| |
|
|
The Peninsular is a dual winner this year, taking out the all-important new conferences facilities category, plus the Thailand category win. The former category was included this year to recognise its importance to recovering Asia. During the recent crisis, business travel plummeted and the conferences-and-conventions market slowed. However, outstanding business hotels such as The Peninsular are in demand again. Singapore is one of the main beneficiaries of conference travel, but hotels such as The Peninsula are keen to garner an increasing share of the Asia-Pacific market.
The hotel
The Peninsula, Bangkok, prides itself on giving its guests space, with each floor of the hotel only having 10 guestrooms and two one-bedroom suites. All rooms have in-room safes, private fax machines, executive desks and voice mail. The hotel's business centre provides state-of-the-art facilities, while five function rooms (including a large ballroom) can cater for any business gathering.
OTHER FINALISTS
(THAILAND CATEGORY)
Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok
The Oriental Hotel, Bangkok
The Regent Bangkok
Shari-La Hotel, Bangkok
The Sukhotai, Bangkok
The Westin Banyan Tree
BEST BUSINESS HOTEL IN TAIWAN
Winner: Grand Hyatt Taipei
The news
Make it three out of three for the Grand Hyatt. It has won the Taiwan category of the awards since their inception -- in the process establishing the hotel as one of the region's best-known business hotels. Opened in 1990, the Grand Hyatt has enviable access to the World Trade Centre -- the corporate nerve centre of the nation. The hotel also prides itself on being Taipei's leading conference and convention centre.
The hotel
Located in the Taipei World Trade Centre complex, the Grand Hyatt Taipei has 872 rooms, all of which have voice mail, an in-room safe and satellite television channels. For those wanting to upgrade during their stay, the hotel has three Regency Club floors featuring personalised guest service, concierge and meeting rooms. The hotel has a fully equipped business centre, as well as meeting facilities for 12 to 1500 guests.
OTHER FINALISTS
Far Eastern Plaza Hotel, Taipei
Grand Formosa Regent Taipei
The Sherwood Taipei
BEST AIRPORT HOTEL IN ASIA
Winner: Pan Pacific Hotel Kuala Lumpur International Airport
The news
The Pan Pacific Hotel was the first international hotel to open at the new Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang. It has quickly developed a reputation for outstanding service of business travellers, culminating in this year's win in the Best Business Hotel Awards. The Pan Pacific is leading a trend towards top-class airports offering immediate access to airports for business executives and conference participants. Time is increasingly of the essence to such travellers -- and the Pan Pacific appears to have stolen the march on some of its rivals.
The hotel
The hotel is located adjacent to the airport terminal and control tower and is linked to the main terminal by a skybridge. Being just a five-minute walk, the location offers great convenience for time-sensitive business travellers.
The hotel has 403 luxury guestrooms and 38 exclusive suites to satisfy the needs of leisure and business travellers. Alt rooms are furnished with data/fax port and voice mail, in-room safes, and other modern facilities.
The hotel has developed special packages for busy executives who require an extended stay in Malaysia. For example, deals offer discounts on food and beverage outlets, laundry and valet services, and cheaper use of the business centre and health facilities.
The Pan Pacific also offers full and half-day meeting and seminar packages.
BEST BUSINESS HOTEL IN VIETNAM
Winner: Hilton Hanoi Opera
The news
The Hilton has this year out-performed its highly regarded Ho Chi Minh City counterpart, the Hotel Sofitel Plaza, for the top Vietnam award. Despite economic and political problems that have hindered the business environment in Vietnam, the country boasts some fine hotels that cater well for corporate travellers.
The hotel
Situated alongside the Hanoi Opera House, this hotel has been designed to capture the colonial essence of its famous neighbour. All 269 rooms in the hotel offer a view of the city or Opera House. Standard features include in-room safes, direct dial telephones, satellite channels and luxuriously fitted bathrooms. Business facilities at the Opera include two executive floors, the Clubroom Lounge and a business centre.
OTHER FINALISTS
Hotel Sofitel Metropole Hanoi
Hotel Sofitel Plaza Saigon
Omni Saigon Hotel
UPDATE: HONG KONG
AFTER TWO years of negative growth in room nights demanded, overall hotel demand in Hong Kong improved by 8 per cent in 1999.
This facilitated a rise in hotel occupancy of 3.9 per cent to reach 79 per cent during 1999 -- one of the highest in Asia during the period.
High tariff A hotels showed positive growth of 9.3 per cent in room night demand to reach 2.6 million room nights in 1999, following -12.8 per cent and -13.5 per cent growth rates in 1997 and 1998, respectively.
Investor interest has remained positive in the resilient hotel sector. But while there is substantial demand from investors and operators to enter the Hong Kong lodging market, their pricing is significantly below historic book costs and values.
SOURCE: JONES LANG LASALLE HOTELS DIGEST - ASIA.
UPDATE: INDIA
DESPITE NEGATIVE operating performance and an oversupply risk in the capital cities of New Delhi and Mumbai, investor sentiment, particularly for hotel developments in key strategic locations, remains positive.
An improvement in key economic indicators and the formation of a stable central government should positively impact the investment climate in the face of improved corporate performance.
Mumbai experienced reduced demand, with occupancies recording 59.4 per cent and 67.0 per cent for five-star deluxe and five-star properties.
Pressure on average daily rates led to reductions in revenue per available room, which recorded a 19.6 per cent decline to US$92 for five-star deluxe hotels and a 19.8 per cent decline to US$70 for five-star hotels.
SOURCE; JONES LANG LASALLE HOTELS DIGEST - AS!A
UPDATE: INDONESIA
THERE HAS been a revival of investor interest for city hotels in Jakarta and resorts in Bali following the presidential election in 1999 and the pending disposal of real estate assets taken over by the Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency (IBRA).
Potential investors in the Jakarta and Bali markets perceive it as a good time to acquire quality assets.
Hotels across all segments have experienced a difficult trading environment and falling occupancy rates.
During 1999, Jakarta's top-end five-star properties recorded a 4.7 per cent decline in occupancy to 34.5 per cent.
SOURCE: JONES LANG LASALLE HOTELS DIGEST - ASIA.
UPDATE: JAPAN
THE TOKYO hotel market has witnessed a good recovery in room revenue, but net cash flow uncertainty is hindering opportunistic acquisitions.
The government's relaxation of foreign investment guidelines and low interest rates are attractive to investors, but there is uncertainty surrounding the redesign of banquet and food and beverage businesses.
Room nights demanded have recorded a compound average annual growth of 1.5 per cent per year between 1996 and 1998, a trend that is set to continue as improved regional economic conditions stimulate travel.
The performance of four- and five-star hotels improved during 1999. The Park Hyatt set a benchmark average daily rate of 43,000 yen (US$377) in 1999.
SOURCE: JONES LANG LASALLE HOTELS DIGEST - ASIA. BEST NEW BUSINESS HOTEL IN ASIA
Winner: The Westin, Sydney
The news
The Westin opened in Sydney just a year ago, but has quickly established itself as one of the pre-eminent conference hotels in the Olympic City. Located in the heart of the CBD, the hotel does not have a harbour-side location, which means it has to work harder than some of its established five-star hotels to lure customers. The Westin seems to have the right formula. Part of a A$700-million redevelopment of the old general post office, the hotel is in an old, landmark building that combines modern interior architecture.
The hotel
There is so much glass in The Westin that housekeeping staff must have a fanatical cleaning ethic -- and there have been few complaints from guests.
Many of The Westin's 416 rooms have a picture window between the bathroom and the bedroom rather than a wall, which means guests can lie in the tub and still enjoy the view, or watch the TV in the bedroom.
Two digital and two analogue phone lines, plus a cordless phone, are standard, along with glare-free desk lamps, doonas, and high-speed internet connection.
OTHER FINALISTS
COEX Inter-Continental Seoul
Grand Copthorne Waterfront,
Singapore
Grand Hyatt Shanghai
Le Royal Meridien Bangkok
Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur
OCCUPANCY LEVELS in Singapore improved marginally to attain 74.7 per cent in 1999, up from 71.3 per cent in 1998. Those continue to improve in 2000, in spite of an anticipated 1248 new rooms in the market.
The five-star segment showed a rise of 17.3 per cent to record 82.9 per cent during the calendar period ending June 2000.
Average daily rates in the five-star segment also showed an improvement of 8.5 per cent in Singapore dollar terms to attain S$187 as at June 2000. This was in contrast to 1999, which saw average daily rates decline by 7 per cent.
SOURCE: JONES LANG LASALLE HOTELS DIGEST - ASIA.
COPYRIGHT 2000 First Charlton Communications Pty Ltd.
COPYRIGHT 2000 Gale Group
| |
|
|
© Contact