SINGAPORE is Asia s top convention city for the 11th year running, according to a global ranking that tracks the most popular cities to hold international meetings. It is also the only Asian city in its top 10, which is dominated by European cities such as Vienna, Madrid, Paris, Berlin and Barcelona. The ranking is published annually by the International Congress and Convention Association ...

[SINGAPORE] Singapore has maintained its position as Asia s top convention city for the 11th consecutive year, latest global rankings released by the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) show. In addition, the Republic is the only city in Asia to be ranked among the top 10 convention cities in the world. Last year, Singapore hosted a record 150 ICCA events, up from 142 in ...

THE world s best women s tennis players are coming to town next year, and the Singapore government hopes that this will spell big bucks for the local economy. The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) reckons that the Republic s hosting of the glittering Women s Tennis Association (WTA) championships will net about $15 million in tourism receipts for each of the five instalments. The tournament, held at ...

Restaurant Andre in Bukit Pasoh has clinched top honours at this year s G Restaurant Awards, put out by high society magazine The Peak. The nouvelle French restaurant was named Restaurant Of The Year 2013. The win comes soon after its recent 38th placing on the World s 50 Best Restaurants list, announced in London two weeks ago. It is the only restaurant here in the top 50 this year. Chef ...

THE former Furniture Mall at Beach Road has been turned into 180 serviced residences by owner UOL Group at a construction cost of $65 million. The 20 storey Pan Pacific Serviced Suites Beach Road, which opens today, will boost recurring income stream and provide a higher yield than the mall, UOL Group president of property Liam Wee Sin told The Straits Times. Noting that Furniture Mall yields ...

YOU won t find queues at the counter at the 333 room Bay Hotel Singapore in Telok Blangah and nor will you find front desk staff. Checking in is now a fast affair thanks to some clever new technology, as business traveller Henry Sim, a first time guest at the hotel, found. Mr Sim received a mobile confirmation immediately after making a reservation. When I landed in Singapore, I received another ...

A PREMIUM liner from the world s largest cruise group will make Singapore its home from next year to ride the waves of Asia s growing cruise industry. Called the Sapphire Princess, the ship can carry 2,670 passengers and will dock at the Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore when it is not out at sea. The 116,000 tonne ship is owned by Princess Cruises, which is a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation, ...

To many chefs from abroad, Singapore is but a pit stop for a guest cooking stint, an Asian overseas venture that they visit occasionally or a chance to add to the resume. But for London born executive chef Gary Clarke, who will head British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver s restaurant Jamie s Italian, Singapore is his new home for at least 10 years. The restaurant chain has 31 branches in the United ...

A RECORD 14.4 million tourists visited these shores last year, but what they spent did not keep pace with the rise in numbers. That is something Singapore needs to fix, but the challenge is how. Last year s visitor numbers, according to preliminary estimates by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), were up 9 per cent on the 13.2 million who came in 2011. They spent $23 billion, also a record. But it ...

MANDARIN Oriental International s profit attributable to shareholders for the full fiscal year has climbed 7 per cent to US$72.3 million, from US$67.5 million a year prior, raising its earnings per share to 7.24 US cents.Excluding a non trading writeback of US$1.5 million in 2012 and a US$8.5 million non trading profit from a long term leasehold interest in 2011, the underlying profit ...

WHAT do some of Asia s top chefs talk about when they get together in Singapore? Ketchup, it seems. Or more pertinently, how a chef should react when a diner demands ketchup at his restaurant. It was an issue that sharply divided opinions during a 45 minute forum yesterday as part of a two day event in conjunction with the inaugural Asia s 50 Best Restaurants List. Says Gaggan Anand of Gaggan, an ...

WITH more than 30 outlets across Singapore, 1,300 full and part time staff and an annual turnover in excess of $60 million, the Suki Group of Restaurants has made big strides since opening its first restaurant a decade ago. The group specialises in Japanese food and operates across several brands, with the guiding strategy across the business being to provide quality food at affordable prices. ...

THE Seacare Hotel, the first in the country to be run by a labour cooperative, will provide a welcome harbour for seafarers stopping over in Singapore. Officially opened yesterday after a soft launch last September, the 103 room hotel on Chin Swee Road will offer subsidised stays to seafarers from eligible companies. But seamen are not its only intended clientele. The Seacare Hotel also aims to ...

CDL Hospitality Trusts (CDLHT) will stay on the acquisition trail after posting record distributable income for full year 2012. The hotel trust is looking to buy more properties in Singapore, Japan and Dubai, said Mr Vincent Yeo, chief executive of M&C Reit Management, which manages CDLHT. We still like the Singapore market long term, he told a results briefing yesterday, but said CDLHT was not ...