AYANA Launches Luxury Resort in Komodo, Indonesia

Located in West Flores, an hour’s flight from Bali, is the town of Labuan Bajo. Contained in the untouched paradise of Labuan Bajo are various natural attractions such as mountains and waterfalls as well as the famous Komodo National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. AYANA will be launching the first and only five-star resort on the exquisite Labuan Bajo, Waecicu Beach. Slated to open in the summer of 2018, AYANA Komodo Resort, Waecicu Beach will feature 12 suites and 189 premium guest rooms, each offering ocean views. The resort will also feature a rooftop wedding and function suite accommodating around 200 guests, with an ocean view terrace. Other facilities will include an all-day dining outlet, three bars, two specialty restaurants, three swimming pools, a fitness center, a kid’s club and a spa with five treatment rooms. With the resort having its own private pier, guests will have the opportunity to either charter or book AYANA Lako’dia – the resort’s private luxurious ship for various types of outdoor functions, including weddings.

Thailand’s Gasoline Giant Prepares to Enter the Hotel Industry

Thailand’s national oil and gas conglomerate, PTT Plc, is revisiting plans to build budget hotels at its petrol stations throughout the country. This move comes in a bid to diversify and strengthen the company’s non-oil business, and avoid risks associated with oil price fluctuations. PTT is considering having 50 budget hotels built near its various petrol stations over the next three to five years, with each hotel expected to be between 30 and 80 keys. According to Executive Vice President, Suchat Ramarch, the company has already been approached by six Thai hotel companies to co-develop the hotels. However, PTT has yet to decide whether to develop the hotels on its own land and use the partner's expertise in managing the hotels, or to jointly invest with the partner and seek out new hotel locations, which could be leased on a long-term basis. The company is expected to choose its hotel partner by this year-end. 

Millennium Hotels Opens M Social in Auckland

The second Millennium Hotels and Resorts’ ‘M Social’ property has opened its doors in Auckland, New Zealand. It follows the launch of M Social Singapore last year. The new built hotel offers 190 rooms, comprising five categories of guestrooms and two categories of suites. Alongside the accommodation units will be Beast & Butterflies, an all-day dining establishment with an outdoor terrace and bar, and a Delicatessen. There is also provision of meeting and event spaces, with room for up to 50 guests. Technology is a focal point of the hotel, with self-check-in kiosks available for guests, in addition to a traditional reception desk; smart TVs in every guest room; and a media wall that displays local information such as transportation timetables and weather forecasts.

Roots Corporation Opens the Ginger Lucknow

Roots Corporation recently announced the opening of the Ginger Lucknow in Lucknow, India. Located in Gomti Nagar, the hotel features 72 rooms, each measuring 190 square feet. Other facilities at the hotel include a multi-cuisine restaurant, a meeting room and a fitness center. Lucknow is the capital and largest city in the state of Uttar Pradesh, and is an important business destination.

Air Asia Moves Closer to Setting Up Joint Venture Carrier in China

Malaysia-based low-cost carrier, Air Asia, has entered into a non-binding term sheet with China Everbright Group and two Singaporean companies, Plato Capital and Oxley Capital, in its efforts to set up a joint venture (JV) budget airline in China. The term sheet confirms the parties’ interest in forming the JV, with a validity period of up to 12 months for the parties to discuss and negotiate definitive agreements for the proposed JV. The details of Air Asia’s earlier memorandum of understanding (MoU) with China Everbright Group and Henan Government Working Group were also included in the term sheet. The JV airline will be known as Air Asia (China) and will be established either through an acquisition or by obtaining a new airline license. The parties have also expressed interest to incorporate AirAsia (China) in Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan province in central China, which is intended to be the operating base and headquarters.

Absolute Share Price Performance, as on 6 October 2017