo by Prudence Lui

Müller added: “In 1990s, the Towers concept was introduced, thus leading to a name change. Elite guests could enjoy private check-in at Towers Reception and personalised service from the Towers Concierge Team.”

To mark its Golden Jubilee celebration this year, Sheraton Hong Kong Hotel & Towers launched a series of campaigns that engaged all stakeholders. There were themed promotions for rooms and F&B for customers, and a series of Sheraton Stories that drew inputs from internal and external associates.

Celebrations peaked in late September 2024, when the property unveiled its renovated Grand Ballroom and hosted a 50th Anniversary cocktail party.

That was followed by a progressive makeover and the addition of new function spaces that will be ready in December 2024. More transformations are scheduled for 2025.

Stunning harbour views remain even as hotel hardware is transformed and kept up to date with travellers’ expectations

Müller said both hardware and software must be constantly updated to keep up with changes in consumer expectations.

Throughout the decades, the hotel has changed with its customers. Guestrooms have been updated to be in line with the Sheraton brand, for instance.

“We have to be open-minded and accept innovative ideas and new ways of service,” he said.

Yet, some great things remain the same. The fascinating harbour view, the iconic twin bullet lifts, and the company’s promise to place people at its core.

“With our prime location and consistency in service standards as well as quality product delivery, Sheraton Hong Kong Hotel & Towers shall always be one of the leading global branded hotels in the Tsim Sha Tsui area. This lasting legacy will nurture well-rounded and confident hospitality professionals who will shape the future of this highly dynamic industry,” said Müller.