Northstar

HOTELS www.travelweeklyweb.com Palace Hotel Tokyo to reopen following name change and redevelopment TOKYO – The 290-room hotel in Marunouchi, sitting on a singular moat-side location beside the Imperial Palace, will reopen on May 17. Reservations are now open. The 23-storey hotel was previously known as the Palace Hotel but has undergone a dramatic makeover following a US$1.2 billion (JPY 90) investment in the mixed-used development site which includes commercial and offi ces. "This hotel is Japanese through and through, from its ownership and management, to its service protocols and its picture-perfect location by the Imperial Palace gardens and moats," said Palace Hotel Tokyo President, Takashi Kobayashi. For domestic and international travellers alike, whether they are business or leisure, the hotel hopes they will walk away saying, "To have stayed at Palace Hotel Tokyo is to have experienced the very essence of Japanese hospitality". The hotel's new facilities include: evian® SPA TOKYO. As the second evian® SPA outside of France, the spa offers views of the city from fi fth fl oor. French savoir-faire and Asian therapies will set the stage for spa experiences. In a city better known for its density of construction, Palace Hotel Tokyo offers views from every room and nearly all of the hotel's public space. Its basement level will link it to the Otemachi subway station, which will be completed in the Spring of 2013. The city's landmark Tokyo Station is within easy walking distance of the hotel. The hotel's main entrance is located across the street from Otemon Gate, once the main gate of Edo Castle. One of the hotel's distinguishing architectural features is at its main entrance, where Aji stone walls echo the very same stonework that lines the imperial moats. "Though we're located on the edge of Tokyo's most dynamic business district, at Marunouchi, we're set to deliver a more naturally vibrant perspective," said Kobayashi. "From the summer soundtrack of cicadas in the park's trees, to the winter's ice on the imperial moat, a sense of seasons will be felt to a much greater degree than, perhaps, anywhere else in the city." Resorts World Sentosa opens two new hotels SINGAPORE – Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) has opened its last two hotels on Sentosa – the Equarius Hotel and Beach Villas – on its 49-hectare mega-resort. The two – Equarius Hotel (179 rooms) and Beach Villas (22 villas) offer 360-degree views that take in the waterfront, the harbourfront skyline and a lush tropical rainforest. Roger Lienhard, senior vice president, Hospitality Development and Projects, RWS, said: "These two hotels cap the accommodation offerings at RWS, which will be fully open once the Marine Life Park, water theme park and destination spa are ready." "The hotels are the perfect tranquil getaway, offering guests the chance to be close to nature, lush greenery and serene waters. Yet, what sets the hotels apart is that guests are still just minutes away from the fun and thrills of RWS, and within easy reach to the city for business travellers." Added Tsuyoshi Narita, Senior Associate of Peridian Asia, the landscape architecture firm behind the landscape design for the two hotels: "We set out to create a tropical garden of peace and tranquility that rejuvenates the senses. Upon arrival, guests will feel like they are entering a different world, as they are greeted by a splendid avenue of trees on both sides. As the hotel comes into view, they will be awed by two majestic 80 – 100 year old Shorea trees, specially chosen for the arrival area, creating a natural yet ethereal landscape." InterContinental opens it Koh Samui resort KOH SAMUI – InterContinental Samui Baan Taling Ngam Resort has opened recently, the latest addition to IHG Worldwide global portfolio – offering 79 guest residences in 22 acres of lush coconut plantation. I t of f e r s "bre a t ht a k ing su n se ts and 320-degree vistas" across the reputable "Five 8 | ■ TRAVELWEEKLY ASIA | 21 FEBRUARY 2012 Island" and Angthong National Park. It has a private beach, licensed pier, gourmet dining and signature spa raised 120 meters above sea level. It is also the island's only hotel to of fer private transfers to guests, to and from Koh Samui International Airport by speedboat direct to its own 150-metre licensed pier. The resort's residences include 12 signature standalone Beachfront Pool Villas and 17 two bedroom villas, ranging from 67 to 320 sq. metres. The resort has seven rainbow swimming pools to give semi-private pool access to villa guests looking for space. www.travelweeklyweb.com

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