INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE
The International Convention Centre is Brunei’s largest events facility. It is part of Brunei’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which shares an office in the same building. Built in three phases – 1989, 1995 and 1999 – the big foyer is one of the centre’s main highlights. Its two convention halls can accommodate up to 1,000 delegates theatre style. Chief manager Ali Rahman says the ICC is not involved in actual event management although they can provide set-ups for corporate use. The centre’s main appeal is its low rental charges thanks to its government ownership.
The ICC holds many national functions such as meetings, seminars and government meetings. In-house catering for large events is handled by Royal Brunei Airlines. Recently the centre hosted HSBC’s 60th Anniversary Dinner for more than 500 people.
www.iccbrunei.com
EMPIRE HOTEL AND COUNTRY CLUB
The Empire Hotel and Country Club is the highlight of Brunei, both in terms of hotels and
attractions. Its appeal is about to increase even more as the 407-room property is about to
open its new Seaview Tower with 210 rooms next to the main hotel complex. It is also
adding a banquet hall with capacity for 2,000 people, which will open by the end of 2008.
Next month Metlife from Korea will bring 900 delegates to the hotel over a 21-day
period. Other big recent clients include HSBC, Hagemeyer, Herbalife and Amway.
Besides the usual array of hotel amenities and facilities, the Empire also features its own
eight-lane ten-pin bowling alley and movie cinema, which makes it a great option for
family-based incentives.
www.theempirehotel.com
ORCHID GARDEN
Although the Orchid Garden is not a traditional hotel for large groups, the main advantage of its 149 rooms is that they are the closest to the International Convention Centre and the nearby National Stadium, which was built in 1999 for the Southeast Asian Games that year. The hotel is also ten minutes from downtown Bandar Seri Begawan (the capital of Brunei) and five
minutes from the airport. The Orchid Garden opened in 1999 and completed a refurbishment
of its entire room stock in January.
www.orchidgardenbrunei.com
SHERATON UTAMA BRUNEI
The 142-room Sheraton Utama is a solid business hotel that features three main meeting spaces, including a 270 sqm ballroom on the ground floor that has enough space for 300 meetings delegates. The Starwood-branded hotel feels quite new and bright, and its central location makes it ideal for visiting nearby attractions such as the Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque.
www.sheraton.com/utama
RIZQUN HOTEL
The elegant design and heavy wooden looks of the 18-month-old Rizqun Hotel makes it an attractive option for corporate groups visiting Brunei. It features 168 rooms and 12 meeting spaces, all well designed with regal deep-red colours and dark woods.
The Rizqun also has one of the largest ballrooms in Brunei with capacity for more than 1,000 delegates. The hotel has already hosted numerous Asean meetings since its opening, with a major attraction being its convention and breakout facilities all on the same floor. Other notable venues include a balcony that is ideal for cocktail functions of 70 people and a VIP hall for 100 people.
The hotel is ten minutes away from the ICC and airport. Nearby attractions include the Gado Gado night markets.
www.rizquninternational.com
QUALITY VENUES
The Island of Borneo is well known as an adventure destination, but Brunei's hotels have proved they are also highly skilled at holding meetings and conventions. By Shannon Sweeney
