June 2015
WINNER OF PATA GOLD AWARD 2014, 2013, 2011 & 2009
Work hard, play hard in Koh Samui Le Méridien Angkor makes room for 1,000-pax conference
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Katrina Leong shares her plans for taking Messe Berlin forward in Asia-Pacific
GEN
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Luxury New names are emerging in the hotel market. They defy the star-rating system, offering ‘smart luxury’ or ‘upscale select service’ to younger jet-setters or Millennial-minded travellers who are increasingly making up a large segment of meeting and incentive attendance
citizenM Paris
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“Red clearly taps into a niche that has evolved in the last number of years and is making its way into developing markets around the world. It speaks to changing demographics – we know that today the younger generation, which forms almost a third of tomorrow’s travellers, uses hotel facilities differently than may be myself or other generations before me. It is much centred on community. It is an upscale select offering – there are reduced services and facilities but it is upscale from the buildout to the quality.” Thorsten Kirschke President Asia-Pacific, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group
Luxury Increasingly, meeting and incentive participants are GenYers, who hotel chains believe require a new kind of accommodation and meeting concept. This accounts for a slew of new ‘lifestyle’ brands that defy the starrating system, offering ‘smart luxury’ or ‘upscale select service’ to younger jet-setters or Millennial-minded travellers. Raini Hamdi guides you to the new names in the market that are keen to spread their wings, joining earlier entrants such as W, Aloft and Indigo
“It is widely forecast that Millennials will account for a third of all travel spend in the very (short term) and 75 per cent of travel spend in 10 years’ time. They look for new experiences that are not cookiecutter, and want hotels to be engaging and empowering. And today’s travellers are looking for different experiences as well. While the economy is recovering in most parts of the world, value is still king – many people are looking for affordability, coupled with stylish design and experience.” David Kong President & CEO, Best Western International
TTGmice June 2015 • 23
WHY MORE GEN-Y BRANDS AND HOW THEY REDEFINE LUXURY
“The influence of the Millennials has become too strong to ignore, so in response, the hotel industry has converged upon a few key offerings like free Wi-Fi, social areas, curated local travel guides, etc. Everyone is going after the same pie but, in general, I think brands are doing a decent job of differentiating themselves. Some are design-led, others are tech-forward. Everyone talks about humanising the brand and adding the personal touch – we built Hotel Jen on a virtual persona, probably as human as it gets.” Howard Ho Director of development - Hotel Jen
“We definitely want to retain our existing customer base, who have been extremely loyal to us, but we also recognise that their needs have changed. Today’s guests want more flexibility, as busy non-traditional work hours tend to blend the boundaries between business and leisure.” Lothar Nessmann Chief operations officer - Hotel Jen
“Venu is designed to cater to the growing influence of the Millennial generation which seeks a seamless lifestyle encompassing work, life and leisure. This generation is not only found in the European and Middle Eastern regions, but is strongly growing worldwide. Not unlike their Western counterparts, Asian travellers, more than ever, have expectations revolving around their own lifestyle and want their stay to underline their needs – clean, contemporary, cool and effortless. They therefore look for a brand that was designed for a Millennial mindset; a brand that was put together, not necessarily for the age-group or nationality, but the mindset; they are looking for contemporary lifestyle.” Matt Balcik Vice president operations, brand development, Venu
“I am extremely excited that this new brand offers an experience which is light, organic, energetic and a look and feel reflective of the hotel’s individual neighborhood. Our research has shown that for a long while now, the demands of customers continue to evolve – gone are the days of the dark and brooding lifestyle hotel. So with Canopy, we have taken a fresh approach to the lifestyle space; moving lifestyle out of the dark ages by giving it an upgrade with a differentiated, revitalising edge.” Martin Rinck President Asia-Pacific, Hilton Worldwide
Most ingenious development yet Lonely Planet's (Australia)
“Avatar in real life: Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay”
“Top 10 Indoor Gardens of the World"
Best Travel 2015
— The Sydney Morning Herald
— FoxNews.com
by the Bay Step into a space where inspiration blossoms. Where you’re surrounded by dazzling flowers in full bloom. Where panoramic bay views will take your breath away. Nestled in the Flower Dome, the World's Largest Glass Greenhouse as featured in the Guinness World Records 2015, the Flower Field Hall brings the best of outdoors, indoors. Surrounding it are fascinating flowers in full bloom and uninterrupted bay views. Inside, specially programmed LED lights add ambience and highlight any theme. It’s the perfect place for weddings, gala dinners and private events. This is just one of the many spectacular event spaces that we offer. To learn more about our unique venues, email us at venue.hire@gardensbythebay.com.sg