Second InterContinental hotel to land in Riyadh
IHG Hotels & Resorts will further grow its presence in Saudi Arabia with the signing of InterContinental Riyadh King Fahed Road, as part of a master development agreement with RIVA Development Company via its wholly-owned subsidiary RIVA Hospitality for Hotel Services Company.
Expected to open in March 2025, InterContinental Riyadh King Fahed Road will add to IHG’s current brand portfolio of nine operating InterContinental hotels in the Kingdom. The hotel will feature 250 guestrooms and 150-unit apartments as part of InterContinental Residences, alongside a pool, fitness centre and spa.
In addition to five dining options featuring a diverse selection of culinary delights, the hotel will also feature a business centre, as well as 784m² of meeting and events space including a 600m² ballroom.
The latest development follows the signing of Hotel Indigo Riyadh King Abdallah Road, and is the second of at least seven hotels that IHG will be opening in Saudi Arabia with RIVA Hospitality for Hotel Services Company.
IHG currently operates 38 hotels across five brands in Saudi Arabia, with a further 20 hotels in the development pipeline due to open within the next three to five years.
Hilton to open flagship hotel in Singapore’s Orchard Road
Hilton is set to debut a new flagship-branded hotel in Singapore, which will be its largest in Asia-Pacific when it opens in January 2022.
Hilton Singapore Orchard, which will offer 1,080 rooms and suites across two towers, will debut in the heart of Orchard Road following an extensive refurbishment. A conversion from the current Mandarin Orchard Singapore, Hilton Singapore Orchard is owned by OUE Commercial REIT and will be managed by Hilton.
Hotel amenities will include two 24-hour fitness centres, an outdoor pool, and an executive lounge. Five curated dining concepts will be on offer, including the award-winning Chatterbox, two Michelin-starred Shisen Hanten, an all-day dining venue, a specialty restaurant, and a lobby lounge and bar.
Hilton Singapore Orchard will also feature 16 versatile event spaces spanning more than 2,400m², including two pillarless ballrooms that can cater up to 1,000 guests and boast a dedicated pre-function area. For smaller meetings, planners can choose from 12 function rooms, and spaces around the hotel for private coffee breaks and breakout sessions.
MTC taps UNITAR to upskill tourism, hospitality workers
Malaysia Tourism Council (MTC) has signed an MoU with UNITAR International University (UNITAR) to upskill and reskill tourism and hospitality workers who have been retrenched during the pandemic to prepare them for new job opportunities once international borders reopen.
“Investment in skills upgrading and training during this downtime is critical, as we seek to enable the industry to emerge stronger and transformed in the new normal,” MTC president Uzaidi Udanis said during the online MoU signing ceremony between MTC and UNITAR.
“The travel industry in the new normal is going to be very different from what it was. Travellers will do their research and buy their travel direct, bypassing the travel agent. To stay relevant, we must change according to the needs of the market. Travel agents have to be abreast with the latest digital technology, including AI and database management.
“With this collaboration between MTC and UNITAR, workers in tourism and hospitality businesses would be able to pick up new skills and capabilities to meet future challenges.”
MTC organising chairman and deputy president, K Thangavelu, said the MoU agreement is important to MTC for three reasons. “It demonstrates our strong support for UNITAR’s efforts to expand and strengthen its tourism faculty, it harnesses our people’s capabilities to create and apply innovative reskilling and upskilling solutions, and it is an important part of our continuing contribution to industry and community development in Malaysia.”
Sahol Hamid Abu Bakar, vice chancellor of UNITAR, shared that the university is working with MTC and its key players to push Malaysia’s economic recovery plan for the tourism industry by offering hospitality-related courses to upskill employees and agency owners under MTC.
UNITAR is the first, and currently, only university to collaborate with MTC to offer a fully online learning environment for hospitality and tourism education. The Hospitality and Tourism Department at UNITAR will offer Diploma in Tourism Management, Diploma in Hotel Management, Bachelor of Hospitality Management, and Masters in Hospitality Management.
Tokyo Olympics bans spectators amid Covid-19 emergency
The Olympics Games in Japan will take place without spectators in host city Tokyo, as a spike in Covid-19 cases forced the country to declare a state of emergency in the capital that will run throughout the Games.
The announcement was made by Olympics minister Tamayo Marukawa on Thursday (July 8), following discussions with officials and organisers.
Prime minister Yoshihide Suga told reporters the state of emergency would run from July 12 until August 22, BBC reported. During this period, restaurants and bars in Tokyo will not be allowed to serve alcohol.
Venues in Tokyo and other areas near the capital city will not allow spectators at their Olympic events, said the report. However, stadiums in the regions of Fukushima, Miyagi and Shizuoka will be permitted to have spectators up to 50 per cent of capacity and up to 10,000 people.
Following talks between government officials, Tokyo organisers and Games representatives, Tokyo 2020 president Seiko Hashimoto said: “It is regrettable that we are delivering the Games in a very limited format, facing the spread of coronavirus infections. I am sorry to those who purchased tickets and everyone in local areas.”
Japan’s bid to continue with the Olympics amid a worsening pandemic situation has drawn widespread criticism from the public, which has called for the Games to be postponed or cancelled.
In announcing the state of emergency, Suga said the number of Covid-19 infections in Tokyo were on the rise, due in part to the highly infectious Delta-variant. “We absolutely must avoid Tokyo being the starting point again of another spread of the infection,” he told a news conference.
The Olympic Games is due to take place in Tokyo between July 23 and August 8.
Parkroyal Collection Marina Bay, Singapore
Location
Parkroyal Collection Marina Bay, Singapore stands tall in Singapore’s thriving Marina Bay area, which extends from the Central Business District, gifting its guests some of the most stunning views of modern Singapore.
Interior sights are just as alluring, as the property adopts a garden-in-a-hotel concept, packing in 15,000m2 of lush vertical gardens and 2,400 indoor plants. More than just a garden for the senses, the hotel has also built a garden that feeds its guests. The hotel’s own urban farm grows herbs, edible flowers and vegetables that are harvested and used for cooking at all-day dining restaurant Peppermint.
Perfect for business and leisure guests, the hotel is a stone’s throw from Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre and Marina Square shopping mall, where there are several themed attractions for children, and a short car ride to Sands Expo & Convention Centre and the Orchard Road shopping district.
Its location along the scenic bay also grants the more active of guests a memorable running route, starting from the iconic F1 Pit Building and following the bay’s curve round to the Esplanade, Fullerton Bay, Marina Bay Sands, Helix Bridge and closing the loop back at the hotel.
Rooms
The hotel offers 583 keys across 10 room categories, from the entry level Urban Room, which spans 31-33m2, right to the crème de la crème 199m2 Parkroyal Collection Suite.
My two-night staycation with the children was spent in the Signature Marina Bay Suite – an impressive unit with equally spacious dining/living room and sleeping quarters equipped with a king bed. The private balcony is a bonus, allowing us an aural and visual preview of the upcoming National Day Parade that will be held on August 9 at The Float@ Marina Bay, right across the hotel.
The Signature Marina Bay Suite, a Collection Club rooms and suites selection, comes with the usual luxury trappings expected of accommodation in this category – privileged access to the Collection Club Lounge, Nespresso coffee machine, ensuite bathroom with both shower and bath, premium bath amenities, large workspace and a stable, complimentary Wi-Fi connection, and more. The in-room filtered water tap that provides a steady flow of clean drinking water is an excellent feature.
F&B
With dining restrictions still enforced during our stay, most of our meals were enjoyed in the comfort of our suite.
IRIS, the digital concierge, allows me to order all our meals via a QR code. In fact, IRIS is also the one to go to for extra room amenities, facility bookings – a new normal for hotel stays, so as to ensure capacity limits are adhered to – and destination information.
There is a good selection of in-room meals, with tasty options for all ages. It is good to see that the hotel has made meat-less options a staple on the menu, no longer a special order for those pursuing an environmentally-conscious lifestyle. Sustainably-sourced ingredients are also highlighted, giving guests a choice to cut their carbon footprint through their meals.
On the second night, we had dinner inside a beautiful greenhouse that is Peppermint. Due to on-going dining restrictions that prohibit self-serve buffets, Peppermint offers an a la carte buffet where diners will choose their desired dishes online and have their food served to them beautifully plated.
There were far more dishes than our belly could contain, from sashimi and seafood poached rice to spiced crabs and barbecue beef belly. Most important of all, every dish pleased our palate.
I give Peppermint extra points for having a halal-certified kitchen and buffet stations.
Besides Peppermint, the hotel is home to famed Cantonese restaurant Peach Blossoms, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Sushi Jiro and Skyline Bar.
I’m saving my favourite F&B experience for last – cocktails at the Atrium Lounge. This is a calming flora-encased venue on the fourth floor, with skylight streaming in from high above, giving it a hidden paradise vibe. There are even pipe-in bird songs to complete the garden-in-a-hotel concept. Patrons can choose to sit at the bar and learn from chatty mixologists Michael and Julie about the botanical-inspired cocktails that the Atrium Lounge specialises in or cosy up on arm chairs in quiet corners. The hotel’s highly Instagramable nest pods, where small parties could gather for a drink or two, are strewn around the Atrium Lounge.
Atrium Lounge will be rebranded as Portman’s Bar, paying tribute to the hotel’s first architect John Portman, come August.
For Collection Club floor guests with young children, access to the adult-only Collection Club lounge is replaced with complimentary afternoon treats and evening cocktails at the Atrium Lounge. I think that is a wonderful exchange!
Facilities
The hotel plays its surroundings to its advantage. The Collection Club Lounge, pool and gym on level five present picturesque views of the Marina Bay skyline.
An open lawn occupies a space between the Collection Club Lounge and the pool deck, fringed with oversized ottomans for guests to laze on with a book or a mug of beer. I was told that more furniture will be brought in soon, to give that space a beach club vibe.
There are two mineral water pools on offer – a kiddy splash pool shaded by towering plants and a deeper one for adults to do laps. There are plenty of loungers around, including kid-sized ones. At night, 1,380 fibre-optic lights on the bottom of the pool transform the facility into a starry galaxy.
What is a rejuvenating hotel stay without a spa treatment? For this, guests can escape to St Gregory Spa.
A selection of meeting and function spaces are available, spanning over 18,580m2, with the largest being the pillar-free Garden Ballroom at 767m2.
Service
Contactless service offered through the IRIS digital concierge is a boon in pandemic times. The occasional human service interaction appears to be carefully orchestrated to ensure guests are given as much safe distance and privacy as they desire.
For example, our room service meal deliveries were completed swiftly, with minimal conversation. At Peppermint, used plates were cleared in good time, and service staff popped by occasionally to check if we needed attention.
We checked out on Sunday, along with many other families, and the process was over in under 10 minutes.
Verdict
Children make the most brutal critics, but my boys gave the staycation two thumbs up. We enjoyed the suite, slept in longer than we usually would, took long strolls around the indoor gardens, and relished every meal. The hotel works great for family sojourns, and I can imagine it will do well for workations too.
In my books, the hotel scores top marks for its biophilic design, which I found to be a real treat for the eyes and soul.
Number of rooms 583
Rates Published rates from S$1,000 (US$739.80) for Urban Room; current BAR from US$198.46
Contact details
Tel: +65 6845 1000
Email: enquiry.prsmb@parkroyalhotels.com
Website: www.panpacific.com/en/hotels-and-resorts/pr-collection-marina-bay.html
tiket.com adopts NDC with Amadeus
Indonesia’s tiket.com has become the first OTA in South-east Asia to adopt the New Distribution Capability (NDC) programme to drive modern retailing, in a landmark partnership with Amadeus.
tiket.com will be able to access NDC offers from carriers which are connected on the Amadeus Travel Platform, such as special seat selection, baggage, and other personalised offerings. It will also be able to source additional NDC-enabled content available on Amadeus Travel Platform using the Amadeus Travel API.
Commenting on the NDC move, Andi Hendrawan, senior vice president of commercial, tiket.com, said: “It’s a key milestone I believe will help us at tiket.com to increase our transaction volume capability, system cost efficiency and accuracy. This partnership will solidify our position as the leading and pioneer OTA in Indonesia and provide our clients with offerings that are relevant at a time when travellers are getting eager to return to the skies.”
Sebastien Gibergues, vice president, online travel Asia Pacific region, Amadeus, reaffirms the company’s commitment to advancing the NDC programme and adoption. He said: “NDC is a key strategic priority for us, and we are excited to be working with tiket.com leveraging our investment in NDC technology for both travel sellers and airlines.”
Jakarta trade cries for government help during activity restrictions
Hospitality and F&B players in Jakarta are calling on the government for financial help as Java and Bali begin two-week emergency public activity restrictions (PPKM), which have triggered massive cancellations amid an intense price war that has already dented earnings.
Sutrisno Iwantoro, Indonesia Hotel and Restaurant Association (IHRA) Jakarta chapter chairman, projected that the latest lockdown would result in hotel occupancies dropping from the current 20-40 per cent to an even more dismal 10-15 per cent.
He said this would put even greater pressure on hotels, which have slashed rates by 29 per cent between January and May this year to compete for business. With earnings reduced, operational budgets are stretched.
IHRA hopes the government would offer a 30 to 50 per cent waiver on electricity bills for members, remove the minimum charge requirement for electricity, order discounted rental for restaurants in shopping malls closed during PPKM, ease taxes, and provide cash support for hospitality and F&B employees who are burdened with unpaid leave.
Beside the new list of requests, Sutrisno highlighted that the National Disaster Mitigation Agency has yet to pay out 140 billion rupiah (US$9.7 million) to 14 hotels assigned to the government’s hotel quarantine programme for five months.
The delayed payment has resulted in cash flow problems for affected hotels, he shared.
Rully Rifai, IHRA Jakarta chapter deputy chairman, who oversees restaurant members, added: “With this lockdown, there is nothing we can do but expect the government to help. It is certain that restaurant employees will be sent home first, and if no government assistance is offered soon, the next step could be layoffs.”
The Pavilions Hotels & Resorts welcomes cryptocurrency transactions
Hotel bookings at The Pavilions Hotels & Resorts can now be paid for with cryptocurrency from any country, following the company’s partnership with leading global crypto-payment gateway, Coindirect.
Some of the virtual currencies accepted under this arrangement include Bitcoin and Ethereum. Cryptocurrency payment will first be made available for direct bookings through each hotel’s reservations centre, with plans to introduce it to online booking engines in the near future.
“We are proud to lead the industry and enhance ourselves in the digital world with this exciting new crypto payment method available at all of our unique and distinct hotels and resorts across the globe,” said Gordon Oldham, founder & owner, The Pavilions Hotels & Resorts.
Jesse Hemson-Struthers, CEO and co-founder of Coindirect, commented: “We pride ourselves on providing partners a platform for instant secure payments with over 40 Cryptocurrencies; this was a critical factor for The Pavilions Hotels & Resorts to ensure the end-to-end payment service is safe, flexible and easy for guests, when booking their next experience at any of The Pavilions Hotels & Resorts’ across the globe.”
The Pavilions Hotels & Resorts has a portfolio of hotels in 14 locations across the globe, with recent openings being The Pavilions Anana Krabi in Thailand and The Pavilions El Nido, Palawan Island in the Philippines.
New garden attraction blooms at teamLab Planets Tokyo
To mark its third anniversary, sensorial attraction teamLab Planets Tokyo has launched a new Garden Area featuring two artworks that invite visitors to interact with orchid blooms and shiny ovoids.
One of the two artworks is set in a garden with more than 13,000 live orchids blooming in mid-air. The other is a moss garden filled with ovoids that shine and resonate when pushed by people or blown by the wind.
With the latest additions, teamLab Planets Tokyo now houses 10 artworks across four massive exhibition spaces and two gardens.
teamLab galleries are known for immersing visitors into artworks, blurring the boundary between the physical self and the art pieces.
teamLab Planets Tokyo is open all day, from 10.00 to 20.00 Mondays to Fridays, and 09.00 to 20.00 on weekends and holidays in July. Admission and exhibition hours are subject to change.
The IATA has launched a global Mobility Aids Action Group to improve the transport and handling of mobility aids, including wheelchairs, for travellers with disabilities.
The Action Group will be the first-of-its-kind aimed at tackling issues around the safe and secure transport of mobility aids. It will also provide advice and recommendations to airlines and other stakeholders concerning the establishment of policy, process and standards related to the handling and transport of mobility aids.
“Every year, thousands of wheelchairs are transported safely by air. However, damage or loss is still occurring. And when it does, it is devastating to the passenger as these devices are more than equipment – they are extensions of their body and essential to their independence. We acknowledge that we are not where we want to be on this as an industry,” said Willie Walsh, director general of IATA.
“This is why we want to do something about it on a global level, not through setting up a talking shop, but by bringing the key groups together to take practical action.”
Uniquely, the Mobility Aids Action Group will involve the full range of stakeholders impacted by this issue, including accessibility organisations (representing travellers with disabilities), airlines, ground service providers, airports and mobility aids manufacturers. It will be the first time a mobility aids manufacturer will be invited to participate in an IATA task force.
Despite the Covid-19 crisis, IATA and its member airlines have worked with the accessibility community to move the priority of accessible air travel forward through a number of efforts. These include developing new practical guidance to shape airline policy given new health and safety measures, and guidance for face mask policies for travellers with accessibility needs.
“According to World Health Organization, there are more than a billion people living with disabilities. And with aging populations in countries around the world, travellers with disabilities will be a growing customer segment for airlines,” said Walsh.
“With this action group as part of the industry’s other accessibility initiatives, we want to continue on this journey to make the freedom to fly more inclusive – while continuing to work with the accessibility community every step of the way.”