Play up the luxe factor at your event with these memorable experiences
Sassoon House’s great revival
Pacific World China is able to revive the swinging heydays of the Fairmont Peace Hotel in Shanghai, when former owner Sir Victor Sassoon, a prominent British businessman, hosted many glamorous dance parties in the 1920s and 1930s.
A two-and-a-half-day Great Gatsby-themed event can be created – just as Pacific World China did for a client’s 110-pax group – complete with a cocktail cruise on the Huangpu River with themed decorations, vintage car, and side car ride around the city.
This was followed by an exclusive afternoon high tea party at the former British Embassy and the International Financier’s Club, a guest historian speaker to talk about the art deco of Shanghai, and a grand gala dinner and dance party where a top band performed hit music of the era and a series of songs which were specially composed for the event.
Price US$2,000 per pax (excluding accommodation)
A taste of vintage Cognac
The St. Regis Macao’s A Taste of 1904 programme is created around exquisite Cognac vintages, with guests getting an exclusive opportunity to enjoy five varieties of Cognac from recent vintages to the oldest dating back to 1904.
The oldest vintage was bottled in the same year the legendary St. Regis New York was founded. The St. Regis Macao scoured the world to find a supreme Cognac bottled in 1904 exclusively for the hotel’s grand opening.
Following the tasting session, guests will adjourn to dinner in The Penthouse Kitchen, the exclusive private dining area of The Manor restaurant.
Price MOP3,088 (US$383) per person, for at least eight pax; maxmium of 30 pax
Southern Ocean Lodge
Perched atop the limestone cliffs of South Australia’s Kangaroo Island is the opulent Southern Ocean Lodge.
Dubbed Australia’s original ‘super lodge’, this haven for nature lovers is a 30-minute flight from Adelaide, and is available for exclusive use for the ultimate incentive. The Exclusively Yours all-inclusive package is created for a group of at least 15 guests, and includes luxury accommodation, a ‘Taste of Kangaroo Island’ degustation dinner, and a host of signature experiences such as a guided walk among the colony of sea lions.
Price A$31,500 (US$25,244) a night for a minimum of 15 guests
Royal treatment
For event planners hoping to treat their guests like royalty, The J Team DMC in Japan can execute a regal experience at Tokyo’s Akasaka Palace, the country’s only Neo-Baroque palace.
The event begins with welcome cocktails to the strains of globally recognisable music performed on Japanese instruments. Continuing the Western/Japanese fusion theme, the menu will incorporate at least 12 miniature kaiseki courses that use ingredients carefully chosen from different parts of the country.
During the meal, sake sommeliers will speak with guests, and explain the history and attributes of a selection of fine drinks, including the dishes that specific sake work particularly well with.
Dinner entertainment will be a modern performance of taiko drumming, while the crescendo of the evening will be a dazzling performance by the sought-after eight-piece dance group Wrecking Crew Orchestra.
Price US$2,000 per pax
The Resorts World Sentosa canvas
Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) Singapore can be a blank canvas on which event planners can create their most luxurious business events.
The integrated resort’s Michelin-star celebrity chef restaurants such as Joel Robuchon Restaurant and TungLok Heen can be bought out for private events, and entire attractions such as Universal Studios Singapore and SEA Aquarium can be turned into a red carpet or black-tie affair. RWS works with events management companies to plan, implement and coordinate the logistics of large-scale events held at its premises for clients. Corporate branding and decoration are fully customisable.
Price Varies
Check-in on the move
To reduce check-in time for large corporate groups, The Ritz-Carlton Sanya is able to provide check-in on the go for VIP groups.
For a 318-pax corporate group coming in from Haikou, the hotel sought to tackle a two-hour gap to check-in by moving its front desk on to the train the group was taking.
The front office separated its team members into two groups. Group A assigned the guests into 250 rooms, made the keys, took the train to Haikou and took the same train with the guests back to Sanya.
Group B was tasked with ensuring the rooms were ready for check-in. They made last-minute room changes, controlled the arrival times of the seven coaches, delivered the luggage and escorted the guests to the rooms.
With the precise plan, it only took the hotel staff one minute and 43 seconds to settle all the guests and their luggage on the first bus, and about three minutes for each of the six remaining buses.
Escorting the guests to the 250 rooms took less than 20 minutes.
Price Unavailable
A superior way to see Hong Kong
This VIP adventure offer by The Peninsula Hong Kong covers air, land and sea with the most spectacular views.
The experience begins with a flight to Sai Kung Country Park in the hotel’s custom helicopter. Upon landing, a luxury yacht will sail guests to a cove at Millionaire’s Bay, where a full banquet experience and open-air beach lounge await. After the indulgent meal, guests will return to the Star Ferry Pier at Tsim Sha Tsui and be whisked by chauffeur-driven Rolls-Royce cars back to The Peninsula Hong Kong.
Price HK$133,728 (US$17,097) plus 10 per cent service charge; the experience is for only six people
A secret suite up in the sky
Stellar at 1-Altitude and Dom Pérignon have created a ‘secret’ P2 Suite, discreetly located in the al fresco restaurant 282m above the streets of Singapore.
Guests are greeted at 1-Altitude with a pairing of Sturia caviar and Dom Pérignon P2, then escorted to the ‘secret’ suite for a behind-the-scenes tour. They will then enjoy Stellar’s Plénitudes Garden, a food-pairing journey conceived by three Michelin-star chef Alain Ducasse. After dark, the suite can also be transformed into an exclusive VIP party lounge. The P2 Suite will be unveiled later this year.
Price Unavailable
Shop like the rich and famous
Event planners can book a by-appointment-only personal shopping session for their delegates at The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands. It curates a shopping experience of up to three hours exclusive to the individual, and gives them undivided attention and access to global brands. Patrons can opt for a VIP buggy service to shuttle between the boutiques, and end the day with complimentary high tea at TWG Tea Salon and Boutique.
Price S$250 (US$184) per pax
An elevated experience of Langkawi
A complete luxurious corporate retreat with personalised itineraries can be planned within The St. Regis Langkawi.
Some of the experiences include a 20-minute helicopter tour where guests can have an aerial view of the many islands that make up Langkawi, hear the stories behind the destination from a naturalist, or enjoy a coffee break onboard a yacht for two hours.
With the hotel boasting its own exclusive airport lounge at Langkawi International Airport, guests can be assured of regal treatment from the moment they arrive.
Price RM3,600 (US$840.43) nett per person for a two-night stay with breakfast
This is an excerpt from TTGmice September 2017’s cover story, Taking the pulse of luxury business events. Read the full story in print or download the ebook.
