destination reports: singapore: Where to stay
Where to stay
Singapore offers an extensive choice of accommodation. With 100 hotels and over 37,000 rooms there is an answer to every budget and preference – from no-frills properties to luxury beach resorts, and from grand historic accommodation to modern business hotels. Most hotels offer fully-equipped business centres, meeting facilities, broadband Internet access and other conveniences for business travellers.
The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore offers 3,251 square metres of function space, including 13 meeting rooms of varying sizes and configurations suitable for meetings and events. At present, the meeting segment accounts for 30 percent of total guests to the 608-room hotel. “The Middle East meeting and incentive market is an important one for our hotel, with the key feeder markets being the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar,” says Andreas Kohn, director of sales and marketing, The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore.
“With a dedicated and experienced Arabic-speaking director of sales handling the Middle East market we will continue to explore more opportunities with our partners including the major Middle Eastern airlines, wholesalers and travel agencies.”
A recent addition to Singapore’s hotels inventory is the Colonial retreat Capella Singapore, which opened in 2009 on Sentosa Island. Restoration of the colonial property was overseen by renowned architect Sir Norman Foster and decor styled by leading international interior designers Jaya Ibrahim, Andre Fu and Yasuhiro Koichi.
The 112 guestrooms include two Colonial Manors, 38 garden villas, pool suites and ‘Constellation' rooms with private rooftop Jacuzzis. Capella Singapore also offers the option of extended stays in 72 sea-facing suites and duplexes, and nine manors with private pools.
Other hotels equipped to deal with the business sector include the Marina Mandarin, Pan Pacific and The Oriental, all in Singapore’s central business district. Hotels on Orchard Road, Asia’s most famous shopping boulevard, include international five-star properties such as Hilton, Le Méridien, Meritus and Marriott. There are also a number of three-star properties close to the financial district.
