I stayed multiple times at the former Hotel InterContinental Hong Kong, which is now Regent Hong Kong, as it was from 1980 to 2001 before it became InterContinental.
Brands may change, but great hotels don’t. This hotel has always been special because of its location on the edge of Victoria Harbour, which makes guests feel as if they are on a cruise absorbing the most splendid views of the harbour and Hong Kong skyline.
It’s also special because it’s a dining destination before the catchphrase was even invented. Then there’s that grand marble staircase leading to the ballroom that has witnessed many life moments. Service is courteous, caring and always consistent.
It is special because of its history. The hotel isn’t the first Regent hotel in the world, but it’s the one that made Regent famous. Robert Burns, who founded Regent, along with Adrian Zecha and Georg Rafael, reinvented luxury in the 80s with this hotel. Their vision was to create an innovative product that blends the best of Asian and Western hospitality. Put together three hotel supremos – an American, Asian and European – innovate they did, and the hotel captured the imagination of world travellers at a time fascination with the exotic Far East was rising.
Regent gave us what we take as a given in luxury hotels today, i.e., the five-fixture bathroom – bathtub, walk-in shower, separate toilet and two sinks. It eschewed the opulence of traditional grand hotels for something “simple yet elegant, modern yet timeless, global yet local”, in the words of Steven Pan, chairman of Regent Hotels & Resorts and owner of Regent Taipei, in a chat with me at the grand opening event on November 8.
But Regent went into wrong hands several times in its history. Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts bought it, only to reflag Regent hotels in the choicest locations such as Bali as Four Seasons. Radisson put the brand on its cruise line, Regent Seven Seas Cruises.
Were it to go into wrong hands again, Regent might be history. Fortunately, there’s a new ‘trio’ to reignite Regent, namely the brand’s new ownership under a joint venture between IHG and Steven Pan, and Gaw Capital Partners, which led the acquisition of the InterContinental in 2015 and its rebranding as Regent Hong Kong today.
A royally expensive renovation of Regent Hong Kong, believed to cost US$300 million, reflects the hotel owners’ commitment to reproduce the original top quality Regent hotel, yet one that will appeal to new travellers.
As Tom Rowntree, IHG’s vice president global luxury & lifestyle brands, told me, many of the great brands that exist today were built on the traditional cues of luxury, which no longer resonate with today’s clientele. Moreover, majority of wealth previously was inherited; today, it is earned, he said. That changes the way today’s new rich consume luxury – less formality, for instance, and more tailor-made to the individual rather than rigid conventions as in the past.
The new Regent Hong Kong is sleek, stylish and sensuous in elegant and quiet ways. There’s a distinct air of sophisticated modern Asia about it, a nod to its location. It also shows us how functionality and beauty can work well together. I’ve been to luxury hotels which are beautiful but utterly impractical, and others that are functional but sadly plain.
The overriding design of Regent Hong Kong is more ‘zen‘ than I expected. That was the plan; it’s listening to people’s desire for more moments of calm and well-being.
“Our property defines itself as ‘quiet luxury’, ‘serene environment’, ‘urban sanctuary’ and the designers (led by Chi Wing Lo) have achieved this. Then we bring in decadence through sumptuous dining, among many other ways,” said Michel Chertouh, Regent Hong Kong’s managing director.
Regent is back on an even keel because there’s a lot of love for the brand, a kind of fervour rarely seen in a hotel world overflowing with brands.
It reminds us that the industry is a better place if brands are meaningful and treasured, not a means for quick conversions or expansion.
TA Network brings together Asia-Pacific’ leading travel wholesalers, operators and DMCs onto a single platform, and fulfils direct supplier contracting, real-time connections, improved inventory management, and software integration services.
Location
Vacationers can also island hop around Nha Trang Bay to Monkey Island, Hòn Mun Island and Yến Island, as well as discover the city’s rich heritage and distinct architecture, including the Long Son pagoda-the largest pagoda in Nha Trang with its 78-foot-tall Buddha statue, as well as a wide variety of local seafood and delicacies with age-old recipes.
What is your background like, and what led you to this role? Were you always so passionate about tourism?
Whoosh, Indonesia’s first high-speed train that runs from Jakarta to Bandung, has resulted in heightened tourist interest in Bandung and the surrounding areas, say Indonesian travel trade players.
Nuning Widya, director of Mentari Tour, said Whoosh itself is now an attraction among domestic and South-east Asian tourists.
Her agency will receive a couple of groups with about 100 pax from South-east Asia for a three- to five-day Jakarta-Bandung tour this month. These travellers will utilise Whoosh.
Marintur Indonesia has also started accepting bookings that include Whoosh rides. Its managing director, Hasiyanna Ashadi, said tourists are eager to arrive earlier and experience the new speed rail. Furthermore, Whoosh allows a wider variety of tours to be created on the Jakarta-Bandung route.
However, both leaders expressed concerns about the feeder services that joins the end of Whoosh, bringing passengers from Tegalluar, the last Whoosh stop, into Bandung city. At this point, there are limited feeder services and the schedule is said to be unreliable – travel into Bandung city could run the risk of delays.
To resolve this issue during the ongoing train service trial period, Nuning said her agency would pick guests up from Tegalluar station and rely on the toll road to transport them to Bandung city.
“Travel by toll road is still faster than when clients land in Kertajati International Airport or use buses from Jakarta to Bandung which can take three to five hours,” she said.
A Whoosh ticket is priced from 300, 000 rupiah (US$19), which includes a feeder train service to and from Bandung. A 50 per cent discount is applied for the month of November.
Nuning said that without the fare promotion and with the unreliable feeder train service, her guests would have to pay more to get to Bandung, as an extra fee is applied for the Tegalluar station pick-up by car.
She pointed out that current travel options between Jakarta and Bandung have their own pros and cons. While the cost of a Whoosh plus Tegalluar station pick-up arrangement is more expensive than a Jakarta-Bandung shuttle bus service, which costs US$10 to US$20, travellers would still save on travel time. Whoosh cuts the journey from Jakarta to Bandung from three hours by car to just 45 minutes.
A domestic flight from Jakarta to Bandung is the most expensive option.
In time to come, Hasiyanna believes that Whoosh will attract European and American tourists who enjoy overland trips.
Hasiyanna added: “Whoosh gives more tour options. Overland programmes usually go directly to Yogyakarta or Semarang, but Whoosh gives travellers a chance to stop by Bandung and enjoy the surrounding areas.”
Jongki Adiyasa, executive director of Ina Leisure Tour and Travel, hopes that the speed rail will soon extend across Java and include routes to Surabaya.
“It would be a game changer for Indonesia, and an important force in leading the development of Indonesia’s tourism sector,” he remarked.
Whoosh commenced commercial operations at the start of October, offering 600 seats across three classes. Its maximum speed is 350kph. Starting from Halim railway station in East Jakarta, Whoosh passes through Karawang and Padalarang stations before stopping at Tegalluar on the outskirts of Bandung City.
Indonesian president Joko Widodo hailed it as “a symbol of Indonesia modernisation in public transport that is environmentally friendly”.