Hotel industry and travel news from around the Asia Pacific region: Malaysians staying in 3-star hotels could be exempted from tourism tax, Shangri-La, OCT Group to invest RMB238B in Xi’an and more...
Archipelago International to Open 12 New Hotels in Indonesia
Archipelago International, Indonesia’s largest hotel management chain, has announced plans to open at least 12 more hotels in Indonesia in 2017, as part of its multi-brand expansion plan. The company will launch new properties under five of its brands, namely the select-service, favehotel and Hotel NEO; the residential-style, Harper Hotels; upscale, Aston; and luxury, Alana brands. The new openings will be spread across the archipelago â€" from Batam in the west to Papua in the east. A total of five new properties will open under the favehotel brand. With inventory ranging between 64 and 164 keys, these hotels will be located in West Papua, Greater Jakarta’s Tangerang district, west of Surabaya, West Java and East Java. Hotel Neo will launch two properties in South Jakarta and Pontianak with approximately 100 rooms each, while three hotels under the Aston brand will be opened in Batam, Banyuwangi and Semarang with 247, 123 and 160 rooms respectively. To target the higher end of the market, Archipelago will open a 271-room Alana hotel in Sentul City, West Java.
Shangri-La Confirmed for Planned Landmark Luxury Hotel in Melbourne CBD
Malaysian property developer, S P Setia Berhad Group, and Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts announced Shangri-La as the official hotel operator for the planned iconic luxury development in Melbourne’s CBD. The Cox and Fender Katsalidis-designed two-tower development, located at 308 Exhibition Street and overlooking Melbourne’s World Heritage-listed Carlton Gardens, is currently under consideration for planning approval. Slated for completion in 2022, the luxury Shangri-La Hotel, Melbourne will feature an estimated 500 guest rooms. The second tower will include around 300 luxury residential apartments as well as office space. A sky bridge will connect the two towers, and retail space will occupy the lower levels of the development.
Surya Palace Vadodara Rebranded to Grand Mercure Vadodara Surya Palace
Last week AccorHotels announced the opening of the Grand Mercure Vadodara Surya Palace in Vadodara, Gujarat. Featuring 146 rooms, the hotel is situated approximately 7 kilometers southwest of the Vadodara Airport. On the food and beverage front, the hotel features an all-day dining restaurant, a delicatessen and 16 meeting rooms, with the largest meeting room measuring 533 square meters. Additional facilities at the hotel include a fitness center and a swimming pool. The Grand Mercure Vadodara is the conversion of the 30-year-old Surya Palace Hotel, which opened on February 28, 1987. Vadodara is the third largest city in the Indian state of Gujarat, and is regarded as the cultural capital.
OCT Group to Invest RMB238 Billion in Xi’an
OCT Group has recently signed an RMB238 billion strategic cooperation agreement with Xi’an Municipal Government to bring its ‘cultural tourism and urbanization’ model to the ancient city in the next five years, through a series of projects based on the northwestern city’s historical and cultural resources as well as modernization needs. The projects involve investments in areas such as Xixian, Weiyang, Beilin, Lianhu and Qujiang. Some RMB67 billion will be invested in Fengdong New Town in the Xixian New Area, while RMB50 billion will be spent for Qujiang. One of the key projects will be the Fengdong OCT cultural tourism complex in the Xixian New Area. Covering 16.25 square kilometers, the complex will comprise a Happy Valley Resort; Haojing National Historical Site Conservation Center; Doumen Historical and Cultural Town; and the Silk Road International Conference Center. Furthermore, within the framework of the RMB238 billion investment, OCT Group will participate in the reform of state-owned enterprises in Xi’an in order to facilitate the upgradation and transformation of the cultural industry in Xi’an City as well as in Shaanxi Province.
Malaysians Staying in 3-star Hotels or Below Could be Exempted from New Tourism Tax
Earlier this year in April, Malaysia announced its plan to impose a new tourism tax on hotels stays, ranging from RM2.50 to RM20 per room, per day, starting July 2017. However, the Finance Ministry Secretary, General Mohd. Irwan Serigar Abdullah, recently stated that the government may consider exempting locals, who stay in 3-star hotels and below, from paying the tourism tax. The decision is currently under consideration and is expected to be announced soon. The Finance Secretary further added that there will not be any complications in collecting the tax, as the existing tax system is also based on hotel ratings. Meanwhile, the new federal tourism tax rate is fixed at RM20 per room, per night for five-star hotels; RM10 per room, per night for four-star hotels; and RM5 per room, per night for one-, two- and three-star hotels. Revenue collected from the tax is expected to be approximately RM654.62 million, based on the premise of achieving 60 per cent overall occupancy rate on 11 million room nights in the country.
HVS Sponsored the Inaugural SEAHIS 2017 Conference in Bangkok
The inaugural South East Asia Hotel Investors’ Summit 2017, held June 13-14 in Bangkok, brought together a strong turnout of hotel owners, investors, developers and consultants from across the region. Key industry executives participated in exciting panel discussions that addressed a variety of trending topics such as the Millennial generation, non-traditional hotel types and the impact of technology on the sector. Managing Partner of HVS Asia Pacific, Daniel Voellm, moderated a panel on regional markets, which had been written off in the past and are now powering ahead, such as Da Nang, Chiang Mai and Khao Lak. Hok Yean Chee, Managing Partner of HVS Singapore, engaged the next generation of hotel families on a panel exploring their outlook and future plans.
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