Amistad Partners, a global hotel representation company delivering sales and marketing solutions to leading independent hotel groups, has been tasked to help boost Meritus Hotels & Resorts’ brand visibility and market share in Europe and the United States.

Award-winning Asian hospitality group Meritus Hotels & Resorts manages the iconic Mandarin Orchard Singapore—named Best City Hotel–Singapore at the Annual TTG Annual Travel Awards consecutively from 2013 to 2018, and Best Upscale Hotel-Asia Pacific at the Travel Weekly Asia Readers’ Choice Award 2017 and 2018. Meritus also counts amongst its portfolio Marina Mandarin Singapore, an upscale business hotel in the heart of the Lion City’s central business district; and Meritus Pelangi Beach Resort & Spa, Langkawi, a tropical paradise fronting the white sandy shores of Malaysia’s famous Cenang Beach.

The appointment of Amistad Partners comes with Meritus’ thrust to gain a stronger foothold in the markets mentioned, as well as build and nurture long-term customer relationships by providing personalised, on-the-ground assistance. Selected for their expertise in providing bespoke hospitality sales and marketing services that result in strong brand awareness and increased financial returns, Amistad Partners will leverage their knowledge of said markets to deliver strategies that will equip Meritus to effectively stand out from competition and thereby increase their business development capability.

“Our hotels, being centrally located in winning locations at Singapore and Malaysia, offer top accommodation choices for discerning corporate and leisure travellers alike,” says Adrian Tan, Regional Vice President for Sales & Revenue Strategy, Meritus Hotels & Resorts.

“Embarking on this collaboration with Amistad Partners will help us continue to widen our reach, as well as build personalised and meaningful relationships with our clients in these key international markets. We look forward to working closely with Amistad as a market acquisition partner.”

Michelle Low, VP Sales – Asia & Middle East of Amistad Partners adds, “Our partnership with Meritus Hotels & Resorts will broaden their business prospects and drive sustained, incremental growth in Europe and the United States. We are also pleased that this new collaboration comes at a time when we are looking to increase our global footprint as a preferred hotel sales and marketing representation partner.”

-End-

About Meritus Hotels & Resorts

Meritus Hotels & Resorts is part of the hospitality division of OUE Limited (SGX-ST: “OUE”), a diversified real estate owner, developer, and operator with a real estate portfolio in prime locations in Asia and the United States.

Meritus founded its roots from its flagship Mandarin Orchard Singapore—then The Mandarin Singapore, which opened its doors in August of 1971.

More than four decades on, Meritus has evolved to become an award-winning Asian hospitality brand synonymous with Asian Grace, Warmth, and Care—hallmarks of the Meritus experience delivered in the best of locations in Singapore and Malaysia.

Meritus Hotels & Resorts was awarded Best Regional Hotel Chain in Travel Weekly Asia Readers’ Choice Awards 2017. It is also a three-time recipient of the Heritage Brand distinction by the Singapore Prestige Brand Award, demonstrating its impact as a home-grown Singapore brand.

For more information, please visit meritushotels.com.

About Amistad Partners

Amistad Partners—a global luxury hotel representation company—provides comprehensive sales, marketing, distribution, and revenue management solutions to independent hotels and hotel groups with its extensive experience in creating brand awareness for partner hotels.

For a full list of services provided by Amistad Partners, please visit amistadpartners.com.

Press Contacts

Vigneswaran Rajagopal

Marketing Director

[email protected]

Source :  http://ow.ly/xjsr30nGo97

Gender diversity has been high on the corporate agenda for a number of years now. With an increasing number of women making up the fabric of the corporate world, questions are being raised as to whether corporate travel programmes are designed to treat their male and female travellers equally or whether there is a trend towards a more personalised and tailored approach to these programmes. In 2016, research demonstrated that, generally, travellers were treated equably. Only less than 22% of those surveyed believed that women were treated less favourable than men, whereas over 70% of the study’s participants believed that travel suppliers should try harder to address the specific needs of female business travellers. That was two years ago. Have things progressed (or regressed) since then? FCM Travel Solutions may have our answer, courtesy of its first Big Business Travel Survey (which was carried out in the summer) to find out once and for all what the attitudes towards business travel amongst male and female travellers are.

FCM discovered some interesting developments. For instance, they found that most business travellers do enjoy travelling. However, what makes this fact even more striking is the discovery that more women than men prefer travelling for business! It would seem that more women are comfortable with, and even relish, the opportunity to travel elsewhere even if it isn’t for pleasure. Furthermore, FCM also found that although the value of business travel is aimed at face-to-face interaction and meetings with clients and colleagues, over 50% of travellers enjoy the sheer experience of travelling to a different place as well as being exposed to a variety of cultures. Thus, the ‘travel’ aspect of ‘business travel’ is not lost on this section of travellers.

Even though female business travellers do take pleasure in travelling, there are some drawbacks. Travelling for business naturally takes people away from the comforts of their homes and families, something women (in this study, anyway) do not particularly want. These women also find business travel disruptive to their work and professional lives as well as their private lives. In light of this, FCM found that whilst women make more overnight stays than men, more men unsurprisingly stay away from home for longer periods of time. In terms of their preferred mode of transportation, air travel triumphs over all else with 71.4% of business travellers opting to fly to their respective destinations. Interestingly enough, it was found that more women travel by train than men, who prefer to drive themselves. In spite of the fondness for air travel, the same cannot be said of business travellers’ perception of airport facilities. FCM’s survey demonstrates that 43.5% of travellers never use an airport lounge, whilst under half of the female travellers never use airport showers.

When it comes to making travel arrangements, it would seem that, be they male or female, most business travellers like to reach their hotels or meetings by official taxi or pre-arranged transfer. Hotel location is very important to business travellers too, however they also make their accommodation choices based on the provision of free WiFi, 24-hour reception/security, price as well as on-site bar or restaurant. Gyms and spas are also very popular with business travellers, with men preferring the former and women the latter.

To sum up, male and female business travellers are probably more alike than ever before. Of course, there will always be exceptions but FCM’s results show us that the tastes and habits of both genders are quite similar. In other words, male and female business travellers are still treated equably. What this illustrates is that personalised travel based on gender needs has yet to catch on within the corporate travel circle. As FCM put it, it would appear that “the needs of the female business traveller are still falling under the banner of ‘nice to have’ rather than ‘essential’”.

Source :  http://ow.ly/ebT030naJHt

Amistad Partners were excited to host a MICE and Leisure Agent’s event on the 11th of December 2018 in London at the Courthouse Hotel Shoreditch – complete with their own private Bowling Alley. Joining the AP Team that evening were the following partner hotels; Aphrodite Hills Cyprus, Derby Hotel Collections, Electra Hotels & Resorts and Zeina Hotels Budapest.

The key focus of the night was to give our partner hotels the chance to meet potential MICE and Leisure agents face-to-face. The event started at 6 pm with delicious canapés, drinks and an introduction of each partner hotel to the agents by the AP sales team Rick Schultheis -VP Sales EMEA, Adriana Torrisi -Director of Sales EMEA, Neema Shrestha -Director of Sales EMEA, Jeanette Friedrich -Business Development Executive and Vigneswaran Rajagopal – Marketing Director. Later agents were engaged in fun filled bowling and ended the evening with a nightcap, whilst the AP team presented individual star performers with surprise prizes which included 2-night stays with breakfast from our partner hotel in Cyprus, Greece and Budapest and reindeer carrots for the lowest score bowler. Great fun and positive new relationships were forged over the evening. It is sure to be repeated soon!

About Amistad Partners Partner Hotels:

Aphrodite Hills Cyprus:

The 5-star luxury Aphrodite Hills Hotel stands proudly at the heart of the magnificent award-winning Aphrodite Hills Resort. Its unique and scenic location on a plateau, overlooks the glittering blue Mediterranean Sea and the legendary birthplace of Aphrodite, the goddess of love. The Hotel fabulously combines the classic with the contemporary and offers a first-class level of service, ideal for your Corporate Events and Conferences. Hotel is a lifestyle haven for devotees of luxury and comfort, and the first Resort Hotel of its kind in Cyprus.

Derby Hotels Collection – Madrid, London and Paris

Derby Hotels Collection is a Spanish company with 22 luxury boutique hotels and hotel apartments situated in the city centre of Barcelona. Next to the most exclusive shopping street Paseo de Gracia and the Gaudi’s masterpieces, La Pedrera, Batlló and Sagrada Familia. Furthermore, they have 4 luxury properties in the major European capital cities such as Madrid, London and Paris.

Electra Hotels & Resorts, Greece:

Since the first Electra hotel opened back in 1965, Electra Hotels and Resorts’ history has been one of warm, luxurious hospitality services. Operating under the philosophy of traditional Greek hospitality, we aim at creating a comfortable environment full of luxurious details, from which our honored guests can explore Greece’s main cities or the island of Rhodes, one of the country’s most celebrated islands. For half a century, we have hosted more than 6.5 million discerning travelers in our properties in Athens, Thessaloniki and Rhodes, treating each and every one of them as family. As we embark towards our centennial, we plan to keep on doing just that: creating a sumptuous hospitality experience fit for the 21st century traveler that is still warm and familiar – just as you know us to be.

Zeina Hotels, Budapest:

Established in 2005, is Budapest’s latest hotel chain with four and five hotels with individual styles in the centre of the Hungarian capital.

Boutique Hotel Budapest is a four-star hotel building with its comfortable well-equipped rooms was designed by the popular, modern and yet elegant style of international boutique hotels. The hotel established a new trend in the Hungarian`s market of city lifestyle (design and boutique) hotels.

Continental Hotel is an iconic buildings of Budapest’s traditional Jewish quarter, in Dohány utca and launched his second hotel investment. Continental Hotel Budapest****Superior, which opened in June 2010, blends the rich past and the future that lies ahead, traditional hospitality and the modern expectations of the 21st century as a symbol of the guest-focused approach nestled between the Grand Boulvard and Rákóczi út.

Prestige Hotel Budapest****Superior is a lavish elegance tailored for the demands of our time – this is going to be the character of the building typical of the age of the Monarchy has been preserved; so, the rooms open from a 6 floors high internal circular gallery presenting an imposing spectacle of the special internal space. The hotel awaits its guests with 85 rooms, meeting room, relaxation zone and top gastronomy of Costes Downtown restaurant.

To book a stay at any of these hotels, contact Adriana Torrisi at [email protected]

To book for your next event at any of these hotels, contact Neema Shrestha at [email protected]

Or visit www.amistadpartners.com

Source :   http://ow.ly/1Lwk30n3Xb1

 

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 3rd December 2018

Located on Dubai’s stunning Pearl Jumeira island, Nikki Beach Resort & Spa Dubai is the latest addition to Amistad Partners’ portfolio. This new collaboration comes just two months after yet another Dubai luxury hotel, Five Palm Jumeirah Dubai, joined forces with Amistad Partners.

Spanning over 52,000 square metres on a private beach, Nikki Beach Resort & Spa Dubai boasts 117 rooms and suites as well as 15 villas with private pools. With its uncharacteristically low-rise architecture (especially for Dubai, home of the Burj Khalifa), this resort dares to be different whilst still providing its guests with elegance, indulgence and barefoot luxury. If one should ever tire of the breath-taking ocean views on offer, Nikki Beach is perfectly placed for accessing Dubai’s trendiest hotspots – shop-till-you-drop at spectacular shopping malls and immerse yourself in the city’s cultural vibes at its many tourist attractions. Strategic location aside, the resort itself truly lives up to its glitzy five-star status. Guests’ taste buds are spoiled for choice at the Beach Club, which features a menu – just the ticket for any epicure. All rooms at Nikki Beach come equipped with unique features, ranging from a bespoke entertainment wall to a mood light system to oversized bathrooms – what more do you need for a perfect vacation?

Michelle Low, Vice President of Sales – Asia and the Middle East at Amistad Partners, is thrilled to welcome the most recent arrival to the AP family and believes that “the onboarding of Nikki Beach Resort & Spa Dubai is definitely going to appeal to and attract customers seeking out luxury seafront destinations.”

“If you’re looking for luxury, look no further than the remarkable city of Dubai and what Nikki Beach has to offer! Their meticulously crafted collection of rooms, suites, villas and residential units is merely the tip of this very luxurious iceberg, making us an ideal choice for business and leisure travellers. We are very much looking forward to working hand-in-hand with Nikki Beach, to grow their customer base and give guests a taste of the Nikki Beach experience,” says Prashanth Gurumurthiah, Director of Sales – UAE at Amistad Partners.

Dubai is home to one of the world’s booming tourism sectors, which is now worth a whopping $29.6 billion a year. With its unparalleled modernity and glamour, it has become a highly popular tourist destination and regularly tops travellers’ bucket lists. A perfect

illustration of this growing ‘visit Dubai’ trend is evident from the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing’s tourism figures for the first half of 2018, which saw Dubai welcome a record 8.10 million international overnight tourists.

Michelle adds, “Dubai is now in the same league as popular destinations like India and the UK and is fast becoming the most visited city in the world.”

To book a stay or plan your next event at the hotel, contact Prashanth Gurumurthiah at [email protected] or visit the website at www.amistadpartners.com.

About Amistad Partners Amistad Partners is a global luxury hotel representation company that will deliver sales and marketing solutions to and be the voice for independent hotel groups. Our experience in hotel sales and marketing is second to none. For further details on what we do or on joining Amistad Partners, contact us at [email protected].

About Nikki Beach Resort & Spa Dubai

Nikki Beach Resort & Spa Dubai is a 5-star contemporary style beachfront property, featuring 132 luxurious hotel rooms, suites and private villas, 5 restaurants and lounges, 450-meter private beach, Tone Gym, Nikki Spa and two oversized pools. This exclusive enclave combines the best of Nikki Beach’s signature entertainment, dining and music elements with stunning panoramic views of the Arabian Gulf and awe-inspiring Dubai skyline. Situated on Pearl Jumeira island, the location offers convenient access to Downtown Dubai, Dubai International Airport and Financial Centre.

Spanning 52,000 square meters, Nikki Beach Resort & Spa Dubai was designed in collaboration with DSA Architects International with interiors by Gatserelia Design. The décor reflects Nikki Beach’s stylish look and feel at its venues around the world. Accommodations boast top-line amenities and in-room features such as a bespoke mood lighting system, MyBar and oversized bathrooms. The serene resort experience is further enhanced with beachside pampering, spa days and watersport facilities.

For more information, visit www.nikkibeachhotels.com/dubai

Facebook: www.facebook.com/NikkiBeachHotelDubai Instagram: @nikkibeachhoteldubai

 Source :   http://ow.ly/TyL830mQatF

 

Amistad Partners (AP) and THCC (First International Community& Platform of Independent Hotels Owners and Decision Makers), which has offices in Paris, Geneva and London, have entered into a partnership to offer additional representational opportunities to members of THCC. With offices dotted across London, Los Angeles, New York, Mexico, Hong Kong, Cape Town, Cologne, Cyprus, Dubai, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Delhi and representing some of the most prestigious and well-known independent hotels worldwide, Amistad Partners are experts in delivering hotel sales, marketing, distribution, and revenue management solutions using technology to provide accountability and real-time data.

Amistad Partners prides itself on engaging with partners who are experts and specialists in the hotel industry, which means that clients get the tailored representation services they deserve. THCC shares this same vision of engaging with the right independent experts and advisors to provide its community of hoteliers and decision makers the best service and advice.

THCC is the first international community platform of hotels owners and decision makers which directly connects hotel decision makers, freelance consultants/experts (both specialists and generalists), and partners from the hospitality business, such as AP. THCC has 800 plus Hotel members around the World.

Rick Schultheis, VP of Sales and Hotel Development EMEA of Amistad Partners, has no doubt that this will be a great partnership for both Amistad Partners and The Hotels Consulting Company. “Through our joint network, AP offers The Hotels Consulting Company augmented international sales, marketing, and distribution capabilities as well as our high-in-demand revenue management support for their partner hotels. At the same time, having worked with more than 900 hotels, The Hotels Consulting Company will certainly enhance Amistad Partners’ bespoke approach to representation and consulting services.”

Additionally, Oliver Steuermann, hotelier and CEO of THCC, said, “I am confident that this partnership will bring forth considerable commercial strike power and productive benefits. THCC’s core objective is to support clients in optimising financial results and profitability through flexible external interventions, guaranteeing a result by integrating the latest technologies. We are the first platform that is designed to empower hoteliers and assist on all the operational and managerial needs of independent hotels. AP’s investment in AP Digital, a state-of-the-art technology system that provides real-time reporting, data analytics, and statistics, and its strong ethos of working in a commercial, pragmatic, flexible and transparent way with clients highlights our common approach and our aligned thinking. We work and present opportunities of more than 70 tech partners to our hotels members.”

About Amistad Partners

Amistad Hotels Partners (AP) is a digitally focused start-up hotel representation company that offers global representation in all segments, coupled with bespoke consultancy via our AP Gigs channel. AP focuses on driving incremental revenue, establishing relationships in key geographic locations, delivering on client expectation and stimulating global awareness of client brands. Amistad Partners’ commitment to accountability and transparency is delivered by AP Digital. AP Digital is a multi-faceted web and app technology that offers CRM, a client portal, an agent portal, a professional services automation platform, a contract manager and a virtual assistant. Every AP engagement is measured in microscopic detail to gauge the effectiveness of delivery and the efficiency of the dedicated team.

About THCC

Created in 2012 by Hotel Owners in Switzerland, and EMEA, CIS and USA, THCC is, first and foremost, a community of hoteliers & decision makers, allowing its members to use a platform (The TOOLBOX by THCC) of independent experts/advisors. THCC assists hoteliers and offers, externally, all the necessary services for owners (Real Estate, Sales and Marketing, Food and Beverage, Accounting & Finance, HR, Operations, Management Contract and Yield management), in order to optimize their profitability and their GOP.

THCC have more than 800 hotel members. THCC is partner to some hotel collections such as Hotels de Charme et Caractère and the Globale Alliance of Private Hotels (1200 independent hotels members)

Source: Amistad