Novotel Clarke Quay has finished refurbishing the highlight of the property’s MICE facility – the Phoenix Grand Ballroom – and is offering 10 per cent off meeting packages.

The ballroom can take up to 380 pax in classroom style, 500 for gala dinners or 600 for cocktail receptions.

Suitable for conferences, company dinners and dance parties, and teambuilding events, the facility comes with newly fitted audiovisual systems and LCD projectors.

Kevin Bossino, general manager of Novotel Clarke Quay, said: “Refurbishing the Phoenix Grand Ballroom earlier this year was a key investment to offer the best meeting experience for our international and regional MICE guests.”

Novotel Clarke Quay offers 1,200m2 of conference space with nine meeting rooms and a dedicated events team to ensure flawless events.

Seminar packages begin at S$50++ (US$40++) and includes rental of meeting rooms, as well as coffee and tea break sessions. All-inclusive meeting packages come with free Wi-Fi for meeting planners and business travellers.

From now until October 31, 2014, planners and organisers will receive 10 per cent off meeting packages while meeting bookers will also enjoy extra commission.

Grand Hyatt Singapore has unveiled its Level 2 events space, confident it will be as game-changing as its Mezza9 restaurant that gave the industry the show kitchen concept when it opened years ago.

Gone are the standard break-out rooms and the typical boxy, pillarless banquet hall. Instead, Level 2 of the hotel now features 1,000m2 of flexible space that morphs into intimate dining or conference rooms which feel more like meeting in a private Peranakan home than in a nondescript hotel space. These salons can accommodate 33 pax for boardroom meetings, 75 pax for receptions, 120 pax for private dinners or 200 pax for seminars in a theatre setting.

In addition, at the push of a button, a show kitchen and a customised stage are revealed at the 515m2 Grand Salon, showcasing live cooking and food preparation right before delegates’ eyes. The Grand Salon’s capacity is 340 pax for banquets and 700 pax for receptions.

The hotel employed Super Potato, which designed its F&B outlets, to work on the S$38 million (US$30 million) refurbishment of its Level 2 and Level 3 into cutting-edge meeting space.

“Wait till you see our Level 3,” enthused Willi Martin, area vice president of Hyatt Hotels & Resorts in South-east Asia.

The renovation of the third floor will be finalised in 3Q2014. It will incorporate high ceilings, natural daylight, integrated kitchens and loft kitchens in pre-function areas. As well, the hotel is creating a halal-certified banquet kitchen by the end of this year.

Martin said clients are now aware of the new event venues and a “high” number of events has been secured for this year, ranging from weddings to small and medium-sized social gatherings and product launches. – Raini Hamdi and Paige Lee Pei Qi

Pangyo Techno Valley in suburban Seoul has welcomed the 282-room Courtyard by Marriott Seoul Pangyo. Located in the rising IT cluster in Seongnam city, three minutes from Pangyo subway station, the hotel sits in a 19-storey building along with offices, retail shops, restaurants and coffee houses.

Don Cleary, COO for Asia Pacific, Marriott International, said: “We are delighted to be opening this Courtyard hotel as the first Marriott branded property in Korea’s Gyeonggi province, and are proud to be the first hotel to be built in this emerging IT business hub.”

Rooms at Courtyard by Marriott Seoul Pangyo range from 26m2 to 42m2, all equipped with high-speed Internet access.

The Executive Lounge on the 19th floor offers free daily breakfast, evening happy hour service with canapés, complimentary coffee and tea, and free meeting room usage benefits.

F&B options at the hotel include the all-day-dining restaurant MoMo Café which comes with an open kitchen and live cooking stations for international cuisines, and the adjoining MoMo Bar which serves snacks, beverages and spirits with an outdoor terrace overlooking the Pangyo Techno Valley.

The hotel also comes with seven multi-functional meeting rooms and a dedicated event manager.

The Chedi Sakala Bali opened recently, boasting purpose-built facilities for large-scale conferences and weddings, which is a first for a General Hotel Management (GHM) property. Virtually all GHM hotels until now have smaller MICE spaces.

The Chedi Sakala has a 630m² ballroom which can accommodate up to 400 people. It is fitted with adjustable ambient lighting and state-of-the-art audiovisual equipment. The Chedi Ballroom can be partitioned into six smaller rooms with ample breakout space for light refreshment and informal conversation.

Two of those spaces – the Batur and Agung rooms, named after Bali’s two highest peaks – can hold up to 175 people, depending on the seating plan. They can also be combined to double the capacity.

A few steps down, Tanjung Benoa Beach can be set up for gatherings, while the immediate poolside area can entertain 350 pax for a buffet reception.

Planners who wish to host a rooftop party can book one of two sprawling skydecks which overlook the pool, beach and ocean. Each skydeck bridges the gap between two kul kul towers, a traditional Balinese structure reminiscent in form and function to a Western church steeple. Each tower features a room designed for small private dinners or meetings.

The third GHM hotel to open on Bali, The Chedi Sakala is located half an hour from the international airport in Denpasar and 10 minutes from the island’s largest convention centre.