BUDGET-FRIENDLY BEDS

Why pay for what you do not have time to enjoy in a hotel? A new breed of properties let you decide what to spend money on, writes Clement Huang

Clement Huang highlights the best new limited-service and select-service hotels in the region

There is no lack of luxury hotels in the Asia-Pacific region, and in some major cities such as Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok, the price of five-star accommodation is surprisingly reasonable when compared with its US and European counterparts. On hectic trips when you barely have time to take in your surroundings, however, it can make sense to go economy – and new properties by Ibis and Holiday Inn Express offer chic, centrally located properties at wallet-friendly prices. Owned by Air Asia’s Tony Fernandes, limited service hotel chain Tune Hotels mimics the low cost carrier’s business model by itemising amenities and enabling guests choose what they pay for. The budget hotel chain has already taken off in Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines and also has hotels in London.

Hotels were once broadly categorised as full-service or limited-service, with the latter usually referring to properties where just a basic room, hot shower and breakfast is included, with a kiosk providing snack food items and other essentials such as dental kits. There may be a small gym and allday-dining outlet at such properties, but amenities such as swimming pools and bars are rarely offered. By streamlining facilities, these hotels can offer competitive room rates by keeping the cost of overheads down.

To complicate the issue, some properties describe themselves as select-service hotels, mostly to avoid

the negative association with the word “limited”. As the term evolves, it has come to represent hotels that offer something more than the bare minimum, but are still not fullservice hotels. Hotels that describe themselves as select-service tend to put a little more thought into the décor and design, such as Aloft by Starwood.

Some hotel brands formerly described as limited-service are re-defining themselves to appeal to a wider audience. Accor, for example, has split its Ibis brand into Ibis, Ibis Style, and Ibis Budget, so new properties such as Ibis Siam Bangkok are marketed as fullservice but budget-friendly.

Whether hotels position themselves as limited-service or select-service, it’s ultimately about being cost effective. For business travellers on a budget, such properties offer an affordable solution to getting around without stretching the travel budget. Here are some of the best examples from around the region…

OZO WESLEY HONG KONG

THE BRAND Managed by Thai-based hospitality group Onyx, Ozo also owns serviced apartment Shama and other hotel brands Amari, Saffron and the Mosaic Collection. This limited-service brand made its global debut in July in Hong Kong and has plans to open properties in Sri Lanka (Colombo, Kandy, Galle) and Thailand (Pattaya and Koh Samui) over the next few years.

THE PROMISE Technology is one of the brand’s selling points with rooms offering IPTV (which, in addition to the usual channels, offers a “counting sheep” cartoon featuring the hotel’s fluffy mascots) and a multimedia connectivity panel enabling guests to play music from their iPod/iPhone from the TV. Free wifi is available and check-in is done on an iPad.

THE PROPERTY The hotel opened its doors earlier this year and features 251 guest rooms and suites, with sizes ranging from 20 sqm for a Sleep or Dream room to the 34 sqm Ozo suite, which offers a living area. There is also a gym and meeting space on the second floor.

THE LOCATION Situated on Hennessy Road, one of the thoroughfares running through the Wan Chai and Causeway Bay business districts, the hotel is within walking distance from Pacific Place, a major retail/office/hotel complex atop Admiralty MTR station. Wan Chai station is about 10-15 minutes’ walk east.

PRICE Rates start from HK$1,100 (US$142) per room per night (not including tax and service charge).

www.ozohotels.com

ALOFT KUALA LUMPUR SENTRAL

THE BRAND Managed by Starwood Hotels and Resorts, Aloft’s offering is described as “style at a steal”. The brand is classified as a “speciality select brand” by Starwood and currently has 75 hotels worldwide with 20 more properties due to open within the next 12 months.

THE PROMISE Renowned for its trendy approach, each property under the Aloft brand offers standardised services including a lounge area, bar, grab and go pantry service and complimentary wifi. Rooms feature almost three-metre high ceilings, 42-inch LCD TVs and multimedia connectivity panels.

THE PROPERTY Opened in March this year, Aloft Kuala Lumpur Sentral offers 482 rooms, making it the largest Aloft property in the

world. Room sizes range from 33 sqm for a Loft room to 61 sqm for the Breezy suite. Along with the standard Aloft offerings, the hotel features a 780 sqm ballroom and six meeting rooms totalling 369 sqm. There is also a 24/7 fitness centre and rooftop swimming pool.

THE LOCATION Located adjacent to Kuala Lumpur Sentral Station, the hotel is a 28-minute train ride from Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Many major corporate offices such as Samsung, BP Asia Pacific and General Electric are situated within a 2 km distance from the hotel.

PRICE Opening rates start at RM310 (US$94) for a Loft room (not including tax and service charge).

www.alofthotels.com

HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS HONG KONG SOHO

THE BRAND As a selected-service brand under the Intercontinental Hotels Group, Holiday Inn offers basic but comfortable and affordable accommodations globally. Targeted at business and leisure travellers, the brand has 38 operating hotels in Greater China with a further 35 in the pipeline.

THE PROMISE All Holiday Inn Express hotels offer standardised amenities including complimentary high-speed internet and free breakfast. Guests are also given the choice of firm or soft pillows on request at check-in.

THE PROPERTY The hotel opened its doors last September and features 274 guestrooms with four suites over 38 floors. All rooms are equipped with cable TV, dedicated workspaces, and private bathrooms. Rooms are 17 sqm, while suites are 35 sqm. Each suite has a separate living room and dining table. There is also a Thai restaurant on the second floor, which is managed and operated by a third party. The hotel additionally offers two meeting rooms with more than 89 sqm of space.

THE LOCATION Based in Sheung Wan, the hotel is situated close to the financial heart of Hong Kong. The International Finance Centre (IFC) is within walking distance, as are several popular leisure attractions such as Soho, Lan Kwai Fong and Hollywood Road. The Sheung Wan MTR station is located nearby, which offers seamless access to the major business districts of Hong Kong Island and across the harbour into Kowloon.

PRICE It costs HK$1,450 (US$187) for a room (not including tax and service charge).

www.ihg.com/holidayinnexpress

IBIS BANGKOK SIAM

THE THE BRAND BRAND Managed by the Accor Group, Ibis represents the group’s economy hotel chain. There are three different “personalities” within the Ibis brand itself – Ibis, Ibis Styles and Ibis Budget hotels. Currently, there are more than 900 Ibis properties globally.

THE THE PROMISE PROMISE Each of the three