Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2018 i Business Traveller Asia-Pacific Edition

Every child deserves the right to love, security and an education. But too often, this is not the case. With the new ‘Make a Difference’ initiative from Radisson Hotel Group you can help to provide a better future for children in need. For each night booked at a participating hotel in Asia-Pacific, Radisson Hotel Group will donate US$1 directly to SOS Children’s Villages International to help fund educational initiatives for disadvantaged children across the region. Founded in 1949, SOS Children’s Villages has been working tirelessly for almost 70 years to support children across the globe. It has grown to become the largest non-governmental organisation focused on supporting at-risk children, with efforts in 135 countries. “We are happy to support SOS Children’s Villages as part of our company’s Responsible Business efforts,”…

AVIATION may not immediately strike people as a source of inspiration for artistic exploration, but that’s not the case for New York-, Hong Kong- and Colorado-based artist Christopher K Ho, who recently held an exhibition at Hong Kong art gallery de Sarthe inspired by Cathay Pacific’s daily flights to and from Vancouver. Titled “CX 888”, the exhibition featured Cathay’s signature teal and maroon colours with deckchairs set out to resemble a business class cabin – the seats were even adjusted to the recline of 1980s business class seats. All this while playing the soundtrack to the movie The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. While the exhibition, sadly, has since ended, if you’re interested in both art and aviation, Ho may just be an artist to keep an eye on. desarthe.com…

Other prizes this month come from international news channel France 24. Available in the Asia-Pacific region in English and French, France 24 provides comprehensive coverage of world events with an international news bulletin every half-hour. France 24 broadcasts 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to 250 million TV households in 177 countries worldwide. Three winners this month will each receive a black Bluetooth Marshall Acton speaker. For more details and to enter, visit businesstraveller.com/competitions OCTOBER ISSUE COMPETITION WINNERS: Diane Walmsley and Fong Kuan Lai each won a three-night stay in a Premier Sea View King room at the Kerry Hotel Hong Kong.…

Nestled in the picturesque East Lake Scenic Area, Wanda Reign Wuhan is an ultra-luxury establishment with impeccable service: the hotel of choice for luminaries and discerning guests. Just 30 minutes from Wuhan Tianhe International Airport, or 15 minutes from the high-speed rail, the property’s ideal location gives easy access to the city’s wealth of entertainment options. Theatrical delights at the iconic red lantern-shaped Han Show Theatre, the cultural intrigue of the historic Tower of Yellow Cranes and abundance of international retail outlets on the main shopping street are all accessible within a short distance from the hotel. On arrival, guests will be greeted by a jaw-dropping mural inspired by the famed East Lake: a 60-metre marble and jade fresco adorning the soaring lobby walls. Striking design details continue to be…

How much time have you spent booking or rearranging business trips over the last year? Have your travel plans been severely disrupted by bad weather, natural disasters, industrial disputes or even acts of terrorism? These are questions that travel management companies (TMCs) ask when trying to persuade the business traveller to use them to manage their travel requirements. A decade ago, TMCs used to be known as business travel agencies. These days, TMC services extend into areas such as data reporting and analysis, expense management, consultancy, meetings and events management, traveller tracking (allowing companies to monitor where employees are) and creating bespoke technology such as online booking tools. Yet despite this diversification of services in recent years, arranging and booking travel is the bulk of what a TMC does. WHY…

There was a time when a steakhouse was more often than not an object lesson in culinary disappointment… a sad prawn cocktail – long before they became sought-after in a retro way – followed by a leathery steak of questionable origin, cooked any way except the way you had actually requested. And to round off the meal, the cheque would invariably make you wince. Happily, times have changed and steakhouses now boast culinary kudos and even Michelin stars thanks to innovative menus, impeccable ingredients and expert execution. A growing appreciation of sustainable, quality meats from all corners of the globe has meant that diners are offered a dazzling array of ageing techniques and cuts, some of which can run upwards of US$300 per person. The challenge these days can come…

BACKGROUND Singapore Airlines (SIA) reclaimed the title of longest commercial flight in the world in October with the relaunch of its non-stop service between Singapore and New York (Newark). The flight covers 16,700km and is scheduled to take approximately 18 hours and 45 minutes. Its previous service on this route (which stopped in 2013) used an older – and far less fuel efficient – aircraft, the Airbus A340. With the new A350-900ULR (ultra-long range), an extended-range variant of Airbus’s existing A350-900 aircraft that SIA is the first carrier to operate, the airline hopes to make the route economically viable once again. To do this, SIA has completely cut out the economy class cabin, meaning the entire aircraft comprises just 67 business class and 94 premium economy seats – roughly a…

The fitness room on the top floor of the east tower has amazing views – working out as dawn broke was a lasting memory BACKGROUND This five-star property is in a development by Sun Hung Kai Properties, one of Hong Kong’s leading real-estate developers, which also contains a shopping mall and a large residential element, as well as a waterfront promenade. WHERE IS IT? In North Point, between the MTR station (Island and Tseung Kwan O lines) and North Point Ferry pier. For first-time visitors this might seem a little out of the way, but it is a great place for transport connections to other parts of Hong Kong, and you really feel like you are in Hong Kong in this neighbourhood, with its local restaurants and shops. The hotel…

LOUNGE options at Singapore’s Changi Airport are about to get a whole lot grander, with Qantas now planning to open a dedicated First Lounge while also expanding the size of its existing Business Lounge by about 60 per cent, giving the airline a combined capacity to seat more than 800 customers across its facilities. Details are so far slim, though Qantas has stated construction on the new lounge will begin in April next year and, when completed, it will be able to seat about 240 people. The airline has also confirmed that the lounge will have a strong focus on F&B, with a cocktail bar and an open kitchen with a Singapore-inspired à la carte menu. qantas.com.au…

IT WAS a sad day on November 5 as Cathay Pacific shut the doors on its popular The Arrival lounge in Hong Kong to make way for the airport’s terminal redevelopment plan. At this stage it remains unclear whether Cathay will open a new facility – the airline has stated that it will continue to explore “new ways and partnerships that enhance [its] product and service offerings”, but admits that availability for an alternative location is currently limited and not especially suitable. Located on Level 3 between the airport’s two terminals, The Arrival lounge was a regular stopping point for early arrivals into the city. cathaypacific.com…

GETTING someone the right Christmas gift is always tricky. Fortunately, if the person you’re buying for is as much of a traveller as you are, luggage brand Tumi has a number of new, special variations of its popular collections that have been launched in time for the holiday season. Foremost among these is a new female-focused silver-and-black design for three of the brand’s Voyager series that is exclusive to Asia-Pacific. Alternatively, there is also the Alpha Bravo backpack range reimagined in a sleek matte black colour scheme and the cool high-visibility Reflective Tundra line. Prices range from US$395 to US$790. tumi.com…

Conveniently located in the heart of the city, the luxury serviced apartments at Kerry Residence provide residents with a full spectrum of cultural, educational, spiritual and lifestyle choices. With the Kerry Centre's shopping mall, Kerry Sports, Adventure Zone*, a 5-star business hotel and premium Grade A offices all inter-connected, residents enjoy direct access to a wide selection of services, dining, shopping and entertainment right on their doorstep. Connected to the cities’ extensive Metro network, and their international airports within in an easy commute, the area's major transportation linkages bring Greater China, and the world beyound, within easy reach. Connected in comfort and sophisticated elegance, Kerry Residence is truly your superior residential address in the city. Beijing Kerry Residence 1 Guanghua Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100020; tel: +8610 8535 6888;…

There are more than 150,000 millionaires in Singapore – in a country of 5.6 million people, that’s approximately every 37th person On page eight of Credit Suisse’s Global Wealth Report 2017 is a map of the world with countries shaded in various colours to represent defined economic strata. Red, signifying wealth levels of more than US$100,000, is notable in Asia for its absence, appearing only in a handful of distinct areas – Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and, if you look really hard, a speck at the bottom of Peninsular Malaysia: Singapore. According to Credit Suisse’s analysis, the “Little Red Dot” ranks ninth globally (and the highest in Asia) for household wealth per adult. It’s a place that’s flourished through industry, shipping and now finance – a modern…

The Outer Cape began attracting summer visitors for its isolation and wild beauty during the 1930s Alengthy spit of sand and hollows jutting into the Atlantic, Cape Cod has long been a place of ebb and flow. The landscape itself seems transient, the shores of breezy dunes and freshwater kettle ponds constantly shifting their boundaries. Created from piles of glacial moraine as the last ice sheet receded, its days are numbered; it now has less than 5,000 years to go before the ocean consumes it. But right now, it’s New England’s holiday destination for visitors of all stripes: non-stop partying weekenders from Boston and New York, beachcombing families from New England, and plutocrats and presidents who jet in from Washington DC to their compounds – a tradition begun by the…

Menus on the Cape tend to cater for nostalgic New Englanders, comprising clam chowder, oysters, fried clams, lobster rolls and “scrod” (cod). There are now six microbreweries on the Cape, including the Naukabout Beer Company (naukabout.com), which has an atmospheric tap room (bar) in Mashpee. Here is my pick of the scores of Cape restaurants I’ve tried recently. LOWER CAPE When you’re driving the length of the Cape, these two new diners are worth seeking out. Chatham Filling Station (chathamfillingstation.com) on Route 28 has a retro Americana look, but a modern take on Southern cooking; try the grits (like polenta), the linguica (a Portuguese-style sausage) or a popover (Yorkshire pudding). Sunbird Kitchen (birdinthesun.com) on Route 6A in Orleans is one of the few hipster-style canteens on the Cape, with a…

When you first walk into a hotel ballroom as a conference delegate or banquet guest, there are plenty of things that can grab your attention, from wall-to-wall LED screens showcasing exciting video to grand chandeliers hanging majestically from the ceiling, or unparalleled panoramic views through expansive windows. Yet none of these quite evoke the sense of wonder that hits you when you enter a huge, capacious grand hall for the first time. With multistorey ceilings and walls that stretch what seem to be the entire length of the hotel, these spaces are impressive for their scope and audacity. Given the huge number of new hotel developments across Asia-Pacific, such titanic rooms are becoming all the more numerous. We look at some of the largest – and most impressive – hotel…

A high-heeled cyclist in a crisp suit passes me on the street, making a hands-free call as she pedals. It’s just after 3pm on a Friday, and the concrete promenades lining Copenhagen’s three rectangular lakes – commonly mistaken for a single river – are baking in the unexpected spring heat. At the nearby harbour, a powerboat carrying businesspeople guns down the satiny stretch of water towards Sweden. On days like this, “bridging” is also a thing in the Danish capital, where a denim-clad crowd perches along the walls of Dronning Louises Bridge, sipping cans of pilsner and socialising until sunrise. You can’t possibly have made it through 2016 without hearing the word hygge (pronounced hue-gah). Just in case, it’s the Danish ideal of appreciating life’s simple pleasures: family, friends, nature,…

CHECK-IN I arrived at London Heathrow Terminal 3 at 0700 for my departure on AA51 at 0915, a flight of some nine hours and 45 minutes. Check-in at the airport is either in Zone B for premium passengers or Zone E some distance away for all others. THE LOUNGE Premium economy passengers do not get the use of either of American’s two lounges at Terminal 3. For those with status either with the airline’s loyalty programme (AAdvantage) or in Oneworld, the options are the Admirals Club or the International First Class Lounge, both accessed through the same entrance (in the same area as the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse). The International First Class Lounge is what American calls its top lounges in airports where it has yet to refurbish them. Once refurbished,…

Few hotel locations are as coveted as the Kowloon harbourfront in Hong Kong, and the Gateway Hotel from Wharf Hotels takes full advantage of its stellar position. Located at the junction of Canton Road and Haiphong Road in Tsim Sha Tsui, Gateway Hotel is a short walk from the city's famous Star Ferry and enjoys excellent connectivity via the nearby MTR subway station and bus terminal. Meanwhile its position within Harbour City – Hong Kong’s largest shopping complex – makes the hotel the ultimate place for modern, comfortable accommodation and a truly memorable shopping experience. It's not just what's around the property that is impressive – the Gateway Hotel's own design and offerings are first class and soon it will introduce a comprehensive, award-winning redesign to its uppermost Continental Club…

A NEW “revolutionary” Upper Class seat product is coming to Virgin Atlantic’s 12 Airbus A350-1000s, which the airline will begin taking delivery of from the middle of next year. Speaking to Business Traveller, Virgin Atlantic’s senior vice president of sales and customer loyalty, Oliver Byers, said that the A350-1000 was “a great opportunity for [Virgin] to introduce a new upper class seat product”, adding that further details will be announced early in 2019. “We’ve seen it, I’ve sat in it, it’s a fantastic seat,” he added. “What you’ll see is that it’s a next-generation product but it’s incredibly Virgin Atlantic – it’s exactly what you would think Virgin Atlantic is in terms of the look and feel, the design, the feel of the cabin and the warmth of the environment.”…

SOMETIMES when travelling, all you need is simply a bed to lay in, and hotel group Premier Inn has taken that quite literally with its new no-frills Zip brand. These pared-back rooms measure just 8.5 sqm and feature a single bed that can either be converted into a double or two singles, along with a small bathroom with a power shower and simple amenities. However, they are set up for guests to be able to work and stay connected in, with power sockets located beside the beds along with free wifi throughout the hotel. The first Zip hotel is expected to open in March next year in Cardiff, UK, with stays expected to cost £19 (US$25) per night. premierinn.com…

MUCH was made of Finnair’s introduction of a seating option offering superior space to its economy class cabin back in 2014, however the airline’s Economy Comfort seats as they are known remain a far cry from a fully fledged premium economy product. Come 2021 however, the airline will begin adding a proper, all-new premium economy cabin to its entire long-haul fleet. According to the airline, the class will feature “highly customised designs for Finnair” and will offer greater space and comfort “along with an enhanced service offering”, though few other details have so far been announced. Full rollout across its long-haul aircraft is expected to be completed by 2022. finnair.com…

Anew high-speed rail linking Hong Kong and the mainland plus the new Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge are set to bring more travellers to Hong Kong than ever. And with over 7,000 guest rooms, suites and serviced suites, Harbour Plaza Hotels and Resorts is ready to welcome them. The leading hospitality provider operates three brands: the upscale Harbour Grand, distinctive Harbour Plaza and budget-friendly Rambler. Harbour Grand The award-winning Harbour Grand Hong Kong boasts an ideal North Point location with easy access to premium business districts and the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Every room offers iconic harbour views, and for a more spectacular vista, guests can head up to the exclusive rooftop Skyline Pavilion. All serviced suites are equipped with pantries catering to the long-stay guests and select Patio rooms…

1 Imperial Palace and Gardens When the weather is cooperating, the vast and immaculately sculpted grounds around the Imperial Palace are the perfect antidote to central Tokyo’s crowds. Still the official residence of the Imperial Family, the palace itself and the innermost grounds are off limits, except when the Imperial Family greets throngs of visitors (from a balcony from afar) for the Emperor’s birthday on December 23, and to welcome in the new year on January 2. The outer grounds, however, are open to the public and well worth an hour even if time is tight. If that’s the case, go straight for the main photo op, the double-arched Nijubashi stone bridge that spans part of the moat. The bridge’s mirrored reflection on the water combined with the palace turret…

FOR MORE THAN A DECADE BUSINESS TRAVELLER ASIA-PACIFIC has been proud to work alongside the Chi Heng Foundation (CHF) in bringing together our many partners in the hotel and airline industries to make a real difference to the lives of thousands of young people in China. As we enter our 13th year of association with CHF we remain truly humbled by the efforts of the foundation’s staff and volunteers, whose work deserves our utmost admiration and respect. CHF’s long-running commitment to providing educational sponsorship and psychosocial support to AIDS-impacted children in China, from primary school through to university, has remained strong over the past 16 years. Despite the challenges involved in bringing aid to a large number of students spread over a vast geographic area, CHF…

In the two years since Hangzhou hosted the G20 Summit back in 2016, the city's meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibtions (MICE) sector has gone from strength to strength, and nowhere is this more evident than at the recent “Hangzhou, Inspiring New Connections” conference held by the Business Events Hangzhou on November 21. This year's event saw not only the announcement of a number of new economic conferences that will be held in Hangzhou – along with the unveiling of new conference-related financial services available to future event organisers – but the showcasing of some 60 different incentive travel options now available for event organisers to choose. These incentives are key to the unique proposition offered by Hangzhou as a vibrant economic conference destination, and many have been specifically tailored to…

OPINION It’s the mid-1970s and I’m setting off on yet another overseas business trip. There’s the suitcase and the carry-on, one of those chunky leather bags much loved by airline pilots and travelling journalists (you could fit half a dozen bottles of booze inside them if the need arose). Then there was the latest technology for globetrotting business people: a so-called portable typewriter, which weighed the best part of today’s total airline baggage allowance, with plenty of paper, carbon paper and ribbons to go with it. In those days, technology was heavy, and remained so for quite some time. When mobile phones appeared in the mid-1980s, they were so huge you had to carry them in a special bag. I still proudly remember my first one. It was mobile only…

BACKGROUND The Conrad originally opened in 1998 and is one of seven Hilton-operated hotels in the Egyptian capital. WHERE IS IT? On the Nile Corniche, next door to the soon-to-open St Regis Cairo and the Hilton Cairo World Trade Centre Residences, and close to Tahrir Square and the Egyptian Museum. It is 21 kilometres from the airport; at 1am this was a 30-minute drive but could just as easily take two hours or more during rush hour. The closest metro station is Ramses. WHAT’S IT LIKE? With its 24-storey tower looking out towards Zemalek Island, the Conrad Cairo is unmissable on the skyline. The hotel is accessed via a sloped driveway, with security and x-ray machines to clear before going into the hotel. The main lobby is large with a…