Jetsettersblog

klapsons, The Boutique Hotel was introduced in Singapore in October 2009 and was naturally inducted as a member of Design Hotels.

Purpose built and aimed at redefining the utilitarian function of commercial buildings, klapsons is the first in Singapore to construct a hotel property as an annex to an office building in the central business district.

Spearheaded by Jit Sun Investments, the design of the property was conferred to contemporary design forerunner William Sawaya of Sawaya & Moroni. The boutique hotel combines five-star hospitality services with leading edge contemporary design sensitivities, and is conceptualised to provide an exclusive experience for business and leisure travellers.

“With klapsons, The Boutique Hotel, we saw the opportunity to bring a new, refreshed perspective to the meaning and experience of a business hotel. Keeping pace with the dynamicity of Singapore’s changing landscape, the hotel is set to redefine commercial spaces, in particular the perception of these spaces, and inject revived vibrancy to the hotel sector in

Singapore,” said Mr Adrian Lee, Director of Investments, Jit Sun Investments.

“This project sparked off so many ideas with its potential. We were very excited when we were approached to undertake the project.

“We felt the owners were very brave in their approach but most importantly that they understood and appreciated design. After seeing what Singapore had to offer, we wanted to set a new standard in hotels in terms of design and functionality.

Design is about working with constraints through a practical thought process. I think what we were able to achieve is testament to design,” said William Sawaya, Sawaya & Moroni.

From sketch to reality

The task of creating a fluid integrated hotel extension to the adjoining office block was riddled with numerous architectural and design challenges. Testament to the hotel’s philosophy of challenging and pushing benchmarks, the transformation saw the introduction of organic forms, shapes, clever colour play and the reinterpretation of structural function and material use, particularly in the public spaces of the hotel.

Greeting guests upon entry to the hotel is a handcrafted five-meter in diameter stainless steel sphere that functions as the reception and guest check-in point. Overhead, the three-tiered organic ceiling illuminates the hotel lobby with an infinite gamut of ambient hues to arouse feelings of stepping into another space.

Strategically placed, the iconic „Moraine‟ bench by Zaha Hadid together with celebrated furniture pieces such as the “Maxima” armchair, “Leggy Peggy” chair, “Ribbon” chair and Klapsons; coffee tables by Sawaya and Moroni add dimension to the rest of the space. To top it off, a wall of industrial wire mesh used in conveyer belts and air filters discretely screens the passage to the guest rooms.

The klapsons experience

At klapsons, each room is individually characterised such that no two rooms are alike.

Passionately crafted by William Sawaya right down to detail, the aim is to offer guests a practical yet innovative alternative to mainstream perceptions of hotel stay.

For a twist, the shower is unconventionally placed within the bedroom and takes on shell-shaped, cylindrical and open-cube forms. Others are flanked with full length mirrors, outfitted with colour changing LED lights and outdoor jacuzzis.

Custom made fittings invite refreshed expectations of contemporary room design, comfort and the indulgence of a different experience with each visit.

Whether it‟s a choice of the standard rooms or the klapsons suite experience, guests can expect a thoughtfully configured room with unique settings.

Satisfying the palate

Located on the first floor of the hotel, Chef de Cuisine Gabriel Cher heads Lucas, which conjures up classically-inspired contemporary European fare and classic desserts.

klapsons is managed by Wisteria hotel management. It is a subsidiary of catalyst listed Select Group.

Asia’s Food Capital Attracts Culinary Legends

Singapore’s celebrated dining experience is set to reach new heights this year as ten of the world’s top chefs have been drawn to its shores to open their own restaurants, representing a Who’s Who of epicurean excellence.

The incontrovertible culinary capital of Asia, Singapore sets the standards when it comes to innovation, flair and world-class cooking.

With a global reputation for its multi-cultural local fare, the city state attracts some of the most celebrated chefs on the planet to its annual World Gourmet Summit.

Now, with the opening of ten celebrity chef restaurants, the Singapore dining scene will undergo a further gastro revolution. From haute cuisine to nouvelle chinoise, eclectic Australian to perfect pizza, there’s something to tantalise everyone’s taste buds.

2010 sees the launch of two spectacular integrated resorts, Marina Bay Sands  and Resorts World Sentosa in Singapore, both offering a spectrum of delicious dining experiences from a stellar cast of master chefs from around the globe.

The new fine dining experiences will include not one, but three restaurants from the world’s most Michelin-star decorated chef, Joël Robuchon.

Debuting in Singapore  and featuring his legendary French haute cuisine will be Joël Robuchon Fine Dining, L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon and The Pastry Shop & Lounge, at Resorts World Sentosa’s FestiveWalk waterfront.

The first and only chef to be titled ‘Chef of the Century’, Joël Robuchon currently lays claim to 20 dining establishments worldwide.

Three other star chefs, Kunio Tokuoka (Kyoto), Scott Webster (New South Wales) and Susur Lee (Washington, New York and Toronto) will also be opening their restaurants at Resorts World Sentosa:

Four Michelin-star chef Kunio Tokuoka will launch Kunio, his first restaurant outside Japan in the all-suite hotel, Crockfords Tower; Scott Webster is re-inventing his famous London restaurant Osia, also in Crockfords Tower, while Susur Lee has teamed up with the Tung Lok Group to open Chinois by Susur Lee in Resorts World Sentosa’s boutique Hotel Michael.

A further six celebrity chefs will be creating culinary magic with their first restaurants in Singapore opening at Marina Bay Sands: Mario Batali (New York), Daniel Boulud (New York), Wolfgang Puck (Los Angeles), Santi Santamaria (Barcelona), Guy Savoy (Paris) and Tetsuya Wakuda (Sydney).

The celebrated chefs will draw inspiration from the kitchens of their own restaurants, while creating menus that incorporate regional products and local produce.

Each chef will bring to Singapore experienced members from his own restaurant and will develop a new generation of local chefs as they work alongside the industry’s best.

The ‘Sass’ is back in Singapore with its growing range of chic, hip and trendy boutique hotels, further enhancing the destination’s fabulous accommodation portfolio.

These latest eclectic hotel gems include Klapsons, Wangz Hotel, Nostalgia and Aqueen Hotel Balestier, and join existing properties such as The Quincy and The Scarlet. These ‘chic boutiques’ are strategically located, offer trend-setting architectural design and décor, as well as a high degree of personalisation and make for unique visitor experiences.

Visitors can find these properties across the city; there’s Klapsons in the business district; Wangz Hotel and Nostalgia in the heart of Singapore’s heritage district, Tiong Bahru, and Aqueen Hotel Balestier in Balestier Road, one of Singapore’s most popular local cuisine spots.

The Quincy hotel is set in a quiet enclave just minutes from Orchard Road, one of Asia’s most famous shopping boulevards, while The Scarlet is located in buzzing, charismatic Chinatown.

Singapore’s inventory of boutique hotels each offers a unique sense of charm and local flavour, juxtaposed with dynamic architectural flair.

For example, Wangz Hotel, with its trendy and avant garde dramatic aluminium shell, has its very own art collection, featuring a range of Asian artists including Anthony Tan, renowned for his contemporary abstracts on nature themes; whilst Klapsons is known for its thoroughly modern architectural pieces such as the iconic ‘Glacier’ bench by Zaha Hadid, the “Maxima” armchair and the “Leggy Peggy” chair.

The interior décor of Nostalgia has been designed to reflect a sense of historical romance drawing on the Chinese pioneers of the 19th and early 20th centuries and artwork from local artist Andre Tan adorns the lobby lounge area, reflecting a mix of art deco and Straits Settlements; whereas Aqueen Hotel Balestier is set in a refurbished, historically conserved, local shop house, reflecting Singapore’s rich history and heritage.

These properties offer all of the modern conveniences that travellers have come to expect from a quality hotel; in room facilities include LCD TV screens, WiFi internet, lush quality linens and bathroom amenities and each property offers at least one bar area and restaurant.

Singapore’s boutique hotels are indicative of the growing range of eclectic bars, restaurants and nightclubs that are to be found across the island.

Patronised by locals as well as visitors, areas such as Rochester Park and Dempsey Hill, together with perennially popular Boat Quay and Clarke Quay, offer a fabulous range of award winning eateries, cocktail bars and places to see and be seen at, making Singapore one of Asia’s most vibrant and happening cities.

Eunice Yeo, Area Director for Northern and Western Europe of the Singapore Tourism Board says, “Beautiful things often come in small packages and these boutique hotels add the wow factor in deciding where to stay in Singapore. Their very special qualities of personalisation are indicative of our destination’s new message, YourSingapore.com. Visitors now have even more options when planning their perfect travel itinerary and can truly find their own Singapore, from the minute they wake up to the moment they go to sleep.”

Experienced divers will enjoy a 30-metre reef channel drift dive where they can be serenaded by surgeon fish dancing around the air bubbles from the airtank or come face-to-face with black tip and hammer head sharks as they hang out on the flat sand shelf of the reef’s edge.

Vilu Reef Beach & Spa Resort (South Nilandhe Atoll)
This authentic Maldivian 122-room resort has much to offer but its greatest assets are something that no other resort can boast because it’s natural: one side of the island is a protected lagoon and the other is a beautiful reef ideal for snorkelling and diving.

The variety of corals and reef fish are greater than in any other atoll and the diving easier because of the wide channels and the shallower drop-offs.

After the sun sets, the underwater world truly comes to life and a night dive at Vilu Reef is thoroughly recommended.

With the aid of powerful torches, on an 18-metre depth dive see moray eels poke their heads out of holes in the rock face, a turtle silhouette, large lobsters scuttle across the underside of the reef and even sharks as they do their rounds on a fish hunt.

Turn the powerful torch beams off and relish the feeling of floating in space.

With impressively modern equipment, large and fast dive boats and multi-lingual staff on-hand, the Sun International Diving Schools at Olhuveli and Vilu Reef focus on taking small groups out ensuring an amazing diving experience for all.

Whether to learn, develop or enhance, there are diving courses to suit everyone; from beginners wishing to dip a toe in the underwater world with a Discover Scuba course or an open-water PADI qualification to speciality training for drift diving and nitrox and re-breather courses.

The Maldives has an average sea water temperature of 28C and with clear visibility, sometimes exceeding 50 metres, it is no wonder that this is known as one of the best places on earth to dive.

Tropical Sky Scuba Diving (www.holidays4scubadiving.co.uk  / 0845 543 2184) is offering seven nights at Olhuveli Beach & Spa Resort from £1,549 per person (saving £950 per person).

Available for selected departures in October, the price includes flights from Gatwick with Qatar, accommodation in a deluxe water villa on a full-board basis, taxes, seaplane transfers and surcharges.

Diving is bookable in resort and costs from US$175 for two dives, including all equipment and a check dive.

Unlimited dive packages are also available.

Jeju Special Self-Governing Province announced that the ‘Korean Polo Country Club’ will open part of the international-sized polo field that has been under construction in Gujwa-dong Haengwon-ri.

In celebration of the opening of the polo club, the Korean Polo Country Club hosted an international polo game with 8 players from the United Kingdom, Australia, Argentina, the Philippines and Korea.

Of the total 213,000㎡ area, a portion of the playing field (180m long by 300m wide—roughly six soccer fields) will be opened.

In addition to the playing field, other facilities at the polo club are being constructed, including an indoor arena (45×90ｍ), a club house and stables.

Using a KRW 59.3 billion grant from sponsors in Singapore, the Korean Polo Country Club continues to expand their facilities and continue construction on their polo field, indoor horse-riding track, accommodations (63 guestrooms), auxiliary polo arena, swimming pool and tennis court.

Construction is scheduled to be completed in 2011 or 2012.

The Hilton Gdansk, designed by Polish architect Prof. Stefan Kurlylowicz, has opened in Gdansk, Poland. The hotel is a striking addition to Gdansk’s old city area and is designed to complement the city’s wealth of historic buildings with its timeless features and use of traditional materials. Hilton Gdansk is the second Hilton hotel in Poland, where the brand has had a presence since 2007 with Hilton Warsaw Hotel and Convention Centre.

Hilton Gdansk enjoys a waterfront location, in the heart of old town, overlooking the Motlawa River at Long Quay, and is a short walk from the 15th century landmark Zuraw, known as “The Crane.”

Designers used native limestone, handmade bricks unique to Poland. The hotel offers 150 bedrooms and suites.

Guests are greeted with locally produced art in the lobby and public areas. In the hotel’s central atrium, a glass artwork named “Seaflowers” created by local artist Edyta Baranska is suspended from the atrium ceiling. The “Seaflowers” chandelier features more than 25,000 individual glass flowers which are illuminated by fiber optics.

The hotel’s unique rooftop’s “urban beach” includes the highest rooftop bar in the city, a wellness center, and roof deck with space for relaxing and enjoying views over Gdansk.

The rooftop High Five bar serves a range of cocktails, champagnes, beers and wines and the wellness center features a signature Hilton Fitness by Precor gym, swimming pool and spa treatment rooms.

The hotel also features Mercato restaurant and bar, with outside terraces, offering locally inspired cuisine created with Mediterranean influences.

The 42-seat restaurant is led by Chef Adam Wozniak, whose international experience and gastronomic expertise are reflected in the menu.

Mercato’s signature dish will be mirin glazed Kobe filet mignon, with potato fondant and sauté saffron milk cap mushrooms.

Guests can enjoy in the warmer months the large outdoor dining terraces over the Long Quay area of the river. Mercato also offers private dining for up to 22 guests.

From the AAHOA Lodging Conference in Chicago, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. announced that the opening of Aloft Winchester in Winchester, Va., earlier this month marked the opening of Starwood’s 200th select-service property worldwide, contributing to a growth trajectory for the group of 56 percent in the last three years.

Starwood’s select-service brands include Aloft, Element, and Four Points by Sheraton, whose distinct personalities have proved to be hits with travelers and Starwood partners alike.

With 1,000 Starwood properties now open in nearly 100 countries, Starwood’s select-service brands are a significant part of that momentum.

In 2009, Starwood created a dedicated Specialty Select Brand group to optimize support for franchise owners and hotels. A separate unit remains fully dedicated to Starwood’s Full Service franchise hotels, including Le Meridien, The Luxury Collection, Sheraton and Westin. Aloft will debut in Europe and India this year, with three Indian properties planned for 2010 alone.

In October, the Element brand is set to debut in New York City with the opening of Element Times Square West.

Four Points by Sheraton recently opened its 151st hotel and the rapidly expanding brand will continue launching in dynamic business and travel hubs outside the U.S. this year.

By 2013, Four Points is slated to open 10 new properties in China, where it already operates ten hotels.

Four Points will also debut in the key markets of Pune, India and Lagos, Nigeria this year; stateside, Four Points is scheduled to open 10 new hotels by summer 2011.

Palladium Hotels & Resorts, located in Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica, have added new extras to their Baby Clubs, for children ages 1 to 3 and the Mini Clubs, for kids ages 4 to 12.

Upon the arrival at any one of the Palladium Resorts, children will receive a surprise kit, including color pencils, a backpack, a hat and a shirt will be part of the gift that is given to children from the first day of their stay at a Palladium Resort.

The silhouette of the resort’s mascot is featured on the backpack and outlined on the front of the T-shirt so that kids can color it in with fabric paint, allowing them to bring home a personalized souvenir.

Palladium Hotels & Resorts, located in Montego Bay, Riviera Maya, Punta Cana and Riviera Nayarit also boast Teen’s Clubs in the Riviera Maya and Punta Cana properties, which include Xbox, Wii, computers and other activities for adolescents.

For more information, call 188 237 1226

or visit www.fiestahotelgroup.com

NetJets Europe has announced a new, trial offer to acquire a fractional ownership stake of 1/32nd of a jet — equivalent to 25 hours of flight time per year — from as little as $125,000.

This builds on the interest in the fractional ownership model for jets that NetJets has seen as business and first class fliers seek to escape the travel disruptions commercial airlines have faced in recent months.

Fractional ownership, which allows NetJets Europe’s customers to acquire a fraction of a jet proportionate to their usage, empowers owners to escape most of the travel headaches commercial airline passengers have to deal with.

Avoiding strikes, having the flexibility to fly around disrupted regions, and being on the plane within 10 minutes of arriving at the airport are just some of the key benefits new NetJets Europe offers owners.

The new offer supplements NetJets Europe’s existing fractional programs, which start at 50-hour shares of aircraft, and its 25-hour Private Jet and Corporate Cards.

Unlike the cards, which provide 25 hours of jet usage each year, the new 1/32nd share offer fixes NetJets Europe’s prices for three years and provides savings based on the current value of jets.

For more information, visit www.netjetseurope.com

Aston Hotels & Resorts has launched the Aston Keiki Adventure Club for kids ages 5 to 12, from June through August.

The program features excursions to Oahu attractions, including Sea Life Park, Dole Plantation, the Honolulu Zoo and the Waikiki Aquarium.

The program also includes Hawaiian arts and crafts projects, hula lessons and beach activities.

The program is offered Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, June 14 to 25; seven days a week from June 27 through July 31; and Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, Aug. 2 to 13. Hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the per-child rate is $50 a day plus tax, includes all activities and lunch.

Reservations are required by 4 p.m. a day in advance. For more information, call 808-922-2511.

For general Aston information, call 866-774-2924 or visit www.astonhotels.com