Due to the Thanksgiving Holiday in the US, there will be no Daily Lodging Report – Asia Pacific on Thursday, November 23.
Singapore welcomed a total of 1,125,948 international visitor arrivals in October, up 37.8% year over year. There was a small sequential decline from September but this is the third straight month of sequential arrival number declines. Inbound tourist arrivals from China provided a boost in July and August, resulting in what DBS Bank is calling a seasonal sequential decline. Singapore had been expected to benefit from Chinese safety concerns over travel to Thailand and Japan but it does not appear to have materialized. Indonesia was the top market for Singapore again in October, providing 180,881 visitors, up from 175,601 in September. China was second with 122,764 but that was down from 135,677 in September. Singapore remains on track to comfortably reach its annual forecast figure of between 12 million and 14 million arrivals. The first 10 months of the year resulted in 11.3 million visitors.
The Philippines Hotels Owners Association said a total of 48 new hotels will be developed across the country between now and 2028, adding at least 15,000 more hotel rooms to the supply chain. This occurs as international arrivals have already surpassed earlier estimates for the year. The PHOA said the developments will not just be in the main gateways like Manila and Cebu but also in other cities.
The Standard International announced a new hospitality brand, The StandardX with its first hotel to be located in Melbourne, Australia, starting in February 2024. The StandardX is designed to represent a merge of avant-garde hospitality with local cultural flair. The StandardX will be situated in Melbourne’s vibrant Fitzroy neighborhood. Details of the new venture include minimalist rooms, tailored cultural programming and intuitive hospitality. The debut location will feature 125 rooms and various public spaces. Rooms range from “Cozy King” to more spacious options such as the “Suite Spot”. The StandardX Melbourne will also feature a trio of distinct dining experiences including an exclusive rooftop spot, The Roof.
IHG Hotels & Resorts announced the eco-friendly InterContinental Sabah Kota Kinabalu Resort, in partnership with leading Taipei real estate broker Zhancheng Tourism Development, a subsidiary of Sinyi Realty Inc. The 450 room new-build beachfront resort is located in Kota Kinabalu, capital of Sabah state in northern Borneo, and marks a new milestone in the group of IHG’s Luxury & Lifestyle portfolio in Malaysia. The InterContinental Sabah Kota Kinabalu Resort will open in 2027 with all rooms, suites and villas to offer a strong “back to nature” theme steeped in Borneo culture. This will be the third hotel for IHG in Kota Kinabalu. The resort will be a 25 minute drive from Kota Kinabalu International Airport and will feature a 600 meter long beach, four restaurants and bars, 2,400 square meters of meeting space, fitness center, spa, kids club, three outdoor pools and the brand’s Club InterContinental Lounge.
Accor is set to open Mercure Tokyo Haneda Airport on November 26th. The 363 room hotel is located within a 10-minute drive of Haneda Airport, a gateway to Japan with several international and domestic flights daily. The hotel is described as fusing pieces of ancient Tokyo with the Tokyo of the future, blending traditional Japanese handicrafts with Mercure’s signature European style. The locally inspired property amenities include a restaurant, bar, fitness center, three meeting rooms, a lounge and a crew lounge. Mercure Tokyo Haneda Airport will be Accor’s 9th Mercure hotel in Japan. They currently operate a total of 21 properties with 5,085 keys in the country under several brands.
Sarovar Hotels & Resorts said they will launch 70 new hotels in the next five years across India and international markets, adding 5,000 rooms to its portfolio. The company has 105 hotels at present totaling about 7,500 keys. This year they opened new hotels in Agra, Tirupati, Bhopal, Dalhousie, Bengaluru, Pavagadh and Sharvasti. The chain’s pipeline includes a company-owned hotel in Chennai, set to open in March 2025, which they are earmarking about Rs 118 crore. The chain had six hotels in Africa after the pandemic brought the number down to three with new hotels to open in Kampala, Uganda and Hargeisa Somaliland next year.
The 287 room Crowne Plaza, a landmark five-star hotel on Chamiers Road in Chennai, India will make way for twin towers of uber-luxury apartments by the Baaashyaam Group. The 38 year old hotel will close on December 20, 2023. This is the former Park Sheraton Hotel & Towers which was managed by ITC. It was changed to a Crowne Plaza after ITC build Grand Chola.
Indian Hotels Company declared the formalization of a new partnership for a Vivanta hotel situated in the heart of Kochi, Aluva. The hotel will be owned by Hotel Pearl Dunes Pvt Ltd. It will be IHCL’s second property with Hotel Pearl’s KM Abdul Latheef, who is managing director. The 95 key hotel is close to the airport and key leisure destinations. It includes an all-day diner and bar, a 4,500 square foot banquet space, a swimming pool, a gym and a spa. With the inauguration of the new hotel, IHCL’s portfolio in Kerala expands to a total of 18 across Taj, SeleQtions, Vivanta and Ginger brands, including five under development.
ONYX Hospitality Group has achieved a new milestone with the signing of Amari Vientiane in Laos, marking the group’s second Amari brand property in the country, complementing Amari Vang Vieng. The hotel is being developed by Asia Investment, Development & Construction Sole Co. Ltd. Amari Vientiane is scheduled to open in 2024 with 248 well-appointed rooms, all-day dining, a rooftop executive lounge, a specialty rooftop restaurant, rooftop bar, extensive banqueting facilities, gym, Breeze Spa, a main pool, children’s pool, kids’ club and ample parking. The hotel will be just 4.8 kilometers from Wattay International Airport.
