15 October 2012

Business

Starwood’S mobile app

venture

Pan Pacific uses iPads for check-ins

Airfaces, hotel

rates to rise in

2013

Emirates pionners

in-flight mobile

service

2 27 June 2012

ContentsStarwood taps into Social Media for their latest promotion 4

Pan Paci!c revamps itself after 5-month renovation 5

Emirates pioneers in-!ght mobile services 6

Airfares and hotel rates to rise in 2013 6

New World continues expansion in China 7

Publisher Raymond Wong

James Chen Nabila GohBelle Cheng Shawn Lui

Web Sam Soh Ophilia Leung

Eve Wee

Asia Xclusives Pte Ltd

Editor’s Speak

James Chen

Editor, Travel Xclusives

james.chen@asiaxclusives.com

Business Travel Xclusives 8 October 2012

BUSINESS TRAVEL

Hotels these days are doing a great deal at tapping into social media. Check out this week’s issue

with Starwood’s venture into mobile apps while Pan Pacific starts using iPads for check-ins after its

5-month renovation. Lastly, check out the airfares and airlines news.

Happy reading.

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4 27 June 2012

Starwood taps into

Social Media for their

latest promotion

SPG Better by the Night™ will allow guests to earn easy Starpoints through their smartphone

Business Travel Xclusives 8 October 2012

Starwood has launched a new SPG Better by the Night™ promotion using social media platforms like their website, mobile app and foursquare. Registered members can earn unlimited bonuses between 1st of October to 20th December 2012. Members can also receive up to three times more Starpoints at more than a thousand hotel and resorts worldwide. Members can also earn addi-tional points through bookings via the SPG app for iPhone/SPG.com and for check-ins on synced foursquare accounts.

“We continue to provide our members with opportunities that allow for more choice and PRUH�ŶH[LELOLW\���%HWWHU�E\�WKH�1LJKW�JLYHV�members the ability to earn more Starpoints not only through their stays around the world, but through their favorite platforms whether it’s SPG.com, our enhanced mobile app or Foursquare,” said Chris Holdren, Sen-ior Vice President, Starwood Preferred Guest. Guests can earn twice the Starpoints on eli-gible stays between one to two nights and thrice the Starpoints for stays of three nights and above. Guests are awarded 250 points by checking-in to any Starwood property on foursquare or through reservations via SPG.com Guests can also make bookings

through the SPG app to earn 500 points!

Launched in March this year, the SPG app is all about convenience for today’s tech-savvy FXVWRPHUV��6WDUZRRG�LV�WKH�ŵUVW�LQ�WKH�WRXU-ism industry to offer FaceTime Customer service, a feature available on the app. The app also features fully integrated bookings, member information, comprehensive hotel searches, travel details and access to social media channels. Members will also have Star-wood’s Best Rate Guarantee.

To register, please visit spg.com/betterbythe-night. Members, who wish to sync their SPG and Foursquare accounts, can do so at spg.com/socialcheckins.

BUSINESS TRAVEL COVER STORYBY NABILA GOH TECHNOLOGY

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COVER STORY BUSINESS TRAVELTECHNOLOGY

Closed in April for renovations, the 709-room

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Guests are now checked in via the iPad, which

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D�����PHWHU�ORQJ�EDU��DOORZLQJ�JXHVWV�WR�UHOD[�

with a drink while they are being check-in. For

added comfort, the pod-like seats in the lobby

are all handmade.

The rooms are redesigned with a workspace

equipped with a Herman Miller desk chair,

EDWKURRPV�ZLWK�+DQV�*URKH�ŵWWLQJV�DQG�ZLUH-

less Internet access. Guests can also connect

their mobile devices to the TV. The rooms’

“smart energy management” system helps

conserve energy by allowing adjustment of the

room’s temperature and by auto switching off

the room’s lights and air-conditioning when the

room is vacant.

7KH���WK�ŶRRU�3DFLŵF�&OXE�QRZ�SURYLGHV����

hour services to cater to guests’ needs. Guests

can also admire the stunning view of the Marina

Bay district and the South China Sea from the

3DFLŵF�&OXE�(GJH��WKH�KRWHOőV�UHVWDXUDQW�WKDW�

has seven open kitchens will serve a variety of

Asian cuisine whereas their signature Canton-

ese restaurant Hai Tien Lo will continue to serve

their contemporary Cantonese cuisine.

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month in Ningbo, China.

Pan Pacific revamps itself

during 5-month renovations

!e ‘new’ Pan Pac uses iPads’ for Check-ins, has a 24-hour Paci"c Club and a 22 -meter bar

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6 27 June 20128 October 2012Business Travel Xclusives

Emirates pioneers

inflight mobile

phone services

BY NABILA GOH

!e tech savvy Dubai-based Emirates is the "rst to o#er this breakthrough service

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QRZ�PDNH�DQG�UHFHLYH�FDOOV�DQG�VHQG�WH[W�PHV-

VDJHV�GXULQJ�WKH�ŶLJKW��7KH�3DVVHQJHUV�RZQ�

mobile phone service provider and not the air-

line will charge them the roaming fees.

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na on the 2nd of October as the plane cruised

11,500 meters above the gulf. Currently only

two of the A380s provide this service but it will

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crafts and new deliveries.

Following the footsteps of Singapore Airlines

and Garuda��(PLUDWHV�LV�DOVR�RIIHULQJ�:L�)L�VHU-

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BUSINESS TRAVEL AIRLINE & AIRFARE NEWS

Airfares and Hotel rates

said to rise in 2013

Singapore will still be the favourite Asian holi-day destination next year

$LUIDUHV�DQG�KRWHO�UDWHV�ZLOO�LQFUHDVH�QH[W�\HDU�DFFRUG-LQJ�WR�(JHQFLD�LQ�LWV������*OREDO�&RUSRUDWH�7UDYHO�Forecast.

$LUIDUHV�ZLOO�LQFUHDVH�E\����LQ�ERWK�$VLD�3DFLŵF�DQG�1RUWK�$PHULFD��ZKLOH�$LUIDUHV�LQ�(XURSH�ZLOO�RQO\�LQ-crease by 3%.

Increase in hotel’s daily rates will be slower. Asia will RQO\�VHH�DQ�LQFUHDVH�E\�D�SHUFHQW��(XURSH�E\����DQG�North America by 3%.

The changes in the Asian Market will vary from sector to sector. Low Cost Carriers may increase to regional markets whilst maintaining their prices. Singapore and Sydney will see strong capacity increases that will keep average air tickets around the same price. Aver-age air ticket prices in India have the strongest growth with an increase of 10% due to limited seat growth. Bangkok and Shanghai follow suit with an increase of 9%

Singapore’s strong demand in the hotel sector would likely continue into 2013. India, however, will have a sharp decline as they struggle to keep up with high demands.

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BUSINESS TRAVEL

New World continues expansion in China

New World Hotel annouces that they would be opening two more hotels in China, both in areas that have high economic potential

7KH�1HZ�:RUOG�)XVKDQ�+RWHO�ZLOO�EH�D�����URRP�GHOX[H�FLW\�UHVRUW��Located ten minutes away from Foshan Shadi Airport, the hotel is DOVR�FRQYHQLHQWO\�ORFDWHG�QH[W�WR�DQ����KROH�JROI�FRXUVH�DQG�FRXQWU\�club. The hotel will have a café, a Chinese restaurant, a lobby lounge and a bar. Meeting rooms are about 5000 square meters, inclusive of a pillar less ballroom that can accommodate a thousand guests, HLJKW�IXQFWLRQ�URRPV�DQG�D�ZHGGLQJ�SDYLOLRQ���*XHVWV�FDQ�DOVR�UHOD[�at the health club, spa and outdoor swimming pool.

The New World Langfang Central will be situated in Langfang’s central business district. The 290-URRP�1HZ�:RUOG�/DQJIDQJ�&HQWUDO�ZLOO�KDYH�WZR�EDOOURRPV�DQG�VL[�PXOWL�IXQFWLRQ�PHHWLQJ�URRPV�WRWDOLQJ�������VTXDUH�PHWHUV��$PHQLWLHV�ZLOO�LQFOXGH�D�FDI«��WZR�UHVWDXUDQWV��OREE\�ORXQJH�DQG�EDU��health club, an indoor swimming pool and spa. Langfang attracts both business and leisure travel-OHUV��DV�LW�ZLOO�EH�&KLQDőV�QH[W�,QIRUPDWLRQ�7HFKQRORJ\�+XE��/DQJIDQJ�LV�D����PLQXWHV�GULYH�IURP�Beijing, and a 35 minutes drive from Tianjin.

BY NABILA GOH

GREATER CHINA

No. of deluxe rooms in

Fushan Hotel

317

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