The iconic Sydney Fish Market in Australia has embarked on a major transformation valued at A$750 million (US$497 million), with works covering the market itself and surrounding bays.
The reimagined Sydney Fish Market is set to open in late-2024, and is expected to be the “most significant building by the harbour since the Sydney Opera House” for the destination.
The reimagined Sydney Fish Market is set to open in late-2024
Post-transformation, the purpose-built, operational fish market will also be a major culinary attraction. Its distinctive wave-shaped and scale-patterned roof will pay homage to the fishing industry, while simultaneously collecting rainwater for use. The amphitheatre staircases and the foreshore promenade will wrap over the working wharf, allowing visitors a glimpse into the market’s operations.
Sydney Fish Market plans to activate the world-class site through an ongoing calendar of events, engaging and educational activations, and vibrant tourism experiences.
Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi is transforming into a winter wonderland with a spectacle of lights this Christmas season as well as special dining events.
Drawing inspiration from Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker, this year’s festive theme, A Waltz of the Lights, is animated with over a million sparkling lights and candles with a 15m-tall Christmas tree and an army of nutcrackers.
Christmas is in the air at Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi
Throughout the Christmas and New Year season, there will be dining specials featured at the hotel’s French fine dining restaurant Le Beaulieu, Le Club Bar, angelina, and the newly-renovated modern Vietnamese restaurant Spice Garden.
Enjoy four special Christmas Eve dinners and a Sunday Brunch on December 24, with prices ranging from three million to 5.2 million dong (US$123 to US$214).
Then on Christmas Day, Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi will host brunch and a series of dinners at its restaurants, ranging in price from 2.8 million to 4.5 million dong.
For New Year’s Eve, there will be gala dinners and countdown parties to usher in 2024, while on New Year’s Day, the hotel’s culinary team helps kick off the New Year with a special brunch and an exclusive New Year’s Day family barbecue.
In addition, there is an exclusive festive spa treatment at Le Spa du Metropole, such as a 1.5-hour Thai foot massage and made-to-order facial. Also, traditional festive hampers featuring homemade and imported gourmet products are available for purchase.
Accor Plus members receive a 10 per cent discount for all events.
Artotel Group rolled out plans to achieve its goal as a prominent Indonesian hotel company at the Artotel Group Leaders Summit (AGLS) 2023 in Yogyakarta last week.
The summit was held for the first time since the company acquired Kyriad, Dafam and Maxone brands to join the group’s Artotel and Rooms Inc brands, and was attended by 150 internal leaders.
Artotel Group aims to strengthen its branding by adopting a transformational mindset for the company
Eduard Pangkerego, chief operating officer, Artotel Group, acknowledged stiffer “competition in the hospitality industry” even as the company sought to become “a leader in our own country”.
“We are facing international big boys who have established their presence here,” he noted, adding that attention must also be paid to changes in market segments and the business ecosystem.
“What we need to do is to strengthen our brands and be different from the rest,” he remarked.
Eduard shared that the group could tap into the growing quiet luxury segment, where high-end travellers look for an understated elegant stay without an overt display of wealth.
As such, Artotel Group has adopted a transformational mindset for the company, which sets out to provide lifestyle experiences to guests instead of just being a product provider. The company also aims to change its mindset from property ownership to owning customer relationships, from becoming a leading company to an industry’s trendsetter, and from highlighting Indonesia’s Arts to showcasing Indonesia’s creative economy.
“When (the founders) started the company in 2012, the Artotel brand highlighted arts; now we are focusing on creative economy,” he said, adding that hotel general managers and managers have to challenge their teams’ creativity and “do things differently”.
He said: “I’m not talking about doing things out of the box but having fun in the box, doing new things within our (core businesses).”
Each Artotel Group portfolio gets personified “to define each brand’s style, character and what it offers”.
Artotel Group’s brand personification is the Creator, which signifies being innovative in doing things; the Artotel brand is the Explorer – observing, finding and doing new thing; Dafam brand is the Localist; Maxone is the Jester, built for fun-loving and playful travellers; Kyriad is the Voyager, where the stay is part of the journey; Rooms Inc is the Collaborator, which features a community hub to connect guests while blending technology and lifestyle.
Elaborating on the future of the Dafam brand, Eduard said it would be exported to Saudi Arabia, where the group is finalising three management contracts with the Kingdom, with a total of 2,000 rooms.
Erastus Radjimin, founder and CEO of Artotel Group, further shared that apart from the Saudi properties, the company is working on leads to bring its brands overseas, in destinations like Bangkok, Laos, and Malaysia. The goal is to have over 160 hotels by 2026.
Now, its portfolio comprises 104 properties with more than 100,000 keys in 36 cities across Indonesia. There are 43 hotels in the pipeline, all located in 28 cities across Indonesia and set to open between 2024 and 2025.
Korean Air has launched its inaugural flight on November 27 to Vietnam’s Phu Quoc island.
Phu Quoc is the airline’s fifth scheduled destination in Vietnam after Danang, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Nha Trang (Cam Ranh Bay).
Korean Air adds daily services to Phu Quoc in Vietnam
The daily service departs Seoul Incheon at 15:45 and land in Phu Quoc at 19:50. The return flight departs Phu Quoc at 21:20 and arrives in Seoul Incheon the following day at 04:50. Travellers from Vietnam may also transit conveniently at Terminal 2 on Korean Air’s extensive network to 13 destinations in North America and nine destinations in Japan.
Dorsett Hospitality International has appointed Harmesh Singh as the new general manager for Silka Maytower Kuala Lumpur, and will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the hotel.
Having worked in the industry for more than 20 years, Singh has experience in sales and marketing as well as operations, and was most recently the director of sales & marketing for WEIL Hotel in Ipoh, Malaysia.
Manta Air will start direct flights from India to the tropical paradise of Maldives from January 2024.
The airline will operate direct flights from Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport to the Maldives’ Dhaalu Airport, allowing visitors to avoid transiting through the main Velana International Airport at Male, and gaining direct access to many luxury resorts located in Dhaalu atoll.
Manta Air will fly direct from India to the Maldives, and will handle the immigration processes at Dhaalu Airport
Manta Air will provide easy immigration processes exclusively for its guests at Dhaalu Airport, enabling quick transfers. Dhaalu Atoll is host to several resorts, including Kandima Maldives, Niyama Private Islands, St Regis Maldives, RIU, Baglioni, Angsana Velavaru, and Sun Siyam Iru Veli.
All flights will arrive in the Maldives in the mornings and depart late in the evenings for India.
Artificial intelligence (AI) and its impact on the travel industry was a key theme of MarketHub Asia 2023 last week. Discussions flowed, and minds were blown by the possibilities that the new technology heralds for the future, but there was also much concern over the negative implications the AI revolution might have on employment – specifically, the kind of role that travel agents will play in an automated world.
During a round table break-out session, Carlos Muñoz, chief commercial officer of HBX Group, the parent firm of Hotelbeds, organiser of the event, sought to dispel the notion travel agencies will be rendered obsolete and that AI-powered chatbots will take the place of human beings, stating that AI will enhance the services provided by living, breathing travel agents.
AI can help enhance the services provided by live travel agents
“At the moment, there are many reasons why it is a painful, laborious process to create a travel experience for the customer. AI can remove those pain points and help create the right itinerary,” said Muñoz.
“The technology is here to help travel agencies create more value for the consumer – and the arrival of AI in the workplace will help travel agencies eliminate friction and become much more productive.”
Indeed, AI-powered chatbots can relieve travel agents from the more tedious aspects of their jobs by automating repetitive tasks, such as booking flights, hotels, and tours. By analysing customer data, including search history, social media activity, and purchase history, AI can recognise patterns and trends in behaviour that can be used to create effective personalised marketing campaigns to attract and retain customers.
However, as Muñoz pointed out, there is much more to the role of a travel agency.
“As a consumer, I use travel agencies to reduce my pain points. I don’t want to explore every possible destination option, and, crucially, I do not want to make any mistakes when booking. What I do want is advice and guidance. Something that AI will never be able to provide.”
The option to sidestep a travel agent has been possible for many years by directly booking hotels, flights, tours, and car rentals on company websites or through OTA’s. Freeing staff from mundane and repetitive tasks will allow travel agencies to focus on complex tasks requiring human intelligence, creativity, and sensitivity.
Hotel Mi Rochor, Singapore
Hotel Mi Rochor is the latest addition to Singapore, surrounded by the colourful charms of Little India and Kampong Glam, the Bugis shopping district, and the Bencoolen arts enclave.
Featuring 530 rooms, the hotel is conveniently located next to Rochor MRT station, providing direct train access to many popular shopping and dining spots and the CBD.
On the property, guest can enjoy facilities like the outdoor pool, gym, gardens, and all-day dining restaurant.
Hotel Mi Rochor also features eco-conscious elements, such as biodegradable bathroom amenities, reusable bath amenity bottles, and in-room filtered water dispensers.
Artyzen New Bund 31 Shanghai
Artyzen New Bund 31 Shanghai, China
Located along the Huangpu River in the buzzy cultural hub and new CBD of Qiantan, Shanghai, this new lifestyle hotel is located adjacent to the Bank of Communications and New Bund 31 Performing Arts Center.
The hotel boasts 202 rooms and suites, F&B options, as well and meeting venues.
Nearby the property are shopping, dining, and entertainment including Taikoo Li, Oriental Sports Centre, and NYU Shanghai. The Bund, People’s Square and Xujiahui are just 15 minutes away by car.
The Singapore Edition
The Singapore Edition, Singapore
The Singapore Edition is the brand’s first hotel in the region and offers a tranquil green escape from Singapore’s bustling Orchard Road.
The 204-key hotel features a collection of restaurants and bars, spa, gym, garden courtyard, rooftop pool, and event spaces.
Wyndham Grand Bangsar Kuala Lumpur
Wyndham Grand Bangsar Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Wyndham Grand Bangsar Kuala Lumpur, formerly known as Pullman Kuala Lumpur Bangsar, offers 513 rooms and expansive event spaces, including a ballroom that can host up to 2,000 people, and a collection of 12 versatile meeting rooms.
Other facilities are an outdoor pool, spa, gym, restaurant, executive lounge, and onsite parking.
Hotel Indigo Sydney Potts Point
Hotel Indigo Sydney Potts Point, Australia
The 105-room Hotel Indigo Sydney Potts Point is a boutique hotel tucked behind the city’s iconic neon Coca-Cola sign in the King Cross neighbourhood.
The theatrical lobby welcomes guests to a specially curated art collection, and guests can even add their own touch to the atmosphere, selecting vintage vinyl records to spin on the lobby’s turntable each evening.
The rooms provide stocked mini bars, local designer bathrobes and Biology care amenities.
By day, guests can explore bistros, boutiques and galleries at Potts Point – come nightfall, bars, clubs and theatre starts right from the hotel’s doorstep on Kings Cross Road. Also nearby is Sydney’s Botanic Gardens, as well as harbour side and the CBD.
Space Fest @ Expo returns this December with a cosmic array of family-friendly activities lined-up from December 2 to 31.
Held at Singapore Expo, Space Fest @ Expo will transform 10,000m² of exhibition hall space into an intergalactic playground, featuring over 20 space-themed carnival rides by Singapore’s leading carnival organiser Uncle Ringo.
Space Fest @ Expo returns this December and will feature a wide array of family-friendly activities
Families with children aged two years and above can also look forward to games and fun craft activities to challenge their skills and creativity.
Expect a selection of F&B and retail offerings at the festival, as well as check out the marketplace Aurora Bazaar.
A line-up of live entertainment and stage performances by local bands such as Jive Talkin’, Shaggies and The ETC will keep everyone grooving on the weekends. Visitors can also bring home memories of their interstellar adventures at the instant photo booth and snap tons of Insta-worthy shots at the unique installations around the festival grounds.
With nearly 30 years of experience, Henssler has held senior leadership positions in Europe, the Middle East, and China.
Having worked in the industry for more than 20 years, Singh has experience in sales and marketing as well as operations, and was most recently the director of sales & marketing for WEIL Hotel in Ipoh, Malaysia.
