Carlton Now Part Of Worldhotels Network

Source : The Business Times, January 31, 2008

It is the third S'pore hotel to do so, after Goodwood and York

From tomorrow, Carlton Hotel Singapore will join the prestigious Worldhotels 'First Class Collection' marketing network.

Worldhotels is a European-based global hotels group bringing together individual and independent hotels and regional hotel brands. With an existing base of about 500 hotels worldwide, this partnership with Carlton adds a landmark property in Singapore to Worldhotels' 78 other members in the Asia-Pacific region.

This is the group's third tie-up with a Singapore hotel, with Goodwood Park Hotel and York Hotel already on board as members.

Carlton Hotel Singapore's general manager, Ronald Loges, said yesterday that the hotel was entering into the partnership at a time when Singapore was expecting a big influx of visitors.

He said: 'The sophisticated needs of travellers within Asia-Pacific today and the latest developments in Singapore, ranging from the Singapore Flyer to the integrated resorts and Sports Hub, creates tremendous energy that will draw unprecedented numbers of visitors to this island.'

He said the partnership would enable Carlton, as an independent hotel, to compete with top international hotel organisations like the Hilton and Hyatt groups.

Apart from the Worldhotels partnership, Carlton is also developing a new Tower Wing at the corner of Bras Basah and North Bridge Road, scheduled for completion in late 2009.

The new wing will add 285 rooms to the current total of 630. The hotel also has 880 square metres of function space in a pillarless grand ballroom, and function rooms designed by the Hirsh Bedner & Associates interior design firm.

News of the expansion comes just less than a year after the Carlton group, in May 2007, emerged as the top bidder for a 99-year hotel site at Gopeng Street next to the Amara Hotel in the Tanjong Pagar area, where it intends to develop a new hotel.

Worldhotels (Asia-Pacific) vice-president Roland Jegge said that Carlton was strategically located, with the Suntec Singapore International Convention & Exhibition Centre just down one road, and the busy financial district minutes down another. The hotel is also just a five-minute walk from CityLink mall - Singapore's largest underground shopping mall - and the City Hall MRT station, he added.

Meanwhile, Worldhotels is also understood to be in talks with Singapore Airlines regarding a frequent flyer partnership programme.