With economic realities setting in, more business travellers are hunting for hotel rooms at nice prices. Fortunately, budget doesn’t mean scrimping on comfort or efficiency, as Julian Tan discovers from the latest influx of mid-range products
As corporate travel managers tighten the company belt to weather financial turbulence, the budget hotel sector finds itself in a win-win situation. A higher demand for reasonably priced accommodation is being predicted by hoteliers, if it isn’t already happening. Fortunately, the influx of new properties into the region reveals an orientation towards affordable costs, a development that couldn’t have been more timely or needed.
Best Western International is launching its first hotel in Singapore next year – the Best Western Jayleen 1918, a 42-room property in the central business district, within easy access of the Raffles City Convention Centre, Clarke Quay and Raffles Place.
Glenn de Souza, vice-president, international operations Asia, Best Western International, tells Business Traveller: “The current economic climate dictates for more conservative spending, and this is where Best Western can maximise market share as it expects an additional growth from travellers who would normally stay in a luxury hotel. As businesses cut down on their operations expenses, there will be an expected increase on corporate travellers transferring their room bookings to hotels with reasonable rates.”
Another major industry player, the InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) opened two Holiday Inn Express properties in Taiwan this year. The Holiday Inn Express Taoyuan is a 138-room hotel within 15 minutes’ drive from the Taoyuan International Airport, while the Holiday Inn Express Taichung Park offers 169 rooms, catering for travellers to Taiwan’s third largest city after Taipei and Kaohsiung.
“Holiday Inn Express is one of the fastest-growing hotel brands in the industry, opening on average two hotels a week somewhere in the world,” says Gary Rosen, senior vice-president, sales and marketing, IHG Asia-Pacific. “Holiday Inn Express appeals to guests who pride themselves as independent travellers. We encourage this self-sufficiency with the appropriate amount of service and facilities that makes the brand immensely popular. On average, three people check in every second of every day to a Holiday Inn Express somewhere around the world.”
Next year, IHG plans to open more properties under the Holiday Inn Express brand in China and these will be located in Shanghai, Chengdu and Changzhou.
US-based Wyndham Hotel Group, whose brands include Days Inn and Super 8 offering economically priced room nights, is also looking at growing, if not fast expanding, its portfolio in China – which includes Beijing, Shanghai, Xiamen, Changchun, Ningbo and Mongolia. Having opened 42 Super 8 and 12 Days Inn properties over the past year, the hotel group expects to launch an additional 63 and 21 hotels under the brands respectively.
“Mid-range hotels offer travellers an affordable hotel stay and an environment that focuses on service, quality and consistency where they can relax, work or both,” says Christine Da Silva, Wyndham Hotel Group’s director of media relations based in New Jersey. “Mid-range hotels will continue to offer great value for money to cost-conscious travellers who are looking for comfortable and dependable accommodation. Our Wyndham Rewards loyalty programme offers members a plethora of earning and redemption opportunities.”
This year alone, Accor launched a slew of hotels under its Ibis and All Seasons brands offering affordable accommodation in South Korea, Thailand, Indonesia, China and India. “The three-star offer varies from luxury hotels in terms of room size, the number of food and beverage outlets, has a more streamlined service offer and naturally there is a difference in the price that the customer will pay,” says Evan Lewis, vice-president – communications, Asia-Pacific.
“The Ibis hotel network is well placed to benefit from both small enterprises and large organisations tightening their travel spend by trading down. This may result in business travellers seeing fewer bow ties and high-end branded bathroom products as part of their hotel experience. However, they can still expect a quality experience with flexible breakfast hours from 4am till noon, 24-hour service, friendly (staff) and a 15-minute satisfaction contract at any of the 800 Ibis hotels worldwide.”
Elsewhere in the region, Carlson Hotels is planning for several openings next year in India, under its three-star brands, Park Inn and Country Inns & Suites. The Country Inn & Suites by Carlson Mussoorie in Uttaranchal will have 51 guestrooms, while the Park Inn & Suites Bangalore and the Park Inn Jaipur, Jai Singh Highway will offer 140 and 71 rooms respectively.
In the following pages, we highlight some of these new hotels for your next business trip.
All Seasons Sathorn Bangkok
The 108-room hotel opened in February in the Sathorn business district, close to embassies and offices as well as the Silom shopping mall, Suan Lum Night Bazaar and Lumpini Boxing Stadium. It offers the standard mod cons: a restaurant for all-day dining, lobby bar with Wi-Fi and a flat-screen TV, and a meeting room for 12. Guestrooms have a safe, minibar and satellite/cable TV and are internet enabled – which comes complimentary.
CONTACT: 31 South Sathorn Road, Thungmahamek, Sathorn 10120, Bangkok, Thailand, tel 66 2 343 6333, www.accorhotels.com
Best Western Jayleen 1918 Singapore
Scheduled for opening in the first quarter of next year, this 42-room hotel has a prime business address to boot. Getting around the city is easy as the hotel is conveniently located close to the Raffles City Convention Centre, Raffles Place commercial area, and Clarke Quay for dining and entertainment.
CONTACT: www.bestwestern.com
Holiday Inn Express Taichung Park
This downtown hotel, with 169 rooms, is part of the Sunshine Plaza shopping complex, next to the historical Taichung Park. Accesibility is easy via a train station, bus terminals and a road network that connects Taichung from other parts of Taiwan. Guests are entitled to free breakfast at the in-house restaurant and can avail themselves of a business centre staffed from 12am and 11.05pm.
CONTACT: 94 Tze Yu Road Section 2, Taichung, 400 Taiwan, tel 886 4 3505 9898, www.ichotelsgroup.com
Holiday Inn Express Taoyuan
The 138-room hotel is accessible from the Taoyuan International Airport (15 minutes drive), downtown Taipei city (30 minutes), with shopping centres and industrial estates nearby. A boon for business travellers is complimentary internet access and daily continental breakfast.
CONTACT: 1039 Chuenr Road, Taoyuan, 33050 Taiwan, tel 886 3 270 0 088, www.ichotelsgroup.com
Hotel Ibis Solo
Right smack in the city centre, the 152-room property is within walking distance of shops, markets and eateries. There are guestrooms furnished with LCD TVs, a bar and meeting room for guests’ use.
CONTACT: Soi Ngam Duphli Rama IV Sathorn, 10120, Bangkok, Thailand, tel 66 2 659 2888, www.ibishotel.com
