China Won’t Ease Zero-Covid Policy Anytime Soon

The commentary from President Xi at the National Congress in Beijing certainly did not sound like the Zero-Covid policy that has hampered tourism and business travel in and outside of China is going to change anytime soon. President Xi celebrated the nation’s “zero Covid” pandemic response. He called it the best choice and that it is sustainable and must be followed.

Anantara Chiang Mai Resort recently hosted an event to celebrate the renovations at the property. The renovations include the launch of Chiang Mai’s first champagne rooftop bar, Bubbles, which fronts the Ping River. The bar’s most exclusive table is set at the river’s edge and is reached by a new unique elevated walkway. The resort’s 84 rooms and suites have all been upgraded with new finishing’s, maintaining their Zen teak classic modern tropical designs. The Anantara Spa has also undergone a full renovation and will include a Thai medical clinic and an IV drip bar. New restaurant concepts have been introduced, including The Brit Bar and Bodhi Restaurant set under the resort’s 200-year-old Bodhi Tree by the river. Other developments around the resort include a new private pier, with river cruises docking directly at the resort’s waterfront.

Chatrium Hospitality is set to unveil Chatrium Grand Bangkok on November 28, 2022. The hotel is located in the city’s Siam area and is an enhanced version of Chatrium’s luxury collection. The development is owned by City Realty, the real estate arm of the Sophonpanich family, with investment in the project totaling US$150 million. Chatrium said the 582-room and-suite twin-tower hotel and residences will be an urban retreat like no other. The rooms will range from 46 square meters to a 321 square meter penthouse. A selection of one, two and three-bedroom residences will be available for guests on extended stays in the Thai capital. There is a selection or restaurants and lounges, function spaces capable of hosting up to 1,000 attendees, a 40-meter swimming pool, fitness center and the SPA by Thann. Chatrium Hospitality operates 12 hotels, resorts and residences in three countries – Thailand, Japan and Myanmar. They have nine properties in Bangkok.

Accor announced it’s expanding its footprint in Indonesia by signing its second Movenpick property in Jakarta. The Movenpick Jakarta Pecenongan is scheduled to open its doors in the third quarter of 2023. The hotel is located in Central Jakarta, just moments from major landmarks including the Merdeka Presidential Palace and National Monument, a 30-minute drive from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport. The 23-story hotel is being transformed in line with the style and international standards of Movenpick Hotels & Resorts. The hotel will feature 253 rooms and suites. A selection of exclusive rooms and suites will offer access to the 7th-floor executive lounge. A collection of five restaurants and bars will be available. Other amenities include an outdoor swimming pool, children’s pool, spa and fully equipped fitness center. Accor has 130 hotels in Indonesia, with a pipeline of 53 projects across the country, making it one of the leading international operators there.

Ennismore announced Trojena as its inaugural partner for mountain tourism destination. Hotel Development, the Neom division responsible for building a future-centric hospitality ecosystem in the northwest corner of Saudi Arabia, signed Ennismore as its inaugural hotel partner. The inaugural tie up will see Ennismore’s 25hours Hotels and Morgans Originals brands open properties in Trojena, which is Neom’s mountain tourism destination that features a ski village. The 25hours Hotel will have an in-house cinema, a farm to table restaurant, a bike workshop with co-working, as well as a rooftop restaurant with pool. The Morgans Originals hotel will feature four world-class dining outlets and a 2,000-meter destination spa and bathhouse in addition to architecturally significant ski slope roof and rooftop pool bar overlooking the dramatic Trojena mountains. The hotel will also feature an eight-story vertical core with microclimates and immersive art experiences. The main construction work on the ski village in Trojena will begin at the end of 2022. In addition to hospitality, the village includes residential components centered around a public plaza as well as high-end retail and dining experiences.

Best Western Hotels & Resorts has signed two agreements for a major new Best Western Premier residential project in Ho Chi Minh City, furthering their Vietnamese growth. Best Western is partnering with Matterhorn Hotels & Resorts, which manages and operates premium real estate for the Sunshine Group, to seal the two significant contracts related to the Sunshine Diamond River development. Best Western will provide consultancy services for the project and a franchise agreement will lead to the riverside development being branded as the Best Western Premier Sunshine Diamond River. Upon opening, Best Western Premier Sunshine Diamond River will become Best Western’s first property in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam’s largest city. The urban resort-style complex will feature the largest number of Best Western Premier branded apartments worldwide, with 3,125 keys. A mix of smart residences, penthouses and sky villas will each feature its own hanging garden, contemporary furnishings and modern technology, enhanced by the five-star standards and services of the Best Western Premier brand. Best Western Hotels & Resorts currently has three properties in Vietnam but has at least 26 new hotels and resorts scheduled to open by the end of 2023.

Small Luxury Hotels of the World announced a strategic brand partnership with La Vie Hotels and Resorts to provide bespoke tailor-made hotel management services for independent luxury hotels across the Asia Pacific region. SLH will complement La Vie’s bespoke management solutions for independent upper-upscale and luxury boutique hotels with global distribution, sales and marketing support. The qualified hotels gain recognition and affiliation as members of SLH’s exclusive brand portfolio. La Vie is an independent Australia-based hotel management company with operations across Asia Pacific. The first luxury hotel to join the SLH brand will be the Islington Hotel Hobart in Tasmania, Australia. La Vie acquired the 11-room hotel earlier this year and will return it to its former ‘stately’ charm. Other collaboration projects within the Asia Pacific pipeline, including a new build in the Surry Hills district, Sydney, due to open in December, will be announced soon.

Radisson Hotel Group announced the appointment of Lachlan Hoswell as managing director, Australasia. The appointment comes as the Group continues to bolster its regional presence. Australasia is a key strategic market for Radisson’s APAC Expansion Plan. Hoswell will spearhead Radisson Hotel Group’s growth in the region. Prior to joining Radisson, Hoswell held leadership roles in APVC Holdings Pty Limited, a subsidiary of Accor Hospitality, as well as senior positions at Wyndham Vacation Resorts South Pacific and Daikyo Australia. Most recently he held the position of company director, general counsel and commercial officer of Minor Hotels Australia and New Zealand.

Long-time South Shore Holdings Ltd chairman Peter Coker has tendered his resignation as an executive director and chairman of the board. A project right near Macau, The 13 Hotel, was the biggest failure ever in the area, the brainchild of the flamboyant founder, Stephen Hung. It took Coker 12 months after the disclosure that all the company’s subsidiaries were insolvent for him to jump ship. The property opened in 2018 at US$1.6 billion and was unfinished and never included the 66 VIP gaming tables that were part of the business plan.