TTG Asia
Asia/Singapore Monday, 15th December 2025
Page 2577

New bullet train connections to cut travel time between Indian cities

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THE INDIAN government has approved the construction of a high-speed rail link between the western cities of Mumbai and Ahmedabad, the first of seven such rail connections in the pipeline, according to The Straits Times.

To be built at the cost of 630 billion rupees (US$11.3 billion), the 492km rail link is expected to cut the travel time between Mumbai and Ahmedabad from 7 hours to 2.5 hours.

The project is envisaged to take about eight years to complete.

Similar high-speed rail connections are being mapped out between Chennai and Hyderabad in the south; New Delhi, Amritsar (Punjab) and Patna (Bihar) in the north; and Ernakulam and Trivandrum in Kerala.

AirAsia launches ASEAN nerve centre to chart regional growth

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AIRASIA officially unveiled in Jakarta today its new regional nerve centre, AirAsia ASEAN, as part of a strategy to focus on regional growth  (TTG Asia e-Daily, June 14, 2012).

With AirAsia group CEO, Tony Fernandes, and deputy group CEO, Kamarudin Meranun, based at the new office, AirAsia ASEAN will oversee the expansion blueprint for the carrier’s six subsidiary airlines – five anchored in ASEAN and one in Japan.

By focusing on regional growth, AirAsia will expand its market base to 600 million people and bring ASEAN closer – within four-hour flight radii – to mega populations in China and India, as well as in Japan and South Korea.

“Shifting AirAsia’s emphasis to regional strategy is, we believe, not just good business, but also a move that will keep us ahead of the inevitable competition that is heading our way,” said Fernandes.

He added that establishing AirAsia ASEAN in Jakarta would also allow the airline to ride the wave of increasing regional integration due to the impending implementation of ASEAN Open Skies and ASEAN Economic Community initiatives.

“One of the reasons for locating the office in Jakarta is to help us engage more closely with the ASEAN Secretariat, which is headquartered here. AirAsia ASEAN will help ensure that our voice, our concerns and appeals are heard much more clearly in the corridors of power with ASEAN,” he explained.

Quizzed by TTG Asia e-Daily on what the airline was expecting from ASEAN member governments, Fernandes said: “I hope that (our new office and growth strategy) will spur ASEAN governments into further integration. For example, in Europe there is one open sky, one aviation authority to regulate jobs…”

Asian hotel investors flock to Australia

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AROUND A$1.4 billion (US$1.48 billion) was splashed out on Australian hotel and resort acquisitions during the one-year period till June 30, 2012. Led by buyers from Hong Kong and Malaysia, Asian investors accounted for over 90 per cent of transactions.

The figures were based on the latest Hotel Investment Sentiment Survey by Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels, which revealed that Hong Kong and Malaysian investors outstripped long-time stalwart Singapore in snapping up Australian hotel real estate during the period. Malaysian buyers partook in 39.5 per cent of overall transactions.

Major hotel transactions in Australia during the year included the sale of Colonial First State’s Sydney Harbour, Melbourne and Brisbane Marriott Hotels to Malaysia’s Starhill REIT for A$415 million; the transfer of Rendezvouz Grand Hotel Melbourne to Singapore’s Straits Trading Company for A$61 million; and Shangri-La Asia’s A$378 million swoop for Shangri-La Hotel, Sydney and Holiday Inn, Brisbane.

Other significant transactions included the A$12 million transfer of Club Med’s Lindeman Island resort to White Horse Australia, a subsidiary of China’s White Horse Group; and Langham Hospitality Group Hong Kong’s takeover of The Observatory Hotel, Sydney.

Investor appetite was strongest for Brisbane (62.5 per cent), with the city being the only Asia-Pacific destination to feature in the top ten global markets for buying, according to Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels.

Meanwhile, Perth (48.5 per cent) and Sydney (48.0 per cent) were rated highest in Australia for short-term trading.

Sheraton Macao rolls out opening offers for MICE planners

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SCHEDULED to open in September, the 3,863-room Sheraton Macao Hotel, Cotai Central has rolled out a series of attractive meeting packages to incentivise MICE planners to book their events at the property.

Meeting Package Offers
The hotel is offering a half-day meeting package priced at HK$450+ (US$58+) per head, inclusive of meeting room usage up to four hours, welcome coffee and tea, morning or afternoon coffee break, a deluxe lunch set or buffet lunch, standard AV equipment and complimentary WiFi in the meeting area.

A full-day package is priced at HK$650+ and includes everything in the half-day package, plus four additional hours of meeting usage and an extra coffee break.

In addition, MICE planners can choose one of five complimentary items to personalise their event, including:
· Exclusive welcome cocktail themed to enhance your event.
· Complimentary Sheraton FIT meeting inclusions designed to recharge and energise participants.
· Executive helicopter return transfers between Hong Kong and Macau, plus on-ground roundtrip limousine transfers for one VIP.
· Upgrade to the Presidential suite with personalised butler service for one VIP.
· 25 tickets to the spectacular live show The House of Dancing Water.

No minimum headcount is required for both the half-day and full-day package.

Big Rewards for Big Meetings
The more rooms that meeting planners book, the more benefits their groups will enjoy.  For stay-in groups of 300 to 599 rooms, two per cent will be deducted from the master bill, and the meeting planner will receive double Starpoints and a personalised Sheraton signature gift.

For stay-in groups of 600 rooms and above, four per cent will be taken off the master bill and a further two per cent discount will be given for peak night room upgrades to suite for the entire meeting stay. The meeting planner will also receive triple Starpoints and a personalised Sheraton signature gift.

In addition, one lucky nominee of the contracting organisation that holds the largest meeting at the Sheraton Macao, with the greatest number of materialised roomnights during the validity period, will stand a chance to win a trip to one of 100 countries where Starwood hotels are present. The recipient will receive a seven-day getaway, including return business class airfares for two, luxury suite accommodation and a personalised private dinner.

To avail of the meeting packages and offers, event bookings must be confirmed by December 31, 2012 for stays between November 1, 2012 and December 31, 2013.

Enquiries or reservations can be made with any regional Starwood Sales Organisation representatives or email: sales.macao@sheraton.com

Banyan Tree and Angsana Lang Co offer introductory deals

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ANSANA Lăng Cô and Banyan Tree Lăng Cô are offering introductory packages.

The ‘Escape to Angsana Lăng Cô’ package starts from US$280++ per room per night and includes the following benefits:
· Complimentary breakfast for two persons.
· Stay two nights and receive complimentary US$280 worth of hotel credits per stay.
· Stay three nights and receive complimentary US$280 worth of hotel credits per stay, round trip airport transfers and guaranteed upgrade to the next room category.

The ‘Must Stay Banyan Tree Lăng Cô’ package starts from US$735++ per villa per night with the following inclusions:
· Daily breakfast for two persons.
· Stay two consecutive nights, receive complimentary US$735 worth of hotel credits per stay.
· Stay three consecutive nights, receive complimentary US$735 worth of hotel credits per stay and private round trip transfers.

The offer is valid for bookings from now through March 30, 2013 with a minimum stay of two consecutive nights, valid for stays from November 1, 2012 through March 31, 2013.

For more information or to make a reservation, contact Banyan Tree Lăng Cô/Angsana Lăng Cô directly at +84 3695-888/+ 84 54 3695-800, email langco@banyantree.com/langco@angsana.com, or visit banyantree.com/angsana.com for online bookings.

Villa Maly offers Discover Luang Prabang package

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THROUGH September 30, Villa Maly is offering a three-night, four-day exploration package of Luang Prabang in Laos.

In addition to two nights at Villa Maly, a 33-room boutique hotel, the package includes another night at Kamu Lodge, a 20-lodge eco-resort perched on the banks of the Mekong River 35 kilometres upstream from Luang Prabang.

The Discover Luang Prabang package also includes:
· Round-trip airport transfers.
· Return transport on a long tail boat to Kamu Lodge, with a stopover at the world famous Pak Ou Caves.
· Dinner at Villa Maly.
· Massage at Kamu Lodge in a riverside sala.
· A suite of cultural activities on-site at Kamu: rice-planting, fishing, archery, tour of a Kamu village and gold panning.

Discover Luang Prabang is priced at US$174 per person based on double occupancy. This rate represents 65 per cent off regular pricing.

Villa Maly and Kamu Lodge are owned and operated by the Apple Tree Group, a French-owned company based in Ho Chi Minh City. Its other hospitality interests include La Residence Hotel & Spa in Hue, Emeraude Classic Cruises on Halong Bay and the Press Club in Hanoi, as well as the Nava Mekong in Luang Prabang.

For more details, call (856) 71-253 x 902/903/904 or email julien@appletree-asia.com

Berjaya Times Square KL appoints Mondi Mecja as GM

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Mondi Mecja

BERJAYA Times Square Hotel, Kuala Lumpur has appointed Mondi Mecja as general manager.

Mecja has more than 15 years of management experience in the hospitality industry. Most recently, he served a dual role as executive assistant manager (F&B operations) of Berjaya Times Square Hotel, Kuala Lumpur; and as group director, sales & marketing of Berjaya Hotels & Resorts.

Prior to joining Berjaya, Mecja worked in a variety of senior executive positions with Le Meridien, Kuala Lumpur and Sunway Resort Hotel & Spa, Kuala Lumpur.

IHG appoints Fergus Stewart as regional GM for Vietnam, Cambodia

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Fergus Stewart

INTERCONTINENTAL Hotels Group (IHG) has appointed Fergus Stewart as regional general manager overseeing Vietnam and Cambodia.

Based at the InterContinental Asiana Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, Stewart’s umbrella will cover flagship IHG properties including InterContinental Asiana Saigon, InterContinental Hanoi Westlake, Crowne Plaza West Hanoi, Crowne Plaza Danang, InterContinental Phnom Penh and the soon-to-open Crowne Plaza Nha Trang.

With almost 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Stewart has worked in 10 different countries across three continents during this career. His most recent role was regional general manager, Greater Tokyo Area for IHG.

Prior to joining IHG, Fergus worked with Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts and Hyatt Hotels Corporation.

Yulistine Winarti joins Coco Collection as cluster reservations manager

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Yulistine Winarti

COCO Collection has appointed Yulistine Winarti as cluster reservations manager.

Winarti was most recently the reservations manager at Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort & Spa Maldives.

She previously worked with Swissotel Hotels & Resorts in Singapore, Shanghai, Geneva, Kolkata and Bangkok, in roles ranging from guest relations officer, assistant reservation & revenue manager, to pre-opening reservations manager.

Holland America Line, Seabourn join Asia Cruise Association

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THE ASIA Cruise Association (ACA) has swelled its ranks with the inclusion of Holland America Line and Seabourn as its newest members.

Incorporated in 2009, ACA serves as a collaborative platform for industry and destinations in Asia to collectively raise consumer awareness on cruising, train travel sellers to sell cruise products, and work with regulatory bodies on solving customs, immigration and quarantine issues.

ACA chairman, Liu Zinan, said: “The addition of Holland America Line and Seabourn to ACA is a boost to our membership and industry representation. We need the collective efforts of all cruise lines and industry stakeholders to grow the Asian cruise industry.”

Steven Simao, director of International Sales for Holland America Line and Seabourn, said: “Both Holland America Line and Seabourn believe that ACA is a good conduit for cruise lines to reach out to the trade and consumers.”

“With the rising number of Asian guests travelling to other cruise regions like the Caribbean and the Mediterranean, our membership with ACA creates an important opportunity to help drive the growth of the Asian source markets.”

With the admission of Holland America Line and Seabourn, ACA now has 12 cruise line members including Azamara Club Cruises, Carnival Australia, Celebrity Cruises, Costa Cruises, Cunard, Princess Cruises, Royal Caribbean International, Silversea Cruises, Star Cruises and MSC Cruises.