Featured in this Asia Pacific Hospitality Newsletter - Week Ending 24 February 2006
CHIS 2006 'Winning Strategies For Hotel Investment in China'
2nd Hotel Investment Conference - South Asia (HICSA 2006)
Singapore Explores Tourism Co-operation With UAE
Rebranding of The Goodearth Hotel on Wickham Terrace, Brisbane
Mixed-use Development Proposed For Brisbane CBD
InterContinental Increases Development Worldwide
Jumeirah Appointed to Manage New Luxury Hotel in Shanghai
Absolute Share Price Performance, as at 24 February 2006


CHIS 2006 'Winning Strategies For Hotel Investment In China' Return to Headlines

China Hotel Investment Summit opens doors to both gateway and secondary cities of one of the fastest growing economies in the 21st century to investors, developers, owners, hotel and serviced apartment operators, governments, financial institutions and other industry specialists who have a stake in the country.

Co-hosted by the largest global hospitality consulting firm - HVS International, together with the leading institution for hospitality education in China - Beijing International Studies University, CHIS 2006 promises a whole new experience for hotel investment in China. We will meet the CHIS 2006 'China Hotelier of the Year' as well as the recipient of the 'Hospitality Excellence Award'.

More details are available at our summit portal at www.chisummit.com. For more information, kindly email: [email protected].
CHIS 2006 'WINNING STRATEGIES FOR HOTEL INVESTMENT IN CHINA'
Date: 26 - 28 April 2006
Venue: Grand Hyatt Shanghai


2nd Hotel Investment Conference - South Asia (HICSA 2006) Return to Headlines

Hospitality sector in South Asia has shown robust performance in the past two years resulting in huge growth in the form of enhanced investment and development opportunities. Addressing the needs arising out of high interest levels in South Asia, HICSA 2006 aims to bring all the stakeholders of the hospitality industry together.

More details are available at our conference portal at www.hvs.com/HICSA/. For more information, kindly email: [email protected].
Date: 5 - 6 April 2006
Venue: Taj Lands End Mumbai


Singapore Explores Tourism Co-operation With UAE Return to Headlines

Singapore government officials are currently in talks with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) tourism authorities, especially in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, to explore possible areas of cooperation. The consul-general of Singapore in the UAE, Dileep Nair, met with tourism officials including Mubarak Hamad Al Muhairi, director-general of the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) and Khaled bin Sulayem, director-general of Dubai Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) in February to discuss ways to broaden cooperation between Singapore and UAE. Several trade missions from Singapore have continually visited the UAE looking for opportunities to boost trade. Looking ahead, the STB, in keeping with the momentum for positive growth in overall visitor arrivals and tourism receipts in 2005, has set a target of US$7.4 billion in tourism receipts and aims to attract 9.4 million visitors for 2006.


Rebranding of The Goodearth Hotel on Wickham Terrace, Brisbane Return to Headlines

One of Brisbane's best located hotels - the Goodearth Hotel on Wickham Terrace was added to the Accor portfolio under a management agreement. The new hotel, known as Terraces on Wickham, will undergo a US$3.7 million refurbishment program for all rooms and public areas and will become the newest mid-market hotel in the city. The addition of the new CBD hotel extends Accor's leadership position in Brisbane and Queensland with a total of seven hotels in the metropolitan area (1,435 rooms) and 22 hotels across the state. This property complements the variety of accommodation Accor currently offers in Brisbane - from the luxury Sofitel Hotel to quality business hotels such as the Novotel and Mercure, the economy style Ibis hotel and the budget Formule 1 properties.


Mixed-use Development Proposed For Brisbane CBD Return to Headlines
Brisbane could welcome the first new luxury CBD hotel in Australia in five years with Queensland developer APH considering building a new five-star property. The developer is also seeking permission to develop up to 20,000 square metres of office space on the Red Cross Blood Bank site at 480 Queen Street. The area was acquired from the Seymour Group and Watpac for US$23.7 million earlier this month. An all-time low 3.5 per cent vacancy rate in Brisbane's commercial office space sector, together with high hotel occupancy rates constitute reasons to change the residential approval granted last year to build instead a new five-star office space. Brisbane City Council has approved plans for a 55-level tower comprising up to 236 apartments on the site. There will soon be a very significant shortage of commercial offices with few quality supply-side opportunities. Scarce development site opportunities coupled with high construction costs dictate the need for mixed-use solutions to the commercial supply problem.

InterContinental Increases Development Worldwide Return to Headlines
InterContinental Hotels Group, the world’s largest hotel group by number of rooms is scheduled to open nine hotels in the United States, Europe, Middle East and China. In China two hotels will open in 2006. InterContinental Chongqing is anticipated to open in June 2006. The property will be located within a 42-story twin tower mixed-use complex in the centre of the CBD. The InterContinental Shenzhen is anticipated to open in the fourth quarter of 2006. The 549-room hotel will be the first luxury hotel in Shenzhen’s Nanshan district, located near the city’s main exhibition centre. These developments will increase the number of properties under the InterContinental brand to seven in Greater China.

Jumeirah Appointed to Manage New Luxury Hotel in Shanghai Return to Headlines
Jumeirah, the luxury hospitality group manager of the Burj Al Arab Hotel in Dubai has been appointed by Shanghai Lixing Limited to manage a new hotel in the downtown Luwan district of Shanghai. The 338-room HanTang Jumeirah Shanghai will be part of the city-centre Food and Beverage, Retail and Entertainment complex of Xintiandi. This management agreement follows Jumeirah's announcement of its intention to accelerate its portfolio growth, and closely follows the group's entry into the North American market with the launch of Jumeirah Essex House in New York on 15 January this year.

Absolute Share Price Performance, as at 24 February 2006
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