One Farrer pushes past medical tourism branding to draw corporates

Madhavan:

Despite its original positioning as a hotel optimised for medical conferences and patients, One Farrer Hotel & Spa is breaking into the social and corporate sectors with its unique event spaces.

“Initially, it was challenging to market the hotel and its location,” remarked Gilbert Madhavan, general manager, One Farrer Hotel & Spa. He shared that people were at first concerned that the hotel was only meant for events by medical professionals and patients of Farrer Park Hospital.

Madhavan: many unique event spaces in this guest-driven hotel

The hotel shares the building with Farrer Park Hospital, and has six private medical suites for guests undergoing medical procedures at the hospital.

However, the hotel has begun to shed this image with its unique event spaces. Besides restaurants, meeting rooms, high-ceiling ballrooms and presidential suites – the latter is often used for smaller board and VIP meetings – the building also houses an air-conditioned outdoor pillarless pavilion, an al fresco poolside bar, a cooking studio, as well as a rooftop farm where group dinners can be booked.

Madhavan commented: “After people see our offerings, they realise that we are a guest-driven hotel. Our event spaces are open with lots of natural light, (helping) them (to feel more relaxed).”

Unique add-ons to corporate events have also helped. These include a live-stream video feed from the cooking studio to the ballroom, and group farm-to-table tours to the farm, as well as the nearby Tekka Market.

One Farrer Hotel & Spa has since been receiving a healthy mix of corporate gatherings and teambuilding events, with company dinner-and-dances and team barbecues being requested, said Madhavan.

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