TTG ASIA MARCH 2019
DESTINATION: SINGAPORE 20
Hotels
NEW HOTELS
Dipping into
experiences
Hotels in Singapore are jumping on the tours and activities
bandwagon, seeing opportunities to lure guests and connect with
them on a deeper level, finds Pamela Chow
H
otels in Singapore are diversi-
fying their portfolio of offer-
ings and services by adding
day tours and activities, with
several joining hands with local tour op-
erators and booking platforms.
This comes as Singapore’s occupancy
levels reportedly hit an all-time high in
2018, the first since 2012. According to
data from STR Global, average occupan-
cy rate rose by 3.1 per cent from 2017’s
numbers to 83.7 per cent in 2018; aver-
age daily rate by 0.7 per cent to S$271.49
(US$199.80); and revPAR by 3.8 per cent
to S$227.35.
Grand Copthorne Waterfront (GCW),
for instance, launched a year-long cam-
paign, Live Like a Local, offering hotel
guests weekly neighbourhood tours and
monthly cultural activities. These include
a half-day tour with Tour East through
one of Singapore’s oldest housing es-
tates, Tiong Bahru, and dumpling mak-
ing workshops. GCW and Tour East have
also partnered and built a Premium Tour
Lounge on the hotel’s third floor.
Roping in tours into hotel offerings is
an “innovative approach” in the face of
Singapore’s competitive hospitality land-
scape and technological disruption, which
is “threatening the viability of the tradi-
tional hospitality model”, opined Gilbert
Ong, director of marketing and commu-
nications for Millennium Hotels and Re-
sorts, the operator of GCW.
He added the rise of FITs and demand
for smaller group tours have spurred “a
more intimate, immersive, meaningful
and authentic experience”.
Other hotels like Amara Sanctuary Re-
sort Sentosa leverage the storied past of
the compound it occupies to offer a per-
manent tour in the Amara Heritage Trail,
which takes guests on a walk through old
soldier quarters and Sentosa’s World War
II air raid shelters on the hotel’s grounds.
Six Senses Maxwell, on the other hand,
has paired with Jane’s Singapore Tours
to bring guests through locales such as
MacRitchie, Botanic Gardens and the
Civic District. Similarly, sister property
Six Senses Duxton offers local heritage
tours, complimentary traditional Chinese
medicine consultations and tea apprecia-
tion sessions.
In the case of Shangri-la Hotels and Re-
sorts, the luxury hotel group entered into
a total product and marketing partnership
with booking platform Klook. Guests at
Shangri-La Hotel Singapore can now book
experiences offered by Klook on a tablet
with the Klook Concierge service. Both
companies are set to jointly launch various
marketing initiatives and unique experi-
ences to Shangri-La on the platform.
Such a move has also helped to shine
light on lesser-known experiences possi-
ble in Singapore’s tours, said Anita Ngai,
chief revenue officer, Klook.
She elaborated: “Foreign guests know
the top sights and activities in Singapore,
such as Universal Studios and the Singa-
pore Zoo, however, there are always more
interesting and unique activities that de-
serve more exposure.”
As this movement burgeons, it may
spark further collaborations between ho-
tels and local tour providers. Six Senses
Singapore’s general manager Murray Ait-
ken and GCW’s Ong have indicated that
this is a possible path they would take, in
a bid to promote the local tourism sector
while delivering unforgettable guest expe-
riences.
Farrer Park and Jalan Besar MRT
stations and is also only a few min-
utes’ walk from the famous 24-hour
Mustafa Shopping Centre.
The Capitol Kempinski
Hotel Singapore
Housed in the restored Capitol
Building, The Capitol Kempinski
Hotel Singapore opened its doors
as Kempinski’s debut in the
country. The 157-room property
features a blend of timeless herit-
age with modern luxury, spanning
almost 50 unique room configura-
tions each marked by intricate de-
tailing and light-filled high-ceiling
interiors. In all eight room catego-
ries, guests can expect amenities
such as a Sonos audio system,
complimentary non-alcoholic
beverages from the minibar and
complimentary Wi-Fi.
Six Senses Maxwell
Last December, Six Senses Maxwell
opened in the historic Tanjong Pagar
district, accompanying sister prop-
erty Six Senses Duxton to complete
the brand’s first city hotel project.
Housed in a colonial-style 1929
heritage building, Six Senses Maxwell
accommodates 138 guest rooms
and suites across four floors, all
outfitted with custom furnishings and
original artwork. Amenities include
an outdoor rooftop lap pool, gym, two
restaurants and three bars.
Grand Park City Hall
Grand Park City Hall reopened last
year after a complete revamp of
its hardware and software, which
includes a suite of technological
enhancements through its mobile
app. With this app, guests can now
use facial recognition technology
to check in on the go and skip
the front desk queue with a selfie;
enable the user’s smartphone
to be used as a key; as well as
perform as an in-room electronic
controller for room amenities.
Oakwood Premier OUE Singapore
Originally available only for long-stay
guests, luxury serviced apartment
Oakwood Premier OUE Singapore has
now opened its doors for daily stays.
The 268-key property has successful-
ly obtained a hotel license whereupon
the guests are no longer required to
have a minimum of six nights’ stay.
Holiday Inn Express
Singapore Serangoon
Located within walking distance
of the Little India cultural district,
this contemporary hotel of 119
keys offers convenient access to
From top: Holiday Inn Express Singapore Serangoon; The Capitol
Kempinski Hotel Singapore
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