Hyatt expands in India, South-west Asia with eight new hotels
Hyatt Hotels Corporation is expanding its brand portfolio in India and South-west Asia, with a robust pipeline of eight new properties that are expected to open across various leisure and city destinations in 2024.
This year, Hyatt’s brand expansion in India and South-west Asia will continue with its Hyatt Regency, Hyatt Place and Hyatt Centric brands, as well as the entry of the JdV by Hyatt brand in India with the recent opening of Ronil Goa.
Ronil Goa – a JdV by Hyatt Hotel features 12 guest houses comprising 135 guestrooms, including four suites. The hotel supports sustainable practices like wooden sustainable key cards, VRV systems, sensor lights, a sewage treatment plant and a water treatment plant, among other practices.
Hyatt Regency Kasauli is in close proximity to Kasauli, a favoured hill station and retreat in north India, popular for holidays, weekend getaways and retreats. The property will offer sweeping views of the destination with 89 rooms and suites, F&B options, lounge, event venues, outdoor swimming pool, spa, and fitness centre.
Other openings include 120-key Hyatt Regency Ghaziabad in the Delhi NCR region; Hyatt Place Aurangabad offering 150 guestrooms; first hotel in Bangladesh, Hyatt Place Dhaka Uttara, with 85 keys; the 110-room Hyatt Place Haridwar nearby the historic temples and gardens of Haridwar; Hyatt Centric Ballygunge Kolkata 93 guestrooms and suites; and the second Hyatt Centric hotel in Bengaluru, Hyatt Centric Hebbal Bengaluru, which will offer 152 rooms, suites and long-stay rooms.
Singapore builds national service-themed gallery
Singapore’s scenic Marina Bay area will welcome a new landmark in 2027 – the NS Square, a space that takes in a national service-themed gallery, venues for large-scale events, and public recreational facilities.
The highlight is a gallery that showcases the history of the Singapore Armed Forces, the Singapore Police Force and Singapore Civil Defence Force national servicemen through multimedia platforms and exhibits.
Construction has begun for NS Square, replacing the Marina Bay floating platform, a venue on the bay that once hosted 11 National Day Parades.
Other facilities include a permanent stage deck and 30,000-seat grandstand; a water sports centre to support dragon boating, canoeing and kayaking; and a public waterfront promenade.
According to the Ministry of Defence and Ministry of National Development, the circular grandstand can be configured for different events such as concerts and sports competitions, or used for recreation and weekend markets.
Woha Architects leads the project as design consultant.
New hotels: The Ritz-Carlton Ras Al Khaimah, Al Wadi Desert, Sydney Central and more
The Ritz-Carlton Ras Al Khaimah, Al Wadi Desert, the UAE
New at The Ritz-Carlton Ras Al Khaimah, Al Wadi Desert are the ultra-luxury Signature Villas – eight private villas boasting 490m² of living space, for guests to enjoy a luxurious stay.
Guests can choose from four Sunrise Signature Pool Villas or four Sunset Signature Pool Villas, both of which come with a private butler, master bedroom with floor-to-ceiling windows, freestanding bathtub, outdoor shower, private terrace, complimentary minibar, an infinity pool with pool deck, fitness studio, and more.
Activities available include daily falcon and owl interaction, equestrian rides, and stargazing adventures.
Sydney Central, Australia
Situated in the heart of the dynamic and culturally diverse Haymarket, Sydney Central provides easy access to dining, shopping and entertainment options, with Central Station, the Light Rail network, and International Convention Centre and Capitol Theatre just close by.
Accommodation includes standard, superior and executive rooms, with amenities comprising a restaurant and bar, rooftop pool, gym, carpark, and event venues.
Parkroyal A’Famosa Melaka Resort, Malaysia
The 213-key Parkroyal A’Famosa Melaka Resort provides guests with a view of the tropical gardens and a nearby 27-hole golf course with an al fresco balcony in all rooms.
The hotel facilities include F&B offerings, pool lounge, swimming pool, kids’ pool, kids’ playroom, spa and gym. There is also a grand ballroom which accommodates up to 700 guests, and seven meeting rooms.
The resort is located just a short drive away from the UNESCO Heritage site of Melaka city, and attractions such as A’Famosa Waterworld and Safari Wonderland, Freeport A’Famosa Outlet & Coach Airways.
DoubleTree by Hilton Bengaluru Whitefield, India
The 180-room DoubleTree by Hilton Bengaluru Whitefield is located in the Whitefield neighbourhood in Bengaluru, the city’s first tech corridor connected to the Namma Metro system.
Onsite are three dining venues, fitness centre, rooftop pool, a pillar-less Grand Ballroom which accommodates 200 guests, and meeting rooms. There are also electric vehicle charging points available.
Just a 15-minute drive from the hotel are the Phoenix Marketcity and VR Bengaluru shopping malls.
Alex Schellenberger helms as SVP, Brand at Mandarin Oriental
Mandarin Oriental has appointed Alex Schellenberger as its senior vice president, brand.
The German national has over two decades in global luxury brand building, storytelling and brand experience roles, and brings insights and expertise to this newly-created global role.
Based in Hong Kong, Schellenberger will be also be joining the Group Leadership Team.
La Vie Hotels & Resorts welcomes new cluster GM, Sri Lanka
Kristofer Quadros has been named cluster general manager, Sri Lanka, of La Vie Hotels & Resorts.
In his new role, Quadros will be responsible for managing the strategic performance and operations of Radisson Hotel Colombo, Radisson Blu Resort Galle and Radisson Hotel Kandy.
With more than 25 years of management experience across the globe including Maldives, Dubai and Indonesia, he was most recently general manager of Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa.
Competition brings to light exciting Hong Kong tours
Six tours – out of 700 – have emerged winners in the Deeper into Hong Kong: Creative Itinerary Design Competition, which seeks to identify creative ways to showcase Hong Kong to travellers.
The competition, jointly organised by the Tourism Commission and Travel Industry Council (TIC), featured six contest themes and attracted 700 entries put forward by 135 travel agents. Tour ideas that entered into the competition included camping at fish farm in Sai Kung, peace bun workshop on Cheung Chau island, and a boat trip to see unique rock formations in the Hong Kong Geopark.
Amid stiff competition, the six tours that claimed the top prize in each theme were: Going Far Far Away – Exploring the enchanting Sha Tau Kok, Lai Chi Wo and Mui Tsz Lam by Walk in Hong Kong; Fun Water Adventure: Sai Kung Star Gazing and Marine Exploration by NDS Travel; Legacy of Joy: Cheung Chau Cultural Tour by Pok Yat Travel Company; HK Pop Culture: 100% Hong Kong by HR Travelling; Journey Through National History: A Story of History and Tong Lau by Toudays Travel Technology; and Unconventional Journey: 2-day Hong Kong Urban Legends Tour by Ambition Travel.
The winners not only took home a prize, but their winning tours also earn listings on the websites of both Hong Kong Tourism Board and TIC to attract enquiries and bookings.
Gianna Hsu, chairman of co-organiser TIC, said: “We encourage travel agents to design quality in-depth tours of distinct themes that display the east-meet-west culture and different faces of Hong Kong. Such tours will enhance the city’s competitiveness and lengthen visitors’ stay duration.”
Hsu noted that the competition attracted a wide range of agents, in addition to familiar players.
Commenting on his winning entry, Paul Chan, CEO and co-founder of Walk in Hong Kong, told TTG Asia: “Only a million out of seven million people in Hong Kong have been to Sha Tau Kok. The overnight tour promotes insightful experiences via interaction with villagers through workshops, guided tour, and activities.”
Kenji Tsang, outbound and inbound department manager of Ambition Travel, hoped that his winning tour would allow urban legends to remain with more generations to come, and entice young FITs to join guided tours while in Hong Kong.
Philippines, Austria strengthen tourism ties
The Philippines is aiming to beef up tourism cooperation with Austria, through a Memorandum of Tourism Cooperation, to capture more visitors from the emerging European source market.
In 2023, the Philippines saw an 89 per cent recovery rate of visitor arrivals from Austria at 13,180, compared to the 14,840 arrivals in 2019.
Philippines Department of Tourism (DoT) secretary Christina Garcia Frasco said the Memorandum of Tourism Cooperation with Austria will mutually grow the tourism numbers of the two countries; exchange best practices in culture, heritage, and retirement tourism; strengthen sustainable tourism frameworks and upskilling programmes in hospitality; and facilitate the enhanced connectivity between the two.
She added: “We acknowledge the opportunity to strengthen the market; we also wish to maximise the opportunity to educate and inform Austrians about our tourism products in the Philippines which are of great interest to Europeans, including our beaches, dive sites, adventure offerings, and experiential travel across our islands and among our diverse communities.”
The Philippines and Austria currently benefit from tourism talent exchanges.
According to Austria’s state secretary for tourism Susanne Kraus-Winkler, the largest employment sectors for Filipinos in Austria “are in tourism and care”, with almost a quarter of the Filipino diaspora in Austria currently working in the tourism sector.
Kraus-Winkler likewise broached the conclusion of a “working holiday programme” provided for in the Memorandum of Understanding that was signed in Manila between the Austrian and Philippine Governments in October 2023.
“Tourism generally benefits from working holiday programmes, as young people want to gain experience in tourism worldwide. Experience has shown that young people often also want to explore the country where they are working and go on vacation during their stay of up to one year. We want to further expand the good cooperation between Austria and the Philippines in the field of tourism and promote the mobility of young people,” she said, adding that Austria is “looking forward to the talks on the rapid implementation of a working holiday programme, as we were recently able to conclude with the US.”
Kata Group implements a facelift with Beyond Series
Kata Group, said to be one of Phuket’s oldest hotel chains, has embarked on a trio of mega projects to reflect the company’s pursuit of market relevance and stronger presence. It has opened Beyond Skywalk Nangshi in December 2023, an 800 million baht (US$22.18 million) resort and skywalk destination, implemented a 300 million baht rebrand for Beyond Kata resort titled Colors of Beyond, and launched the Beyond Series which sees its existing portfolio segmented into three distinct categories.
Commenting on Colors of Beyond, Sassitt Thavornvongwongse, assistant vice president of commercial strategy for Kata Group and Beyond Resorts Thailand, said the rebrand is forward-looking to tap the new generation of travellers.
“Colors of Beyond is a refresh of the brand – not to leave (behind) our current customer groups, but to make it a little more attractive for the next generation of travellers who will be our guests for the next 20 to 25 years,” he said.
The 300 million baht investment will elevate Beyond Kata into a premier beachside resort on Kata Beach, catering to families and business events.
As for Beyond Series, Sassitt said there would now be three distinct series: the tranquil Mountain Series, the serene Sea Series, and the vibrant City Series.
Also new is Beyond Skywalk Nangshi, the group’s ninth property, as part of the Mountain Series. This is a 57-room hotel boasting what is now Thailand’s tallest and longest glass-floor walkway 80m above sea level overlooking Phang Nga Bay. It is situated near Samet Nangshe Viewpoint, about a 45-minutes’ drive from Phuket International Airport.
Sassitt shared that the group plans to renovate many properties in its portfolio, while looking out for new property locations in the Andaman region – Phuket, Phang Ngai, Krabi.
Ideal locations would be “very popular tourist destinations” and prime areas preferably not too far from the beach, he shared.
Big concerts, big lessons: how hotels can win over music fans
Singapore’s music scene is booming! With chart-topping artists drawing in record-breaking crowds, the city is becoming a magnet for music fans across South-east Asia. This surge in concertgoers presents a golden opportunity for hotels to transform themselves into more than just a place to sleep. By creating immersive experiences that cater directly to the concert buzz, hotels can not only fill rooms but also turn these temporary guests into lifelong fans of their brand.
Coldplay’s six sold-out shows in January at Singapore’s National Stadium was the first major music event of 2024, drawing thousands of fans across the region. The concert series is the start of what is expected to be an incredibly strong year for international arrivals to Singapore. International arrivals in January 2024 were 1.44 million people, a 54.2 per cent increase from last January (0.93 million); however, it is still down from the pre-pandemic high in January 2020 by 14.79 per cent (1.69 million).
While Coldplay set records for the number of tickets sold in a single day and was the first to play six nights at the National Stadium, Taylor Swift’s sold-out shows in March took the city-state by storm, as 22 million people vied for the 300,000 available tickets.
These performances are massive opportunities for hotels to shine, as the occupancy rates reached 72.8 per cent during the Coldplay performance dates and 88.7 per cent during Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, the highest level since mid-June 2023. When musical events come to Singapore, it is not only the fans that benefit but the entire hospitality sector.
With more A-list artists, including Bruno Mars, scheduled to come in 2024, hotels and restaurants cannot be passive in their approach but must capitalise on the opportunity to create unique experiences, special packages, or collaborations.
Creating experiences that resonate with music fans
Hotels should curate immersive branded hotel rooms that stream the performer’s music and have specialised lighting, wall art, pillows, throws, amenities, and other items unique to the event and transportation to the venue. Ideally, this would also include tickets to the concert, access to exclusive events, meet-and-greets, backstage tours, or the ability to listen to new musical tracks before public release.
Outside of the guestroom, hotels need to create specialised events and spaces throughout the property. The lobby should offer themed drinks, including non-alcoholic and alcoholic versions named to either the tour or popular tracks, and merchandise tables with posters, shirts, and albums. The restaurant should have specials catering to the fans and the dietary restrictions of those flying in for the event.
The pool should include themed pool towels and music; the bar should include either a cover band or karaoke; the spa should have packages including glittery nail polish for younger fans and themed manicures for everyone else. The hotel must create the feeling that the musical event is happening at their hotel at every turn.
Go beyond the hotel room
Off-property, the hotel should partner with other companies to create unique experiences, as the guest spending outside of the price of the concert ranges between four to five times what they paid for the ticket; there are ample opportunities for shared revenue partnerships.
Hotels could work with Universal Studios Singapore to provide Universal Express and branded event merchandise and get up and close with the animals at the Singapore Zoo; themed night safaris or aquarium tickets can increase sales, bring together like-minded individuals in town for the performance, and create a lasting memorable experience.
Capitalising on the significant music events playing in Singapore can boost the hotel’s bottom line and create lifelong memories that the guest will look to recreate when their favourite musician plays on the subsequent tour. It is not enough to only increase the room prices to match demand; it must include value-added products, services, and even bespoke packages they could only get if they stay at the property.
Crafting different levels of packages and external partners that can be easily modified for the specific group or performer will ensure that hotels can launch the package immediately when a particular tour is announced. Hotels must diversify their packages and rooms to become the ideal location for those flying in for the event.
Accor Plus, the premier subscription loyalty programme by Accor, has launched its biggest campaign of the year, Get Away with It, where travellers can save up to 25 per cent off annual memberships for a limited time only.
Get Away with It not only invites travellers to explore the benefits and privileges that await them in their Accor hotel stays and travel experiences with the programme, but also positions Accor Plus as the “ultimate travel hack” for savvy travellers seeking more value, privileges, and experiences from their journeys across Australia, New Zealand, and Asia.
Accor Plus CEO, Renae Trimble, said: “Despite the challenges posed by the cost of living crisis, travellers continue to prioritise travel experiences and now seek more value from their travel and hotel choices. Get Away with It aims to address this need by showcasing the genuine value and unparalleled experiences that Accor Plus offers its members.”
From now till March 31, travellers can save 25 per cent off Accor Plus memberships with a range of options to suit their needs, including Traveller, Explorer, Discovery and Business Explorer. Prices start from US$224 per year.