Asia/Singapore Thursday, 9th April 2026
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Page 617

JW Marriott Singapore South Beach

By S Puvaneswary
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Premier Marina View Suite

Rooms
The rooms are beautiful and modern, with a tad of quirkiness. There is even an aluminium rocking chair, designed by Philippe Starck, that sits in rather charmingly quaint incongruity to the modern decor.

The in-room IPTV enables guests to easily control their curtains and blinds with the push of a button. Room service can also be ordered via the IPTV.

We stayed at the hotel’s Club Deluxe Room which is furnished with a king-sized bed, sofa bed, and a mirrored wardrobe.

As Club Deluxe Room guests, we enjoyed exclusive access to the Executive Lounge to enjoy breakfast, afternoon tea, evening hors d’oeuvre and evening cocktails. We only stayed at the hotel for a night, and could only experience the evening cocktails. Still, we were impressed by the wide selection of hot and cold drinks and desserts.

MICE facilities
The hotel features 1,664m2 meeting and event space. The ballroom, located within a restored 1930s heritage building adjacent to the hotel, can accommodate up to 280 people, banquet-style with a mezzanine to cater for 50 seats banquet-style. There are 15 rooms located at Assembly, one event venue at The NCO Club and one outdoor venue at Ebb6.

Flow18

Other facilities
The hotel has two Sky Gardens, the Ebb6 and Flow18, offering aerial views of the city. The Ebb6, an open air area with a swimming pool on Level 6, is a vantage spot to view the annual F1 race, while Flow18 at the top of the hotel offers a spectacular view of Singapore’s skyline. There is also a fitness centre and spa.

Of the hotel’s eight F&B options, the NCO Club is its latest addition. It opened in April 2018 with four eclectic concepts. Madame Fan serves traditional Cantonese cuisine, and has an intimate, classy atmosphere. Fish Pool is a champagne, caviar and oyster bar. Topping off a dining experience here is the diving pool centrepiece which comes alive on Friday and Saturday nights with mermaid performances. Stags’ Room is an intimate wine lounge featuring a private reserve of vintage and exclusive wines from Americas and Australia, offering well-heeled guests a private estate experience, while Cool Cats is a cocktail bar with live music performances.

Breakfast at Beach Road Kitchen serves up an international buffet, including Indian, Chinese, Japanese and Singaporean favourites. We were especially impressed with the noodle station as it featured a wide selection of noodles of different colours and textures, alongside an equally impressive variety of vegetables and meat selection, on top of two soup flavours, tom yam and fish. The roti prata was equally memorable as the bread was soft and not oily, accompanied by thick and creamy dhal curry.

Another restaurant is Akira Back, a contemporary Japanese restaurant which offers an extensive menu with modern twists.

The hotel enjoys a superb location, being situated across from Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre and above the Esplanade MRT station which allows guests to be whisked quickly to the Marina Bay entertainment and business district just two train stops away.

Attractions such as the National Gallery Singapore, Civilian War Memorial, Gardens by the Bay, and Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, as well as popular shopping malls Marina Square and Raffles City, are within walking distance.

Service
Superb. Upon arrival, the concierge greeted us by our names before escorting us to the front desk. The check-in process was speedy and the fruit basket and snacks in the room made us feel more welcomed.

When we went to the Executive Lounge with our laptops to work, the receptionist offered to find us a port where we could plug our wire in. She also asked if we needed an adaptor and offered us a drink.

Verdict
A luxury business hotel with a resort feel. Its enviable address, within the city’s business hub and close proximity to key tourist attractions, makes it ideal for both leisure and business travellers.

Number of rooms 634
Contact details
Email: contactus.jwsingapore@marriott.com

Local F&B stars join Purple Sage to dish out new culinary offerings

By TTGmice
0

Singapore-based boutique caterer Purple Sage has upped the culinary experience by bringing two of the country’s well-known chefs, Justin Quek and Devagi Sanmugam, onto its panel of celebrity chefs.

Chefs Justin Quek (second from left), Immanuel Tee and Devagi Sanmugam join the Purple Sage team led by Alan Tan (far left) and Chris Loh (far right)

Alan Tan, co-owner and managing director of Purple Sage, said in a statement: “We are pleased that two of Singapore’s well-known chefs have agreed to be on our panel so that we can offer unique experiences to discerning clients. Guests at such events will be able to savour the signature dishes of these well-known chefs. This will also enable Purple Sage to stay relevant in the industry while supporting our local chefs.”

Clients of Purple Sage can expect culinary masterpieces such as black miso foie gras; a modern take on fish and chips featuring seaweed and potato brick pastry, shaved salmon, smoked dill crème and ikura; and Hokkaido scallop and uni har gow (dumpling) to be served at their events.

Hokkaido scallop and uni har gow is among the new dishes on Purple Sage’s catering menu

Well known for his Franco-Asian cuisine, Quek was the first Singaporean to be appointed the personal chef of the French Embassy and a recipient of the first Chef of the Year Award by World Gourmet Summit Awards of Excellence.

Meanwhile, Sanmugam has over 36 years of experience in the culinary scene, and has published 22 cookbooks.

Joining the duo is Immanuel Tee, who takes on the position of executive chef. Tee was a trainee at several Michelin-starred restaurants. He started his culinary career at Jaan Par Andre before moving to Restaurant Andre, under the tutelage of Andre Chiang. He also worked at Le Bistrot du Summelier, Guy Savoy and Keystone and as well as at the two-Michelin-starred Pastorale Restaurant in Belgium.

The South-east Asia Special: Laos

By Marissa Carruthers
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Picturesque Nam Song River in Vang Vieng, Laos

Laos is emerging as a top destination that ticks all the boxes for innovative incentive travel as new offerings help plant it on the map.

A major game-changer in the country’s burgeoning MICE landscape is the recent introduction of products and facilities that can cater to larger groups.

Picturesque Nam Song River in Vang Vieng, Laos

Georgie Walsh, general manager, Diethelm Travel Laos, said: “In the last decade, options for MICE groups have expanded immensely, especially in Luang Prabang.”

She noted in 2010, the country’s top tourist destinations could only receive groups of about 60 pax maximum. “Even at this number, groups were split across separate hotels and had to have activities swapped.”

In contrast, today, there are properties with enough rooms for groups of more than 100 pax. New activities include Pha Tad Ke Botanical Garden and Heuan Chan Heritage, while restaurants, such as Manda de Laos and Le Calao, can cater for more than 100 pax.

Andrea Vinsonneau, events manager at EXO Travel Laos, echoed this sentiment, adding that the opening of the Pullman Luang Prabang in July 2018 has dramatically changed things. The 123-key property also boasts a conference centre for up to 300 pax.

Vinsonneau said Laos previously lost business because of the lack of facilities for large groups. She said: “The Pullman has massively changed things, and as more hotels with more rooms and facilities come along, that will continue.”

Improved connectivity has also been a key player in driving forward business travel, opined Laurent Granier, co-founder and general manager, Laos Mood Travel.

The country has direct connections with four South-east Asian hubs and several to China. Thai Smile operates an early-morning flight between Bangkok and Luang Prabang while Thai Airways recently introduced a larger aircraft to its night flight from Vientiane to Bangkok.

Industry players say Laos will continue to do well as an incentive travel destination.
Ora-uan Maharpol, manager, MICE by ICS, said Laos is especially popular for small incentive groups seeking more intimate and unique experiences.

Added Maharpol: “The rich culture and history provide wellness, cultural and art-based events. Charming Indochinese boutique hotels and renovated villas provide a chic backdrop for product launches, while the wild untouched nature is the perfect playground for adventurous teambuilding activities.”

Meanwhile, EXO welcomes incentive and teambuilding groups of 20 to 80 participants, with Vinsonneau noting that Laos is becoming increasingly attractive as an add-on for small groups, such as board meetings, looking for a boutique destination.

Since the Pullman’s soft opening in July 2018, Patrick Basset, Accor’s chief operating officer for Upper Southeast and Northeast Asia and the Maldives, has noticed a shift in focus.

He said: “We see a good a balance between meetings, incentive groups, conferencing and events, and we believe the whole segment has high potential in Laos. Traditionally, MICE has been weak due to the country’s small average room inventory, lack of meeting facilities, limited flight connectivity and strict UNESCO site regulations.”

Looking to the future, stakeholders claim Lao holds huge potential as more hotels, conference centre and activities are unveiled. Basset added that the opening of the Vientiane-Boten Railway Route in 2022, will bring increased demand from Thailand and China, allowing for greater MICE business.

However, Maharpol warned: “This is not your ‘run of the mill’ MICE destination; it requires professional organisers who understand the uniqueness of Laos.”

Six Senses Krabey Island gets new GM

By TTGmice
0

Six Senses Krabey Island has appointed Ateeb Shrestha as general manager.

Ateeb brings more than 16 years of experience in the hospitality sector to his new role, including three years as general manager with Six Senses Ninh Van Bay.

Prior to joining Six Senses, the Nepali acquired expertise across international and independent hotel groups while on resident manager and general manager stints with Gangtey Lodge in Bhutan, Nira Resort in Mauritius, and Hyatt Regency Danang Resort and The Nam Hai Resort in Vietnam. He also spent time at The Setai in Miami, and The Chedi in Muscat.

Sunway Hotels & Resorts greases the wheels with FatHopes Energy to recycle cooking oil

By TTGmice
0
Sunway Hotels & Resorts’ Colin Yeoh, and FatHopes Energy's Vinesh Sinha at the hotel's used cooking oil collection centre

Sunway Hotels & Resorts, the hospitality division of Malaysian conglomerate Sunway Group, has partnered with FatHopes Energy to recycle its used cooking oil into biodiesel.

Through this sustainability initiative, more than fifty per cent of participating Sunway Hotels’ used cooking oil is expected to be recycled. Collection by FatHopes Energy will be done on a weekly basis at the hotels’ respective collection centres.

Sunway Hotels & Resorts’ Colin Yeoh, and FatHopes Energy’s Vinesh Sinha at the hotel’s used cooking oil collection centre

Without proper collection, fats, oil and grease goes right down the drain – where it used to generations ago. Used cooking oil recycling helps stop oil from being disposed of in drains, which can clog sewage lines due to the build-up of fats.

The partnership with FatHopes Energy includes six participating Sunway Hotels & Resorts in Malaysia: Sunway Resort Hotel & Spa, Sunway Pyramid Hotel and Sunway Clio Hotel located in Sunway City Kuala Lumpur, Sunway Putra Hotel in Kuala Lumpur city centre, and Sunway Hotel Georgetown and Sunway Hotel Seberang Jaya in Penang.

“By partnering with FatHopes Energy, we are assured of not only the conversion of the used cooking oil into an ecologically beneficial energy stream but also to the environment, which has become a priority to the business while being mindful towards the efficiency of our operations and stakeholders value,” said Colin Yeoh, Sunway Hotels & Resorts’ Group Director of Food & Beverage.

“This long-term partnership will also help raise awareness and spur other related industries to take this significant step in creating a sustainable future with us,” said Vinesh Sinha, CEO and founder, FatHopes Energy.

This initiative by Sunway Hotels & Resorts is part of the #sunwayforgood movement, which is Sunway’s commitment towards a sustainable environment, economy and society.

APAC business travellers put personal safety above all else: SAP Concur

By TTGmice
0
Business travellers report feeling unsafe, with business travel not getting easier or less stressful

Concerns over personal safety while on the road, as well as frustration that some companies seemingly put self-interests ahead of employee needs, are some of the challenges employees face while on business trips, revealed a new SAP Concur survey.

Highlights of the responding 7,850 business travellers in 19 global markets, including 2,500 respondents in Asia Pacific (APAC), include:

Business travellers report feeling unsafe, with business travel not getting easier or less stressful

Safety above all else for Asia Pacific travellers
Safety is the top propriety for APAC business travellers when they are on the road. Nearly one-third (32%) of business travellers in the region prioritise their own personal safety as the most important factor when taking a business trip. Travellers from the Greater China Region (China, Hong Kong and Taiwan) prioritise their personal safety most during trips, with 43% putting their safety above all else, followed by travellers from Singapore and Malaysia (37%), and Australia (31%).

Interestingly in Japan, business travellers put their business needs above their personal safety when travelling abroad. Close to half of the respondents in Japan (43%) prioritised the goals of the business trip ahead of personal safety (23%).

APAC business travellers are more sensitive to current events, with close to half (46%) reducing travel to a location because of political unrest or health hazard in the last 12 months, compared to 38% of business travellers globally. Business travellers from Singapore and Malaysia are the most cautious of unsettlement, with 60% reducing travels plans, followed by Australia (53%) and India (50%).

Sixty-three per cent of respondents in APAC have even gone to the extent of changing their travel arrangements specifically because they felt unsafe. While business travellers across the region rated safety as their top priority while on a business trip, only 27% of business travellers say that their employers prioritised safety first, leaving their employees wanting more: more than half (53%) say that safety trainings would be the most valuable training their employer could offer.

Business travel isn’t getting easier or less stressful
Seventy per cent of business travellers in APAC believe that their company lags behind when it comes to adopting the latest technologies to make business travel easier. In fact, an overwhelming majority of business travellers (86%) are willing to share personal information to improve the convenience and personalisation of their business travel experience, which is telling in an age of data privacy concerns.

For business travellers which agreed that their company is behind in adopting the latest technology, 64% say that booking and expense reporting tools is the area that their employers’ tech lags behind in. With safety as the top priority for APAC business travellers, it comes with no surprise that 61% are hoping to see their employer improve the travel safety tools they offer.

Thirty-five per cent of APAC business travellers feel the most stress before a trip, during the planning, booking and organising phase. On the flip side, 33% feel stress after the trip with emails to catch up on and expenses reports to fill – one in five (20%) would even rather have a cavity filled at the dentist than complete an expense report.

Business travellers in Japan are the most stressed after the trip, with 56% dreading tasks like filling expense reports.

APAC business travellers embrace online booking tools and services
More than three in five (68%) business travellers from APAC preferred booking their business travels through Online Travel Agents (OTAs), citing convenience (68%), better prices (67%), and better information, such as descriptions of hotels or airlines (65%) as the top reasons. Business travellers from the region are also avid users of online booking tools, with nearly half (47%) saying that they like to use them. The biggest reasons for using online booking tools include better information (73%), greater convenience (69%) and better prices (69%).

In addition, APAC business travellers would choose their booking tool based on the quality of information available. Seventy-three per cent chose better information as a key reason for using the selected platform to book their business travel. With the multicultural dynamics in Asia Pacific, details and descriptions in local languages are key to ensuring a more convenient travel booking experience for business travellers.

When travel arrangements are cancelled while travelling for business, 76% of APAC business travellers would prefer to re-book their trip online. Indian business travellers would avoid human interaction the most, with 84% choosing to rebook online instead, followed by business travellers from Japan (80%) and the Greater China region (79%).

“Societal issues and employee experiences are increasingly impacting the way we travel. With these shifts come new expectations from travelling staff that shouldn’t go unnoticed,” said Andy Watson, senior vice president & general manager for Asia Pacific Japan and Greater China, SAP Concur.

“Employees in Asia Pacific, in particular, are looking for a safe and seamless experience when they go on business trips, and want guidance and better technology to help them alleviate common hindrances.”

Additional findings from the study include:

Female travellers report high levels of harassment and sexism on the road
More than three in four female APAC business travellers (76%) have experienced some sort of harassment or mistreatment while travelling. They are also often asked if they’re travelling with their husband (47%), assumed that they are a hotel staff (43%), ignored by service workers (42%), and catcalled on the job (30%).

Delays in getting reimbursed for expenses are affecting business travellers’ trust in their companies
Forty-three per cent of APAC business travellers reported forfeiting their expenses in 2018, either because they did not think the expense was worth filing or because their employer never paid them the money owed. On average, APAC business travellers forfeited US$839 from expenses that weren’t reimbursed by their employers in the past year.

The full report can be found here.

Potato professionals to converge in Adelaide come 2023

By TTGmice
0

Adelaide, South Australia has been named host city for the 2023 World Potato Congress (WPC), the first time this significant biennial business event has been held in Australia.

The 2023 WPC is expected to attract over 1,000 delegates to Adelaide for the week, generating in excess of A$4.5 million (US$3 million) to the state economy and almost 40 direct jobs.

Locally-grown potatoes for sale at the Adelaide Central Market

The event will provide an opportunity for whole-of-industry unification in the celebration of the world’s third largest food crop.

The WPC’s Old World meets New theme will focus on the importance and position the potato will play in the future, with topics for discussion and discovery at the congress to include sustainability, consumer behaviour, value-adding, technology in production, and pests/diseases and biosecurity.

The Adelaide Convention Bureau supported the bid effort by hosting event owners at their 2017 Agricultural Industry showcase – an annual educational event designed to highlight the state’s business events assets as well as its innovation and technological advances within the agricultural sector. The Bureau has been working alongside and supporting Potatoes South Australia ever since.

Potatoes South Australia presented the WPC board with an all new initiative which also featured strongly in South Australia’s successful bid to host the event.

For the 2023 congress, a WPC Trust for Developing Nations will be established, the purpose of which will be to help fund potato industry research, development and education in developing nations.

Philanthropic efforts will be made too, in the areas of eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, improving water use efficiency, and increasing yields from a diminishing arable/useable area, among many others.

Damien Kitto, CEO, Adelaide Convention Bureau, said: “The agriculture industry is vital to South Australia through its economic generation, world-class innovation and job creation. Our reputation as a premium food destination continues to grow internationally and is a unique proposition for business event delegates. It is for these reasons, as well as the broader legacy impacts – increased global profile, knowledge exchange, trade and investment and global talent attraction – from hosting business events, that agriculture is a priority focus for the Adelaide Convention Bureau.”

South Australia produces in excess of 500 million kilogrammes of potatoes annually and 80 per cent of the country’s fresh potatoes.

CTW China 2020 announces industry poll and refreshed conference format

By TTGmice
0
The new format formats that harness delegate opinions to facilitate conversations and peer-expert collaboration

Community-led corporate travel conference CTW China is inviting industry players to have their say in deciding the broad themes of the upcoming Shanghai event from March 24-26, 2020.

Chinese and international/regional corporate travel professionals with responsibilities spanning China, can rate their interest on a mix of 10 perennial and trending themes through a one-minute poll here. Sentiment via the poll will go towards the development of CTW China 2020 conference topics, ensuring that talking points and conversations reflect the community’s interest.

The new format attempts to harness delegate opinions to facilitate conversations and peer-expert collaboration

In addition, organisers have revealed four format changes, refreshing CTW China 2020 to better meet the preferences of the local community.

There will now be two full-day conferences; schedule-friendly timings from 10.30 to 17.00; interactive, delegate-led sessions instead of speaker-centric lectures; and all corporate buyers will stand to win attractive lucky draw prizes including travel perks and Starbucks vouchers, with an additional reward scheme in place specifically for local buyers.

CTW China continues to be co-located with IT&CM China, providing attendees with access to top MICE and corporate travel destinations, products and service suppliers from across China and the world.

Pullman Adelaide’s function space undergo major refurbishment

By TTGmice
0
A rendering of how the view will look like from the top floor

An A$1 million (US$678,400) refurbishment of the top floor function and events space at the Pullman Adelaide Hotel has been given the green light, with works set to commence next month.

Owner, Hines Property, engaged global design studio, Woods Bagot, for the project and appointed Shape as lead contractor.

A rendering of how the view will look like from the top floor

Rosina Di Maria, principal at Woods Bagot, said: “The centrepiece of the redesign will be the incorporation of glazing to the function spaces that will allow panoramic views across Hindmarsh Square, the city and towards Adelaide Hills.

“The design concept to update Pullman Adelaide celebrates the hotel’s unique location – which is almost entirely bordered by parklands – by taking inspiration from the detailed architectural and cultural elements of the city and the Botanic Gardens,” concluded Di Maria.

The 15th floor will receive a complete makeover, including new wall coverings, extensive use of stone, custom flooring, specialist lighting and state-of-the-art audio-visual equipment.

The main ballroom, capable of hosting functions for up to 400 attendees, and divisible into up to four smaller rooms, will be upgraded, as well as the unique corner boardroom. The rooms will benefit from the latest audio-visual technology and lighting controls.

The pre-function space will feature a refurbished bar facility and bi-fold doors to a balcony overlooking Hindmarsh Square.

This refurbishment is part of the five-star repositioning of the property, since its rebranding from a Crowne Plaza into a Pullman Hotels & Resorts brand.

Oakwood promotes Roy Liang to regional GM role

By TTGmice
0

Oakwood Premier OUE Singapore general manager Roy Liang has been promoted to regional general manager, overseeing Oakwood’s properties in Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam.

In this new role, Liang will support corporate operations in optimising the performance of his region. His remit includes pre-opening of new properties, implementing and monitoring operations standards while ensuring compliance with the group’s brand strategy. He will also have to develop and champion new initiatives to drive service excellence and operational success.

In addition, Liang will continue to serve in his current capacity as general manager of the Oakwood Premier OUE Singapore.

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Sister Publications
TTG Asia TTGmice TTG India TTGssociations TTG Asia Luxury
TTGmice | Dorsett Melbourne welcomes new rooms division manager
TTGmice | JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay Resort & Spa entices event planners with more meeting perks
TTGmice | The Westin Desaru Coast Resort launches dedicated conference centre platform