Awards race heating up - Best Business Hotels in Asia Awards - Industry Overview

Business Asia, July, 2001

The Best Business Hotels in Asia Awards race are gaining momentum, with only a few months to go until voting closes. In this edition, we profile the finalists from Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan.

SINGAPORE

Conrad International Centennial

Located adjacent to Singapore's International Exhibition Centre and within the Marina Centre business and entertainment district, the Conrad International Centennial hotel offers its guests service, quality and location. One of the highlights of the hotel is its attention to detail. There are more than 3400 pieces of original artwork on display throughout the 31-storey hotel. Alongside these, the hotel's 509 guestrooms and suites all come equipped with in-room registration, butler assistance, secretarial support and express laundry services, as well as a dedicated fax line and complimentary local calls.

Four Seasons Hotel Singapore

The Four Seasons Hotel in Singapore is 25 minutes from the airport and located adjacent to Singapore's Botanic Gardens. Perfect for the business traveller, the hotel features a fully equipped, 24-hour business centre, which includes an executive boardroom, reference library, translation services and resident's lounge. There's also an executive club located within the hotel which offers early arrival facilities and private dining area. Each of the hotel's 254 rooms have as standard an in-room safe, two or more multi-line speakerphone, voicemail, all-news cable network and modem phone jack.

Grand Hyatt Singapore

Set in the corner of Orchard and Scotts Roads, the Grand Hyatt is situated in Singapore's prime shopping and entertainment area and is only minutes away from the CBD. The hotel's 566 rooms are divided into two wings: the Terrace Wing and the Grand Wing. Rooms in each of the wings include personal voice messaging services, hands-free dual-line phone, computer modem with high-speed internet access, in-room safe and satellite TV.

Marriott Hotel Singapore

The Marriott Hotel Singapore is a five-star business hotel with a range of facilities designed to keep the most discerning of business travellers content. The 30-floor hotel has 313 rooms and 19 suites, all featuring a work desk With lamp, two-line speakerphone, voicemail, data ports and in-room safe. The hotel has nine meeting rooms and a dedicated executive floor, which offers executive level guests complimentary breakfasts and afternoon cocktails, express check in/ out and a private lounge.

Raffles Hotel

One of the few remaining 19th century hotels in the world, the Raffles Hotel in Singapore is renowned for its modern luxury and old-world charm. The hotel has 103 suites, with 18 state rooms for corporate travellers. These include the personality suites, which are named after some of the hotel's great patrons, including Joseph Conrad and Charlie Chaplin. Each suite has its own spacious parlour, bedroom, dressing area and bath alongside spectacular 14-foot ceilings and old-style furnishings. Suites are also equipped with mini-bar, electronic safe, and television in both the parlour and bedroom, dedicated fax line and data port, and two-line telephones.

The Ritz-Carlton Millennia, Singapore

The Ritz-Carlton Millennia hotel has blitzed the Best Business Hotels in Asia Awards, winning its country category as well as the overall Best Business Hotel in Asia Award for two year's running. The hotel is situated on a seven-acre property in the heart of Singapore's Marina Centre, and features stunning landscaped gardens. Each of the hotel's 608 guestrooms and suites feature two-line phones with multilingual voicemail, 24-hour room and butler services, and an in-room safe. Fax machines are available on request. All guestrooms and bathrooms offer views of either Marina Bay or Kallang Bay and the city skyline.

Shangri-La Hotel Singapore

Located in the central part of Singapore's business and entertainment district, the Shangri-La Hotel is a convenient five-star hotel with a range of modern, luxurious facilities. Overlooking a 15-acre botanical gar den, each of the hotel's 760 rooms include high-speed internet access, computer dataport, voicemail, international direct dial telephone, in-room safe and full-size writing desk. Focused on the corporate traveller, the hotel also houses a fully equipped business centre as well as range of different sized meeting rooms.

SOUTH KOREA

COEX Inter-Continental Seoul

One of the best new hotels finalists in last year's awards competition, the COEX Inter-Continental Seoul is part of the World Trade Centre complex and is linked to the COEX conference and exhibition centre. The hotel's 654 rooms and suites feature as standard PC hook-up and modem, cordless phone with direct dial, voicemail, cable TV and a safe deposit box. Business rooms also include two-line speakerphone, data port and desk. Placing strong emphasis on its corporate facilities, the hotel has a fully equipped business centre with secretarial services, as well as 16 banquet and conference rooms for between 15 and 1500 guests.