Ovolo Hotels to expand its portfolio in Australia with new hotels in Brisbane and Canberra

Hong Kong-based boutique hospitality brand Ovolo Hotels (“Ovolo”) has expanded its portfolio in Australia with the acquisition of the 102-key Emporium Hotel in Brisbane for A$40 million and a long-term leasehold of the 68-key Hotel Hotel in Canberra. Under a long-term leasehold agreement with Canberra-based Molonglo Group, Ovolo has acquired the business, operations, and staff at the hotel. The rebranding will come to effect on 1 March 2018, with just minor changes to the existing hotel. Emporium Hotel is Ovolo’s second addition to Brisbane in just 12 months, following the purchase of the 50-key New Inchcolm Hotel & Suites (to be named Ovolo Inchcolm Brisbane) for A$16.5 million last June. Upon completion of the acquisition of the Emporium Hotel in April 2018, Ovolo’s Australia hotel portfolio will count 6 properties, as compared to three at the beginning of 2017.

New World Hotels & Resorts opens first hotel in Malaysia

New World Hotels & Resorts’ first property in Malaysia, New World Petaling Jaya Hotel, has opened its doors. Located in Petaling Jaya in Kuala Lumpur, the newly opened 300-key hotel is housed within one of the tallest towers in the city. New World Petaling Jaya Hotel provides 300 guestrooms with sizes ranging from 36 square metres for deluxe rooms, to 73 square metres for suites. Guests staying in the Residence Club rooms and suites will have exclusive access to New World Hotels’ signature Residence Club Living Room, an all-day lounge with concierge services. Other facilities include a restaurant offering local cuisines, a rooftop bar, a lobby lounge, a rooftop infinity-edge pool, a fitness centre, a 1,700 square-metre ballroom and eight meeting rooms.

Capital World announces Malaysia’s biggest indoor theme park in Johor Bahru for August 2018

Singapore-based property developer Capital World Limited (“Capital World”) has announced the opening of Malaysia’s biggest indoor theme park, MCM Studio, at its Capital City Project in Johor Bahru. It is touted to be the largest indoor theme park in Southeast Asia and the fifth largest in the world. Set to open by August 2018, the over 1 million square feet Capital 21 mall on Jalan Tampoi will include the MCM Studio on its third and fourth levels and feature three main sections, Movie Planet, Cartoon Planet, and Music Planet. Besides the MCM Studio, the Capital 21 mall will also house a shopping complex featuring elements from five different continents, a 315-key Hilton Garden Inn slated to open in 2019, 630 hotel-style serviced suites, and a 690-unit serviced apartment.

Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas to Debut Two City Hotels in Singapore

Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spa has announced their entry into Singapore with two new city hotel signings. Both Six Senses Duxton and Six Senses Maxwell will be housed in heritage properties located within the eclectic heart of Chinatown. Slated to open in April 2018, Six Senses Duxton will provide 49 oriental-designed guestrooms and suites, a fine dining restaurant and an antiquarian library themed lobby bar. In addition, a traditional Chinese doctor will be appointed, to offer readings, health recommendations and a medicinal herbal dispensary. Six Senses Maxwell, designed by French architect and designer Jacques Garcia, is expected to open three months later with 138 guestrooms and suites and other facilities including a restaurant, a Six Senses Spa, outdoor lap pool, Champagne bar and lounge, whiskey bar, boardroom and club lounge. The hotel is expected to reflect a fusion of traditional décor and furnishings with a stylish modern twist. Both properties have been awarded the Urban Redevelopment Authority Architectural Heritage Award.

Minor Hotels launches a selection of river cruises with Mekong Kingdoms Cruises

Thailand’s Minor Hotels is launching a new line of luxury river cruises. Mekong Kingdoms cruises will feature a fleet of five vessels that will cruise along the Mekong river from Chiang Khong in Thailand’s Golden Triangle to the UNESCO World Heritage city of Luang Prabang in Laos. Itineraries include visits to the Pak Ou caves, jungle treks, visits to the Hmong Village at Pak Beng and traditional weaving classes. The fleet’s flagship ‘Boheme’ is a 42-metre luxury barge with 13 cabins, while for shorter trips the fleet features ‘Nomad’, a two-cabin vessel with ultimate privacy. Almost every aspect of the itinerary and journey can be customised to suit guests’ needs. Mekhong Kingdoms cruises is the latest addition to Minor Hotel’s existing fleet, which consists of Anantara Overnight Cruises, journeying between Bangkok and Ayutthaya and Manohra dining cruises in Bangkok.

Absolute Share Price Performance, as on 19 January 2018