About Singapore Hotels - vmp

E-NEWSLETTER
February 2012 I # 8
About Singapore
Singapore is a small country made up of 63 islands in
Southeast Asia. With a land area of only about 710
square kilometers, it is actually one of the smallest
countries worldwide. Surrounded by the South China
Sea, Singapore Island is linked to its nearest neighbor
Malaysia by two causeway bridges.
With a multi-ethnic population of just over five million – of
which one quarter includes expatriates and foreign
workers, it is the second most densely populated
country in the world after the Principality of Monaco.
Today’s city-state evolved from a humble fishing
village in the early 1900s to become one of Asia's
economic tigers. Sir Stamford Raffles landed on
Singapore's northern bank in 1819 and felt that its
location made it ideal as a trading post. From here,
Singapore's landscape was transformed by British
colonial rule, Japanese occupation, Communist
insurrection and finally, independence.
Marina Bay Sands Hotel, Singapore
Since becoming a republic in 1965, the island has
experienced increased prosperity and rapid economic
growth, turning into one of Asia’s major financial and
industrial hubs, boasting the world’s busiest port.
The Colonial District still forms the core of downtown
Singapore, although most of old Singapore has been
demolished to make way for the modern city. But
Singapore is not only a tropical metropolis populated
with spectacular high-rise buildings and ethnic enclaves
such as Little India, Chinatown or the Arab Quarters. In
fact, the once fishing village turned cosmopolitan city has
over 50% of its area covered by greenery and with over
50 major parks and 4 nature reserves, it is an
enchanting garden city above all.
Climate Singapore
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Temperature air high °C
30
32
32
32
32
32
31
31
32
32
31
31
Temperature air low °C
24
25
25
25
26
26
25
25
25
25
25
24
Sunshine hours per day
6
7
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
5
5
4
Rain days (>0.1 mm)
16
8
16
15
14
14
14
15
14
17
20
19
Located in the north-eastern tip of Singapore Island at
about 17 km from the commercial center, Changi is the
seventh busiest aviation hub and one of the most
awarded airports worldwide. More than 85 international
airlines connect Changi Airport to over 200 cities in 60
countries around the world with non-stop flights from and
to major cities in Europe, the Near and Middle East,
Africa, North America, Asia and Australasia.
Singapore is a multi award-winning business and
MICE event destination. Recent awards include: Best
Business City in Southeast Asia (2011 Business Traveller
Asia-Pacific Travel Awards); Top International Meeting
City for the 4th consecutive year and Top Meeting City in
Asia for 28 consecutive years (Union of International
Associations 2010). Furthermore, Singapore has
maintained its position as 5th Top Convention City in the
World and Asia’s Top Convention City for the 9th
consecutive year (ICCA* Global Rankings 2010).
*International Congress & Convention Association
Hotels
Home to some of Asia’s finest hotels, Singapore’s
hotel landscape is varied and ranges from conversions of
historic buildings, to landmark properties, small boutique
hotels and global hotel brands.
So urce: Weathero nline.co .uk (Data: January 2000 - December 2011)
Vischer, Merkt & Partner AG | CH-8049 Zürich | phone +41 43 244 70 60 | www.vmp-ag.ch
Raffles Hotel, Singapore
Page 1
E-NEWSLETTER
February 2012 I # 8
In terms of new hotel projects worth mentioning, there will
be a new Park Royal on Pickering opening by the end
of 2012. It will feature a hotel-in-a-garden concept with
skygarden, green walls and waterfalls, redefining the
skyline in the Central Business District.
Also long awaited, the opening of two new Starwood
properties, W Hotel & Resort on Sentosa (end 2012)
with yacht berthing facilities and the Westin Singapore
Marina Bay set to open in 2013, featuring the highest
reception area in the world and 305 hotel rooms located
between the 32nd and 46th floor of the gigantic building.
Our recommendations for larger meetings
Pan Pacific Singapore: www.panpacific.com
5-star classic deluxe hotel, boasting Southeast Asia’s
tallest atrium. Voted “World’s Leading Business Hotel” for
the 4th consecutive year by WTA* in 2010. Overlooking
Marina Bay, it offers 778 well-appointed rooms and suites
and over 20 meeting and banquet facilities. Hotel undergoing renovation over the next months.
The Ritz-Carlton Millenia: www.ritzcarlton.com
5-star luxury property, features a 4’200 piece modern art
collection, among the finest in Southeast Asia and the
largest guestrooms at any hotel in the city-state, commanding unobstructed views of the Singapore skyline or
Marina Bay. 3’252 square meters of indoor and outdoor
event space promise to set any event apart.
Sentosa Boardroom, Capella Hotel, Sentosa Island, Singapore
The Fullerton Hotel: www.fullertonhotel.com
5-star luxury property, once home to the General Post
Office, featuring 400 carefully designed rooms that
overlook a sunlit atrium or have verandas that open out
to sweeping views of the skyline, river or the sea. The
hotel successfully blends rich heritage with modern style
and personalized service. 11 distinctively furnished function rooms can be customized to suit any requirement.
Our picks for smaller meetings
The Sentosa Resort & Spa: www.thesentosa.com
5-star member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World,
perched high atop a cliff amidst landscaped tropical
gardens on Sentosa Island. A tranquil sanctuary in
stylish, low-rise buildings in colonial architecture with
stunning guestrooms, superb facilities such as an awardwinning Spa and 2 championship golf courses, as well as
8 function rooms.
Four Seasons Singapore: www.fourseasons.com
5-star oasis of calm nestled within a lush garden setting
just off Orchard Road. Showcasing a collection of 1’500
Asian art pieces, it exudes the ambience of a grand
private residence. Boasts 255 refined rooms as well as
over 1’565 square meters of meeting and function space
including 2 elegant ballrooms both with spacious foyers.
Reception at pool area, The Ritz-Carlton Millenia, Singapore
Mandarin Oriental: www.mandarinoriental.com
5-star deluxe hotel where contemporary elegance is
given a dash of oriental flair in its refined interiors with
sensational views of the sea and the Lion City from its
527 stylish rooms. Meeting facilities offer complete
flexibility, even the swimming pool can be integrated into
an event with a plexi-glass cover laid on the pool.
*World Travel Awards (the so-called “Tourism Oscars”)
Capella Singapore: www.capellahotels.com
5-star luxury LHW** member hotel on Sentosa Island, an
architectural fusion of restored colonial buildings complemented with a new hotel extension. Offers 112 spacious
guest rooms where the modern and the classic come
together and touches of Asia mix with contemporary
design. 7 flexible event rooms include the city-state’s only
circular ballroom with a glass-domed skylight.
Raffles Singapore: www.raffles.com
5-star luxury property, more legend than hotel, this 103
all suite landmark celebrates a tradition of unwavering
service excellence spanning more than 120 years. An
international conference, board meeting, cutting-edge
product launch or high-profile company summit: successful meetings are guaranteed in 5 elegant function rooms.
**Leading Hotels of the World
Mandarin Oriental, Singapore
Vischer, Merkt & Partner AG | CH-8049 Zürich | phone +41 43 244 70 60 | www.vmp-ag.ch
Page 2
E-NEWSLETTER
February 2012 I # 8
Singapore hotel overview
Ideal Meeting
Size
Rooms
Max. Capacity
Classroom Style
Pan Pacific Singapore
250 - 400
775
400
The Ritz-Carlton Millenia
200 - 350
608
720
Mandarin Oriental
150 - 250
527
250
Fullerton Hotel
150 - 250
400
318
The Sentosa Resort & Spa
150 - 200
215
220
Four Seasons Singapore
120 - 180
255
290
Capella Singapore
50 - 100
112
300
Raffles Singapore
20 - 80
103
250
Hotel
Special venues
The Lion City offers a multitude of exclusive spaces to
cater for functions and events, proving that business
and pleasure can be mixed.
At the Asian Civilizations Museum, for example, you
may host an unforgettable reception while your guests
learn about the heritage of Asian cultures, captivated by a
backdrop of Chinese ceramics and Buddha statues.
From past to present: The Red Dot Design Museum is
the largest contemporary design museum in Asia. Once
the Headquarters of Traffic Police, today the 1920s colonial building offers event spaces in an atmosphere of
innovation and creativity.
If you want to include nature and wildlife in the program,
have your guests immerse themselves into the lush
greenery of the Singapore Botanic Gardens for a lunch at
Halia Restaurant. Or take your event into the wild
outdoors of Singapore Zoo with a night safari followed
by dinner in a tropical rainforest environment.
An enchanted evening could also begin at the Harbour
Front Cable Car Station. Just a short ride away: Mount
Faber, the city’s 3rd highest hill at 106 meters above sea
level. On the city’s iconic hilltop amongst lush foliage,
The Jewel Box houses 4 dining venues each offering a
distinct experience with mesmerizing vistas.
Taking the aerial link in the other direction, one reaches
the resort island of Sentosa, also home to Resorts
World™ featuring, among other attractions, Universal
Studios Singapore®, the region’s first Hollywood movie
theme park. After a cocktail on Siloso Beach, guests are
ushered to the Sapphire Pavilion, a multi-functional
event venue with high ceiling and tropical fans for a
sumptuous dinner with unobstructed oceanfront views.
From sandy beaches to lounging in the clouds: On top of
Singapore’s largest hotel Marina Bay Sands, amidst the
iconic Sands SkyPark® on the 57th floor is KU DÉ TA.
Located in a one-hectare sky oasis, featuring the world’s
largest infinity pool at that height, Restaurant, Club
Lounge, SkyDeck and SkyBar are separate yet integrated outlets offering a great setting for a standing function.
No wonder the classy venue commanding a bird’s eye
view of the city-state, has been voted one of the top 10
global hotspots by The New York Times.
Back to earth or rather water: Also part of the Marina Bay
Sands world just recently completed, are two spectacularly architected glass and steel pavilions floating on
Marina Bay’s waterfront. Crystal Pavilion South is home
to Hollywood’s super club Avalon, having the ability to
morph into an elite concert venue, special
event
destination or clubbers paradise; and Pangaea, the
ultra-lounge, making its debut in the city-state after New
York, London and Miami, a sophisticated European style
“bottle club”, accessible through an underwater tunnel.
Lantern Bar, The Fullerton Bay Hotel, Singapore
If you wish to impress your guests even more, have them
shoot the roof and venture up to the Helipad of Swissôtel
The Stamford, one of Southeast Asia’s tallest hotels. This
spectacular venue offers a 360° aerial city view, an
unparalleled scenery for private al-fresco receptions with
no railings and no walls, towering above the city at 226
meters. In case of adverse weather, guests may relocate
to the award-winning Equinox Restaurant, Singapore's
“highest” culinary landmark.
Drinking on the skyline: The 5th floor of The Fullerton Bay
Hotel, the stylish boutique hotel opened in 2010, will not
give anyone vertigo, but what the rooftop bar Lantern
lacks in altitude it makes up in finesse. The main bar area
sitting at the waterfront end of an infinity pool, is covered
in canvas awnings and lighted with chandeliers: a truly
scenic backdrop for a reception followed by an al-fresco
dinner with enthralling panoramic views of the Marina
Bay waterfront and Singapore’s skyline.
KU DÉ TA, Marina Bay Sands Hotel, Singapore
Vischer, Merkt & Partner AG | CH-8049 Zürich | phone +41 43 244 70 60 | www.vmp-ag.ch
Page 3
E-NEWSLETTER
February 2012 I # 8
Team activities & sightseeing in Singapore
Singapore’s excellent tourism infrastructure and attractions in and around the city-state offer a wealth of options
for groups of any size.
At Chinatown Food Street, along rows of restored preWorld War II shop-houses, a large group may enjoy
street-style fare lined up on food stalls and served at
wooden tables and chairs, recreating vintage Singapore.
At Pulau Ubin island for example, the participants travel
back in time to the 1960s. After a short boat ride, they
explore the island by bicycle, past traditional stilt
village houses, temples, mangrove forests, fruit trees and
rubber plantations. For those with an appetite for even
more adventure, wildlife spotting while kayaking in
pairs together with experienced guides is the name of the
game. The island experience may be rounded off with a
spice hunt and a traditional Malay cooking lesson in a
100-year-old wooden stilt house.
From muscular strength to horse power: On a privatized
race track, the participants will turn into race drivers for
a day in original Formula Renault racecars, followed
by full-fledged and timed circuits. A Pit Stop Challenge
could be envisaged as a half-day activity during which the
teams are briefed by real race mechanics on how to use
the tools necessary to perform a complete switch of tires
and turnaround. Then, it is time for hands-on practice and
some high-adrenalin competition between the teams.
As to new developments: In 2012, the Lion City will see
the official opening of the new Gardens By The Bay; and
of the Singapore River Safari – two attractions that
promise to add even more appeal to Singapore’s
reputation as a meeting and incentive destination.
Chinatown Hawker Center, Singapore
Our working style at home and abroad
From small, exclusive and complex right through to
comprehensive, large-scale projects: Vischer, Merkt &
Partner enjoy extensive experience in the conception,
creation and worldwide organization of corporate
meetings and events. All our events fulfill a stringent
requirement: offering an unforgettable experience in a
unique atmosphere. We achieve this by preparing a
sound concept based on an innovative, compelling idea.
In order to guarantee the high quality standards we stand
for, we select and manage the venues and local partners
personally. Regardless of the size of your meeting or
event, we put together the perfect team for your project,
always under the expert guidance of one of the two
owners who will take care of everything in person on site.
Objective of our newsletter
The purpose of this newsletter is to provide you with
background information on some of the cities and regions
in which we have held successful meetings and
corporate events to date. Maybe we can also persuade
you to consider holding your next meeting or event in one
of our preferred cities – we would be happy to do so!
Pit Stop Challenge, Malaysia
Cuisine
Singapore is renowned for its gastronomic scene: Malay,
Chinese, Eurasian, and Indian culinary traditions can be
sampled everywhere, from award-winning restaurants to
casual hawker street-stall centers.
Closing remarks
Small groups may wine and dine in style at luxury venues
such as the lavish One on the Bund, a contemporary
fine-dining Chinese restaurant in a building dating from
the 1930s or at Sky on 57, showcasing a modern twist of
Franco-Asian cuisine, perched atop the 200-meter high
SkyPark. Elegant dining and a picturesque location on
Singapore River also characterize the IndoChine Waterfront Restaurant. Authentic Indo-Chinese cuisine,
crystal chandeliers, towering Buddha statues and rare
antiques make the place a truly out-of-this-world venue.
When do you plan to hold your next corporate meeting on
the island that is small in size but big in
opportunities? We would be pleased to give you a more
in-depth presentation.
The clean
Garden City, reputed for its clockwork
efficiency and fertile environment for networking and
learning, is a place in constant transformation and there
is always something new to discover at every visit.
Vischer, Merkt & Partner AG | CH-8049 Zürich | phone +41 43 244 70 60 | www.vmp-ag.ch
Page 4