Songbei Shangri-La, Harbin Opens its Doors to Guests and the City of Rhythm

The 344-room Songbei Shangri-La opened today in the fabled city of ice – Harbin, marking Shangri-La’s second debut in this north eastern city 18 years after the group opened the Shangri-La Hotel, Harbin in 1999.  The gleaming new property anchors Shangri-La in the heart of Songbei’s business district and in a historic city that has witnessed the dawn of the Jin (1115-1234) and Qing (1644-1911) Dynasties, as well as cultural influences from neighbouring Russia.

Located on the edge of the Songhua River’s north bank and a convenient five-minute drive from the city’s internationally renowned ice festival at the Ice & Snow World, Songbei Shangri-La, Harbin is in a neighbourhood that includes local attractions such as the Sun Island Garden, Siberian Tiger Park and Harbin Great Theatre.  Just 40 minutes and 30 minutes away are the international airport and Harbin West Railway Station, respectively.

“We are proud to have been part of Harbin’s development as a global destination and to have welcomed travellers with Shangri-La’s heart-warming hospitality for nearly two decades,” said Tyson Wang, Songbei Shangri-La, Harbin’s General Manager.  “With a second property, we look forward to unveiling new lifestyle experiences and inviting the community and international visitors to enjoy our blend of tradition and modernity in Harbin.”

To celebrate the hotel’s opening, an introductory offer priced from RMB 1,350 per night is available until 20 February 2017 and includes daily breakfast buffet.  The supplementary breakfast charge for a second guest sharing the same room is RMB 50 and double GC Award Points for Shangri-La’s Golden Circle members.  For reservations, call (86 451) 5862 9999 or email: reservations.shas@shangri-la.com. The room rate is subject to a 10 per cent service charge and six per cent government value-added tax.

Songbei Shangri-La, Harbin features guest rooms and suites ranging from 42 to 175 square metres, as well as uninterrupted views of the city and river through floor-to-ceiling windows.  Appointed in a contemporary style with tranquil hues and local art pieces, each living space integrates mood lighting and free-Wi-Fi with a spacious marble bathroom and walk-in wardrobe.  The hotel also provides 33 executive serviced apartments for longer-term guests.

The three largest suites – the Lilac, Songbei and Shangri-La Suites – elevate the concept of luxury with stylish interiors for family or business entertaining on the top floors of the hotel.  Adding to the exclusivity is the Horizon Club Lounge, where Horizon Club and suite guests can enjoy extra privileges including express check-in and check-out, complimentary breakfast buffet, all-day refreshments and evening cocktails, and concierge service.

Shang Kitchen, the hotel’s main restaurant, celebrates Chinese cuisine with Peking roast duck, clay pot dishes and northeast regional specialties in a setting that boldly blends splashes of lilac and emerald green with lattice screens.  Private dining rooms are available for intimate occasions.

Revolving around interactive theatre kitchens, Café Song is a lively dining hub accented by a mix of polished wood floors and coloured floor tiles.  Offerings from the international buffet and blackboard menus represent the restaurant’s relaxed vibe that is extended to its outdoor terrace.

Songbei Shangri-La Harbin

Beneath an exposed ceiling and industrial-style interior is De Drunk’n Pig – the hotel’s specialty bar that serves an array of local and international beer, and pork dishes to share.  Its youthful take on casual chic includes distressed leather chairs, salvaged objects, drop lights and wall graffiti, making this the place to unwind after hours with the resident DJ.

The Lobby Lounge provides a gathering place for elegant afternoon high tea, light bites or all-day refreshments.

Guests searching for a more relaxed getaway can unwind at the hotel’s Health Club where a fully equipped gym, indoor swimming pool, Jacuzzi, sauna and steam rooms are available.  Pampering treatments, drawing on traditional Chinese philosophy, at CHI, The Spa’s private suites provide a therapeutic escape with skilled therapists.

Catering to prestigious conferences and banquets are the hotel’s extensive meeting facilities including Songbei’s largest pillar-less ballroom, which covers 1,616 square metres and seats up to 1,000 guests for receptions.  An additional ballroom at 408 square metres and two function rooms are equipped with state-of-the-art technology.

Hong Kong-based Shangri-La International Hotel Management Limited, one of the world’s premier hotel management companies, currently operates over 95 hotels in 22 countries and 73 destinations under the Shangri-La, Kerry, Hotel Jen and Traders brands.  Prominently positioned in Asia, the group has established its brand hallmark of “hospitality from the heart” over four decades in Asia Pacific, the Middle East, Europe, North America and the Indian Ocean.  The group has a substantial development pipeline with upcoming projects in mainland China, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Saudi Arabia and Sri Lanka.  For more information, please visit www.shangri-la.com.

Singapore Hotels Near Clarke Quay

Clarke Quay is a historical riverside quay in Singapore and is one of the hottest Singapore nightlife hubs with  five blocks of restored warehouses housing various restaurants and nightclubs. The area is also very central with 5 minutes drive distance to Singapore Central Business District and Orchard Road. Clarke Quay MRT Station and buses passing right next to it also provides a convenient access to Singapore public transportation system.

Above properties make Clarke Quay an ideal and central location in Singapore. Although relatively expensive due to its location and the upscale nature of the area, if you are new in Singapore, it would be one of the convenient places to stay here.

Here are the 5 Singapore hotels near Clarke Quay :

Swisshotel Merchant Court Singapore

Right next to Clarke Quay nightlife options and 5-minute walk from Clark Quay MRT Station, Swisshotel Merchant Court Singapore is a luxury Singapore hotel overlooking the Singapore River from its central location.

Swisshotel Merchant Court Singapore is right next to Clarke Quay (here Clarke Quay seen from the hotel)

Novotel Singapore Clarke Quay

Sitting on top of Liang Court Mall, Novotel Clarke Quay is just right next to active nightlife spots of Clarke Quay and 10-minute walk to Clarke Quay MRT Station and Central Mall. The hotel also has very beautiful Marina Bay, Fort Canning Park and the Singapore City skyline view.

Novotel Clarke Quay is seen here from Clarke Quay.

Park Hotel Clarke Quay

Park Hotel Clarke Quay is less than 10 minute walk to Clarke Quay as well as Robertson Quay, a less tourist oriented nightlife scene in Singapore. It is just 5 minutes drive from Central Business District and 10 minutes walk to Clarke Quay MRT Station.

Park Hotel Clarke Quay

Holiday Inn Express Singapore Clarke Quay

5 min walk from Clarke Quay with plenty of restaurants & bars around, centrally located Holiday Inn Express Singapore Clarke Quay has an awesome roof pool and value for money accommodation.

Holiday Inn Express Singapore Clarke Quay

Robertson Quay Hotel

Located along Singapore River, Robertson Quay Hotel is 10 minutes walk away from Clarke Quay and offers a central location with easy access to Orchard Road, Central Business District, Bugis and China Town.

Robertson Quay Hotel

Cheaper hotels in Singapore due to hotel room glut

Singapore hotels are not cheap and are quite expensive in Asian standards. According to a report by Hotels.com, Singapore hotels were most expensive in Asia and were quite expensive compared to the first decade of 2000s. Well that was back in 2012 and thanks to a surge in the number of hotel rooms and reduced demand from China for Singapore holidays (South East Asia holidays specifically) are making Singapore hotel rooms cheaper.

According to Vikram Malhi, managing director of online travel agent Expedia Asia, tour operators are able to get up to 30% discount on hotel stays in Singapore recently. After MH370 tragedy and the political unrest in Thailand, passenger traffic from China to both countries were badly effected. Since Singapore is usually a stop-over for Malaysia tours, Thailand tours or Malaysia/Thailand tours, Singapore saw declining tourist numbers from China. According to the numbers released by Singapore Tourism Board, visitor arrivals in Singapore from China in the first five months of 2014 fell by 27.4 percent year on year.

And the political unrest in Thailand is also taking its toll on global demand for this popular tourist destination. According to indiatimes.com, Thailand was ranked the most preferred overseas destination for Indian tourists until this year and was taken over by Dubai after the political unrest.

You can see some clues about the shape of the hotels in Singapore in the numbers announced by Far East Hospitality Trust, a Singapore-focused hotel and serviced residence property trust. "The average occupancy at the hotels under the Far East Hospitality Trust, including Rendezvous Hotel and Village Hotel Albert Court, dropped to 80.1 percent in the quarter ended June 30, compared with 87.7 percent in the same period a year ago. The average daily rate also dipped to 188 Singapore dollars ( 150.4 U.S. dollars) from 191 Singapore dollars (152.8 U.S. dollars) a year ago."

Rendezvous Hotel Singapore

Far East Hospitality Trust also adds two factors to the reason in the declining demand for Singapore hotel rooms : companies are not spending for hotels due to global macro economic uncertainties and the imposition of a new restriction by the Chinese government on shopping tours.

Still, glut does not seem to stop growth in Singapore hotel industry (so can expect more glut?). Singapore's Today Newspaper was not surprisingly drawing a more cheerful picture for the near future as it said the hotel industry in Singapore should continue to enjoy healthy demand despite rising room rates and strong competition, as the Republic’s existing and coming attractions are set to draw more regional tourists.

The Scarlet Singapore Hotel reopens after renovation

The Scarlet Singapore Hotel is one of the first luxury boutique hotel in Singapore. Oepend in December 2004 in a heritage building from 1864, this 80-room hotel is a very nice Singapore hotel for business or pleasure and staycation. The distinctive, four-storey heritage building along Erskine Road is nestled in the heart of Singapore's culture-rich Chinatown area. The Scarlet Singapore is minutes away from a bevy of traditional establishments, famous hawker joints and surrounded by trendy dining, entertainment and shopping spots.

Scarlet Hotel has gone into an 5-months long renovation and just re-opened its doors. Four different types of rooms and five characteristic suites are available, each lending a defining touch to the hotel's eclectic make-up.

The room types -- Standard, Deluxe, Executive and Premium, and particularly the suites -- Passion, Swank, Opulent, Lavish and Splendour -- exude their own distinct charm, fervour and appeal.

The Scarlet's all day bistro and bar, Our Korner, has also re-opened, while the renowned roof-top bar, Breeze, will open by the end of the month.

The Scarlet Singapore Hotel 

As with some small hotels in Singapore, the advertised room rates on hotel's website are quite expensive so if you want more reasonable prices, book online from online reservations sites. For example hotel's web page on Hotelscombined.com is here: The Scarlet Singapore Hotel.

2013 Stellar Stays Hotels

Hotelscombined.com, a very popular hotel meta-search engine, has revealed 33 stand-out hotels across the Asia-Pacific region  which have made the cut in its inaugural ‘Stellar Stays’ list for 2013. ‘Stellar Stays’ is not a ranking list but a group of outstanding hotels judged on a strict set of criteria. All currently rate 9.0 and over with a minimum of 250 customer reviews on the HotelsCombined site, have a significant community or environmental program, and have received at least three major industry awards in the past year. Hotel reviews on HotelsCombined are aggregated from over 27 million reviews from multiple travel and review sites. Hotels are ranked out of a potential score of 10 – making a score of 9.0 or higher quite a feat.

Kristen McKenzie, Head of PR and Community at HotelsCombined, said, “Judged on detailed criteria, the result is an independent selection of properties that are truly extraordinary on a variety of levels. Not only do these hotels boast a high satisfaction rating amongst both guests and travel industry experts, but they also strive to make a positive difference with dedicated environmental and community initiatives. Conscientious tourism is a subject we take very seriously at HotelsCombined as evidenced by our Green Hotels and Responsible Tourism Initiative. We are delighted to applaud those similarly working towards a more sustainable future for the industry.”

Hotels in Asia Pacific Stellar Stays 2013 list:

• InterContinental Melbourne The Rialto (VIC)
• Crown Hotels (Melbourne) (VIC)
• Lizard Island Resort (QLD)
• Henry Jones Art Hotel (TAS)
• Shangri-La Sydney (NSW)
• Emporium Hotel (QLD)
• Longitude 131 (NT)
• Langham Melbourne (VIC)
• The Langham Auckland (New Zealand)
• Millbrook Resort (New Zealand)
• InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort and Spa (Fiji)
• Jean-Michel Cousteau Fiji Islands Resort (Fiji)
• Likulku Lagoon Resort (Fiji)
• Castaway Island Fiji (Fiji)
• Pacific Resort Aitutaki (Cook Islands)
• Four Seasons Bora Bora (French Polynesia)

Shangri-la Singapore has a rating of 9.1 in hotelscombined.com.

• Shangri-La Boracay Resort and Spa (Philippines)
• Shangri-la Singapore (Singapore) Rated 9.1
• Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi (Vietnam)
• Six Senses Ninh Van Bay (Vietnam)
• Evason Ana Mandara Nha Trang (Vietnam)
• Hansar Bangkok (Thailand)
• Shangri-La Bangkok (Thailand)
• The Sarojin (Thailand)
• Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)
• W Retreat and Spa Bali (Indonesia)
• Alila Villas Uluwatu (Indonesia)
• Langham Place Hong Kong (Hong Kong)
• The Langham Hong Kong (Hong Kong)
• Kowloon Shangri-La (Hong Kong)
• Island Shangri-La (Hong Kong)
• Shangri-La Chengdu (China)
• Shangri-La Tokyo (Japan)

Stellar Stays in the UK 2013 hotels

Hotel meta-search website hotelscombined.com has revealed 13 stand-out hotels across the UK which have made the cut in its inaugural ‘Stellar Stays’ list for 2013. Eight London hotels and 5 other hotels from across UK has made the list which includes a group of outstanding hotels judged on a strict set of criteria such as having rate 9.0 and over with a minimum of 250 customer reviews on the HotelsCombined site or receiving at least three major industry awards in the past year.

Hotelscombined aggregates hotel reviews from 38 million reviews from multiple travel and review sites such as Agoda.com, Hotels.com and Expedia. Hotels are ranked out of a potential score of 10 – making a score of 9.0 or higher quite a feat.

Kristen McKenzie, Head of Community at HotelsCombined, said: “Judged on detailed criteria, the result is an independent selection of properties that are truly extraordinary on a variety of levels. Not only do these hotels boast a high satisfaction rating amongst both guests and travel industry experts, but they also strive to make a positive difference with dedicated environmental and community initiatives. Conscientious tourism is a subject we take very seriously at HotelsCombined as evidenced by our Green Hotels and Responsible Tourism Initiative. We are delighted to applaud those similarly working towards a more sustainable future for the industry.

The hotels in the list of Stellar Stays in the UK 2013 are:

• St Ermin’s Hotel (London)
• London Bridge Hotel (London)
• The Cavendish (London)
• Sofitel St James (London)
• The Langham London (London)
• The Savoy (London)
• One Adlwych (London)
• The Soho Hotel (London)
• The Knight Residence (Edinburgh)
• base2stay (Liverpool)
• Gilpin Lodge Country House Hotel (Cumbria)
• Linwaithe House (Cumbria)

St Ermin’s Hotel in Westminster London

“London clearly took the lion’s share of awards and in determining this year’s UK Stellar Stays, it was interesting to note that London properties are growing increasingly environmentally conscious compared to those in other cities. It will be interesting to see how properties in other parts of the country will follow London’s lead and implement more CSR initiatives in the coming year.”

Outside of London, three properties in Cumbria made the list including Gilpin Lodge country House Hotel, Cedar Manor and Linwaithe House, all of which boast extensive green credentials and have been highly awarded by respected organisations including Conde Nast, AA, enjoyEngland and National Geographic.

Japan’s Nabana no Sato Illumination Festival Agoda Hotel Deals

Online booking site Agoda.com is offering chilled-out deals for one of Asia’s prettiest festivals – the magical illumination event at the Nabana no Sato flower park, which sees millions of lights of all colors wrapping around and over everything in sight.

Japan’s many winter festivals are known for their illuminated displays, and the Nabana no Sato, located about 350 km southwest of Tokyo in Kuwana City, is one of Japan’s best-known and most-visited. Between April and October every year, the location is a renowned flower park, with lush displays of hydrangeas, cosmos, irises, and tulips, but between November and March, the illumination takes over, with more than 8 million LED lights being used to carpet the flower beds that are the main attraction during the months that the light show is not held.

Visitors can stroll the pathways within the park, checking out the different exhibits and set-ups. The famous flower tunnel provides a 200m-long walkway where visitors are completely enveloped by over 1 million lights representing Japan’s famous cherry blossoms. For a better view of the park, one can climb aboard Island Fuji, a platform that rises 45 meters into the air for a 360° view of the surrounding area – a sight not to be missed. And finally, to celebrate the recent addition of Mt. Fuji as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a giant illuminated model of the famous peak has been set up that changes to represent the different seasons and times of day – an amazing transformation that happens right before your eyes.

But the winter illumination isn’t the only sight to see. As it is located only a short distance from Nagoya, Japan’s third-largest city and a major hub for international trade, it is easy to arrange a trip to see some of the city’s most well-known attractions. There are plenty of museums to check out, from the Nagoya/Boston Museum of Fine Arts to the Japan Spinning Top Museum, as well as other important sites such as the famous Nagoya Castle, and the Cultural Path, a walking route that takes visitors past some of the city’s most important historical sites.

A visit to the Nabana no Sato festival is a great way to spend a chilly winter evening in Japan. The hotels below in Mie are closest to the event, while the hotels in Nagoya are only a 30-minute bus ride away. Buses from Nagoya leave from the Meitetsu Bus Center every 30 minutes from 8am – 6pm. Dress warmly and get ready to take some great photos!

Hotel Fine Garden Kuwana, Mie 2.5*
Stay for a minimum of 3 nights and enjoy 5% off your stay. Expires 31 March, 2014.

Hotel Route Inn Yokkaichi, Mie 3*
Agoda.com best price guarantee, from USD $53.

Yokkaichi Miyako Hotel, Mie, 3*
Agoda.com best price guarantee, from USD $88.

Best Western Hotel Nagoya 4*
Book at least 21 days in advance and enjoy 20% off your stay. Expires 31 March, 2014.

Hotel Resol Nagoya 3.5*
Check in on a Sunday and enjoy 20% off your stay. Expires 31 December, 2014.

Hotel Trusty Nagoya Sakae 4*
Stay for a minimum of 2 nights and enjoy 15% off your stay. Expires 31 March, 2014.

Hotel Trusty Nagoya 4*
Stay for a minimum of 2 nights and enjoy 15% off your stay. Expires 31 March, 2014.

Hotel Wing International Nagoya, 3*
Stay for a minimum of 3 nights and enjoy 15% off your stay. Expires 31 July, 2014.

Daiichi Fuji Hotel 4*
Stay for a minimum of 2 nights and enjoy 10% off your stay. Expires 28 February, 2014.

Nagoya Marriott Associa Hotel, 5*
Agoda.com best price guarantee, from USD $189.