The Westin Jakarta opened in late August, marking the brand’s entry into the Indonesian capital and laying claims to being the tallest hotel in the country. It occupies floors 50 to 69 of the mixed-used Gama Tower.

Rooms My Westin King is may be the lead-in category but with its location on the 56^th floor, I felt like I was queen of the world. That, and a delicious welcome amenity of chocolates, tartlets and macaroons, indulged me completely. I found the room well equipped for a business traveller, featuring such things as high-speed Internet access and a smart TV that can project content from the guest’s mobile phone via Bluetooth.

MICE facilities Function rooms sit separate from the rest of the hotel, on the ground and second level of the building, which also meant privacy for hotel guests.

The elegant Java Ballroom on the ground floor has direct access from the hotel drop-off via the West Gate and East Gate. Spanning 1,100m², it can take up to 1,200 pax and comes with a large pre-function area. I love the ballroom’s 8.3m-high ceiling, from which chandeliers depicting hundreds of trumpet flowers hang.

Breakout rooms are on the second level. Medan and Padang Rooms can accommodate 160 pax each, theatre-style, while four other smaller ones have capacity for 36 to 68 pax theatre-style.

All function rooms come with audiovisual facilities and high-speed Internet.

The second floor’s Retreat Lounge is a comfortable space where delegates can enjoy free flow of tea, coffee and snacks. It can also be rented for events.

All events held at the hotel are supported by a dedicated three-storey kitchen as well as spacious loading elevators with doors 2.6m wide.

Other facilities All-day dining restaurant, Seasonal Tastes, boasts seven open kitchens. For quick bites of pastries, coffee and tea, there is Daily Treats on the 52^nd floor. The three-story Henshin, opening this month, specialises in Japanese-Peruvian cuisine and offers a rooftop alfresco bar on level 67.

Other amenities include a fitness centre, swimming pool and spa.

This purpose-built MICE hotel opened in 2015 in the northernmost part of Taipei’s Zhongshan District, a new precinct with wider roads, greener environs and a lower density of buildings. Marriott Taipei is the only five-star international hotel in the district, and it provides business travellers easy access to Neihu Technology Park and Nangang Software Park. It is also only a five-minute walk from Jiannan Road MRT station, and two stops away from Songshan Airport.

Rooms The hotel offers 320 rooms, of which 25 are suites, and four are specially-equipped rooms for handicapped guests.

I stayed in the 40m² Deluxe Room and enjoyed the floor-to-ceiling window which allowed in natural light and afforded unobstructed city views. I like how there were ample electrical outlets  around the room for me to charge my gadgets.

A long wooden panel along the wall made up for the lack of a work desk. However, this space could use brighter lights.

MICE facilities Because of its massive international conference centre, MICE business accounts for 40 per cent of the hotel’s overall traffic. With 3,000m² of space, the conference centre is the largest in town, and is suitable for all sorts of events, from small social parties to large-scale conventions.

The 1,260m² pillarless Grand Ballroom on the fifth floor has a 9.9m-high ceiling and has capacity for 1,000 people, cocktail-style. On the same floor are two junior ballrooms, which can be combined to accommodate 230 people, and three breakout rooms.

Eight salons on the third floor are suitable for smaller events, while the Garden Villa on the eighth floor is perfect for intimate social gatherings.

But what every event planner should check out at this hotel is the Panorama Ballroom on the 36^th floor. The 360-degree view of Taipei city it offers is a winner.

The property can also cater for car show thanks to a heavy-duty cargo lift.

In August, the hotel partnered with a virtual reality firm to create a feature on its website that virtually walks clients through its MICE facilities. It’s the world’s first Marriott to roll out this initiative.

Other facilities On-site facilities include a gym, swimming pool and spa, as well as five F&B outlets, some of which offer private dining areas.