asian hotel

& Catering Times

Published since 1976 Vol 36 February 2011

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DRINK AND DRINKER

Hong Kong SAR HK$50
China RMB50 What do they say about each other?
Singapore S$15
Malaysia RM30
Thailand Bt300
Rest of Asia US$10
BRIGHT PROSPECTS FOR BALI
Challenges remain
 E d i t o r ’ s M e s s a g e

W
elcome to a month of celebrations!
On the Indonesian island of
Bali they have frequent festivals
that are not only important to the pious
but a large draw for ever-increasing visitors.
While the record arrival numbers indicate a
travelling public generally satisfied with what
they are getting, there are continuing loud
complaints about airport delays, the price of
Elsewhere in the region, the large Chinese
diaspora will be celebrating the Year of
the Rabbit, while the Vietnamese will be
celebrating the Year of the Cat.
AHCT ‘infurs’ that this will be a good
year for hare-brained schemes, which are
likely to breed like well you know … Rabbits
are a symbol of prosperity which should be
good for investors but we urge you to beware
international relations making for smooth
conditions for hotel investors. The successful
investor will ensure though that their hotel
rooms don’t resemble hutches.
Wishing you Gong Xi Fa Cai! or Kung
Hei Fat Choi!

With the New CF2 Cascade taxis and alcoholic drinks and gripes about
infrastructure that are blotting the island’s
reputation. Even locals have complained to
AHCT that prices are rising far higher and
faster than wages.
the snake, also set for a good year, hopefully
not by feeding off the rabbits.
Following the hectic year of the Tiger,
this should be a calmer one with settled
Mischa
Moselle

Managing Editor
ENDORSEMENTS
Mischa Moselle
mischa@thomsonpress.com.hk
The Federation
Design by Hong Kong Hotels
Association
Hong Kong
Chefs Association
Federation Of Hong Kong
Restaurant Owners
Baking Industry
Training Centre Of Hong Kong
Association
Of Thailand
Koon Ming Tang Hotel Owners

production@thomsonpress.com.hk

Contributors
Victoria Burrows Association Of Singapore Hong Kong Hong Kong Singapore Hong Kong
Zara Horner International Chefs Association Bakery & Confectionery Maitre D’hotel Association Hotel Association Bartenders Association
Hoteliers Shanghai Association
Robin Lynam
Catherine Nicol
Saul Symonds
Ruth Williams
Shanghai Myanmar Chefs Malaysian Association Macau Hotel Club managers Association
Chefs Association Association Of Hotels Association Hong Kong
Associate Publisher
Sharon Knowler
sharon@thomsonpress.com.hk

Advertising Sales Manager

Claire Sancelot Asian Hotel & Catering Times
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February 2011 AHCT 3
 CONTENTS
Volume 36 February 2011

TECHNOLOGY EQUIPMENT
22 TVs offer the guest a myriad of uses 44 Beds that meet all guest
requirements
DESIGN
26 Splash out on technology in the 48 Uniforms that reflect brand
bathroom standards and locality

A peep at bathrooms 26
44 44
Cover photography courtesy
of Uma Ubud by COMO
And so to bed

NEWS
30 CULINARY
Chinese New Year; iKitchen; Japanese
restaurants
EVENTS AND EXHIBITIONS
52 Events calendar
INDUSTRY
54 Hofex previewed
6 Tourist arrivals in 2010; China’s
55 Horeca previewed
skyscrapers; Openings; Re-brandings
56 Hotelex Shanghai previewed
and more
APPOINTMENTS
PRODUCT
58 See who is moving where
42 Mineral water; Purées; Ambient scents;
Warewashers; Buffet stands

MANAGEMENT
12 Wyndham exploits the many varieties
of hotel ownership
Advertisers’ I nd e x
MARKET REPORT Alpha International 45
16 Can Bali’s infrastructure keep pace Barry Callebaut IBC
with its hotel development? Boncafe 40 & 41
Canadian Mineral Water Development S.A. 39

22
Emaco Food International 23
Francesca 35
Friedr.Dick Gmb & Co 29
Up and Coming... Giles & Posner IFC
March Global Search International 9
TV’s sunny future • Education Gulfood 15
• Market Report: China 1st tier city HD+A Expo 57
FOOD Horeca 25
• CRS
32 Chefs are making use of dark International Furniture Fair 49
• Renovation project
chocolate for Valentine’s Day • Bakery IPSO 17
• Tea & Coffee Meiko 7
DRINK • Glassware; Pizza ovens Michel Cluizel OBC
36 Spirits – what does the drink M.Schaerer 37
say about the drinker? April Pacific Valley 11
• Recruitment Pevonia 20 & 21
• Market Report: India SIAL 51
• Security Texcare Asia 47
• Resort design The Hotel Show 19
(Reference only) • Dairy Zieher 33
• Wine
• In-room safes; Outdoor furniture; Bakery
4 AHCT February 2011 February 2011 AHCT 5
I n d u s t r y N e w s
Strong
arrivals
in south
Asia, Japan
disappoints
The year 2010 was a good one for
tourism in India, with foreign tourist
arrivals at 5.58 million, a growth of 9.3
percent on 2009’s figures (5.11 million
and growth rate of minus 3.3 percent),
according to India’s Ministry of Tourism.
Projections by the United Nations
World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)
put tourism growth in terms of global
foreigner visitor numbers at 5 to 6
percent for the year, highlighting India’s
strong performance. Foreign exchange
earnings from tourism in India during
2010 were US$14.193 billion compared
to US$11.394 billion during 2009 and
US$11.747 billion during 2008.
According to figures from the Pacific
Asia Travel Association (PATA) some
of India’s neighbours also performed
well. The number of international visitor
arrivals to Myanmar hit a record high,
reaching 310,688 or a more than 27
percent growth over 2009, thanks largely
India
expansion
plans
Carlson, a privately held, global
hospitality and travel company, has
announced plans to open 19 additional
hotels in India by the end of 2011. The
hotels will come under the company’s
four brands: Radisson, Country Inns &
Suites By Carlson, Park Inn and Park
Plaza. The announcement was made
at the Hotel Investment Forum India in
Mumbai last month.
Carlson had 33 hotels in operation
in India at the end of last year. With
the addition of 19 new properties, the
number of hotel operations will exceed
50 at the end of 2011. The new openings
span across Carlson’s four hotel brands.
Langham Hotels International (LHI)
6 AHCT February 2011
Myanmar had a record year for arrivals in 2010
to a significant increase in air arrivals
through the Yangon, Mandalay and
Bagan International Airport. FIT visitors
grew at the fastest pace with a year-
on-year rise of more than 50 percent,
taking up well above half total arrivals.
But while business travelers were up 14
percent package tourist numbers are
still in decline since a 2006 peak and
were down 21 percent in 2010. Tourism
earnings set a record of US$254 million
last year and PATA data indicates the
increase of tourist arrivals was partly
due to the introduction of a visa-on-
arrival system for a four-month short
period from April to August under the
government’s revised policy to promote
tourism.
Landlocked Nepal also saw visitor
arrivals by air reach an all-time high of
almost a half a million mark in 2010 with
a year-on-year 18.5 percent surge. In
terms of growth, all sub-region source
Green fingers – Lavasa Corporation EVP Nathan
Andrews shakes on a management deal with LHI
CEO Brett Butcher
has announced plans for four India
properties. The Eaton Smart brand is
being debuted at New Delhi airport in the
first quarter of this year while a previously
announced Pune property will open later
in 2011. LHI has also announced the
signing of a management agreement in
mid-January to manage two 200-room
properties for the Lavasa Corporation
in the hill city of Lavasa, which is
fast-gaining a reputation for being
environmentally-friendly.
markets except of the Pacific (+8.9
percent) posted a double-digit increase
with the neighbouring South Asian
source markets (+27 percent) leading the
pack, followed by the Americas (+18.8
percent) and other Asian providers (+17.7
percent). Travellers from China and the
USA have been on a steady climb while
Bangladesh dominated in percentage
growth terms. The Nepal Tourism Board
targets one million arrivals this year. The
end of the war in Sri Lanka has seen
tourists return in large numbers to the
island. Last year saw a year-on-year
growth of 46.1 percent gain to 654,476
international arrivals. The total is 15.6
percent higher than the previous record
year of 2004’s 566,202 arrivals. Tourists
from its primary source markets India
(+52 percent), the UK (+29 percent),
Germany (+54 percent), the USA (+34
percent) poured back.
Despite setting records, international
arrivals in Japan have failed to meet
government targets set in 2007. That
target of 10 million was missed by over
one million visitors despite a record 29.2
percent increase in foreign arrivals.
One reason cited for the failure to
meet expectations was the dispute
between China and Japan over the
disputed Senkaku islands, leading to a
drop in mainland visitors.
Development continues on the 394-
room Wyndham New Delhi Dwarka Hotel,
which is scheduled to open in April. The
hotel marks the Wyndham Hotel Group’s
entry into the Indian market. Amenities
include full-service Indian and multi-
cuisine restaurants, a nightclub, swimming
pool, spa, fitness centre, business centre,
and 14,000-square-feet (1,300 square
metres) of meeting and banquet space.
(See p12 for more details.)
Carlson’s Radisson brand is set to expand in India
Further delays for Suryagarh
The opening of Suryagarh, a new luxury
venue by the hospitality division of Jaipur-
based MRS Group, is delayed once
again. The hotel, located near the Thar
desert city of Jaisalmer in Rajasthan, has
been built to resemble the ancient forts of
the region and offers 62 rooms including
32 palace rooms, 18 junior suites, eight
historic suites, and two Jaisalmer suites.
The group, which also manages The
Laxmi Niwas Palace in Bikaner, plans
to add 36 suites in phase two by the
end of October 2011 but had hoped to
open the hotel this month. The company
now says it will be “sometime this year”,
possibly August. Suryagarh was soft
launched in late 2009, but building work
has been disrupted in part by heavy rains
in the region.
However, what is certain is that the
group will launch its own spa brand –
Rait – at the hotel and Siddharth Yadav,
Director of Business Development, says
the spa will open at the end of March.
“We had been in talks with a number
I n d u s t r y N e w s
of luxury spa brands for a management
contract, and this stalled the work. So, we
have now decided to launch our own spa
brand.”
Suryagarh offers the largest
banqueting facilities in the city, including
ballrooms, conference rooms and multiple
alfresco venues for corporate and social
meeting and events. Yadav says that
at present, corporate accounts for 60
percent of bookings, but hopes this may
change as marketing efforts increase.
When the hotel does open it will be part of
the Preferred Hotel Group as a Preferred
Boutique member.
Yadav says that MRS Group is now
in the process of acquiring an old fort in
Rajasthan. “This will be the crowning jewel
in the group’s portfolio,” he says. “We
are looking to offer properties that have
something unique in nature and are able
to give guests an authentic experience.
We want to have a substantial presence
in Rajasthan and then probably look to
expanding on a large scale.”
MRS Group’s 62-room Suryagarh property
Victoria Burrows
February 2011 AHCT 7
I n d u s t r y N e w s
Bali digs deep for volcano victims
Bali’s Hands For Merapi event
China’s towering ambitions
Recent media reports have revealed vague
plans for a Saudi Arabian funded copy
of Dubai’s Burj Khalifa tower in Beijing’s
Mentougou district.
The US$1.3 billion tower would house a
self-styled 7-star hotel and be jointly funded
with an unnamed Chinese partner, said
the People’s Diary. According to the paper,
Chinese officials have said that the design
and planning of the building was complete.
Shanghai also has its eye on the skies
with the planned development of the
632-metre Shanghai Tower, set to be the
world’s second tallest on completion.
The building’s 84-110th floors will house
the Shanghai Tower J-Hotel with 258 guest
rooms. The skyscraper will stretch to 121
storeys with a gross floor area of 576,000
square metres. Construction has already
reached the above-the-ground stage after
two years work.
Developer Shanghai Tower Construction
& Development Co has signed a joint venture
agreement, brand license agreement and
hotel management agreement with Shanghai
Jin Jiang International Hotels Group –
operation and management of the hotel will
be by Interstate (China), a company formed
by Jin Jiang and Thayer Lodging Group.
Jin Jiang has extravagant ambitions
for the property, saying in a press release
about the signing: “It is expected that the
design of Shanghai Tower J-Hotel will
reach and exceed the Forbes (Mobil) five
stars standards, AAA five stars diamond
standards, Platinum 5-star in China and
8 AHCT February 2011
In mid-January fundraisers from Bali
travelled to Central Java to disperse funds
raised on behalf of victims of the November
eruption of Mount Merapi.
As the organisers point out, due to the
thick blankets of ash deposited by recent
eruptions, “Yogyakarta’s rural community is
consequently suffering and having to rely on
the kindness of others in order to survive.”
The Rp 38 million raised (US$4,000)
came from a pre-Christmas charity bazaar
organised by the Bali Hotel Public Relations
Association (HHPB), joining forces with
the Bali Tourism Media Association, Bali’s
Fashion Designer Association and Bali
Community Care.
The ‘Hands for Merapi’ Charity Bazaar
Shanghai Tower – feat of engineering
or omen of economic doom?
Green Hotel standards. The hotel will also
become one of the leading hotels of the
world.”
Analysts are slightly more wary of
China’s ambitions. Research from Barclays
Capital bank points out that 44 percent of
the world’s current 50 skyscraper projects
scheduled for completion in the next six
years are in China. The analysts say that
previous races to the top to complete the
world’s tallest towers had coincided with
periods of economic turmoil that include the
Great Depression, the Asian financial crisis
1997, and the global credit crisis 2008/09.
was held at the Kuta Galeria complex and
money was raised from the rents of 116
stalls and the sale of raffle tickets.
The HHPB Chairman Aswin Pranoto
said, “As ambassadors of Bali’s hospitality
industry we felt that it was our duty to
lend a helping hand to the victims of
Mount Merapi. We are fortunate to be in
a position to show just how much Bali
cares. The positive outcome of this charity
initiative was largely due to the generosity
of many. We would like to thank everyone
who supported this worthy cause.”
The success of the event has
prompted the organisers to consider an
event in 2011 to raise funds for a Bali-
based charity.
Starwood,
Hilton case
settled
Starwood and Hilton have settle a
longstanding dispute over the latter’s
now-shelved Denizens lifestyle brand
after Hilton accepted an injunction on
certain business activities.
Starwood had claimed that Ross
Klein and Amar Lalvani, two of its
former employees who had worked on
its St. Regis, W and Luxury Collection
brands, were involved in downloading
confidential information to use on
transferring employment to Hilton.
The Bloomberg newswire reported,
“The stolen materials allegedly
included strategic development plans,
negotiation tactics, explanations
of how to convert hotels into
luxury brands, and marketing and
demographic studies.”
Starwood President and CEO Frits
van Paasschen said, “Given the facts,
we had no choice but to stand up and
protect our brands on behalf of our
investors, associates, owners as well
as our customers.”
In a statement Hilton CEO
Christopher J Nassetta said that the
company “regrets the circumstances
surrounding the dispute.”
Most details of the two-year
injunction remain confidential.
HBA/Hirsch Bedner Assoicates work for the Four Seasons in Guangzhou
IN BRIEF I n d u s t r y N e w s
“It feels good to go green,” said Moe Ibrahim, Bintan Lagoon
Resort & Golf Club’s President Director as the property was
awarded LEED Silver Certification for Existing Buildings.
The environmental award – the acronym stands for Leadership
in Energy and Environmental Design – came after an 18-month
process undertaken by a dedicated green team at the 473-room
and 36-hole resort and club.
The resort also established an independent power plant, water
treatment facility and installed a building automation system that
reduced electricity consumption by 40 percent.
“Our investment will pay for itself many times over in the
coming years,” said Ibrahim who added that going green was a
necessity to maintain the brand’s promise to its guests.
The resort is managed by 3 Degrees Hospitality.
HBA/Hirsch Bedner Associates has a portfolio of 22 hotels
and resorts opening in 2011, with many of them in China.
The hospitality interior design company has been working
in the country’s first- and second-tier cities and on the resort
island of Hainan. The company is designing for Hyatt Regency
and Shangri-La in Chongqing and the Westin in Ningbo as well
as Four Seasons in Beijing, Guangzhou and Shenzhen and for
Sheraton in the Chinese capital.
In Haikou, the provincial capital of Hainan island, the
designers are working on Hainan Goubingwan hotel. In nearby
Hong Kong HBA is completing an ESPA at the ICC Ritz-Carlton.
The company is not ignoring the India markets with two
projects coming to fruition there – the Park Hyatt Hyderabad Star performer – the Bintan Lagoon Resort & Golf Club
and the Taj Delhi.
Positioned as the only resort in Singapore with a beachfront
location, the Rasa Sentosa Resort has rebranded as Shangri-
La’s Rasa Sentosa Resort, Singapore. The change of name
comes after an S$80 million (US$62.5 million) overhaul that took GLOBAL SEARCH INTERNATIONAL INT. GUILD OF BUTLERS & HOUSEHOLD MANAGERS
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February 2011 AHCT 9
I n d u s t r y N e w s

Hilton Da Nang to join the Hilton Hanoi Opera

in the company’s Vietnam portfolio

Two Asia Pacific properties join the recently updated Kiwi Collection.
The Kiwi Collection describes itself as “the world’s most trusted booking resource
for exceptional hotels”. As membership cannot be bought and is based on the
“unbiased opinions” of the collection’s reviewers, “this keeps our collection fresh,
honest and dependable,” they say.
The latest additions to the collection are the St. Regis Osaka in Japan and
Mandala Spa & Villas on Boracay, the Philippines.
The St. Regis property is described as “a world both ornate and serene” while
Mandala is “home to one of the most highly regarded beaches on the entire planet.”
Existing Asia members include properties stretching from Japan to the Maldives,
Mongolia and southern New Zealand.

Vietnam is to gain a second Hilton property in

2013 with the opening of the Hilton Da Nang.
Hilton Worldwide will manage the property
on behalf of local property developer Bach
Dang Hotel Complex Trading Service Company.
The 226-room hotel is already under
construction in the major port city of Da Nang,
a regional trade hub. The property will be sister
hotel to the Hilton Hanoi Opera.
“Our growth across the Asia Pacific region
continues at an historic pace. The signing
of this management agreement for the new-
build, 226 room Hilton Da Nang marks the
continuation of the expansion of the Hilton
Hotels & Resorts brand in Vietnam, now a key
growth target market for us,” said Dave Horton,
Global Head, Hilton Hotels & Resorts.
The four hotels of the Sunshine Hotel Group
have signed up to Worldhotels, boosting its
China presence.
The 378-room Sunshine Hotel Shenzhen
is in the commercial centre of the city
neighbouring Hong Kong. Close to the Lo
Wu border crossing, hotel facilities include
restaurants, a beauty salon and karaoke and
sports venues.
There are two additions in Hunan province.
The Gold Source Hotel Changsha is a MICE
venue and joins Worldhotels’ First Class
Collection. With 400 rooms and 13 conference
halls accommodating up to 500 people, the
property is classified as 4-star.
The 496-room Sunshine Hotel & Resort
Zhangjiajie, which will be joining the Deluxe
Collection, is close to a UNESCO World
Heritage Site and famous scenery that includes
a national park and mountains.
The Resort Intime Sanya is a 5-star property
and is joining the First Class Collection. Its 416
rooms are on Dadonghai Beach and a short
drive from Sanya International Airport.
“Sunshine Hotels Group’s stable of resort
and business hotels significantly boosts
our growing presence in the key markets of
China for business, leisure travel and MICE
markets,” said Roland Jegge, Vice President of
Worldhotels Asia Pacific.
The expanded
Regal iClub
Hotel
The Regal iClub Hotel in Hong
Kong’s Wanchai district is marking
its expansion with an iResidence
package of special offers through to
the end of the month.
The property is being positioned
as “the new contemporary boutique
hotel of Regal Hotels International”.
The 49 rooms added (for a total
of 99) during expansion include the
new category of two-bedroom suite
called the iResidence. The hotel is
also said to be Hong Kong’s first
carbon neutral property.
Singapore-based hotel management
company Pan Pacific Hotels Group
has expanded its Pan Pacific brand into
Australia with the opening of the Pan
Pacific Perth in Western Australia.
The 486-room property was formerly a
Sheraton.
The company already manages or
owns more than 30 hotels, resorts and
serviced apartments in Australia, Asia,
Greater China and North America and
sees the Australian market as an important
growth opportunity.
Pan Pacific’s growth strategy has seen
the company introduce its Parkroyal brand
to Sydney and enter into a conditional sale
and purchase agreement to acquire the
Hilton Melbourne Airport hotel.
The newly re-branded Pan Pacific Perth
Shangri-La Asia Ltd has announced the
purchase of six acres of land in Sri Lanka.
The site is opposite the landmark Galle
Face green promenade in the the country’s
capital, Colombo.
The Hong Kong-based company
include plans a mixed-use development
of high-end retail, luxury apartments and a
luxury hotel.
The 500-key hotel is scheduled to open
in early 2014 and marks the entry of the
hotel group onto the island.
The company is also planning a second
property on the southern coast. The 300-
key city resort will be in Hambantota and is
slated for completion in 2013.

10 AHCT February 2011

 M a n a g eme n t
Dream New York – Wyndham is the largest United
States-based hotel group in China
Contracting
to expand
Ruth Williams looks at a hotel
group keen to use a variety of
ownership models to increase its
Asia portfolio
12 AHCT February 2011
M a n a g eme n t
in China,” explains Greene. “We went in with 2-, 3- and a 4-/5-star
brand initially. Wyndham cut its teeth in some of the less well-known
second-tier cities where other brands have only launched properties
in recent years.”
Wyndham also opted for the franchise model, something few
other hotel companies have tried in China until recently. “We are
“What’s
not afraid of the franchise business and we are attractive to owners
because we have a good mix of brands – we can put the right brand
for the right location – we don’t need to force a brand in the wrong
good about
market,” says Greene.
For owners looking to operate a 4-star brand, Greene says
China is the
Wyndham has developed particular expertise, and can deliver well
on ROI for this particular model.
“What’s good about China is the entrepreneurial spirit. There
entrepreneurial
are now individual owners who want to own their own business
but they want to be part of a larger family, but not told what to do.
spirit”
They want the tools and systems and they want to learn,” he adds.
Adding management options
Following Cendant, the parent company’s acquisition of the
Wyndham brand in 2005, the group’s hotel brands were gathered
together as the Wyndham Hotel Group. The renamed and
reconfigured hotel group set about enriching its portfolio by
developing a signature luxury 5-star brand under the Wyndham
name as part of its ambitious development plans.
Wyndham Hotels’ first Wyndham-branded hotel first managed
in Asia was the Wyndham Xiamen, which opened in 2009. Two
years later and there are 13 Wyndham branded 5-star hotels either
open or under development in China.
“When we looked at our growth strategy in China we decided
we wanted to be on the managed side of the business, particularly
looking five, 10 or 15 years down the line – we decided the biggest
growth in the world would be in China,” says Greene.
“Part of the [Wyndham brand] strategy has been to attract the The Wyndham Grand Plaza Royale Palace Chengdu
Wyndham acquired Dream Bangkok in January 2011
T
he Wyndham Hotel Group started 2011 with a
trio of announcements, reconfirming its ambitions
for growth in Asia, and China in particular. Since
entering the mainland in1990 the Wyndham Hotel
Group has become the largest United States-based
hotel company in China with 270 hotels under the Wyndham
Hotels and Resorts, Ramada, Howard Johnson, Days Inn and Super
8 brands. Notably much of the group’s growth has been in the last
few years – the group opened 103 properties in Asia in 2010, with
95 of those on the Chinese mainland.
Ken Greene, President and Managing Director, Asia Pacific,
Wyndham Hotel Group says the group’s build-up to 42,000 rooms
in China is one of the best-kept secrets in the hospitality industry in
Asia. Like other hotel groups Wyndham offers owners and operators
franchise agreement and management contract options, but it’s
approach in China has followed a different path.
In general, international hotel companies have followed a similar
strategy in China. First they established flagship 5-star properties
in first tier cities such as Beijing and Shanghai under management
contracts, followed by rolling out other brands in the same markets.
“We’re the opposite of every other international hotel company
February 2011 AHCT 13
 M a n a g eme n t
Ken Greene, President
and Managing Director,
Asia Pacific, Wyndham
Hotel Group
Dream Cochin –
owned by Chatwal
Hotels & Resorts
right kind of talent and that will enable it to attract the developers
and owners to establish agreements,” says Greene. “People drive
our business, hiring the right people is how you become successful.
Finding good talent is hard – but it’s something I love to do.”
It was three years ago that Wyndham seized the ‘opportunity’ of
the financial crisis to build it’s team. When other leading companies
were cutting down or freezing headcounts and promotion,
Wyndham was eager to hire.
“We were able to find outstanding talent – people who were
ready for the opportunities and would thrive in an innovative
entrepreneurial environment. It’s a start-up mentality backed by
some of the deepest pockets in the industry,” he adds.
Partner adventures
Many owner operators in China are property developers. For
example, the Wyndham Chongqing North Hotel, due to open in
2014, is owned by one of the big real estate companies in the area,
Chongqing Bei Cheng Real Estate Development. Wyndham is
already well-established in Chongqing with eight Days Inns, plus
Super 8 and Howard Johnson properties under franchise agreements.
As Wyndham continues its transition to a mix of managed and
franchised properties in China, the group prefers the management
14 AHCT February 2011
contract model for its Wyndham and Wyndham Grand properties.
“It’s our namesake brand. We have to protect our brand as much
as possible for a 5-star such as Wyndham,” says Greene. “Brand
management is much more complex on a daily basis – the F&B,
the service, customer expectations – we want to make sure that we
are delivering on our promise to our customers, especially with
initiatives such as Wyndham by Request and the loyalty programme
Wyndham Rewards.”
Signing season
Having worked successfully with the Greater China Hospitality (HK)
Group as a franchisor of its Howard Johnson properties, Wyndham
has entered into joint-venture agreements to rebrand some of its
properties currently under construction as Wyndham Grand Plaza
Royale hotels. All Wyndham Plaza and Plaza Royale properties are
managed by Greater China Hospitality (HK) Group and more new
management agreements are pending with other owner-operators in
China for the Wyndham and Wyndham Grand brand.
“For the
other 3- and
2-star brands
we prefer to
franchise”
In September 2010 Wyndham opened its first managed Ramada
property in Asia in Bangkok, and Greene says the group would
like to expand the Ramada brand in China with an equal mix of
management contracts and franchises. “For the other 3- and 2-star
brands we prefer to franchise – it’s exciting times,” Greene enthuses.
Decision time
Elsewhere in Asia, Wyndham’s expansion continues, albeit at a
steadier pace than developments in China. In January Wyndham
announced its first 5-star hotel bearing the Wyndham brand would
open in New Delhi. The 394-room Wyndham New Delhi Dwarka
Hotel is owned by Tirupati Buildings & Offices. Describing India
as a more opportunistic market, Greene says all Wyndham hotels
opening in India will be under franchise agreements.
In the same month the group announced it had entered into an
agreement with Chatwal Hotels & Resorts, gaining exclusive rights
to franchise and manage its Dream and Night boutique hotel brands
globally. With properties in New York, Bangkok and Cochin, India
and more planned for the United States and Southeast Asia.
With so many brands to choose from, the biggest challenge for
Wyndham is to work out which of their brands to roll out in China
and Asia next.
M a r k e t R e p o r t
Bali revisited
W
The Indonesian hile the sign at Denpasar’s
international Ngurah
island of Bali is Rai airport might hail
enjoying something ‘Welcome to Bali’ what
kind of welcome are visitors really receiving
of a resurgence and from the island?
tourism industry One Singaporean traveller told AHCT
that recent first impressions at the airport
insiders are betting were “messy … chaotic” with long visa
on more to come. By queues not helping. As an ASEAN passport
holder she didn’t need to buy a visa but
Mischa Moselle had to direct another passenger to the
right queue, which was “bad”. She also
found confusion amongst airport staff over
whether or not she had to fill in a form
declaring the amount of currency and
goods above a certain value she was bringing
into the country. One officer told her the
form was for returning Indonesians only
while two other officers said she should
fill it in. Summing up the experience the
Singaporean traveller told AHCT: “It was
16 AHCT February 2011
M a r k e t R e p o r t
with Chairman Jean-Charles Le Coz
telling AHCT that: “The BHA is generally
pleased and hopeful about infrastructure
development. Bali is looking towards
a renovated airport, a new bridge from
Serangan to Tanjung Benoa (as an alternative
route from Sanur to Nusa Dua), and a
highway that connects the tourist spot of
South Bali to East Bali so the new location
grows in popularity. All these projects
are set to finish in 2013 in anticipation
of the APEC Summit.” The BHA is also
confident that the new traffic infrastructure
will bring Bali’s roadways to “international
standards.” Added to which, the Indonesian
government is reported to be mulling a
second international airport to the north
of the island.
According to figures compiled by
travel agency Bali Discovery, 2010 was
a record year for visitor arrivals, with
foreign visitors totaling almost 2.5 million.
Australia remains the top market with
past leader Japan now lagging “a distant
number two behind”. Mainland Chinese
arrivals seem to have plateaued with a 0.66
percent drop and, “the consensus remains
Spas and local culture are a strong draw that the heralded boom in PRC arrivals is
for guests at Uma Ubud by Como
Uma Ubud by Como
Commercial laundry equipment
for the hospitality sector
really bad compared to previous times
arriving in Bali.”
Media executive Ryan Andrews, a
United States passport holder based in
A World Leader
Hong Kong and frequent Bali visitor, told
AHCT that the arrival experience is “less a IPSO is one of the world’s leading brands of commercial laundry
equipment. The IPSO laundry equip-ment is offered to various
line than a herd of people checking visas,”
markets, from hospitality & health care institutions to coin-
adding that on one occasion, “it took an
hour and a half.” In fact the last time he operated laundries and commercial laundries. IPSO’s extensive
product range consists of washer extractors, tumble dryers,
travelled to Bali he and his partner took
ironers and auxiliary equipment, all available from small to large
the easy option and paid US$50 each to be
met by a representative from a resort who capacities.
led them through the process in 10 minutes.
Chaos at the airport, which is reflected IPSO focuses on durability, serviceability, quality and performance,
on the roads, is a symptom of several years but also recognizes the increasing demand for attractive design
of record arrivals to the island. One other and ergonomics.
impact has been rising prices with salaries
yet to catch up for residents of the island.
Get further information from your nearest IPSO Certified Partner
on www.ipso.be.
Looking good
The Bali Hotels Association (BHA) is
positive about infrastructure development,
WWW.VISUAL.BE
ALLIANCE INTERNATIONAL BV
BVBA | Nieuwstraat 146 | B-8560 WEVELGEM (BELGIUM)
Tel. +32 56/41 220 54 | Fax +32 56/41 86 74 | info@ipso.be | www.ipso.be
February 2011 AHCT 17
 M a r k e t R e p o r t
W Retreat & Spa
Bali – Seminyak
Director of Sales and
Marketing TJ Joulak
Due for a refurb? Bali’s Ngurah Rai airport
A ocean-facing
room at the W Bali
A self-styled
Fantastic one
bedroom villa at
the W Bali
yet to happen,” the Bali Discovery report
noted. Meanwhile, Taiwan arrivals have
improved, as have those from Malaysia,
France, Russia and Singapore – visitors from
the last country up 69.42 percent January-
November 2010 over the same period in
2009. Visitor numbers from the United
States were slightly down during the period,
those from Germany were strong while
arrivals from South Korea, Britain and the
Netherlands were disappointing.
Despite a slight dip towards the end
of the year, the domestic market continues
to improve. The BHA’s Le Coz says that
18 AHCT February 2011
the Indonesian domestic market has been
growing since the early 2000s and was even
responsible for the survival of some hotels
during downturns, adding “Right now,
we are seeing a period of growth and we’re
seeing the market become more mature in
terms of what they want and expect from a
Bali vacation – not just affordable shopping
and nightlife, for example.”
The soon-to-open W Retreat & Spa Bali
– Seminyak sees the domestic market as “one
of our key feeders.” The resort’s Director
of Sales and Marketing TJ Joulak says that
“W Hotels is well-established globally in
all segments, the expectations would not
differ from other markets.” Internationally
the new resort will be looking to Singapore,
Australia, Hong Kong, China, South Korea,
Japan and Europe.
At Ubud in the centre of the island, the
key international markets that have been
performing strongly for Como’s Uma Ubud
property are Australia and Singapore but
also Britain, France, Italy and Germany. The
resort’s Resident Manager Kanako Fujieda
tells AHCT that, “Aside from traditional
honeymooners, spa goers and experience-
seeking couples, we definitely attract more
families travelling together looking for
activity-driven, enriched and meaningful
vacations.” Within Indonesia, the property
attracts guests from Jakarta seeking a short-
haul escape. “Uma Ubud provides a quiet
retreat rich in culture that is also dedicated to In May 2011,
wellness, activity and adventure,” says Fujieda.
where do the world’s leading
And there’s more hospitality professionals
One response to the rising visitor totals has
connect?
been further hotel development. According
to figures from consultancy STR Global,
Bali had at December 2010 an existing
supply of 29,734 rooms in all categories
with 2,336 in construction and 3,049 in the
total active pipeline (in construction, final
planning and planning phases). A further
report from STR Global on the Asia Pacific
pipeline points out that development across
the region is heavily skewed towards the
upscale, upper upscale and luxury segments.
According to the BHA of its 98 current
member properties, 50 are 5-star, 25 are
C
4-star and 14 are not rated but include many
likely to fit in one or other of those ratings. M
Bali development seems likely to follow the Y
Asia Pacific trend. CM
By STR Global figures, December 2010
MY
was also positive in terms of RevPAR and
Average Daily Rate over December 2009 CY
Only at The Hotel Show.
but showing a minor dip in Occupancy to CMY
65 percent. Across all categories, RevPAR K
grew 14.1 percent to Rp. 922,944.82
(US$101.1). Average Daily Rate grew
by 15.9 percent to Rp. 1,420,620.71
(US$157).
Drawing on the positive year it had in
terms of RevPAR and Occupancy in 2010,
the Uma Ubud is adding seven new Como
Villas, opening late this year.
At the W Bali 237 rooms will feature
covering 31,000 square metres over four
floors. The number includes 79 one,
two or three bedroom villas. The ‘Ewow’
(presidential) suite boasts a show kitchen,
a spa and two bedrooms, while in the three A showcase for the latest products and a forum for industry thought
bedroom villas glass doors concertina back leaders, The Hotel Show 2011 is the ‘must attend’ event for the world’s
to allow instant access to the 20 metre top hoteliers. Meet suppliers, specifiers, asset managers, architects,
private pool. designers, technologists, innovators and fellow professionals at the
Bali-lover Andrews tells AHCT that heart of one of world’s fastest growing markets. Altogether, The Hotel
the “laidback vibe, beach and great surf, Show 2011 offers great hospitality.
good grub, and the mountains if you head 17th - 19th MAY 2011
inland” will keep bringing him back to the Register Now! www.thehotelshow.com/visit DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTRE
island, despite problems at the airport. But
he warns other visitors, “It helps to know
what you might face going in.”
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 T e c h n o l o g y T e c h n o l o g y



TV as design element

MORE THAN
Waiting until the last moment to choose the TV in order to get
the ‘latest model’ or time price cuts may work for individuals, but
it does not provide real advantage for hotels, Stockdale cautions.
“Choosing the right TV is critical and should be part of the initial
design of guest rooms, suites and public areas. This will ensure the

JUST A BOOB
interior designer can incorporate the technical requirements of AV
and IT into the design brief avoiding costly ‘work around’ solutions
and retro-fits prior to the opening that can negate any ‘savings’

TUBE
generated from the late selection of TVs.” Supporting this, Sony is
sometimes contacted by developers during the design phase of the
hotel, Takahashi says in order to incorporate their product features,
specifications and design into the room layout. Capella Singapore
and Grand Park Orchard hotel are recent examples of such Sony
installations.
In Hong Kong, the Cosmopolitan’s Sony 3D Entertainment
Suite, is one example of the ways that hotels are using TV technology
to stand out from the crowd. The collaborative effort features a 46-
inch 3D LCD TV with 3D glasses and a 5.1 channel home theatre
system. The room also has a PlayStation 3. The Cosmopolitan has
two Sony suites.


TVs, in all their slim-

One unique concept that takes TV design to the next level is
Bang & Olufsen TVs have reduced power consumption

line sophistication
I
ncreasingly cheap prices and advanced technology of consumer
home entertainment products have changed the TV landscape.

can now be a design “The most recent trend in technology in just about every
hotel flag has been focused on upgrading the TV technology

element, and focal in guest rooms,” Deborah Hansen, President of United States-based
Decorus Hospitality, notes. “Simply put, guests want up-to-date
and modern flat-screen LCDs and even LEDs in their room just

point, Saul Symonds like the ones they have left at home.” 


One change that is readily apparent is the increase in screen

discovers size. “Usually hotels look for TVs based on size of the unit and
screen; whether it is full HD, and if it’s LCD or LED backlit,” says
Tatsuo Takahashi, Head of Display Marketing, Sony Southeast
Asia. Takahashi adds that among the requests from hotel property
owners in the region are screens in the 32- and 40-inch range with
most hotels looking for full HD models, and “there is a trend for
40-inch LED backlit models.”
As LED-based TVs are thinner than LCD or plasma models they
consume less floor space. “Larger screen sizes are preferred as the
rooms are generally bigger in Asia Pacific countries,” William Chan,
Regional Director, Bang & Olufsen Enterprise, Asia Pacific division
says. Chan notes that hotels are also looking for TVs with multiple
HDMI inputs as more travellers are requiring connectivity for their
portable devices. Bang & Olufsen recently supplied TV equipment
for the Ambassador Suite at the InterContinental Shanghai Puxi.
Another current trend is to incorporate the set top box (STB)
into the TV, Greg Stockdale says. According to the Managing
Director of Avasara, a Hong Kong-based consulting firm and
systems integrator, which focuses on the hospitality industry, this
provides cost benefits by eliminating the need to purchase cables and
install a separate STB. “Eliminating the STB also provides ‘green’
advantages through the elimination of electricity cost required to
power the STB and cool the room from the heat they produce,”
A Sony Suite at the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Hong Kong Stockdale points out.

22 AHCT February 2011 February 2011 AHCT 23

 T e c h n o l o g y
Panasonic’s 2011 line of Viera Connect-enabled HDTV’s
are a platform for AccuWeather’s forecasting system
AccuWeather’s system is due to launch this spring and the screens shown are not actual forecasts
As with this forecast from AccuWeather, hotel TVs can show far more than just programming
the mirror TV, which by combining a mirror and a TV into a single
unit creates a focal point and allows the TV to be easily concealed.
There are also practical concerns for the choice of such a design-
conscious device. “Many hotels recognise the importance of keeping
their guest connected, even in the bathroom and have discovered
that the installation of a mirror TV in the guest bathroom keeps
guests connected to news, sports, weather or even their favourite
programme while they perform their daily routines,” says Hansen.
Decorus, is a pioneer in designing an LCD with a one-inch
profile to be used specifically for mirror TVs. The one-inch LCD
allows the mirror to be a surface mount application. Prior to the
one-inch LCD, mirror TVs were recessed or partially recessed, which
was not cost-effective.
Green screen
When asked about ‘green’ options, Takahashi pointed out that some
Sony TVs offer eco-settings, such as an energy saving switch, which
cuts standby electricity consumption to almost zero watts, as well
as a presence sensor that turns the TV to standby mode when it
detects no one in the room, saving both energy and money. While
Chan said Bang & Olufsen always focuses on having as low power
consumption as possible and the company’s TVs adjust the power
consumption to the brightness in the room and the picture content
24 AHCT February 2011
as well as using energy efficient ICEpower amplifiers.
“In conventional amplifiers,” Chan explains, “only around
one percent of the input power is converted to output power.
The remaining approximately 99 percent is converted to heat.
As a result, amplifiers are normally equipped with large cooling
plates to conduct the heat away from the amplifier. Under normal
conditions, ICEpower provides tenfold greater efficiency, which
means that power consumption is reduced by 90 percent. In
addition to the fact that Bang & Olufsen ICEpower amplifiers
reduce power consumption when the appliance is switched on,
resource consumption is also lower because no materials are needed
for large cooling plates.”
The Annual Hospitality
& Food Event in the Region
Expanding horizons
The TV is becoming an increasingly important interface in
the hotel room, helped by the fact that TV manufacturers are
creating specific applications for the end-user. One example is the
partnership between AccuWeather and Panasonic to create a global
HD weather information service that is preloaded on Panasonic’s
2011 line of Viera Connect-enabled HDTV’s. The application
allows viewers to check local weather information from their TV
in any of 30 languages. “AccuWeather has made a concerted effort
to offer our accurate and localised weather on multiple connected
TV platforms,” Pascal Racheneur, AccuWeather Vice President of
Interactive Media says. “We worked closely with the Panasonic
team to develop an application that provides relevant content Official Magazine An event by
to our users while also being attractive, interactive, and easy-to-
use.” Other manufacturers too see the potential for expanded
applications. “We see the TV within the guest room playing a 00961 1 480081
more expanded role in entertainment as well as communication
and information,” says Chan. “Skype on TV, internet on TV and
hotel/guest information on TV are all possible today and will PLATINUM SPONSOR GOLD SPONSORS SUPPORTING HOTELS
become more and more popular looking ahead. Recently, in-room
automation with a leaning towards more energy-efficient rooms has
emerged with hotels offering guests the ability to control lighting
and air conditioning through the TV.” 


 D e s i g n
Hi-tech
chic on
tap Catherine Nicol lifts the
lid on new bathroom
design ideas
N
aked. That’s what most people
are when they are using a
bathroom’s main functions.
Without the psychological
protection of clothes, being as we came
into this world and how nature intended,
can elicit a whole gamut of responses from
exhibitionism to extreme embarrassment.
Cleanliness is a vital given. And for most
privacy would seem essential, yet 5-star
hotel bathrooms have undergone something
of an evolution over the last decade, leaving
the functional clinical feel to hospitals,
and heading for the designer sanctuary,
marrying luxury and technology, and for
brave souls with nothing to hide, to total
openness.
Lavatories, WCs, loos, toilets, restrooms
– they’ve all been objects of fascination and
questionable humour over the years, but
these days they are more about style than
merely substance. Many designers, like
Simon Zeng at DiLeonardo – who has since
worked on bathrooms like the St Regis Sanya
and the Hilton Chennai – dipped their
junior designer toes in hotel design by first
working on the then relatively insignificant
26 AHCT February 2011
The ‘her’
bathroom in the
Wynn Sky Suite
– for relaxation
and taking in
the view
bathroom, while more senior designers were
busy with the main course of guestrooms
and a hotel’s public spaces. But recently
the trend for wow-factor bathrooms has
seen designers prioritising the room, as it
even steals space from the guestroom, and
infiltrates the sleeping area.
It’s all about luxurious Victoriana at the
Four Seasons Tented Camp near Chiang
Mai, where the oversize bath and vanities are
part of the main room. At Starworld Macau’s
penthouse the bathroom is astoundingly
huge, the toilet’s glass walls turning opaque
at the flick of a switch, and several resorts in
tropical Asia build baths, showers and toilets
into alfresco areas. “The last decade has seen
the importance of the bathing area in hotels
rise significantly,” says Paul Flowers, Vice
President of Design for bathroom fixtures
and systems manufacturer, Grohe.
Private apartments
It seems that after years of being relatively
ignored, it is the hotel bathroom that is
catching the imaginations of designers these
days. After all, regular bathrooms are for
regular people and hotels work hard to make
their guests feel anything but. Take Wynn
Macau’s two-bedroom Sky Suites’ ‘His and
Hers’ bathrooms, for example. Imagine
peeling yourself out of the huge bed, and for
men turning left, their better halves turning
right, each with their own door leading to
their own mini sanctuary. “This concept
was developed so that we could provide a
separate men’s and women’s bath, which is
an ultimate luxury in accommodations,”
explains a Wynn Macau representative.
Women can draw a standalone bath
and relax with a view over the resort’s lake,
while men turn on the news in their more
masculine, functional space, energising
themselves for the day ahead. “What makes
people feel most comfortable is space, luxury
and privacy,” say Wynn Macau, transporting
their guests from the hotel’s gaming room
where Big Brother is watching to a space that
is just for them. But what is really clever is
while their designers have stereotyped how
men and women like to bathe within their
separate space, at the end of the gender
typecast rooms is a shower where bathers
can meet, entering from opposite doors, to
wash together.
Privacy is more conventional at The
Peninsula Tokyo, with one door leading to
one room, and yet stand-out features take
the bathing experience to levels usually
found in a hotel spa. Music, automatically
dimmed lighting and a spa bath all add up
to an intensely relaxing experience. “The
lights dim, spa music automatically plays
and the privacy button automatically turns
on outside of your hotel room door, and for
your phone so that you are not disturbed,”
explains Mark Kobayashi, Director of Public
Relations at The Peninsula Tokyo.
Privacy is a highly important aspect
of bathing at The Peninsula Tokyo, but in
other hotels and particularly resorts, the
walls conventionally found between sleeping
and sluicing areas can either be pushed aside
or are completely done away with. At the
Amansara in Cambodia, between the bed
and the French doors opening onto the
guest’s very own pool is a stylish tub, a prime
example of the open bathroom. “The clear
trend has been to open up the space to create
a hybrid space between the bedroom and
the bathroom,” says Flowers. “This creates
the illusion of a larger area and transforms
D e s i g n
Grohe’s bathrooms reflect the increased
significance of the room to the hotel
the bathroom from a functional space for
cleaning and grooming, into an emotional
space for relaxation and contemplation.” “A separate men’s
At Sala Phuket the Pool Villa bathroom,
pure white with occasional splashes of and women’s
colour, has moved completely alfresco,
and there are no boundaries between it bath … is an
and the pool, meaning bathing becomes
an even more open experience. Eliciting a ultimate luxury in
frisson of naughty excitement, bathing and
abluting in the open mixes a primal return accommodations,”
to the absolute basics. Nature plays a big
part here, with views leading out over the Wynn Macau
pool to where trees wave in the breeze and
the occasional white cloud can be traced as representative
it drifts across the sky. Listen to birds, to
your partner splashing around in the pool
or conversing from a lounge bed. Bathing,
for cleanliness, is totally communal.
Open to suggestion
Tropical, natural, yet whimsical; this is the
Sala Phuket bathroom as created by Thai
designer Amata Luphaiboon. “We wanted
to blur all boundaries of space normally
seen in a residential or hotel villa design.
Typical boundary walls are minimised; space
February 2011 AHCT 27
 D e s i g n
Technology can
set the mood in the D e s i g n
bathroom

flows freely from one use to another in one
continuous space; living area, bathroom,
swimming pool and garden are entwined
into one single experience. Regardless to
trend guests simply enjoy this new space.
They find it exciting and very Asian thanks
to the tropical weather of Phuket.”
This kind of bathroom generally tends
to elicit a love or hate reaction in guests, and
in order to cater for those less excited about
baring all, other categories of room with
more conventional and closed bathrooms,
while still eminently stylish, mean that every
guest can be comfortable.
While cooler climes would make alfresco
which enhance the bathing experience,”
Abolishing the
distinctions between
says Flowers. “It is a very exciting time for
guest room areas our industry; the digital revolution will
in a Sala Phuket
Presidential villa afford the freedom to create better products
and experiences.”
So while some bathrooms make a move
to embrace nature, others dive straight
into the high-tech arena, and according
to Flowers there are some exciting gadgets
in the bathroom of the future. “The
environment will move from a passive state
Hi-tech comes as
standard at The
Peninsula Tokyo
to an active state, anticipating guests’ needs
from the information it gathers. Perhaps it
will adjust to suit mood, for example it will
create an atmosphere to invigorate in the
morning and relax at night-time; [it could]
use water to stimulate blood flow or calm
and relax with preset massage functions; it
could even present information on weight,
cholesterol levels, blood pressure etc.” It
looks like we are heading for a cleansing
revolution.

An outdoor bathroom for the brave or uninhibited The Peninsula Tokyo receives much positive feedback about its bathrooms
The ‘his’ bathroom in the
Wynn Sky Suite – a more
masculine space

Tropical, natural, yet whimsical – the Sala Phuket bathroom

bathing off-putting, the balmy tropical
weather in Thailand lends itself delightfully
to an alfresco bathroom, and has fun
consequences in terms of design, according
to Amata. “For a beach destination resort,
a bathroom is as important as a bedroom.
Especially in tropical countries where
sunlight and breeze is ample, the restroom
tends to be partially or totally outdoors. In
terms of design, a restroom provides much
more flexibility for the designer to play or
explore than a bedroom.”
At The Peninsula Tokyo the sense of
place is given via culture and technology.
There is a harking back to the onsens that are
so quintessentially Japanese in the materials
and design. “I added some elements so
that the guests can feel the atmosphere of
luxury with a natural feel,” says designer
Yukio Hashimoto. “For example, by using
granite above the bathtub which is used at
hot springs facilities in Japan.”
The bottom line
While the bathing culture harks back to
long traditions, technology brings guests
firmly back to the present. What country
other than Japan has given the world such
a smorgasbord of functions when answering
the most basic call of all? At The Peninsula
Tokyo there’s no need to worry about
leaving the Toto toilet seat up or down, as
it gracefully rises and falls automatically as
it senses you arriving and leaving. There’s
the usual array of buttons on the side, and
of course in winter the seat is warmed.
“For Japanese the toilets are quite standard,
but to international guests it is one of the
technology highlights of their stay. The
comments are positive with many guests
saying they wish they could have one in
their own bathroom,” comments Kobayashi.
The modern era is well and truly
making its presence felt in our bathrooms,
whether through intelligent toilets, adding
flat screens for in-bath viewing, mirrors
that don’t steam up, or spa ambience.
“[Digital solutions] afford designers the
freedom to introduce better control of
water, lighting, sound and aroma; all of

28 AHCT February 2011 February 2011 AHCT 29

 C u l i n a r y N e w s
Japanese family connections
The F&B world can be very small.
Executive Chef Andre L’Herminier of new
Japanese restaurant Sakesan in Hong
Kong’s Soho district, previously worked
at Roka in Hong Kong and before that at
London’s Zuma. While at Roka (the Hong
Kong one) Executive Chef Patrick Zepho
worked at London’s Zuma and was on
the opening culinary team of that city’s
Roka property, too.
Sakesan owner, Café Deco Group’s
new Operations Manager Matthew
Bradford, a qualified sommelier charged
with overseeing the opening of the
restaurant, is fresh from London where
he worked as a restaurant consultant
- and was friends with the chef
(L’Herminier) at Zuma.
Pastry Chef Tracy Wei used to work
at Nobu in California. But that’s just an
aside.
The menu at Sakesan revolves
around the robatayaki grill and signature
dishes include an obligatory black cod,
a pork skewer that alternates crisp belly
with fat, baby back ribs, and lobster and
sweet prawn dumplings.
The desserts include compressed
nashi white peach sake sorbet, matcha
tea crumble and puffed rice and a variety
of other home-made sorbets.
The beer list is regional and the bar
stocks a wide range of sakes that also
iPad in the kitchen and bar
The award-winning iGrill
Applications rather than appetizers are on
the menu with two recently launched apps.
‘Everyone’s a gourmet chef’ has taken
a step closer to reality with the launch
of iGrill the world’s first wireless cooking
thermometer. Via a long-range Bluetooth
and app-enabled connection for iPod
touch, iPhone and iPad, the iGrill turns
iPhones, iPod touch or iPads into personal
sous-chefs, enabling cooks to glide
effortlessly between grill, oven and guests
with the peace of mind that the food is
perfectly cooked, at target temperature
and safe for consumption. Announced
at the 2011 International Consumer
Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas,
30 AHCT February 2011
Lobster
dumplings at
Sakesan
feature on the cocktail list.
At Roka Hong Kong, renovation has
created a new lounge area and given
the restaurant the opportunity to add
new drinks to its menu. Sake features
prominently in Roka cocktails, too they
are often infused with fresh fruits. General
Manager Simon Graham tells AHCT
the whole restaurant’s attitude is about
“embellishing flavour”. The new cocktail
recipes have, he says, been precisely
calculated and even minor variations in
quantities of ingredients would produce a
iGrill won the Bluetooth SIG Best of CES
award for Best New Product. Christopher
Allen, CEO iDevices said, “iGrill is
taking the labour-intensity out of meal
preparation and offering back the most
valuable commodity of all: time.” The first
of a suite of Apple home and lifestyle-
oriented products that iDevices will be
developing in 2011, iGrill, Allen says,
“does much more than simply redefine
how we cook and grill, it’s changing
the way we socialise.” iGrill consists of
a thermometer, projection display and
probe telling the status of the food via
Bluetooth. The ‘skins’ are available in
white, black and an assortment of other
colours and styles, “to express individual
mood”. A new ’smoking’ option will soon
be available for BBQ aficionados
From iCooking to iBeverages.
Gourmet syrup manufacturer, Monin has
also introduced a smartphone application
saying it’s “the perfect solution for
professionals to answer their bar, coffee
shop and foodservice needs”. With
Roka’s Yuzu sour
Executive
Chef Andre
L’Herminier at
Sakesan
different effect.
New drinks include a Yuzu sour,
apple mojito and Hi-Chee. The drinks
have been created for the new lounge
area at the front of the premises that can
seat 38 or accommodate a group of 60
standing. In the brief period it has been
open, it has attracted several corporate
events, many of them attending the
neighbouring cinema.
The restaurant continues to serve
signature dishes such as a lobster and
cod dumpling and a seared tuna salad.
so many people nowadays using an
iPhone as a database, Monin’s iPhone
and Android app offers a range of over
2000 alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktail
recipes categorised under: international
trends; must-have standards; signature
drinks; classic; occasions, and more.
Search can also be conducted by
ingredient and flavours. The Monin
Ultimate Cocktails App, ‘My bar’ is the
“ultimate drink inspiration for 2011,” says
the company.
Download a recipe from Monin
Traditional
offering from the
Altira Macau
Tradition
trumpets
Chinese New
Year
Homemade at Harbour Plaza 8 Degrees
Hotels across Asia are celebrating the
beginning of a new lunar year this month.
In celebration of the most important
festival on the Chinese lunar calendar,
Hong Kong’s Harbour Plaza 8 Degrees’
Café 8 Degrees has organised 15
days of colourful and “tummy-filling”
celebrations. Including music, fireworks,
red paper-cut decorations with words
of happiness and good health, gifts and
lai see packets. Traditional dishes, such
as poon choi and desserts like niangao
and turnip cake will be prepared by the
restaurants’ award-winning chefs.
The Altira Macau is presenting an
“opulent feast” to welcome the Year of the
Rabbit. Four signature restaurants Aurora,
Kira, Tenmasa and Ying are offering an
array of so-called ‘prosperity’ dishes while
Ying will also be preparing hampers.
At W Hong Kong’s Sing Yin,
authentic Cantonese cuisine highlighting
dim sum, traditional delicacies like
‘Buddha jump over the wall’ hot pot, stir-
fried scallops with yellow and elm fungus,
deep-fried dried oyster with sea moss roll,
and braised dried oyster with piggy leg
and sea moss, plus a choice of seafood
dishes have been created by Chef Bryan
Lee.
The City Garden Hotel, Hong Kong
has been decorated with traditional
screens and vivid big fish head carvings.
In addition, as blossoming flowers
symbolise fortune in Chinese culture,
new chef at Yue, Chef Lai Ching-Shing
has prepared a series of gourmet dishes
using chrysanthemums, jasmine, roses
City Garden Hotel
reminds diners it’s the
Year of the Rabbit
and lilies. Chef’s recommendations
include deep-fried crispy chicken with
chrysanthemum; osmanthus, jasmine,
wolfberry and pork knuckle terrine
and glutinous dumplings in sweet rose
and ginger soup. As well as the usual
restaurant specials, the restaurant will
serve the popular festive dish, Yu Sheng
whereby guests toss sashimi up in the
air, the higher the sashimi is tossed the
more prosperous the diner will be. For
dessert, Hokkaido milk and tokachi azuki
Chinese New Year pudding and rose-
flavoured Chinese New Year pudding.
At the Intercontinental Hanoi
Westlake Chinese New Year will be
celebrated with special room packages
for expats in Vietnam and Vietnamese
nationals and gourmet food and drinks
hampers.
Meanwhile, Tet Nguyen Dan, or
more commonly, Tet is Vietnam’s most
important and popular festival celebrating
the arrival of Spring on the first day of
the first month of the lunar calendar. The
name means ‘Feast of the first Morning’
and is marked in much the same way as
the Chinese festivities with plenty of eating
and drinking, flowers and family visits. At
the Intercontinental Hanoi Westlake the
daily festival buffet will be a family affair
while the dining festival includes delicacies
such as abalone, marinated sliced pork
leg with shrimp paste and shredded squid
soup with pink bird’s nest with traditional
Khao for dessert.
C u l i n a r y N e w s
Survey shows
demand
for more
restaurant
labelling
Unilever Food Solutions’ inaugural World
Menu Report shows consumers are
demanding more information about food and
that, despite international agreement on the
importance of eating healthily, poor levels
of information were cited as a significant
barrier to leading a healthier lifestyle. The
FMCG conglomerate concludes a need
for increased transparency about what’s in
Unilever executives discuss their research
food, where food has been sourced and the
safety of the food. Nine out of 10 people
surveyed in non-Western countries – and
the clear majority in Western countries, too
– wanted more information when eating out.
Up to 87 percent of respondents claimed
they would make healthier decisions when
choosing what to eat if they were provided
with nutritional values. The top three things
people wanted to know when eating out
was: the source of the food; how it was
prepared; and the nutritional value of the
food. Around two-thirds of respondents said
that food labels including low fat, low salt
and calorie content would be a welcome
addition to the menu. However, how this
information should be conveyed was a
matter of some disagreement.
Unilever Food Solutions, which is
itself going through something of a
brand rejuvenation, suggests, “Improved
food information offers the food service
industry a route to renewed growth
following a turbulent period for the world
market. Satisfying consumer demand
for greater nutritional information offers a
clear opportunity to generate growth in
challenging conditions.”
February 2011 AHCT 31
 F o o d
cake made with Belgian chocolate
The darker side
of Valentine’s
Day
Pastry chefs are using
increasingly popular
dark chocolate to
create romantic
offerings for the special
day. Zara Horner
Dark chocolate is on everyone’s lips
samples the market
A
t The Royal Garden, Executive
Pastry Chef Louie Ma has two
Valentine’s Day cakes – a heart-
shaped white chocolate and
passion fruit sponge and a lip-shaped
raspberry chocolate gateau.
While dark chocolate is the ingredient
of choice for chefs now, white chocolate
has not been left off menus this Valentine’s
Day. At the Gateway’s Coffee Mill café,
multi-award winning Nelson Fong, Sous
Chef – Pastry has also opted for white
chocolate specials, “To portray the whiteness
of winter and to do something different in
the market. White chocolate is rather sweet
and soft. We cut the amount of sugar and
cream in white chocolate recipes to make it
light and healthy.”
With more than two decades experience,
the multi-award winning Chef Nelson
specialises in French desserts. “Dark
chocolate is a trend as people are getting
more chances to taste chocolate [from]
across the globe, that makes everyone a
gastronome. They look for smoothness,
intense cocoa aroma and flavours, and chuck
out fancy sweetness.”
Chef Nelson chooses Belcolade
chocolate from Belgium because of its taste
and price, noting it’s a quality chocolate
popular with pastry chefs. “You can identify
the quality of chocolate by its percentage
of cacao mass, also known as chocolate
liquor, the higher the content the better the
Romantic fountain – a Valentine’s Day suggestion from Giles & Posner
32 AHCT February 2011
Chef Nelson’s traditional Sacher torte – an Austrian
chocolate. More than 53 percent of cacao
mass is ideal for baking and makes chocolate
taste chocolaty. With a lower percentage,
the chocolate is combined with various
ingredients like sugars and flavourings.”
Chef Nelson will be presenting three
dark chocolate highlights for Valentine’s
Day 2011. His traditional Austrian sacher
cake, which “combines the sour taste of
apricot jam with pure 60 percent cacao
mass”; chocolate profiteroles, which chef
describes as, “a joyful recipe to highlight
the taste and pureness of dark chocolate”;
and chocolate rocky road pudding, “a
personal favourite, a must-taste dessert for
nut lovers.”
Flavour assault
Hilton Sydney’s Executive Pastry Chef,
Keith Jones thinks consistency is key.
“Chocolate has always and will continue to
be trendy. It never fails to create a huge smile
when given as a gift and chocolate desserts
of any kind always seem to be a popular
menu choice. Over the last two years dark
chocolate has become increasingly popular,
giving rise to single origins and regional
blends with these often combined with
fair trade and organic growing methods,
that and chocolate’s health and aphrodisiac
properties help to add to its popularity.”
Chef Keith says he’s aware that many
people find eating and comparing quality
dark chocolate equal to that of tasting fine
wines. “Undeniably dark chocolate allows
itself to be combined with a vast range of
flavours from the sharp acids of citrus to
the spicy heat of chilli, to the more gentle
flavour of lavender, and I’m sure there is not
The ZIEHER catalogue 2011 !
www.zieher.com
„Bloxx“
a sea in the world that has not had its salt
sprinkled on dark chocolate.”
With over 14 years’ experience in fine
dining restaurants and 5-star hotels across
Europe, Australia and the Middle East,
Australian born Cameron Gardiner is now
in Hong Kong. “I would have to agree that
there is much more of a taste for stronger
flavours than there was a few years ago. „Ménage à trois“
People are generally more aware of what
their food is now and are actually curious
about and interested in where it comes from
and why it’s good. With the focus on chefs,
cooking and food, a huge market has been
created, lots of high-end high-percentage
chocolates that before were only available in
specialty stores or commercial size packaging
have made their way into any corner store
and are easy to find. People now have access
to ingredients that just a short time ago were
the exclusive secret of chefs.”
Executive Chef at Rocksalt and Black
Stump, Chef Cameron uses a 66 percent
cocoa Valrhona product, saying “I stick with
one good dark chocolate as it has enough „Amuse“
taste to stand on it’s own as a good product
should, if a recipe calls for something a bit
milder we can easily adjust with a little
cream or sugar.” For this Valentine’s Day
Chef Cameron will be cooking, “everybody’s
favourite”, hot chocolate fondant. “I have
a really great recipe from a Swiss friend
that I’ve adapted by infusing the flavour
of mandarin oranges as they’re in season.
Sometimes you have to give people what
they want.” AMBIENTE GERMANY
11.02. - 15.02.2011
More chefs’ choice HOTELEX SHANGHAI
Mondana Export Area Manager, Jean- 29.03. - 01.04.2011
(with Equip Asia Ltd.)
GERMANY
 F o o d
Barry Callebaut’s
dark chocolate
couverture
A white chocolate forest cake from
Chef Nelson at the Coffee Mill
“I’m sure there is not a sea
in the world that has not
had its salt sprinkled on dark
chocolate” Keith Jones
Philippe Brisaer, believes darker chocolate
is “more trendy” at the moment. He says,
“Flavours are more full-bodied, specially
for single origin chocolate. Consumers
now appreciate different flavours such as
the more fruity chocolate from Tanzania,
or smoky varieties from New Guinea. In
addition, dark chocolate is healthier than
milk chocolate.”
The nutritional value and physiological
effects of eating dark chocolate are well-
documented. Said to contain antioxidants,
which reduce the formation of disease
causing free radicals, dark chocolate has no
added fat, and is linked to serotonin levels
34 AHCT February 2011
Chef Keith Jones at the Hilton Sydney likes
the versatility of modern chocolates
in the brain – the ‘happy’ hormone. Aztecs
believed chocolate was a source of spiritual
wisdom but together with the claimed
aphrodisiac qualities this has yet to be
scientifically proved.
“Our chocolate is made from excellent
blends,” Brisaer notes. Specialising in
cocoa powders, Brisaer agrees the quality
of the basic ingredients is key. “For instance
Mondana uses beans from Ghana, to
provide stable quality all year long, and we
offer a large range of flavours - more than
50 – also made using premium quality
ingredients like coffee, pure butter biscuits,
orange and lemon curls, caramel, hazelnuts
Rocksalt’s mandarin infused F o o d
chocolate fondant made with
Valrhona 66 percent cocoa
and Marketing Manager for the Café Deco chocolate according to recipes, in order to
Group, Catherine Yuen says, “Customers obtain the best blend with more or less sugar
nowadays have more knowledge about or candied fruits, etc and to create balance.”
food. At the same time, a greater variety of For this Valentine’s Day, as well as their
products are available. There is an increasing popular 1 ers crus de plantation chocolates,
number of diners who prefer darker pralines, and moulds, Michel Cluizel will
chocolate simply because more choice can also be making a heart-shaped ‘façonnable’
be found now.” Café Deco restaurants use box made of dark chocolate to be filled with
Valrhona chocolate “purely because it is sweet or salted preparations, and a transfer
a quality chocolate which suits our chefs’ sheet with heart patterns.
recipes.” But on Valentine’s Day they will While dark chocolate may be the
offer Michel Cluizel chocolates as “a very predominant trend, that doesn’t mean that
small sweet treat to couples because not there is no market for other chocolates.
many people have tried these Michel Cluizel “The perfect way to end a romantic
chocolates which are 85 percent and 99 meal with a loved one is to use a chocolate
percent cocoa.” fountain for dessert,” says Darren Giles,
and almonds.”
From the Michel Cluizel company Managing Director at Giles & Posner who
While Barry Callebaut Business
Pascaline Legros, Area Export Manager make chocolate and chocolate fountains.
Development Director Asia Pacific, Henri
Asia says, “The goal is to have less sugar, “Dark, milk or white warm flowing
Langermann is in accord with his industry
more cocoa, more intensity. Professional chocolate teamed with favourite dipping
colleagues that dark more intensely flavoured
[cooks] are more attached to the natural and items creates the ultimate Valentine’s
chocolate is popular now, he points out that
authentic gustatory quality of the chocolate. dessert.”
there is still a wide variety of demand from
The problem [with] sweeter chocolates, is However, he adds, “We’ve seen a gradual dark chocolate has a higher cocoa butter
private consumers, and chefs, which needs
that sugar hides the true taste of the cocoa. shift in popularity for dark chocolate in content which gives a rich intense flavour
to be accommodated. “We produce the
The search for intensity is also linked to the Asia. We believe that it’s mainly due to and creamier texture.” As a consequence
whole range of chocolate from white to
search for typicity of the taste. Then, it is up dark chocolate’s health benefits. In addition, of all this, Giles says this Valentine’s
dark. In Asia the choice seems to be more
to the professional to adapt recipes to the dark chocolate has a richer, more luxurious Day will see chocolate fountains as popular
for dark chocolate as it has less fat, and also
selected chocolate, or to choose the right taste, and gives the ‘feel good factor’. Our as ever.
because people favour less sweet things.
Chefs like our products because of this range
of choice, the quality of the chocolate, and
the support our company gives to them.”
“Chocolate is different things to
different people,” Pierre Tabarie, Valrhona’s
Brand Manager Asia Pacific says. “Chefs
need the finest quality product in order
to craft their own creations, marrying the
raw ingredients for their pastries, pralines,
bon bons and desserts to incorporate their FRANCESCA was established in 2009 by Swiss
Master Chocolatier, Cornelia Francesca Maeder.
signature styles and own sensitivities. It’s
vital chefs know they are getting the best
Based in Hong Kong, Cornelia created the
FRANCESCA brand to inspire the palate of those
product each time so they are comfortable
using it in the knowledge it will enhance
who appreciate the finer things in life.
Specializing in Grand Cru quality, the FRANCESCA
collection of premium chocolate is handmade in
their recipes. With our expertise we produce Switzerland and created with a deep awareness for
chocolate with different aromatic profiles, well-being and health.
bitterness, acidity, it can be floral, nutty,
FRANCESCA Services and opportunities for
roasted or a combination and chefs can now
Hotels and Catering Services:
choose all these varieties to complement, • We offer Chocolate Expertise and Chocolatier
effect or even change their recipes.” Tabarie Consulting
says providing chefs with this “full shelf ” • We offer premium Swiss chocolate delicacies for
your preferred occasion (rooms, spa, welcome
of options means chefs can produce a
gift, chocolate appreciation classes and
“fuller palate” of chocolate creations, and exclusive chocolate gift experiences)
that it’s important they know the chocolate • We offer more than 14 different flavors of
will never vary. The way it is produced by chocolate and respective recipes to create new
menus or innovate your current ones
Valrhona – a company that prides itself on
• We offer access to Swiss Chocolatiers who can
its commitment to sustainability long before train your staff and help increase profits
it was fashionable – is exactly the same
throughout the world with no variations
of sweetness.
FRANCESCA Ltd, Central, Hong Kong
Echoing Chef Cameron’s thoughts, PR
www.enrichyourpotential.com
FRANCESCA@enrichyourpotential.com
February 2011 AHCT 35
 D r i n k
Demographic
drinking
Women are drinking whisky,
gin’s on the upturn but nobody’s
drinking rum. Robin Lynam
finds out all
B
ar managers in Asia today contend with an ever-
broadening choice of spirits brands. Furthermore
as the range extends, so does customer knowledge.
Orders which used to be placed on a basis of simple
brand loyalty are now determined according to more
complex criteria.
“Choice is influenced by nationality, gender, age, social status
and the purpose of the visit – business or leisure,” says Patrice
Cornee, Executive Assistant Manager Food & Beverage at Hong
Kong’s Island Shangri-la Hotel.
“Men with higher incomes are more likely to order single malt,
Champagne, or wine, while students, for example, stay with vodka,
shots, and fashionable mixed drinks. Women are more adventurous
than men. They will try cocktails – if a good bartender can sell his
product.”
36 AHCT February 2011
MHD’s biggest seller
SCHAERER COFFEE VITO
AT GULFOOD IN DUBAI
towards ordering single malts. Vodka drinkers, he believes, are mostly
aged between 20 and 40 and sees malt and premium vodkas as the HALL 2 | BOOTH C2-28
categories with the most potential for growth.
“Belvedere is becoming more and more popular in the club
scene where large format [1.5 litre, three litre and six litre bottles]
consumption has become a leading trend. And many blended Scotch
drinkers are now turning into single malt drinkers,” says Wan.
“In 2010 alone Belvedere and Glenmorangie generated sales
increases of 30 percent and 15 percent respectively. This is also
supported by the increase of premium bars and restaurants being Schaerer Coffee Vito -
simply superb
opened in the market, which tend to sell premium spirits rather
than standard ones.”
Another single malt which has enjoyed healthy growth is Islay’s
Bowmore, owned by Suntory subsidiary Morrison Bowmore, which
also makes Auchentoshan and Glen Garioch malts. According to Small restaurants, bars, offices, cafés and kiosks:
David M Pattison, Regional Manager Asia Pacific/Middle East/
wherever outstanding quality and simple operation are
Africa, increasing female interest in single malts is one factor in this.
the order of the day, the Schaerer Coffee Vito is the
“The interesting and exciting aspect to malt whisky consumption
perfect choice.
in Asia is that the demographic has started to broaden from the
traditional ‘guanxi males’ to encompass younger drinkers, including
www.schaerer.com
women drinkers,” says Pattison. “We are seeing increasing demand
and interest for our Auchentoshan brand in Taiwan, whilst Bowmore
is performing very well also in Taiwan, Japan and across the airports
or duty free in the region. While male drinkers remain the principal
consumers of whisky, the proportion of women to male drinkers
is certainly higher in Asia than in more mature western markets.”
Adding it all up
While premium brands battle for market share, growth in the
spirits category as a whole is slowing down. According to the 2010
Even more than in the past if a bartender is to successfully
sell premium products from the back bar rather than just house
pouring brands from the speed rail, he or she needs to be able to
read the customer.
Bowmore distillery has found
the audience for single malts
spreading fast
“People tend to be adventurous if they know the barperson can
give the right advice,” says Cornee. “Mixologists are more popular
than ever. While men are interested in cocktails, they feel they are
not a masculine drink so are more likely to stay with a sour or a
gin and tonic, very traditional cocktails. Young and middle-aged
people and older ladies will order cocktails; older men, very rarely.
They are more likely to stay with a glass of wine or malt whisky.
The younger crowd drinks cocktails.”
Moët Hennessy Diageo (MHD) Brand Manager Leo Wan
agrees it is possible to observe subtle variations in consumption
across generations and genders. “Single malt whisky is primarily
consumed by males but we do notice growing popularity among
female drinkers. At a typical single malt whisky tasting event, on
average, 25 percent of the guests are female. However, given the
option of whisky or vodka, a girl is definitely more inclined to go
for a vodka drink,” he says.
Johnnie Walker blended Scotch whisky is currently the biggest
seller of MHD’s portfolio of brands which also includes Hennessy
cognac, Belvedere and Smirnoff vodkas, Tanqueray and Gordon’s
gins, Glenmorangie single malt and J & B blended Scotch.
Wan estimates the majority of blended whisky drinkers are aged
between 20 and 60, while among 30 to 40-year-olds there is a trend
SWISS MADE
 D r i n k
Vinexpo/IWSR report on the market, between 2009 and 2013
spirits consumption is expected to grow by only 4.7 percent after
having increased by 20.3 percent in the period 2004 to 2008.
Spirits sales are mostly being lost to wine, although this appears
to be a phenomenon principally among men and women over
25. According to Sam Jeveons, Director of spirits and cocktail
consultancy Alconomics Asia, and bar consultant for Café Gray
Deluxe at The Upper House in Hong Kong’s Pacific Place, wine is
increasingly the drink of choice for customers in both the bar and
restaurant.
Gin is increasingly
“Choice is influenced by nationality,
requested by name
gender, age, social status and purpose of
visit – business or leisure” Patrice Cornee
“In terms of sales we do something in the region of HK$1.3
million (US$167,000) per month in beverages, consisting of
water, spirits, beers and cocktails, and we’ll do HK$1.7 million
(US$218,000) in wine for the bar and restaurant combined. Now
it is 60/40 in favour of wine when it was perhaps 70/30 in favour
of other beverages.”
Notwithstanding the growth of premium vodka and single malt,
Jeveons says, the biggest selling spirit in the Café Gray bar is still gin.
“You would think vodka would be more prevalent, but actually
gin and tonic is one of the best selling items from the well. As you
move from the 18 to 25 demographic to the 25 to 30 and beyond,
gin becomes slightly more apparent because it is still the drink of
that generation,” says Jeveons.
Pernod-Ricard’s
Havana Club – rum With gin producers clearly now following the vodka model and
is not a big category
in Asia introducing a plethora of new premium products, there is cautious
optimism within the industry that this could be the next growth
category. “Premium gin such as Tanqueray No.10 has growth
Popular with potential in the near future because gin drinkers are more aware of
women at the quality of their gin,” says Wan. Jeveons agrees, but expects the
tastings
process of establishing the premium category to take time.
“There are numerous gins coming on to the market, some of
them very good, but they are relying on places like us to be almost
shop windows. The spread of vodkas sells better than the gins. We
have our well gin, which is Tanqueray, and our martini gin, which is
Tanqueray 10, and we use other gins in cocktails, but you don’t hear
people calling for [specific] gins as much as you do for vodkas. Our
well vodka is Stolichnaya gold. Our first premium up-sell is Ketel
One, and then most people go for Belvedere after that. We don’t
stock Grey Goose but you hear it asked for all the time.”
Although historically the Asian cocktail and mixed drinks market
has followed trends in Europe and North America, Jeveons believes
this is no longer the case, and points to several internationally
successful categories which have so far failed to take off here.
“Areas that have not been fully explored in Asia are rum, tequila
and bourbon. Rum and tequila for me are among the best things in
the world, because they both start as white spirits and go all the way
to dark spirits. No other spirit category covers the entire spectrum
as both these do, and yet they are still under-subscribed. Rum is
diverse and complicated, but customers only know mainstay brands.
It’s a shame they haven’t come to the fore.”
38 AHCT February 2011
www.gize.com
Blends still dominate the Scotch market
Over the longer term, however, Jeveons believes that more mature
drinkers may turn to high-end dark rums and tequilas as an alternative
to single malt or blended whiskies, and argues growth in single malt
consumption may have already peaked.
“Single malt whisky is not better than blended whisky or vice
versa,” says Colin Scott, the master blender behind Chivas Regal’s
12, 18 and 25 year old blends as well as Royal Salute.
Scott points out that although the world outside Scotland has
come in recent years to admire the individual malts which go into
luxury blends such as Chivas and its great rival Johnnie Walker Black
Label, it was blended whisky which first won hearts and minds.
Chivas and Johnnie Walker still dominate the Scotch market
around the region overall, and are the whiskies most often requested
by name.
Post prandial
While cognac sales have recovered from a long slump, unlike whisky,
cognac seems to have failed in Asia to shake-off its image as ‘an old
man’s drink’ and establish an appeal to younger bar goers, although
producers have not given up.
“Camus is trying very hard to break the image of cognac as an
old-fashioned drink,” says Cornee. “Their CEO is trying to get away
from the image of leather chairs and cigars, saying that it can be fun,
and for the young.”
Whether or not particular spirits sell in large quantities a good
international selection must be available. According to Cornee the
bars, restaurants and Horizon Club Lounge at the Island Shangri-La
between them have around 350 different spirits and liqueurs.
“You need a large selection of spirits from around the world, but
also a signature spirit. In the Lobster Bar we have a range of single Discover Gize, gold-filtered mineral water from Canada. Let our collection
malt whisky including several different ages of The Macallan. Different of select varieties entice you. Each bottle is a treasure unto itself.
categories of single malt across a good range offers something else to
aficionados who appreciate the choice,” he says. Available at Our Exclusive Gize Online Store -
“A lot depends on your well options,” Jeveons adds. “If, as I do, www.gize.com
you select the best you can for your well, people tend to trust that it’s
of a good standard and good value.”
Visit us at the Gulfood in Dubai
at stand CC4-45
GIZE – CANADIAN
MINERAL WATER
February 2011 AHCT 39
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 P r o d u c t N e w s P r o d u c t N e w s

Ponthier – it’s pure Canadian water

Ponthier has announced the creation of a new flavour in its frozen fruit purée
range: pink grapefruit. This new product is joining the range of citrus purées
that already includes lemon, lime, orange, blood orange and mandarin.
Pink grapefruit is particularly suitable for drinks like smoothies, breakfast
juices and cocktails. It is also perfect for traditional uses (foams, fruit jellies).
For savoury applications, the pink grapefruit purée may be added to flavour
vinaigrettes and dressings providing freshness and a typical tangy taste.
The grapefruit is a fruit with exceptional properties: it is low in calories,
but rich in fibre and is known for its anti-cholesterol and anti-diabetes effects.
Perfect for creating delicious recipes that are naturally good and healthy, Pastry
Chef Emmanuel Ryon advises: “mix grapefruit with Cointreau or add some
vanilla to soften the taste.”
Sold in 1kg containers, Ponthier grapefruit purée contains 10 percent
sugar and has a beautiful pink colour. As always with Ponthier fruit purées, the
company assures the fruits used were only harvested when ripe and carefully
selected for their great taste. Pink grapefruit is the 36th flavour in the range of
Ponthier frozen purées.
goes global
The source of the new luxury, gold-filtered mineral water,
branded Gize, is located at the extreme east of Canada, in Spa
Springs, Nova Scotia. As it passes through layers of rocks that
formed more than 200 million years ago, it achieves a purity
and degree of mineralization that is “of exceptional quality and
without equal.”
This unique water was successfully launched in Europe
in 2010 and is now being distributed worldwide to selected
and limited partners only, within the luxury industries, such
as first-class hotels, restaurants, delicatessens and high-end
spas. For the “outstanding product design” of its glass bottle
and as “best flavoured new water” Gize has been awarded by
For more information: numerous internationally renowned juries within the beverage
www.ponthiersa.com and luxury industries.
www.thefruitpureeschool.com The water is not only available in its classic, pristine form
with and without carbonation, but also in four flavours (Lemon-
Elderflower, Raspberry-Ginseng, Pear-Vinegar and Pineapple-
Coconut), sold as Gize+.
Canadian Mineral Water is the exclusive distributor.

Scent of luxury For more information:

www.gize.com
To celebrate the New Year, Acantha has extended its range
with the launch of the new Acantha Bloom collection.
The Acantha Bloom collection of ambience-inducing scents
is inspired by the luxury Acanthus leaf. The company says the
Bloom Collection of “intoxicating scents” is reminiscent of the
velvety sands of the dazzling Côte D’Azur.
The company’s range of scents now spans over 50 aromas.

For more information: info@acanthacollection.com

www.acanthacollection.com

Stand and
deliver
Innovations galore at Hobart Floor standing buffetware by Safran:
discover Evolution an entirely new
concept in food presentation. Versatile,
If you are visiting a trade fair looking for a new warewashing system or elegant and contemporary, Evolution can
utensil washer, check out the range of innovations on offer from Hobart. be incorporated into any buffet lay out
Sensotronic equipment enters its second generation and the Premax says Safran, or used individually, in small
line expands with the addition of the UP utensil washer. spaces, selective VIP functions or table
With Sensotronic, the machine automatically detects the load and type side at breakfast and tea-time.
of washware, adjusting consumption and throughput speed to match. Pictured with baskets from Safran’s
Premax FTP saves even more water, energy and detergent, while lowering Loft range, Evolution is available in
CO2 emissions further. different heights and with various bar
Hobart has also added some extras to its utensil washers. The new lengths and holders.
Premax UP utensil washer rounds off the company’s Premax line. The
machine excels in its economical operation and excellent wash results, For more information:
setting new standards in consumption for this segment. The side wash www.safran-france.com
system that allows significantly more containers to be washed per cycle is
unique to the market.
For more information:
www.hobart-export.com

42 A HCT February 2011 February 2011 AHCT 43

 E q u i p me n t E q u i p me n t

Coiled for
P

Photography courtesy of the Ritz-Carlton Shanghai Pudong

eople come in all shapes and sizes. Luckily, nowadays hours over our lifetime in our beds, we need to support our bones
beds do, too. A multitude of models, styles, materials, and joints properly. A hard mattress may not always be the best
and prices mean choosing just the right bed is extremely solution, as it may not provide the necessary support to the natural
difficult and choosing just the right bed a thousand times curves of the spine or enough ‘cushion’ to bonier areas such as hips,
is even harder, with the variance of guarantees and warranties an shoulders, and the lumbosacral and sacroiliac areas, or for people
added consideration. suffering with various conditions like arthritis or fibro myalgia who

action
“The advice I usually give our hospitality clients is to select a may be more sensitive to pressure.” Often people who complain of
mattress that caters to the masses which is neither too hard or too back problems need to change their mattress, Wolsey-Harris says.
soft and of course it has to be durable to endure rough usage,” says “An aging mattress which may have lost its support, or a mattress
Benjamin Chan Regional Marketing Manager with Dunlopillo. which is not suitable for an individual because it’s too hard or too
“The firmness or durability of a mattress usually has to do with the soft, may contribute to complaints of back pain or problems.”
materials used inside a mattress like the spring unit or cushioning With that in mind, ensuring beds in hotels are suitable to all sorts
Choosing beds that all guests materials. Latex foam, for example, is one of the most durable of guests’ needs is difficult.
Simmons customer Ritz-Carlton Beijing

will find comfortable is a materials used in mattresses today.”

difficult task. Zara Horner
finds out how it’s done
So, what’s the secret to choosing a mattress, which will afford
all guests a good night’s rest? “Very often, especially in the Asian Voice of experience
market, people tend to assume the firmer the mattress is the more
support it will give, however, this is actually very wrong. A good
“Marriott International has had experience ordering mattresses since
we first started operating hotels in 1957,” explains Bart Buiring, Vice
mattress is one that conforms to the curvature of your spine and President Continent Lodging Services and Operations Asia Pacific.
provides adequate support for it. This will allow proper alignment “We always and only use high quality suppliers, including Sealy.”
of your spine as you sleep without straining your back too much,” Sealy has been making mattresses and beds for 125 years for
Chan explains. private homes, hotels and even, now, for the United States’ White
House. Recognising how difficult, yet important it is to choose
Hard enough the right mattress, and how much more difficult it is for those
Health specialists say much the same. Jenny Wolsey-Harris is a choosing for a variety of needs and wants, the company set up the
Registered Massage Therapist and Director of the Sutherland Chan Orthopaedic Advisory Board which consists of doctors, clinicians,
clinic. “A person’s bed, that is the mattress together with the base is surgeons and bed specialists who all play a part in the design process
very important to the health of their back. Because we spend many of Sealy’s traditional innerspring (the choice of three out of four
Simmons have been focusing on providing easy-to-clean mattresses

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44 A HCT February 2011 Made in France
February 2011 AHCT 45
 E q u i p me n t
Marriott International chooses beds from ‘high quality suppliers’
Corinna from Dunlopillo Sealy customers include the United States
White House and the JW Marriott Hong Kong
Americans according to company data) memory foam and latex
foam mattresses.
With an almost seemingly limitless array to choose from Buiring
points out that once a good mattress is found, in order to prolong its
life and to ensure it remains as comfortable as possible, “mattresses
need to be turned quarterly by housekeeping, and we use mattress
protectors and feather toppers to enhance the sleeping experience.”
The most common mistake made when ordering mattresses for
hotels, Buiring says is to watch costs too closely. “Avoid ordering
cheap mattresses that are too thin and do not order foam mattresses.”
It’s important to find a mattress that provides enough stability
and cushioning, Wolsey-Harris points out otherwise rather than
enjoying a good night’s rest, guests may be complaining. “Too hard
or too soft, ligaments may strain and muscles may get overworked
trying to support the natural curves of the spine, thereby leading
to increased muscle tension and pain.”
Overall, then a medium-firm mattress may be the best choice.
“Firm enough to provide stability,” Wolsey-Harris says, “but with
some degree of cushion like the new pillow-top type mattresses or a
firm mattress with a pillow-top-type accessory may be a good solution
to provide the stability, padding and comfort most people need.”
Keep it clean
But bedding manufacturer Simmons thinks it’s about more than
simply back health. “The bedroom is the second germiest room in
any home,” Steve Tipton Vice President Contract Sales points out.
“And only 25 percent of all mattress stains are visible. Skin cells,
secretions, bacteria can combine to cause breathing difficulties,
which can hamper a person’s rest.” While hotels recognise that the
sumptuousness of the pillows, the thickness of the duvet and quality
of linens all quickly register with guests, what they may not be aware
46 A HCT February 2011
E q u i p me n t
evolving and new options and technologies are constantly being
developed to assist in achieving a better sleep for everyone.”
Numerous advances have been made in bed and mattress
manufacture with product range additions happening all the time.
Dunlopillo’s latest product is positively futuristic. “Talasilver latex
combines the use of nano silver technology and advanced latex
production to provide an end product that can eliminate harmful
bacteria. This latex is quilted right underneath the fabric at the top
of the mattress to maximise its protective properties and comfort
level. Eventually Talasilver latex will be used in all our products. It
will be exciting to see what is available in the future years to come.”
Charlene Liu is the Executive Housekeeper of The Excelsior,
Hong Kong, “As a busy and high volume hotel, a durable and
comfortable mattress is very important. Also, these mattresses need
to meet local fire department compliance in order to be safe.” Liu
also points out the hotel has to take into consideration the fact that
guests come from all over the world, have different nationalities,
customs, habits, and are looking to be as comfortable, if not more,
as when they are a home. “We usually select a medium quality
shape that is comfortable for most of our guests. In terms of sizes,
a hotel usually needs three sizes – king, queen or double and single.
Also, to provide a sofa bed as an option provides more flexibility to
guests.” In Liu’s opinion the most common mistake made when
buying hotel beds is not knowing how important the difference
between firmness and softness is. “We select a wide product range
but each of them needs to have a certificate. Our latest bed model
is a pillow-top design.”
Dunlopillo have many clients across the region
of is that guests are often concerned about the cleanliness of the bed
and the mattress in particular. Simmons conducted a survey in which
most respondents had doubts about how clean the mattress was. In
fact, a number admitted to spraying their mattress with disinfectant
or bringing their own blankets and even sleeping bags. Simmons’
Healthsmart mattress will take care of these concerns, Tipton says.
The Healthsmart bed consists of a removable bed top, the mattress
and the foundation. In the zipped topper, a combination of fabrics
protects from stains and contamination as special fibres wick away
sweat and moisture making the material easy to launder/dry. The
second layer is virtually impervious to trap particles, which are then
easily washed away. “Guests sleep in beds that are unclean because
they have no alternative,” Tipton says. “We believe they would prefer
to sleep on a clean mattress.”
Dunlopillo’s long list of regional clients includes hotels, serviced
apartments and even shipyards and cruise ships. “Hotel Equatorial,
Hilton Hotel and Somerset Service Apartments, to name a few,” says
Chan adding that one of the most common mistakes when choosing
mattresses is not taking the time to actually lie on the bed to try it.
“Only having laid on the mattress on a full horizontal position for
a good three to five minutes can you tell if it’s the right one. Some
people do let pricing guide their purchase decision and often many
will regret making that decision. Material composition, comfort level
and quality are very important aspects to consider. Not all spring
systems are the same and some have their own unique features. So
[everyone should] try out as many mattresses as possible and select
the one that feels right.”
Better sleep through technology
Simmons’ Tipton says the bed is the single most important item
to hotel guests and Chan agrees, “The bedding industry is always
February 2011 AHCT 47
 E q u i p me n t
Uniform
approach
With increasing travel comes
increasing understanding of
guests and their expectations.
Thora Jacobsen discovers even
staff uniforms can play their part
L Asia 2011
atest figures confirm Asia’s love of travel continues
unabated, with airline passenger numbers rising and
new routes being added.
Hotel development is keeping pace – Starwood
Hotels and Resorts is adding 27,000-square-metres
of meeting space in 30 new properties across Asia – based on the
expectation that the improving economy will be generating much
more MICE business. Travel technology company, Pegasus Solutions
reports that in 2010, “Global revenue through the alternative
distribution systems (ADS) in December increased by more than
+9.7 percent over 2009, beating the year-to-date growth rate of +9.2
percent.” Corporate bookings through the General Distribution
System realised an almost 40 percent growth in revenue. Joining the
general rush, New World Hotels is looking to capitalise on rising
levels of travel to and in China by announcing in late January five
new hotel projects in the country – to be completed by 2014 and
focusing on providing meeting and functions space.
With the expansion comes the research to understadnd the guest.
New World Hotels group recently published a paper
investigating the 10 things that Chinese travellers of the upcoming
Gen Y wanted from their hotel experience. Many of the 10 specify
more interaction with both hotel staff and the location.
While business travellers will always want the assurance that
they can arrive, plug in the laptop and start working, it seems that
leisure travelers want an adventure backed by the knowledge that
local staff at the hotel can guide them through it with no mishaps.
The research shows that these travellers want comfort food – nothing
too experimental and nothing too formulaic, but they also want a
concierge who is a ‘connoisseur’ and who can set up a personal tour
of a local landmark within the hour.
Hotels are quick to absorb this sort of information, assimilate
it into operations, and are asking how this sense of reassurance,
confidence and sense of place can be imparted – even by the choice
At the InterContinental Hua Hin Resort uniforms worn by female butlers are themselves
reminiscent of an age of grandeur
of uniform.
48 A HCT February 2011
Experience a true
HOSPITALITY
SHOWCASE in Asia
New World Hotels – uniforms are becoming more fashion focused
Hospitality
Dressing it up
At the recently opened InterContinental Hua Hin Resort, the
uniforms were created by the Bangkok-based designer Kanitkara.
All were custom-designed and final selection was made by a panel 9 – 12 March 2011 • Singapore Expo
of senior management and the staff who had to wear and care for
the uniforms, which were very specifically designed with both IHG
www.HospitalityAsia.com.sg
brand values and the locality in mind. Aticha Pasaprates, Director
of PR and Communications at the property, tells AHCT: “The
uniforms reflect a high level of luxury and attention to detail that
guests have long associated with an InterContinental property.
Details in the uniform, however, are purely Hua Hin: the bellman’s
uniform is reminiscent of attire worn by domestic staff in the
highest positions. The silk skirts and complementing blouses worn
by our female butlers are reminiscent of an age of grandeur, and are
accessorised with patterns inspired by location.”
The resort spokesperson further explains that from an aesthetic
perspective, the InterContinental Hua Hin Resort draws primary
inspiration from the nearby summer palace designed by King Rama
VI. Other details represent a collective Asian heritage, “brought to
life in the likes of the spa uniform, where the accessories and trim
echo the graphic relief of the decorative panels throughout the resort. Hospitality Asia 2011 is co-located with:
At our pool and beach grill, for example the hats, Capri pants and
short-sleeve shirts are pure ‘resort chic,’” Pasaprates says. International Furniture Fair Singapore 2011
New World Hotel’s research implies that Chinese Gen Y 28th ASEAN Furniture Show
travellers are looking for fun, even when using hotels for meeting www.iffs.com.sg
spaces. The report advises: “Banish the Boring Banquet Room,”
noting that as hotels compete with increasingly novel off-site venues Deco Asia 2011
like galleries, pop-up stores and unconventional public spaces for www.DecoAsia.com.sg
events, traditional meeting rooms are being designed with flexibility
and flair, with cool amenities like open kitchen bars, living room-
Organiser:
style set-ups, and more residential and intimate settings are paving
the way to bespoke events.
An open kitchen means chefs are on display but even in these
International Furniture Fair Singapore Pte Ltd
62 Sungei Kadut Loop, #04-19, International Furniture Centre, Singapore 729507
Tel: (65) 6569 6988 • Fax: (65) 6569 9939 • Email: enquiry@hospitalityasia.com.sg
 E q u i p me n t

circumstances it will usually only be the executive chef who has any
significant interaction with guests.
Umesh Bhasin, Director at Global Hotelware in Hong Kong, a company
that distributes chef and kitchen uniforms by Australia-based Global Chef,
says that clients such as W Hong Kong or the Four Seasons Macau mainly
want to talk about the strength, quality and reliability of uniforms when
they approach him.
However, he finds many hotel and restaurant clients do want the
executive chef to stand out – partly because of the interaction with guests
and partly to reinforce hierarchy in the kitchen.

How it’s done

The ways an executive chef can be made to stand out come down to details
says Bhasin – trousers for example could have a basic drawstring design but
be enhanced with a buckle for the chef.
Chefs jackets can be enhanced with extra
piping, sleeve pockets and chef’s name and job title.
The InterContinental Hua Hin Resort spa
Ways that uniforms can be made to reflect
uniform echoes the hotel design brand values can come down to something as
simple as adding a logo on the chest such as the
Mandarin Oriental’s famous fan. W Hong Kong
took a slightly more complex approach to reflecting
their hip ethos by customizing the colour of
uniforms chosen from the Global Chef catalogue.
That the chef ’s job nowadays can be more
about the interaction than the cooking is shown
by the fact the chef ’s jacket is a modified waiter’s
jacket.
Branding with a
Bhasin explains that as the staff are expected to
logo on the chest look “chic, fashionable, smart” many of the clothes
from Global Chef
had a “body fit that goes with the brand image”.
The more traditional Four Seasons hotel
were able to order a classic look straight from
the catalogue. Such classic looks are favoured by
A uniform giving
many hotels and their guests, as it makes it easy
an immediate to identify staff and because guests don’t like to
sense of location
feel that the staff are dressed more trendily than
they are.
Leading hotel uniform designer Alan Steinger

MAY
of Top Hat Imagewear recently told the blog
Hotelchatter that, “A lot of hotels ask us to think
out of the box but at the end of the day they

www.stockfood.com / design by meoenchine.com

usually go with a safe colour, whether it’s charcoal

Traditional bib apron and
jacket combo from Global Chef
1 8 -2 0
or espresso.”
For Nsew World Hotels the impact of
travellers’ needs on uniform takes an opposite
direction.
Symon Bridle, Senior Vice President of

The local touch in the meeting room
Shanghai 2011
Operations, New World Hospitality tells AHCT:
“Uniform looks are changing from the more formal, clearly defined
functional styles to ones that are more fashion focused, allowing the
individual to be more expressive and better fit the personality of their work
environment. For some restaurants, simply getting their ‘uniforms’ off the
shelf from a branded store is now the way to go, with fashion being matched
more closely to the design of the space.
New International
“Will the traditional name badge even become a thing of the past?”
Expo Centre

Images by
www.sialchina.com
50 A HCT February 2011
 E v e n t s
Date Event Details ORGANIzER
27 Feb – 2 Mar Gulfood
Dubai World Trade Centre
Dubai
Mar 29 – 1 Apr Hotelex Shanghai 2011
Shanghai New International hospitality industry. Managers, manufacturers, traders
Expo Center
Shanghai
China
Mar 29-Apr 1 Horeca 2011
Biel
Beirut
Lebanon
April 6 – 11 Food and Hotel Indonesia
The Jakarta International Expo
Kemayoran
Jakarta
Indonesia
May 11 –14 Hofex 2011
The 14th International companies including 44 national groups at Asia’s most
Exhibition of Food & Drink,
Hotel, Restaurant & Foodservice
Equipment, Supplies & Services
Hong Kong Exhibition and and the trendiest food and drink products from
Convention Centre
WanChai, Hong Kong
May 17-19 The Hotel Show Dubai
Dubai World Trade Centre
UAE
May 18-20 Sial China 2011
Shanghai New International countries and regions with 28 Chinese provinces
Exhibition Centre
Shanghai
China
May 19-20 India Hotel Expanson Riding on the economic growth and rising income levels
Summit
JW Marriott Hotel
Mumbai
India
May 25-29 Thaifex –
World of Food Asia
Impact Exhibition Center, catering, food technology, hospitality service and retail
Bangkok
Thailand
52 AHCT February 20110
E v e n t s
Gulfood is the Middle East’s leading dedicated DWTC May 31-June 2 Hospitality Architecture + The HA+D Expo focuses exclusively on products HA+D Expo
exhibition for the foodservice and hospitality sectors. Dubai World Trade Centre Design Exhibition & and services for the design and build of Asia Pacific Marina Bay Sands, 10 Bay Front Avenue
The event provides industry suppliers with the region’s P.O. Box 9292 Conference hospitality projects with its comprehensive industry Singapore
largest central business hub, ultimately delivering Dubai, UAE Singapore trade show and two-day design conference. lproeschel@questexasia.com
an unrivalled product and service showcase and the Tel: +971 4 332 1000 Tel: 65 63954592
opportunity to meet serious international buyers face info@dwtc.com
to face. www.gulfood.com
Jun 19 – 23 Vinexpo Founded in Bordeaux, France in 1981, Vinexpo Vinexpo

Bordeaux-Lac Exhibition Centre hosts industry players from all the wine and spirits 2, cours du XXX Juillet 33074
Hotelex shows are the meeting point for the Shanghai UBM Sinoexpo International Exhibition Co., Ltd. Bordeaux producing regions in the world every two years. Each Bordeaux Cedex

10/F, Xian Dai Mansion, 218 Xiang Yang Road (s), France exhibitor finds his place and displays his talents to very France
and distributors gather annually to source, sell, Shanghai, 200031, China strictly selected visitors – trade professionals only – Tel : + 33 5 56 56 00 22
network and debate future trends. Tel: + 86 21-6437 1178 Fax: + 86 21-6437 0982 coming from more than 140 countries. 
Fax : + 33 5 56 56 00 00
hotelex@ubmsinoexpo.com www.vinexpo.fr
www.hotelexchina.com
Sept 6-8 Restaurant & Bar Since its inception, the event has kept focused with Diversified Events HK
Horeca is the region’s largest hospitality exhibition. Hospitality Services s.a.r.l Hong Kong 2011 its unique positioning, targeting only top quality www.restaurantandbarhk.com
Established in 1994, it serves as an annual meeting Dekwaneh, Main Road, borghol Bldg, 2nd Floor Hong Kong Convention and hospitality operators. Today, Restaurant & Bar
place for both the hospitality and food & beverage P.O Box 90155 Jdeidet-El-Metn 1202 2020 Beirut, Lebanon Exhibition Centre Hong Kong is the fastest growing exhibition in the
service industries both within and beyond the Middle Tel +961 1 4800 81 Fax +961 1 48 28 76 Wanchai hospitality sector in Asia Pacific because it consistently
East region. info@hospitalityservices.com.lb Hong Kong delivers results from a high-spending professional
www.hospitalityservices.com.lb audience.
International exhibitors showcasing a full range of PT Pamerindo Indonesia Sept 20-23 Food and Hotel Malaysia 2011 FHM 2011 is anticipated to be bigger and more Malaysian Exhibition Services
food and hospitality products including food and 13F Deutsche Bank Building, Jl. Imam Bonjol 80 Kuala Lumpur Convention elaborate than the last edition, with countless Suite 1401, 14th Floor, Plaza Permata,
drink; foodservice equipment and supplies; bakery Jakarta 10310, Indonesia Centre delightful activities that will entice and benefit the Jalan Kampar, Off Jalan Tun Razak
equipment and ingredients, and hotel interiors. Tel: +62 21 316 2001 Kuala Lumpur trade buyers of the food & beverage and hospitality 50400, Kuala Lumpur
Fax: +62 21 316 1981 Malaysia sectors. The FHM series has always been a contributor Tel: + 603 4041 0311
www.Pamerindo.com to the hospitality and tourism sectors of Malaysia. Fax: + 603 4043 7241
enquiry@mesallworld.com
www.foodandhotel.com
Join 35,000+ trade buyers and 1,800+ exhibiting Hong Kong Exhibition Services Ltd
Unit 2010, 20/F, China Resources Building,
anticipated and established tradeshow - Hofex 2011. 26 Harbour Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong Sept 28-30 Food & Hotel Vietnam Food&HotelVietnam2011, the sixth edition of Singapore Exhibition Services Pte Ltd
This biennial tradeshow will showcase the newest Tel: +852 2804 1500 2011 Vietnam’s most established international food and 1 Jalan Kilang Timor

collections of hospitality and foodservice equipment Fax: +852 2528 3103 Saigon Convention and hospitality trade event is the unrivalled sourcing #09-02 Pacific Tech Centre

exhibit@hkesallworld.com Exhibition Centre ground and networking trade event for food and Singapore 159303

worldwide exhibitors. www.hofex.com Vietnam hospitality trade professionals in Vietnam. Tel: +65 6233 6638

Fax: +65 6233 6633
www.foodnhotelvietnam.com
Established in 1999, The Hotel Show is the exclusive Suite 502-509
The Palladium

international B2B hospitality event for the Middle Cluster C,
Jumeirah Lake Towers
 Nov 12 – 15 International Hotel, Motel A show specialising in décor, technology, foodservice GLM
East and GCC region. An important event in the PO Box 33817
 Restaurant Show equipment, flavours, linens, amenities, tableware and 1133 Westchester Avenue,
industry calendar for international and regional Dubai, UAE

 Jacob K Javits other essentials. White Plains, NY 10604-3547
suppliers, manufacturers, distributors to meet qualified Tel:
+9714 4380355 Convention Center Tel: +1 914 421 3346
buyers, procurement directors and general managers Fax: +9714 4380358 655 W 34th St New York, Fax: +1 914 948 6197
from dynamic markets like UAE, Saudi Arabia, North www.thehotelshow.com NY 10001 ihmrs@glmshows.com
Africa or the Levant. www.ihmrs.com
SIAL China 2010 had 1339 exhibitors from 76 Comexposium Shanghai 

Room 301, Dongyi Building, 
 Nov 16-18 FHC China The 15th international exhibition for food, drink, China International Exhibitions Ltd
represented and more than 30,000 visitors. Organisers 88 Changshu Road, Shanghai New International hospitality, foodservice, bakery and retail industries. Room 2402, Singular Mansion No. 318 - 322 Xian
are looking forward to welcoming everyone to SIAL Shanghai 200040, China
 Expo Centre Xian Road
China 2011. Tel: +86 21 62 49 20 28 
 Pudong, Shanghai Shanghai 200336, China
Fax: +86 21 62 49 34 14 China Tel: +86 21 6209 5209
www.sialchina.com Fax: +86 21 6209 5210
fhc@chinaallworld.com
www.fhcchina.com
Catriona Scanlon,
that India has witnessed in recent years, hospitality has Communications Manager
emerged as one of the key sectors driving the country’s Noppen Co Nov 17-19 Texcare Asia Texcare Asia is the leading international laundry Messe Frankfurt Shanghai (Beijing Office)

economy. The current market size is US$23 billion, T: +86 21 6085 1000 China International and dry-cleaning trade fair in the region. Over Rm 1721, Tower 2, Bright China Chang An Building

accounting for 2.2 percent of India’s GDP. The India F: +86 21 6192 1908 Exhibition Center 10,000 sqm will feature a wide array of products and No. 7 Jian Guo Men Nei Avenue, East District

Hotel Expansion Summit will examine hotel expansion catrionas@noppen.com.cn Beijing services including laundry, ironing, dry-cleaning, Beijing 100005, PR China

in India and how international and domestic players can Website : www.noppen.com.cn China dying machinery and agents, equipment, textiles Tel: (86) 10 6517 1388

come together to create the most advanced hotels for the and accessories for rental services, laundry and dry- Fax: (86) 10 6510 2799
fast-growing hospitality market. cleaning related measuring instruments. The sixth info@china.messefrankfurt.com
edition will focus on environmental compatibility and texcare.messefrankfurt.com
sustainability.
International Trade Exhibition covering Food & Koelnmesse Pte Ltd
Beverages, featuring Halal and organic food, food 152 Beach Road, #25-05 Gateway East Nov 24-26 Hotel Expo Macua Hotel Equipment & Supplies Expo incorporates Coastal International Exhibition Co., Ltd.

Singapore 189721 Cotai Strip Convention and not only the largest collection of hospitality-related Room 2106, China Resources Building, 

and franchise. Tel: +65 6500 6700 Exhibition Center, Macau exhibitors in the country but also foodcourts, stalls, 26 Harbour Road,
Fax: +65 6294 8403 and demonstration areas where visitors can sample the Wanchai, Hong Kong

info@koelnmesse.com.sg latest foods and flavours, coffees and other beverages Tel: (852) 2827 6766
 Fax: (852) 2827 6870

www.worldoffoodasia.com all at the one event. general@coastal.com.hk

www.hotel-exhibition.com
February 2011 AHCT 53
 E x h i b i t i o n s E x h i b i t i o n s

Hofex – food, Great

wine and silicon expectations for
chips Beirut expo

D T
emand for space at the upcoming 14th edition of the International
he hospitality industry is already looking forward to the Levant’s
Exhibition of Food & Drink, Hotel, Restaurant and Foodservice
primary opportunity to meet face-to-face with professionals
Equipment, Supplies and Services is so great that the show will not
from across the Middle East and Europe.
only take up 11 halls but is spilling over onto the concourse.
Figures released by organisers Hospitality Services
There will be over 45,000 square metres of space to accommodate
show that Horeca 2011, the 18th edition of the show, has already
1,800 international exhibitors including 44 group pavilions. The pavilions will
attracted exhibitors from nine countries and that by year-end 2010
be representing countries as varied as Australia, China, South Korea, Japan,
they had already booked 85 percent of the space. Venue space of
Singapore, Italy, France Spain, Germany, the United States and Canada.
15,000-square-metres should be filled easily, say the organisers, “as the
All the numbers are indicative of the growth in the region’s markets and their
event draws closer and closer.”
strong demand for new and innovative products in hospitality and foodservice
The fair gathers three shows under one roof – the International Trade
equipment, as well as food and drink products.
Show for the Hospitality and Foodservice Industry, the International
Technology and wine will also have their own related events.
Trade Show for the Food Industry and the Beirut International Wine and
Stretching across a major part of the exhibition space will be the Equipment
Drinks Fair.
and Supplies Sector. This will be a one-stop-shop for viewing and buying the
Of interest to the hospitality trade visitor, will be exhibitors in the
latest available on the global market. The list of exhibitors includes global and
areas of catering; furniture, fixtures and design; technology; consulting,
local household names such as Hotelware, Anglo-Swiss, Equip Asia, Infrasys
recruiting and franchising; and cleaning and maintenance.
International, Ocean Glass, Alto Shaam, Kolb and Kenwood.
Countries that have already showed an interest in exhibiting their
Items on display will cover the gamut from kitchen and catering equipment
wares at the show include Argentina, Austria, Cyprus, Egypt, France,
through to uniforms and textiles and include IT; bakery equipment and supplies;
India, Iran, the Netherlands and Poland.
tableware; hotel interiors and furniture.
The annual event covers not only Lebanon, Jordan, Syria and Iraq
Technology has its own sector, with AHTEC@Hofex, co-organised
but appeals to a wider audience from the eastern Mediterranean and
with Hospitality and Technology Professionals and the Hospitality Industry
the Middle East – think Bahrain, Cyprus, Egypt, Greece, Saudi Arabia,
technology Exposition and Conference, providing an expert perspective on
Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Turkey and the UAE.
technology developments for hospitality.
Aside from the stands, visitors will be able to watch live exhibitions
Exhibits will include F&B management systems; POS and PMS systems;
and contests as younger cooks show their talents in the Junior Chef
payroll; wireless communications and energy and building management.
Competition and older ones at World Culinary Heritage and Hospitality
Norman Lee, CEO of Infrasys International says “Hofex is a cost- and time-
Salon Culinaire. Bar staff get their chance to prove their mettle at the
effective platform for meeting our potential customers across Asia, especially
Lebanese Bartenders Competition. Indeed the organisers promise “all
Hofex 2011 from China and there is no reason for [us] not to participate [in] this renowned
manner of meetings and workshops … with three shows, five pavilions Horeca 2011
food and hospitality event.”
Hong Kong Convention and The Hong Kong International Wine Challenge will be having a second
and eight daily events all under one roof.”
BIEL
Exhibition Centre outing, this time with added elements. As at the first challenge, also co-hosted
Beirut Central District
by the Hong Kong Sommelier Association, the judges will be looking for the
Wanchai perfect pairing of wine with provincial Chinese food, primarily from Sichuan, Lebanon
Hong Kong. Shanghai and Guangdong. However, this year there will also be contests for
11-14 May organic and bio-dynamic wine and a search for the ‘Gentleman’s Favourite’ and
‘Ladies Favourite’. Male and female juries will be formed, say the organisers, Mar 29-Apr 1, 2011
“to find out what kind of taste and aroma stimulate the taste buds of men and
(Pre-registration starts women best.”

February 14th.)

www.hofex.com

54 A HCT December 2010 February 2011 AHCT 55

 E x h i b i t i o n s

Shanghai
promises clean,
green show

F
or two decades the International Hospitality Equipment and
Supplies Expo – or Hotelex – has provided global food service
companies and professionals with the perfect venue to present
products and trends, and to network.
In this, the Year of the Rabbit, the organizers of Hotelex Shanghai
promise the industry leaders, global companies and visitors who attend
an “invigorated” and “prosperous” show. Integrated with the ninth Expo
Build and Expo Light and the 12th China Clean this year’s Hotelex
Shanghai will introduce the latest high-quality trends and innovations
with particular emphasis on environmentally friendly concepts and
products.
A series of interactive activities and workshops will be staged,
including cooking classes, how to make hand-made chocolates
Hotelex Shanghai 2011 and British Tea Time. Food and cooking lovers will be able to meet
Shanghai New International professional chocolate, tea and wine tasters and chefs from all over the
world who will be sharing their secret techniques and information.
Expo Center Additionally the Food Service Consultants Society International
Shanghai, China (FSCI) Asia Pacific division will stage a special presentation on kitchens
in the 21st century displaying the latest concepts and technologies
and how to plan and design future, sustainable kitchens. The FSCI
March 29 – 1 April 2011 Asia Pacific will also hold a concurrent conference on 29th March on
www.hotelexchina.com subjects such as energy saving, recycling systems, low carbon cooking
and using clean water.
B2B site: www.hotelexchina.cn

56 A
HCT
A HCT February
December2011
2010
 A p p o i n t me n t s
Shangri-La, Bangkok has announced
the appointment of Martin Brenner
as Hotel Manager. The Austrian brings
extensive experience to the post, gained in
administration and F&B positions in Asia
and Europe. Brenner has also spent five years
in Abu Dhabi as well as time at Shangri-La
properties in Manila and Kuala Lumpur.
Martin Brenner
JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong has
announced the appointment of Hsien Chen
as Director of Finance. Chen has 10 years’
experience in the area, starting with posts at
Renaissance and Marriott hotels in Hawaii.
Most recently he was based in China – at a
Renaissance property in Suzhou and the JW
Marriott Hotel Shanghai.
Hsien Chen
JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong has
announced the appointment of Silvano
Dressino as Resident Manager. Formerly
the Area Director of Revenue Strategy
Southeast Asia, Dressino has worked in the
same capacity in Central Europe. Dressino is
a graduate of Worms University in Germany.
Silvano Dressino
At Marriott International Daniel Ford is the
new Executive Director of Communications
for the Asia Pacific Region, responsible for
all Marriott brands. Ford, who started his
career as a journalist, held communications
positions with Emirates Airlines and IHG
before moving to Ritz-Carlton three years
ago as Regional Director of Public Relations
for Ritz-Carlton.
Daniel Ford
Carlson has announced the appointment
of Fiona Godfrey as Vice President, Sales
for Carlson Hotels, Asia Pacific. Godfrey
has 26 years’ experience in hospitality sales
and marketing, the last three as Asia Pacific
regional Sales Director with the company. She
has also been Regional Sales and Marketing
Director for Carlson Hotels in Australia.
Fiona Godfrey
Carlson has announced the appointment of
Rosie Hollis as Executive Vice President,
Human Resources, Carlson Hotels, Asia
Pacific. Hollis has a strong track record in
human resources and in the region – she was
previously Vice President, Strategy for Accor
in Australasia and Vice President Human
Resources for Hilton in Asia Pacific and the
Middle East.
Rosie Hollis
58 AHCT February 2011
Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong has appointed
Man-Sing Lee Chef de Cuisine at Man Wah.
Chef Lee has won many awards including a
Gold Award as Best All-Round Chinese Chef
and has cooked for heads of state. Previous
experience has been at the Hong Kong Jockey
Club and Hoi Yat Heen, Harbour Grand
Kowloon.
Man-Sing Lee
The Sheraton Shunde Hotel has announced
the appointment of John Sheng as General
Manager. The Shanghai-born hotelier has 24
years behind him in hospitality, stretching
back to joining the Sheraton Hua Ting Hotel
Shanghai in 1986. Prior to the current post,
Sheng was General Manager at the Ramada
Plaza Pudong South in Shanghai.
John Sheng
Marco Polo Hotels has announced the
appointment of Jill Tan-Gunter as Vice
President Human Resources. Tan-Gunter
has 30 years’ experience in hospitality, 19 of
them at the executive level and spanning the
Asia Pacific region. Her last post was with
Four Seasons in Singapore.
Jill Tan-Gunter
Fairmont Singapore and Swissôtel The
Stamford have announced the appointment
of James Wierzelewski as Director of
Kitchens. With 20 years’ experience in
prestigious restaurants and hotel brands such
as Shangri-La, Hyatt, Hilton and Marriot,
latterly he was in charge of 28 restaurants and
the food hall at Harrods, reporting directly
to Mohamad Fayed.
James Wierzelewski
Anantara Hotels Resorts and Spas has
announced the appointment of Brett
Wilson as General Manager of the Anantara
Bangkok Sathorn. After starting with SPHC
and a meteoric rise at Rydges Hotel Group
to become Area General Manager for New
South Wales, Wilson took up posts with IHG
in Queenstown, New Zealand and in the
Maldives before a move to Beijing.
Brett Wilson
JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong has
announced the appointment of Julie Yeong
as Director of Marketing. Yeong is fresh from
the Singapore Marriott and has 16 years sales
experience in the island republic. She has won
many individual and team awards over the
course of her career.
Julie Yeong
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