Northstar

(TOP LEFT) LLUSTRATION: GETTY IMAGES Venue Highlight 48 MAY-JUN 2018 MEETINGS & CONVENTIONS MCMAG-ASIA.COM The lobby at Grand Hyatt Xi'an. Hyatt Ancient Xi'an welcomes a Grand Hyatt Grand Hyatt Xi'an has launched as part of the landmark Maike Center, which comprises high-end retail and offices in the Xi'an High-Tech Industries Development Zone. Xi'an Greenland PICO International Convention & Exhibition Center as well as Xi'an Qujiang International Conference Exhibition Center are also nearby. The 396-room hotel connects to an office tower via a Sky Bridge 100m above ground, where visitors can take in 360-degree views of the metropolis below. The hotel offers 2,314 sqm of meetings and events spaces, a highlight being the Grand Ballroom and Grand Salon, which are enclosed by curving walls. Encircling the space is a nearly 3-metre high LED screen that can be used for presentations. An additional 11 meeting rooms are available in varied sizes for business meetings or social gatherings as well as a large open kitchen for creative catering and networking. In Asia, hotels catering to business travellers are adding rooms to key city locations and mixed-use complexes. COMPILED BY NAOMI NEOH Hilton Opens in Myanmar's second largest city Set amidst four acres of idyllic gardens, Hilton Mandalay opened its doors in March in the centre of Myanmar's second-largest and fastest growing city. Convention Centre while the Mandalay International Airport is located an hour away. Catering to small- group business meetings, the hotel offers flexible event space such as a 256- sqm ballroom; its largest meeting room spans 289 sqm. AccorHotels Novotel debuts in Kerala's industrial zone Located in the industrial zone of Kochi, the Novotel Kochi Infopark is one of the first international midscale brands to open doors. The hotel offers 128 rooms including eight suites and a room equipped for differently-abled guests. The hotel's three meeting rooms will be able to accommodate up to 200 guests for meetings and events. Wonderla Kochi, Kerala's largest state-of-the-art amusement park is situtated close by, while the Kochi International Airport is located 40 minutes away by car and the Ernakulam Railway station can be reached by a 30-minute drive. AccorHotels Sofitel parks by Myanmar's Inle Lake Myanmar has received its first Sofitel along the shores of Inle Lake in early March. The 101-key luxury boutique resort overlooks the waters, mountains and rice fields in Myanmar's Shan State, offering guests a choice of 36 rooms and 65 suites. For corporate groups, the resort's 150-sqm meeting room can host up to 100 guests. The naturally-lit space features modern audiovisual equipment with personalised services and bespoke support for board meetings. The property offers 231 guest rooms with options for rooms with private balconies and select rooms featuring terraces; kitchenettes are also a feature in several rooms. For business travellers, the hotel is situated 4km away from the Mandalay

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