Singapore’s hotels are currently doing well out of the regional meetings and conventions market, with room rates being significantly increased in recent months (see Analysis, p20).
While the new prices must be considered as a true reflection of demand, there is little respite predicted for regional planners in the near future.
ROYAL PLAZA ON SCOTTS
The 511-room Royal Plaza on Scotts re-opened in January after a six-month renovation, with
the rooms being refitted and the meeting spaces taking better advantage of natural lighting. The hotel is located just off Orchard Road and is an independent property owned by the Sultan of Brunei. Shell, BP, Siemens and HSBC have all held recent conferences at the hotel, which offers 930 sqm of space across ten meeting venues.
www.royalplaza.com.sg
SHANGRI-LA
The Shangri-La Hotel recently hosted the annual Shangri-La Dialogue Security and Defence Conference, which brought together defence ministers and security officials from 26 countries. The event highlighted the hotel’s ability to run a complex programme while still maintaining excellent levels of service. The 750-room hotel has also recently launched its off-site catering service, Impressions by Shangri-La, allowing corporate groups to enjoy the hotel’s hospitality at different locations around the city. Ernst & Young was among the first customers to use the service for its recent Singapore Entrepreneur of the Year Awards.
www.shangri-la.com
MERITUS MANDARIN
The Meritus Mandarin Singapore on Orchard Road is a city landmark. The hotel underwent a staggered renovation on its Meritus Club, Premier Rooms, Mandarin Ballroom and public areas earlier in the year.
The hotel’s key feature is its 1,200 rooms and 1,200-capacity ballroom. No other city in Asia can boast this sort of capacity in such a centrally located area of the city. It also offers further meeting spaces for 800 and 350 delegates respectively.
The hotel is located near other hotels in the area, as well as a wide range of shops and
department stores. Recent clients include Sony, Philips, Shell, Johnson & Johnson,
Citibank, Fujitsu and DHL.
www.mandarin-singapore.com
SENTOSA RESORT & SPA
The Sentosa Resort & Spa offers conference and incentive groups the best of both worlds with excellent meeting facilities as well as a true resort setting – all only 15 minutes away from downtown Singapore.
The 211-room hotel, which also has four exclusive villas hidden away within its expansive grounds, spent US$9.9 million on renovations in 2006.
Its meeting facilities feature a two-storey conference centre that has a maximum capacity of 400 people. Key features include a large lawn area for morning and afternoon coffee breaks as well as a dedicated coffee bar inside the centre. Some of the more tranquil highlights are the monkeys and peacocks that are found throughout the hotel’s grounds.
Spa Botanica is the hotel’s award-winning outdoor spa, which was voted the world’s fourth-best urban day spa for 2007 by Condé Nast Traveller in the UK.
www.thesentosa.com
PAN PACIFIC
The Pan Pacific Singapore is part of the Marina Bay cluster of hotels. It is currently refurbishing its 775 rooms at a cost of US$9.2 million. The work will be completed by the end of 2007 and will see a complete overhaul of the hotel’s rooms and interior. The hotel offers 3,000 sqm of
meeting space and wireless high-speed internet access throughout.
singapore.panpacific.com
RITZ-CARLTON MILLENIA
The Ritz-Carlton Millenia has recently added a VIP holding room to its meeting facilities, which has its own private entrance and is adjacent to the ballroom. It is also well located to take advantage of the nearby Singapore Flyer tourist attraction, which opens in February 2008.
The 608-room hotel features 1,765 sqm of meeting space, with the ballroom being able
to hold 1,400 theatre style. There is also 1,390 sqm of space available around the pool
deck for outdoor functions.
www.ritz-carlton.com
Local properties set business standards
Many Orchard Road and Marina Bay hotels have undergone recent upgrades to facilities
