Innholdsfortegnelse for July - August 2017 i Business Traveller Asia-Pacific Edition

Last month, prior to an upcoming holiday to Fiji, I annoyed practically everyone in the office by banging on enthusiastically about my plans for paradise. And it was amazing: perfect weather, clear blue skies, azure water, gorgeous beaches… which of course I sent pictures of to everyone. So I suppose it’s only fair, to balance the scales of karmic justice, that the flight home should have been plagued with a litany of issues: a bleary-eyed 5am hotel checkout, major queues at Nadi International Airport, broken luggage scanners, no online check-in available, an arduous security process and a two-hour onboard delay… all before a ten-hour flight in economy. Talk about coming back down to earth with a bump. (It could have been worse: at least my luggage made it to the…

Guangzhou is a highly popular MICE Destination, close to Hong Kong, the centre of the Pearl River Delta Trading Zone and home of the biannual China Canton Fair Exhibition. The team at DoubleTree by Hilton Guangzhou, led by General Manager Chris Roberts and Chef Amy Zhang, are making coffee breaks and meal breaks the “main event” at the hotel’s meetings to satisfy every guest’s appetite. Gone are the days of coffee, tea and cookies. Now, guests can enjoy a wide variety of creative, delicious and fun foods and drinks to enjoy during their event breaks – from freshly made Thai iced pops, handmade steamed dumplings and whole fresh coconuts, to live-cooked mini hot dogs and freshly cooked wholemeal pancakes with local organic honey. These are just some of the treats…

At the end of the day, it’s people that make (or break) one’s accommodation experience: the helpful concierge who finds sold-out theatre tickets, the friendly housekeeping staff who smiles and greets you by name, the breakfast server who gives you a wink and an extra pastry… At Lanson Place, dedicated, genuine customer care is at the heart of the experience. Guests aren’t seen as customers – they’re family. This is exemplified by the regular programme of activities that are specifically designed to help guests feel comfortable in their new home, as CEO Marc Hediger explains: “We offer our best concierge service to help our guests to settle down in a foreign country. For example, we bring guests who are new to the city to local markets to buy fresh produce,…

Previously a contributing editor for Hotel Chatter, PAUL J DEVRIES has been following the latest news in the hotel industry for the last decade. In this issue he focuses on Singapore, taking a look at the surge in hotel development that’s adding thousands of rooms to the city state (page 34). STEVE DINNEEN is a regular tech columnist for Business Traveller. Having a life that is almost entirely digitised and a job that requires frequent travel makes him vulnerable to cyber criminals, who replace crowbars and ski masks with phishing and skimming. He tells us about his favourite security gadgets to help you stay safe on the road (page 50).…

Get in touch at editorial@businesstravellerasia.com CUSTOMER DISSERVICE It is fascinating to read complaints by the CEOs of the three major US airlines about the competition from non- US airlines, in particular Middle East airlines. They have a lot to say about alleged government subsidies to such airlines but choose to ignore the support they get from their own government. They probably use these excuses to avoid talking about reasons the travelling public have to avoid their services… On a recent American Airlines flight from Miami to Los Angeles, I wanted to turn on my overhead light so that I could continue reading my book – given that no individual seat-back screens are available, even on a relatively long flight. The lights didn’t work. I asked a passing flight attendant for…

BACKGROUND Opened in 1901, the Metropole is one of Southeast Asia’s oldest hotels, visited by the likes of Graham Greene, Prince William, Roger Moore and Ban Ki Moon. Accor took over the property in 1987 and renovated it to international standards. It opened in 1992 as a Pullman property, before becoming part of the Sofitel Legend collection. A new 135-room Opera Wing and office tower was completed in 1996, with the office block converted into guestrooms in 2008, bringing the total to 364 rooms and suites. WHERE IS IT? Steps away from the Opera House in Hanoi’s French Quarter, the hotel is in the heart of the commercial and business district. Noi Bai International Airport is a 45-minute drive away – a taxi costs around 450,000 dong (US$20), or you…

AUSTRALIA The Langham, Melbourne is running a Club and Suite Retreat package. The offer includes accommodation in an Executive room or suite, A$80 (US$61) hotel credit per room per night, a “VIP welcome amenity”, mileage points for a number of frequent flyer programme partnerships, as well as access to Langham Club with continental breakfast; all-day tea, coffee and pastries; afternoon tea; pre-dinner drinks and hors d’oeuvres, and complimentary meeting facilities. A minimum stay of two nights is required. The package rate starts from A$306 (US$232) and is valid until September 30, 2017. langhamhotels.com CHINA TOP PICK Wanda Reign on the Bund in Shanghai is offering an Experience Ultimate Luxury at A Celebratory Rate package. The deal includes the “Michelin two-star chef Marc Menueau” set dinner at Marc for two, daily…

Craig Bright compiles the latest news from businesstraveller.com/asia-pacific Gulf carriers suspend flights to and from Doha AIRLINES including Etihad Airways, Emirates and Gulf Air have suspended all flights to and from Doha, following the decision by Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain, the UAE, the Maldives and Yemen to cut diplomatic ties with Qatar. In response, Qatar Airways suspended all flights to Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain (until further notice at time of writing). According to reports, the four Arab countries have accused Qatar of “destabilising the region” through its support for terrorist groups including IS and al-Qaeda, a claim strongly denied by Doha. etihad.com, emirates.com, gulfair.com, qatarairways.com Marriott builds its independent hotel portfolio MARRIOTT International has revealed growth targets for its portfolio of independent hotel brands, which it says,…

The resort had an almost Japanese design aesthetic, with a gigantic entrance area open to the sea breezes and tall stands of bamboo beside water features BACKGROUND The Sanya Edition opened in December last year, the fourth of Marriott’s new Edition brand, and the first in Asia (the others are in London, Miami Beach and New York). It’s one of Sanya’s largest properties, offering 512 rooms including 46 suites and an additional 17 hotel villas. WHERE IS IT? East of Sanya in southern Hainan Island, it’s located in Haitang Bay, to the north of the more famous – and crowded – Yalong Bay. Sanya Phoenix International Airport is an hour’s drive – book a limo pick-up through the hotel as Haitang Bay is not well connected by public transport. WHAT’S…

THE WAREHOUSE HOTEL The first hotel from the Lo and Behold Group, which already has a number of restaurants in the city-state, The Warehouse Hotel opened in January in a revamped 19th-century “godown” (warehouse) on Robertson Quay. In keeping with the history of the building and its role during the height of the city’s spice trade, the hotel features an industrial aesthetic with exposed brick walls and metal wheels hanging from the ceiling. While it certainly has a boutique feel with just 37 rooms, the hotel does offer a restaurant and lobby bar. thewarehousehotel.com MERCURE SINGAPORE BUGIS February saw the opening of the Mercure Singapore Bugis in the city’s Bugis and Bras Basah heritage area, a short walk from the central business district and the city’s popular shopping district, Orchard…

NEW Conrad Guangzhou Opened: May 2017 The latest luxury international-brand hotel to open in Guangzhou, this 309-room property stands behind the towering new Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre one block back from the Tianhe CBD’s central park quadrangle. The wide range of rooms (starting at 48 sqm) and suites are all furnished and decorated in modern chic style. The hotel has 1,800 sqm of meeting space, with an Executive Lounge on the (top) 27th floor. A comprehensive health club and spa facility includes an indoor heated pool and outdoor whirlpool, a variety of workout zones in the fitness centre, and steam baths, ice fountains and herbal and hot stone saunas. conradhotels.com Aloft Guangzhou Tianhe Opened: May 2016 The city’s second Aloft property is also the largest in the world for this…

Panino Giusto The popular Milanese panini franchise has launched its third Hong Kong eatery with a large alfresco terrace in Causeway Bay. Try the signature “Milano 2015” parma ham creation or roast turkey “Madras” for a lunchtime treat. paninogiusto.com.hk Hon10 Japanese Shokudo cuisine gets an innovative twist in this new art-filled casual eatery opened in Pacific Place. Recommended dishes include grilled wagyu sirloin with ponzu and sakura smoked salmon with wasabi cream. epicurean.com BLT Steak The Tsim Sha Tsui harbour-front outpost of New York’s acclaimed American-style steakhouse relaunched in March, with sophisticated new interiors and tantalising dishes such as red wine braised short ribs and grilled spiny lobster. diningconcepts.com Dragon Noodles Academy Set in surroundings that conjure up a 1970s Kung Fu academy, DNA takes the essence of traditional Hong…

T he story of venerable hotel group Kempinski began in Berlin in 1897 with the vision of one man: Berthold Kempinski. A bold entrepreneur with an adventurous approach to hospitality, he owned a wine merchant and delicatessen restaurant, and introduced the concept of full- or half-portion dishes served with wine by the glass – a culinary revolution at the time. Berthold died in 1910, but his son-in-law expanded the company until it boasted wine stores and restaurants in Amsterdam, London and New York. In 1928, Haus Vaterland in Berlin’s Potsdamer Platz blazed a new trail in entertainment dining, with 12 restaurants offering cuisine and décor from a dozen different countries. Kempinski opened its first hotel in 1932, the Kempinski Hotel Schloss Marquardt, located at Lake Schleinitz in Brandenburg, around 50km…