Marriott International has signed an agreement with Myanmar’s property developer, Yoma Land, to bring the Westin brand into the country in late 2021.
Under the agreement, the new-build Westin Yangon which will feature 281 rooms and suites alongside 90 premium serviced apartments, will make up part of the Yoma Central integrated real estate development.
Westin Yangon
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Upon completion in 2021, Yoma Central expects to be anchored by the restored former headquarters of the Burma Railway Company, one of Yangon’s oldest colonial-era buildings. Yoma Central plans to also feature two Grade A office towers and a collection of luxury private homes, all of which will be connected by a retail podium.
The hotel will also feature Westin’s signature services and amenities such as the fully equipped WestinWorkout Fitness Studio, the RunWestin programme, and The Heavenly Spa By Westin. Guests can also pack light and stay fit while travelling with the Westin Gear Lending programme, featuring New Balance clothing and shoes delivered to their rooms.
F&B establishments include an all-day dining outlet, two specialty restaurants, as well as the lobby lounge, pool bar and rooftop bar. The business community can avail themselves of the four meeting rooms, a board room and 2,470m2 of conference and event space.
Next year's IBTM Asia-Pacific will be its first; IBTM China 2019 pictured
IBTM, part of Reed Travel Exhibitions, has announced the first exhibitor signings for its newest show, IBTM Asia Pacific.
Singapore Tourism Board, Tourism New Zealand, Malaysia Convention Bureau, Dubai Corporation for Tourism & Commerce Marketing, Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, UNECA and Genting Cruises are among the first major names to be confirmed as exhibitors.
Next year’s IBTM Asia-Pacific will be its first; IBTM China 2019 pictured
Dream Cruises, a member of Genting Cruise Lines, will host the event’s closing party at the Zouk Beach Club onboard the award-winning Genting Dream cruise ship, which homeports year-round in Singapore.
The event will take place on April 6-8, 2020, at the Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre in Singapore.
Rooms
Marriott Hotels & Resorts’ first Marquis-designated property in Asia is a 1,388-room behemoth that towers over its neighbours along Sukhumvit Soi 22. The property offers nine room categories, from the 32m² lead-in Deluxe to the over 1,000m² Sky Suite.
I felt a sense of grandeur as I strolled through the foyer, which reminded me of a palace; fittingly so because this building once housed The Imperial Hotel Bangkok.
The M Suite was my home for three nights, sequestered on the 33rd storey of the North Tower. There were separate bedroom and living areas, and interiors were modern with a soft touch of Thai influence. A plus for business travellers was the desk and ergonomic chair in the living room, as well as numerous strategically-placed charging points.
The swanky and spacious marble bathroom featured separate components – a rainshower, bathtub, and water closet. I liked that there was an elevated space next to the closet that I could place my luggage on without having to stoop.
Although the bed was luxurious to the touch, I found the pillows to be way too soft even when stacked twice. I casually mentioned this to a staff member while waiting for my ride the next morning, and that evening when I returned, I was surprised to find three other pillows of varying firmness awaiting. This was when I found out there was a pillow menu available but subject to availability.
MICE facilities
The massive property offers 5,000m2 of event space, comprising three ballrooms and 32 event rooms. The Thai Chitlada Grand Ballroom is the largest indoor function area, and at 332m2 it can hold 1,230 people theatre-style or 770 people for banquets.
There is also an outdoor function area just by the swimming pool on the ninth floor, and another on the rooftop with a glittering view of Bangkok’s skyline.
One unique meeting space to note is The Apartment. Aptly named, this area sported a cooking area, fridge, dining table and countertop, reminiscent of someone’s home. Planners of small-sized events – I would say no more than 25 – can also arrange with the hotel team to meet with chefs, prepare a meal together by using surplus ingredients, and learn more about the hotel’s push for sustainability over a casual and relaxed meal.
Other facilities
Club guests have access to two lounges in the North and South Towers. The lounge in the South Tower is larger and offers light refreshments throughout the day while the North Tower lounge is smaller, and only provides drinks and snacks.
There are nine F&B venues on-site, ranging from the open-air Abar Rooftop on its lofty perch to Akira Back – the eponymous celebrity chef’s contemporary Japanese-Korean restaurant.
Meanwhile, ground-floor Goji Kitchen+Bar is where breakfast is served every morning. The buffet spread is extensive, serving up Thai, Indian, Chinese and international dishes. There is even a carving station complete with a chef slicing chunks of ham and frying up streaks of bacon, as well as a glistening long table in one corner piled high with pastries and croissants.
Recreational facilities include two outdoor pools, a 24-hour fitness centre, and the Quan Spa with 11 treatment rooms.
Meanwhile, the Phrom Phong BTS Station – best way to get around traffic-clogged Bangkok – is a quick five-minute walk from the back of the hotel through Benchasiri Park. The Phrom Phong station is also in the middle of two massive shopping malls EmQuartier and Emporium.
Service
Staff were welcoming and always greeted me warmly whenever I returned. Service, from the housekeeping to the concierge, was exceptional; I think it’s difficult to top the hotel pillows magically appearing in my room after a casual remark.
Verdict
An appealing choice for event planners who need to house large groups of delegates in one property, as well as having enough function spaces to accommodate them all. Business travellers will also enjoy the hotel’s location in the immediate vicinity of several shopping centres, massage shops, and roadside eateries.
Aerotel, a chain of in-terminal airport hotels, has established its presence at the Beijing Daxing International Airport, as part of its strategic expansion in China.
The two-storey hotel is located in the north-east pier, spanning more than 9,000m2 and offering 215 guestrooms. Guestrooms include Superior Single, Superior Double, Deluxe Double, Family Room and accessible room, all fully furnished with beds and showers. Travellers can also enjoy high-speed Wi-Fi service for connectivity and IPTV for entertainment.
Aerotel Beijing
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Aerotel Beijing's reception area
Superior Double
Superior Single
Corridor leading towards the guestrooms
Other facilities within Aerotel Beijing include a fitness corner, game room with billiard table, and the library lounge/restaurant which offers an international buffet and a la carte menu.
As the flagship property and a first for Aerotel, the hotel also houses two meeting rooms – Xijin House and Jibei House, and VIP room Guji House. Equipped with an audio-visual system, the facilities can accommodate meetings, private dinners and intimate gatherings for up to 36 guests.
Aerotel Beijing offers per-hour packages, allowing transit travellers to check in anytime throughout the day.
Gordon Aeria has been appointed general manager of Kata Rocks.
The Singaporean boasts over 30 years of diverse international hotelier experience and 15 years of general manager experience in seven different countries across Asia-Pacific.
He has held roles in Accor, Shangri-La Hotels, Dusit Thani as well as many independent hotels.
Quay Perth has appointed Tony Keane as the general manager of the hotel’s management company, Louis T Collection.
Keane steps into the role with an eye on developing the brand’s profile and leading the team at the group’s first Australian property, that was formerly known as The New Esplanade Hotel.
With over 10 years of experience in hotel management, Keane’s most recent role was hotel manager at Rendezvous Hotel Central Perth, where he has been managing the property’s daily operations since 2016.
Prior to that, the Brit has also worked at Fraser Suites Perth as operations manager, and held leadership positions at the Mantra brand of hotels, resorts and apartments in Perth and Adelaide.
Ayana Hotels has appointed Stefan Fuchs as general manager of Ayana Resort and Spa Bali.
In his new role, Fuchs will be managing a trio of Ayana properties. Besides Ayana Resort and Spa Bali, Fuchs will also be helming Rimba Jimbaran Bali by Ayana, and The Villas at Ayana Resort, Bali.
Born and educated in Germany, Fuchs started his career in the F&B industry, where he was in charge of diverse catering projects all over Europe, including the Expo 1998 in Lisbon, official government functions of the Federal Republic of Germany and Formula 1 Grand Prix events.
Prior to his current role, Fuchs has also headed the operations for the Islamic Conference and Asian Games in Doha; and was part of the opening team of the Ritz-Carlton Hotels in Russia, Japan, China and Bahrain. Previously, he was with the Jumeirah Group.
Fusion Suites Da Nang has appointed Jérôme Taillard as general manager.
With nearly two decades of industry experience, Taillard started his career in his home country of France with F&B positions, before taking on operational roles in China and then Vietnam where he further developed his skills in pre-opening and opening of hotels. More recently, he has held the general manager position at five-star hotels in Indonesia.
Taillard has also managed hotels in Phu Quoc and Saigon, where he was in charge of overseeing multiple hotel departments, implementing new brand standards, and developing and monitoring growth strategies.
Desaru Coast in Johor believes it in pole position to capture the attention of meeting planners and corporate companies across Asia, with two of its internationally-branded hotels, conference centre, two championship golf courses, and waterpark now fully operational.
Arokia Das Anthony, director, Luxury Tours Malaysia, called Desaru Coast a “refreshing and welcome addition” to what Malaysia can offer.
Aerial shot of Desaru Coast
He said: “It is a new venue for meetings and incentives, especially for organisers who have already held events in traditional destinations such as Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Langkawi and Sarawak.”
Arokia also noted that Desaru Coast was a “young” destination that was officially launched in July, and had off-site venues that were good for incentives programmes. This is good for his company, as he indicated that they “always get queries from regional organisers and planners in India on what new destinations Malaysia has to offer”.
Vikram Mujumdar, general manager at the 275-key The Westin Desaru Coast Resort, shared: “The unique selling points of Desaru Coast as a business events destination are the facilities and attractions it has to offer.”
“Being away from the hustle and bustle of the city allows organisers to keep everyone in one place and happy. Delegates can attend meetings, teambuilding activities and incentive programmes, while spousal programmes can be arranged or family members can keep themselves occupied with activities around the destination.”
Adjacent to the resort is the Desaru Coast Conference Centre, also managed by The Westin Desaru Coast Resort. The venue has a total of 1,252m2 of fully-equipped event space with the capacity to host almost 1,400 guests.
The showpiece of the conference centre is a grand ballroom, which can be divided into four smaller event and pre-function spaces. There are outdoor venues by the beach available as well.
Vikram added that business to date for the ICCA-accredited conference centre has been encouraging from both corporate end users, as well as professional conference organisers. He hopes that the hotel’s recent full opening will attract even larger international business events opportunities.
“Corporate groups and events are the main business drivers and we foresee this trend to continue moving forward. As the development is still fairly new, the main focus is on marketing the destination as a large-scale integrated holiday and event destination,” he offered.
The other hotel located within the integrated resort is Hard Rock Hotel Desaru Coast with 365 music-inspired rooms.
Two more properties will come online soon: Anantara Desaru Coast Resort & Villas on December 1 with 123 rooms and One&Only Desaru Coast by the end of 2019 with 42 suites.
Roslina Arbak, Desaru Development Holdings One’s CEO, shared: “Desaru Coast’s integrated facilities and strategic location make it a competitive location for the business events segment, which typically hosts participants from varying geographies. We are targeting regional and international corporations and associations that are looking for new destinations in South-east Asia. We can tailor event experiences to specifically address their requirements for both business and leisure components.”
Key markets for the company include the domestic segment, as well as Singapore, Indonesia, China, Hong Kong and India. The company is also targeting international business travellers coming into this region via Singapore.
In addition, Desaru Development Holdings One is in the midst of adding teambuilding activities and facilitation, as well as curating lifestyle and entertainment events that that will appeal to both the business event and bleisure traveller.
For instance, Desaru Coast hosted the inaugural edition of the Ombak Festival (July 5-7, 2019). The Ombak Festival will be an annual event with curated activities including culture, music and food that highlight homegrown talent and products, and showcase local expertise and creativity.
In the future, travellers to Desaru Coast can look forward to a wide range of outdoor activities that include ATV rides, mountain biking, a climbing tower and ziplines.
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