asian hotel

& Catering Times

Published since 1976 Vol 35 April 2010

Singapore’s road
to recovery
Internationals Target
India Mid-Market

Hong Kong SAR HK$50

China
Singapore S$15
RMB50 LUXURIANT GROWTH – THE
Malaysia RM30
Thailand Bt300
Rest of Asia US$10
SPREAD OF GREEN RESORTS
 E d i t o r ’ s M e s s a g e

W
elcome to a record-breaking
132-page issue of Asia’s favourite
hospitality read, the only
publication that covers every aspect of your
working life.
We have always known that hoteliers in
Asia will take the most imaginative steps to
keep their guests happy and are constantly
amazed at the level of detailed thought that
goes into keeping 4- and 5-star property guests
satisfied, be it a door keycard that can regulate
the air conditioning or more simply ensuring
four different types of milk are on offer at the
beverages station.
Reinvention and an improved product
can take a far more substantial form as well
– visitors to Macau will soon be able to enjoy
an all-singing, all-swimming Las Vegas style
spectacular in a dramatic, purpose built
theatre. The difference between this imported
extravaganza and certain others is that The
House of Dancing Water actually pays homage to
Chinese culture rather than ignoring it.
Singapore is taking a gamble that its
hotel-casino-entertainment complexes will
attract more visitors to the island after a rough
couple of business years. The resorts may not
be opening at an auspicious time but hotels are
50-year projects – hopefully.
So AHCT says hats off to the hospitality
industry.
Mischa
Moselle

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

Contributors
Helen Dalley Association Of
International
Singapore
Chefs Association
Hong Kong
Bakery & Confectionery
Hong Kong
Maitre D’hotel Association
Singapore
Hotel Association
Hong Kong
Bartenders Association
Piers Evans Hoteliers Shanghai Association

Tracey Furniss
Zara Horner
Euan McKirdy
Robin Lynam Shanghai Myanmar Chefs Malaysian Association Macau Hotel Club managers Association
Ruth Williams Chefs Association Association Of Hotels Association Hong Kong

Associate Publisher
Sharon Knowler
sharon@thomsonpress.com.hk

Advertising Sales Manager Asian Hotel & Catering Times

is published monthly by
Claire Sancelot Thomson Press Hong Kong Ltd (TPHK)
claire@thomsonpress.com.hk
The opinions expressed in Asian Hotel & Catering Times do not necessarily represent the views of the publisher or the publication.
Circulation Executive Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information contained in this publication, no responsibility can be
accepted by the publisher, editors and staff, agents and contributors for omissions, typographical or printers errors, inaccuracies
Becky Chau
or changes howsoever caused. The editors reserve the right to edit any material submitted at their discretion. All materials
enquiries@thomsonpress.com.hk published remain the property of TPHK. Reproduction without permission by any means is strictly prohibited. Correspondence
should be addressed to The Editor, Asian Hotel & Catering Times, Room 1205-6, 12/F, Hollywood Centre, 233 Hollywood Road,
Chairman Sheung Wan, Hong Kong. Tel: (852) 2815 9111 Fax: (852) 2851 1933. Fantasy Print, Unit B 8/F, Tin Fung Industial Mansion,
JS Uberoi 63 Wong Chuk Hang Road, Hong Kong

All rights reserved (c) 2009

Director
Thomson Press Hong Kong Ltd
Gaurav Kumar

PERFECT COFFEE IN ONE TOUCH HONG KONG

Thomson Press Hong Kong Limited/ ITALY
Egro ONE: the ultimate touch screen technology
THAILAND
Media Transasia Limited Ediconsult Internazionale s.r.l. Media Transasia Thailand Ltd
Room 1205-6, 12/F, Hollywood Centre, Piazza Fontane Marose, 3-16123 Genova 14/F, Ocean Tower II, 75/10 Soi Wattana,
233 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong Tel: +39 010 583684 Fax: +39 010 566578 Sukhumvit Soi 21, Asoke Road, Klongtoey,
Tel: +(852) 2851 7068, 2815 9111 Email: genova@ediconsult.com Prakanong, Bangkok 10110, Thailand
Fax: +(852) 2851 1933, 2581 9531 Contact: Mr Vittorio Negrone Tel: +66 2 204 2370 Fax: +66 2 204 2391

APRIL 20 - 23, 2010 Email: mischa@thomsonpress.com.hk

Contact: Mr Mischa Moselle JAPAN
Echo Japan Corporation
Email: gauravkumar@mediatransasia.com
Contact: Mr Gaurav Kumar

COME TO SEE US AT THE FHA: AUSTRALIA

Mass Media Publicitas
Level 9, 215-217 Clarence Street
Grande Maison Rm 303,  
2-2 Kudan-kita 1-chome,
Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0073
UNITED KINGDOM
The Powers Turner Group
Gordon House, Greencoat Place
RANCILIO - EGRO Sydney NSW 2000 Australia
Tel: + 61 2 9252 3476 Fax: +61 2 9251 3726
Tel: +81 3 3234 2064 Fax: +81 3 3263 5065
Email: aso-t@echo-japan.co.jp
London SW1P 1PH, United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7592 8300 Fax: +44 (0) 20 7592 8301
Email: cdsilva@publicitas.com Contact: Mr Ted Asoshina Contact: Mr Chris Morgan
Hall 5 / Stand 5C3-01 Contact: Mr Charlton D’Silva
USA

Singapore Expo
INDIA MALAYSIA Riverside Media
Media Transasia (India) Ltd Publicitas International Sdn Bhd. 159 Main Street, 2nd Floor, Lake Placid,
K-35 Green Park, New Delhi-110016 S 105, 2nd Floor, Centrepoint NY 12946, USA
Tel: +91 (0) 11 26862687 / 6868775 Fax: +91 (0) 11 26867641 Lebuh Bandar Utama, Bandar Utama Tel: +1 518 523 4794 Fax: +1 518 523 4708
Email: xavier@mtil.biz 47800 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia. Email: ceccleston@accessriverside.com
Contact: Mr. Xavier Collaco Tel : 603 7729 6923 Contact: Ms Christina Eccleston
www.egrocoffee.com Media Transasia (India) Ltd
Fax : 603 7729 7115
Email: scheng@publicitas.com Marston Webb International
1, A & B, Diamond House, 35th Road, Contact: Ms Shallie Cheng 60 Madison Avenue, Suite 1011,
Linking Road, Bandra West, Mumbai - 400 050 New York, NY 10010, USA
Tel: 91 22 26053702-06 Fax: 91 22 26053702-06 Tel: +1 212 684 6601 Fax: +1 212 725 4708
Email: xavier@mediatransasiaindia.com Telex: (023) 420773 BRANINT
Contact: Mr. Xavier Collaco Contact: Ms Madlene Olson
You can find the new ONE also at BONCAFE’ Int.: Hall 3 / Stand 3M4-01 / Singapore Expo

We will be exhibiting at Gulfood 2010. Please come and visit our booth in the USA Pavilion! April 2010 AHCT 
 Advertisers’ Ind e x
CONTENTS
Volume 35 April 2010 Agilysys 11
Alpha International 83
American Food Service B.V 13
DESIGN Andy Mannhart 79
MARKET REPORT 46 Hong Kong design guru Steve Athena Tableware 53
28 Singapore seems to be attracting Leung talks us through two hotel Beech Ovens 17
more rooms than guests projects Bega Cheese Limited 81
Bodum 55
32 International brands are pinning their Boncafe 58 & 59
50 Sustainability doesn’t mean hair Bravilor Bonamat B.V 61
hopes for India on mid-market hotels shirts for luxury resorts Bunn-o-matic 107
Chee Seng Oil Factory 123
Chilewich 49

22
Comenda Ali Spa 19
Corman 23
Crem International 31
Cover photography courtesy of
Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort and Spa, Dedon 8&9
Eyes on the industry Duravit 7
Maldives

Easy Revenue Management Solutions 45

Egro Coffee Systems Ag IFC
Elle & Vire International 69
NEWS Food Hotel Indonesia 122
CULINARY Friedr.Dick GmbH & Co. KG 89
60 Italian masters; Easter surprises; Global Chef 47
Revamped menus Global Hotelware Limited 15
Global Search International 33
Grohe Hong Kong Limited 117
INDUSTRY Helvar 95
10 Thailand’s travails; Gaming linked Hosfair 121
to gangsters! Carlson’s billion-dollar HotelWorld Asia Expo & Conference 129
plan Hyperlux IBC
IHIF 124
PRODUCT IHS Global 101
104 An Aladdin’s cave of useful IPSO 99
equipment IRCO 41
Italian Trade Commission 27
Lactalis International 65
MANAGEMENT
Lesaffre Group 67
24 Feedback shouldn’t just be Lomig 87
measured, it should be acted on LRT 43
M.Schaerer 109
Manitowoc Foodservice 119
Martin Braun 21
Meiko 103
Mondecasa 97
Monin 63
Singapore’s gamble Up and Coming... Mundial
Onity Pty Ltd
51
37
May Pacific Valley Foods 77
• Education Rak Porcelain 71
• Market Report: Guangzhou Rancilio Macchine per Caffè Spa 85
TECHNOLOGY • In-room technology Ravika Olive Oil 105
36 Locks that help you access new • Restaurant/bar design Routin 35
• Seafood Rubbermaid 57
market segments
• Beer
Safemark 93
• Minibars; Bathrobes
42 Back office software that takes Saflok 39
the grind out of number crunching June
Santos 111
• Investment opportunities Selten 119
• Market Report: Shanghai SIAL 125
• Networking Tabasco OBC
• Hotel design Valrhona 73
• Condiments Vinexpo 126
• Flavourings/Syrups Wine and Gourmet Asia 127
• Buffet; Gym WMF 121

 AHCT April 2010 April 2010 AHCT 

 FOOD
66 Enrich without fattening with the right
creams

74 Cooking contests that raise younger

hopefuls standards File under pressure

42
DRINK
78 Wine consumption in Asia is growing,
but what is everyone drinking?

84 Mixology means creative cocktails

116 Horeca previewed

118 Hotel Show Dubai previewed

120 SIAL China previewed

APPOINTMENTS
130 See who is moving where

46
Green gables

EQUIPMENT
90 In-room safes – choose a brand that
matches your own

94 What outdoor furniture do you need?

100 A small space shouldn’t mean no baked

PuraVida Phoenix Design

goods – with the right oven

EVENTS AND EXHIBITIONS PuraVida. A new sense of lightness in the bathroom.

114 Events calendar

Sanitaryware, bathroom furniture, bathtubs, shower trays, wellness products and accessories: Duravit has everything you need
to make life in the bathroom a little more beautiful. Catalogue? Duravit Asia Ltd, Unit 3408B, 34/F, AIA Tower, 183 Electric Road,
The master bakers North Point, Hong Kong, Phone +852 2219 8780, Fax +852 2219 8893, info@hk.duravit.com, www.duravit.com

 AHCT April 2010

 “ co Min G H oMe ”

Handwoven outdoor furniture created wit H weat H er-resista n t d e d o n f i b e r

DEDON Asia Pacific Limited

Unit 3203-07, 32/F., 248 Queen‘s Road East · Wan Chai / Hong Kong
www.dedon.de/treehouse Tel. +852 / 2529 7233 · office@dedon.hk
I n d u s t r y N e w s
Land of
frowns
Having gained the world’s attention by
splattering 300 litres of their own blood
outside the Prime Minister’s office, Thai red
shirt protestors’ “sacrifice to democracy” was
another headline-grabbing attempt to get PM
Abhisit Vejjajiva to hold elections.
Andrew J Wood is General Manager of
the Chao Phya Park Hotel & Resort as well
as SKAL International Councillor, Thailand,
“Bored. Fed up. Wish they’d go home,” he
says in response to the question of how
everyone is feeling about the latest protests.
There is not much chance of new
elections though, analysts predict, given that
Abhisit appears to have the backing of the
military as well as the Thai ruling classes, and
nominally of Parliament, too. Indeed, though
consumer confidence seems to be failing,
Accor’s
Vietnam
expansion
Accor, the largest international hotel operator
in Vietnam, which has operated there since
1991, has announced major strategic
expansion plans for the country. Nine
developments include: the opening of Le
Belhamy Hoi An Resort and Spa; two new ibis
10 AHCT April 2010
outside investment in the country is growing
with cheap share prices and high dividend
yields proving too attractive to ignore. PM
Abhisit, who has steered clear of his home,
office and Parliament since the beginning of
March, choosing instead to camp out in a
military base, is refusing Thaksin Shinawatra
supporters’ calls for elections, saying the deep
divisions in the country would automatically
undermine any chance of a peaceful poll. And
(at time of going to press) has instead opted
to extend tough security legislation giving the
military the option to impose curfews, operate
checkpoints, and restrict movements in the
Thai capital and outlying districts.
March down
Observers have noted the longer the situation
continues the more chance of radical elements
turning nastier as they did in April 2008,
denting Thailand’s image as a safe tourist
destination. Two grenades, which exploded in
the Public Health Ministry compound
hotels for Ho Chi Minh City, which represent
the first two international economy hotels for
Vietnam; Novotel Imperial Hoi An; Novotel
Resort Phu Quoc; Novotel Saigon Centre; the
second MGallery for Vietnam in the capital
– Hotel De L’Opera Hanoi; Le Belhamy Hoi An
Resort and Spa (opening April 1, 2010) and
the introduction of the upscale Pullman brand
to Vietnam with Pullman Vung Tau opening
later this year. Mercure Hado Hanoi scheduled
to open late 2010. Accor is also set to double
the number of rooms under management
in Vietnam by 2012. Accor currently has
13 hotels and 2,147 rooms in operation
*HWLQVLGHWKHPLQGRI\RXUFXVWRPHU
mid-March heightened security concerns, but
red shirt demonstrators, tens of thousands of
   DQG\RXpOOÝQGWKHZD\WRWKHLUKHDUW
whom have taken up residence in an open-air
encampment in Bangkok, insist these were
staged to discredit them and their cause.
According to Wood, “The Thai Chamber
of Commerce (TCC) has literally held up a
white flag to say they give in, we just can’t do
business like this so please work it out.” Wood
says the travel and tourism industry enjoyed
some recovery in January and February but all
that’s been undone in March. “Under 10 percent
on last year’s figures and 2009 wasn’t good,”
he bemoans. “And the TCC is painting an even
blacker picture. April is looking soft in forward
bookings. Our competitors are doing well from
all this.” Wood says the hardest thing is getting
H[gk[ij[Zh[Zhei[ikfedY^[Ya#_d$
the message across that Thailand is still a safe
holiday place. “The longer this drags on more :[YehWj[jWXb[m_j^h[Zhei[$
people won’t come – be that business people
negotiating deals or tourists. We need a quick
resolution and we could end up with a good
2010.” But he’s not holding his breath.
H[jkhd_d]\ehed[#o[WhWdd_l[hiWho$ EhZ[h[Z9^WhZeddWobWijl_i_j$
E\\[hfh_lWj[Z_d_d]edÄhijd_]^j$ I[hl[jmeYecfb_c[djWho]bWii[i$
7]_boioi fhel_Z[i oek m_j^ kdcWjY^[Z _di_]^j WXekj oekh ]k[iji" ie oek WdZ oekh ijW\\ YWd Yh[Wj[ Wd kd\eh][jjWXb[ Ykijec[h
[nf[h_[dY[$9edjheb[l[hoWif[Yje\oekhfhef[hjo_dYbkZ_d]Xeea_d]"Y^[Ya#_d"j[[j_c[iWdZceh[$9ebb[Yj_d\ehcWj_ed_dh[Wbj_c[¸
\hec\eeZi[b[Yj_edWdZ[dj[hjW_dc[djfh[\[h[dY[i"je]_\ji^effkhY^Wi[iWdZifW\Wleh_j[i¸WdZki[_jje[d^WdY[[WY^l_i_jeh¼i
[nf[h_[dY[$ Fbki" jWa[ WZlWdjW][ e\ ef[d ijWdZWhZi iebkj_edi j^Wj meha i[Wcb[iibo m_j^ [n_ij_d] ioij[ci WdZ i^Wh[ _d\ehcWj_ed
AFP PHOTO/Christophe ARCHAMBAULT fhef[hjom_Z[$?j¼ij^[_di_]^joekd[[ZjeYh[Wj[Wc[cehWXb[[nf[h_[dY["h[f[WjXki_d[ii"WdZWceh[fheÄjWXb[fhef[hjo$)LQGRXW
ZKDW$JLO\V\VFDQGRIRU\RX9Wbbeh[cW_b^i]iWb[i6W]_boioi$YecrZZZDJLO\V\VFRP
throughout the country. These new openings
represent an additional 2000 rooms to the
7jj[dZ_d]<>75L_i_jkiWjVWDQG($
company portfolio.
In further news from Accor, Sofitel Luxury
Hotels has signed a management contract
with Hainan Tiantuo Investment Exploit Co.
Ltd and Jinyi Real Estate Development Co. Ltd
for the Sofitel Haikou. Across the road from
the only duty free shop on China’s Hainan 7]_boioiiebkj_edi_dYbkZ[0
Island in the centre of the business district,
the 398-room hotel boasts the usual facilities;
numerous restaurants and bars, and indoor
and outdoor swimming pools to provide
guests with “a complete experience”.
I n d u s t r y N e w s
Mandarin Oriental
suffers 2009 downturn
Macau to welcome
a thrusting new
Mandarin Oriental
While saying it’s in a “strong financial position”,
Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has admitted
“difficult market conditions [have] affected
performance” as the company posts its latest
results (year ending December 31st 2009).
Combined total revenue of hotels under
management (includes turnover of the Group’s
subsidiary hotels in addition to 100 percent
of revenue from associate, joint venture and
managed hotels) was US$838.3 million, down
18 percent year-on-year. Earnings before
interest, tax, depreciation and amortization
were US$87.5 million, down 47 percent.
Underlying profit attributable to shareholders
(exclude non-trading items) was US$12.4
million, down 82 percent. “While markets
Another fine
mess for
Stanley?
The on going saga that is MGM Mirage and
Pansy Ho’s joint project in Macau has taken a
new twist as the New Jersey Casino Control
Commission (CCC) approves a stipulation of
settlement between the New Jersey Division of
Gaming Enforcement and MGM Mirage. The
company now has to surrender its qualification
for a casino license in New Jersey, and place
its 50 percent interest in the Borgata Hotel
Casino & Spa in Atlantic City into a divestiture
trust.
The settlement relates to the May 2009
report of the Division of Gaming Enforcement
(DGE) to the CCC regarding MGM and Ho’s
venture to develop, own and operate the
MGM Grand Macau.
In the Table of Contents of that report is a
sub heading: “The Growth of gaming in Macau
and the involvement of organized crime in
Stanley Ho’s casinos”.
12 AHCT April 2010
are expected to stabilize further in 2010, the
strength and timing of an improvement in
earnings will depend on economic conditions,”
said Chairman, Simon Keswick.
Mandarin on the water
Despite the downturn in revenue, the group
continues to expand.
The Mandarin Oriental Macau is slated
to open mid 2010. Positioned on Macau’s
waterfront Peninsula, and blending modernity
with subtle inspirations from the territory’s
European heritage, the 231 room and suite
hotel is Macau’s only non gaming five star
hotel and is part of the mixed use complex,
One Central.
An impressive and comprehensive history
of gambling in the SAR from the 1800’s to
present day, it says, “Asian organized crime,
attracted by the growing gaming market and
accommodated by the establishment of VIP
rooms in STDM [Sociedade de Turismo e
Diversoes de Macau] casinos, penetrated the
Macau gaming market.”
It goes on, “The VIP rooms in the STDM
casinos provided organized crime the
entry into the Macau gaming market it had
previously lacked.” Noting, and seeming to
agree with a so-called “academic report”
that, “with the establishment of the VIP rooms
STDM created a lawless space.”
The report, made public on March 17th
this year, describes both Stanley Ho and his
daughter Pansy, as “unsuitable” and directs
MGM to disengage itself from any business
association with the pair.
Rather than contest the reports MGM
Mirage, which owns 20 casinos in Nevada,
Michigan, Mississippi, Illinois and China
has decided to divest its one half interest in
Borgata (Boyd Gaming Corporation owns
the other 50 percent). MGM will receive all
proceeds of the sale, which has to happen
Iconic brand
expands to
Tianjin
Soft opening this month with a grand opening
scheduled for May this year, Raffles Tianjin
sits on top of the Tianjin Centre. Occupying
floors 36 - 48 it’s the city’s “tallest penthouse
hotel” with 116 rooms and suites, banquet
and meeting facilities. The rooftop bar Since the 1950s, generations of customers have been enjoying the finest in ice cream from
and Japanese restaurant, SóU (sou being Mercer’s Dairy. In January of 2002, Quality Dairy Farms, Inc., a group of nine farm families from
Japanese for imagination and creativity) boast
Lewis and Jefferson Counties, purchased Mercer’s Dairy with the vision to showcase their
dramatic panoramic views of the city. Raffles
Tianjin is also the only hotel in the city to offer
premium quality products. Since then, this close-knit group of farms has been honored with
24-hour business concierge and 24-hour numerous “Dairy of Distinction” awards, as well as prestigious Empire State “Super Milk” quality
Raffles Butler service. At 60 square metres, awards.
Grand Rooms are more than double the size
of a typical hotel room in Tianjin. In 2006, Mercer’s mastered the art of blending luscious ice cream with superb wine to create an incredibly elegant adult dessert,
Mercer’s Wine Ice Cream. We are proud to be the pioneer in the ice cream industry bringing you this exciting creation. Each wine is
hand-picked and blended with only the freshest ingredients. Mercer’s invites you to try our newest dessert innovation for an experience
Raffles brings a new dimension of hospitality to Tianjin your taste buds won’t soon forget.
FLAVORS: HEADQUARTERS:
Ala Port Mercer’s Dairy
Cherry Merlot Route 12
Chocolate Cabernet Boonville, New York USA 13309
Peach White Zinfandel Dalton W. Givens, Director of Distribution
Red Raspberry Chardonnay
Royal White Riesling INTERNATIONAL REPRESENTATIVE:
American Food Service, B.V.
ALCOHOL CONTENT: Gageldijk 9, Hal 9
12% cream product with up to 5% alcohol by volume
3602 AG Maarssen, The Netherlands
Must be of legal age to consume alcohol
Gerard Chin-A-Kwie, President
PACKAGING:
RECENT AWARDS:
US: Pint, 5 Quart, and 3 Gallon
Metric: 473 mL, 4.73 L, and 11.353 L 2008 American Masters of Taste
Vallejo, California, USA
CALORIES: 2007—2008 American Package Design Award
210 to 310 calories per 1/2 cup (73g) depending on flavor Awarded by Graphic Design USA
Winner of Best New Product
GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION:
“Small Bite Big Taste” Competition
USA, The Netherlands, and England
The Great American Dessert Expo
Atlanta, GA June 1—3 2007
within 30 months.
“The integrity of casino operators and
owners has always been of paramount concern
to the Division of Gaming Enforcement,
and that concern extends to a licensee’s
associates,” said Director Josh Lichtblau.
According to a mid-March article on the INTERNATIONAL INQUIRIES: USA INQUIRIES :
Bloomberg newswire, “Stanley Ho hasn’t seen
www.americanfood.nl www.mercersdairy.com
the report and doesn’t want to speculate on its
Gerard Chin-A-Kwie Dalton Givens
content,” Janet Wong, a spokeswoman for Ho,
1.866.MERCERS (637.2377)
said in an e-mail. “His position on the record +31 (0) 30 - 261 36 04
is clear that there is absolutely no foundation gerard.chin@americanfood.nl dalton.givens@gmail.com
in any suggestion that he is associated with
organized crime or triads,” Wong said. Pansy
Ho declined to comment via an e-mail sent by
a representative, Jenny Lau.”
Product of the USA
I n d u s t r y N e w s

3#(/44:7)%3%,4HEGLASSOFTHEPROFESSIONAL!PPRECIATIONTHROUGHPERFECTION
and the Middle East increased accordingly.
Meanwhile, at The Peninsula Shanghai

Carlson’s ambitions – which the group has a 50 percent interest in

and is its newest opening – “business pick-up
has been good”.
As part of its ‘Ambition 2015’ plan for the Radisson brand, Carlson Hotels Worldwide has
The Peninsulas Beijing and Tokyo both
unveiled the ‘Yes I Can!’ service philosophy. A comprehensive strategy it includes new room
faced stiff competition in markets which
concepts such as: relax; naturally cool; New York mansion; ocean and urban highlighted
continue to “absorb the new supply of luxury
with bold colour schemes, special lighting and the emphasis on comfort, as well as new
hotel rooms” - particularly in the Chinese
restaurant brandings, and service concepts, which focus on individual guest experience. The
capital. Continuing political instability has
programme entails an investment of US$1.5 billion in North America alone. Billed as places
affected the group’s property in Bangkok
of, “vibrant, contemporary and engaging hospitality” the hotels will be tiered into Radisson
while, like the rest of the city, the Manila
Blu for “upper upscale” and Radisson Green for “upscale” the differentiation being primarily
hotel was laid low by the effects of Typhoon
location based – key locations considered to be cities - and will be reflected in the level of
investment. “We expect to grow the portfolio to at least 600 hotels by 2015,” says Carlson
Ketsana in September.
“The balance between revenue and costs
zwiesel 1872 \ GOURMeT COlleCTiON. TOUChiNG The sOUl Of fiNe wiNes.
President and CEO, Hubert Joly.
continues to be a challenge to manage,”

The Radisson brand is to be the motor of Carlson’s growth

Shangri-La Asia halved
dividends despite
rising profits

zwiesel 1872 \ liViNG COlleCTiON. fOR The BeAUTifUl siDe Of life.

Hotels report The Peninsula Hong Kong was a top

performer for HSH during a difficult year
Kwok admits. “In particular we look to the
growth prospects of The Peninsula Tokyo in

reduced what will be its third full year of operation, The

Peninsulas New York and Manila following

dividends extensive renovations and The Peninsula

Hong Kong and Shanghai Hotels (HSH) has
admitted their 2009 results “reflect a difficult
business environment”.
Clement Kwok, HSH CEO notes, “The
hotel industry continued to be significantly
affected throughout the year, with the revenue
in our hotels generally down by about 23
percent in the period January to August 2009
as compared to the corresponding pre crisis
period in 2008.” Kwok goes on to note a “new
business paradigm” has emerged whereby
some markets have become increasingly
important. “There is greater reliance on
domestic and regional patrons and the
perception of luxury has become more value
conscious.” HSH cites a combination of
factors for the poor figures, including weak
such as New York, Chicago, Beijing, Bangkok
and Manila remained significantly below pre
Shanghai in its first full year. Our mindset
is geared towards sustainable growth and
?ZcVZg<aVh#7Zadc\hida^[Z#
development while addressing resources and
quality issues.” Much of the group’s future
investment is focused on HR departments and
staff training programmes.
HSH’s commercial properties division cites
Hong Kong’s Repulse Bay complex as its,
“most important asset” where income has held
up “relatively well” despite total revenue falling
10 percent to HK$469 million (US$60 million).
The group’s total turnover decreased by
15 percent to HK$4,218 million and Earnings
Before Interest Taxation Depreciation and
Amortisation fell by 35 percent to HK$924
million. (2008: HK$ 1,425 million) Board
directors recommended a total dividend for
the year at HK cents 9 per share compared to 4RITAN‡
)NTERNATIONAL
HK cents 10.5 in 2008. PATENT

business from the corporate sector especially financial crisis levels,” Kwok said. The group’s At Shangri-La Asia Ltd profits increased
in the United States, the threat of the H1N1 strongest performance came from flagship from US$165.9 million in 2008 to US$255.5 3INGAPORE (ONG+ONG-ACAU #HINA
flu epidemic and an oversupply of hotel rooms property The Peninsula Hong Kong, which million in 2009. Nevertheless, the board :WIESEL!SIA0ACI½C0TE,TD 'LOBAL(OTELWARE,IMITED :WIESEL+RISTALLGLAS#HINA
in several cities. “By the fourth quarter there experienced a marked recovery in the last recommended a final dividend of HK 12 cents #LUB3TREET3INGAPORE #HINACHEM(OLLYWOOD#ENTRE 2OOM$YNASTY"USINESS#ENTRE
were signs of hotel occupancies stabilising quarter as the local economy bounced back per share compared with HK 24 cents per TEL  (OLLYWOOD2OAD#ENTRAL(ONG+ONG 7ULUMUQI2OAD.ORTH
and recovering, yet room rates in markets and visitor numbers from Mainland China share in 2008. FAX 4EL&AX *ING!N$ISTRICT3HANGHAI#().!
WWWZWIESEL KRISTALLGLASCOM WWWGLOBALHOTELWARECOM 4EL&AX

14 AHCT April 2010

I n d u s t r y N e w s

Melco creates water world for COD Costume design

– there will be 27
Melco Crown is near the completion stages of wardrobe staff on top of one of the world’s largest pools, which
a US$250 million theatre for Macau’s City of supporting the
production at a capacity of 3.7 million gallons is five times
Dreams casino resort complex. larger than an Olympic pool.
City of Dreams President, Greg Hawkins
described the investment as significant, Michael Jackson
explaining investors were aiming to create a The production is supported by a team of 32
“world class experience” that would make City professional divers, who are responsible for
of Dreams and Macau an international tourist the underwater safety of the performers and
destination. for scenery. The divers, show diving is a new
The Pei Partnership Architects’ designed profession for them, use 36 percent oxygen and
building will house The House of Dancing have had the sectors of the pool colour-coded Custom Designed
Water, a production created by Franco so they know where they are. Stone Hearth Ovens
During a performance 20 divers will be in
the water, all under the supervision of Head
of Aquatics, Michael Jackson, a former navy
SEAL.
All the equipment is controlled from a nerve
centre, appropriately called The Control Room.
While the building could arguably be said to
over sinister forces, involving laughter and
be built round the production, it is also built
tears, combat, wit and agility.”
around the lighting, which is designed by French
The show is told in “spectacular” form
Canadian Luc Lafortune, veteran of several Pizza Ovens
featuring a 77-strong cast including acrobats,
Cirque du Soleil productions. Lafortune, who
contortionists, dancers, special trapeze artists
has also lit the Dixie Chicks, says the challenge
and motorcycle stuntmen supported by a
is to ensure the cavernous building did not have
crew of 130, recruited from 18 countries.
dark spots that detracted from the excitement
A bird’s eye view of the theatre from the performers’ catwalk The 2,000-seat theatre is arranged as a
of the spectacle. He draws his inspiration from Char Grills
270-degree theatre in the round. The stage is
Dragone, the creative force behind Cirque du
the colours of Van Gogh, the naïve drawings of Parillas & Churrascos
Marc Chagall and the creativity of Salvador Dali.
Soleil and Las Vegas spectaculars Le Rêve The 85-minute show will run eight-10 times Custom Designed
and Celine Dion’s A New Day.
The story is inspired by Chinese culture
a week after a scheduled mid-year opening. Grills
Ticket prices have yet to be determined.
and based on Dragone’s travels through the City of Dreams recently refreshed its Bubble
country. theatre experience, adding new scenes to the
The show is described as, “A beautiful entertainment in which the audience stands in
princess, gifted with the martial arts, a clever a bubble. The resort complex has also added a
youth who will undertake anything to conquer new children’s play area with a variety of games
love and a mischievous, fun-loving companion and activities. Parents can stay with children or
caught up, through the power of destiny, in an leave them under supervision.
awe-inspiring journey and a triumph of love
Underwater lifts raise the stage through the pool
Tandoor Ovens

Duck Ovens

Rotisseries

www.beechovens.com
A working storyboard from The
House of Dancing Water
16 AHCT April 2010
I n d u s t r y N e w s
Alila Hotels and Resorts recently opened its
fourth property in Bali with the launch of Alila Villas
Soori in West Bali. The secluded spot is part of the
group’s high-end Villas line, which seeks to combine
luxury and sustainability. Located off the tourist trail
in the Tabanan Regency, the resort is set amid black
sand beaches and rice fields and will offer guests
horse-riding activities, among others.
Meanwhile Pan Pacific Hotels Group announced
in February that it will open a Pan Pacific resort in
Bali’s South West Coast, re-branding the 5-star
Le Meridien Nirwana Bali Resort as Pan Pacific
Nirwana Bali Resort.
The Group’s second hotel in Indonesia, they
take change of the 103-hectare, 278 rooms
integrated luxury resort and 18-hole world class
Greg Norman designed golf course from PT Bali
Nirwana Resort (BNR), a subsidiary of the Hotel
& Resort business unit of the Jakarta-listed PT
The Peninsula Shanghai
A couple of months behind schedule, The
Peninsula Shanghai has opened its doors.
The L- shaped site, construction of which began
in October 2006, fronts the historic Bund and
was designed by New York architects BBG
with interiors by Pierre-Yves Rochon of Paris
who took his inspiration from Shanghai’s golden
era, the Art Deco Movement of the 1920s and
1930s. 235 rooms and suites, five F&B outlets,
a grand ballroom, spa, pool, fitness centre and
retail arcade are joined by 39 luxury apartments
in a separate hotel tower.
18 AHCT April 2010
IN BRIEF
Orient Express has launched its first service
crossing the Friendship Bridge connecting
Thailand with Laos with the Eastern & Oriental
Express.
The new four-day three-night ‘Voyage
to Vientiane’ tour itinerary takes in Northern
Thailand and the Mekong river, as per older Fits
in a small
trips, but now crosses the border into Laos via
the bridge for a one-day culture stop in capital.
space
Alila Villas Soori in West Bali
The 5-star Le Meridien Nirwana Bali Resort
becomes Pan Pacific Nirwana Bali Resort
Bakrieland DevelopmentTbk, an integrated
property developer. Re-branding is planned for
April 1, 2010.
At time of going to print investigations continue Heading for Laos
into a fire that burned down a two-story spa,
but caused no injuries, in the Como Uma
Ubud resort. Spa services have been moved
temporarily to allow for repairs.
Worldhotels welcomes three new properties
into its portfolio.
Two Australian casinos run by
entertainment group Tabcorp are to join
the group this month. The Conrad Treasury
Brisbane will be rebranded as Treasury Casino
& Hotel and Conrad Jupiters Gold Coast
changes its name to Jupiters Hotel & Casino.
Siam Kempinski Hotel Bangkok
Treasury Casino & Hotel and Jupiters
Hotel & Casino join sister casino hotels Star European luxury hotel brand, Kempinski
City Hotel & Apartments in Sydney and opens the Siam Kempinski Hotel Bangkok,
Jupiters Townsville in Northern Queensland as incorporating the 98 serviced apartments block,
Worldhotels affiliates. Kempinski Residences Siam, in June.
While, in time for the upcoming Expo, the
A tailor made washing system to meet everyone’s needs
The tropical gardened, 303-room and suite
Group adds the 264-room Yue Shanghai to it’s city resort, adjacent to the royal palace, aims to
In a little bit more than one square meter the new Comenda AC2A features a 200 racks/h output just like a big
list of seven Shanghai property affiliates. “bring together the best of East and West and size commercial rack conveyor machine. Thanks to its corner configuration it fits perfectly everywhere, thus making
create an opulent sanctuary in the heart of the it the clever solution for small and medium sized catering businesses. As a result to Comenda’s commitment to
city”. With at least four fine dining outlets, a tea design products with a low environmental impact, the AC2A prevents any risk of energy waste and performs an
lounge and the 1897 bar, named after the year exact evaluation for the rinse water consumption and the chemicals.
Kempinski first started business in Berlin, the
new property will feature a 900 square-metre
pillar-free ballroom, rooftop spa, kid’s club
and Royal suite with a private rooftop garden.
Afternoon fashion shows are planned for the T
Lounge. Another Kempinski tradition will also
Meet you at the FHA 2010 in Singapore
feature as a ‘lady in red’ - a guest service officer
in a flowing red dress – is available to advise
from 20th to 23rd April
and assist guests. 1,500 pieces of art, including
Hall 2 booth nr. 2G3-01
designed for hygiene
over 200 original paintings and sculptures by
Thai artists commissioned by the property, will
be on permanent display. COMENDA Ali S.p.A. Via Galileo Galilei, 8 - 20060 Cassina de’ Pecchi Milano - Italy
The Conrad Treasury Brisbane joins Worldhotels
T +39 02 95228.1 - F +39 02 9521510 - sales@comenda.eu www.comenda.eu
I n d u s t r y N e w s
IN BRIEF
Paresa Resort’s views of the Andaman Sea
Malaysian YTL Hotels & Properties will
purchase Niseko Village, in Niseko, Japan in a
deal negotiated by Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels for
Citigroup Principal Investments Japan Co., Ltd.
The resort comprises a 506-room Hilton
Hotel, a 200-room Green Leaf Hotel, two 18-
hole golf courses including a par 72 golf course
designed by Arnold Palmer, and 155 hectares
of ski area set against the foothills of Mt. Niseko
An’nupuri.
A spokesman for JJLH, said that YTL
plans to position the resort as an all-year-round
destination in the vein of Whistler in British
Columbia, Canada or St Moritz in Switzerland.
Guilin, home to a new Shangri-La property
Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts has opened
a new hotel in Guilin.
The seven-storey property, Shangri-La
Hotel, Guilin, is situated near Yushan Bridge,
35 minutes from Guilin Liangjiang International
Airport and features 449 rooms, with starting
sizes of 42 square metres.
Suites range from an 84-square-metre
executive suite to the 210-square-metre
presidential, while a 1,800-square-metre
Grand Ballroom, the largest ballroom in Guilin,
can hold up to 2,000 people, and with six
additional function rooms is geared toward the
MICE market. Guests at Singapore Fairwood’s Prego
Guilin’s regional cuisine is served at restaurant are invited to view artist
restaurant Shang Palace, which also features Charlene Tenio at work, as she creates
Cantonese, Hunanese and Huaiyang dishes. the first Youth Olympic Games mural.
An outside pool bar will serve snacks and The work sets YOG mascots against
the country’s landmarks.
cocktails.
Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG)
has announced its 2000th Holiday Inn hotel
relaunch – the Holiday Inn Express Edinburgh
– Waterfront, in Scotland.
First announced in October 2007, the
company-wide relaunch focuses on aspects
that research shows matter most to guests
The 2000th Holiday Inn
20 AHCT April 2010
Despite on going problems in Thailand Phuket tourism
continues to flourish, with a luxurious new property, and
destination website recently launched.
Paresa Resorts has opened a luxury boutique resort
in the Kamala ‘Millionaire Mile’ area of Phuket. Six
different suite and villa types offer private infinity pools,
private balconies and views of the Andaman sea.
Relaxation is encouraged by way of the spa that
uses local products and ingredients, including the
Panpuri brand.
Four dining options are available including one
‘Infinity Alfresco Dining’, where guests are invited to
“recline on “private islands in the shallow waters of the
fibre optic lit infinity pool,” and “dine under the stars,
accompanied by the sound of the waves and the warm
ocean breeze.”
Guests to the Outrigger Hotels and Resorts in
Phuket may benefit from the company’s newly-launched
website, www.OutriggerPhuket.com, which marks a
new branding exercise for the established group. The
website contains social media opportunities as well as
resort information, photo galleries and online booking.
The Hilton Niseko village forms part of the deal
Preliminary figures released in March by the Pacific
Asia Travel Association (PATA) indicate the
numbers of international visitors to the Asia Pacific
region fell by an estimated three percent year-on-
year for calendar year 2009 – an improved result
compared to a drop of six percent for the first half of
the year.
South Asia emerged as the only sub-region in
Asia Pacific to record a full-year gain in international
arrivals, with visitor numbers rising one percent
year-on-year, supported by Myanmar (+26 percent),
Enjoy
Malaysia (+7 percent), Cambodia (+2 percent) and
Indonesia (+1 percent). Thailand, Singapore and
Vietnam logged declines of three, four and ten
percent respectively.
In Northeast Asia, arrivals fell two percent, with
Macau and China showing minus five and three per
cent declines.
Just three countries in the sub-region showed
increases. Taiwan (+14 percent) Korea (+13 percent)
and Hong Kong, which rose 0.3 percent.
at
Visit us
– modern, contemporary hotels with efficient,
friendly service. With a US$1 billion investment
the wide variety of Hall 9, 9M3-01 SINGA
PORE
delicious possibilities!
across more than 3,200 hotels and 430,000 Booth
rooms worldwide, relaunched hotels feature
new logos and upgraded amenities including
showers and bedding and new lighting and
landscaping.
www.martinbraungruppe.de
I n d u s t r y N e w s
A deluxe garden room at the Aston Primera Pasteur
Grape masque and body wraps are part of a new wine therapy series of body treatments and
facials at Thermes Marins Bali, Ayana Resort and Spa, and are said to promote youthful skin.
Hotels region-wide switched off lights and lit
up candles in a stream of eco-events, timed to
coincide with Earth Day on March 27th.
Begun three years ago by the World
Wildlife Fund, Earth Hour highlights concern for
global climate change by asking participants to
orchestrate a one-hour ‘blackout’. Now, as the
annual event gains pace, hotels are becoming
more creative – organizing innovative events for
guests, often with an eye to other environment
issues.
In Hong Kong, a darkened Langham
Place Hotel enticed its staff to give up a
Saturday night off to host Earth Hour parties -
complete with solar-lit break dancers, chemical-
free soy candles, organic shooters and a 100
percent sustainable Champagne and canapé
menu, as all external signage and lights in the
forecourt, lobby, restaurants, bars and spa were
flicked off.
Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort and Spa,
Maldives, contributed to a company-wide list
of events by offering moonlit massages using
locally produced virgin coconut oil. Sheraton
Pattaya, part of the Starwood Group, used
in-room voicemail and television networks
to promote the Earth Day message, joining
22 AHCT April 2010
IN BRIEF
Looking to capture regional MICE market
share, Aston Primera Pasteur Hotel and
Premier room at Hotel Éclat
qu a l it y
If you
Conference Center opened in Bandung,
Indonesia in March.
The 4-star property, located on Jalan
Pasteur, offers a grand ballroom with capacity
for 1500 guests, modern meeting rooms with
a
built-in video recording and Internet Protocol
Television in all 204 guest rooms and suites
– a first for the hotel market in Indonesia.
l ook f o r
ou
This latest opening marks the company’s
third in Bandung.
an d y
The Da’an district of Taipei, Taiwan is home
to a new luxury boutique hotel.
Hotel Éclat is a 60-room upmarket art
hotel owned and conceived by Hong Kong
entrepreneur George Wong and features his
own personal art collection, fine wines and pro d u c t
rare Chinese mao tai wine.
e
Rooms are equipped with such luxury
amenities as Mont Blanc desk collections,
Salvatore Ferragamo toiletries, and a menu of
a sk f o r th
t o
ten speciality pillows.
The signature Éclat Suite is decorated
with Swarovski chandeliers, Murano glass
sculptures and a Hasten bed from Sweden
favoured by royalty and costing US$48,000.
no n e ed Visit us
at
FHA
Hall 3 1
Boo th 3B3-0
hundreds of other properties in the group which
scheduled community walk-a-thons, candlelight
‘unplugged’ concerts and receptions offering
‘green’ cocktails.
Singapore went a step further, as parks and
landmarks, including a string of ten malls lining
shopper’s paradise Orchard Road, went black.
Conrad Centennial Singapore made
a fleet of hybrid taxis available to guests not
staying for candlelit dinners in F&B outlets. The
Four Seasons linked with 47 other company
locations, offering an organic three-course
menu. And InterContinental Singapore’s Corman Butter 82% fat Corman Concentrated Butter
Olive Tree hosted a ‘blackout’ draw offering
drinks promos.
For parent company IHG, who featured
events in all four Singapore outlets, Earth
Delicous Butters with an exceptional workability
Hour is a sign of the times and reinforces a for the best croissant and puff pastry
recent eco-aware direction for the brand,
which is embarking on an online environmental
programme, ‘Green Engage,’ allowing general
managers to manage consumption more
efficiently. “By inviting guests to take a personal
interest in Earth Hour – in a novel way – we not
only support the cause but also educate and
increase awareness of the impact we have on
Singapore takes part in Earth Hour (file photo)
our environment,” said IHG spokesman, Mark N A T U R A L L Y P E R F E C T
Winterton.
www.lechef.be
 M a n a g eme n t Unlike most other businesses, if problems M a n a g eme n t
occur, they occur on the hotel premises

Mystery shoppers test all aspects of the hotel

up
Listen

as possible but as rapidly as possible is

critical.”
Due to the unique nature of the hotel “Guests have a
industry, it tends to be reliant on customer
feedback to a degree not seen in other heightened need
for everything
industries. “In hospitality, the customer buys
and then consumes the entire product in the
presence of the hotel’s staff, on the hotel’s
terra firma,” explains Jim Coyle, President,
Coyle Hospitality Group. “This leads to
to be going well
dialogue that cannot be ignored, is often
intimate, and presents problems that are
because they are
happening right then and there. Secondly,
while travelling, the guest is outside of their so vulnerable”
As travellers become
safety zone. They have a heightened need
for everything to be going well because they Jim Coyle

G
ever-more sophisticated etting it right for guests is
top priority for Patsy Chan
and canny, making sure at Hong Kong’s Kowloon
Shangri-La. When asked for
hotels provide every a specific example of when guest feedback
need and live up to every has been used to implement actual change,
the Marketing and Communications
expectation has become Director gets to the nitty gritty of customer
increasingly important, satisfaction.
“Upon receiving comments in the guest
Euan McKirdy reports relations logbook and on guest comment
cards, we adopted the suggestion of placing
ice cubes in the guest rooms if and only when
required. To avoid the ice from melting, we
only deliver a bucket of ice cubes to guest
rooms upon request. By doing so, not only
can we meet guest satisfaction by delivering
ice cubes at their preferred time of delivery,
but it also helps cut down on the production
of ice cubes, which in turn helps protect the
environment and avoid wastage of natural
resources.”
“All leading and successful chains
and individual properties nowadays rely
significantly on guest feedback by both
traditional and ‘new’ channels to monitor
service satisfaction and engage in continuous
improvement and adaptation to changing
trends and needs,” says Irwin Hankins
of Research Alliance, a global network
of medium-sized research companies.
“Nowadays, given the speed with which new
media permit positive or negative views to
spread, given the fierce levels of competition
for the traveller’s wallet combined with
an unprecedented level of choice in many
markets, the need for management to
obtain feedback not only in as much detail
are so vulnerable.”
Provoking a response
In addition to utilising feedback from
websites like TripAdvisor, there are a number
of resources available to hoteliers to ensure
their guest’s expectations are being met.
These range from the simple – traditional
guest feedback forms found in every hotel
room – to the complex, with firms offering
Customer Experience Management solutions
and mystery shopper schemes to help identify
weaknesses within the organization.
As simple as they appear, in-room (or
increasingly online) feedback forms are a
key source of customer information and
a good gauge of guest satisfaction. Guests
tend to give feedback when they are either
exceptionally pleased with the service,
or conversely, when they are particularly
The traditional feedback form is still a useful tool
dissatisfied with the quality of the service.
Hotels’ own surveys, combined with peer-
generated online forums such as TripAdvisor
offer a wealth of data, which can be
analysed and actioned by hotels and market
research firms like Coyle Hospitality and
Research Alliance. Detail and speed of data
collection are both key factors in utilising this
information successfully.
Mystery shoppers, a tool used by
market research firms to test a range of
customer services within an organization, are
anonymous, undercover employees posing
as regular guests, to check the actual service
experience, measured against prescribed
standards and provides invaluable feedback to

24 AHCT April 2010 April 2010 AHCT 25

 M a n a g eme n t
“All constructive feedback … is resolved and
closed within 24 hours” Michelle Wan
firms on their standard operating procedures.
“[Mystery shoppers] are a very important
tool to provide continuous and objective
feedback to management of chains/large
groups, especially,” says Research Alliance’s
Hankins. “But such programmes need to
be properly designed and executed – we
see far too many hoteliers treating this as a
commodity service [and preferring] price-
driven decisions resulting in checkers who are
the wrong profile for the property or who are
inadequately trained. Mys-shop programmes
if properly designed would be treated by
progressive managers as an investment, not
an expense, and can provide invaluable and
continuous feedback at chain, property and
department level.”
Daily response
Michelle Wan, Director of Public Relations,
The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore, says,
“Mystery Shoppers are extremely important
to The Ritz-Carlton. We have two categories
of mystery shoppers – first companies that
provide professional mystery shoppers and
secondly, individual guests who volunteer
themselves for the mystery shopping audit.
We use feedback provided by these mystery
shoppers to look into the gaps and thereafter
employees are involved in an action plan
to close the gaps.” The hotel was awarded
‘Best Hotel Experience’ at the inaugural
Singapore Experience Awards organized by
the Singapore Tourism Board.
26 AHCT April 2010
Likewise, Customer Experience
M a n a g e m e n t ( C E M ) s o l u t i o n s a re
comprehensive processes implemented
by hotel management – largely on the
advice of marketing firms and using their
frameworks – to ensure a high level of
customer satisfaction. “We use algorithms
to provide Action Plans that put the focus
on repeated and significant defects which
we call ‘Exceptions’,” says Jim Coyle. “Some
clients will convene a task force, source the
root of the problem, implement a plan and
ask us to come back and measure progress.
Others simply task the manager to limit their
number of ‘Exceptions’ per year to a specific
number, which is good because it makes no
sense to be perfect, but rather to recover.”
Wan uses the Ritz-Carlton’s unique
CEM solution, Mystique, on a daily basis.
“All constructive feedback is recorded in
Mystique within 24 hours and published
in the next morning’s briefing packet for
all department heads to review with their
employees, coach and analyse the problem
and rectify,” she says. “At the same time,
senior management uses the information
to identify those guests who are still staying
in the hotel and give a courtesy call. All
constructive feedback in Mystique is resolved
and closed within 24 hours.”
The system is also designed to cope with
issues varying from misunderstandings over
billings to lost property.
Exceptionally good experiences are as likely to
generate feedback as exceptionally bad ones
Acute with Style
Bright on Innovations
Lovingly Italian
Celebrating 50 years of
Italian Trade Commission in Singapore
Feedback is a two-way street. Equally
important is gauging employee satisfaction.
Contented, valued employees in a hotel, from
the management down, necessarily give the
hotel environment a more positive, helpful
and friendly atmosphere. “As corny as it
sounds, our research has shown that a smiling
face and upbeat attitude is consistently cited Cool Flame:
as the most important thing to travellers,” Spirited Italian Designs for the Inspired Gourmand
according to Coyle. “Service is all about how
people feel they have been treated. Many
hotels use employee satisfaction surveys to
gauge the level of satisfaction.”
Feedback can be used on a wider
ITALIAN PAVILION AT FHA 2010
spectrum as well, as opportunities to
expand into growing markets such as India
and China – where there are burgeoning 20-23 April 2010 Singapore Expo
middle classes with a largely domestic travel
mentality – increase. Feedback from these
markets ensures that templates that have
worked well in other markets – templates www.tasteitaly.sg
for design, service models, the range of
services and amenities that are offered – can
be adapted and crafted to fit the prevailing
tastes and expectations of these cultures and
mentalities. “Some western hotel operators Hall 4: Stand 4F1 (Hotel Equipment)
have found that ‘blind transference’ of their
‘model’ for the look and feel of rooms, for
Hall 9: Stand 9B2, 9B3, 9C2, 9C3 and 9D3 (Food & Wine)
what services to offer in-room, even what to
offer in bathrooms and how to equip rooms,
lacks saliency and is way off the expectations
or needs of many in these new markets,” says
Hankins.
Embassy of Italy
M a r k e t R e p o r t
Boosting
Singapore
Can rising
occupancy keep
pace with rapidly
increasing room
supply asks
Robin Lynam
W
ith the doldrums of 2009
seemingly behind them, you
might think that Singapore’s
hoteliers would be in a merry mood. Up to a
point they are, but optimism is cautious.
According to government statistics last
year the average occupancy rate slid from
81 percent in 2008 – already down from 87
percent in 2007 – to 76.4 percent. Average
room rates fell from S$245.2 (US$175.7)
to a dismal S$190.6 (US$136.6), although
luxury properties fared rather better than
other sectors of the market.
28 AHCT April 2010
Occupancies were beginning to recover
in the fourth quarter of 2009, and in January
2010 visitor arrivals were up a cheering 17.6
percent over January 2009, to 908,000 – the
highest ever figure for the month.
Rates under pressure
As occupancies fell, hotels slashed rates, so
will they now rise again? Opinions differ.
“As 2010 is a year of recovery, we do not
expect the rates to be where they were in
2008. However, we do not foresee they will
decline further,” says Ritz-Carlton Millenia
Singapore Director of Sales and Marketing,
Andreas Kohn.
Ben Bousnina, General Manager of
the Rasa Sentosa Resort is more optimistic,
forecasting a rise in rates of 10 percent to 15
percent. Given that according to government
figures rates fell on average by 22.3 percent
in 2009 year on year there is still plenty of
lost ground to make up.
One reason rates are likely to remain
under pressure is that for the foreseeable
future room supply in the city may well
outstrip demand. During the course of 2010
and 2011 new hotels opening in Singapore
will bring more than 6,000 new rooms on-
stream.
Projects include the Fullerton Bay Hotel,
the Mövenpick Hotel Sentosa, the Park Regis
Singapore, the Grand Park Hotel Orchard,
and the two new “integrated resorts”
(IRs), as Singapore likes to refer to casino
developments.
Between them the Marina Bay Sands
and the six hotels in Resorts World Sentosa
will contribute more than two thirds of
that total - about 4,400 rooms. Looking
further ahead the increase in room supply
by the end of 2012 will number more than
10,700 rooms.
Impact
Whether the new Marina Bay and Sentosa
properties will have the effect on Singapore’s
tourism desired by the government – and
whether they will be able to operate without
the undesirable associated businesses that
casinos usually attract – remains an open
question.
What is clear is that they will have an
impact on the businesses of Singapore’s
other hotels.
A casino at Resorts World Sentosa
– will it pull the right crowd?
“We can expect these developments to
impact the number of visitor arrivals and the
length of stay of visitors - both of which will
have an impact on the hotel industry here,”
observes Vincent Huang, Area Director,
Hong Kong & Macau, of the Singapore
Tourism Board (STB).
“The opening of the two IRs will broaden
our leisure and entertainment options and
enhance Singapore’s tourism appeal and
reputation as a destination for leisure and
“[The IRs will] … make
Singapore an exciting
destination” Andreas Kohn
A room at newly-opened Festive
Hotel at Resorts World Sentosa
Singapore is adding rooms faster
than it can draw new visitors
business visitors. Together with Singapore’s
strong line up of year round signature leisure
and business events, and exciting retail,
dining, lifestyle and entertainment scene, the
integrated resorts are expected to contribute
to the projected record numbers for visitor
arrivals and tourism receipts this year.”
The STB certainly takes a rosy view of
the future. The board forecasts 11.5-12.5
million visitor arrivals in the course of 2010,
which translates to an increase of between 19
M a r k e t R e p o r t
percent and 29 percent, compared to 2009.
The forecast for tourism receipts is S$17.5-
S$18.5 billion.
One hotel that will feel the effects of
Resorts World immediately is the Rasa
Sentosa, but Bousnina takes a positive view.
“Rasa Sentosa Resort is now neighbours
with Southeast Asia’s first Universal Studios
and Singapore’s first casino. These attractions
are expected to draw millions of tourist
arrivals to Singapore and Sentosa. The island
will be able to cope with high room demand
as there will be a total of 12 hotels on Sentosa
– six by the integrated resort and another six
currently. To help us compete better and gear
up for the challenges ahead, since 15 March
this year Rasa Sentosa Resort is undergoing
a complete makeover. A full revamp will
be carried out in all the guestrooms and
facilities including the swimming pool, spa,
gym, food and beverage outlets, function
rooms and the children’s club. The project is
targeted for completion in early 2011. With
the revamp we hope the resort becomes the
destination of choice for both business and
leisure travellers,” he says.
Softening the blow
Lim Kok Thay, Executive Chairman of
the Genting Group that developed and
manages Resorts World Sentosa, certainly
has high hopes for its impact on Singapore’s
tourism.
“Resorts World Sentosa is my vision for a
trail-blazing tourism product with universal
appeal. Genting and its partners will fulfil
this visionary collection of ideas that will
shift the paradigm of tourism in the region,”
he asserts.
April 2010 AHCT 29

M a r k e t R e p o r t
Kohn is similarly upbeat, predicting the
IRs will produce a “plethora of spillover
benefits in other industries revolving around
lifestyle, retail and dining making Singapore
an exciting destination. With the economy in
recovery and aggressive marketing initiatives
from the industry stakeholders, we look
forward to a year of growth”.
The analysts of CB Richard Ellis (CBRE)
Hotels also believe visitor arrivals for 2010
will be healthier, but nevertheless predict a
challenging year for the industry.
CBRE’s projections for visitor arrivals
are lower than the STB’s. They forecast
annualised growth of between 5 percent and
Plans for the new lobby at
Rasa Sentosa Resort
10 percent that works out at between 10.1
million and 10.4 million.
The firm’s analysts take a pessimistic
view of the prospects for rates, given the
exponentially increasing room supply.
Looking beyond the 2010 to 2011
increases, CBRE’s analysts point out that
if hotel projects announced but still in the
planning stage proceed, Singapore will have
an additional 13 hotels with a total of 4,300
rooms by 2015.
That adds up to 42 new hotels with
over 15,000 rooms – an increase of almost
50 percent on the rooms available in
October 2009.
“Many market participants have serious
concerns as to whether the anticipated
demand will be sufficient to absorb the
additional supply,” says CBRE Hotels Senior
Consultant, Alison Poore.
“Fortunately for Singapore, the massive
investment in tourism infrastructure in the
form of the two IRs will help generate
significant additional demand, which, when
combined with improving business and
consumer sentiment, will help to soften the
impact of such a dramatic increase in supply
over time.”
In the shorter term CBRE’s analysis
provides cold comfort for the city’s hoteliers.
It predicts a further decline in rates by up to
30 AHCT April 2010
Looking forward to a
year of growth at the
Ritz-Carlton, Millenia
A renovated guestroom at
Rasa Sentosa Resort
Resorts World Sentosa developer Genting’s
Executive Chairman, Lim Kok Thay
4 percent, bringing the daily average down
to between S$187 and S$196.
That certainly puts the onus on the
STB to continue improving and promoting
the city’s tourism product. Both Kohn and
Bousnina think they are on the right track.
“With sporting events having grown
exponentially in Singapore in the past
decade, more companies are using the
country as the launch pad for unique and
large-scale sporting events,” says Kohn.
“The inaugural Youth Olympic Games
in August and the Formula One race, now
in its third year, will be heavyweights on this
year’s sporting calendar. Apart from this,
city-wide events including the Singapore
Airshow, Inter-Pacific Bar Association annual
meeting, Tax Free World Association and
CommunicAsia will reinforce Singapore’s
role as a leading conventions venue.
STB has taken destination-marketing up
another notch through the recent launch of
YourSingapore.com. This web platform aims
to personalise the visitor experience even
before the visitors arrive in Singapore. On
the hotel front, we work closely with STB’s
representative offices in the key markets
and tap into their resources to support our
marketing initiatives.”
Bousnina also expresses confidence in
the way Singapore is being sold, particularly
through the S$90 million Building On
Opportunities to Strengthen Tourism
or BOOST campaign launched last
year (2009).
“BOOST is a multi-pronged initiative
With a passion for coffee
that includes tactical marketing campaigns
and training schemes to improve key areas
in the tourism industry, such as demand
With a coffee machine from Crem International Swedish and Spanish management, our central
for travel to Singapore and outreach to
Singapore residents [around 19percent we can fulfill all your expectations. Besides a location and competitive prices, we offer a
of Rasa Sentosa’s guests are Singapore
residents]. Rasa Sentosa Resort worked
wide range of excellent coffee machines, we unique corporation, tailor-made for the Asian
with STB for one of its 2009 Reasons to offer unprecedented logistic, ser vice and and the Pacific region.
Enjoy Singapore campaign, offering room
packages at S$209. support solutions for
“We are confident that the government our partners and Come and explore
will continue with initiatives to enhance the
tourism sector. These will be complemented distributors in our group and broad
by projects in the pipeline such as the new Asia and the product portfolio
International Cruise Terminal in Marina
South, Gardens by the Bay and the National Pacific. at the Food and
Arts Gallery. We are also looking forward to Hotel Asia exhibition
the opening of the second integrated resort,
Marina Bay Sands this year,” he says. We combine Swedish engineering, in Singapore, held between the
Robert McIntosh, CBRE Hotels
quality and traditions with Spanish passion, 20th and 23rd of April. Our booth is number
E xe c u t i ve D i re c t o r, a l s o ex p re s s e s
confidence in Singapore’s “underlying innovation and design. The result is perfect 4L3-07. Welcome!
market fundamentals” and “updated tourism
strategy” but sounds a cautionary note.
coffee, over and over again.Thanks to our
“Whilst it is extremely difficult to forecast
hotel performance beyond 2010, it is likely
that performance may continue to soften
in 2011 and stage a recovery from 2012
onwards. However, it is highly unlikely that
hotel performance in Singapore will return
to the market highs of 2008 for a number
of years”. Strong brands of Crem International
www.creminternational.com
M a r k e t R e p o r t
Navigating
the passage
to India
The country has a reputation as a difficult
place to do business. Mischa Moselle and
Zara Horner ask if these challenges are a
disincentive to entry by international brands
“G
enerally, there is a strong level of bureaucracy
that needs to be effectively navigated,” concedes
Raju Shahani, Development Consultant S.E.
Asia, India & Middle East, Langham Hotels
International. “This can be a challenge for any new brands without
strong local knowledge looking to break into the Indian market.”
With their first property scheduled for opening next year in
Pune, the group sees, “metro cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore
and so on [as] opportunities for us. The major cities are where we
see our brands fitting well.” Shahani believes the Indian hospitality
market is “relatively underdeveloped” and despite massive building
projects over the past few years, “there is a need for hotel rooms in all
categories.” Particularly, he says in the 3- and 4-star segment.
Some hoteliers are of a different opinion. “On the contrary,”
asserts Andrew Clough, SVP Development, Hilton Worldwide
- Middle East & Asia Pacific in response to the comment that India
has a reputation of being difficult to do business in. And Hilton
Worldwide is certainly tipping its cap at the country. “We are looking
at the opportunities. In November 2009, we opened the Hilton
Garden Inn New Delhi Saket, and in February this year, we opened
the Hilton New Delhi Janakpuri. We will open the Hilton Chennai
in June this year and another two or three hotels in the country by
year-end. Our pipeline features over 20 hotels across our portfolio
of brands from the focused service segment up to the luxury brand.”
Currently Hilton Worldwide is looking at over 100 cities in India,
spanning from the key primary gateway cities to those in secondary
locations. “Our pipeline includes projects under development in
Delhi, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Karnataka and Gurgaon.”
More than that, Clough points out that in his opinion, “The Indian
Government is moving apace to address micro economic reform
especially in regards to hotel development. For example, policies have
IHG has been in India since the early 1960s
32 AHCT April 2010
M a r k e t R e p o r t
The Holiday Inn Manali Mid-range establishments are likely to motor growth
“One of our key
challenges is around
infrastructure in India”
Jan Smits
been implemented to increase site-plot ratios as well as a raft of tax
incentives to stimulate development.”
Expensive?
Falling somewhere in the middle of the argument, K.B Kachru,
Executive Vice President South Asia, Carlson Hotels believes, “every
market has its challenges. India today represents around three percent ROYAL BUTLER TRAINING GLOBAL SEARCH INTERNATIONAL
of our business [and] about 20 percent of our global pipeline.”
Kachru thinks with increased spending power and improved air
and road infrastructure it will be the domestic traveller who “drives”
tourism in India. “India is certainly a priority market for Carlson
given its growth prospects.” In terms of focus, again major cities
such as Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai are in the company’s sights.
But, “The spiralling real estate prices and shortage of space has led
EXECUTIVE RECRUITMENT
to a rising demand for affordable holiday experiences among middle WWW.IGBH.COM WWW.GLOBALSEARCHINT.COM
income Indian travellers. The same applies for the corporate sector
ROYAL BUTLER TRAINING
where tier two cities are gaining attractiveness among multi-national Luxurious butler training designed specially for your resort
corporations primarily due to the lower operating costs relative to and your guests. Helping to re-define your service excellence.
a tier one city.”
While he predicts growth will be “broad based” with a continued Teaching essential skills, developing standards and services
demand for upscale and luxury brands, Clough is in agreement with by targeting the mindset of the butler to understand, meet and
his industry colleagues, saying the real growth area in the country will exceed the expectations of every unique guest.
be in the mid range establishments. “The real opportunity lies in the
mid-market segment particularly as this segment has not really been
penetrated by branded hotel chains yet. Due to several factors, such
as the smaller parcel of land required, simpler construction and so
on, the mid-market offers the opportunity for fast paced multi-unit
growth.”
This predicted increase in room supply is bound to have a knock
on effect on room rates of course. The consensus is that India’s
comparatively high ADR’s are not sustainable. “Rates are a result
of demand and supply,” says Langham’s Shahani. “As the supply of
rooms increases, rates will correct and gradually come down.”
“If one follows expert opinion on the demand/supply imbalance, For visual demonstrations; enter ‘Wayne Fitzharris’, on www.youtube.com
the ADRs in India are clearly running above the long term average.
ENQUIRIES WELCOME
We expect that as the supply increases in India, this will be corrected,”
Clough says. Likewise Kachru believes, “As more and more Email: Wayne@globalsearchint.com OR Wayne@igbh.com
Tel: ++ 44 (0) 207 7 033 666 Fax ++ 44 (0) 207 2525 212
April 2010 AHCT 33
 M a r k e t
Hilton Worldwide is looking to open five properties in India in 2010
India represents 20 percent of
Carlson’s active pipeline
Langham Place Koregaon Park, Pune – Langham’s first foray into India
34 AHCT April 2010
R e p o r t
Carlson recently introduced the mid-market Park Inn brand to India
international hotel groups [move into] India there will be an increase
in room supply. [Also] the growing domestic traveller is price sensitive
and looking [for] value for money, mid-scale options.”
Going to Goa
While conceding every market has its unique advantages and
challenges, Jan Smits, Managing Director IHG Asia Australasia points
out, “One of our key challenges is around infrastructure in India.”
Nevertheless, the group is on track to open 41 hotels in major metros,
Radisson Resort & Spa Alibaug and secondary cities over the next few years. “IHG entered India as
early as 1962, and more than 40 years on we are still optimistic about
India and our growth in this market. We are focussing on 12 key
cities: Delhi, Mumbai, Goa, Bangalore, Chennai, Jaipur, Agra, Kochi,
Hyderabad, Pune and Kolkata. We see significant opportunities for
domestic, international, leisure and business travellers.”
Based on research conducted for and by the company, IHG is
focussing on increasing the number of managed hotels in the upscale
and mid-market segments and will open 23 Holiday Inn branded
hotels in the next few years, which accounts for more than 50 percent
of development pipeline in the country. Smits has a different take
on the question of ADR’s in India, “In general, [they are] still lower
than the world’s most expensive hotel rooms. A recent survey [Hogg
Robinson and latest STR Global data] showed that ADRs in Moscow,
Abu Dhabi and New York last year [were] higher than Mumbai
– a key Indian city. Mumbai also had the largest decrease in ADRs
in January this year, with a fall of 8 percent. As ADR is driven by
demand and supply, it’s still early days to say what this means in terms
of sustainability of high ADR rates in the long run.”
Returning to the mid-market theme, Carlson recently launched
its mid-market brand Park Inn in India. There are now two in
development and three operational, including one in Goa, a state all
industry operatives are keeping a close eye on. “Goa, and Kerala are
the most popular tourist destinations in the country,” Kachru asserts.
“There’s plenty of potential for luxury and high-end accommodation.
Tourism has emerged as a focal point for development in
these states.”
M a r k e t R e p o r t
While noting Goa’s “potential” Hilton’s Clough says it’s important
to point out the local government also recognises the growth potential
in tourism and is positioning the state for the upscale market now.
“A large geographical area, Goa already offers a wide spectrum of
accommodation and in that sense has lost the ‘backpacker destination’
label of old. Goa also has significant potential given its size and the
fact it is still relatively undersupplied with resorts. The appeal of
the region will undoubtedly give it the potential to compete with
destinations such as Bali or Phuket. It’s a credit to the Government
that development in Goa is being carried out sensitively in terms of
the environment, which will help ensure the longevity and appeal of
Goa to tourists and [locals alike].”
Likewise the northwestern state Rajasthan offers plenty of scope.
“Rajasthan is just simply amazing,” enthuses Clough. “Its diversity,
history, culture, climate, architecture, heritage and natural beauty
position it as one of a kind, clearly as a leisure market the destination
has a wonderful future.” Hilton Worldwide has a Doubletree
by Hilton under construction in Jaipur, and aims to establish “a
portfolio” of hotels and resorts in Rajasthan. IHG already has one
hotel in the state and is looking for opportunities to open more
there. Says Smits, “Rajasthan is recognised as one of the world’s
leading heritage destinations and does well as both a leisure and
business destination. The rich cultural heritage of the state with
its palaces and forts, handicrafts, music and dance all contribute
to developing Rajasthan as one of the largest travel and tourism
markets in India.” Interestingly, the figures support these comments.
Notes Smits, “The number of domestic and international travellers
to Rajasthan has been increasing rapidly. Rajasthan received 8.3
million domestic and international tourists in 2001 (three percent
of India’s tourists). This figure more than tripled to 29.8 million
tourists in 2008. The upcoming Commonwealth Games in New
Delhi will be a major driver for tourist arrivals due to Rajasthan’s
proximity to the capital.”
April 2010 AHCT 35
 T e c h n o l o g y

Unlocking the potential

in access control
The way hotel rooms lock and are opened is being
overhauled as new access control technology offers
improved security, and multiple functions on one
keycard, Piers Evans reports

H
otels are expert at offering exceptional comforts
– but, almost inevitably, they provide some petty
irritants as well.
Many guests must wish their bedrooms were as
tidy as their hotel rooms. A few may even miss the neat triangle
in the toilet paper. Until now, though, few have found anything
aspirational about a hotel lock.
No longer. Over recent months new upscale residential
properties are also coming with keycards – now seen as a selling
point rather than a drawback.
The revamp of hotel security systems to give a more welcoming
experience follows a fundamental shift in technology, says Bernard
Lefebvre, Vice-President of International Sales at Kaba Lodging
Systems.
“Probably the most significant change has been the movement
away from magstripe to Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)
technology” he says. “The demand for which has led to the
development and availability of several RFID locks such as ILCO’s
790 contactless electronic lock, Saflok’s brand RT, MT RFID and
Quantum RFID locks.”
In Asia, Kaba Lodging Systems recently installed its Saflok
MT in Marina Bay Sands, Singapore, and the Quantum lock in
the Peace Hotel, Shanghai, the Fairmont, in Kunshan, and the
VingCard design
Ritz Carlton, Shanghai.

36 AHCT April 2010

 T e c h n o l o g y

VingCard’s Vision Smart Card encoder

Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies is also expanding brands

like Shlage, Von Duprin and Cisa in Asia, and is currently installing
solutions for the Macau Venetian parcel 5 and 6.
“As experts in the security industry, we can not only provide a
complete set of mechanical hardware and electronic systems, but
also help our customers on design and technical service,” says Celia
Feng, Product Manager, Marketing and Business Development, Asia
Pacific Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies.
Like Lefebvre, she sees gathering momentum for RFID, despite
some concern over the security of the Mifare technology, after the
encryption algorithm within the system’s chip was subjected to well-
publicised hacks.

The development of Saflok’s Quantum lock
was in response to customer demand
Hinging on technology
“Recently hotel customers have increasingly demanded a one-card
solution, which can be realized via Mifare technology. But since
it’s claimed that there is some security risk on this technology, now

“Probably the most some hotels, especially those state-owned hotels in China require the
additional CPU function on hotel locks and cards,” Feng says.

significant change has VingCard is also setting the pace in RFID, says Vegard Prytz,
Vice President & Regional Director VingCard Elsafe Asia Pacific.

been the movement

“Signature RFID made contact-less a standard in electronic locking
systems for hotels, thanks to its flexible technology platform being
compatible with all the main ISO standards making customer decision
away from magstripe on what technology to choose very simple and easy,” he says.
The next stage will be new functions and services.
Messenger™ is a bi-directional wireless lock communication

to RFID technology” “Because RFID keycards allow read-write technology and

multi-application with third parties, hotels will be looking at
system that operates with a ZigBee-compliant platform running
the latest ZigBee Prostack software.
Kaba Lodging Systems (Asia)
Tel: +86.10.5861.3561/62
Bernard Lefebvre converging more and more services into the same guest keycard,”
Prytz predicts.
Kaba Ilco Inc.
Tel: 1.514.735.5410 Ext. 163
www.saflok.com
© SAFLOK 2010, all rights reserved. Patents pending and protected

38 AHCT April 2010

 T e c h n o l o g y

real-time and sent out to security staff. Once security has investigated
and taken appropriate action, they close the task. This allows the
hotel to proactively respond to issues before the guest notices,”
Lefebvre explains.
Prytz of VingCard claims his company’s Visionline system, which
connects electronic locks with a central server via a wireless open
secured platform, has already enabled big hotels over the last three
years to “drastically improve their bottom line, operations, and offer
a complete new array of services to their guests.”
The benefits he lists for Visionline’s wireless network include
instant cancellation of lost mastercards and live tracking of employees
and guests, as well as online reports on what rooms need furniture
fixing.
This year, “VingCard Elsafe will launch new add-on solutions,
products and features based on the Visionline platform that will once
again set a new reference in electronic security for hotels,” he says.

Style by design
Rivals in Asia’s hotel market are in agreement that the winners in
the access systems industry will offer good looks as well as smart
functions.
For Feng, one of the market’s new characteristics is the wider
choice of appearance, as multiple styles emerge.
“I don’t see very clear trends, since it’s quite diversified to comply
with the whole design style of hotels,” she says.
Prytz thinks there’s “a revolution in terms of design” led by the
minimalist style of systems such as VingCard’s Signature, – “An
approach that was requested by both hotels, architects and interior
Swipe access from ILCO
Saflok’s stylised approach to design

Cisa’s Mifare lock

For Lefebvre of Kaba Lodging Systems, both guests and hotels designers, who were searching for a seamless integration of the locking
have plenty to gain from RFID: “Guests no longer have to insert their systems with the overall design and décor of the hotel.”
keycards to unlock the door and RFID credentials are available as Lefebvre sees design becoming increasingly responsive to aesthetic
keycards, fobs, or as wristbands. considerations. “Saflok’s stylised approach to design is apparent in
“For the hotel, RFID credentials can also be used to store use- the patented lock that offers a custom lever option: Apogee.
history or lock audit information. This becomes useful for monitoring also features a flush mounted reader with LED indicators as
staff activities or drawing information on lock status such as low part of the reader.”
battery indication.” In addition to , Saflok offers the sectional trim Quantum
The other ‘hot-button’ is “smart-room interoperability”, Lefebvre lock which features less hardware on the door.
adds. “There has been significant interest in in-room control, which “Some existing customers have included the use of an underplate
essentially refers to communication between in-room devices such featuring their logo. While some others have even gone as far as
as the energy management system, television and in our case the etching their logo on the RFID reader’s lens. All these enhancements
electronic lock,” he says. contribute to the hotel’s branding and image,” Lefebvre adds.

Complete control Unlocking the future

Part of Saflok’s Messenger wireless lock communication system, the Despite the flurry of recent developments, the wave of innovation
LENS component, is a way to send real-time web-based notifications is not letting up. Kaba Lodging Systems is currently working on a
from Saflok locks to various groups of subscribers. prototype lock that uses acoustic key technology to open doors.
“A guestroom could become a custom experience tailored to the Through its Saflok brand, the company is in collaboration with
guest’s preference,” Lefebvre notes. OpenWays, a global provider of mobile-based access-management
“For example, when Messenger is partnered with an in-room and guest-service solutions, to develop an interface that enables
controller, lights can be adjusted to the appropriate level, the television Saflok locks to read a ‘key’ delivered by an OpenWays-enabled
can be turned on with the appropriate channel and volume, powered cell phone.
blinds open or close, and the temperature can be adjusted all to the In a similar initiative, VingCard is running a pilot programme in
guest’s liking.” which selected Starwood Preferred Guest members, with enhanced
As well as these ‘smart room’ applications, Messenger LENS can RFID keycards, are texted their room number on the day of a planned
work with the third-party workflow management systems. stay at the Aloft Lexington – enabling them to skip check-in.
“For example, when a door is left ajar a service order is created in As these innovative technologies spread, the hospitality industry
can clearly expect access control to start opening up markets as well
as doors.

40 AHCT April 2010

 T e c h n o l o g y
Computerising the paper chase
A
Accounting can be
ccountancy may have a staid image but technological
developments for bookkeepers are seemingly as rapid as
in any other sector.
a hotel’s best friend Hotels are establishments that rely heavily on proper,
up to the minute accounting processes to realise the best way to utilize
funds. As time has progressed, accounting systems have evolved with
– and the software is the establishments they serve, and today’s hotel accounting software
is efficient and exacting.
David Purcell, Director, Solutions Marketing, Hospitality
becoming ever-more Solutions, Softbrands, an affiliate of Infor that provides software
solutions to the hospitality industry including SunSystems financial
sophisticated. Euan
management, points out the unique nature of hotel accounting
systems. “Extended analysis of market segments, room types and
meal types; must typically handle mixed property types; must satisfy
McKirdy reports industry standards – USALI 10th Edition and have heavy daily
reporting and budgeting requirements.”
The Uniform System of Accounts for the Lodging Industry has
been in use since 1926. Commonly accepted across Asia – except
in Japan – it creates a good basis for making apples-to-apples
comparisons.
Saving graces
Although the total savings manifest in employing an efficient,
infallible accounting system remain intangible to some extent, there
are key elements of the accounting process that, when streamlined,
undoubtedly benefit from the savings made by reliable software
solutions. Labour, in terms of man-hours, spent moving data from
one system to another is vastly reduced. An efficient package can
42 AHCT April 2010
A career with a venerable history adapts to new technology
Y
CM
MY
CY
CMY
K
eliminate the need for costly fine-tooth combing of accounts. In
addition, well-documented and easy-to-read data can facilitate
reductions in expenses by decision-making based on timely access to
operational data. Online or electronic data storage has the practical
and cost benefit of a reduction in the cost of handling and storing
large amounts of paper forms, and efficient goods control in Food &
Beverage operations means a reduction of waste and theft.
Today’s systems are multifaceted and dynamic, given their need to
interface with multiple other hotel systems – Property Management,
Point of Sale, Time Clocks, Payroll Services – on a continuous
basis. Emphasis, says Brent Bensetler of DPHS, one of the leading
producers of accounting software, is placed on daily reporting
and statistics. Up-to-the-minute, ever reactive systems that rely on
interactivity and cross-departmental communication are key.
SoftBrand’s Purcell explains that vendors have improved the
software in the last five years to tailor applications specifically to
industry requirements and that data warehousing has improved
to deal with heavy daily reporting and budgeting demands. Most
significantly for Purcell has been the adoption of cloud computing,
allowing properties to access complicated software via the internet.
Indeed Purcell’s ideal accounting system would be cloud based, and
have a limited or reduced need for manual entry.
Currently, Bensetler says, hotel accounting software used across
the board is being offered more and more on a SaaS (Software as a
Service) basis, referring to another name for cloud computing. The
development of the programming, mindful of user feedback from
first-generation hotel accounting software has led to some crucial
improvements in usability, including the inclusion of Business
 T e c h n o l o g y

SIMPLE EFFECTIVE SIMPLE POWE

SIMPLE POWERFUL EFFE
Intelligence tools to allow for better reporting, and the increased SIMPLE POWERFUL EFFECTIVE SIM
use of HTNG (Hotel Technology Next Generation) standards for
interfacing using SOAP/XML messaging.
Concrete savings, which also improve a hotel’s environmental
records, have come to accounting software in the form of greater
usage of document management to reduce storage of paper forms.
An efficient system can also save on the
salaries of two or three full-time employees and
the 55 square metres of prime real estate they
occupy, along with the energy they consume
EzRMS™ Internet Product Suite
and servers and sundry computer equipment, For over a decade, EasyRMS has been the EzRMS™ is backed by the confidence of
says Purcell. leading provider of Internet Revenue & Yield many of today's industry leaders, including:
Management Solutions and independent Best Western International, Great Wolf Resorts,
Ideal system Consultancy Services worldwide. Colonial Williamsburg's Resort Collection,
Initiatives like the above have made hotel
accounting processes ever-more streamlined Delaware Group, PGA National Resort & Spa,
and user-friendly, but DPHS’s Bensetler says We are dedicated to the introduction of Pinehurst Resorts, QN Hotels, Potomac
the ideal system is still some way off. An new generation technology and procedures Hospitality, Enjoy Casino & Resorts, Jurys Inns,
ideal system, he suggests, would “Provide a within the hospitality industry, which we Hotel Plaza San Fransisco, Nickelodeon Suites
central repository of all data needed for the aim to deliver to our Clients in an ‘Ez and Resort, Chester Grosvenor & Spa, Cape Grace
management of the hotel coupled with an professional’ manner. Hotel, Chumash Casino & Hotel Corque, Trump
easy to use reporting and inquiry tool that International, Magnolia Hotels, Interstate
includes dashboards for visual presentation. At The experience and expertise gained throughout Hotels, West Paces Hotels, Accor Asia Pacific,
One solution for an accounting revolution the same time, the ideal system would provide the development of Revenue Optimisation Accor UK, NH Hoteles, Majestic Hotel Group,
complete integration through interfaces with all
within the Hospitality, Airline, Transportation Classics Hotels, Radisson SAS Hotels & Resorts,
other systems used in the hotel.” Systems in current use are getting
and Media industries during the past 30 years Radisson Edwardian Hotels, Somerston Hotels,
close to this kind of next-gen usability and total accounting control,
but are still lacking. has armed us with a unique and realistic Express by Holiday Inn, Hastings Hotels, Elite
So how can back-end systems provide support in areas such as knowledge of client expectations for the Hotels, Groupe Lucien Barrière, Novotel, Sofitel
payroll and automating bill payments? “Payroll expenses can be future, giving strength and presence to the & Mercure.
imported from a service,” says Bensetler. “Payroll can be run as an company's founding statement:
application with direct links to the Time & Attendance system as well EasyRMS is committed to easing the current
as the General Ledger, and analysis based on the back-end database “To provide top quality products and burden of strategic decision making and
can include Payroll data such as labour expenses by position, hours services, in an Ez and exciting manner, implementation of Revenue and Yield
worked and FTE’s (Full Time Equivalents). Bill Payments can be at affordable prices” Management techniques and procedures on
scheduled to occur automatically, and can be made via Electronic a global level.
Funds Transfer, thus reducing the cost of printing cheques and
mailing payments.”
Given the ever-increasing connectivity of a multitude of hotel
systems, a first-class accounting system should be able to talk to www.EasyRMS.com
these different systems and extract relevant data for managing and
streamlining the establishment’s accounting processes. 2.0 online
systems are a perfect way of sharing this information, either within
one establishment, or if necessary, across a network of hotels, as
MS.com
syR
with in a chain. “Management companies or owners can consolidate
Cont @Ea
act us today: Sales
data from multiple locations in a variety of ways using the internet
to transfer data into a central repository if they are not already
on a shared system,” Bensetler explains. “Comparing multiple
locations allows management to set standards of performance such
as Average Rate and Occupancy Percentage; and then measure
results side by side. Management can then focus on correcting the
problem areas.”

Worldwide Sales Offices

United Kingdom +44 (0) 20 7495 0773
France +33 (0) 1 53 34 96 00 | Italy +39 328 9557622
South East Europe +30 210 931 9551
Middle East +971 50 708 4791 | +971 56 138 5046
North America +1 (403) 830 9875
A smart front-of-
house needs a South East Asia +65 9233 8347
seamless back office
China +86 1391 067 1316
Photograph courtesy of Raffles Tianjin
Australasia +61 2 9231 5320
44 AHCT April 2010
 D e s i g n

Steve Leung likes user-

Global Chef Uniforms
friendly spaces Designed by Chefs...for Chefs since 1987

The main lobby of the Hyatt Regency, with its

backlit marble counter and tree mural

y J ob &
A Hong Kong designer explains the
o v e m iform
process of creating resort and business I l y U n
v e m
I lo
hotels. Mischa Moselle reports

Stunningly practical Designer Steve Leung

Many design features incorporate subtle nods to Sha Tin, but

the Sha Tin of Leung’s youth, then famed for the beauty of the
w w w. g l o b a l c h e f s t o r e . c o m

Leung wanted suites to feel like a stylish

home rather than something glitzy

Tolo Harbour and known for its pomelos (called Sha Tin grapefruit
in Cantonese). From afternoon teas with his parents to dates with
girlfriends, Leung has many “sweet memories” of the town.
As the hotel aims at a relaxed, resort-like atmosphere Leung,
working with architects Wong Tung & Partners, set himself the
objective to ‘bring the outside in’, an aim helped by the large amount
of natural light in the building. To this end he used several different
woods. Leung told AHCT that he can find wood too cold but in this
instance he used oak with a semi-gloss finish because of its “very
natural feel” and because sycamore and birch would be too elegant
for a resort ambience.

When to wood?
Leung also decided to work with a wood called weng, which has a
warm, dark colour.
A nature-inspired feature greets the guest in the lobby, a tree-
The Regency Club lounge with Sky Garden (at rear of photo) patterned wall mural built up from layers of stained wood veneers
overlooking Sha Tin, the Tolo Harbour and Ma On Shan mountain behind the service counter. The tree design is echoed in other fixtures

S
such as an oversized rectangular lighting pendant. Equally spectacular
teve Leung’s design signature is a space that is “contemporary is the backlit marble frontage of the counter, sliced at a thickness of
but has to be functional and comfortable,” the renowned 5-10 mm. The backlit marble theme continues in an archway leading
designer tells AHCT. through to the function room, a large, subdividable space near the
The seasoned traveller likes to stay in a different hotel lobby. This feature has become especially popular with wedding
every night of his many trips and he has been taking notes. couples. Much of the flooring is an Italian marble, chosen for the
Leung’s pet hates are stylish looking rooms where it is difficult colour variations and natural patterns.
to find the light switch or the way to the bathroom without waking The themed use of wood and marble continues into the guest
up his spouse. That has led him to design interiors that are “user rooms, which either fan out towards the large picture windows or
friendly, functional and comfortable.” taper towards the corridors.
The multiple award-winning Hong Kong designer recently Marble flooring extends from the door into and past the bathroom
escorted a group of journalists around the Hyatt Regency Hong until it meets a single coloured carpet. Walls decorated with a light
Kong, Sha Tin as the property celebrated the first anniversary of its wood with a horizontal grain face walls with subtle, vertical bamboo
opening and explained the thinking behind the design as he went. motif wallpaper.

The Hyatt Regency Hong Kong

46 AHCT April 2010 Sha Tin celebrates a year in operation
Watch TV from the tub in a naughty bathroom
 D e s i g n
The Bali resort-inspired rooftop
terrace at the Crowne Plaza
A suite living room with contemporary technology
48 AHCT April 2010
The Crowne Plaza Hong Kong Causeway Bay
D e s i g n
will give guests views over the Happy Valley racetrack.
As tranquil as the design is, the roar of traffic can still be heard
28 floors up from street level.
Signature
Leung created two public spaces on the ground floor. The lobby is
partly inspired by the busyness of Causeway Bay outside, a lighting
fixture of interconnecting threads and the small amount of seating
creating a frenetic atmosphere. However, a water feature on the
back wall is there to offer tranquillity. Those themes continue in the
high-ceilinged Connections lobby lounge. Leung explained to AHCT
that here he wanted a “quiet space” where guests could still look out
on the activity outside.
One floor further up in the Kudos all-day dining room, a mirrored
ceiling works the same effect, reflecting activity on the street below
into the restaurant.
The theme continues in busy, three-coloured guest room
carpeting with a circular pattern. The rooms have some other
Leung signatures in easy-to-find sockets and jacks and a drawer full
of stationery equipment, something he gave guests in the Novotel
Citygate Tung Chung project he designed five years ago.
Other technology in the rooms includes WiFi coverage and
broadband access, an iPod/iPhone docking system, a DVD player
and a 42-inch TV.
Although Leung doesn’t carry out any scientific research before
designing rooms, he describes design as a scientific process but also
a creative one. “Sometimes not everything is black and white and
the designer has to use discretion,” he adds.
The frenetic yet relaxed Crowne Plaza lobby
The furniture is all designed by Leung and custom-built in
China, except for the chairs for the workspace. The room design
displays Leung’s love of the practical. Sockets are easy to find as is
the air-conditioning control and rooms come with wired and wireless
broadband, a 42-inch LCD flatscreen TV, and the ever-popular
‘naughty bathroom’, one that has a glass wall, so guests can watch
TV while soaking in the tub. Leung is quick to point out the blinds
that can be drawn for privacy.
Dream home
Biggest of the guest rooms is the Presidential Suite. Leung says the
aim was to create a space that didn’t have the archetypal chandeliers
and gold trimmings but was, “comfortable, stylish and tasteful”. In
fact, Leung is far more used to working on residential properties,
especially show rooms for luxury developments.
The suite has a large foyer area, a study, a separate service
entrance, a large living area with obligatory 50-inch LCD TV and two
bedrooms with king-sized beds. The master bathroom has a feature
that Leung says all his clients insist on – his and her toilets – as well
as a bathtub, rainforest shower and a steam room.
Less exalted but nonetheless premium guests staying in Regency
Club floors have access to an executive lounge on the 25th floor, a
large, quiet space with views again over Tolo Harbour. The room
adjoins a Sky Terrace, (the weather was too windy to use it on the
day of AHCT’s visit), a small, al fresco garden taking full advantage Featured in top hotels and restaurants worldwide, Chilewich offers innovative, FHA 2010
of the views. versatile, and original woven textile designs to the hospitality industry. Made in
The sky garden concept is very much in evidence at another APRIL 20-23, 2010
the USA with a collection of over 70 color options, Chilewich provides durable and
Leung project – the Crowne Plaza Hong Kong Causeway Bay. SINGAPORE EXPO
easy care placemats, table runners, tête-à-têtes runners, coasters and customized
The top two floors of the property are gardens inspired by the
tray liners solutions for both interior and exterior settings. BOOTH #5F4-04
Balinese resort concept. There are plenty of waterways, Balinese art
and spaces for guests to lounge. The top floor has a small infinity pool WWW.CHILEWICHHOSPITALITY.COM
next to the bar, giving swimmers a view over Times Square. A pool
lower down is actually a tiled area containing outdoor furniture such
as sun loungers and designed to be flooded during the summer. This
April 2010 AHCT 49
 D e s i g n D e s i g n

The greening The ‘edible landscape’ of a Six Senses resort

Efficiency and benchmarking
He believes resorts in Asia are lagging behind industry leaders in the

of Asia’s resorts
United States, such as the Gold LEED certified Gaia Napa Valley
Hotel and Spa in California.
The major areas that need to be addressed in resort design,
he says, are “energy efficiency and water efficiency and the
benchmarking and monitoring of the consumption of those elements.
There are also site disturbance and preservation and conservation
issues related to the actual construction of hotels which I think are
fundamentally neglected by the hotel industry as a whole, as well as
material selection.”

New opportunities
There are obvious problems with retrofitting more environmentally
responsible elements to existing properties, not least of which is
revenue loss while the work is undertaken, but Thompson sees exciting
opportunities in new build resorts.
He has performed the role of Deputy Project Manager at
Soneva Kiri on Koh Kood, Thailand, a luxury resort built according
to “environmentally benign” construction principles. Bamboo and
Thai grown sustainable timber were used extensively, and during
construction a monitoring system was implemented to protect
Robin Lynam asks if indigenous flora and fauna. An on-site nursery propagated native

sustainability is a slogan plants for landscaping, and an organic garden has been established
to provide produce. Fruit trees, ginger, lemongrass and pepper
or a design reality plants have been scattered across the site as part of an “edible
landscaping concept”.

L
uxury resort hotels used to be marketed on the basis of
luxury alone. Now the emphasis is on ‘sustainable luxury’,
and leading resorts are competing to ‘out-green’ each
other. Or are they?
“Many of the bigger groups are probably paying lip service a
little bit,” says Louis Thompson, Six Senses Resorts & Spa’s Director
of green building and sustainable practices.

Hitting the green

“I’ve certainly seen some quite entertaining environmental initiatives
by big groups which have been trumped up into huge issues when
really they are kind of tokens. I remember listening to a conversation
at quite a big conference about golf tees made of bamboo being
supplied by Marriott, and this was being discussed as though it were
a fundamental breakthrough.”
Thompson might find something comical about Marriott’s
bamboo golf tees, but they do signal an awareness on the part of
large hotel groups that they need to be seen to ‘get with a green
programme’. And, according to JW Marriott Jr, Chairman and
CEO of the company, there are 250,000 of them in use per year at
their Camelback Inn golf course in Arizona, which means at least
250,000 fewer pieces of non bio degradable plastic are in circulation.
The group also plans to reduce its fuel and water consumption by
25 percent per available room by 2018.
Marriott, in common with most established hotel groups, is
having to clean up its act. Six Senses on the other hand started out
building ‘eco-hotels’ and has continued down that path.
Thompson, who describes himself as “a Permaculture designer
with a strong passion for low carbon construction and landscaping
techniques” is a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
(LEED) professional accredited by the United States Green Building
Council (USGBC).

Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort & Spa harnesses solar energy

50 AHCT April 2010 April 2010 AHCT 51
 D e s i g n

The Soneva Kiri resort set tough

environmental design standards

Testing the limits of how far environmentally sensitive

construction can be pushed is an ‘eco villa’ which guests can book
as of the middle of this month.
“This was a prototype building, and we probably set the bar a
little bit unrealistically high. We didn’t use any concrete, we didn’t
use any bolts, we used solar hot water and air conditioning, we
used mud bricks, a green [plant covered] roof, and virtually all the
materials were site sourced. I think that would be very difficult to do
in most cases at a resort wide level, so with hindsight the eco villa in
Soneva Kiri is extreme in its criteria. Without using any cement you
would have a lot of trouble getting a building signed off by structural
engineers, but the fundamental concept could and will be tweaked
on a resort level,” says Thompson.
Six Senses started out in the Maldives with its Soneva
Fushi and Soneva Gilli resorts that were built according to
demanding environmental criteria. Other groups on the islands have
followed suit.
Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort & Spa for example has solar
Indigo Pearl’s tin mining past is worked into the design panels on all its guest villa roofs to heat water and reduce energy
consumption, and a desalination and water bottling plant producing
500,000 litres of water per day.
In common with other groups Shangri-La is working to
“Many of the bigger improve the environmental friendliness of both new and established
properties.
groups are probably “Water resource management is an environmental priority within
the group, and all Shangri-La hotels are required to implement water

paying lip service a little conservation practices,” says Patricia Gallardo, Shangri-La’s Director
of Corporate Social Responsibility.

bit” Louis Thompson “Currently water recycling initiatives include using recycled water
for gardening, using treated ‘grey water’ for toilet flushing, using
recycled water in cooling towers, and installing sewage treatment
plants. Some water conservation initiatives include harvesting
rainwater, using constant-flow water saving devices, installing sensor
taps, using new chemicals that allow for fewer laundry rinses, and

52 AHCT April 2010

 D e s i g n
Reducing greenhouse
gases and costs
Luxury serviced apartments as well as hotels are going green.
At a cost of HK$1.5 million (US$193,000), Hong Kong’s
Gateway Apartments in Tsim Sha Tsui has installed 100 sets
of solar panels covering 200 square metres of roof, which
will provide over a hundred thousand kilowatt-hours per
year of clean, renewable electricity to the building’s water
heating system, at a saving of approximately HK$100,000
(US$12,900) per year. The installation will also reduce
Gateway’s CO2 emissions by 68 tons per year.
Other green initiatives Gateway has implemented include
the use of energy saving light bulbs and re-chargeable
batteries, installing water saving showerheads and taps in all
apartments, and the use of biodegradable cleaning, laundry
and dish-washing detergent.
Solar panels provide energy and savings
54 AHCT April 2010
www.bodum.com
using new housekeeping cleaning materials that require significantly
less water usage. Shangri-La is also upgrading galvanised iron
pipes at many of its properties to copper pipes in order to prevent
leakage.”
Resorts are at the forefront of Shangri-La’s green initiative
programme, with Villingili and the Boracay Resort and Spa now
harnessing solar power for some of their energy needs, as is one city
property, the Edsa Shangri-La in Manila.
Save the Lion
Among other city hotels to take ‘greening’ of the property seriously
is the Grand Hyatt in Singapore, which is one example of successful
retrofitting.
In 1999 when one of its four chillers began to fail the hotel had
the option of replacing the individual chiller, or of re-engineering
the entire ventilation and air conditioning system to create a more
efficient unit.
The more sustainable approach was chosen and despite an
upfront investment of S$3.5 million (US$2.02 million, historic rate),
the project has more than paid for itself. Decreased energy and water
consumption translate into annual utility savings of S$1.2 million
(US$860,000).
The hotel is currently planning a “trigeneration project”, which
it claims is a global first for a hotel company, and involves “the
simultaneous production of heat, power and cooling from a primary
fuel input”.
In rough translation that means the hotel will be able to produce
Contact:
China: HuiZhou Winnington Metal & Plastic Manufacturing Co., Ltd. +86 755 82090170
Hong Kong/Macau: Carsac Limited +852 2968 1088
Singapore: Yeo Tech Seng (S) PTE. Ltd +65 6254 1511
Taiwan: Victory Marketing Corp. +886 2 24 58 38 48
Thailand: CAC Pacific Ltd +662 328 1984
Green initiatives are a priority for Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts
 D e s i g n

Smarter
Solar power generates electricity at the Edsa Shangri-La, Manila Six Senses built its Soneva Fushi and Soneva Gilli resorts to green criteria
Cleaning.

Rubbermaid HYGEN™ System provides

innovative solutions and proven
superior performance for maintaining
healthy, safe environments.
Q Proven Performance:
To Ensure Healthy, Safe Environments
Q Complete System:
To Maximize Productivity And Value
C
Q Training & Support:
M
To Deliver Optimal Results
Y

CM

MY
some of its own electricity, and use waste heat to produce hot water, circles of friends and acquaintances. Because these people are so
steam and refrigeration. It is estimated that this process will reduce wealthy if they do take something away from their stay to do with CY

carbon emissions by more than 200 tons annually, while significantly their ecological footprint, that could be like throwing a pebble into CMY

improving overall energy efficiency. Going green can pay.
In city hotels green measures are largely invisible to guests,
unless they read the marketing literature. In resort properties eco-
measures are more conspicuous, which gives notably green groups
such as Six Senses, Banyan Tree and Antara an important role in
eco-education.
“You can see the way that interior design and residential
construction has been heavily influenced by the hotel industry. I
very strongly believe that by showing the possibilities and adopting
sustainable technologies early we can influence people in their own
lifestyles and about their own personal projects in their own homes,”
says Thompson.
“With Six Senses, and particularly the Sonevas, you have access
to a group of people who can influence their companies and their
a pond. The ripple effect could be very far reaching.”
K
Furthermore although most eco-resort designs are based on
the principle of ‘do no harm’, some can actually help to repair
environmental damage that has already been done.
Digging deep
Opening later this year near Shanghai is the Songjiang Hotel, built
on the edge of a water-filled former quarry. Sustainable features
engineered into its design include ‘green’ roofing and the use of
geothermal technology to generate electricity and heating.
The design of the Indigo Pearl Resort in Phuket makes creative use
of the debris from the island’s tin mining and industrial past. Designer
Bill Bensley worked with artist John Underwood to create furnishings
and art pieces with recycled found objects ranging from an old mine Visit us at
generator to the recycled tyres used behind the pool bar.
Sculptures around the resort were created using materials from
FHA 2010 20-23 April, 2010 %!#

",
local junkyards. Debris found on the beach and recycled railway

( 3
sleepers were used for beams, and tables were made from the Singapore Expo: 5K2-03
“Water resource
!&%
floorboards of an old ice factory
Progress is being made, and green technology is improving all
management is an the time, but Thompson believes we are still in the very early stages
of green resort development in Asia.
environmental priority” “One thing I find very interesting at the moment is the tented
camp concept, because, I think, the green aspects of that have Customer Service:

Patricia Gallardo somehow been neglected, which is absolutely extraordinary. Of all

the types of resort it certainly has the potential to be the greenest,
+852-3926-9600
+81-3-3835-7281
+82-2538-1211
(Hong Kong)
(Japan)
(Korea) Learn more about Rubbermaid HYGEN™ System at
and nobody has yet done a really green one, so I’m hoping that will
be one of my projects for the future.” +86-21-2208-5000 (China) www.rcpworksmarter.com
+1800-003-178 (Australia)
+60-3-5569-3261 (ASEAN)
©2010 by Rubbermaid Commercial Products LLC
35/F, Tower 6, The Gateway, Harbour City,
9 Canton Road,Tsimshatsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong
56 AHCT April 2010
 The Professionals’ Choice.

Visit us at Food & Hotel Asia

from 20 – 23 April 2010
at Booth 3M4-01,
between Halls 3 & 4,
Singapore Expo

SINGAPORE H O N G KO N G M A L AY S I A - Kuala Lumpur Coffee Specialist Since 1962 • www.boncafe.com

Boncafé International Pte Ltd
Boncafé Roasting House
208 Pandan Loop
Singapore 128401
T: (65) 6776 2216
F: (65) 6779 2620
E: salesenquiry@boncafe.com
Boncafé (Far East) Ltd Boncafé (M) Sdn Bhd Call us today for a free coffee consultation
1011 Tower 2, Silvercord, 2, Jalan Cahaya 15, Taman Cahaya,
30 Canton Road, 68000 Ampang,
Tsim Sha Tsui,
Kowloon, Hong Kong
Selangor Darul Ehsan
Malaysia
SINGAPORE: (65) 6776.2216
HONG KONG: (852) 2375.1111
T: (852) 2375 1111 T: (60) 3 9285 3678
F: (852) 2375 3026 F: (60) 3 9285 3351

M A L AY S I A : (60) 3 9285.3678
E: sales@boncafe.com.hk E: saleskl@boncafe.com.my
 C u l i n a r y N e w s C u l i n a r y N e w s
Frites offers a traditional roast lamb

Rising to the News Tasting notes provided by the restaurant

describe the rice wine as “slightly floral with a

occasion
Restaurants across the region are pulling out
all the stops to celebrate Easter.
However, the festive foods don’t all come
in the expected form of lamb, chocolate and
hot cross buns.
The Sukhothai Bangkok’s Colonnade
restaurant is hosting an Easter Sunday brunch
featuring traditional treats – Roman Easter
soup, duck foie gras terrine with tea aspic,
ginger Hungarian goulash and piroshki, small
Russian dumplings. The hotel also promises
“lots of Easter chocolate to eat and to hunt.”
In Hong Kong the Marco Polo Hongkong
Hotel’s Café Marco is putting on an “I’m
Chocoholic” afternoon tea buffet, as well as
the regular 80-dish dinner buffet. The café’s
chocoholic guests may enjoy chocolates of
different origins and strengths – a 71 percent
Ocumare Black Forest Modern, a 64 percent
Tobago Caviar Cream, a 53 percent Equador
Coco Chocolate Passion Fruit and a 41 percent
Tokelu Lemongrass Praline Crunch and a free
mini chocolate fondue for each table.
At the neighbouring Gateway Hotel,
the Coffee Mill is hosting a Spanish Fiesta,
including baby lamb chops with apricot sauce
and seafood paella.
The Spice Market at the Prince Hotel is
using the Easter holiday to launch a Japanese
dinner buffet, with highlights including such
Biblical fare as snow crab udon and Wagyu
beef teppanyaki.
Children are catered for at all three venues
with cooking classes and Wii or other video
game competitions.
The Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong’s
Clipper Lounge is offering a chocolate-themed
be displaying a handmade, nearly two-metre
tall Hong Kong Easter egg in The Mandarin
Cake Shop.
Frites, one of Hong Kong’s few Belgian
restaurants, is offering guests the chance to
host a roast. The deal offers a lamb roast with
trimmings and unlimited drinks for two hours.
The lamb is roasted with rosemary and served
with mint sauce.
There will be an Easter egg hunt for the
children.
The Pawn, in Hong Kong’s Wanchai
district, is also offering an egg hunt on Easter
Sunday, along with a fiery barbecue brunch
menu.
Highlights are the mustard rubbed Wagyu
rump, lamb chops with minted pesto dressing
and chips with garlic mayo.
Executive Chef Ray at the Regal Hong
Kong Hotel has lined up an array of seasonal
delicacies that includes Easter egg stuffed
with tuna and radish, bean curd and bisque
crumble pudding and braised lobster with
ginger and spring onions.
Traditional egg and bunny colouring
own cupcakes under the supervision of the
hotel’s pastry chefs.
The Caviar Feast for adults, on until the
end of the month, celebrates the festival with
offerings of smoked salmon roll with caviar
in light soy sauce, pan-fried swan’s egg
with caviar and baked caviar and pumpkin
pudding.
A chocoholic’s delight at the Marco Polo Hongkong
from Nobu light flavour and a delicate texture. The Koshi-
Tanrei gives the sake a refreshing and crispy
flavour and a well-balanced, flowery fruit-like
The Japanese culinary icon Chef Nobu, aroma with layered flavours of Yamadanishik,
is bringing a guest chef to his Hong Kong with a slight sweetness and elegance.”
restaurant and launching a new sake.
From April 8-10, Nobu at the
InterContinental Hong Kong welcomes
Chef Yasuhiko Homma, Executive Chef at
Matsuhisa Beverly Hills, Nobu’s first ever
restaurant, which started offering his blend of
Japanese and Peruvian flavours in 1987.
Chef Homma will be collaborating with
Nobu Hong Kong’s Executive Chef Oyvind
Naesheim to create a special dinner omakase
menu, likely to include Chef Homma’s
signature Karasumi Somen and Kobe Beef
Saltado.
Omakase comes from a Japanese word
for trust and means that the guest trusts the
chef to provide him with good food.
Nobu himself will be returning later this
month to host two special dinners for the
launch of his new sake Nobu Daiginjo KK40.
The drink is made with a new type of rice
– Koshi-Tanrei – that has only been under
cultivation since 2006.
Chef Yasuhiko Homma Chef Nobu Matsuhisa
The best coffee
Freshly brewed coffee of superior quality.

afternoon tea. The ‘Chocolate Enchantment’
tea offers a mini buffet free for the under 12’s.
There will also be egg painting with the Easter
bunny. The property’s cake artist Bob Tay will
contests will keep younger guests occupied. Wonderful aroma, delicious and full flavour.
Over the harbour, the Kowloon Hotel’s
The best filter coffee is brewed by Bravilor
Easter celebrations involve cupcakes and
caviar. Children can make and decorate their Bonamat, a leading authority on filter coffee

systems for more than sixty years. Speed and

The Mandarin Oriental,
Hong Kong will be simplicity are the key factors in the design of
offering various chocolate
treats to guests our system. Whether you need a few decanters

or high volumes for busy periods. Our extensive

product range always offers the right system
Bolero XL

Easter treats at The Sukhothai in Bangkok for every location and situation. Quality and

durability are paramount!

Bravilor Bonamat B.V.

P.O. Box 188
1700 AD Heerhugowaard
The Netherlands www.bravilor.com FreshGround Bolero Turbo

T +31 (0)72 57 51 751

F +31 (0)72 57 51 758
E sales@bravilor.com
The taste of quality worldwide
60 AHCT April 2010 April 2010 AHCT 61
The Kowloon Hotel is hosting cupcake workshops for kids
 C u l i n a r y N e w s

Casual dining in Bangkok

Dining concepts
“Business lunches will never be the same again,” promises the
publicity material for the casual dining promotion at 100°East in the
Radisson Hotel Bangkok Sathorn.
The all day dining restaurant is offering guests a three-course
meal between 11:30 and 14:00 with poolside views or a private
outdoor cabana. The Monday-Friday offer lasts until the middle of
this month.
Lunches and brunches have been enhanced at BLT Steak in
Hong Kong. The weekday Express Lunch offers two or three courses
from a short menu offering three options each in appetizer, mains
and desserts.
The same restaurant’s new Weekend Brunch (Saturday and
Sunday) offers an unlimited appetizer and dessert buffet, prime rib
and raw seafood stations and a choice of one main course.
Union J’s Super Sunday Brunch includes five brunch items
from a list of 17, although there is a supplement for ‘A Rich Man’s
Breakfast’ of steak and eggs.
The restaurant also offers cheese, seafood or charcuterie plates
to share and “pitchers of booze”.
“The ladies can’t get enough of it,” says Executive Chef Patrick
Zepho of Roka in Pacific Place mall Hong Kong, referring to the
Apple Pie from Sha Tin
robata grill promotion of healthy options.
“A healthy, low-fat lunchtime treat proving to be a huge hit with
ladies is the new tokusen chirashi don, a premium sashimi selection
with egg over sushi rice,” adds the restaurant’s press announcement.
Japanese beef is on the menu at The Royal Garden’s Dong Lai
Shun restaurant until the middle of this month. Joshu Gyu cattle from The main dining room of Daniel Boulud’s kaleidoscopic, 20th century salon
Gunma province are a cross between Wagyu beef cattle and dairy
cattle, and are said to have the same even fat distribution, moistness
and intensity of flavour. However, the meat is much cheaper and has
become popular in Japanese households. Dong Lai Shun Head Chef
Kenny Chan has created a menu of home-style dishes at reasonable A peek in
prices that includes hot pot or beef with Yunnan mushrooms.
Milk from Hokkaido in Japan is being used to create blueberry at Boulud
Roka’s healthy dessert options cheesecake at the Gourmet Corner Cake Shop in the Royal Park
Hotel. The milk is said to offer a smooth texture and very fresh Daniel Boulud is the French country boy who made good
flavour. in the big American city. Boulud grew up on a farm near
Also in Sha Tin, Cafe at Hyatt Regency Hong Kong is presenting the French culinary centre of Lyons and still claims to retain
a new Afternoon Tea Set. This will include the hotel’s famous Apple a sense of the seasons. He also thanks his appreciation
Pie, baked in its tin with honey from a local apiary, or a cake of the of crops fresh from the field and fine home cooking for his
day with unlimited tea and coffee. success as a chef and restaurateur in New York.
Boulud has now spread his wings to Beijing, where he
has opened Maison Boulud à Pekin, a 230-cover fine dining
restaurant spread over two floors.
The cuisine will be French in spirit. “At Maison Boulud I will
remain true to my French roots and the way they have evolved
Blueberry cheesecake made with Japanese milk
after decades of cooking in America,” says Boulud. The chef
will be installing Brian Reimer, who he has mentored and
trained as his Executive Chef.
The kitchen will also be preparing local and Pacific Rim
ingredients using French techniques.
Design of the restaurant, a conversion of a former United
States embassy building in the Legation Quarter, has been
done by Parisian company Gilles & Boissier, the designers
behind Buddakan and the Gramercy Hotel in New York.
The inspiration stems from the décor of the grand salons
of the 20th century and also kaleidoscopic reflections. The
designers are aiming at “fanciful sophistication”.
The restaurant has three private dining rooms and a
lounge area.

Joshu Gyu beef from

Dong Lai Shun

62 AHCT April 2010

 C u l i n a r y N e w s
Italian heavyweights
Umberto Bombana’s Otto e Mezzo Bombana
restaurant has had three months to settle in
and the former Toscana at the Ritz-Carlton,
Hong Kong chef is more than happy with
feedback so far.
The restaurant, which seats 55-60 and
also has private rooms, has been busy
since opening with many returning Toscana
customers and the odd celebrity chef like
Alvin Leung. The contemporary décor
features artworks by Picasso, Salvador Dali
and lithographs by Italian pop artist Rotella
illustrating poems by Alda Merini.
The chef refuses to label his food but tells
¥4HOMAS$UVAL
AHCT that he uses seasonal ingredients from
both the northern and southern hemispheres
in an Italian style.
“My philosophy is to buy the best food
possible,” says the chef, explaining that,
“when you come here to dine you have food
from all over the world.”
Of course some of the basics are pure
64 AHCT April 2010
Italian Chef Umberto Bombana
Italian – 00 flour for the homemade pasta, olive
oils from Sicily and a basil infused oil.
The pasta is even designed to have a
rough texture, making it uncommon for Hong
Kong. Many of the dishes are finished with
olive oil.
The fish however comes from Japan and
the meat might be Wagyu from Australia or
veal from Holland. “Ask my kitchen manager
– I have the highest food costs in Hong
Kong,” says the chef with no apparent regret.
Truffles, one of the ingredients the chef is most
associated with are likely to be prominent on
the menu.
Despite the restaurant being a success
from the word go, Chef Umberto still wants to
do some fine-tuning.
“I have to understand what people like to
eat and how they like to be served, what they
like to drink and then offer the things that really
please them.”
Talking Italian
Talking of drink, Italian restaurateur Francesco
Sabatini explained his knowledge of wines and
spirits as coming from personal experience.
“Signor Frascatelli, Signor Carlo Rossi, I have
got drunk with all of them.”
Sabatini was in Hong Kong to celebrate
the reopening of The Royal Garden’s Sabatini
Ristorante, which closed for a month for a
kitchen refit.
The restaurant is also currently offering an
artichoke promotion (available until the middle
of the month) that features artichoke prepared
<?@E;<M<IP
three ways as a starter and offers a main <O:<CC<EK;<JJ<IK
course of pan-fried sole fillets and red prawns
with a seafood sauce, Venus rice and stewed @J8E<O:<CC<EK
artichoke.
The 77-year-old restaurant veteran was :I<8D
a whirr of activity the night AHCT met him,
waiting tables, slicing ham and explaining
the intricacies of modern grappa production
techniques.
The first Ristorante Sabatini was
established in 1954 in a scenic part of Rome
and it still turns over 2-300 covers a day.
Restaurateur and bon viveur Francesco Sabatini
“Red fruit delight with creamy whipped
cream and strawberry elixir”
By Laurent Jeannin,
Head Pastry Chef,
Hotel Le Bristol, Paris
.OUVEAU-ONDE$$".ANTES02#3"
)I²J@;<EK0?@GG@E>I<8D- !@K
)IF;L:KD8;<@EI8E:< K?<
Excellent holding quality, even after 48 hours. -FG
High whipping rate makes light and airy whipped cream.
Perfect for dessert toppings.
An even texture for hot dishes.
Used by top French chefs.
Three kinds and three ways of artichoke from The Royal Garden
 F o o d
Cream of the crop
C Cream is still an
ream may be showing up on
fewer menus and in smaller
quantities in dishes but the
demand for it is still there.
French chef Pascal Barbot, the toque
behind the three-Michelin-starred L’Astrance
in Paris seems to personify the trend. When
the chef made a recent guest appearance
at a Thai hotel restaurant, the hotel PR
department commented that Barbot,
“redefines French cuisine by steering away
from traditional staples like cream, butter
and salt, replacing them with fresh local
ingredients.”
66 AHCT April 2010
A potato mousseline
with vanilla ice cream
from Pascal Barbot
However, Chef Pascal also works
with Lactalis creating recipes using their
integral ingredient to Président Whipping Cream.
“People want light cream,” says James
many Western dishes. Ngwan, Executive Sous Chef at Hard Rock
Hotel at the City of Dreams, Macau.
Thora Jacobsen dips The hotel’s Asian kitchens don’t use
much cream but it does make an appearance
in to find out what in a Chinese coconut custard cream dessert 8dbZVcY9^hXdkZgdci]ZAZhV[[gZhiVcY
and a Malaysian laksa dish from the Yo
makes great culinary
Noodles outlet, again mixed with coconut to
^cFHA'%"'(6eg^a'%&%
cream. make the gravy “smoother and tastier.”
But Chef James reports that on a day The Lesaffre commercial team welcomes you on its stand 4G1-07 HALL 4 BAKERY & PASTRY,
when the function rooms are hosting events in order to introduce you the whole range of products and discuss about your needs
WWW# a Z h V [ [ gZ # X d b  ™  X d c i V X i  /  a \ m 5 a Z h V [ [ gZ # [ g  ™  WWW# a Z h V [ [ gZ " Z k Z c i h # X d b
 F o o d
“When people with western style cuisine, the kitchens can
run through 20 packets of cream a day. The
talk of ‘richness
ingredient is found in the expected soups
and mushroom or cheese sauces for pasta
and even the béchamel for the lasagne at
to taste’ in the the poolside buffet.
cream they will Heat, acid and alcohol
In general, qualities the chef is looking
generally be for in a cooking cream are good stability
when being cooked, colour and flavour. A
sensing the level smooth texture is also crucial. Heat, acid
and alcohol are not friends to culinary cream
of full fat” but the key to avoiding curdling or spoiling
is the balance between the fat and moisture
Mark Brotherston
contents, and the quality of the fat as well
as the quantity.
Mark Brotherston, Business Manager/
Foodservice for New Zealand’s Tatua
Cooperative Dairy, tells AHCT that 35-38
percent fat is “considered the ideal for most
culinary type cream.”
He explains, “When people talk of
‘richness to taste’ in the cream they will
generally be sensing the level of full fat.
For cooking applications such as a sauce
reduction the cream will be boiled down and
reduced down with the other ingredients. As
the sauce is reduced the intensity of flavour
will increase with the sauce.
68 AHCT April 2010
Fonterra’s dairy herds are outside all year round
“In applications where the cream is
added to a dish, a richer cream will again
assist with the flavour of the dish and also
act as a carrier of flavour.”
Tatua’s milk is collected from New
Zealand’s North Island, within a 10 kilometre
maximum distance from the plant, which
Brotherston says helps to “ensure the
integrity of the dairy fat … people may
detect almost a grassy note to the cream.
We would describe this as more of a ‘natural
dairy fat flavour’.”
New Zealand livestock are famously
outdoors the entire year. Dominating
production of one of the world’s top dairy
producers is the cooperative Fonterra, the
name behind the Anchor brand.
Pasture-based,
pre-reduced
Anchor’s Culinary Cream has an intense
dairy flavour, says Alastair Bruce, General
Manager Foodservices Asia-Middle East at
Fonterra.
“This comes from the pasture-based
system in New Zealand, where the cows are
fed grass as opposed to supplements which
are common in European feeding systems.
“Most of Fonterra’s cream is produced
at our Takanini plant, in the North Island Elle & Vire Excellence Whipping Cream, rewarded once more
with a Gold Medal at « Paris Concours General Agricole 2010 ».
www.thechefsweb.com
contactthechefs@elvir.fr
 F o o d

of New Zealand, and the milk used at this

plant is collected from surrounding farms.
It is generally acknowledged that dairy
products from pasture based dairy farms
have a creamier flavour, than those produced
from feedlot farms,” Bruce adds.
The cream is 36 percent fat, a level that
is “very similar to many cooking creams in
the Asian market, that is between 35-36
percent,” explains Bruce going on to outline
its other selling point: “What makes Anchor
Culinary Cream unique is that it is pre-
reduced and this benefit significantly reduces
cooking time, as well as keeping its natural
flavours, texture and mouthfeel.”

Produced in the west of France
Anchor’s cream from grass-fed sheep
French revolutions
Chef Ngwan, a Singaporean graduate of
the kitchens of Raffles Hotel and several
other leading 5-star properties, is a big fan
of French cream. The chef, who has been in

Got milk?
As dairy consumption increases across Asia, guests and staff serving them want to have
a better idea of what they are consuming. Given the range of milk options it would be a C

mistake to assume that all milks are alike.

M
At the Hard Rock Hotel in Macau’s City of Dreams, daily milk consumption breaks
down into 350 litres of UHT milk and soya, skimmed and chocolate milk, the latter three Y

normally being used in the breakfast area. CM

The differences between dairy milks lies in the fat content.

MY
“Whole milk has around 3.3 percent fat, semi-skimmed has reduced fat to around
1.5 percent and skimmed milks are considered non-fat at 0.1 percent fat content. CY

This fat content will vary slightly depending on local country regulations,” says Beverly CMY

Watson, Nutrition Regulatory Manager at Fonterra.

As with cream, the cow’s diet is key to the flavour.
K

“Fonterra’s four million cows are allowed to graze freely and without ‘stress’ on
pasture which has been purpose-grown to provide the best in nutrients for cows. This
ensures they have the best environment and inputs, in order to produce high quality milk.
It also ensures that the herds remain free of major diseases and consistently have one of
the highest production rates in the world,” Watson adds.

A soup from Elle & Vire – one of the

commonest uses of culinary cream
Elle & Vire’s Excellence Cooking Cream
Macau for about a year, is used to working
with Elle & Vire and Président, the brands
that dominate the Singapore market, and is
also familiar with creams from D’Isigny. He
explains that France as a big producer has
the best reputation and his “expectations are
quite high.” Both the bigger French brands
have conducted workshops showing how
to use their products, which also endeared
them to him.
Normandy, in northern France, is one of
the most famous dairy producing regions of
the country. This area has protected origin
status for some dairy products including
dairy cooperative Isigny-Ste-Mère’s crème
fraiche (though not its UHT cream). The
company’s description of its cream is:
“With its homogenous texture and
liquid consistency, Isigny Sainte-Mère UHT
cream can be used in many different recipes.
Lightness of touch from Elle & Vire

70 AHCT April 2010

 F o o d
In cooking, it reduces well; it also resists
curdling when subjected to acid or alcohol.
For patisserie, its excellent expansion ratios
and subtle flavours are ideal for making a
good Crème Chantilly.”
All of the cream for Elle & Vire’s
Excellence Cooking Cream and Advantage
Cooking Cream also comes from Normandy.
The company’s International Marketing
Manager, Christophe Fournier, tells AHCT
that Normandy origins are important
because the region’s dairy cattle remain
outside most of the year and that, “in this
part of France the grass eaten by cows is
The flavour is in the fat rich due to its specific rainy and temperate
weather.”
“In this part of Excellence Cooking Cream, winner of
the Bocuse d’Or and three times winner
France the grass
of a gold medal (including in 2010) at the
government organized Concours General
Agricole, is 35.1 percent fat.
eaten by cows is rich” According to the company, the cream
has a matt gloss finish, is ivory for most of
Christophe Fournier the year, with minor variations due to in
the cow’s diet, has a creamy, thick texture
and an exceptional ability to bring out
flavours. Fournier believes the cream is a
good match for savoury and bound sauces
or rich gratins, especially as its technical
characteristics include a rapid reduction
and low evaporation rate. One consequence
of those technical characteristics is that it
72 AHCT April 2010
Tatua’s cream in a pasta dish – the milk is all
collected from within 10 kilometres of the dairy
thickens well and is exceptionally stable.
Elle & Vire also produce a 15 percent
fat light cream called Advantage. The
‘advantage’ is said to be in the cream’s
exceptional lightness in flavour and texture,
making it ideal as a salad dressing and
for cold sauces and cappuccino toppings.
The cream is also said to have exceptional
stability. Overall, the lightness is said to
make the cream “very popular in modern
dining.”
Président’s Whipping Cream – 35.1
percent fat – is “produced in the west of
France, at the heart of the historic and
biggest dairy region of France,” says Thierry
Loyen, Brand Manager – Asia Area for
Lactalis International.
Loyen adds that the fat content, “allows
A high concentrated chocolate for unequaled flavours
chefs to make firm and lasting whipped
cream. It has excellent holding quality and
will keep its attractive appearance, even after
48 hours in the fridge.
“In cooking the stability and regularity
of Président Whipping Cream 35.1 percent
fat will enable chefs to obtain an even texture
for hot dishes. Moreover, the good reduction
quality helps to eliminate clotting and the rise
of fat to the surface.”
The cream is said to keep its smooth
texture even when mixed with acids
or alcohols, making it perfect for salad
dressings.
Valrhona Hong Kong Office - 25/D Prosperous Commercial Building, 54 Jardine’s Bazaar Street, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong Tel: +852 3590 3262
 F o o d F o o d

Winning himself the golden

ticket to Shanghai, Wilson
Luk Wai Shing

Disciples Escoffier Hong Kong

President, Jaakko Sorsa

Chef Wilson’s Beef Saint Germaine South Korea, the Philippines, Singapore, Macau, Hong Kong and
Greater China.
At a recent event in Hong Kong hosted by the local Disciples

Competing for knowledge

Escoffier, contestants were given 90 minutes to cook a classic Auguste
Escoffier dish of Beef Saint Germaine. This dish consists of beef
tenderloin, which is pan-fried wrapped in bacon; glazed, turned
carrots and potatoes and Sauce Béarnaise. The presentation was
done in two ways chosen by the competitor, one presented on a wide,
round plate and another one on a rectangular plate.
First place was taken by Wilson Luk Wai Shing from Hollywood
Hotel at Disneyland Hong Kong, second place went to Jordi Chi Yuen
Relatively new to Asia, cooking contests are honing culinary skills from Sodexo, and third place to Dick Fan Tsun Kit, from Restaurant
H-One in IFC.
and raising the bar in the professional kitchen. Tracey Furniss looks Chef Wilson will travel to Shanghai together with Jaakko Sorsa,
Nobu’s Oyvind Naesheim and Didier Rochat, who will support him
behind the scenes in the Youth Hope finals, hosted by the SIAL exhibition.

Modern twist
“Cuisine will evolve just as society itself evolves, without ceasing to
be an art,” observed Auguste Escoffier who created the still used

F
professional kitchen regimen, ‘kitchen brigade’ aswell as many
or many years, Asia has been known for its incredible French Chef Didier Rochat oversees the Young Hopefuls contest
famous dishes such as Peach Melba and Crepe Suzette in the late
restaurants and has boasted its fair share of first-class chefs
19th century.
so it is surprising that some of the world’s biggest names
The modern day competition strives to fulfill the culinary
in the cooking competition arena have taken so long to
master’s desire to refine and simplify dining – Escoffier in his day sponsor dollars in Asia than elsewhere now.” Indeed, within the past
get here.
made revolutionary changes to the art of cooking, for instance, he two years, Mobil/Forbes followed by Michelin have also brought the
Robert Fontana, Executive Chef at The Kowloon Hotel and
eliminated flour from sauces and invented new stocks and glazes. brand of star ratings to the region putting the chosen few that make
founder of Disciples Escoffier in China, suggests that interest has
“It’s all about taste and technique,” says Chef Jaakko. “The young the grade on the world culinary map.
stirred in the region recently “due to the influence of Western TV
chefs will take the ingredients of a classic Escoffier recipe and give
programmes and celebrity chefs, as well as the development of
it a modern twist.” Taking on the world
exhibitions that attract a wider audience.”
Chef Jaakko attributes a wider interest in cooking competitions Just as the Escoffier society is branching out in the region, the foremost
Founded in honour of Auguste, one of the patron saints of French
regionally to the arrival of many world-class eateries. “We have pastry competition World Pastry Cup has also expanded regionally
cuisine, The Disciples Escoffier society has more than 60 years of
Pierre’s and The Four Seasons in Hong Kong to name a few and in the past few years.
experience in the area of competition and has two prestigious cooking
Macau has also developed its eateries and is a force to be reckoned The first World Pastry Cup took place in 1989 with only six
contests worldwide. The Disciples Escoffier is for professional chefs
with. Big names have arrived with more international acceptance.” teams worldwide participating. Initiated by French Master Pastry
over 25 years and the Youth Hope Escoffier for those under 25.
But chef-at-large Christopher Gallaga is more practical and Chef Gabriel Paillasson, the competition has become a launching
French Chef Robert founded Escoffier in China in 2007 and last
attributes sponsorship to be a significant reason for competition pad for culinary world stardom.
year invited Disciples Escoffier Hong Kong President and Executive
interest in the region at present. “For the first few years of the World Pastry Cup, Japan was the
Chef of Finds, Jaakko Sorsa, to head up the Disciples Escoffier’s
“Economics in the world may be causing more companies to only country representing Asia,” says Vincent Bourdin, Director of
Youth Hope in Hong Kong. Disciples of Escoffier Youth Hope Asia
invest sponsorship at or near China so there could be relatively more the Asian Pastry Cup and Regional Pastry Consultant for contest co-
now has eight countries represented including Vietnam, Thailand,
The Asian Pastry Cup attracts top sponsors such as Valrhona

74 AHCT April 2010 April 2010 AHCT 75

 F o o d

The number of nations vying for the World Pastry

Cup led to the introduction of regional contests

Culinary skills under scrutiny

sponsor Valrhona. “At the time, Japan was showing a lot of interest
for this style of pastry at this level.”
The first World Pastry Cup had only six teams involved, then
came South Korea and Singapore started participating in 1991.”
Hong Kong first appeared in 1999 but by then there were so many
countries involved that regional competitions started to be considered
and the Asian Pastry Cup was born in 2006 and this year boasts 11
teams. Now the initial six countries keep a permanent seat in the
competition including Japan “as a commemorative honour to the
fact that they were the first team to participate from the region,” says
Bourdin. The winning teams from Asia go on to the World Pastry
Cup finals that take place in France.
Bourdin, points out that, “not much is done to promote pastry
chefs and this is the reason why the Asian Pastry Cup and the World
Pastry Cup have been put in place. Today the Asian Pastry Cup is
the biggest platform of live expression given to the pastry chef in
Asia.”

Commitment Young chefs can raise their professional

“It’s not hard now to find young chefs keen to participate in cooking
competitions,” says Chef Jaakko who believes competition is
beneficial to an upcoming chef.
“Cooking competitions in Europe are really popular,” says the
Finnish chef. “I entered some myself when I was younger and quite
honestly, if I am recruiting and I see that the chef has experience
in competing, it gets my attention and I am more likely to hire that
particular candidate.” Chef Robert boasts that he has mentored chefs
to competition who are now “top chefs in restaurants throughout
Asia.”
Competitions are indeed a great platform for exposure especially
for young chefs. However, according to Gallaga, “In the chef
world, there are only a relative few willing to put themselves up for
competitions and only a few employers willing to allow the time and
resources to support the competitors. That is why competitions are
grossly over represented by large hotels and institutions but almost
unrepresented by restaurants or small institutions.”
Amelie Anis, Event Coordinator of the Asian Pastry Cup says that
“to participate at this level of competition requires a full commitment
from the competitors, with endless days of training and not every
standards through competing
workplace can afford to have one chef in it’s structure to be away
for competition too long. It has been the case for the Sri Lanka or
Thailand teams who have had to find new competitors almost at the
last minute.” However, in her experience of organizing the Asian
Pastry Cup, Anis holds, “we can’t say that competitors mainly come
from hotels, for the APC 2010, 50 percent of them are coming from
independent structures.”
Gallaga and Anis both agree that the competitions can be hectic
to organize and daunting for the competitors.
“I think that the food TV craze has given a false impression of
cooking competitions,” says Gallaga. “They are very difficult and
stressful events that even the most seasoned chef can be beaten by.
And there are few grand competition winners who are ever really
noted by the public. It is an industry insider thing, and is largely a
way for us to let off steam and play together rather than a serious
benchmark of enduring success or quality cookery.”

76 AHCT April 2010

 D r i n k
What’s in Asia’s
Chinese drinkers have a strong preference for red wines
glass?
The spread of wine culture means
more willingness to try wines
from around the world, reports
Mischa Moselle
Photograph courtesy of Vinexpo
“C
hianti!” says Ross Chan. The easy-to-say
Italian wine name is his response to the
perception that some Asian wine drinkers
won’t order wines from Italy because they
find the names hard to pronounce.
The founder and Managing Director of newly-formed Asia
Vintners is putting his money where his mouth is by making Chianti
one of only four origins he is sourcing wines from for his company,
the others being France, Australia and New Zealand.
Photograph courtesy of Vinexpo
Newly-hired ‘wine guy’ Zachary Yu at the Langham Place Hotel
in Hong Kong’s Mongkok district points out that while some Italian
names are hard to pronounce, people have no problem with brand
names that they like – Giorgio Armani, Moschino, Dolce&Gabbana,
Ellesse and Ferrari.
“Once you love the wine you’ll remember the name,” says Yu.
“To help people order Italian wines, we will put bin numbers
Interest in wine is evidenced by increasing attendance at Vinexpo Asia Pacific on our wine list. So customers can easily place their order without
being concerned about their pronunciation,” he adds.
Beyond the names, what is the appeal of Italian wine for Asian
drinkers?
Yu says that Italian wine is very food-friendly and that Sangiovese,
Barbera and Dolcetto share a nice acidity with low to medium tannin,
and a spicy meaty character.
Given these structural and flavour advantages, Yu believes they
can perform well with Chinese style beef or pork dishes.
Yu adds that Italy’s 20 different regions mean that the country
has something to offer everyone.
“I find the lower alcohol wines are likely to appeal to a younger
audience – here I’m thinking of wines with a touch of sweetness
such as Moscato d’Asti from Piedmont or Lambrusco from
Emilia-Romagna. More experienced wine drinkers can spend a
lifetime exploring the wines of Barolo, Barbaresco, and Brunello di
Montalcino,” says Yu.
78 AHCT April 2010
Vinexpo will be hosting a series of seminars
Photograph courtesy of Vinexpo
Growth period
Of course it is not just wines from Italy that are performing well in
Asian markets. While research from the International Wine and Spirits New
Record (IWSR) conducted for the leading wine trade fair Vinexpo and Generation
based on official figures predicts a growth in global still and sparkling
consumption of 8.8 percent in the period 2004-2013, the same research
Induction Buffets
shows that wine consumption in Asia will grow 99.3 percent over the 80×40 cm,
same period.
China’s consumption is set to grow by 25.3 percent from 2009-2013.
1500W/ 230V
Hong Kong’s wine consumption growth for the period is estimated at also suitable for
290.7 percent.
Master of Wine Jeannie Cho Lee tells AHCT that although Hong
– AM copper pans
Kong has the highest per capita wine consumption in Asia, “Hong – AM ceramics
Kong people are not suddenly drinking double what they drank last – cast iron
year” and that much of the wine bought in Hong Kong is actually
purchased for investment purposes. For more information:
Meanwhile, according to Cho Lee, Japan – the country that in many
ways was the first to take to drinking grape wine in Asia – has seen a info@andymannhart.com
plateau in wine demand at around 2.5 litres per capita.
The Vinexpo figures also reveal China including Hong Kong see us at:
is ranked second in the world for growth in wine consumption by F&H Asia, Singapore 20th–23rd April 2010
volume over the next five years (2009-2013). India, which comes in MHA 25th Anniversary Converence & Trade Show,
at 10 in the same table, is ranked sixth for consumption in Asia, with Orlando USA 25th–27th April 2010
consumption of still light wine measuring 1.226 million 9-litre cases
and with a predicted growth of still light wine consumption of 97.2
percent from 2009-2013.
Vinexpo calls that growth ‘eye-catching’.
Master of Wine Debra Meiburg advises the sommelier in India to
bear in mind, “the highly varied character of India’s regional cuisines
and the tradition of serving many small dishes … as well as perceived
label prestige.” Meiburg’s advice goes beyond wine in suggesting
offering colas, whiskey and beer with many dishes but she also notes,
“We should not expect wine to be drunk throughout the dinner, but
Australia, China, Egypt, UAE, Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Jordan, Korea, Malaysia,
Maldives, Mauritius, Nigeria, Philippines, Portugal, Poland, Russia, Singapore,
Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
 D r i n k
rather as a highlight when an important dish arrives at the table.”
Vinexpo Chief Executive Robert Beynat tells AHCT that South
Korea is a country to watch. Wine consumption may never catch
up with spirits but wine has become very fashionable and even “LG
and Samsung are going into the wine business.”
Top producers
All the consumption figures and forecasts prompt the question:
“where’s the production?”
According to Vinexpo’s research, “In Asia one bottle out of four
that is consumed is imported, or more precisely 27.8 percent of the
volume consumed.” That translates to 59.8 percent of the total value
of wines sold. The rest is domestic production.
Vinexpo’s Beynat says that it is the the countries that produce
the most wine that tend to be the strongest exporters, listing France,
Italy, Spain, Chile, Argentina and the United States.
So which country’s wines are Asian wine drinkers favouring in
2010?
Cho Lee says that it is not entirely correct to say that ‘Asia has
a love affair with French wine’ in that French wines are not that
popular in Singapore and other parts of Southeast Asia. Australian
wines have overtaken the French in Singapore.
The prospects
for Chinese wine
The quality of the wine is increasing but
there is still room for improvement
The conventional wisdom is that any country that is going to develop
a strong wine drinking culture is going to start the process by drinking
its own domestic consumption first before exploring wines from
elsewhere.
China will not be any different in this regards, Vinexpo’s Robert
Beynat has told AHCT.
The problem is the quality of wine produced in China or at least
the perception that the wine produced (or bottled) in the country is
currently of a very low standard.
Master of Wine Jancis Robinson went as far as to make a now-
famous blog entry wondering if the quality of Chinese wine was not so
bad it would put people off drinking it.
Ross Chan recently blind tasted some wines from China. His
opinion of a methode Champenoise from the country was that it
could not have been through a second fermentation in the bottle (it
had) but must have had the second fermentation in a tank. The aroma
was described as rotten, like a Chinese turnip and the flavour short.
The wine gained a general thumbs down. Chan assumed the wine
was from Moldova or another country that had only recently joined
the export market.
A white wine was described as having the lemony aroma of
window cleaner while a red, the only one characterised as something
Chan would be willing to drink on a regular basis, was identified as
having the “characteristic bitterness” of Chinese red wines.
Master of Wine Jeannie Cho Lee regularly blind tastes Chinese
wines to keep on top of trends and developments and she believes
80 AHCT April 2010
Elsewhere though, France is strong in Japan, China, Hong
Kong, Taiwan and South Korea, possibly because the French spirits
companies blazed a path and many drinkers in Asia evolved from
drinking French spirits to drinking French wine. Meiburg’s take is
that Asia has a love affair with prestige and big brands in general
and France is considered the traditional home of the best red wines
in the world.
She also believes the love affair may be waning. “I believe that
many across Asia are fast seeing the vast array of wine available and
from the old and new world.”
Some of the producer countries vying for the dollar currently
being spent on French wine include Argentina, Australia, Chile, Italy,
New Zealand, Spain and the United States.
Meiburg, recently returned from a visit to Argentina tells AHCT
that the country’s wine, Malbec in particular, has great potential
within the Hong Kong and broader Asian market.
A judge at the recent Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International
Wine & Spirit Competition, Meiburg says the Argentinean Judas
Malbec 2006 “proved the very best match with Peking Duck, a
signature Chinese dish.”.
She suggests Chilean wines have been very successful in entering
Asian markets, in part because producers and government bodies
that certain labels at
least have improved
Jeannie Cho Lee MW
over the last six years,
especially in terms of
cleanliness and fruit
concentration, but
there are still issues
around label integrity
and too much bottle
variation. However, she
told AHCT that some
wines from China have
a “high potential.”
Master of Wine
Debra Meiburg points
out that some of the
biggest winemaking
Debra Meiburg MW companies and groups
believes the quality of have recognised the
Chinese wine is growing
potential of the China
wine market and
entered it, investing
time, money and resources into improving the quality of grapes and
winemaking techniques. Meiburg does though think that the prevalent
attitude that regards “wine as a factory beverage” is holding back the
country’s potential to reach world-class standard.
“In developing the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Wine
& Spirit Competition, we felt it was important to recognise the growth
in quality wine from China, with a “Best Wine from China” trophy. The
winning wine, the Helan Mountain Special Reserve Chardonnay 2008
(owned by Pernod Ricard), proved a very decent drop, and surprised
many of our judges with its quality,” says Meiburg.
“I am watching developments closely and am eager to see China
rock the wine world,” she adds.
D r i n k
“Argentina is just
waiting to be
discovered”
Jeannie Cho Lee MW
came to the market early and have been assiduous in promoting
wines and providing opportunities to learn about them.
Cho Lee says that Argentina is “just waiting to be discovered”
and Chilean wines are successful because they are of good quality,
dependable and attractively priced.
Whatever the country of origin, the interest remains predominantly
in red wines. Across global markets Vinexpo figures show a split of
51.9 percent red in 2008, with the bulk of the remainder being white
and a small fraction rosé. By contrast, in China and Hong Kong some
85 percent of wine drunk is red.
There is no simple explanation for this difference between Asian
wine drinking habits and those elsewhere in the world, says Cho
Lee. It is too simplistic to say that red is equated with good luck and
health or that the tannins resemble flavours already enjoyed by North
Asians. She points out that some of the most successful companies
pushing the wine markets are from Bordeaux, a region famous for its
“BEGA CHEESE EMERGES AS
MAJOR CHEESE SUPPLIER TO
THE ASIAN MARKETS”
Over the last 15 years, Australian cheese company, Bega
Cheese has emerged as a major supplier of cheese product to
the food service and retail sectors of the Asian market.
In Australia, Bega Cheese holds the No. 1 market share of all value added natural cheddar
and processed cheese products with around a 50% manufacturer share of the Australian
market. Not only does it produce its own No. 1 ranking retail brand Bega, but is also packs
all major supermarket house brand cheeses, as well as all burger slices for the major QSR
chains, McDonalds, Burger King, Yum and Sub-Way.
Last year Bega purchased the ex Kraft Foods Australia Ltd processed cheese plant in
Victoria, Australia. The acquisition of this modern, high capacity factory, has given Bega
access to the capabilities and capacities to pursue aggressive business growth in the year
ahead. Bega now has a capacity to product some 200,000 tonnes per annum of natural
cheddar, processed cheddar and cream cheese product, with about a third of this capacity
not yet utilised, plenty of scope for new customer and future growth.
Export Manager for Bega Cheese, Maurice Van Ryn said, in commenting upon the
emergence of Bega Cheese in the Asian market, “We commenced exporting out of Bega
in the mid 1990’s with modest expectations. Some 15 years later and we are looking at
15,000 mt of value added products sold to 50 countries around the world worth in the order
of AUD $100 million.
Half these sales are to the Asia region. It is our natural market on our back door”.
For more details on Bega Cheese: www.begacheese.com.au,
Maurice.vanryn@begacheese.com.au.
April 2010 AHCT 81
 DualZone
D r i n k

Vinexpo Chief Executive Robert Beynat Langham Place Hotel ‘wine guy’ Zachary Yu

World leader in Wine Cellars

Model: D-290
red wine production. Top ranking government officials, who carry a
lot of influence in society are generally seen drinking reds, and the
spread of information about the claimed health benefits of phenols
and resveratrol in reds have also been influential.
Two Temperature zones for professionals
If willingness to try wines from different countries is one
expression of the growth of interest in wines across the region, there
are several others indications of that interest.
The coming edition of Vinexpo Asia Pacific (May 25-27,
2010 at Hong Kong’s Convention and Exhibition Centre) is
expected to attract more than 9,500 professional visitors to see
some 800 exhibitors from 30 countries. There will be 50 education
seminars and tastings, including wines from Italy, Spain, Chile
and France.

The First Home Wine Bar

First came the spirits salesmen, then came the vintners
“Once you love
Top five suppliers to the Hong Kong market Sowine system offers 2 independent
(Still and sparkling wine in millions of 9-Litre cases)
compartments for 2 bottles at an ideal
Rank Country 2004 2008 Evolution 2004-2008, serving temperature.
percent
1 France 0.510 0.723 41.8 Sowine system have 2 independent oxygen
2 Australia 0.247 0.498 101.6 extraction devices ensure that your wine is
3 Chile 0.122 0.330 170.5 protected from any risk of oxidation up to
4
5
USA 0.125
Spain 0.072
0.272
0.123
117.6
70.8
10 days.

the wine you’ll Source: Vinexpo/IWSR

For a free brochure containing full detail,

remember the please contact:

Alpha International Food Services
name” Zachary Yu 909, Chai Wan Industrial City, Phase 2,
70 Wing Tai Road, Chai Wan, Hong Kong.
Tel: (852) 2889 2123 Fax: (852) 2889 1757
http://www.eurocave-alpha.com

Made in France
82 AHCT April 2010
 D r i n k

CLASSE 10 USB

Appliance
of Science
Cocktails are experiencing
a renaissance and science is
taking them to new heights, STYLE. DESIGN. TECHNOLOGY.
reports Euan McKirdy Rancilio Classe 10: the most advanced machine in its class.

A
single olive, sitting in a glass. It might seem like
the patron has already drained his martini, but if
you’re drinking at Café Atlántico in Washington,
D.C, you’re in for a surprise. Bartender – if
that isn’t too prosaic a term for this pioneer – José Andrés
creates a solid, olive shaped blob by combining olive juice, APRIL 20 - 23, 2010
vermouth and gin with xanthan gum and calcium chloride,
and dropping it into a sodium alginate and water solution. COME TO SEE US AT THE FHA:
Pop this in your mouth and it reverts to liquid.
Hot on the heels of its gastronomic equivalent, molecular
RANCILIO - EGRO
mixology is the nascent science of manipulating familiar
ingredients in new ways, employing scientific techniques and
Hall 5 / Stand 5C3-01
using specialized equipment to create jaw-droppingly original
cocktails, most of which defy the conventional in most senses.
Singapore Expo
According to the father of molecular gastronomy, Hervé This,
who created the discipline in the 1980s, “Molecular mixology www.rancilio.com
is the practical application of the theoretical findings of
molecular gastronomy to the bar environment.” Today’s
proponents include Jamie Boudreau of Tini Bigs in Seattle,
The Tippling Club’s velvet fog

84 AHCT April 2010

 D r i n k Café Gray Deluxe
– a contemporary
D r i n k
atmosphere calls for
contemporary drinks

“Molecular mixology is the

practical application of …
molecular gastronomy to the bar
Neoclassical bartender Sam Jeveons
environment” Hervé This
to enjoy their drinks, have fun and come
away with good memories,” he explains.
Lai likes to smoke coke but don’t call
the police. The inventive bartender brings
out a glass of cola syrup that billows cherry
wood scented smoke – the method is kept
under wraps. In this state the drink is
extremely sweet, but add a whisky and the
whole experience changes – the smoky, oaky
qualities of the Scotch are brought out and
the flavour becomes entirely adult. Whisky
purists avert your eyes – Lai’s favourite
whisky for this cocktail is a 12- or 18-year-old
The Macallan, whiskies aged in appropriate
barrels for the cocktail’s flavour profile.
Lai can also create ‘ice cream’ tableside
– the Dragon’s Breath is stirred in a
cylinder at a temperature of minus 190ºC,
causing the vodka, Kahlua, Frangelico and
other ingredients to form small balls. The
mouthfeel is powdery and the taste like a
coffee ice cream. ‘Drinkers’ get hit at the
back of the throat by a cloud of steam that
re-emerges as Dragon’s Breath.
Lai may also present the unwitting
customer with a toothbrush and toothpaste
but it’s not time for bed. The ‘toothpaste’
is a gel made from mint vodka and blue
Curaçao.
Shotgun marriage
Rather than match ingredients that
traditional cocktail making suggests might
go together, bartenders are now matching
ingredients with a similar genetic make up.
Incredible new flavours, textures and ways of
serving are being created, using the principles
of chemistry and physics as a source of
scientific inspiration and guidance. As Lai
says, “It is an outcome of science, an art and

Antonio Lai whips up alcoholic ice cream

Pride and jewel of our long tradition

Eben Klemm at Primehouse in Seattle and
the aforementioned José Andrés.
WOW! moments
A cucumber infused with a martini, mojitos
spritzed from cans, vanilla beans burned by
medical-grade lasers to flavour red wine,
passionfriut foams and leather infused-
bourbon Manhattans – the possibilities are
endless, and indeed the list of what can
be created behind the modern-day bar is
growing as today’s mixologists employ new
flavours and techniques. The key to this
new discipline is the combination of the
Nitrogen on the cocktail menu in Singapore
of excellence, Diplomático Reserva
Exclusiva is the winner of many awards.
Aged for at least 12 years in oak barrels,
it is a Ron Antiguo (Antique Rum) with
unique body and extraordinary balance,
produced through a craftsmanship process
to yield a rum not only magnificent but
unusual and the unexpected. Antonio Lai,
bartender at Hong Kong’s Finds (located in seductive and elegant.
the LKF boutique hotel in Central) is one
of Asia’s pioneering molecular mixologists.
“Molecular mixology is about creating
cocktails using the scientific equipment and
technique of molecular gastronomy. Playing Importer contact:
with the scene to give a ‘wow’ factor to the LOMIG PTE LTD
guests. Turning an ordinary experience into 50 Havelock Road # 02-767
something extraordinary. It is an area which Singapore 160050
requires a certain level of knowledge, skills tel: 65 97344856
and enthusiasm.” e-mail: lomig@starhub.net.sg
But it’s just as much about the experience
as the technique, says Lai. “I want customers Please visit us at FHA, at the Venezuela Pavilion number 9N4 01

86 AHCT April 2010 April 2010 AHCT 87

 D r i n k
The Tippling
Club, pushing
the envelope in
Singapore
The marriage of unusual ingredients
– Antonio Lai’s Earl Grey martini
Jamie Brodreau’s Aviation
• 2 ½ oz gin
• 1½ oz maraschino liqueur
• 1 ½ oz lemon juice
Shake and strain into a cocktail glass and
serve alongside the violette caviar
Violette Caviar
• 4 oz violette
• 2 oz lemon juice
• 2 oz Parfait Amour
• 2 sheets of bloomed gelatin
Place all into a saucepan and warm until
gelatin is dissolved, then place into a squeeze
bottle. Refrigerate until a thick sauce-like
texture and slowly drop violette sauce into
a tall container of almost frozen canola oil.
Strain from the oil and rinse off the caviar
with cold water
“We are at
last treading
new ground
in the art of
cocktails thanks
to molecular
mixology” Finds – a leading Asian venue for molecular mixology
Sam Jeveons a philosophy. Cocktails are no longer just
cocktails anymore. They have to taste and
look great, exceeding expectations in order
to delight the guests.”
Sam Jeveons, bartender at Café Gray
Deluxe in Upper House, Hong Kong, says
he’s a “neoclassical” bartender but has had
his eye on molecular mixology’s rise since
the late 1990s. “At present I would say the
most common elements to the art are foams,
gels and caviars,” he says. “These disciplines
entail changing the molecular make up of
the liquid offering a textural and conceptual
experience for the customer.”
Lai is currently developing a ‘grape’ that
will fizz in the mouth – an extension of the
caviar idea.
88 AHCT April 2010
Systemanbieter_4c.engl.216x149_Systemanbieter_4c.engl.216x149 11.03.10 10:33 Seite 1
Molecular mixology started with Ferran
Adrià, the mastermind behind El Bulli, the
home of molecular gastronomy outside
Barcelona. Initially creating signature
drinks in 1998 to complement his mind-
blowing creations, using flavoured foams in
his cocktail glasses as well as on his plates,
Adrià was able to create a pleasing – and
surprising – accompaniment to his award-
winning cuisine.
Since those early days, mixologists
around the world – including some pioneers
in Asia, Matt Bax at the Tippling Club
Singapore, Antonio Lai at Finds in Hong
Kong, and Seven Dai, formerly at Laris on
the Bund Shanghai – have been engaged in
intense rivalry to create the most original,
out-there creations. Some of the results have
been stunning. “The advances [in molecular
mixology] makes better the industry and
pushes the envelope,” Jeveons says. “After
the first bartenders guide was published 148
years ago in 1862 we are at last treading
new ground in the art of cocktails thanks to
molecular mixology. In another 148 years,
molecular mixology might be the foundation
of cocktail and drinking culture.”
As with a real lab, the equipment used
in molecular mixology is as important as
the ingredients. It can range from relatively
common items such as blowtorches, which
can be found in most restaurant kitchens,
to more specialised items such as the sous-
D r i n k
vide, a device for combining and infusing
ingredients in a vacuum thus preserving their
flavours and enhancing the finished product,
and range from HK$500 to HK$20,000
(US$644-2,580), depending on the budget
and ambition of the bartender.
Infusions allow unexpected combinations
of flavours in cocktails, including flavourings
from non-edible substances, such as tobacco,
leather or perfume. Essential equipment
encompasses a litany of things not normally
associated with the bar - alganates, CO2,
chemical compounds such as hydrochloride,
calcic acid, sea weed, and scales, in addition
to, says Jeveons, “patience, and protective
goggles.”
Finds’ Lai is bullish about the enduring
qualities of molecular mixology. When
AHCT asks him if he thinks the discipline has
a future, he replies, “No doubt about it! I’m
very confident to say that this trend is here
to stay thanks to the unique drinking culture
in Hong Kong and Asia because the guests
are always looking for something new and
special, very adventurous indeed!”
Traditionsmarke der Profis
Your System Provider
Cutting, Sharpening, Grinding
+ +
✶
✶
■ High quality steel – laser-tested cutting ■ Simply draw blade through rods ■ Easy and safe to operate
edge for a perfect edge everytime ■ Precision and safety
■ Soft, abrasion proof and non-slip plastic ■ Sharpening rods with wear resisting ■ Resistant sharpening wheels
handle and super hard special coating thanks to diamonds and hard
■ Ergonomic handle, perfect in volume ■ Fast and safe operation ceramics
knives . ancillary items . sharpening steels . grinding machines
Friedr. Dick GmbH & Co. KG · Postfach 1173 · D-73777 Deizisau · mail@dick.de · www.dick.de
Please visit our booth # 4G2-04, Hall 4, during the FHA, Singapore.
April 2010 AHCT 89
 E q u i p me n t
The Xtra from VingCard Elsafe
Safety
match
Reassuring: VingCard Elsafe’s Sentinel safe
The Infinity series from VingCard Elsafe
“I
Can an in-room safe do believe the brand and build quality of the safe adds
to a guest’s reassurance about overall security. For any
support hotel brand
product we choose to put in our hotels, it must be top
quality, quality that is synonymous with Shangri-La
and supports what is important to us, and our guests,” says Kevin
distinction? And can Liu, Assistant Group Director of Purchasing for Shangri-La Hotels
and Resorts.
safes be used to In today’s increasingly security conscious world the safe storage
of documents, valuables and electrical accessories has taken on a
differentiate room whole new importance for travellers. Once upon a time in-room safes
were provided in more expensive rooms only, leaving some guests to
types? Zara Horner lodge their possessions with reception. Expectations have changed
though. “The demand for electronic in-room safes comes both from
finds out the hotel side and from the guest side,” says Ivan Aramayo, Director
of Marketing and Communication, VingCard Elsafe. “Guests are
90 A HCT April 2010
E q u i p me n t
expecting more and more to … keep their personal belongings in a
Aston International’s favehotel in
secured and private location, while hotels require in-room safes to Denpassar, Bali – the chain buys safes that
reduce their liability towards guests.” emphasise security and simplicity
Liu agrees: “Guestrooms equipped with an in-room safe are
very much an assumption in today’s … hotel market.” While Vice
President Sales, Asia Pacific, Jennifer Ferris, at Safemark Sytems
– which, over the past two years has expanded into the Asia Pacific
and Middle East markets – goes further, “Here in Asia in-room safes
are a necessity and expected in rooms, all of the competitive set have
them available. We do not understand when we travel to the US [why]
so many rooms do not have safes.”
Safe evolution
When demand for a room amenity evolves in this way the product
itself necessarily undergoes changes. However, basic premises remain
the same: “There are three categories,” John Flood, Senior Vice
President, Aston International replies when asked how the group has
chosen its in-room safes. “Technology; [the safe must be] user friendly
and with no complicated operational instructions. Security; in-room
safes should have features to record opening and closing activities
[and a way to] download the information. [It] also needs the pin or
password to be entered every time a guest opens and closes it. Some
safes only need to register the password once this is not secure since
[it] can be duplicated easily. And size.” “We feel a four digit
code is still the way to
The issue of size is a thorny one as laptops, portable dvd players
and the like are now so common but standard sizes of safes have yet to
catch up. “Up to recently, ‘standard’ safe sizes were rather small. The
ones we are specifying now for our new projects can accommodate
laptops,” Shangri-La’s Liu explains, continuing: “For China hotels
go” Jennifer Ferris
we have selected E-Safe while for non-China hotels we use Elsafe.
These brands were chosen with consideration of product quality,
reliability, lifespan, regional availability, design aesthetic, ease of use
and price. We also seek advice from relevant department heads, [and]
feedback from the field.”
Like his industry colleagues, Liu believes in-room safes have
become such an integral part of room inventory that they can, in fact,
distinguish brand, and be used as a room differentiator – Shangri-La
specialty suites have larger safes.
This use of different safes for different rooms is not new.
VingCard Elsafe, which developed both the first card lock and the
first electronic in-room safes for hotels in 1979, produces in-room
safes based on room type. With more than 6.5 million rooms and
39,000 properties around the world using their safes, the company
completely re-launched its entire range in 2009. “Elsafe has developed
specific models to match the space requirements of many hotel rooms
in the world, like a drawer safe that is installed inside furniture,
or on-wall models. These are innovative solutions where space is
limited in the rooms, but still guests expect to have the same services
inside the room,” Aramayo notes. The Director of Marketing and
Communication, says in-room safes need to be “extremely simple”
and easy to use while at the same time emanating an image of,
“security and robustness. From the hotel point of view it is very
important that they can offer a complete and detailed audit trail
system that provides peace of mind both for the guest and the hotel
as well as high security standards.”
Safemark System’s Ferris points out different safes have different
applications but believes every installation should be geared first and
foremost towards ease of use for the guest, going on to point out,
“ Size matters – 17 inches [means] ease of use. When looking at
technology we feel a four digit code is still the way to go, and certainly
our feedback from the security departments and operations people in
the hotels we work with (Starwood, Fairmont, IHG, Hilton, Carlson,
Marriott, Hyatt, Banyan Tree, and Rotana) confirm that this is still
the most accepted from guest and hotel operation perspectives. Our
biggest selling product is the Executive 5.1, this will take all the current
A Safemark solution in a classic location
April 2010 AHCT 91
 E q u i p me n t

17-inch widescreen laptops available

on the market with room for all the
other things travellers carry.”
Again there is an understanding % 6 3 " # - &
# :
% & 4 * ( /
t
1 3 " $ 5 * $ " -
# :
& 9 1 & 3 * & / $ &

in-room safes can be used to reinforce
hotel brand standards. “Any hotel
that installs a safe obviously cares
about guest’s security. Being able
to lock your valuables in your room
provides convenience to the guest. DURABLE BY DESIGN
Individually identifying users of the PRACTICAL BY EXPERIENCE
overrides systems and the ability
of the hotel to audit and identify
Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts fit exactly what has occurred with
larger safes into speciality suites
the safe supports feelings of safety
and, importantly, allows hotels to Safemark offers a full line of in room safes
cover themselves and troubleshoot large enough to accommodate today’s popular
any alleged thefts etcetera. With Safemark, we also carry a laptop models. Whether installed out of view
US$10,000 warranty against theft by forced entry that covers in a wardrobe or conveniently built into a desk
the hotel and guest should a theft through break-in occur.” drawer, our safes provide ease of access
Meanwhile, Onity started as a lock manufacturer in as well as ultimate security for travellers’
1941. Now under the United Technologies Corporation irreplaceable items. Safemark’s industry
(UTC) umbrella, the company is a global fire safety and
leading audit system protects guests,
security solutions provider whose safes “are available in
several finishes and a variety of sizes to complement any hotel employees and the hotel’s reputation.
property’s décor,” says Suzanne Fritz, Global Marketing
Manager. “By offering a wide selection, these safes can
accommodate any property from budget-minded hotels to Safemark’s safes are designed with the
high end luxury resorts.” Fritz agrees having the right type cumulative lessons we have learned from the
of in-room safe may enhance feelings of overall security in installation of over 600,000 safes over our
the hotel, and support brand distinction. “Providing a safe 25 year history and are backed by an exclusive
in good condition and working order adds to the guest’s US$10,000 limited warranty against forced
reassurance about security. The message to the customer is entry, expert installation and training and a
the hotel cares enough about its guests to provide additional
five year manufacturer’s warranty.
A newly-fitted Safemark safe in-situ safety for their valuable belongings while they are not in the
room.” Using different safes in different rooms may even be
revenue maker, Fritz points out. “Yes, hotels should and can Safemark, good for your guests...
use safes to differentiate rooms types. In particular, the OS600 good for your business.
safe from Onity can be integrated into the hotel’s locking plan, so that
the hotel may charge for the use of the safe, if they desire.”
For Aston International’s Flood the choice is easy - “the bigger the
room the bigger the safe” - nevertheless, maintenance and after-sales
support remain the criteria by which the group makes its decision.
“Sales service and support is mandatory for all electronic products,
although price is also important. The features and the look would
be the last rank, since if the features are very complicated they will
create confusion for hotel guests.” Flood concurs in-room safes are
now standard equipment and are used to ensure guest’s, “convenience
The laptop sized Millennium M5 from Safemark … and add to guest’s reassurance about overall security in the hotel,
which surely impacts the hotel brand image and increases guest

“In-room safes need to satisfaction.” To guarantee this, Flood recommends hotel purchasers
seek out quality brands, which reflect individual hotel standards, and Safemark Systems
be extremely simple” importantly are as “problem free” as possible.
64"
5FM




+1 407 299 0044
Ivan Aramayo "TJB
1BDJmD
5FM



sales@safemark.com
www.safemark.com

92 A HCT April 2010

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

O
utdoor furniture is grabbing
more attention in the design
world as more designers
are experimenting with the
demands of producing a beautiful piece of

Pushing
furniture that can withstand the elements
and meet hotels’ and clients’ expectations
for this type of product.
At the Design Journal Awards for Design
Excellence (Adex) in the United States this
March, a curving sun lounger called Trace
won a Platinum award in the casual/outdoor
product design category. Designed by
Australia’s Helen Kontouris, this follows on
from winning Best Product award at the Best
of Contemporary Australian Design Awards
for her “Breathe” outdoor sofa late last year.

perceptions of
She also walked away with the Designer of

design
the Year award. Both Breathe and Trace
were commissioned by SunWeave brand
produced by Hong Kong-based outdoor
furniture specialists Everything Under
Outdoors can be as chic as the rest The Sun.
of the hotel, says Ruth Williams “There has been a real explosion in
outdoor furniture design in the last six to
ten years,” says Craig Pallister, Managing
Director, Everything Under The Sun. “More
talented young designers are working with
outdoor furniture, and their achievements in

Mondecasa: Tang Bamboo brings light to any venue Mondecasa: rounding out options with Drum

Helvar is Europe’s leading

provider of energy saving
lighting systems. Its extensive
range of products, including
ballasts and intelligent lighting
control solutions, can be
used as single components
or combined into lighting
systems to achieve excellent
solutions for residential,
commercial and architectural
environments.

For your Lighting Control and Lighting

Management System needs visit
www.helvar.com and
contact: Info_System.Int@helvar.com

94 A HCT April 2010 April 2010 AHCT 95

 E q u i p me n t

SunWeave: Breathe – award-winning designs by

Australian Designer of the Year, Helen Kontouris

“There has been a real explosion in outdoor furniture

design in the last six to ten years” Craig Pallister
product design are being recognized. maintenance, industrial functionality and bolder in their choice of colours and
“You only have to go to Maison&Objet easy maneuverability,” said designer Axel designs to differentiate themselves from their
in Paris or Milan’s Salone del Mobil Objet Enthoven commenting on the award. competition. Good outdoor furniture designs
to see incredible outdoor furniture designs Spanish outdoor furniture company add a resort feel to the hotel and brings resort
from top designers. There are limitations, Kettal, is also grabbing headlines in the living to the city,” says Lydia Lee, General
but designers are constantly pushing our design world – it too works with leading Manager of Singapore’s Alma Contract.
perceptions of outdoor design.” designers and at the newly opened Yas Alma produces Mondecasa branded
“One of the reasons for this explosion Hotel Dubai guests can relax in Kettal outdoor furniture with two main collections
of design is the growing use of synthetic chairs designed by Patricia Urquiola or on – Contract and Prestige – featuring extensive
weave, which allows designers to be a lot the Kettal Atmosphere deck chair designed choices of designs and materials. Mondecasa
more creative, and its very hard wearing. by Marcel Wanders. collections feature high quality materials such
The style and curving you can achieve with as synthetic weave and teak from sustainable
weave are amazing.” Bold choices forests plus Batyline-brand sling fabric and
“Synthetic weave furniture is also hand “Outdoor furniture has evolved from being synthetic wood.
made – the aluminium frame is cut by hand, just functional and traditional to become Lee explains: “We are able to produce
it’s welded by hand, powder coated then bold and aesthetic in their designs, a lot wood look aluminium, to give the furniture
someone will sit and weave polyethylene of emphasis is now given to colours and a wood-like or rattan-like look. Aluminium is
fibres around the frame.” designs that are unique. Hotels are now lightweight and easier to maintain than wood
Everything Under The Sun is the Asian
representative for over a dozen leading
outdoor furniture brands including Cane-
line from Denmark, b.d. from Spain, Emu
from Italy and Britain’s Gloster.
Pallister explains that new production
techniques also allow designers to achieve
amazing results with other materials too.
Gloster recently won a Red Dot award
for its Elan range, a collection of outdoor
furniture with sleek, gently contoured seats
promising exceptional comfort made from
teak plywood.
“Elan’s curves cannot be achieved
using traditional teak production methods.
Teak plywood is a visually and physically
light material requiring minimal use of
wood whilst achieving maximum seating
capacity. It also boasts total resistance
to the elements, incredible strength, no

Dedon: Barcelona beach chair by Richard Frinier

96 A HCT April 2010
 E q u i p me n t
Mondecasa: Ming Ta chaise longue
“Nowadays there
are no hard and
fast rules on
using outdoor
furniture for
indoors” Love Joy
Mallicay
which will fade over time and deteriorate
over time when exposed to the weather.”
“Our furniture is built for institutional
use so it can take the rough handling. Unlike
residential furniture, in hotels furniture gets
moved around a lot. Our raw materials are
all by renowned brands known for their
quality and durability.”
Mondecasa’s innovative Contract
collection allows customers to mix and
match the chairs, table legs and tabletops
and has proved popular with restaurants,
cafés, bars and anywhere with al fresco
98 A HCT April 2010
Dedon: Panama – designed by Richard Frinier
Everything Under The Sun: designer
furniture transforms The Backyard at the
Langham Place Mongkok
dining. The Mondecasa Prestige collection
comprises furniture that comes in complete
sets, and seen at hotels, serviced apartments
and luxury property developments including
Resort World Sentosa and The Crowne
Plaza Airport Hotel Singapore.
“Outdoor furniture today is so versatile
that many designs can also be used as indoor
furniture as well,” adds Lee.
Living outdoors
With so much being invested in design,
outdoor furniture is popping up in stylish
spas, restaurants, bars and guestroom
balconies.
“Nowadays there are no hard and fast
rules on using outdoor furniture for indoors.
The beauty of the items is also not confined
to indoor furniture, outdoor furniture can
look just as nice or better, and the room may
be styled just as the host wants it. There are
no limits to the imagination here,” says Love
Joy Mallicay, Corporate Affairs Manager,
Dedon.
The founder of Germany’s Dedon,
for mer professional footballer Bobby
Dekeyser, is credited with coming up with
the idea of creating an ‘outdoor living
room’ when he established the company
20 years ago. Dedon pioneered the use of
synthetic weave to create well-designed
luxurious but weatherproof furniture,
which not only withstands sun, rain and
Gloster: The Excelsior, Hong Kong
brought a casual glamour to ToTTs by
E q u i p me n t
opening up an unused outdoor space
that gives you that feeling of togetherness
– perfect for couples or families; beanbags
in durable outdoor fabrics can add a very
relaxed touch to an outdoor lounging area
while modular lounge sets give hotels and
restaurants multiple options for changing
the look of their venues.”
“Modular sets are really popular – by
moving away from standard tables, chairs
or sofas, the modular set uses a variety of
different styles, our hotel clients move pieces
around to create different looks, different
moods at different times of the day, for
dining, lounging or events.”
“At The Backyard we used a Ferrari
outdoor fabric called Stamskin on modular
sets. It’s taking an indoor feel material and
putting it outdoors,”
By adding appealing European designed
outdoor furniture, sofas, outdoor bars water
features and more shade, Langham Place
has created a new kind of space that is
drawing even Hong Kong’s beautiful people
to the dark side to lounge around out of
doors under the bright lights of Mongkok
sipping cocktails and enjoying a new kind
of outdoor lifestyle.
extreme temperatures but is also colourfast
and sturdy.
American Richard Frinier, is just one of
many international designers commissioned
Commercial laundry equipment
by Dedon to create groundbreaking new
furniture designs. His nine lines include the
classic Panama chairs and dining tables,
for the hospitality sector
and Barcelona lines. Frinier’s Daydream
by Dedon, a daybed with a canopy, was
described by The Robb Report magazine as
one of the best designs at large over the
past 30 years.
“Our furniture adds prestige to any
establishment. When they have Dedon, it A World Leader
shows that they want only the best quality for
their own guests and clients. On top of the
IPSO is one of the world’s leading brands of commercial laundry
equipment. The IPSO laundry equip-ment is offered to various
products, we offer excellent after-sale service markets, from hospitality & health care institutions to coin-
to customers,” says Mallicay. operated laundries and commercial laundries. IPSO’s extensive
product range consists of washer extractors, tumble dryers,
Adding value in unexpected
places ironers and auxiliary equipment, all available from small to large
Everything Under the Sun’s Pallister says capacities.
outdoor furniture can also add value to a
property by transforming underused outdoor IPSO focuses on durability, serviceability, quality and performance,
spaces into new venues that bring in new but also recognizes the increasing demand for attractive design
customers and new revenue. Everything
and ergonomics.
Under The Sun supplied Gloster furniture
to The Excelsior when it opened up a
previously unused roof terrace at its iconic Get further information from your nearest IPSO Certified Partner
ToTTs bar and restaurant. on www.ipso.be.
Pallister says that day beds are becoming
very popular poolside and around spas
and resorts. “Most follow a round shape
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
April 2010 AHCT 99
 E q u i p me n t

From diminutive
convection for the small-
scale baker to rotative
models designed for
Miwe’s Cube:fire
for baking without
steam
mass production, bakery
ovens come in many
shapes and sizes, says
Helen Dalley

Baker’s dozen
Miwe’s Condo – a small deck baking oven

W
hether it’s freshly baked bread still warm from the snacks, tartes flambée, and soft pretzels, which require a particularly
oven or flaky croissants laden with butter and jam, short baking time and high temperatures up to 350°C. The top and
baked goods are becoming big business in Asia, bottom heat can be regulated separately. Steinheuer agrees baked
according to a report published this year by United goods are growing in popularity in Asia, and that the trends sweeping
States company Global Industry Analysts. The bread market alone the continent at the moment include, “baguettes, croissants and
is expected to exceed US$170 billion by 2015 largely due to its pretzels.”
increased popularity in China, particularly for buttery breads that
can be eaten straight away. Classic knobs
German brand Eloma is another significant player when it comes
Top and bottom to bakery ovens. Anita Mair, E Commerce & Media Design, says,
Increased demand for baked products such as bread, pastries and “Since last summer, we’ve offered bakers a completely new baking
cakes can only mean good news for bakery oven manufacturers, and technology. The small Backmaster EB 30 and EB 30 XL (3 trays) as
German brand Miwe has been one brand to benefit, with ovens such well as the larger EB 50 (5 trays) and EB 80 (8 trays) are available with
as the Roll-in, the first rack oven and famous for utilising floor space, either a T or B control panel and now also have the autoclean system,
and small deck baking oven the Condo – the most popular in Asia. our fully automatic self cleaning programme, as an option. With the
The latest oven to hit the market is the Miwe cube, a baking system T control and its pictogram screen, you can choose as many as 300
that can be equipped with a wide variety of baking chamber types programmes. The B control, meanwhile, features classic rotating
on a single unified platform. Communications Manager, Charlotte knobs.” Eloma offers the Backmaster bakery oven in four different
Steinheuer says, “This gives bakers the opportunity to plan their
individual needs in single sales locations independently. It’s very
easy to operate and the special building set system can be combined
according to personal will and spatial situations. After the customer
has constructed his individual baking oven, they can print out the “Baking regularly
technical data: weight; dimensions; connected loads, in detail.”
What makes the Roll-in so popular? “Elaborate airflow in the throughout the day of
course provides a better
baking chamber means consistently good baking results, while its
heating performance, together with a large dimension steam device,
means chefs can bake batch after batch even with shortest baking
times. The rack oven is also demountable and a built-in computer
programme means that up to 99 baking programmes can be saved.”
and fresher product to
The MIWE cube:fire, meanwhile, is available for all products baked
without steam and that profit from higher temperatures like pizzas,
the customer” Anita Mair
Small ovens allow for baking
fresh batches throughout the day
100 A HCT April 2010
 E q u i p me n t Miwe’s Roll-in promises consistently good results

Perfect One of the best places to sample melt-in-the-mouth pastries in Hong

Kong is at The Peninsula, where Executive Pastry Chef Chan Wai The clean solution

production has been baking the hotel’s famous scones for the last 23 years. The
croissants are another best-seller – so how does Chan craft these classic
pastries? “It’s best to use butter with a very high fat content (Corman 99.9
percent) that doesn’t melt at room temperature, make sure the dough
is very cold and keep the oven at around 190 degrees,” he says. As
for the equipment, the veteran Peninsula chef opts for a Rondo sheeter
to roll out the croissant dough before cooking them in a Wachtel oven.
“We’ve had this machine for 15 to 16 years and it’s still going strong,”
says Wai. In fact, this Swiss sheeter is popular in many Asian countries
according to Kolb, who act as the main distributor of this equipment
on the continent. “There is a wide range
of products available for selection for
all types of bakery, from the table top
dough sheeter to an industrial line,” says
Catherine Yu, Kolb’s Assistant General
Manager.
Over in Cafe Gray Deluxe in the
Upper House Hotel, Pastry Chef April
Robinson uses the Technoplast SFB500
to roll out croissants for breakfast and
afternoon tea. “It’s the Cadillac of dough
sheeters and we chose it for its sheer
power and mass production abilities,”
she says, adding, “We do very well
with our croissants; they’re just the
“Trends sweeping
right size and very flaky and buttery.”
So far as different croissant varieties the continent include
are concerned, Robinson believes in
keeping things simple. “I’m a big fan of baguettes, croissants
Café Gray Deluxe Pastry Chef
April Robinson likes the classics
The Peninsula, Hong Kong’s
Executive Pastry Chef Chan Wai
the classics – after all, they’re classics
for a reason.” and pretzels”
Charlotte Steinheuer
styles - which are the most popular in Asia? “The best-sellers are the
small models EB 30 and EB 30 XL manual as B-version and fully
automatic as T-version.” As for trends, Mair feels, “There is a big
trend towards smaller baking ovens so chefs can bake small amounts
more often. Baking regularly throughout the day of course provides
a better and fresher product to the customer.”
One fan of Eloma products is upscale restaurant and popular
afternoon tea location Cafe Gray Deluxe in the Upper House
Hotel, Hong Kong. Pastry Chef April Robinson says, “We use the
Eloma Genius T steam/convection oven unit because it’s a good all-
purpose unit in one. It enables us to control the amount of humidity
in the unit, which fares well for the extra crunch and browning of
viennoisserie.”
Spanish company Salva makes a wide variety of bakery ovens
including Ciclo-Thermic, Electric Deck, Annular Tubes (hearth
baking ovens for artisan breads) as well as rotative and modular
ovens. The company prides itself on being able to produce
equipment that will work even in the most limited of spaces, which
no doubt accounts for its success in Asia where space is often tight.
Patxi Iraeta, Commercial Director, says, “Salva is all about client
focus and that’s why we have reinforced the customer’s voice in the
company, establishing branch offices in Germany, Turkey, India as
well as France and Chile.” Reinforcing its position in Asia is one of
the company’s main tasks now, says Iraeta, adding that the company
makes all its electronic control panels in-house to ensure reliability.
Being part-packaged means the oven can be put together in even the
most inaccessible of kitchen spaces.
Eloma also offer the EB 50 (5 trays) and EB 80 (8 trays) Eloma’s Backmaster EB 30 and EB 30 XL (3 trays)

102 A HCT April 2010

 P r o d u c t N e w s
Hobart uses fresh
water 3 times
Hobart’s innovative system, Water Saving 3-PLUS cuts down on fresh
water use for hood-type dishwashers by saving up to 4 litres of fresh
water per rack, which means up to US$2,260 per year in savings with
dishwashing amounting to 150 racks per day.
With Hobart’s 3-PLUS water saving system, all water that enters the
machine is used 3 times: outside of the machine for manual prewash;
for wash water regeneration; and for rinsing.
The machine’s drain water is transferred to a tank after being
filtered. A pump then transports this filtered water to the manual
pre-washing station before the water is discharged for drainage. The
warm drain water still contains detergent, making the manual prewash
function far more efficient. New tap water is only needed for prewashing
if the tank is empty.
Cutting Edge, Mundial Hong Kong
104 A HCT April 2010
P r o d u c t N e w s
A revitalized
buffet system
Cross Cube: a sturdy scissor-folding leg design is
light weight and trouble free. Removable tabletops
separate from the legs, allowing impressive
transportability.
This flexibility is especially ideal for outside
catering based on the systems’ ease of operation.
Design elements include laminate, glass and
veneer, with a range of framing and edging. Also the
leg shapes and styles come in a range of elevations;
with finishes in stainless, chrome and baked enamel.
Overall, a very smart investment for all display,
presentation and function needs.
For more information:www.ihs2000.com.au
Water Saving 3-PLUS is compatible with all Hobart’s PROFI and
PREMAX hoodtype models, and can also be retrofitted.
Cognisant of the fact water is a scarce and an invaluable resource
– Hobart integrates every possible water saving mechanism into its
machines to make them good for the environment whilst at the same
time reducing operating costs.
Hobart’s Water Saving 3-PLUS combines ecology and economy,
making a major contribution to sustainable use of environmental
resources, and bringing the company one step closer to its ultimate
goal of ‘washing without water’.
For more information: www.hobart-export.com
Mundial Hong Kong proudly announces the arrival of the new
MundiGRIP line of knives, featuring unique handles and a host of
highly-desirable, user-friendly innovations.
The new MundiGRIP line features an exclusive new handle
design created from an innovative soft-textured compound,
developed by the company and tested rigorously through extensive
industrial heavy-duty use.
Providing a non-slip, ergonomic grip, which simultaneously
minimises muscle stress and fatigue, the new shape offers comfort
and safety in each of the task-specific ways it can be gripped.
For added benefit, the handle also boasts an antimicrobial
treatment for maximum protection against the
proliferation of germs, bacteria and mold.
Like all of Mundial’s fine professional
knives, the NSF-certified line is manufactured
from premium high carbon stainless steel
strengthened with molybdenum and
vanadium, ensuring toughness and resilience.
For more information: www.mundial.com.hk
105
 P r o d u c t N e w s P r o d u c t N e w s

Creating a home ambiance

The concept of Home Ambiance for hotel spaces was derived from a century old technique, used in restaurants throughout Italy. There, restaurants
would fill empty wine bottles with olive oil and fragrant herbs, using spaghetti sticks as diffusers. It was from this idea the concept of Home

Uncle Russ Ambiance developed into an apothecary product and the Acantha Luxury Collection was created. Acantha products are made with the finest
essential oils and delicately decanted into the perfect portions to exude luxury.

Coffee Semi Each fragrance features a range of colours and scents from landscapes around the world. Within an instant, the combination of scent and colour
evokes special memories of exotic locales. Each scent is hand picked to, “capture the essence of luxury and to create a world that cultivates the

Automatic ultimate luxury lifestyle.” Acantha Home Ambiance Collection can be displayed in guest rooms, suites, washrooms, spa rooms, massage rooms, and
lobby areas to create a specific feel and fit. It can also be used to create a check-in experience for guests who wish to choose their room aroma,

Machine Range linen and room scents/sprays and towel scents when they check-in. Or even as a special gift for guests.

For more information: www.acanthacollection.com

Uncle Russ Coffee Semi Automatic Machines are stylish,
commercial coffee makers, that are at home in any
hotel, bar, coffee shop, restaurant or bistro. The range of
commercial coffee machines is available in one, two and
three groups. Stylish modern designs and solid performers
designed specifically for a demanding professional
environment.

For more information:

sales@uncleruss.com.hk
+852 25528036

Comenda expands

:+<
its range of hood
dishwashers
Comenda says it’s, “committed to research and ongoing improvement of

%811 "
product lines”, and now the company’s R & D division has come up with the
new model LC411 and C800E dishwashers to complete its well-known LC
and C lines.
The aim of the OCE project to create an environmentally friendly
dishwasher. Mission accomplished: both machines have 21 litre drawn tanks
with self-draining pumps. Multipower operation permits either single-phase
or three-phase operation, to suit the customer’s requirements, with reduction
of installed power where necessary.
Both the LC411 and the C800E, which differ in the type of control panel
(mechanical on the first, electronic with digital temperature display on the

(7HY[ULY@V\*HU*V\U[6U™
second), feature the patented WRIS system creating a rotary washing area
thanks to the twin row of nozzles, increasing the amount of contact time
between dishes and wash water with detergent.
The new LC411 and C800E professional dishwashers are complete
washing systems which operate with reduced water and energy Our rich history of environmentally
consumption to meet all the needs of small to mid-sized restaurants. conscious innovation supports you,
The main frame, body and washing system are made entirely of 18/10
wherever you serve customers around
AISI 304 stainless steel guaranteeing long lifespan even under heavy-duty
operating conditions. the world. Count on us to help you
The machine’s designers have been careful to ensure that maintenance with profitable, reliable beverage
work will be easy: the filters on the tank, washing and rinsing assemblies and
rack holder, “may be dismantled in seconds with only one hand.”
equipment and great service.

For more information: www.comenda.eu

www.bunn.com Fan us, Friend us, Follow us!

106 A HCT April 2010 Experience BUNN Quality at Food & Hotel Asia, 20-23 April, Singapore 107
 P r o d u c t N e w s
Andy
Mannhart
brings
induction to
the buffet
RTCSmp Induction Buffet is a concept under
which all accessories have been developed
and adapted together with the induction
unit in order to guarantee the best possible
performance. The concept proves that
functionality and design work perfectly at one
integrated solution.
• More display – less technology for your
guest: Induction heating unit - big surface:
800mm by 400mm - Full assortment of induction chafers (round,
• Temperature control and low energy
consumption
• Design individual theme buffets: Different
vessels and materials can be kept warm on
the same surface
• Utmost flexibility: Available freestanding and
built-in.
Unlike other induction plates, RTCSmp
offers the possibility to display individual
cooking mediums made of different materials
simultaneously, on a trendy, black frameless
surface, such as:
- Copper plated pot
- Porcelain gn pans in blue, yellow, orange or
WIRELESS
CHARGING
The Powermat wireless charging system
is a wireless solution for your guests and
pairs an ultra-thin mat with a sleek receiver
that attaches to each electronic device.
The system utilizes magnetic induction,
supercharged by Powermat proprietary
technology, to deliver the speed and
108 A HCT April 2010
white (1/3 gn, 2/3 gn, 2/4gn)
rectangular with/without glass top)
- Beautiful cast iron pots and pans in various
shapes and colours
- Black line fry pans in different sizes – which
can be applied in combination with front
cooking
- Andy Mannhart multimaterial award winning
cookware
The RTCSmp Induction Unit is available
freestanding (perfect for banqueting) or built-in
for coffee shops or executive lounges.
The required temperature can be preset
and displayed in a small digital window on the
surface. The RTCS technology guarantees the
intelligence consumers expect. Replacing the
tangle of traditional chargers and wires, the
Powermat keeps the room neat and tidy, as
consumers can more easily keep their space
organized and clean by charging multiple
devices from just one power source. Energy
is transferred quickly and efficiently via a
shared magnetic field from a circuit inside
the charging mat to a receiving circuit that is
either embedded in or attached to the paired
electronic device.
The system also initiates an “electronic
SCHAERER COFFEE VITO
AT FHA 2010, SINGAPORE
Recyclable
HALL 5 | BOOTH 5B3-06
seating
Originally built using wood, Aimo Inc’s Chiavari chair
proved very popular in the hospitality industry. Subsequent
Schaerer Coffee Vito -
incarnations in plastic have been less well received
prompting the company to re think its manufacture, and
the latest offering has a powder coated aluminium frame.
simply superb
“After much research and gathering useful feedback
from the operational level,” an Aimo Inc spokesman said,
“Aimo’s Chiavari chair’s features are not only more durable
and sustainable, but the materials used are recyclable as
the company believes in being environmentally friendly.” Small restaurants, bars, offices, cafés and kiosks:
The new chair is lighter, stackable and more flexible for use
wherever outstanding quality and simple operation are
both indoors and out, “though not permanently”, cautions
set temperature will be maintained.
the company.
the order of the day, the Schaerer Coffee Vito is the
This concept offers cutting edge perfect choice.
Available in 7 different colours, from the classic antique
technology together with technical perfection
gold to new magenta red, the model comes with fixed or
as well as the utmost flexibility on how to
unfixed foam seats depending on usage and preference. www.schaerer.com
“design” a buffet.
Last but not the least, there’s a drastic
For more information:
reduction of energy consumption in running
Sales@aimoinc.com
a new RTCSmp field of 800mm by 400mm
at only 1.5kW. 1phase on 230V means more
than 50 percent energy savings in comparison
to old chafing dish based buffet units.
For more information:
info@andymannhart.com
www.andymannhart.com
conversation” between the mat and devices
placed on the Powermat surface to ensure the
optimum level of power is sent, and includes
an auto-termination feature, which stops
charging a device once it is fully charged to
not only save energy but also protect the
device.
Powermat was listed as one of the
year’s most coveted new tech items in Time
magazine’s 2009 Tech Buyer’s Guide as well
as many other publications and media outlets.
Powermat receivers come in several
styles allowing consumers a choice in how
they charge with Powermat:
iPhone 3G models
iPhone / iPod charging dock
Blackberry Bold
Nintendo DSi
Powercube Universal Receiver (mini- and
micro- USB, Nokia, Sony Ericsson, LG, etc.,
a total of 8 unique tips)
For more information:
www.leader.com.hk
SWISS MADE
 P r o d u c t N e w s P r o d u c t N e w s

Let there Rancilio finds the one

be light
Helvar, a leading provider of energy saving
lighting systems has launched its 458 Series.
Promising “versatile, cost-effective lighting
control for corporate, hospitality and retail
applications”, the modular construction ensures
lighting design flexibility from concept to
completion. Three sizes of chassis are available:
8, 16 & 24 channel. The Helvar 458 Series
requires no programming while its extensive
range of products, including ballasts and
intelligent lighting control solutions, can be used
as single components or combined into whole
lighting systems.
For more information: www.helvar.com
The ONE is Rancilio’s new fully automatic coffee machine.
The first machine off the production line since the company acquired
Egro Coffee Systems in 2008, The ONE is available in two standard
versions: ONE Touch, which has a 5.7” full colour display touch screen with
rapid drop down intuitive menu of 48 choices; and ONE Keypad with the
more traditional push-button panel of 10 keys to select between 5, 9 or 16
drinks. With “ergonomic design, first-class functions and patented Swiss
coffee serving technology,” The ONE also offers the option of uploading
and customising screensavers, displaying promotional images or videos as
drinks are served or teaching baristas by showing demonstration videos.
Meanwhile Rancilio’s Classe 10 coffee machine’s technology and
functions are, “optimized for prestige locations with large volumes,” says the
company.
These are equipped with a USB port so data and work parameters can
be loaded quickly and easily.
The USB version has several distinctive features including a 240x64
pixel graphic display, which allows the machine to be used interactively with
customers. The presence of an onboard USB connection makes it possible
to load personalized logos and phrases onto the display, quickly and easily.
And users can copy and transfer settings from one machine to another. The
hot and cold water temperature control system for tea has four different

Schumann reinterprets
temperatures and programmable dosages. While the iSteam wand is “the
fastest and most powerful steam wand on the market - 500 cc from 10°C

the classics
to 65°C in 30 seconds”.
The Classe 10 is the first and only espresso machine with external
housing in animal safe leather (eco-leather) with a choice of stitching styles
German glassware manufacturer, Schott Zwiesel, has joined forces with the proprietor of and thread colours.
Munich’s legendary Schumann’s Bar, Charles Schumann to create a new range of glasses. The
17-part Basic Bar Selection includes classic tumblers, cocktail and champagne stemware in all For more information: www.rancilio.com
new sizes. In Schumann’s opinion, “Bar culture is more diverse nowadays and the international
influence has become much stronger. That’s why it’s important to offer new interpretations
alongside familiar classics.”
Also from Germany, as part of its Gourmet range of utensils, and picking up on current food
trends, is Jenaer Glas’ new food and drinks hot’n cool series, ‘Allround’, which makes speciality
coffees, drinks, sorbets, desserts and tapas seem as light as air as the double-walled glasses
The only manufacturer in the world
(available in S/M/L/XL) almost seem to float. The two thickness thermal design keeps food
and drink at just the right temperature making them an ideal platform for food preparation and to provide the full juice bar solution
serving. Importantly, the tumblers can be comfortably held even when they contain hot drinks,
as the heat is not transferred directly to the outer wall.

For more information: www.schott-zwiesel.com www.jenaer-glas.com

Smart
tabletops
Through her exploration of modern materials
and manufacturing techniques, Sandy
Chilewich expresses her passion for defining
how tabletops are dressed worldwide. For
the hospitality industry, Chilewich produces
original modern tabletop settings and floorings
created by using an intrinsically functional, yet
innovative material. The latest addition to the
Chilewich Hospitality tabletop collection is the
toughly elegant ‘Kono’. This proprietary weave
>

>

>
has the steely glint of woven stainless steel.
Available in three colours: asphalt, iron and Lever Juicer Evolution N°70 Brushless Blender N°62 Professional Juice Extractor
midnight, Kono comes in standard rectangles, ‘’Ezy-clean system ’’ N°58
TM

squares and runners. Custom sizes including

tray liners and table covers will also be
Meet us at FHA - Booth number 4M3-01 The professional art of juicing since 1954
available.

For more information: www.chilewich.com Website : www.santos.fr - E-mail : santos@santos.fr - Tel : +33 472 373 529 – Fax : +33 478 265 821

110 A HCT April 2010 April 2010 AHCT 111

 P r o d u c t N e w s

Buffet
refreshment
IHS has “revitalized” its mobile buffet tables. The
new Cross Cube series embraces the fast pace of
transportable, folding buffet tables that “do away with
draping and are flexible enough to cater to endless
function types,” says the company. Eliminating the
cost of skirting and timely set ups is the Rollaway
Conference & Banquet Tables series while the
Mobile Designer Stations enable the new trend of
chef’s live cooking demonstrations. To complement
their products and view them in perspective, a new
website has been produced, which includes the new
interactive step-by-step module that allows clients
to design their own products.

For more information: www.ihs2000.com.au

Intensive care
French skincare company Algotherm promises its
latest offering, Algonative is a breakthrough in the fight
against wrinkles. The result of the “alchemy between
high technicality and marine expertise,” Algonative
combines two natural high performance ingredients:
algae to fight the biological signs of aging and
extracted hibiscus seeds to combat the mechanical
signs. Specifically aimed at women over 40, the range
comes in a 20-day intensive care package, which
includes “specific booster” care to prepare skin for
what’s to follow, and stimulating massage techniques
to “redensify” skin.

For more information: www.algotherm.fr

Scratch resistance
RAK Porcelain, part of the RAK Ceramics group, has produced a new range
of value for money tableware aimed specifically at the hotel, restaurant and
catering industries. Chip and scratch resistant, the range is fully vitrified porcelain
tableware. The latest collection, ‘Nordic,’ is “a contemporary range with a
classical stone age touch that helps the professional [achieve a] luxurious dining
presentation for both buffet and individual dining,” says the company.

For more information: www.rakporcelain.com

112 A HCT April 2010

 E v e n t s E v e n t s

Date Event Details ORGANIzER Date Event Details ORGANIzER

Apr 7-9 Wine & Gourmet Japan 2010 Wine & Gourmet Japan premiered in 2009 with Koelnmesse Pte Ltd June 17-18 Hospitality Architecture + The HA+D Expo is dedicated to actively connecting Questex Asia Ltd
Tokyo Big Sight great success. Wine & Gourmet Japan is the first Tel: +65 6500 6710 Design Exhibition & hotel owners and operators with architects, 501 Cambridge House, Taikoo Place,
Tokyo, Japan dedicated professional exhibition for wine and Fax: +65 6294 8403 Conference (HA+D Expo) designers, manufacturers and suppliers through 979 King’s Road, Quarry Bay,
spirits, gourmet and fine food, confectionery, food Email: wgjapan@koelnmesse.com.sg The Venetian Macao- a quality trade show and conference that focus Hong Kong
catering and foodservice equipment and supplies for www.wineandgourmetjapan.com Resort-Hotel on products and services for hospitality project Tel: +852 9860 0169
the Japanese market. Macau SAR, China designers and developers. View concept rooms and Email: eileen.chang@trefoilmedia.com
hotel suites and be the first to see the latest product www.HAplusDexpo.com
launches for mid- to high-end hospitality projects.
Apr 20-23 FHA 2010 The 17th international Food & Drinks, Hotel, Singapore Exhibition Services
Singapore Expo Restaurant, Bakery & Foodservice Equipment, No. 1 Jalan Kilang Timor, #09-02 Pacific Tech Centre,
Singapore Supplies & Services Exhibition & Conference with Singapore 159303 Jun 30-Jul 2 8th International HOSFAIR Guangzhou 2010 will showcase a Guangzhou Huazhan Exhibition Co., Ltd
FHA Culinary Challenge. Tel: +65 62336638 Hospitality Equipment & myriad of Kitchenware and Catering Equipment, 9H, Jinsui Tower, No.900 Guangzhou Ave. Mid,
Fax: +65 62336633 Supplies Fair (HOSFAIR Food, Beverage and Equipment, Tableware, Hotel Guangzhou, China.
events@sesallworld.com Guangzhou 2010) Furniture, Fabrics and Uniforms, Interior and Helen Zhang
www.sesallworld.com Lobby Supplies, Recreational Facilities, Hotel Tel: +86-20-38812619
Intelligence, Cleaning and Laundry Equipment, and Fax: +86-20-22223568
will also provide splendid live activities. Helen@hosfair.com
Apr 27-30 HORECA The 17th edition of the Middle Eastern show Hospitality Services www.hosfair.com
BIEL for catering equipment, furniture and fixtures, Contrast building, Dekwaneh
Beirut tabletop, uniforms, linens and amenities, laundry PO Box 90155
Lebanon equipment, maintenance and hygiene, technology Jdeidet El Metn Sep 7-9 Restaurant & Bar Restaurant & Bar Hong Kong is the fastest growing Diversified Events Hong Kong Ltd
software, telecommunications, security, audiovisual, 1202 2020 Lebanon Hong Kong exhibition for the hospitality sector in Asia Pacific. Telephone: +852 3105 3970
packaging, franchise, finance and management Tel: +961 1 480081 Hong Kong Convention Currently in the ninth year, it has a growing Fax: +852 3105 3974
companies, hotels and restaurants chains, services, Fax: + 961 1 482876 and Exhibition Centre reputation as the biggest and best niche gourmet E-mail: sales@restaurantandbarhk.com
food and beverage. www.hospitalityservices.com.lb Wanchai, hospitality event in the region. Its focus on bringing www.restaurantandbarhk.com
Hong Kong excellent products and services will inspire and
create ideas to help you develop your foodservice
May 12-16 Thaifex - World of Food Thaifex - World of Food Asia is the leading trade Koelnmesse Pte Ltd and hospitality business.
Asia 2009 platform for the food and beverage industry in Tel: +65 6500 6712
Impact Challenger South East Asia. It is a one-stop shop for all Fax: +65 6294 8403
Bangkok, Thailand in the industry from processing technology and Email: wofasia@koelnmesse.com.sg
ingredients to end products, hospitality services and www.worldoffoodasia.com Sep 7-9 Asian Seafood Exposition Meet face-to-face with seafood buyers from Hong Diversified Events Hong Kong Ltd
franchising. Hong Kong Convention Kong and throughout Asia Pacific with direct Telephone: +852 3105 3970
and Exhibition Centre purchasing responsibility for live, fresh, frozen Fax: +852 3105 3974
Wanchai, and packaged products. The Asian Seafood E-mail: hteh@divevents.com.hk
Hong Kong Exposition is the newest product in Diversified www.asianseafoodexpo.com
May 19-21 SIAL China 2010 SIAL China is the largest and leading exhibition Exposium Shanghai Business Communication’s global seafood portfolio
Shanghai New International show for Food, Beverage and Hospitality industries Room 301, Dongyi Building that includes the world’s largest seafood fairs: the
Expo Centre in China mainland. This year, it celebrates its10th 88 Changshu Road, Shanghai 200040 - China European Seafood Exposition and the International
Shanghai anniversary around numerous renowned events like Tel: +86 (0)21 6249 2028 Boston Seafood Show.
China the 6th edition of Trends & Innovation, the Cooking Fax: +86 (0)21 6249 3414
Trends Area and the 2nd edition of the Asian Young Email: justine_desbarbieux@exposium-shanghai.com
Hope Chefs Contest. www.sialchina.com
Oct 28-30 Wine & Gourmet Asia 2010 Wine & Gourmet Asia is a trade, networking and Koelnmesse Pte Ltd
Hall D, CotaiExpo at The culinary platform showcasing the very best of Tel: +65 6500 6712
May 25-27 Vinexpo Asia Pacific The international wine and spirits exhibition for Vinexpo Venetian Macao Asia Pacific’s fine wine, gourmet and hospitality Fax: +65 6294 8403
Hong Kong Convention and Asia-Pacific and the world’s largest wine and spirits 2, Cours du XXX Juillet Macau SAR, China industries. The event is for the region’s hospitality Email: wgasia@koelnmesse.com.sg
Exhibition Centre trade exhibition. 33074 Bordeaux Cedex, France industry leaders as well as all gourmands and wine www.wineandgourmetasia.com
Wanchai Tel: +33 556 560 022 enthusiasts.
Hong Kong Fax: +33 556 560 000
info@vinexpo.com
www.vinexpo.com Nov 11-13 FHC China 2010 FHC China is the most International Trade Show Lily Zhu
Shanghai New for food, wine and hospitality equipment in China. China International Exhibitions
International Expo Centre, FHC China features Wine and Spirits China Room A2402-03, Singular Mansion,
Jun 10-13 ITE The 24th international travel expo. TKS Exhibition Services Ltd 2010, Meat China 2010 and Tea and Coffee 2010 No.318-322 Xian Xia Road, Shanghai(200336),
Shanghai, China
Hong Kong Convention and Room 601, Stanhope House, specialist areas, with Olive Oil China, Ultimate China
Exhibition Centre (Hall 1) 734 King’s Road, Barista Challenge China, Ice Cream University, DID:(86-21)6209 5209
Wanchai Quarry Bay, Wine Seminars, China Sommelier Wine Challenge, Fax:(86-21)6209 5210
Hong Kong Hong Kong FHC international cooking competition and more. Email: fhc@chinaallworld.com
Tel: +852 3155 0600
Fax: +852 3520 1500
www.itehk.com
Nov 24-26 Hotel Expo 2010 After the success of the past 5 editions, The 6th Coastal International Exhibition Co., Ltd.
The 6th International Hotel Hotel Expo will be held in The Venetian Macau Room 2106, China Resources Building,
Jun 10-13 ITE MICE The 5th MICE, business and incentive travel expo. TKS Exhibition Services Ltd again. Gathering thousands of hospitality industry 26 Harbour Road,
Equipment, Supplies and
Hong Kong Convention and Room 601, Stanhope House, decision makers and procurement groups from not Wanchai,
Food & Beverage Expo
Exhibition Centre (Hall 1) 734 King’s Road, Quarry Bay, only Macau, but also Hong Kong, China and other Hong Kong
The Cotai Strip Convention
Wanchai Hong Kong major Asian countries. Hotel Expo is the largest Tel: +852 2827 6766
and Exhibition Center at the
Hong Kong Tel: +852 3155 0600 exhibition in the hotel, catering and hospitality Fax: +852 2827 6870
Venetian Macao
Fax: +852 3520 1500 sectors of Macau. general@coastal.com.hk
www.itehkmice.com www.hotel-exhibition.com

June 14-16 International Hotel Investment The International Hotel Investment Forum Asia Questex Asia Ltd
Forum Asia Pacific 2010 Pacific 2010 offers conference sessions, which are 501 Cambridge House, Taikoo Place,
The Venetian Macao- designed to reflect a new, innovative and “refreshingly 979 King’s Road, Quarry Bay,
Resort-Hotel direct” emphasis on generating returns from hotel Hong Kong
Macau SAR, China investments in Asia. It includes interviews with leading Tel: +65 9626 4424
hotel owners and operators, with panel discussions on Email: anne@questexasia.com
the latest developments, trends and best practices in www.ihif-asiapacific.com
the hotel industry and the hotel investment arena.

1 14 AHCT April 2010 April 2010 AHCT 115

 E x h i b i t i o n s

Celebration
of Lebanese
hospitality

L
ebanon’s Horeca marks its 17th edition with the launch of two new areas
to add to the comprehensive show.
The Coffee and Tea pavilion will give producers and importers the
opportunity to share the latest trends and innovations in the industry and will
feature an area dedicated to new products – the Coffee and Tea Novelty arena.
Also new is the Wine and Drinks pavilion. The dedicated area for
producers and importers of wine and other alcoholic beverages, non-alcoholic
and energy drinks will allow buyers to gain insights into the latest local and
international brands and trends. There will also be opportunities to meet
winemakers in a professional and hospitable environment and an area for
tastings and workshops.
Workshops will be headed by Daniele Raulet-Reynaud, the Best
Sommelier Rhone-Alpes 1978 and Best Steward of France 1980. She will be
joined by renowned Lebanese winemaker and President of the Union Vinicole
du Liban, Serge Hochar, who said in a statement released by organizers
Hospitality Services, “The Wine and Drinks pavilion is a very good initiative
and I think it is a noble progression in the trend to Lebanon becoming a wine
producer on a larger scale. This will also help develop awareness of Lebanese
wines.”
Hospitality Services Managing Director, Joumana Salame said, “We are
honoured to be working with a renowned sommelier. The Wine and Drinks
pavilion is a great step forward for Horeca.”
Thirteen other pavilions and contests explore every other aspect of
the Horeca channels from recruitment and franchising through to flower
arrangements for lobby areas.
Competitions include the famous Salon Culinaire in which 200 top chefs
Horeca 2010 will be vying for honours in 17 categories. Lebanese bartenders will be strutting
BIEL their stuff, creating new mixes designed to appeal to the eyes and taste buds.
Beirut Lebanese oils will be under scrutiny in the National Olive Oil Contest, with
Lebanon awards going to the best local producers. Even the humble table setting gets
April 27-30, 2010 its 15 minutes of fame, with the theme of this years Table Setting Contest,
www.hospitalityservices.com.lb ‘Jungle Tables’.
Culinary trends from the gastronomic to the snack item are also explored.
There are opportunities for students in the form of a Schools and
Universities pavilion and a design contest.

116 A
HCT April 2010
 Please visit
E x h i b i t i o n s
our booth at
Commercial Kitchen and Food Hotel Asia
Restaurant Equipment (FHA 2010)
Singapore
Solutions for the 20th – 23rd April, 2010

Dubai to host Foodservice Industry

Manitowoc Foodservice is a world leader in innovative
Booth # 4B2-01

distinctive show foodservice kitchen and restaurant equipment

solutions. Representing some of the world’s most Manitowoc Ice
Cleveland
recognized and leading foodservice equipment brands Delfield
in the food and beverage industry. With over 35 Lincoln
Frymaster
leading foodservice equipment manufacturing facilities,
Manitowoc Foodservice is well positioned to offer
you the best: SOLUTIONS ON ENERGY, SOLUTIONS ON
EFFICIENCY, SOLUTIONS ON HYGIENE, SOLUTIONS ON
CONSISTENCY, SOLUTIONS ON QUALITY and more...

The Hotel Show
Dubai International Exhibition
and Convention Centre
May 18-20, 2010
www.thehotelshow.com
O
Cleveland Frymaster® Manitowoc® Ice
rganizers of The Hotel Show – dmg world media – are hoping to capitalise on
the success of the 2009 edition of the expo.
Convotherm® Garland® Merrychef®
The organizers are predicting a 10 percent increase in floor space as the Dean® Kolpak® Multiplex®
show increases in size from the 758 exhibitors from 41 countries who attracted 8,474 Delfield® Lincoln Servend®
industry players from 77 countries last year. International visitors are not only from the
region but also from beyond.
Visitors can expect to find four categories of displays and two accompanying For more details on kitchen solutions from our leading Manitowoc Foodservice
seminar programmes at the 11th edition of The Hotel Show. brands, consult your dealer or visit www.manitowocfoodservice.com
Interiors & Design has historically been the show’s largest category and covers
furniture, furnishings, accessories and design services. The category represents a Manitowoc Foodservice Asia Pacific Manitowoc Foodservice
613 Kaixuan Road, Building G 2227 Welbilt Blvd.
platform for those interested in new projects and products just coming on to the Shanghai, China 200051 New Port Richey, FL 34655
market. 4625 ©Manitowoc Foodservice 2/10 Telephone: +86 21 61526100 Telephone: +1 727 3757010
Design is explored further with a Corporate Catwalk for hospitality sector uniforms Fax: +86 21 61526080
and clothing and a gallery showcasing entries from local universities for a Student
Design Award. B$VLDQ+RWHO&DWHULQJB$3$&LQGG $0
However, the very best of interior design is reserved for Haut’l, bringing together
one-off pieces, sculptures, paintings and top of the line fabrics, furniture and antiques.
Responding to a visitor survey, this year’s Operating Equipment & Supplies
category has been expanded. The section highlights choices in equipment for F&B,
housekeeping, back of house, kitchens and laundry.
The revitalized sector features a coffee shop and juice bar, a dedicated area
allowing exhibitors to demonstrate the latest products in the field.
The show also brings its spotlight to bear on the growing importance of security
and technology within hotels. Past visitors have shown an interest in inventory and
control systems, in-room technology and entertainment, fire and safety systems, in-
room safes and management systems.
Ultra-hip furniture designer, Gandia Blasco – think the Adam and Eve Hotel in
Turkey, Farol Design Hotel, Portugal and the Gansevoort South Hotel in Miami Beach
– will be the star speaker at The Resort Experience. Blasco will be discussing his
ventures in the outdoor furniture business.
The show’s fourth category covers all things outdoor from furniture and
accessories to design. The Resort Experience also includes Hotel Spa, an important
issue for Middle Eastern hotels as 60 percent of spa business in the region takes
place in hotels.
The show is also co-hosting two seminars.
The Seven Star Conference offers insights into design trends, future technology,
F&B trends and marketing. Sponsored by the Tamani Hotel, the conference will also
look at green issues, marketing in difficult times and host a General Manager’s forum.
The Middle East Spa Summit aims to demystify the sector for hoteliers and
update spa professionals on the latest trends and developments.

118 A
HCT April 2010
 E x h i b i t i o n s

coffee wakes up the world

Shanghai show to
highlight innovation ... Like a Barista
FHA 2010 Singapore Expo
20th - 23rd April 2010
Hall 4, Stand 4N3-01
Please visit us.

SIAL China 2010

T
he dates for SIAL China are certainly auspicious for the
Shanghai New International Expo
organizers – not only do they coincide with the World Expo, but
Center they are also just a few days before Vinexpo in Hong Kong.
Shanghai, China The organizers are confident that wine exhibitors hoping to meet
sialchina@exposium-shanghai.com mainland Chinese clients at the show’s Wine Innovation Forum will
www.sialchina.com take the chance to travel on to the Hong Kong wine show and meet
South East Asian clients afterwards.
May 19-21, 2010 With a history stretching back to a first show in Paris in 1964, SIAL
is a significant network of trade shows, with editions in Europe, North
and South America and the Middle East as well as Asia.
This year’s show is the 10th anniversary of SIAL China and the
expo aims to continue in the tradition of past shows in highlighting
both international and domestic products. In fact, last year the show
had an exact 50/50 split among the 1,057 international and domestic
exhibitors. Those exhibitors represented 50 countries and regions and
25 Chinese provinces.
This year the representation of Chinese provinces is set to expand
and there will be pavilions representing Shandong (a special guest of
honour), Zhejiang, Heilongjiang (a key rice exporter and increasingly
important player in the organic products field), Hunan, Guangdong and
Shanghai City.
The new

2000 S
Joining them for the first time will be exhibitors from Poland,
Czech Republic and Japan. France, the United States, Spain, Italy,

WMF
South Korea, Mexico, Ireland, India, Argentina, Uruguay and Turkey
are making repeat appearances. The flavours of Mexico, honoured
guest, will be on display for three days.
There will be a Chinese Dairy pavilion for the fourth time, this
year having the aim of recovering confidence in the industry after the At busy times you can prepare all
battering it took in the wake of the lethal baby formula scandal. the coffee specialities made
The Disciples Escoffier are playing a large role at the event, with milk quickly and
demonstrating their skills in the Cooking Trends Area and hosting the automatically, at the touch of a
Asian Young Hope Chefs Contest (see p74-76 for more details), a button. You can also offer your
cooking tournament using only ingredients on display at the expo. clients that individually made
Wines will also be vying for honours at the Best Buy China ‘barista feeling’, by creating
contest, which this year will feature a special new spirits category – a foam and heating milk in a jug
tequila contest. placed underneath.
In addition, you have a choice
of three grades of milk foam:
‘Superfine’ With this extremely
dense foam with a shiny, creamy
consistency, even tricky latte art
creations turn out well (with the
necessary skill!).
‘Fine’ This the normal quality
for Cappuccino, etc.
‘Standard’ This is for a
voluminous milk foam for extra-
large quantities and layered
products. Typical product: latte
macchiato.
The WMF 2000 S is the answer
to a medium demand with a
daily capacity of up to 200 cups,
this capacity can also be released
within one hour.
WMF AG Coffee Machines
International
Eberhardstraße
D-73312 Geislingen/Steige,
Germany
Phone +49 7331 – 25 8482
Fax +49 7331 – 25 8792
Professional@wmf.de
http://www.wmf.com

120 A
HCT April 2010
 China’s leading food and beverage exhibition
Your key to the Chinese market

Jo
11 th in u
ed s at
SIA itio
LC no
hin f
a

ANNIVERSARY
May 19-21, 2010
Shanghai New International
Expo Centre
For more information
www.sialchina.com
sialchina@exposium-shanghai.com
 www.wineandgourmetasia.com

FashionED ExclusivEly C

For businEss M

In just a few years, Vinexpo Asia-Pacific, CM

has become the reference in Asia. MY

Only Vinexpo Asia-Pacific can create the ideal CY

conditions for trade professionals to form

CMY

exclusive relations with top-level decision

Wine &
makers through face-to-face exchanges.
K

800 exhibitors from more than 30 countries

will display a comprehensive range of

Gourmet ASIA 2010

products that are perfectly adapted to Asian
consumers’ expectations.

Come and find success in 2010 at Vinexpo

Asia-Pacific!
Food & Beverage
Wine & Spirits t us for an
c
Conta Brochure
Hospitality & Foodservice or
Exhibit
28 – 30 October 2010
Hall A, The Cotai Strip® Cotai Expo™ at The Venetian® Macao-Resort-Hotel

An Encounter With Asia’s Finest International Wine & Gourmet Foods, Hotel & Foodservice Equipment,
Food and Beverage Professionals Supplies & Services Exhibition & Conference in Macau, China
ThE inTErnaTional WinE anD sPiriTs ExhibiTion For asia-PaciFic With support from Organized by

honG KonG - 25/26/27 May 2010 Asia (excl. Hong Kong, Macau)
Ms Lynn How
Hong Kong, Macau
Ms Winky Fung
Tel: +65 6500 6712 Tel: +852 2591 6083
vinexpo asia-Pacific hong Kong : amélie chueng - 21/F, on hing building, 1 on hing Terrace central, hong Kong
www.vinexpo.com Fax: +65 6294 8403 Fax: +852 2591 6380
Tel : +852 2294 7724 - Fax : +852 2524 1428
l.how@koelnmesse.com.sg talentasiainfo@netvigator.com
E-mail : info@vinexpoasiapacific.com
 asian hotel good design is good for business!

& Catering Times

REGISTER ONLINE for your
Complimentary Expo Pass
Valued at US$35
Offer ends 16 April

Published since 1976 17-18 June 2010 l Venetian Macau

www.HAplusDexpo.com
Join Asia’s most authoritative conference and exhibition for the hospitality design The 2010-2011 Asia
Encompassing:
industry. Pacific pipeline:
n Hotels You can
Designed to create business to beat the recession – packed with business advice,
n Restaurants subscribe
n Catering operations online at our experienced leadership, trend forecasts, new products and technology, and 876 new hotels
hotel brand concept rooms.
n Equipment website
n Technology www.
n Human Resources 205,473 rooms
thomsonpress. s Network with 400 senior level conference delegates
n Investment com.hk
Essential reading for: s Meet the CEOs and industry leaders making design and These projects
n General Managers purchasing decisions will need:
n Restaurant Owners and Operators
n F&B Managers s 5,000 industry buyers invited through comprehensive
n Executive Chefs Asia Pacific’s Premier lead generation programmes s restaurants
n Purchasing Managers
Hospitality Publication! s bars
n Human Resource Managers s 3,000 square metre Exhibition Floor showcasing the
n IT and EDP Professionals latest product launches and technology for mid- to
s spas
n Executive Housekeepers high-end hospitality projects s fitness centers
n Marketing Managers s meeting rooms
n Developers and Investors s Concept rooms and hotel suites from new and existing
hotel brands s ballrooms
s lobbies
Bottom Line plus many other facilities
Subscribe Today! that need to be designed,
Asian Hotel & Catering Times DESIGN specified and procured by
(AHCT) has been serving the
Asian-Pacific region as a familiar
2 01 0 The HA+D Conference
HA+D Expo’s delegates
and visitors and supplied
s 2-Day conference on beating the recession and driving business by our quality exhibitors
and trusted industry publication through 2012
for three decades, and is widely s The only event to attract hotel CEOs, senior development executives For sponsorship information or for
acknowledged to be the only and independent owners more details:
magazine that covers all aspects Eileen Chang
s The only event to actively connect hotel owners and operators with
of the hospitality industry. T: +852 9860 0169
architects, designers and also manufacturers and suppliers
E: eileen.chang@trefoilmedia.com

Subscription Form Organizers: Official Media Partners: Official Program Partner:

Hong Kong HK$450 (12 issues) Overseas US$108 (12 issues) Macau HK$500 (12 issues)
HK$810 (24 issues) Overseas US$200 (24 issues) Macau HK$950 (24 issues)

Name: (Mr./Ms.) Title:

Company:

Address: Country:

Tel: Fax: Email:

I enclose a cheque/ bank draft for (HK/US) $, payable to Thomson Press (HK) Ltd.

Please debit my AE VISA MASTER Card account for $ Asia’s exclusive gathering for hospitality decision makers
Card No: Expiry Date: 14-18 June 2010 l Venetian Macao

Signature: Date: New subscriber Renewal HotelWorld Asia – 3 top-level conferences & design exhibition

Industry: Hotel Catering Manufacturing Suppliers Others

Hotel Technology Conference

17 June 2010 V enetian CotaiExpo Macau
Mail or Fax to: THOMSON PRESS (HK) LIMITED
Rm 1205-6, 12/F., Hollywood Centre, 233 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong.
Tel: (852) 2851 7068/2815 9111 Fax: (852) 2851 1933/2581 9531 E-mail: enquiry@thomsonpress.com.hk Website: www.thomsonpress.com.hk
 A p p o i n t me n t s
Golden Tulip Asia has announced the
appointment of Claude Baltes as General
Manager of the Golden Tulip Mangosteen
Resort and Spa. Baltes has spent over 15 years
in the hotel industry in South East Asia, some
13 of them with Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts
and Six Senses Resorts & Spas in Indonesia
and Thailand. Baltes has also spent time with
Shangri-La and Sheraton.
Claude Baltes
Pan Pacific Singapore has announced
the appointment of Jérôme Carrouée
as Executive Chef. The French 20-year
culinary veteran has been named “Best Chef
in Taiwan”, and worked in 5-star hotels
worldwide. Carrouée’s career has taken him
to many hotel groups, including Starwood,
Shangri-La, Fairmont and Hyatt.
Jérôme Carrouée
Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has
announced the appointment of Patrick-
Denis Finet as General Manager of
Mandarin Oriental Jnan Rahma, Marrakech,
in Morocco. Finet has over 30 years’ experience
in the hospitality industry, many of them at
General Manager level. He joined MOHG in
2004 and has worked at its Chiang Mai and
Mexico properties.
Patrick-Denis Finet
Preferred Hotel Group has announced the
appointment of Denis Koh as Revenue
Account Manager – South East Asia. Koh
will be based in Singapore and comes from
a strong hospitality distribution and hotel
background. Previously Koh has worked
at Royal Plaza on Scotts and with Pegasus
Solutions.
Denis Koh
The Fullerton Hotel Singapore has announced
the appointment of Giovanni Viterale as
General Manager. The collector of exquisite
cufflinks has over 20 years’ experience in
hospitality, much of it in F&B. After more
than 10 years in Hong Kong, the native Italian
understands Cantonese, as well as speaking his
own language, English and French.
Giovanni Viterale
Trust International has announced the
promotion of Anthony Ku to the position
of Vice President Asia Pacific. Ku joined the
company in 2005 and has played a key role
in its growth. Ku has more than 15 years
industry experience and was last at Pegasus
Solutions as Regional Director, Sales &
Account Management.
Anthony Ku
130 AHCT April 2010
Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has
announced the appointment of Philippe
Leboeuf as General Manager of Mandarin
Oriental, Paris. Leboeuf comes to MOHG
from Claridge’s in London and has also
worked for Louvre Hotels, Rosewood Hotels
and Resorts and The Leading Hotels of the
World. His 25 years’ experience have taken
him to London, Paris and New York.
Philippe Leboeuf
Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has
announced the appointment of Gérard
Sintès as General Manager of Mandarin
Oriental, Barcelona. The French national
studied hospitality in Lausanne and also
speaks Spanish and English. His 30-year
career has taken him to South Africa and
Mauritius and various postings in Asia,
including the Shangri-La, Bangkok.
Gérard Sintès
Meritus Hotels & Resorts has announced the
promotion of Michael Sengol from COO
to Chief Executive Officer, barely a month
after taking the first post. The hotelier has
over 30 years’ experience that have seen him
work for Hilton, IHG and Millennium &
Copthorne. The award-winning executive was
last based in Britain as COO of Millennium
& Copthorne.
Michael Sengol
Rest Detail Hotel, Hua Hin has announced
the appointment of Suwaree (Susie)
Nilklad as Executive Chef. Susie has over
10 years’ experience, including training at the
Ritz Paris Hotel and with world-class patissier
Andrea Voltolina. Her work has been at a Thai
restaurant in California and upmarket resorts
in Phuket and Chiang Mai.
Susie Nilklad
Alila Hotels and Resorts has announced the
appointment of Greg Williams as General
Manager of Alila Villas Hadahaa. Williams
has worked his way to the top from a position
as a hotel porter in Sydney. The adventurous,
sky-diving, bungee-jumping Australian was
last General Manager of the Island Hideaway
in the Maldives.
Greg Williams
Alila Hotels and Resorts has announced the
appointment of Karin van Zyl as General
Manager of 3 Nagas by Alila in Luang
Prabang, Laos. Van Zyl’s experience is in
running luxury boutique resorts and the PADI
instructor has worked in secluded locations
such as Fiji, Belize and Sulawesi. She was most
recently General Manager of the Vatulele
Island Resort in Fiji.
Karin van Zyl
 Please visit us at:

FHA 2010 20 - 23 April 2010

SINGAPORE EXPO Booth No.: 7C3-04

For over 1,000 great tasting TABASCO ® recipes,

please visit www.TABASCOfoodservice.com.

TABASCO® is a registered trademark; the TABASCO bottle design and label designs are the exclusive property of McIlhenny Company, Avery Island, Louisiana, USA 70513. www.TABASCO.com