BACKGROUND Acquired by Pan Pacific Group, the hotel reopened on December 1, 2020 after a S$45 million (US$32.44 million) refurbishment. The hotel is one of four original John Portman hotels, built in 1987, and was until recently the Marina Mandarin. It is now part of the Parkroyal Collection brand which has a focus on sustainability.
WHERE IS IT? It's located in the Marina Bay area with access to the Marina Square Shopping Centre and links to the Suntec Convention Centre. The airport is 20 minutes by car; an MRT station is a few minutes' walk away. It is close to attractions, including Gardens by the Bay and the Singapore Flyer.
WHAT'S IT LIKE? It's eco-friendly, with no single-use plastics, solar panels on the roof and an eco-digester for food waste. Expect lots of greenery - there's a garden within the hotel, a 13m green wall and songbirds in the huge 21-storey atrium.
This story is from the July - September 2022 edition of Business Traveller Asia-Pacific.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the July - September 2022 edition of Business Traveller Asia-Pacific.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Our guide to... VPNs (Virtual Private Networks)
We all know that online activity needs to be private and secure. If you suspected that the business-critical information you're about to share with a colleague is at risk of being seen much more widely, you would hesitate to send it.
Raffles London at The OWO
BACKGROUND The first Raffles hotel in London, owned by the Hinduja Group and operated by Accor, opened in September 2023. It is housed in The OWO, a legendary Edwardian Baroque-style building, with the guest experience built around its exceptional history. The Grade II Old War Office was built for the British Army in 1906.
Hilton Colombo
BACKGROUND Hilton Colombo has been operating in Sri Lanka's capital since 1987. Given its long-standing status and rather dated design, renovations of its guest rooms are underway, with all 345 set to be complete by the time of going to press. Hilton has three more properties in Sri Lanka, including Hilton Yala Resort (see page 44).
The Leela Palace Bengaluru
BACKGROUND The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts operates 12 properties in India, in locations including Bengaluru, Chennai, Jaipur, New Delhi, Mumbai and Udaipur, with hotels to follow in Hyderabad, Agra and Sikkim. The group is a member of the Global Hotel Alliance, and Preferred Hotels and Resorts.
Air France Boeing 777-300 premium economy PARIS-NEW YORK
BACKGROUND Air France has been upgrading its Boeing 777-300 aircraft with its latest premium economy product, already seen on its A350. The 777-300 features 48 seats in the premium economy cabin, arranged in a slightly staggered 2-4-2 formation.
Qatar Airways A330-300 business class DOHA-COLOMBO
BACKGROUND Qatar Airways has eight Airbus A330-300 aircraft in its fleet, which are often used for the carrier's medium-haul services such as this Doha-Colombo flight.
Pre-flight checks
There's a familiar list of announcements when boarding a plane, but what do they actually mean? Our undercover pilot shines a light on pre-flight procedures
Auckland
Thrill-seeking activities, mind-bending art - and performing the haka
Yearning for Yala
Searching for leopards and nibbling wild sage in Sri Lanka's Yala National Park
RISKY BUSINESS
Business travellers need their wits about them more than ever these days - with strategies in place should the worst happen
