Year in review 2010
14 December 2010
YEAR IN REVIEW 2010
2010 was undoubtedly a year of growth for the hospitality industry in the Asia Pacific with a flurry of new openings across the region. HMA takes a look back at some of the most high profile openings during the year plus some of the key management movements.
Most high profile openings
Resorts World Sentosa, Singapore’s first integrated resort, kicked off the year by starting a phased opening in January. Four hotels opened initially - Festive Hotel, Hard Rock Hotel Singapore, Crockfords Tower and Hotel Michael - with a combined inventory of 1,350 rooms.
April saw the opening of Starwood’s milestone 1000th hotel - the Sheraton Qiandao Lake Resort in China.
Also opening in April was the Encore at Wynn Macau, a sister property to Wynn Macau.
May saw the arrival in the region of UK company Guoman Hotels, which opened the 442-room Guoman Hotel Shanghai. A second property is set to follow in Beijing.
In June, Singapore’s newest entertainment destination resort – the Marina Bay Sands – finally opened for business. The resort boasts 2,560 guest rooms plus dining facilities, a shopping mall, convention centre and casino.
Also opening in June was the Mandarin Oriental, Macau. The 213-room hotel is the only non-gaming, five-star hotel on the Macau Peninsula.
July saw the long-awaited reopening of the Fairmont Peace hotel in Shanghai after a three-year closure and extensive restoration. The hotel, which is managed by Jin Jiang Hotels International and Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, was previously known as the Peace Hotel.
In August, Langham Hotels International opened the Langham Place, Beijing Capital Airport, claiming it will revolutionize the way travellers view airport hotels.
August, also, of course, saw the highly anticipated reopening of the Taj Mahal Palace hotel in Mumbai. The 107-year old property, the flagship of Indian luxury hotel chain Taj Hotels, Resorts and Palaces, underwent an extensive restoration after being damaged in the November 2008 terrorist attacks.
October, meanwhile, witnessed the opening of a new boutique hotel for Singapore. The Hotel Fort Canning was previously used as a base for the British Far East Command during World War II.
Finally, in December, W Hotels continued its expansion in the region with the opening of the 405-room W Taipei. The hotel is expected to open on December 28.
