Crowne Plaza Singapore Changi Airport opens S$82m wing

With upcoming developments in Singapore's aviation hub over the next few years, including Changi Airport's Terminal 4 and Jewel Changi Airport, Crowne Plaza Singapore Changi Airport has opened a new extension in anticipation of the increasing numbers of visitors to the airport.

OUE Hospitality Trust said in a statement that a unit of the sponsor - OUE Airport Hotel Pte Ltd (OUEAH) - will provide an income support arrangement for the hotel for about three years, or when the rental top-up payments exceed S$7.5 million, whichever is earlier.

Sunshine Wong, general manager of Crowne Plaza Singapore Changi Airport, said: "As of today, this hotel will have 563 rooms - we are no more the 320-room property that we once were. We have increased our inventory by 75 per cent."

The new extension, which OUEAH invested S$82 million into, is a 10-storey building featuring 243 business rooms. This is in addition to the existing 320 rooms in its main building. There are two room categories in the new extension - Business King at 28 square metres, and Business Twin at 38 sq m.

Although the new Business King rooms are smaller than the existing Deluxe rooms - at 36 sq m - the new rooms have more amenities and are better designed, said Crowne Plaza.

While the hotel caters mainly to business travellers, Mr Wong said Crowne Plaza also considers other market segments, such as leisure travellers - in particular, focusing on those who may be in transit.

When asked how the hotel plans to attract leisure travellers, Mr Wong did not give any specific measures, but said that: "In addition to the business rooms in the new extension, the Runway View rooms in the main building are popular among leisure guests who want to have a unique experience outside of the main city centre - these are popular among aviation enthusiasts as well."

For business travellers, Crowne Plaza markets itself as a MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) venue. Mr Wong said the hotel is looking to market itself towards multinationals in Singapore, and believes its airport connectivity makes it especially suitable for MNCs (multinational corporations) with international or regional links.

"The Crowne Plaza brand is recognised globally as a reputable meetings hotel brand, leading the industry with its signature meetings programme.

"For Crowne Plaza Singapore Changi Airport, it is also the hotel's strategic location at Terminal 3 and seamless connectivity to Changi Airport that make it the best choice for transiting passengers and business travellers, especially those visiting the nearby business parks and MICE venues."

This article was first published on Aug 02, 2016.
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