GLOBAL UPDATE
The man who created the Address brand and was instrumental in developing the Armani hotel brand for Emaar Hospitality moved to Singapore from Dubai last year to develop what will become a new luxury brand , Patina , for Pontiac Land Group .
Marc Dardenne says Patina will focus on a strong sense of place , with an emphasis on art , architecture and tailored service . The flagship Patina Singapore will have 157 keys when it opens in the fourth quarter of 2014 and will be part of the US $ 613 million Capitol Singapore project , which will comprise residences , retail and a cinema / performing arts theatre .
Outside Singapore , Dardenne says the company is in negotiations with an institutional real estate group to provide technical and management services to develop Patina hotels across several locations in China . “ We are also involved in advanced discussions for hotel and resort projects in the Maldives , Indonesia , Thailand and Seychelles ,” he adds . Longer term ,
PATINA SINGAPORE WILL HAVE 157 KEYS
AND WILL BE PART OF THE US $ 613 MILLION CAPITOL SINGAPORE PROJECT .
Patina Singapore is housed in two colonial British buildings in the civic and cultural center of Singapore .
Dardenne aims to make Patina Hotels and Resorts a global luxury hotel management group .
While Pontiac Land currently owns four other hotels in Singapore , Patina will be predominantly a management play with select investments . “ We are agile and proactive in our approach ; our size allows owners to have direct access to the senior management team ,”
Dardenne says .
Patina Singapore is housed in two colonial British buildings in the civic and cultural center of Singapore , yet is cutting-edge in design and its use of technology — from wireless connectivity to tablet-enabled automation . Pritzker Laureate Richard Meier has rejuvenated the architecture while preserving the façade , and Jaya Ibrahim designed the interiors .
Dardenne reiterates the brand ’ s strategy to raise the bar for service with its trademarked 360 ° Concierge and One-to-One anticipatory services with Patina ambassadors empowered to create a truly bespoke experience .
GLOBAL FLAVORS
Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts , Toronto , is highlighting its ever-evolving food and beverage initiatives via a new website , Taste , at taste . fourseasons . com .
“ We ’ ve been working hard to evolve food and beverage so it ’ s a lot more fun rather than formal ,” says Guy Rigby , vice president of food and beverage , Americas , for Four Seasons . “ We really felt there was an opportunity to share the enthusiasm and the passion of the people we have in the field with a broader audience .”
The website is organized around three main channels : ingredients , experiences and restaurants . It encourages both current Four Seasons consumers as well as potential new guests to interact with the brand via features such as “ One ingredient , three chefs ,” which showcases unique recipes with a featured item , as well as first-person accounts such as those highlighted in the “ Chef Moments ” section .
Rigby declines to provide an exact amount invested in the site , but notes it is a work in progress , with possible future enhancements including a Taste app . “ If in a year ’ s time we ’ re able to go to an event and people are saying , ‘ Wow , Four Seasons is really on the cutting edge of food and beverage ,’ then we ’ ll be very satisfied . I think this website is going to help us do that .”
The “ Chef Moments ” section of Four Seasons ’ new Taste website will showcase the company ’ s F & B professionals worldwide .
10 HOTELS January / February 2013 www . hotelsmag . com