Best Western Brings BW Premier Collection to Asia

Best Western Hotels & Resorts has unveiled plans to bring its new upscale hotel concept, BW Premier Collection, to Asia for the first time. The group has signed a management agreement with Thai real estate company, Habitat Group, for BluPhere Pattaya – a new-build eight-storey project in Na Jomtien. Located just 100 meters from the beach and a few minutes away from downtown Pattaya, BluPhere Pattaya will feature 195 apartment-style units, ideal for family getaways. While the property will retain its existing brand, it will be managed by Best Western as part of the BW Premier Collection – its upscale ‘soft brand’. The property will thus benefit from Best Western’s global support network, including employees training, sales and marketing, global distribution and quality control, as well as the ‘Best Western Rewards’ loyalty program. This signing is the second collaboration between Best Western and Habitat Group, following the Best Western Premier BayPhere Pattaya, which is another upscale development on Thailand’s Eastern Seaboard.

Hyatt Announces Plans for First Hyatt Place Hotel in Japan

Hyatt Hotels Corporation announced that a Hyatt affiliate has entered into a management agreement with Tokyo Bay Resort Development Co. Ltd., a subsidiary of Sogo Development Co. Ltd., for a Hyatt Place hotel in Chiba, Japan. Expected to open in 2019, the Hyatt Place Tokyo Bay, will be the country’s first Hyatt Place hotel. The property will be located at Urayasu City in Chiba Prefecture, less than 4 kilometers from the Tokyo Disney Resort – one of Tokyo’s premier travel destinations, and at a convenient distance from both Haneda and Narita Airports. The 10-storey hotel will offer 365 guestrooms including two suites, 1,900 square feet of meeting space, an all-day dining restaurant and a 24-hour gym. The new Hyatt Place Tokyo Bay is envisioned to exude the feel of a resort, with beautiful surroundings including a park and views of Tokyo Bay, in order to cater to the tastes of both business and leisure travelers.

Carlson Rezidor Opens the Radisson Blu Atria Bengaluru in Karnataka

Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group opened the Radisson Blu Atria Bengaluru in Karnataka, last week. Located around 35 kilometers south of Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport, the hotel features 167 rooms and suites, two restaurants, a bar, a tea and wine lounge, over 1,250 square meters of meeting space, a swimming pool, a spa, and a fitness center. Set up in partnership with Bengaluru-based A.S.K. Brothers, the hotel is a conversion of the former Atria Hotel, which was renovated with an investment of approximately INR100 crore. Bengaluru, the capital of India’s southern state of Karnataka, is an epicenter of economic activity and high-technology industry. The city is also renowned for its beautiful parks and dynamic nightlife.

AccorHotels Launches ibis Saigon Airport in Ho Chi Minh City

Last week, AccorHotels opened the ibis Saigon Airport hotel in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Located five minutes away from the Tan Son Nhat International Airport and just six kilometers from the city center, the hotel offers a variety of accommodation options for both short-stay and long-stay guests. The hotel features 282 rooms, including 65 studios and serviced apartments units (both one- and two-bedroom sets) that are especially suited for long-stay guests, complete with fully-equipped kitchenettes. Additional facilities at the hotel include an all-day-dining restaurant, a rooftop bar, a gym, sauna rooms, a swimming pool, one large ballroom, which can be divided into three smaller function rooms, and a meeting room.

Bintan Resorts and Sriwijaya Air Sign MoU to Promote Travel to Bintan

Bintan Resorts and Sriwijaya Air inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote Bintan as a destination as well as to develop a multi-destination concept by connecting the integrated resort with Yogyakarta, Bali and Manado. Bintan Resorts, supported by Gallant Venture Group as its holding company, will develop the infrastructure, improve accessibility to and from Bintan for both domestic and international travelers, and pair destinations in the country. Additionally, Bintan Resorts plans to expand its inventory from 1,700 to 7,000 rooms by 2020. Frans Gunara, Vice President Director of Bintan Resorts Cakrawala, said, “Now travelers need to go in and out of Bintan (via) Singapore. For those that need visas to Singapore like the Chinese, they need a multiple visa if they want to go to Bintan via Singapore. With the improved access, they can enter Bintan visa-free and out of Singapore with a single visa from the ferry terminal we are building close to the airport.” Furthermore, Bintan Aviation Investment is currently developing the airport in Bintan, which when completed in 2018 will be used by Sriwijaya Air as a base.

HICSA 2017 | Bringing Together Regional Owner Powerhouses

Hosted by HVS, the 13th edition of Hotel Investment Conference – South Asia (HICSA) will have special emphasis on hotel owners. The event will open with an exclusive pre-conference ‘Owners’ Only Roundtable’ in an effort to provide owners a platform where they can jointly and candidly express their views and concerns. The roundtable will feature a number of focused discussion topics which are of special relevance to this forum. The conference will also see multiple owner-driven panel discussions led by the some of the most prominent hotel owners in the South Asian region. Each year, HICSA successfully brings together representatives of more than 100 ownership groups, and the 2017 conference is already well placed to exceed last year’s numbers.
5-6 APRIL, GRAND HYATT MUMBAI | REGISTER NOW

Absolute Share Price Performance, as on 17 Mar 2017