ahct dec 2010 web

asian hotel& Catering times

Published since 1976 Vol 35 december 2010

hong Kong sAR hK$50 china RMb50singapore s$15 Malaysia RM30Thailand bt300Rest of Asia us$10

HOSTAGE TO FORTUNEPhilippines faces obstacles

GETTING LESS STEAMYEnergy-saving dishwashers

BEIJING LUXURY HITS NEW HEIGHTS

Shangri-La’s sky high haunt

Mischa Moselle

AsiAn Hotel & CAtering times is publisHed montHly by tHomson press Hong Kong ltd (tpHK)

The opinions expressed in Asian Hotel & Catering Times do not necessarily represent the views of the publisher or the publication. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information contained in this publication, no responsibility can be accepted by the publisher, editors and staff, agents and contributors for omissions, typographical or printers errors, inaccuracies or changes howsoever caused. The editors reserve the right to edit any material submitted at their discretion. All materials published remain the property of TPHK. Reproduction without permission by any means is strictly prohibited. Correspondence should be addressed to The Editor, Asian Hotel & Catering Times, Room 1205-6, 12/F, Hollywood Centre, 233 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong. Tel: (852) 2815 9111 Fax: (852) 2851 1933. Fantasy Print, Unit B 8/F, Tin Fung Industial Mansion, 63 Wong Chuk Hang Road, Hong Kong

All rights reserved (c) 2010Thomson Press Hong Kong Ltd

Welcome to a busy read for a busy month in hospitality.

We’ve been thinking a great deal about brand and image this month.

The Philippines are 7,000 islands of tropical beauty with a population that is culturally steeped in the values of good hospitality, and turned towards the outside world. The colonial legacy means the population also speaks two of the world’s most widely spoken languages – Spanish and English.

It’s unfortunate then that in the public mind the country is too often associated with

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HONG KONGThomson Press Hong Kong Limited/Media Transasia LimitedRoom 1205-6, 12/F, Hollywood Centre,233 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan, Hong KongTel: +(852) 2851 7068, 2815 9111 Fax: +(852) 2851 1933, 2581 9531Email: [email protected]: Mr Mischa Moselle

AUSTRALIAMass Media PublicitasLevel 9, 215-217 Clarence Street Sydney NSW 2000 Australia Tel: + 61 2 9252 3476 Fax: +61 2 9251 3726 Email: [email protected]: Mr Charlton D’Silva

INDIAMedia Transasia (India) Ltd323 Phase IV, Udyog Vihar, Gurgaon - 122016 (Haryana)Tel: +91 (0) 124 4759500 Fax: +91 (0) 11 26867641Email: [email protected]: Mr Xavier Collaco

Media Transasia (India) Ltd1, A & B, Diamond House, 35th Road,Linking Road, Bandra West, Mumbai - 400 050 Tel: 91 22 26053702-06 Fax: 91 22 26053702-06Email: [email protected]: Mr. Xavier Collaco

THAILANDMedia Transasia Thailand Ltd14/F, Ocean Tower II, 75/10 Soi Wattana,Sukhumvit Soi 21, Asoke Road, Klongtoey,Prakanong, Bangkok 10110, ThailandTel: +66 2 204 2370 Fax: +66 2 204 2391Email: [email protected]: Mr Gaurav Kumar

UNITED KINGDOMThe Powers Turner GroupGordon House, Greencoat PlaceLondon SW1P 1PH, United KingdomTel: +44 (0) 20 7592 8300 Fax: +44 (0) 20 7592 8301Contact: Mr Chris Morgan

USARiverside Media159 Main Street, 2nd Floor, Lake Placid,NY 12946, USATel: +1 518 523 4794 Fax: +1 518 523 4708Email: [email protected]: Ms Christina Eccleston

Marston Webb International60 Madison Avenue, Suite 1011,New York, NY 10010, USATel: +1 212 684 6601 Fax: +1 212 725 4708Telex: (023) 420773 BRANINTContact: Ms Madlene Olson

Cutting Edge Media Pvt Ltd5th, Floor Mani MahalMathew Road, Opera HouseMumbai-400004, IndiaTel:+91-9821874547Email: [email protected]: Ms Nikki Maloo

ITALYEdiconsult Internazionale s.r.l.Piazza Fontane Marose, 3-16123 GenovaTel: +39 010 583684 Fax: +39 010 566578Email: [email protected]: Mr Vittorio Negrone

JAPANEcho Japan CorporationGrande Maison Rm 303, 2-2 Kudan-kita 1-chome, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0073Tel: +81 3 3234 2064 Fax: +81 3 3263 5065Email: [email protected]: Mr Ted Asoshina

MALAYSIAPublicitas International Sdn Bhd.S 105, 2nd Floor, CentrepointLebuh Bandar Utama, Bandar Utama47800 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia.Tel : 603 7729 6923Fax : 603 7729 7115 Email: [email protected]: Ms Shallie Cheng

sleaze, corruption and now violence. The Hong Kong government is still maintaining a travel alert, warning its citizens not to travel to the country following a tragic hostage situation over three months ago.

There are grounds for optimism as the Philippines’ government is making attracting tourists a priority. The planned new national brand needs to evoke images of a lush tropical paradise – one that doesn’t have a gunman lurking behind every bush.

Meanwhile as ‘image’ is just as important to individual properties, it struck us as an anomaly that hotel schools that train

MANAGING EdITORMischa Moselle

[email protected]

dESIGN BYKoon Ming Tang

[email protected]

CONTRIBUTORSVictoria Burrows

Carmela CruzMark GrahamZara Horner

Debra MeibergSaul SymondsRuth Williams

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHERSharon Knowler

[email protected]

AdvERTISING SALES MANAGERClaire Sancelot

[email protected]

CIRCULATION EXECUTIvEBecky Chau

[email protected]

CHAIRMANJS Uberoi

dIRECTORGaurav Kumar

endoRseMenTs

potential managers in the skills to head up just about every department don’t have many dedicated courses in Public Relations. We think being able to create a narrative for the hotel and communicate it to the media is a vital 21st century skill.

On a lighter note, we would like to wish all our readers and advertisers the very best compliments of the season!

E d i t o r ’ s M E s s a g E

december 2010 AHCT 3

20

FOOd 40 Christmas doesn’t have to

mean heavy puds and cakes

dRINK36 Stylish Champagnes actually

come in many styles

EQUIPMENT46 Get moody with the right lighting

52 Dishwashers that can cope with heavy duty demands

EvENTS & EXHIBITIONS56 Events calendar57 HOFEX previewed

TECHNOLOGY24 Accounting systems are the vital

Cinderella of the hotel technology story

dESIGN28 The China World Summit Wing takes

full advantage of its spectacular views over Beijing

NEWS CULINARY32 Truffles, Christmas and Cognac

INdUSTRY6 Expansion; charity and much more

PROdUCT44 Lighting; knives; furniture; figurines

MANAGEMENT14 Should hotel schools pay more

attention to PR skills?

MARKET REPORT20 Security issues are a hurdle for

Philippines’ hotels

cover photography courtesy of china world summit wing beijing

Bird’s eye view

40No mince pies

28

Amanpulo pulling power

58 International Wine and Spirits Fair reviewed

60 Wine & Gourmet Asia reviewed

APPOINTMENTS62 See who is moving where

4 AHCT december 2010 december 2010 AHCT 5

UpandComing...January• Sales and Marketing• Market Report; Thailand• PMS• Lamb • Vodka• Luxury linens; Carpets

February• Management contracts• Market Report: Indonesia• In-room technology• Bathroom design• Chocolate• Spirits market• Beds and Bedding; Uniforms

CONTENTSVo lume 35 december 2010

AgriPro Asia 61 Alpha International 37 Amadeus IFC Boncafe 26 & 27 DCT, International Hotel & Business Management School University Centre Switzerland 19 Global Chef 9 Global Search International 33 Gulfood 50 & 51 Hotelex 59 International Furniture Fair 59 Lactalis 11 Meiko 55 Miwa IBC Monin 35 National Prawn Company 31 Pevonia 12 & 13 Rougie - Euralis Gastronomie 39 UNLV Singapore 17 VIDACASA 23Villeroy & Boch OBC

Advert isers’ index

i n d u s t r y n E w s

6 AHCT december 2010



More than 1,100 applicants turned up to the soon-to-open St Regis Bangkok recruitment drive. It was StarwoodHotels&Resorts first recruitment event in Thailand. Held at The Siam Society, applicants were promised a day of “history and ritual” to go with their interview.

The open-house event was staged under the banner, ‘Legacy is Future’ to introduce attendees to the St Regis heritage from its New York beginnings over a century ago through the brand’s on-going global expansion, which includes plans in Asia to open properties in Chengdu, Kuala Lumpur, Lhasa, Nanjing, Osaka, Sanya, Yalong Bay and Tianjin. While the form filling went on, job seekers could sip Virgin Bloody Marys in homage to the St Regis Bloody Mary ritual, and were then escorted through the interview process by another brand icon, the St Regis butler. General Manager St Regis Bangkok, Andreas Oberoi explained the point of the exercise was to show future employees what it’s like for guests to be put at ease and to feel welcome and comfortable.

Adding to the group’s 145,000 employees, the hotel plans to hire 400 people for the St Regis Bangkok, which is slated for an ahead-of-schedule February 2011 opening.

AnantaraHotels,Resorts&Spas has plans to expand its portfolio across Asia, Indian Oceana and the Middle East to encompass 50 properties within the next five years. The group currently has seven resorts in Thailand, two in the Maldives, one in Bali and two in the Middle East with seven new resorts planned for China, the Maldives, Bali, Oman and the UAE by the end of 2011. Such growth reflects a 60 percent expansion in existing and new markets.

Singapore’s MeritusHotels&Resorts is launching a global ad campaign to complement the group’s expansion pipeline slated for 2011. The rollout of brand refresh initiatives will see a more contemporary look to the Meritus identity through its flagship Mandarin Orchard Singapore, Meritus Marina Mandarin Singapore, Meritus Pelangi Beach Resort & Spa Langkawi, and in China - Shanghai JC Mandarin, Meritus Mandarin Haikou, and Meritus Shantou China. New developments being eyed by the group span business and tourism hubs in Southeast Asia and China. Meritus is expected to open its flagship property in Europe in 2011.

This month, Shangri-LaHotelsandResorts will open Shangri-La Hotel, Paris in the French capital’s 16th arrondissement. The group’s first property in Europe, the hotel is housed in Napoleon Bonaparte’s grand-nephew, Prince Roland Bonaparte’s former home, the restoration of which took four years to complete. The building is listed with the French heritage institution. Furthering

Bangkok welcomes new propertiesMarking the first St. Regis hotel in Thailand and the Indochina region, StarwoodHotels&ResortsWorldwide has announced the early 2011 opening of the 176-room The St. Regis Bangkok. The hotel will be the first hotel in Bangkok with the St. Regis butler service, as well as the first Elemis Spa in Thailand and has been designed by New York-based Brennan Beer Gorman Architects.

the group’s expansion, it has also opened the mid-market brand, Traders Hotel, Malé, Maldives, as an optional stopover point for guests at sister property Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort and Spa on Addu Atoll. NewWorldHospitalityhas launched an aggressive programme of more than 20 revitalisation and development projects representing an investment of over US$1.1 billion across three brands. Leading the expansion is the repositioning of New World Hotels flagship brand, with a new visual identity and service culture in properties in China, Vietnam and the Philippines. New properties include New World Hotels in Guiyang (2011), Beijing (2012), Shenyang (2013), and Qingyuan (2014). The number of New World Hotels is targeted to more than double by 2015. A new premium luxury brand is also under development.

PUZZLING IT OUT AT INTERVIEWAnother interesting twist in the way job interviews are conducted, this time by China World Summit Wing Hotel, Beijing. Would-be employees were tested on their suitability for a hospitality-industry job by being given a simple metal toy puzzle to solve.

The aim of the exercise was not to see if they succeeded – but rather to test their attitude towards handling problems. Some gave up straight away, thinking it a waste of time and effort, others diligently tried to work out a way to put the metal links in place.

“We wanted to see how hard they tried,” recalls Resident Manager Bernhard Wimmer. “There were some people who put it aside and others just did not give up, so you could see people’s character. You can see that if they were placed in a hotel situation and a guest asked for something, they would say it was impossible, or unlikely, or they would really try to help.”

Needless to say the more patient puzzle-solvers among the 4,500 people at the initial China World Summit Wing interviews sessions were hired on the spot.

“We greeted every single applicant to get the first impressions,” says Wimmer.

DRINKS, BUTLER SERVICE AND MENTAL CHALLENGES FOR JOB-APPLICANTS

ApplicantsarriveforaninnovativeSt.RegisBangkokrecruitmentprocess

“We were looking for a particular type of person. We didn’t want to create a stiff atmosphere in the hotel with stiff service. We do have a 5-star dining room but we don’t want it to be too formal.”

Wimmer says larger hotels necessarily have tactical programmes of approach but with smaller more intimate venues, such as the 278-room China World Summit Wing, staff will often see guests throughout the day, throughout their stay and [hopefully] on repeat visits so a more personal touch is appropriate. Getting the right staff for this more hands-on style of guest relations is vital though, hence the unusual interview brainteaser. INDUSTRY NEWS

The new Aloft Bangkok - Sukhumvit 11, the latest brand from StarwoodHotels&Resorts will open early in 2011. The 297-room Aloft Bangkok - Sukhumvit 11 is the brand’s first property in Southeast Asia.

ibis, the worldwide economy hotel brand of the Accor group, has opened the newly built 266-room ibis Bangkok Riverside. TheAloftBangkok–Sukhumvit11

TheBrennanBeerGormandesignedSt.RegisBangkok

Expanding brands Anantara’sbrandofluxurywillstretchfromtheMiddleEasttoChina

Meritusisrollingoutarebrandandnewproperties

Shangri-LaHotelsandResorts’firstEuropeanproperty

Global Chef UniformsDesigned by Chefs...for Chefs since 1987

w w w. g l o b a l c h e f s t o r e . c o m

Charitydrive


8 AHCT december 2010 december 2010 AHCT 9

supporting animals, children and the environment. As they hang their ornaments on the tree, guests and visitors can donate as many times as they wish to Kasetsart Veterinary Teaching Hospital

Hua Hin, Ban Wang Bot School Hua Hin, which provides local children with food and books and the Conservation and Restoration of Kuiburi Forest.

SerenityResortandResidences Phuket recently hosted the island’s inaugural golf Pro Am Invitational to support the ‘Phuket Has Been Good To Us Foundation’. Serenity’s General Manager Urs Aebi and a team of golfers including well-known professional Scott Barr took part and raised more than US$17,000 for the charity.

LanghamPlaceBeijingCapitalAirport has teamed up with the city’s Magic Hospital, which works with sick, hospitalised, handicapped, orphaned, abused and at risk children aged 0-18 years. As the hotel celebrates its first Christmas with festive cheer and good tidings to all it will also hold a charity collection drive. All visitors will be able to donate new or pre-loved toys, books and clothes and the gifts will be cleaned and wrapped before being placed under the lobby Christmas tree. Children from Beijing’s Magic Hospital will join in the hotel’s staff family day celebrations of a fun-filled programme of activities and a Christmas buffet luncheon, culminating in the distribution of the collected presents to the Magic Hospital.

Joining up After a selection process involving inspections of more than 100 establishments, Relais&Châteaux has expanded by 36 new properties. The new members include 12 in Europe, one in Morocco, five in the United States, four in South America, one in New Zealand, one in Vanuatu and 12 in Asia. These small properties with an average of 30 rooms are often family enterprises.

Summit Hotels & Resorts, part of Preferred Hotel Group, has welcomed its first member in Vietnam – GrandPlazaHanoi. The 618-room European-style hotel debuts as the largest hotel in Vietnam and is part of the new Charmvit Grand Plaza complex, which encompasses high-end retail and an office tower.

Worldhotels has welcomed Virgin Atlantic as its 18th airline partner, further strengthening a network of frequent flyer programmes that is the largest offered by independent hotels in the world. The partnership will allow Virgin Atlantic Flying Club members to collect miles at more than 450 hotels in 65 countries worldwide. Worldhotels’ partnership network now enables more than 240 million frequent flyers to collect miles.

Christmas CharityDusitInternational has given back to the community by donating US$32,000 to Operation Smile Thailand, the charity that provides surgery for children with facial deformities. “Dusit Smiles for Operation Smile is our company-wide Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative with the objective to create smiles, change lives, and provide a better future for the children,” said Chanin Donavanik, Chief Executive Officer, Dusit International. The year-long campaign encouraged staff, guests and business partners to get involved in contributing to the health and well-being of those in need with donation boxes and envelopes throughout properties, charity auctions, salary donations and sports events. Chairman for Operation Smile Thailand, Kevin Beauvais said, “It has been my honour to work with Dusit International and to see the dedication of the caring and compassionate professional Dusit team. Throughout the year Dusit has demonstrated great commitment to CSR, bringing more attention to children affected by cranial facial deformities in the country. We hope to see Dusit continue to leverage its motivation and commitment to help Operation Smile transform the lives of children in Thailand and around the world.”

RestDetailHotelHuaHin has come up with an innovative concept to support three local charities this festive season as it celebrates the spirit of giving. An unadorned Christmas tree is on display at the hotel until January 6th 2011 and everyone visiting and working at the property will be able to decorate it in a unique way. Locally designed and themed ornaments will serve as donation boxes for three local charities,

ThespiritofChristmasattheRestDetailHotelHuaHininThailand

Green ideas competitionWe’re extending the deadline on the Fairmont Hotels Green Ideas competition to January 1st 2011 to give even more of our readers the opportunity to participate.

The idea is simple – give us your best green idea for a hotel and win a 3D/2N stay in the luxury Fairmont Beijing (flights included) or one of 30 copies of Fairmont’s book ‘The Green Partnership Guide: Practical Guide To Greening Your Hotel’.

Fairmont has been practicing green hotel operations for several decades and is eager to extend best practice across the industry, which is why we are giving away our insights and

WinatriptoBeijing

encouraging AHCT’s readers to share theirs.Entering the competition could not be easier.Complete the sentence “Green ideas are important to the

hotel industry because…” in 100 words or less and email your proposal to [email protected]

Aside from the extended deadline the original terms and conditions still apply.

Behind every excellent dessert

is an excellentcream.

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Président Whipping Cream (35.1 % fat)Product made in France

Excellent holding quality, even after 48 hours.High whipping rate makes light and airy whipped cream.

Perfect for dessert toppings.An even texture for hot dishes.

Used by top French chefs.

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Points mean prizesWyndhamHotelsandResorts has launched its Wyndham Event Rewards programme in China, offering up to one million frequent traveller points to those who book events at any Wyndham properties globally, as well as double rewards for events booked and held at any Wyndham hotels in China. Meeting planners and travel agents can earn 10 Wyndham rewards points for each US$1 spent, from a minimum of US$2,500 to a maximum of US$100,000, on master-billed guest rooms as well as group food

and beverage functions and meeting room rentals. Earned points, up to one million per event, can be redeemed for gift reward options including hotel stays, premium entertainment merchandise and holidays.

A global gift card has been launched by the MandarinOrientalHotelGroup. Available in denominations from US$50 to US$10,000, the gift cards may be redeemed for hotel accommodation, spa treatments, dining options and more.

Purchased online, and at all Mandarin Oriental hotels worldwide, there is no expiry date, and the cards can be used at any participating Mandarin Oriental hotel regardless of purchase place. The cards are presented in a stylish folder

and can be delivered with a personalised message to any location around the world.

Prospective guests may enjoy 50 percent of the first-night room value at all restaurants plus free internet, when room reservations are made online at participating DusitHotels across Asia and the Middle East. Running from this month to the end of February 2011 on bookings of a minimum two consecutive nights, the re-introduced ‘Click – It’s Magic’ promotion – which ran at the end of 2009 for the first time - is available at Dusit properties in Thailand, Manila, Dubai and Cairo.

StarWorldHotelandCasino has introduced a new membership programme. The Galaxy Privilege Club will be the only loyalty club in Macau to allow members to earn bonus points on every single dollar spent, be it on gaming, dining or hotel accommodation. Discounts on food, room upgrades, ferry tickets, priority entertainment bookings and birthday rewards are part of the programme. The bonus points can be redeemed at StarWorld and the soon-to-be-opened Galaxy Macau, as well as the facilities of partner establishments Banyan Tree, Laurel Group and Hotel Okura hotel groups worldwide. Three types of membership are on offer: Gold, Platinum and Black. The higher the tier, the more varied benefits and the more value-added services are available.

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•

The idea of a modern upmarket hotel operating without significant input from a Public Relations professional

is almost unthinkable. However, while it is possible for

hospitality school students to learn what journalists like to call ‘the dark arts’, it seems said PR skills, whilst recognised as an integral part of modern hotel success (or failure), are generally not yet a significant part of the curriculum.

On a practical level perhaps the easy answer is the PR should be learned at a communications school but as it would be almost unthinkable to find a general

manager without an understanding of F&B or housekeeping, gleaned from the academic outset, why shouldn’t PR be a strong component of hotel school curriculums?

FocusBirgit Black, Academic Dean at DCT University Center Switzerland, who worked in hospitality including in the PR field before moving into academia, tells AHCT:

“DCT’s hospitality programmes have a different focus. Public Relations is a programme of studies all by itself. In the beginning students specialise in food and beverage and hotel operations; they get an

overview of the industry supplemented with general education courses. After their work experience and at the next higher level of studies, students are exposed to introductory management courses such as human resources, marketing, rooms divisions, food and beverage, and ‘elements’ of public relations are integrated in these lessons.”

Is that enough?Pauline Ngan, Marketing Manager of the School of Hotel and Tourism Studies at Hong Kong PolyU points out that hotel school students already have a crowded curriculum “so issues that can be woven into ‘big picture’ modules are.” Ngan adds that the school is well aware of the importance of PR explaining, “It is handled in relation to marketing and strategic management at some levels and again is included in the ‘Communication Strategies’ module.”

Students at DCT will also find elements of PR contained in other modules.

“On the development of the individual, our English composition courses and public speaking course help students to develop some public relations skills,” Black says. “Our professional and personal development

Can hotel school training provide the background and skill set a hospitality industry PR needs? Mischa Moselle reports

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14 AHCTdecember 2010

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behalf before you can represent a business,” Black says.

Representing what?So, as we move into the second decade of the 21st century, with a veritable explosion in media options and the ever-growing social media platforms, what, and how exactly is a PR professional going to represent about their brand or property?

Any business has to have a core philosophy that can be turned into a narrative to spread in the media. Masters students at Hong Kong’s PolyU can explore these ideas as part of a consultancy project module or a research project. Says Ngan the institute recognises that, “branding is important for creating an image and a narrative, hospitality tourism and technology and innovation includes conveying messages and managing social media.”

From the DCT’s perspective “we stress in our management courses that human resources, marketing, hotel and F&B concepts always find their origin in the

business’ mission and philosophy. We stress that these department managers do this in support of the overall mission of the business and that as such the way that messages are communicated as well as the meaning of the message itself reflects on the operation.”

While much of an upmarket hotel PR’s role may not get much weightier than letting the world know ‘what chef is doing with chocolate this season’ or what the latest room promotion is, there will always be the odd nightmare to deal with. Examples that spring to this writer’s mind include journalists confusing the name of a shopping mall with that of the neighbouring hotel and writing the hotel’s restaurants caused food

poisoning; criminals smashing a car into the hotel lobby or a pop star committing suicide by jumping from a hotel room balcony. Students at the DTC are given case studies to examine and discuss, they hear lectures from guest speakers and learn from practical work experience; while those at PolyU are taught to formulate response strategies and execute them efficiently.

But what skill set do the managers of today expect prospective hospitality industry PRs to emerge with from their education and internships?

For Ngan it’s all about communication, language and presentation. While Black says the hotel PR should be proficient in communication skills, diplomacy and analytical skills. “A student must be clear in what they want to communicate; have the soft skills to deal with individuals, present themselves in a professional manner, and must be able to think and respond quickly knowing what impact responses will have.

as well as the service practical courses allow students to identify their own personal strengths and give them opportunities to practice and develop these strengths. Research and international relations are courses in the master’s programme that help students to formulate narratives for a hotel and to convey it to the audience in clear and polished manner,” explains Black, adding that working in PR requires the individual to be able to think on their feet and react quickly and confidently in a sometimes stressful situation. Any course that develops the individual is likely to be useful in developing those skills.

“Most people will think of enhancing or maintaining a company’s image and reputation when they hear the term ‘Public Relations’. For us, this business perspective is part of public relations, but it does not just start with the hotel or the restaurant, the business as such. For us, it starts with the individual. As an individual you need to know how to communicate for yourself, how you present yourself; basically, how you practice public relations on your own

Research and international relations are courses in the master’s

programme that help students to formulate narratives for a hotel

and to convey it to the audience in clear and polished manner

Managersofthefuture BirgitBlack,AcademicDeanatDCTUniversityCenterSwitzerland

M a n a g E M E n t


there is a growing demand for highly motivated, well-educated, experienced managers in the

rapidly growing hospitality and tourism industry. now is the time to prepare for an exciting career at the world-renowned University of Nevada Las Vegas (unlV). our Singapore and Macao programs offer you the opportunity to learn under the guidance of recognised hospitality industry leaders in a modern and high-tech environment, while earning an internationally-accredited university graduate degree.

unlV’s master of Hospitality Administration (mHA) programs in singapore and macao offer a comprehensive education degree

designed with the working hospitality industry professional in mind. you will explore the many facets of the hospitality industry through core and elective courses and learn from leading experts in the field, as well as from the experiences of other students from around the world. unlV provides candidates the unique opportunity to network with regionally-based industry executives while analysing the industry’s best practices and pragmatic research methodologies.

unlV’s singapore and macao programs utilize a blend of distance learning and on-site intensive one-week seminar classroom learning. this 15-month graduate degree program is conducted over five 3-month modules.

each module consists of two courses and requires candidates to attend an intensive one-week seminar. Four seminar weeks are held in singapore or macao, and one seminar week will be held at unlV’s campus in las Vegas. this allows candidates to travel to Las Vegas and to conduct real-time industry research or operational projects.

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Over the years the hospitality industry has learnt many things, but surely one of the most

important has been that nothing can replace the practical situation for students to really learn ‘how’.

Students at the Hotel Management School in Maastricht, which is part of Zuyd University and offers bachelor degrees and two masters degrees – are taking courses which centre around the profiles and

Historic chateau opens

as teaching hotel

Photography courtesy of desso carpets

skills needed to be a hospitality manager. Innovation, cross-cultural developments and personal development are key components of the courses and the students must have one of the best campuses of anyone, anywhere.

Chateau Bethlehem is an historic 13th century castle in The Netherlands and after a lavish two-year renovation programme, has reopened as a unique 26-bedroom hotel, with bar, restaurant and meeting facilities which have been designed by some of the country leading interior designers, and which is managed almost entirely by students from the hotel management school.

Listed in 1288 as ‘Castle Limmale’ and situated in the southeast of the country, The Maastricht Hotel Management School bought the chateau in 1953 and used it as student dormitories. Haylofts became bars, butter cellars wine tasting rooms, and

the pigsty a kitchen. In 1980 as the school expanded the buildings were used as staff offices but another growth spurt necessitated more administration offices, and a re-think for the use of Chateau Bethlehem.

As university literature dictates, an integral part of the curriculum exposes students in operational modules to training environments both “experimental and future-oriented”, so the leap to using the chateau as a place where academic knowledge could be put to practical use was not a difficult one to take.

RenovationThe complex’s refurbishment demonstrates how historic buildings of national impor tance can be brought back into productive life – and how unique interior spaces may be used as learning environments to create new ideas in the

hospitality sector that will find resonance throughout the world.

Chateau Bethlehem – the present-day name remains a mystery – offers an innovative perspective of how the hospitality industry can integrate academic and practical management training to cater for the evolving needs of the worldwide hotel industry.

Carpets The 1100 students currently hail from The Netherlands, Britain, Turkey, China, South America, Canada and Germany, which in itself underscores the international nature of the hospitality industry.

Reflecting today’s hotel and restaurant reality, the concept of collaborative research and design is part of the philosophy of the hotel management school, which maintains networks of contacts in the industry, including suppliers such as carpet manufacturer Desso. Alexander Collot d’Escury, company CCO and member of the Teaching Hotel’s Advisory Board notes, “The concepts and philosophy behind Chateau Bethlehem, bringing together leading designers, quality suppliers and students from around the world, is at the cutting edge of hotel management thinking and practice. It is a truly collaborative concept that recognises modern management practice is about bringing people together to create new ideas. As the students return home, the inspiration they take back with them makes this a truly international initiative.”

Last August 23rd was a dark day for Philippine tourism. A busload of tourists from Hong Kong was taken hostage in Manila, in an hours-long, globally-televised standoff. The failure of negotiations between the Manila police and

the hostage-taker, a former city police officer, ended in the shooting and killing of eight tourists.

There have been incidents since, but the August massacre once again focused the world’s attention on violence in the Philippines, a country which relies on tourism as the largest revenue earner after agriculture and money sent home from Filipinos working abroad. Sporadic violence, politically motivated killings – seen throughout the most recent elections in May – the displacement of hundreds of thousands of citizens because of armed conflict and insurgency, kidnappings, the murder of tourists, including the beheading of an American in 2001, as well as fatal bus crashes, disaffected soldiers laying siege to hotels, road rage shootings, and gang violence make ‘selling’ the Philippines as a safe destination a very difficult task.

Following the killings of the Hong Kong tourists on the night of August 23rd, the Hong Kong government issued a black travel alert

committee was formed by the new government of President Benigno Aquino, Jr., who was barely two months into his six-year term when the hostage-taking happened, to recommend government actions. Officials from the Ombudsman were invited to an investigation hearing. In October, President Aquino, who won last May on a campaign promise to fight corruption, ordered “appropriate charges” be filed against four Manila police officers.

What to doThe private sector, especially tour operators, took the brunt of the fallout. Lourdes Amansec of Direction Travel, the local tour operator that facilitated the victims’ trip refused to talk to AHCT, saying only that, “Everybody knows it’s been zero arrival since the hostage-taking.” But as both countries try to pick up the pieces, the Philippines, especially, keeps an optimistic view of mending relations. “We have maintained open lines of communication with our local counterparts in Hong Kong, feeling the sentiments of the authorities and its nationals. When the atmosphere and conditions are right, the government, together with the private sector, has a ready marketing campaign in place to recover this market,” Cesar Cruz, President of The Philippine Tour Operators Association (PTOA), explains.

Secretary Lim adds, “In the meantime, we are implementing measures that will address the safety and security concerns brought about by the incident. More tourist police will be deployed in high-density tourist areas throughout the country. We are also working with the Department of Justice and the Supreme Court to see if we can have 24-hour tourist courts. We have recently formed a Crisis Management Committee which will ensure that the Department of Tourism is able to respond faster to any crisis situation involving tourists.”

Corporate accountsMore police presence is an idea some hotel executives agree with. Anxious about reduced business following the hostage-taking they seem to be more hopeful that the new government will deliver on its promises and build on gains the previous administration achieved. Michelle Garcia, Marketing Communications Manager of Marriott Hotel Manila, which is in its first year of operation, also included strengthening regulation against over-charging taxi drivers, adding city governments must “send all the dilapidated taxis to the junk yard and require taxis be no more than 10-years old, checked annually, and their drivers certified both for knowledge of the city and for regulation against improper charging.”

Marriot Manila Hotel presently has a 68 percent occupancy rate, according to Garcia. It stands next to the casino Resort World Manila, and New Port Mall, forming an entertainment complex in Pasay City opposite the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal. Like most hotels in Metro Manila, its overseas clients come mainly from the United States and Asia.

In Makati, hotels that generally rely on corporate clients quickly overcame fears of a long-term dent in business following the August incident. Also, hotels, resorts – particularly in popular destinations that the government worked hard to sell abroad such as Cebu, Bohol and Boracay – and the Tourism Department are positive that other countries will makeup for the loss from the fallout with Hong Kong.

“As a corporate business hotel, most of our guests are business travellers with specific business travel needs,” Farid Schoucair, General Manager of New World Makati City, Manila Hotel, told AHCT. “Those that were significantly affected are hotels and resorts

The goveRnmenT has ambiTious Plans To boosT TouRism as hoTelieRs uRge gReaTeR TouRisT safeTy, CarMela Cruz RePoRTs

Philippines fights poor image

that cater mostly to leisure travellers.” The hotel has corporate accounts mainly the United States, Singapore and Hong Kong; it had some cancellations after the hostage-taking, but also had confirmed local bookings in place. Its occupancy rate from 2009-2010 has been about 73 percent, lower than its 2008’s 80 percent rate mainly because of the appreciation of the Philippine peso against the United States dollar, Schoucair said. The hotel, which will undergo renovation in 2011, expects a two to three percent growth in the coming months.

Underscoring this: “We are sticking to our target of 3.3 million visitors for 2010,” Secretary Lim asserts. “As of July 2010, visitor

against the Philippines. The alert is still in effect as we go to print.These eight innocent tourists became the world’s window

into yet another corruption case in the country. And so again, the Philippine hotel and tourism industry is faced with fresh public relations challenges, and the Department of Tourism is working and hoping to undo the image of a chaotic and unsafe country, wanting to attract attention instead to what concrete steps it plans to take in the next few years to lure, not only tourists but also investors.

“That was a very tragic incident and we regret the loss of lives,” Alberto Lim, Secretary of the Department of Tourism, told AHCT. “There were cancellations immediately after the hostage-taking incident, which is understandable. The Philippines is still blacklisted by the Hong Kong government and tour operators are still not able to sell packages to the Philippines.”

What followed was a volley of accusations of incompetence and recriminations on the part of the police and local government in their handling of such a crisis situation, and of less than circumspect coverage by the media, some of whose TV executives were later called to the Philippine Senate inquiry into the incident. An investigative

MarriottManilacurrentlyhas68percentoccupancy

AnexecutivesuiteattheMarriottManilahotel

Photo AfP/Jay directo

Amanpulo–thePhilippines’desiredbranding

M a r k E t r E p o r t




arrivals to the country have reached 2.039 million, a 14 percent increase over last year’s figure. Barring any unforeseen incidents, we are confident we will reach the six million visitors by 2016.”

ArrivalsOfficial country-wide figures for the first five months of 2010 list Singaporeans and Malaysians among top visitors to the Philippines from Southeast Asia; South Koreans and Japanese from East Asia; Indians from South Asia; Australians, British, Germans, Saudis and Americans from the Asia Pacific, European and North American regions. The occupancy rate of four- and five-star hotels from January to June was 71.48 percent, an increase of 8.35 percent from the same period last year. And visitors from Hong Kong during the first six months of the year totalled 71,867, higher than the combined numbers of visitors from the nine other ASEAN member countries except Malaysia: 36,768 visitors, and Singapore: 58, 260 visitors.

“We are hoping that the new government focuses its attention not only on promoting regional destinations, either as a tourist destination or to potential investors,” Schoucair says, “but also on improving the image of the country in terms of its safety and security, and infrastructure such as airports, ports, and railways.”

Perhaps one bright spot in this jumble of uncertainty and hope is an island resort that has so far lived up to its promise. Amanresort’s Amanpulo property is on Pamalican in the southwest Philippines – one among the archipelago’s over 7,000 islands. It’s not an island associated with military coup attempts, pirate attacks or hostage-taking, but rather of idyllic exclusivity, expensive getaways, Hollywood stars and European royalty.

“Security has always been a top priority to us with high-profile guests being regular visitors to the island,” Francesca von Etzdorf, Media Manager of the Amanresorts group, says. “What happened

in Manila last August was tragic, but we maintain personal relationships with our guests and they understand that this was an isolated incident, and are given the assurance that they are safe with us on the island.”

Targeting touristsAccording to Secretary Lim, “The Department of Tourism’s (DOT) development approach will be directed towards reaching six million tourist arrivals, US$4.6 billion in tourism earnings and creating three million new jobs by the end of President Aquino’s term.

“We will be able to realise these goals by working on policy reform, the tourism plan, people, and promotions. President Aquino has recently approved a policy of fully implementing a liberal civil aviation policy. We are now certain that we will be able to reach the target of doubling tourist arrivals by 2016.”

On top of making the country “more accessible” by air, Secretary Lim says the DOT is coordinating with departments of Transportation and Communication, Public Works and Highway and Energy to meet its target tourist arrivals, going on to point out the DOT would not abandon priority places, like Cebu and Boracay, which the previous administration favoured, but would put a different spin on its marketing and development approach, underscoring the country’s culture and history.

But Secretary Lim, who came to office after President Aquino was sworn in, is also facing criticisms over the slower than expected implementation of the widely-lauded Tourism Act of 2009. The Act makes it a “national policy for tourism as an engine of investment, employment, growth and national development.” It also calls for the reorganisation of the Tourism Department and its attached

agencies, like the Duty Free Philippines. However, President Aquino issued an executive order that scraps appointments of private sector representatives to the attached agencies made during the previous administration, leaving them without “functioning board,” said PTOA’s Cruz, adding the new secretary was deciding over matters on a “day-to-day basis”.

Secretary Lim called the delay a “fine-tuning” of implementing rules and regulations, which would be completed by 2012. Meanwhile, he touted the DOT’s new vision for the country’s tourism, including sites in Manila, as groundbreaking: “We will work on diversifying our tourism offerings. We will capitalise on building products based on our unique culture and history. Intramuros (Manila’s 16th Century walled fortress) is one product that is undergoing redevelopment. Within the next few years we will complete the rebuilding of San Ignacio Church for reuse as a museum and add more special events and activities in the evening.

“We will create a new brand for the Philippines, not just as a tourist destination, but to project a new image for the country. This new brand will be out soon and we are certain it will have a positive impact on the market.”

GuestroomattheNewWorldMakatiCity

KingsuiteguestroomMarriottManilaHotel

Those that were significantly affected are hotels and resorts that cater mostly to leisure travellers” Farid Schoucair



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increased efficiency compared with using several disparate systems. For example, “A Purchase Order is prepared. When the items

arrive, they are accepted in the Inventory Control System, which automatically relieves the Purchase Order, updates the General Ledger and updates Accounts Payable so the invoice can be paid. Choosing full integration allows the property, or collection of properties, to have automatic flow of information, saving time and improving accuracy.”

Stockdale also believes the cost of acquisition and ownership of a single vendor solution is cheaper than using several disconnected systems. Some properties, however, prefer to outsource financial needs. Murr explains the procedure she goes through with a new client: “I first talk to a client about their chart of accounts and help them design one if they do not already have one they like. Information is then gathered to set up their properties such as

mining data held in hotel systems can give a wealth

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company names, EIN’s, and banking information.” Murr adds that a daily report is created based on PMS

information and financial statements based on the Uniform System of Accounts for the Lodging Industry (USALI). “Being able to easily look at revenue and expenses per available room or per occupied room is an extremely useful tool in evaluating a property,” Murr says.

Murr works exclusively with hotel specific accounting software M3 Accknowledge, which integrates with all PMS systems to give end-users “valuable mining tools” that allow for in-depth financial analysis.

“The most unusual setup I have done was for a hotel where each room is owned by a different entity,” Murr notes. “The rooms are sometimes in the rental pool and sometimes not. The normal financial statements are required and in addition to that a room-by-room owners report is also required.”

Before the use of M3 software the reports were being done in an Excel spreadsheet for each and every room, each and every month Murr recalls. “Now it is a simple report run at the touch of a few keys.”

Up-to-the-minute InfoIn the traditional financial set-up for hotels and resorts, a back office system was employed to record the revenues, expenses, staff

costs, over the course of a month. Hoteliers could then expect to see a final picture somewhere between five and 10 days into the following month.

But as Stockdale points out, “In today’s economic situation, it is not good enough to wait that long for a progress report where so much time has passed that there is no opportunity to fix the wrongs.”

DPHS’ DPAnalytics product has seen a recent surge in interest, particularly in light of the ongoing financial recession where hoteliers needs to see detailed information on a timely basis.

The company’s DPHS product can consolidate information from various other hotel systems, such as revenue from the PMS, labour from the Timekeeping system, cost of goods reporting from Inventory and POS systems. The software then outputs graphical representations, represented visually like an odometer with information such as how many minutes per occupied room was spend on housekeepers compared to budget, or compared to the previous year.

Stockdale says “If you visualise that your team is going on a trip, the controller used to sit in the back-seat tabulating the gas mileage. Now, the controller needs to be right up front with the general manager monitoring the navigation system and using the windshield wipers to provide a clear picture of where the organisation is going.”

Hotels using such software are then able to distribute the information automatically and electronically to staff through email, PDAs or cell phones allowing immediate corrective action to be taken.

HAS specialises in outsourced hotel accounting services, a trend that is gaining impetus as a result of the recent global financial meltdown.

So what differences exist in the way the data in analysed? Whereas a traditional non-hospitality back office would use a sales module and accounts receivable, these functions are satisfied in the hospitality industry by the PMS. Thus, a hotelier would need to extract the required information from the PMS through an interface that is able to obtain all relevant data for revenues, adjustments, payments, etc., together with guest ledgers such as advanced deposit ledger, city ledger and registered guest ledger.

There is a wealth of statistical information held in the PMS system, such as how many rooms were out of order, how many were occupied for each market segment, and so on, but this is not always accessible as an output file, however, when it can be extracted it makes for detailed analysis reporting.

“In the absence of an interface, some operators wait until the end of the month and post a manual journal entry for the whole month all at once. By automating this process and bringing in the information daily, you can now have comparative analysis of a particular date, for instance last Thanksgiving versus this Thanksgiving or Tuesday to Tuesday comparisons,” Data Plus Hospitality Solution’s (DPHS) Karen Stockdale explains.

DPHS provides a range of comprehensive, fully integrated financial solutions for the hospitality industry. These include a Finance Plus Suite, a Human Resources Suite and a Procurement Suite. Interfaces are also available for over 100 different hospitality industry sub-systems.

Getting startedStockdale says choosing a back office vendor with adequate options to handle all aspects of a property’s financial needs can result in

The accounting needs of a hotel are, not surprisingly, a specialised industry with dedicated software programmes (and an alphabet soup of acronyms) that need to integrate with the large number of different systems that

a property runs: PMS; POS; RMS (Recreation Management); IC (Inventory Control); WO (Work Order); PR (Payroll).

Although Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) are more or less the same from one industry to another, as Fran Murr, CPA, CHAE, Hotel Accounting Solutions (HAS), pointed out, there are differences in the way the data is analysed.

“Being able to easily look at revenue and … is an extremely useful tool” Fran Murr

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The opening of the new China World Summit Wing hotel – right in the heart of Beijing’s business district –

has given residents and visitors an entirely new perspective on China’s capital city.

At 330 metres above street level, the hotel’s main wining and dining outlets, featuring interior design by New York-based hotshot Adam Tihany, have 360-degree views of the entire city which, on a clear day, allow 80th-floor lounge visitors the chance to see virtually all the big-ticket items, including the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, the Bird’s Nest stadium where the Olympics were held and, right next door, the oddly-shaped CCTV tower described by locals as looking like a pair of trouser legs.

It is the most magnificent city vista in the entire country – and the property has quickly become a must-visit Beijing destination in its own right. The hotel has priced drinks deliberately low for such a prime 5-star property – a glass of local beer, or wine, in the 80th floor eyrie is a

reasonable US$5 – ensuring a steady stream of visitors all day long.

Custom is split roughly half and half between foreign visitors and locals. The increasingly-sophisticated and worldly citizens of the People’s Republic of China also account for up to 50 percent of rooms booked in the 278-room hotel, which is located on floors 64 to 77 of the China World Tower.

Ingredients of a destinationAccording to the hotel, average occupancy since the August opening has been a healthy 70 percent, with an average room rate of US$325. The China World Summit Wing has entered a crowded market – among its 5-star rivals is the Park Hyatt, located just across the street – but business is booming in China, as entrepreneurs and trade delegations go in search of deals in the world’s fastest-growing economy.

The opening of the China World Summit Wing means Shangri-La Hotels

and Resorts now has almost 2,000 rooms in that immediate area. The China World hotel, which recently celebrated its 20th anniversary, is the flagship property, with the Kerry Centre hotel and Trader’s hotel also in the same zone, all of them linked by underpasses and pedestrian bridges.

“If you consider how many hotels have opened in the past year, the market is really growing, it is a very healthy market right now,” says Resident Manager Bernhard Wimmer. “The hotel is an icon of Beijing, so we are targeting it as a destination in itself, not just a hotel. For a hotelier, if you open a hotel and, from the first day, you have guests coming to visit, there is nothing better; we have two days reservation leads for our restaurant, and this is a city where people generally don’t book ahead.

“We have the highest bar and lounge in Beijing, focussing on a lot of atmosphere, with candles and quality food and drink and music. It is like a good dish, there are many ingredients in a good dish, if you take one away it doesn’t taste as good any more.

“Part of our opening concept was to provide good, value for money. We want to provide our guests with an opportunity and venue to feel good to provide comfort. The Adam Tihany design is the real standout feature; he has a very special style. My personal favourite is the lighting design, it is really outstanding. In the lounge and the bar in the evening the lights in the ceiling look like stars – that was part of his concept of heaven and earth.

“Our guest rooms are not that highly-contemporary black and white, or pink and yellow, that you can see in modern hotels,

The latest Beijing property aims

to offer classic comforts in a

contemporary style, writes

Mark Graham

Shangri-La stretches to new heights “The hotel is an

icon of Beijing” Bernhard Wimmer

Shangri-LaHotelsandResortsnowhassome2,000roomsin

Beijing’sCBD

ArchitecturalhotshotAdamTihanywasresponsiblefor

thehotel’sinteriorlook

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high Art of Life mural painted by local Chinese artist Huang Guoqiang. The lobby also has four 500-kg chandeliers made of hand-blown glass, with one entire glass wall devoted to the Yellow Earth ‘tiger eye’ installation, which was inspired by the deserts of northern China and has 550,000 precious tiger-eye stones imported from South Africa and cut in China.

Visitors leaving the 80th floor lift to enter the hotel’s main wining and dining area encounter a massive tree sculpture, Welcoming Pine, created by Hong Kong-based Antony Davy. The work was inspired by the Huang Shan mountains and features 275 egg-shaped cones in nine different sizes.

This level contains a lounge, bar and nightclub, with the signature restaurant,

Grill 79, under the supervision of Chef de Cuisine Jean-Paul Lourdes, offering dining in the main area, or in private rooms. On this floor, which is reached by going down one flight of stairs, or taking the glass-bubble lift, designer Tihany has used rosewood walls and furniture upholstered in warm shades of brown and red in rich leather and velvet to create a clubby feel. Lower-level floors will have a branch of the renowned Hong Kong restaurant Fook Lam Moon, a Japanese restaurant, Nadaman, and Songkran, featuring Thai cuisine.

The restaurants are assured of patronage

from people working in the surrounding Central Business District, an area which is likely to see further massive expansion in the near future. Authorities have already earmarked a nearby site for a still-higher tower, but for now the China World Summit Wing is the undisputed king of high rise hotels.

Adds Wimmer: “Beijing is a pumping city with a variety of restaurants and bars opening almost every day, you almost can’t keep up. The cultural opportunities are enormous. The Olympics Games of two years ago means more and more people would consider visiting the city which they would probably not have done before. I think the leisure business will grow in the months to come .”

it is important to provide comfort so when you are feeling comfortable that means you feel good and when you feel good you will come back.”

Art of livingStandard rooms, at 65 square metres, are the largest in the city. Rooms facing west have a view all the way across Beijing towards the Forbidden City, the world’s largest palace, and Tiananmen Square, the world’s largest public square.

Inside the hotel, art is prominently featured, starting in the ground-floor entrance area, which has the seven-metre-

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Hotels and restaurants around the region are extending traditional seasonal hospitality to their guests.

In Australia, chefs at Four Seasons Hotel Sydney’s Kable’s have prepared a “smorgasbord of sumptuous” traditional festive fare including a five-course Christmas lunch or dinner and a New Year count down three or six-course offering. Children between 6 and 12 years old dine for half price.

Queensland, Australia’s HyattRegencySanctuaryCove resort is offering a selection of dining options for Christmas Eve, Christmas lunch and dinner with beer, wine and soft drinks inclusive, roving entertainment, and Santa’s workshop to keep the young ones occupied.

In China’s ‘Venice of the East’, Suzhou’s new boutique hotel, Hotel Soul is celebrating its first festive season with sumptuous buffets at its signature French restaurant Brasserie101. Gifts from Santa and lucky draws are all part of the fun.

Shanghai’s mesa restaurant will be offering guests Christmas with a Swedish twist. The Christmas dinner buffet will be stocked with traditional favourites.

InterContinentalGrandStanfordHongKong will be “filled with merriment and joy” this holiday season as its culinary team prepares a host of international treats from first-class seafood and Italian fare to Christmas inspired Chinese dim sum and wine pairing degustation dinners. There will be roving live entertainment throughout the holiday period and the hotel Christmas Mistral chocolate cake will be available in its signature hand-crafted wooden box. Seasonal hampers are for sale, and 2011 may be welcomed in style at the rocking New Year’s Eve party. Holiday room packages are also available.

Hong Kong restaurant 208DuecentoOtto’s festive season of feasting and partying is in New

York-style Italian tradition as Chef Vinny Lauria’s menus interpret rustic Italian cuisine to accompany barman Chris Boersma’s “naughty festive cocktail” the Santa Rosso, a Tawny port, raspberry syrup, egg white, fresh lemon, Angostura bitters and soda concoction.

To celebrate the holiday season, The Pawn, The Press Room, SML and Classified, all part of the PressRoomGroup, will offer a range of menus to ring in the Christmas cheer and warmly welcome 2011.

Conceived by dragon-i founder Gilbert Yeung, Hong Kong robatayaki restaurant busysuzie - which is said to have the city’s most extensive sake range – is adding celebratory sparkle Japanese style with specially-created Christmas and New Year set dinner menus as well as a festive brunch.

Yuletide festivities at MandarinOriental, Singapore include the Festive Extravagance room package until the end of the month featuring two-night accommodation in a Harbour Suite room, cable car ride and dining at hilltop situated The Jewel Box. Also in Singapore, OrchardHotel joins in the revelry with a feast of lavish spreads in all F&B outlets to celebrate Christmas and welcome in the New Year, including a 2011 countdown party at Intermezzo Bar.

A recent conference in Shanghai explored food safety issues

The Foundation for Food Safety Certification (FFSC) is a non-profit global scheme run by stakeholders from every aspect of the food industry including: Kraft, Danone, Nestlé and McDonalds, which has established the FSSC 22000, PAS 220, ISO 22000 and owns the HACCP food safety systems certification schemes.

The FFSC was set up primarily to help the industry ensure the highest quality product from farm to fork. Spokesperson Cor Groenveld says, “Food has never been as safe as it is today and yet there are daily recalls and issues so it was clear something needed to be done.” Nowadays, the global food chain is a complex affair, and difficult to control so investing in food safety insurance is vital to game players. “People want all kinds of foods all year long now,” Groenveld observers. “When I was growing up strawberries were a summer-only fruit but now consumers expect to eat strawberries year-round. Demand like this puts enormous pressure on producers and distributors, as well as prices, that is why it’s important for food companies to have quantifiable safety management systems in place.”

Agreeing the aforementioned food scares have an impact on public perception and faith in the food industry, Groenveld says, “Every time there is an issue many people are involved, there’s press coverage within minutes sometimes and a negative impact. Up to now, those involved would be able to confirm their own production process but not every one else’s. With this latest certification scheme all parts of the pizza may be accounted for. Things can never be 100 percent sure but we needed a supply chain assurance and this certification scheme means risk reduction.”

Available to product and ingredient manufacturers only at the moment, future plans include extending modules to all parts of the chain such as animal feed, restaurants and packaging. Certification is done over two stages as independent auditors visit the company site to see the documented system and if it meets standards and what Groenveld terms a “robust hazard plan and hazard analysis”, six to eight weeks later the auditor visits where the process is implemented that is, the production plant. If “no major non-

conformities” are present the company will receive certification, which lasts three years based on stringent annual reviews.

“Other certification schemes have good elements but there are differences in all of them. This one looks at the content of the hazard plan with in-depth auditing. We have more time to look into the system using international industrial standards. Importantly, we’re not under the jurisdiction of any one segment stakeholder.”

Groenveld recently presented the certification scheme at a conference in Shanghai and was very pleased with the positive reception. “Asia is a very important region,” he says. “More and more large global companies are starting business in Asia using raw materials from a region with different country controls so it’s critical to have a set of independent international rules to work from. We’re also seeing a lot more Asian products for export so again it’s important to control the system to ensure safety.” Groenveld says one of the best things about working in the region is people’s willingness to learn. “People here want to make the system better. Our auditors are independent – they are not consultants but of course a good audit report will provide enough learning points to take on board. And we do offer separate training services.”

Making specific reference to the hospitality industry, Groenveld points to the European Modern Restaurant Association’s plan to use the model for their own purposes. “Hotels and restaurants are at the end of the supply chain,” Groenveld notes. “So it’s critical for them to know what they are putting on guests’ plates is safe.”

Logistics of food safety

Certificationmaybeextendedtocoveranimalfeedandpackaging

More Christmas cheer

yuleknowit’sChristmasattheHyatt

SanctuaryCove

Christmascocktailfrom208

DuocentoOtto

Kable’sattheFourSeasonsinSydney–respectingtradition

FrenchcakeCroqueEmBouchefromCaféonMattheInterContinentalGrandStanford

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WorkingtheBérerdvineyards



Bérerd’s Madone series of wines include a wine from 2010, a white from 2005, a Villages aged in oak barrels and a 2005 named Jean-Baptiste after his characterful grandfather and are distributed by Cottage Vineyards.

Castilla-La Mancha is one of the world’s biggest wine-producing regions but is little known outside of Spain.

A branding campaign bringing the wines together under the banner of “Wines from Don Quixote’s Spain” has just been launched in an attempt to allow the history and glamour of Spain’s most famous literary export to rub off on its wines.

The region has also been investing in new wine making technology and techniques in an attempt to improve the quality of its wines, produced mainly from Bobal, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Merlot, Monastrell, Petit Verdot, Syrah, Tempranillo, Cencibel and Jacivera grapes. In fact the region of 2,000 million hectares is home to 46 grape varieties and produces wines as varied as La Vega de Adaras, which is rich in berries and pomegranate red and Sed de Mal, an unusual red ice wine.

Portuguese wine makers have also been in the region, promoting the wines of the Duoro Valley. Palatium Fine Wines in Macau highlighted the wines’ strong points with a dinner matching them with Portuguese classics.

Standouts included the Reserva do Comendador Tinto and Monte Maior Branco from winery Adega Mayor. Duoro Family Estates showcased their Classic White Wine from 2008 and Signature red from 2007. One notable feature of the wines was the contemporary design of the bottles and labels, somewhat of a recent innovation for Portuguese winemakers.

Food matching

frenzyThe recent fairs Wine & Gourmet Asia and International Wine & Spirits Fair saw a flurry of activity as winemakers and distillers flocked to the region to boost their wares.

As wine commentators have frequently noted, Asians like to drink while they eat and a successful product will be one that can match the local cuisine. Some matches such as grappa and Cantonese cuisine seem less likely to work than others.

Cognac was probably the first western drink to gain popularity in China and Cyril Camus of the Camus house was recently in the region to promote a new expression – Cuvée 4.176. The cognac is so named because it brings together four eaux-de-vie from the region of Petite Champagne that have a combined age of 176 years. Only 980 decanters are available around the world.

The spirit as presented to journalists at a lunch matching the drink with the highly-rated Cantonese cooking at Island Tang. One course even involved ‘boosting’ a soup by adding a little dash of a Camus cognac to it.

Winemaker Bruno Bérerd came to promote the wines of Beaujolais, especially the much-maligned Beaujolais Nouveau. Over the course of Cantonese meal at Sportful Garden restaurant, Bérerd told AHCT that the winemakers of Beaujolais were now concentrating on quality and not quantity. At his family-run winery, where his sprightly 81-year-old father still works part time with the three Bérerd sons, the vineyards are planted with 97 percent Gamay, two percent Chardonnay and less than one percent Pinot Noir. The remainder is for Aligote and that and the Chardonnay are used for making Crémant de Bourgogne and Beaujolais white. The main draw are the complex reds with their blackcurrant, redcurrant and powerful cherry aromas and concentrated flavours.

Bérerd attributes the quality and complexity of the wine to the granite soils and a winemaking method that relies on frequent tasting throughout the production process. He also points out that the region borders both Burgundy and the Charolais district – the wines can be a good match for beef, poultry and pork dishes.

Camus’rareCuvée4.176

WinemakersfromCastilla-LaMancha

Michelin TokyoThe fourth Michelin guide to Japan has been announced with 266 restaurants being starred in the 17 wards of Tokyo, Yokohama and Kamakura.

The 14 three-starred restaurants were all in Tokyo, while 52 of the 54 two-starred restaurants were in the capital, the remaining two being in Yokohama. The majority of the 198 one-starred restaurants were also in the capital city, with 14 of them in Yokohama and 10 in Kamakura.

According to the publishers, 73 percent of restaurants represented Japanese styles of cuisine, while the remainder were French, Chinese, Fusion, Italian, Spanish, Steakhouse and European.

Truffle auctionWhat else could US$232,000 smell like but the powerful, heady, garlicky, musty aroma of white truffles.

That was the almost overwhelming impression at a press conference to view six pieces of the fungus weighing from 224-900 grams.

Hong Kong residents outbid the rest of the world to take the top specimens at the 12th World White truffle of Alba Auction at the 8 1/2 Otto e Mezzo restaurant of famed chef and international white truffle ambassador Umberto Bombana.

Breaking records was the US$140,647 bid by Jeannie Cho Lee MW for the largest fungus, unusual in having a root extending all the way through it.

The white diamond (so-called because of its rarity and hardness) was to be eaten at a dinner for 24 prepared by Chef Umberto and with wines themed around Barolo and Burgundy. Proceeds went to the Mother’s Choice charity.

Quek hits Macau Justin Quek, a Singaporean master of French cuisine was in Macau to promote his new restaurant Sky on 57 at Marina Bay Sands and to create a menu centered on white truffles.

The restaurant is scheduled to open this month and will seat 150 inside and 80 on the terrace, although the latter space could accommodate 150-200 standing.

The cuisine will be French “with global influences” says Quek, with an emphasis on using only the best ingredients and releasing their natural flavours, be it white truffle or a tomato dressed with sea salt and olive oil.

The restaurant will be open for breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner and supper.

Pig out!JW Marriott Hong Kong’s new Chef De Cuisine is a big fan of pork, so much a fan of the meat that he not only uses the entire animal but it ends up in every course of the meal.

The Spaniard Jordi Villegas Serra has previously worked in the Michelin-starred Abac in Barcelona and Grand Vefour in Paris before coming to Beijing and now Hong Kong.

Chef will be adding pork to pretty much every dish or course at JW’s California restaurant – from the home made bacon-infused vodka in the Bloody Mary through 36-month aged J5 Iberico ham or confit pork belly with hand-dived scallops to crispy suckling pig confited for 12 hours. Although Executive Pastry Chef Jason Licker has invented a chocolate bombe dessert featuring popcorn and bacon bits, the property feels it might be a pig out too far for the general public.

QUICK BITES

At first Scotch whisky and Champagne wouldn’t seem to have much in common, but consider: both hail from some of the coldest regions of Scotland and France, indeed Champagne is the coldest grape-growing region

in the world; the primary aim of both Champagne makers and whisky distillers is consistent flavour — year after year; and learning to be a master blender (whisky) or Chef de Caves (Champagne) is a lifetime’s vocation.

Some winemakers in Champagne are genuine characters. It takes an amount of individuality to voice the ambition of having your Champagne in every Michelin-starred restaurant in the (world/France), as Bruno Paillard has. Especially considering he’s a fairly new producer with just 25 years’ experience under his belt.

While whisky distillers aim for consistency primarily because that is what their customers expect, Champagne makers try to achieve consistent styles to even out the wide range in quality between different vintages — chiefly the result of weather changes. Vagaries of weather and eccentricities of different master blenders have combined to ensure Champagne houses do have different styles and those styles dictate to sommeliers and ordinary drinkers alike if the Champagne is appropriate for the moment.

Typically, Champagnes are classified ‘light’, ‘medium’ or ‘heavy’ and the Chef de Caves has a number of ways of influencing which way his Champagne goes.

As — famously — only three grape types are allowed, choice and proportion of which is key to the resulting style.

Champagnes blend Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay to different effect. The rare 100 percent Chardonnay Blanc-des-Blanc is typically an elegant, lighter wine. Wines from Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier tend to be fuller flavoured, with the latter grape giving fruity notes and more weight to the wine.

Nowadays steel tanks, which are neutral, temperature controlled and add little or nothing to final flavour, dominate the fermentation process. However, winemakers at houses such as Bollinger and Krug prefer the more traditional old oak barrels to add complexity and roundness.

More densely flavoured and toasty wines are those that have been in contact with yeast the longest. When the yeast is removed from the Champagne bottle it is replaced with the same amount of a blend of wines — in some houses as many as 50 — this affects the final flavour. Some blenders add a pinch of sugar to balance the tartness of the wine but the main impact of the dosage depends on the age of the wines used — younger wines produce lighter styles, older wines, heavier ones and much comes down to the blender’s skill in mixing wines from different years to produce a Champagne with a recognisable house style.

While the region is dominated by a few big, familiar brands, I think that some of the smaller houses are producing the most interesting blends. Smaller houses that come to mind include Champagne de Sousa and Champagne Devaux.

Champagnes that fall under the lighter category include Billiecart-Salmon, Jacquesson, Laurent-Perrier, G.H. Mumm, Piper-Heidsieck, Pommery, Perrier-Jouët, Ruinart and Taittinger.

These are ideal for receptions, as aperitifs and with gently flavoured foods.

Medium-bodied expressions of Champagne include the versatile Veuve Clicquot and XXXX. You should offer these to guests as XXXXXX XXXXXXX XXXX.

Heavier styles that can be served through a meal, including with main courses, include Bollinger, Gosset, Louis Roederer, Salon and Krug.

Just as whisky makers today are experimenting with food

Knowing which Champagne to offer

guests is a matter of understanding

house styles, says Debra Meiburg MW

Styled to fit

pairings, and say their tipple goes well with every occasion, it’s worth being open-minded about when to suggest Champagne for guests. A few years ago I attended a meal at the French ambassador’s residence in Washington DC at which Champagne was served after the main course. I had never thought of the wine as something to drink after heavy Bordeaux but it was refreshing and cleared the palate. Sweeter Champagnes also go very well with cheeses. They are good with the salty cheeses but even better with the sweet ones. I recommend a Veuve Clicquot demi-sec vintage.

If it’s a mistake to restrict drinking Champagne to certain courses, it’s equally a mistake to think of house styles as fixed. Over the years drinkers have demanded drier and drier wines, a fact seen in the terminology. Champagnes used to be predominantly doux or sweet before becoming sec or dry, or demi sec and then the bone dry brut. If the mythology is true brut wines were so-called because they were ‘brutal’ to drink! But that’s just a matter of style.

G.HMumm,alighterstyle

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By Mischa Moselle

C hampagne is not the only luxury to under go subtle changes over the years. Nowadays there is no need for chefs to waste a smidgen of the gastronomes delight, foie gras. Modern technology now means blocks of the

delicacy may be sized down into individual quick-frozen portions. Those individual portions mean chefs can exercise tighter portion control when times are tough.

It’s not just on the production side that change is happening though.

In Singapore Chef Lee Hui Ngai of Cassia restaurant is leading what he calls a renaissance of Chinese cuisine – his re-imagining of the kitchen includes a dish called Combination of pan-fried foie gras and roasted bacon rolls with black truffles.

In Hong Kong Japanese restaurant Roka marinates foie gras in plum wine and serves it on seaweed bread. Zenku is serving the fatty liver frozen with cold soba noodles with ponzu.

In Beijing chefs are incorporating foie gras into Chinese dumplings. The city’s Da Dong restaurant has just launched a new book on incorporating foie gras into Chinese cuisine.

It seems that as Asian consumers eat more dishes that use the iconic French delicacy, Asian chefs are moving to ‘own’ the product and adapt it to local sensibilities.

In doing so it has just taken another step in a convoluted history. Foie gras is said to have first been eaten in Egypt about 5,000 years ago and then brought to France by the Italians. “Now it is turning into an Asian ingredient,” says Guy de Saint Laurent, Commercial Export Director at Euralis Gastronomie, owners of the Rougié foie gras brand.

Offally versatile

PopularityMaking foie gras popular in Asia is due, Saint Laurent contends, to its “texture, taste, colour and having a nice shape on the plate.”

Although sales were affected by the economic crisis, chefs have cottoned on to the product in markets as varied as Japan, Thailand and Singapore. Saint Laurent believes that this is because IQF technology means that his company is offering products as good as if “the restaurant was behind the duck farm.”

In Asia luxury never goes out of style. The recently opened Gold in Hong Kong by ‘chef to the celebrities’ Harlan Goldstein will seat 60 diners in opulent surroundings. Ingredients on the menu include a 35oz steak, porcini mushrooms, truffles and Hokkaido scallops and, of course, foie gras – in this instance a slowly braised Wagyu beef cheek ravioli with foie gras and black truffle sauce.

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210x297_fBB_AP-Asian-Hotel.indd 1 15/11/10 13:49:20

Chefs in Asia are in the liberating position of being less tied to expectat ions of t radi t ional

Christmas fare than their western counterparts. Many guests have not been brought up celebrating Christmas and so have no culinary expectations, while western guests are more open to deviations from traditional fare as they are away from home. This is especially apparent when it comes to desserts; while many westerners might feel lost without turkey and its trimmings, fewer would feel deprived with a contemporary reworking of a heavy British-style Christmas pudding. Creative desserts are also more likely to suit guests who do not usually celebrate Christmas.

Some top hotels offering contemporary desserts this Christmas include the Landmark Mandarin Oriental Hotel Hong Kong, where Executive Chef Richard Ekkebus has whipped up a Jivara milk chocolate and hazelnut Christmas log with ‘esprit de Noël’ tea ice-cream as well as a Guanaja 80 percent chocolate soufflé with cassia cinnamon anglaise and salted caramel ice-cream. The Oberoi, Bangalore, meanwhile will offer a Valrhona chocolate mousse with candied orange peel and gingerbread crisp crafted by Pastry Chef Anurag Barthwal, and at Langham

Place Hotel Hong Kong, the traditional Christmas fruitcake with its candied fruits, nuts, and spices has been dipped in white and dark chocolate. The Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok will serve a ‘Velour’ of Tainori and morello cherry, while Café Gray Deluxe at the Upper House in Hong Kong will offer a blueberry-lemon Yule log.

Soulful surpriseKeeping the feel of Christmas while being a little playful is key for many chefs, and

so too for many diners. Paul McLoughlin, Executive Chef at Langham Place Hotel Hong Kong, says that guests at his hotel, which attracts a clientele that likes to experience something out of the ordinary, enjoy a surprise when it comes to Christmas desserts as long as the reinterpretation is not too radical.

“It’s all about keeping the ‘soul’ of the dessert intact,” says Chef Paul, who has also put eggnog crème brûlée and caramelised pears on nougat on the menu. “I love that

Contemporary Christmas desserts give chefs the opportunity to show their flair. Victoria Burrows samples asia’s offerings

Christmas CRACkERS

“In a place like Hong Kong, what is traditional?” Cameron Gardiner

Rocksalt’swhitepeachtarttoppedwithcinnamoncreamandChristmaspuddingicecream

EggnogcrèmebrûléebyExecutiveChefPaulMcLoughlin

Chestnut-tofuwithsakuraicecreammisocaramelatTokororestaurantLanghamPlaceMongKok

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most of our customers are fairly open- minded so, as long as my changes aren’t too extreme at Christmas time, our guests are very accepting of contemporary reworkings. It’s a fun time to be creative with some of our favourites, and I like to add some modern twists, whether it’s altering the ingredients slightly, the size, the presentation … at

Christmas it’s really about giving the guest something they’re familiar enough with that it makes them feel comfortable but different enough so that it surprises them, brings them a smile and stays in their memory.”

Diners at the hotel’s Japanese restaurant, Tokoro, will also be offered a sweet and very subtle taste of the soul of Christmas. On the menu is chestnut-tofu with sakura ice-cream and miso caramel, which hints at Christmas without being overt. While far fewer diners expect traditional Christmas experiences at a Japanese restaurant, this allows much more freedom to test the waters, says Chef Paul.

“Chestnut i s a lways in season at Christmas and as such I wanted to incorporate it into a dessert with a Japanese feel – hence the sakura (cherry blossom) ice-cream and miso caramel,” he says. “Japanese white miso is fermented soybean, which is salty, but also sweet at the same time, and tastes great as a caramel because the sweet and salty play off each other.”

While in previous years the hotel has offered special Christmas menus at Tokoro, this year the restaurant will stick to adding touches of Christmas here and there to just evoke the spirit of the festive season.

Traditional twistIndependent restaurants are also offering luxurious contemporary desserts this

Christmas, including British gastropub Alfie’s in Hong Kong, where Chef Neil Tomes has crafted a rich chocolate cake with a honeycomb centre and cherry brandy. Also on the festive menu at Alfie’s is the light, nutty, fruity, steamed Christmas pudding with butterscotch and brandy sauce, and an eggnog cheesecake.

Chef Neil says he has kept the spirit of Christmas while making the desserts more suited to today’s palates and the location in which they are being served. “I have a lighter version of a Christmas pudding, which I think is much too heavy and dense for most climates, especially Hong Kong. My version has a nutty, fruity little theme, spiced to lift the aroma to a festive state, but texturally it will not be the last nail in the coffin from a post-prandial perspective,” he says.

“The eggnog cheesecake is fun and flavoured of Christmas, what more can you ask? As long as you have the flavours being loyal to their origins and festive spirit you will have no problems with the adventurous locals and visitors to Hong Kong – it is what the city is built on!”

Trending in BangaloreChef Cameron Gardiner at Rocksalt in Hong Kong, where white peach tart topped with cinnamon cream and Christmas pudding ice-cream features on the Christmas

“This year we have customers asking for Yule log cake molds; this is a strong sign that Christmas is becoming popular. The countries we supply with Christmas-related products are mainly Singapore, Australia, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and India. The products they are after are quite traditional, such as dark chocolate 60 percent and hazelnut fillings.”

But even though the ingredients might be traditional, the final product may not be. Chocolate manufacturer Valrhona, which sells its products in its own shops and supplies hotels with chocolate and fine chocolate bonbons, this season has pralines coated in dark, ivoire or milk chocolate that contain milk gianduja and Breton pancake flakes, hazelnut praline 60 percent and wafer crumbs with five spice, fruits of the forest ganache with a hint of blackberry liqueur, and milk chocolate ganache flavoured with an infusion of bergamot tea.

Muriel Assai l ly, Head of Trade Marketing, Asia Pacific, at Valrhona, says that while artisans, hotels and restaurants each have their own special creations for Christmas, the overall trend is “definitely going into dark chocolate.”

“Guests who spend a somewhat tropical Christmas in Bangalore crave some authentic and traditional goodies” Pinky M Padmaraj

set menu, says it’s also a matter of defining what is traditional.

“Most nationalities have a different Christmas dessert – Italians have panettone, the British have their old style fruitcake, and so on. In a place like Hong Kong, what is traditional?” he asks. “With the white peach tart dessert, I tried to keep the feel of Christmas but offer something outside of the box that can be presented in an interesting way and thoroughly enjoyed.”

For venues with a high percentage of international guests, many executive chefs opt to offer traditional desserts alongside more contemporary sweets. As Chef Paul says: “For us, Christmas desserts are always in addition, so do not take away from our more contemporary desserts. I would say almost all our guests at our buffet restaurant The Place would expect some traditional desserts, especially given the international style of the restaurant … that said, some of our most popular desserts tend to be the new ones they haven’t seen before.”

So too at The Oberoi, Bangalore, in India, where Pinky M Padmaraj, Manager

of Communications, says that Christmas treats such as Yule logs, stöllens and mince pies are available at the hotel’s bakery while innovative desserts are on the menu at the restaurants.

“Bangalore is the IT capital of South Asia and home to a large populace of expatriates, many of whom come from Europe and the United States. A lot of these guests who spend a somewhat tropical Christmas in Bangalore crave some authentic and traditional goodies that remind them of home,” she says. “Local guests also look forward to authentic items which are not usually found in city boulangeries during the rest of the year.”

There is no doubt that the impact of Christmas is growing across Asia. Henry Langermann, Business Development Director of the Asia Pacific office of Barry Callebaut, the world’s largest chocolate manufacturer, says that according to their contact with chefs, Christmas is becoming much more important.

“You have more and more tourists coming to Asia for Christmas,” he says.

LanghamPlaceexpandsontraditionwithchocolate-dippedfruitcake

Lightanddark–Alfie’slighterversionoftheChristmaspudding

ChefPaul’scaramelisedpearsonnougat

Alfie’smulledwines–some

chefsareusingtheoldingredientsin

newforms

RichardEkkebusatAmber

Trendingtowardsdarkerchocolate

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CHRISTMAS BY DESIGNItalian design firm, Alessi has entered into the festive spirit with a whimsical range of porcelain figurines, mugs, confectionery holders, biscuit barrels, plates and even incense holders. “With this collection we created a series of faithful little companions to accompany our everyday rituals associated with stories and images,” the company explains.

Formoreinformation:www.alessi.com

LIGHTLY UPTURNEDResembling upside down glass goblets, Axo’s new Spillray lighting range allows for overlapping transparency with contrasting colours and geometrical forms. The units may be used singly so light may diffuse in every direction, or in combination to create movement and nuances of illumination. The glass diffusers come in three sizes, as single pieces, in six and ten lights configurations or as a circular arrangement of three and 12 lights. Available in clear, orange, red and grey with metallic chrome frames, Spillray is available in hanging or wall variations making them easily adaptable to different environments. The lights use 12V halogen bulbs.

Formoreinformation:[email protected]

OUTDOOR ELEGANCEKettal Studio’s range of outdoor furniture, Kettal Landscape presents new items for the new year: a rocking chair, a club armchair and side tables, which use modern architectural forms to highlight the nature of outdoor environments. The range also includes daybeds, totally configurable pergolas and customisable aluminium furniture incorporating the new Natte structured fabric. The upholstery and the modernity of the proportions give this latest range an elegant look.

Formoreinformation:www.kettal.com

German knife manufacturer, Friedr. Dick has introduced a range of special, flexible ham knives designed to effortlessly but safely slice through a whole ham. Whether wafer-thin or thicker succulent slices are required the flexible knife blade lies directly on the bone, separating the meat perfectly. With handle and blade seamlessly attached for hygiene and ease of use, the knives are available in 25cm and 28cm lengths in the ergonomically-shaped Premier Plus alloy X50CrMoV15 variety for prolonged sharpness and wear resistance; the Superior series, for professional users with light riveted handles, and sharper blades of alloy X55CrMo14 for toughness and corrosion resistance and the lightweight Prodynamic variety with its soft abrasion-proof non-slip plastic handle and laser tested cutting edge. All knives are NSF approved.

Formoreinformation:www.dick.de

HAMMING IT UP

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AHCT december 201044

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To maximise revenue, hotels need a MICE venue that is suitable for a financial conference or product launch by day, and can

become a more intimate venue by night. Today’s lighting control technology lets hotels stay in charge of the illumination and reduce decoration costs.

Established in Finland 90 years ago, Helvar produces lighting control components and lighting control systems for theatres and conference spaces. Today Helvar is one of Europe’s leading producers of lighting control equipment that can cope with any load source including tungsten, low-voltage, LED, and fluorescent lighting.

Dim someBruce Donald, Regional Representative, Helvar Limited explains that lighting systems for an event area should be able to offer general down lighting and some wall-wash lighting for normal use. Task-specific lighting directed onto tables is also standard and must work with a variety of table arrangements.

“For example, tables may be laid out

regularly in lines for a presentation and lighting be generally quite bright to enable participants to make notes. Alternatively tables may be laid out more organically for a banquet and so the specific lighting now needs to be focused differently and the lighting level will be lower and more relaxed,” Donald explains.

“Helvar provides the means to control that lighting load, whether that is simply turning it on or off, or smoothly fading it from one level to another thus enabling the lighting in the space to be changed to suit the use of that space. Because each load type needs a different kind of control signal it means we have to offer different products to suit, from lower power DIN rail units to high power rack mounting units.”

Lighting can also interface with audio-visual equipment to create a smooth transfer during presentations. “Generally, all that is required is for one system to be able to trigger a change on the other on demand. For example, when a video presentation is started then the general lighting may be automatically turned down and then turned up at the end,” notes Donald.

Clever use of lighting can

transform any event

space, writes Ruth Williams

Bright ideas

AtmosphereFor special events more ambient, effect lighting may be required; lighting consultants or event designers are often called in to create the right kind of atmosphere. “Typically there might be cove lighting and that may offer colour-change capability. Manual control may be simple push buttons or it could be direct channel control from slider or rotary” says Donald. “Of course with so many circuits in an area and a number of different possible arrangements it can become too complicated to just have direct control all the time so a combination of scene control from buttons and slider control of some important channels is most convenient and easiest to use. This allows the operator to repeat settings exactly each time at the press of a button and yet still tweak the lighting where needed.”

Helvar clients include hotels and convention centres worldwide. Projects range in size from the behemoths like the Oasis of the Seas cruise liner and the Marina Bay Sands, and Hard Rock Hotel at Resorts World Sentosa. The Hard Rock’s Compass Ballroom can host large-scale rock concerts

“Lighting has only recently become a top priority in hotels” Adrian Lee

Photography courtesy of hilton on the Park MelbourneTheClassicGrafikEye

Lutron’sLCP128LightingControlSystematLucasrestaurant

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For intimate lighting at an indoor or outdoor event, the allure of candlelight is hard to beat. For a

safer and more environmentally-friendly alternative, Global Zone’s Flambeau is an LED, imitation candle. Sold in sets of six pieces, with a charging tray and universal A/C adaptor, Flambeau ‘candles’ are available in amber and warm white and have a battery life of up to 25 hours continuous use.

“The Flambeau is 100 percent waterproof and its polycarbonate casing means it is very durable and hard to break,” says Jason Martin, Global Zone’s Owner, speaking to AHCT from Equip’Hotel Paris 2010. Apart from savings in the cost of buying candles, the fire risk and fire hazard is reduced. “They cannot be extinguished by the wind or rain. They can be placed anywhere, as there is no electricity mains socket requirement. The Flambeau does not generate any heat, so they are safe to use around children. LED bulbs do not attract insects, unlike halogen alternatives, so they are ideal in tropical climates, where insects and bugs are attracted to light.”

Martin says that sales to the hospitality industry of both the Flambeau candles and its Aurora range of rechargeable lamps have picked up tremendously over the past 12 months.

The Aurora is a cordless, rechargeable, LED table lamp. When fully charged Aurora lamps can last up to 30 hours and are ideal for mood lighting outdoors. Aurora lamps have eight different colour settings so venues could opt for red lights for Valentine’s Day, or Chinese New Year or a mix of corporate colours for a function, such as blue and green for Standard Chartered Bank.

Well-considered triflesCreating an ethereal and sculptural effect, Freestyle Lighting’s Jelly Lights are chosen by architects and designers looking for something modern and distinctive for large spaces. Sizes range from 1.5 to 3 metres in diameter and colour changes can be easily controlled.

“There is no other lighting sculpture

available in these sizes, possibilities or shape,” says Paul Sampers, Owner, Freestyle Lighting. “When we do the total lighting design of a hotel or restaurant we always try to make the design as multifunctional as possible. The Jelly Lights can be integrated mostly because of their special looks and because they can change to any colour or brightness.”

Designed and produced in The Netherlands, Freestyle Lighting’s Jelly Lights have most recently been installed in the Hotel Okura, Amsterdam.

Czech these outThe ultimate lighting fixture in an indoor event space is a giant chandelier. With a heritage that dates back to 1724, Preciosa custom-makes crystal chandeliers for palaces, theatres and some of the world’s finest hotel spaces at its headquarters in Northern Bohemia in the Czech Republic.

As well as creating beautiful classic chandeliers for ballrooms and restaurants, Preciosa also designs contemporary fixtures that are works of art in themselves, such as its chandeliers at the InterContinental Shanghai Puxi and the StarWorld Galaxy Macau. The crystal specialists also created three modern chandeliers in the conference

centre and west lobby of The Dragon in Hangzhou a newly renovated 5-star hotel.

The Dragon’s chandeliers are three giant glass bunches of grapes, varying from 3.5 to 8 metres in length, all crafted with hand-blown globes. A slightly haphazard effect is created with five glass components, in varying shades of purple or amber, of uneven lengths. Preciosa made 18,000 glass grapes at its Bohemian glassworks and production took over two weeks.

and serves as meeting, conference and exhibition space. With 26 meeting rooms and seating for 7,300 it is also one of Asia’s largest ballrooms. More intimate properties featuring Helvar lighting systems include The Chedi, Milan.

TechniqueDiverse functionality needs lighting to quickly adapt to each situation, according to global lighting giant Lutron Electronics. Headquartered in the United States Lutron provides light control solutions to a diverse range of structures ranging from airports

and stadiums to casinos and hotels. Lutron founder Joel Spira invented the

domestic dimmer switch in the 1950s and went on to build a global business making controlling light easy. Now one of the world’s leading designers and manufacturer of lighting controls and architectural lighting control systems for residential, commercial and institutional applications Lutron offers more than 15,000 products — from single-room dimmers, quiet-electronic-drive shades to comprehensive architectural systems that operate lighting throughout an entire building and can

control virtually any lamp source. Edmond Chan, Asia Senior Marketing

Communications Manager at Lutron Electronics in Hong Kong says that lighting for a conference room must accommodate a wide range of activities through a simple, easy-to-use interface. Lutron’s light management solutions can control all aspects of a conference room’s light, from daylight to electric light, with presets that users can access by pressing a single button. Lutron’s lighting control systems, like the Grafik Eye 3000 and Grafik Eye 4000, specialise in storing multi-faceted presets that users can cycle through effortlessly. The Grafik Eye systems can be programmed for tailor-made lighting scenarios by a single button. The Grafik Eye series can also work with Lutron shading solutions such as Sivoia QED to manage daylight in conjunction with overhead lighting.

Settings can be controlled using a handheld remote control device. For example, a presenter who wants to incorporate a video into their meeting, needs only to push a button labelled ‘AV,’ which simultaneously dims the lights, closes the shades and lowers the projection screen. Once the video has ended, the speaker can push another button marked ‘Meeting’ to brighten the lights and raise the shades for a better scenario to field questions.

Lutron works with hotels of all sizes including boutique properties. It recently completed the installation of a comprehensive lighting system at Klapsons, The Boutique Hotel of Singapore, designed to provide a distinctive atmosphere in keeping with Klapsons’ hip and fashionable image.

Klapsons’ lobby and its Lucas restaurant are fitted with Lutron’s LCP128 Lighting Control System as the main lighting controller. “Lighting has only recently become a top priority in hotels,” says Adrian Lee, Director, Klapsons. “At Klapsons, we focus on innovation and delivering the best experience. Lighting plays an integral role in this and Lutron had the resources and capabilities to achieve what we intended.”

LutronclientKlapsons,TheBoutiqueHotel

LightingupthelobbyTheDragoninHangzhou

Preciosa’schandelierfortheInterContinentalPuxiinShanghai

JellylightsattheHotelOkura,Amsterdam

UniquejellylightsfromFreestyleLighting

GlobalZone’sFlambeaurange

Flexible fixtures that fit in

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There are many things to get excited about in the hospitality sector. Architecture. Events. Design. Food. Beverages. Lighting. Guests. And, it would appear, dishwashers. It might seem dishwashers wouldn’t figure

too highly on a priority list, until they break down, or fail to deliver. But as today’s restaurant and hotel kitchens deal with thousands, and at times tens of thousands of pots, pans, trays, moulds, crockery, cutlery and glassware every day a dishwasher which runs efficiently, safely, and speedily is worth it’s weight in gold.

“As an apprentice, more years ago than I like to mention, the commercial dishwash machines were huge, noisy, steamy, slow and generally not that efficient,” admits Executive Chef Phillip Kraal of Langham Place Beijing Capital Airport. “Nowadays they are sleek, smooth, quiet and sexy looking …. ok maybe not exactly sexy but completely different. Now we demand not just clean dishes but sterile dishes that have reached a required high temperature, killing all bacteria. In addition the machines today must be cost-effective ensuring chemical usage is perfectly managed and energy consumption savings are maximised.”

Saving the planet and moneyThe hospitality industry is strictly regulated by food safety guidelines and dishwashers play a critical part in meeting those standards. “Clean and sanitised dish ware and glasses are critical to a positive customer experience,” says Rick Davidson VP Asia Pacific Hobart International who also notes how these kitchen appliances have changed over the past few years as people have become more interested in environmental issues and energy saving devices. “The

have dishwashers kept pace with the needs of the modern professional kitchen? zara Horner finds out

focus in the past decade has been on improving the performance, ergonomics, safety, and energy-efficiency. Significant enhancements have been made in all areas: better wash results, easier machine operation, easier daily machine set up and cleaning, machine self-cleaning programmes, enhanced drying functions.” Additionally, operating costs have fallen by 50 percent and more with many energy saving features like lower flow rinse systems, dual and triple rinse systems and energy recovering systems that capture heat to preheat water, now standard.

Hobart’s systems have in fact recently been honoured in the company’s home country of Germany, winning an award for innovation from an association of restaurant, hotel and institutional kitchen designers for the Sensomatic software on its Premax FTP flight-type dishwashers. It measures the amount of washware and detects gaps on the belt, automatically adjusting both speed and consumption to requirement.

Physics“Dishwashing is a critical part of every foodservice operation,” says Pierre Demers Export Manager for Meiko. But according to Demers, ware washing has always been treated as a necessary evil. “There are no international standards. Everyone more or less follows the regulations applicable in their own countries. This obviously tends to encourage a lot of individual interpretations. What is the point of regulating all the previous processes if the last element of the chain before serving the food does not guarantee a perfectly hygienically cleaned and sanitised dish? Dirty or contaminated dishes or cutlery, or even spotty glasses are not only repulsive eyesores jeopardising

your reputation as a food service outlet, they can be the source of many serious headaches. In my opinion, the globalised industry would greatly benefit from international norms and standards as well as control bodies to ensure adherence.”

Notwithstanding this, Demers is quick to point out that over the past few years, manufacturers have reacted to the situation, as well as to the burgeoning interest in the environment and have accelerated the development of new processes or technologies to meet the requirements of the 21st century. “Machines now have reduced water and energy consumption, the use of energy recuperating devices has become state of the art, and industry leaders like Meiko use a lot of resources to make ware washing as environmentally friendly as possible without infringing sanitising results.”

Tellingly, Demers says, “physics has its limit,” and not all manufacturers’ claims can be possible so, “one is well advised to really analyse all facts properly when making a choice on ware washing equipment these days. Just remember that the ‘No Water-No Energy-No Chemical-Dishwashing machine’ has not been invented yet.”

Water cycleGerman manufacturer Winterhalter recently introduced the Under Counter (UC) series of machines, which use a maximum of 2.4 litres of water in cycles performed in one minute 30 seconds. Philippe Hauser, Key Account Manager Asia and India, says dishwashers play “a very important part” in achieving industry safety regulations, and that manufacturers are becoming more conscious about the environment. “At Winterhalter we have a dedicated R&D team that

AWASh WiTh TEChNOlOgy

“Nowadays they are sleek, smooth, quiet and sexy looking” Phillip Kraal

ExecutiveChefPhillipKraalofLanghamPlaceBeijingCapitalAirport

APremaxunitfromHobart

Winterhalter’srecentlyintroducedUnderCounterseriesofmachines

AsthisWinterhalterUnderCounterunitdemonstrates,manufacturersarenowproducingmachineswithlooksthatmatchperformance

The clean solution

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look into all possibilities to reduce energy used [while] continuously improving wash results. The correct water hardness is extremely important. Winterhalter, which offers various models including ones which can handle over 6,000 dishes an hour, recommends a maximum water of 3°dH to get the best possible result when dishwashing. But equally important is the correct dosing of detergent and rinse aid as well as the contact time of dishes.”

Chef Phillip says that without commercial dishwashers “we simply could not operate”. But admits that having one is “more a personal choice by individual chefs and operators. Most formal hygiene standards are usually conceived as a result of a kitchen administrator insisting on high levels of hygiene. It is simply a commercial choice. Bad hygiene is bad business. That’s why we have eight machines.” Chef Phillip agrees the correct water, detergents and rinse aids are vital to the process. “We have wonderful support from Diversey, our chemical supplier. Some hotels and restaurants monitor their own hygiene systems. I don’t agree with this. Having an outside supplier monitoring and supporting our regime keeps us honest and true to our hygiene mission. We can’t fudge it or cut corners because Diversey constantly check, test and report back.”

With so many options and such strides having been made in the manufacture of these appliances how to choose the right one? “There are a gazillion available,” Chef Phillip says. “It is so important to get the right machine for the right job. There’s no point buying a pint of lager for a beautiful woman wearing a pair of Monolo Blahniks and La Perla lingerie….it just won’t get the job done!”

Meiko’s Demers explains what will get the job done. “Machines

“Clean and sanitised dish ware and glasses are critical

to a positive customer experience” Rick Davidson

Meiko’sK-Tronicseries

Hobartishonouredforitsinnovativeequipment

Thecost-savingFPPremaxfromHobart

SomeWinterhalterunitscanhandle6,000dishesanhour

today can work with less chemicals than in the past, but you need a good detergent and a good rinsing agent to get your perfect result. The choice of which product to use must be in full consideration of the water conditions. Highly mineralised water will give you bad washing results, hard water will cause machine breakdowns and chlorides cause material deterioration and corrosion.”

It appears these considerations are of more importance than the volume and times of washes. “Even tens of thousands is not a problem from a machine point of view,” Demers says. “There is always a machine or a system to cope with quantities and, from the smallest under-counter glass washer to the largest integrated fully automated ware washing systems, we are capable today of mastering any challenge. This is our bread and butter.”

Later this year Hobart will launch a rack conveyor series, which includes rinse flow reduced by 64 percent, to the Asian market. This accompanies the FP Premax under counter unit whose operation costs are 50 percent lower than previous generation Hobart models. Davidson explains that wash results will always require optimising machine performance, chemistry and water quality, no matter the size of the operation. “Models, sizes and capacities are available for virtually all sizes of operation from 20 seat coffee shops to airline catering facilities handling 50,000 plus meals per day. System efficiency also requires a well-designed room layout: enough space for dish accumulation, pre-scraping, stacking, rack loading, and adequate space for clean dish accumulation, drying and storage.” There’s a lot to get excited about, obviously.

DATE EVENT DETAILS ORGANIZER

Jan 12 – 14, HIFI 2011 Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel Mumbai India

27 Feb – 2 Mar Gulfood Dubai World Trade Centre Dubai

Mar 29 – 1 Apr Hotelex Shanghai 2011 Shanghai New International Expo Center Shanghai China

6 – 11 April Food and Hotel Indonesia The Jakarta International Expo Kemayoran Jakarta Indonesia

11 –14 May Hofex 2011 The 14th International Exhibition of Food & Drink, Hotel, Restaurant & Foodservice Equipment, Supplies & Services Hong Kong Exhibition and Convention Centre WanChai

Jun 19 – 23 Vinexpo Bordeaux-Lac Exhibition Centre Bordeaux France

12 – 15 Nov International Hotel, Motel + Restaurant Show Jacob K Javits Convention Center 655 W 34th St New York, NY 10001

HIFI conference is designed to provide an annual meeting place for hotel executives, investors, lenders, developers, and the professional advisory community who are interested in doing deals in one of the world’s hottest hotel markets - India.

Gulfood is the Middle East’s leading dedicated exhibition for the foodservice and hospitality sectors. The event provides industry suppliers with the region’s largest central business hub, ultimately delivering an unrivalled product and service showcase and the opportunity to meet serious international buyers face to face.

Hotelex shows are the meeting point for the hospitality industry. Managers, manufacturers, traders and distributors gather annually to source, sell, network and debate future trends.

International exhibitors showcasing a full range of food and hospitality products including food and drink; foodservice equipment and supplies; bakery equipment and ingredients and hotel interiors.

Join 35,000+ trade buyers and 1,800+ exhibiting companies including 44 national groups at Asia’s most anticipated and established tradeshow - HOFEX 2011. This biennial tradeshow will showcase the newest collections of hospitality and foodservice equipment and the trendiest food and drink products from worldwide exhibitors.

Founded in Bordeaux, France in 1981, Vinexpo host industry players from all the wine and spirits producing regions in the world every two years. Each exhibitor finds his place and displays his talents to very strictly selected visitors – trade professionals only, coming from more than 140 countries.

A show specialising in décor, technology, foodservice equipment, flavours, linens, amenities, tableware and other essentials.

Burba Hotel Network2900 Bristol Street, Ste. D101Costa Mesa, CA 92626 USATel: +1.714.540.9300www.hifi-india.com

DWTCDubai World Trade CentreP.O. Box 9292DubaiUAETel: +971 4 332 [email protected] www.gulfood.com

Shanghai UBM Sinoexpo International Exhibition Co., Ltd. 10/F, Xian Dai Mansion, 218 Xiang Yang Road (s), Shanghai, 200031, China Tel: + 86 21-6437 1178 Fax: + 86 21-6437 [email protected]

PT Pamerindo Indonesia13F Deutsche Bank BuildingJl. Imam Bonjol 80Jakarta 10310IndonesiaTel: +62 21 316 2001Fax: +62 21 316 1981Pamerindo.com

Hong Kong Exhibition Services LtdUnit 2010, 20/F, China Resources Building, 26 Harbour Road, Wanchai, Hong KongTel: +852 2804 1500 Fax: +852 2528 3103 Email: [email protected] www.hofex.com

VINEXPO 2, cours du XXX Juillet 33074 BORDEAUX CEDEX FranceTel : + 33 5 56 56 00 22 Fax : + 33 5 56 56 00 00www.vinexpo.fr

GLM1133 Westchester Avenue, White Plains, NY 10604-3547Tel: +1 914 421 3346Fax: +1 914 948 [email protected]

Biennial behemoth to hit Hong Kong

HOFEX 2011Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition CentreWan ChaiHong Kong 11 – 14 May 2011

www.hofex.com

The mammoth trade show Hofex returns to Hong Kong next May and is scheduled to be as big as ever.

The numbers give some idea of the scale:11 halls of Hong Kong’s capacious HKCEC45,000 square metres of exhibition space1,800 or more international exhibitors44 group pavilions.Supporting the event will be:100 industry associations60 trade magazines from 22 countries35,000+ professional visitors from around the world.

What will they be coming to see?In the Equipment & Supplies Sector there will be over 25 countries

exhibiting, including companies and groups from Germany, Italy, France, Britain, Spain, Japan, South Korea and the United States. They will be showcasing foodservice equipment including kitchen and catering equipment, hospitality IT, bakery equipment and supplies, tableware, hotel interior, textiles and uniforms.

“Hofex has proven to be one of the best hospitality shows in Hong Kong. In 2009, we met numbers of quality buyers and all of Equip Asia’s principals enjoyed themselves tremendously. In the upcoming 14th edition, we look forward to good business opportunities with the hotel groups and restaurant owners,” Moss Bakar, Managing Director of Equip Asia Limited told the organisers.

Hong Kong International Culinary ClassicThe 14th edition of Hofex is also the 11th running of the prestigious Hong Kong International Culinary Classic. Co-organised by the Hong Kong Chefs Association, the contest will for the first time be endorsed by the World Association of Chefs’ Societies (WACS) as one of five key international competitions. HKICC 2011 will also feature two new categories – the Live Chocolate Showpiece Competition and The Dream Team Challenges.

In the chocolate contest a team leader and single assistant will complete a showpiece and five types of bonbon on the theme of Space.

A dream team of a chef, sommelier and waiter will compete to deliver the best F&B experience to the guest and jury in that contest.

In addition, Hofex 2011 will be hosting the Asia Final for the WACS Global Chefs Competition for the 3rd time while the Champion will gain qualification to compete at the World Final in Korea 2012. Other categories in the HKICC include: Pastry, Live Bakery Competition, Western Cuisine, Chinese Cuisine and the Gourmet Team Challenge.

Roger Geisser, Managing Director of Kolb stated, “We are glad to be one of the major sponsors of the HKICC again in Hofex 2011, apart from this fabulous event held alongside, Hofex is an excellent and well-organised platform for us to showcase our latest and innovative bakery and kitchen equipment and supplies. ”

E v E n t s


E x h i b i t i o n s


To all the high-end users around the world, take a sip of world wide tea and learn more

about coffee culture. Enjoy the hot fresh bakery and hi-tech new design appliances and catering equipment. Texiles & accesso-

ries, to satisfy your elegant taste.

Hong Kong hosts wine show

Winemakers from across the globe recently came to Hong Kong to boost their wares to an audience of trade buyers and the general public.

Australia was the partner country at this, the third edition of the show, although that didn’t deter a French presence that included a visit from Vinexpo Director Robert Beynat.

The Australian Pavilion housed nearly 70 companies, roughly ten percent of the 700 exhibitors from 30 countries. The country not only had its wineries on display but its promotional body A+ Australian Wine also organised seminars to increase understanding of its wines. Andrew Caillard MW of auction house Langton’s led one such tutored tasting explaining the characteristics and importance of wines as diverse as the 2005 Clonakilla Shiraz-Viognier, Canberra District (Exceptional) through the 1996 Rockford Basket Press Shiraz Barossa Valley (also Exceptional and described as “what Barossa stands for,” by Caillard) to the 2000 Domaine A Cabernet Sauvignon, Tasmania (Excellent).

There were a number of Tasmanian wineries at the show including Stefano Lubiana.

“Our 2007 Estate Pinot Noir has a 95 point rating in the 2011 Halliday book, while the 2006 Estate Chardonnay is rated 94 points.

“The new 2008 Estate Pinot Noir is included among Halliday’s Best Wines by Style, and carries a 96 point rating,” the winery’s Marketing and Communication Manager, Mark Smith told AHCT.

The 14,000 trade buyers also had the opportunity to try wines from France, the Castilla-La Mancha region of Spain, Italy (the partner for 2011) and Germany amongst others.

Alexander Danner of the Danner winery in a part of Germany near Alsace promotes his wines under the slogan “Wine as good as it always was”. His bottles include an unusually lightly coloured Pinot Noir (an accident that took) and his labels emphasise modern design and a clarity the non-German reader would find desirable on other bottles.

Overall there was an increase of 19 percent in trade buyers at the fair over the 2009 event. Most significantly was the increase in buyers from the Chinese mainland (up 16 percent), Australia (22 percent), United States (23 percent) and Japan (39 percent).



Hospitality Asia 2011 is co-located with:

International Furniture Fair Singapore 2011 28th ASEAN Furniture Show

www.iffs.com.sg

Deco Asia 2011 www.DecoAsia.com.sg

International Furniture Fair Singapore Pte Ltd 62 Sungei Kadut Loop, #04-19, International Furniture Centre, Singapore 729507

Tel: (65) 6569 6988 • Fax: (65) 6569 9939 • Email: [email protected]

Organiser:

Experience a true

in AsiaSHOWCASEHOSPITALITY

9 – 12 March 2011 • Singapore Expowww.HospitalityAsia.com.sg

HospitalityAsia 2011

Gourmet delights at Macau show

The fourth edition of Wine & Gourmet Asia brought together several thousand trade visitors and just under 100 exhibitors for three days of dealing, tasting and associated competitions and gourmet events.

Exhibitors included an Australian company selling a beef that has had fat injected into it so it resembles Wagyu, uniform manufacturers and a host of winemakers, distillers and their distributors. Countries represented include Australia, Britain, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Italy, South Korea, Macau, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Thailand and the United States.

One stand from the latter country that attracted some interest was that of the Washington State Potato Commission. Matt Harris, Trade Director for the organisation, told AHCT that Washington state produces a “very elegant” potato and a wide range including purples and fingerlings. Oregon potatoes were also represented at the stand and Harris pointed to their organic credentials. While potatoes used to be grown for processing, Harris told AHCT that as consumers become more sophisticated the North Western United States now had a “very vibrant fresh potato industry” that was exporting to Taiwan, Hong Kong and mainland China as well as Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia.

Visitors were also able to try wines from Europe and India and some traditional products from South Korea.

Gourmet events on the sidelines of the show included a demonstration of the dessert arts by young chef Janice Wong of Singapore restaurant 2am: dessert bar. The chef used chocolate in combination with surprising ingredients such as vinegar, salt and chillies to produce sophisticated desserts.

Chef Janice told AHCT her success came from realising that starting a culinary career aged 22 meant that she would have to work hard to catch up – leading to apprenticeships with such luminaries as Arzak and Thomas Keller.

In the runningThe show also hosted a series of competitions, including ones for young chefs and the Macao Occupational Skills Recognition System pin. Winners of the Asian Cocktail Championship were:

Local Classic Champion – Peter Ramos of Wynn Macau International Classic Champion (tied) – Takafumi Yamada (Japan) and Tang KeiChuk (Taiwan)Local Flair Champion – Lei Ying Hui (China)International Flair Champion – Chen Yuk Sing (Taiwan)

The Sommeliers Challenge was won by Chao Bin Yang of the Lisboa Hotel, Macau. Judge David Wong told AHCT that the contestants had to take a multiple choice test to prove their wine knowledge and then a practical test to demonstrate their service, pouring and tasting skills.

“The test is seeing that the sommelier understands what the customer wants and that it matches with the food – not just selling the most expensive bottle.”

The second edition of Wong’s book The Art of Portuguese Cuisine should be available this month. The book has been updated with new photography and recipes in Chinese. All the dishes come from the restaurant of the training hotel of Macau’s IFT training school, where Wong works as Executive Assistant Manager.


AHCTdecember 201060

JackBreisacher

BrendanDaly

PhilipSchaetz

GHM has announced the appointment of John Blanco as General Manager of The Nam Hai in Vietnam. Coming from a posting in Panama, Blanco has over 25 years’ experience in hospitality and in countries as diverse as Switzerland, France the United States, Mexico, Spain, Singapore and Indonesia.

Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts has announced the appointment of Jack Breisacher as General Manager of Swissôtel Beijing, Hong Kong Macau Center. The American hotelier has 37 years hospitality experience with an emphasis on sales and with a variety of well-known international hotel brands. He has been with the present company since 2003.

Aloft hotels has announced the appointment of Brendan Daly as General Manager of Aloft Bangkok – Sukhumvit 11. Daly’s 20 years in hospitality include positions with Sheraton and Accor brand hotels in Australia and Thailand including the pre-opening of Sofitel Bangkok, Sukhumvit.

Pan Pacific Hotels group has announced the appointment of David Donald as General Manager of Parkroyal Parramatta. Donald has been at the property since 2009 and during its rebranding from a Crowne Plaza. His 15 years’ experience has taken him across Australia and New Zealand.

Rest Detail Hotel Hua Hin has announced the appointment of Panat Bantanajak as Executive Sous Chef. Chef Panat’s 14-years of culinary experience include assignments at luxury properties across his native Thailand and a year in Cyprus. He was last at Anantara Golden Triangle Resort and Spa.

The Costa Crociere Group has announced the appointment of Dario Rustico as Vice President Sales & Marketing Pacific Asia Operations for Costa Cruises. With an MBA from Florida International University, Rustico has been in Hong Kong since 2005, building the Costa Cruises business and advising government.

Minor International has announced the appointment of Philip Schaetz as Vice President Revenue Management. The German national and University of Nevada graduate has extensive revenue management experience with Hyatt International and has worked in Europe, North America and Asia.

Maybourne Hotel Group has announced the appointment of Nathalie Seiler-Hayez as General Manager of the Connaught Hotel. Moving from a GM role at the Regent Grand Hotel in Bordeaux, she has a wealth of experience especially in sales and in operations. The Swiss national has also worked in Paris and New York.

Aston International has announced the appointment of Ricky Theodores as General Manager of the Aston Paramount Serpong Hotel & Convention Center. Theodores worked at GHM properties in Indonesia prior to joining Aston. His last post was opening GM of the 5-star Grand Aston in Medan.

Harbour Grand Kowloon has announced the appointment of Marc Toutain as Executive Chef. Toutain has been in Hong Kong since 1995 at various hotels and restaurant chains. Prior to this he apprenticed at respected hotels in Paris and worked for Le Meridien there and in Boston and Abu Dhabi.

DarioRustico

NathalieSeiler-Hayez

MarcToutain

JohnBlanco

RickyTheodoresDavidDonald

PanatBantanajak

a p p o i n t M E n t s


Only from the mind of Miwa Lock, Japan

Intelligence & Modern Art

Villeroy & Boch S.à.r.l. · Hotel & Restaurant330, rue de Rollingergrund · 2441 LuxembourgTel.: + (352) 46 82 11 · Fax: + (352) 46 90 22E-mail: [email protected]

www.villeroy-boch.com/hotel

Creating Hospitality

MODERN GRACE The New Architecture of Premium Bone Porcelain

VLH_1576_Anz_ModernG_AsianHotel_210x297_.indd 1 16.11.10 14:56

ahct dec 2010 web

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