Singapore Airlines to Boost Services to Japan

Singapore-based Singapore Airlines Limited (“SIA”) will introduce a fourth daily service to Tokyo’s Haneda Airport with effect from 28 December 2018. This will increase daily services to Tokyo to six per day, including two daily flights to Narita Airport. The flight will be operated by SIA’s Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, adding over 1,800 seats per week on the route. In addition, SIA will operate the world’s largest commercial aircraft, Airbus A380, to Osaka daily from 28 October 2018 to 30 March 2019, which will increase over 720 seats per week on the route. SIA operates two daily services on the Singapore-Osaka route, both of which are currently operated by its Boeing 787-10 fleet. With the new service to Haneda Airport, SIA will operate a total of 105 weekly services between Singapore and Japan. This includes SIA’s daily service to both Fukuoka and Nagoya, SilkAir’s three weekly services to Hiroshima and Scoot’s 11 weekly services to Osaka, 4 weekly services to Sapporo and 17 weekly services to Tokyo’s Narita Airport. As of May 2018, there were over 310,000 Japanese visiting Singapore, a y-o-y growth of 3.4% compared to the same period last year.

China-Based Jin Jiang, BTG Homeinns and Huazhu Maintain Rankings Among Global Top Ten Hotel Groups

According to the latest data from hotel magazine HOTELS 325, China-based Shanghai Jin Jiang International Hotel Group Co. (“Jin Jiang”), BTG Homeinns Hotels Group Co. (“BTG Homeinns”) and Huazhu Hotels Group Ltd. (“Huazhu”) maintained their rankings among the global top 10 hotel companies. In addition, another eight Chinese hotel groups joined the top 50 listing. The ranking was based on the number of rooms and hotels in operation as of December 31, 2017. Jin Jiang ranked fifth with 680,111 rooms and 6,794 hotels, BTG Homeinns ranked eighth with 384,743 rooms and 3,712 hotels, and Huazhu ranked ninth with 379,675 rooms and 3,746 hotels. Other Chinese brands that were part of the top 50 listing include: GreenTree Hospitality Group, Dossen International Group, Qingdao Sunmei Group & Co., New Century Hotels & Resorts, Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts, Zhuyou Hotel Group, Jinling Hotels & Resorts Corp., HK CTS Hotels Co.

Kempinski to Debut in Bali by Fourth Quarter 2018

Switzerland-based Kempinski Hotels S.A. (“Kempinski”) is scheduled to debut in Bali with the opening of the Apurva Kempinski Bali, its second hotel in Indonesia. Slated to open in the fourth quarter of this year, the hotel is situated in Nusa Dua, approximately 30 minutes from Ngurah Rai International Airport by car. Assembled with Balinese architecture and Indonesian-inspired interior design aesthetics, The Apurva Kempinski Bali will feature 475 guest rooms, suites and villas. Other facilities include five dining venues, Cigar & Shisha Lounge, spa, fitness centre, 60-metre swimming pool, kids’ pool, family club and over 1,400 square metres of meeting space. The Apurva Kempinski Bali will join an international portfolio of 25 existing Kempinski Hotels across Asia Pacific as well as other upcoming Kempinski hotels set to open this year, including 157-key Capitol Kempinski Hotel Singapore and 261-key Kempinski Residences Guangzhou.

Capella Hotel Group to Manage Regent Singapore from 2019

Singapore-based Capella Hotel Group (“Capella”) will manage 440-key Regent Singapore from January 1, 2019, taking over from Canada-based Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts (“Four Seasons”) after 26 years of management. The conclusion of the management agreement was mutually-agreed upon between Four Seasons and Singapore-based real estate developer and the owner of the hotel, Pontiac Land Group (“Pontiac”). This comes after Pontiac’s acquisition of Capella in October 2017. Capella will now work collaboratively with Four Seasons and Pontiac to ensure a smooth transition to the new management. Capella’s portfolio of luxury properties includes hotels across cities such as Bali, Bangkok, Düsseldorf, Maldives, Sanya, Shanghai, Singapore and Sydney. The company will continue to expand their geographic footprint with an additional ten hotels in the pipeline which are planned for Australia, China, Indonesia, Maldives and Thailand.

Bali to Open Cartoon Network Theme Park in Nusa Dua

US-based Turner Asia Pacific (“Turner”) has partnered with Indonesia-based real estate and hospitality investment company The MAJ Group to develop a 4.3-hectare Cartoon Network themed entertainment park, the first internationally branded theme park in Bali. Scheduled to be fully operational in 2020, the family-oriented theme park will feature the island’s largest waterpark and an indoor entertainment centre. Attractions will include water rides, and massive surf and wave pools. The theme park will be located within the MAJ Nusa Dua complex in southern Bali that offers world-class hotels, two convention centres, a shopping centre and an award-winning golf course. The development will represent Indonesia’s internationally branded theme park and Cartoon Network’s first theme park with both indoor and outdoor attractions. Other Cartoon Network-branded projects in Asia include Cartoon Network Amazone in Thailand, IMG Worlds of Adventures in Dubai, Amaazia in India and Cartoon Network Wave cruise liner in Asia Pacific. 

Absolute Share Price Performance, as on 20 July 2018