ahct sept 2010

8/8/2019 AHCT Sept 2010

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asian hotel& Catering times

Published since 1976 V 35 sptmr 2010

h K sAR hK$50ca RMb50sapr s$15Maaa RM30Taa bt300Rt Aa us$10

PLAN OF GREEN GABLESEnvironmental hotel ideas

BOWLED OVERModern washroom design

DRINK IN THE PASTTraditional cocktails

8/8/2019 AHCT Sept 2010


MischaMoselle

AsiAn Hotel & CAtering timesis publisHed montHly bytHomson press Hong Kong ltd (tpHK)

The opinions expressed in Asian Hotel & Catering Times do not necessarily represent the views of the publisher or thepublication. 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 orprinters errors, inaccuracies or changes howsoever caused. The editors reserve the right to edit any material submitted attheir 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. FantasyPrint, Unit B 8/F, Tin Fung Industial Mansion, 63 Wong Chuk Hang Road, Hong Kong

All rights reserved (c) 2009 Thomson Press Hong Kong Ltd

Welcome to your favourite andindispensable hospitality read.

You may notice a certain green

emphasis to many of the stories this month – while AHCT doesn’t endorse any political

stance as a publication it is impossible to

ignore the mainstreaming of green ideas andthe hospitality industry’s response. Hence

many of this issue’s stories are packed with

environmental ideas, showing how hotels cansave resources and cut down on costs while

meeting guest demands.

Some areas of concern are obvious – laundry rooms and kitchens are voracious

consumers of energy and water and there

hong Kong hoTels

AssociATion

hong Kong

chefs AssociATion

fedeRATion of hong Kong

ResTAuRAnT owneRs

The fedeRATion

of hong Kong

hoTel owneRs

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of ThAilAnd

bAKing indusTRy

TRAining cenTRe

AssociATion of

inTeRnATionAl

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singAPoRe

chefs AssociATion

hong Kong

bAKeRy & confecTioneRy

AssociATion

singAPoRe

hoTel AssociATion

hong Kong

bARTendeRs AssociATion

hong Kong

MAiTRe d’hoTel AssociATion

shAnghAi

chefs AssociATion

MyAnMAR chefs

AssociATion

MAlAysiAn AssociATion

of hoTels

MAcAu hoTel

AssociATion

club MAnAgeRs AssociATion

hong Kong

HONG KONG

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Email: [email protected] Contact: Mr Mischa Moselle

AUSTRALIA

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UNITED KINGDOM

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London SW1P 1PH, United KingdomTel: +44 (0) 20 7592 8300 Fax: +44 (0) 20 7592 830 1

Contact: Mr Chris Morgan

USARiverside Media

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Contact: Ms Christina Eccleston

Marston Webb International60 Madison Avenue, Suite 1011,

New York, NY 10010, USA

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Contact: Ms Madlene Olson

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ITALYEdiconsult Internazionale s.r.l.

Piazza Fontane Marose, 3-16123 GenovaTel: +39 010 583684 Fax: +39 010 5665 78

Email: [email protected]: Mr Vittorio Negrone

JAPAN

Echo Japan CorporationGrande Maison Rm 303,

2-2 Kudan-kita 1-chome,Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0073

Tel: +81 3 3234 2064 Fax: +81 3 3263 5065

Email: [email protected]: Mr Ted Asoshina

MALAYSIA

Publicitas International Sdn Bhd.S 105, 2nd Floor, Centrepoint

Lebuh Bandar Utama, Bandar Utama47800 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia.

Tel : 603 7729 6923Fax : 603 7729 7115

Email: [email protected]: Ms Shallie Cheng

are plenty of compa nies offering ways toreduce those appetites for resources. Some

of them even have unexpected knock-on

effects. Induction cookers not only directlysave energy and costs by only heating the

saucepan and not the surrounding area, they

also convert much more energy to heat andthey reduce air-con use. The introduction

of efcien t lighting saves time and energy

in fewer repeat washings in the laundry andby simply measuring the dampness of the

laundry power consumption can be saved by

preventing over-drying, which is kinder to thelaundry itself.

Other savings are less conventional.

Managing Editor

Mischa [email protected]

dEsign by

Koon Ming [email protected]

Contributors

Nadine BatemanZara Horner

Muuniandy JegathesanRobin LynamRuth Williams

assoCiatE PublishEr

Sharon [email protected]

advErtising salEs ManagEr

Claire [email protected]

CirCulation ExECutivE

Becky [email protected]

ChairMan

JS Uberoi

dirECtor

Gaurav Kumar

endoRseMenTs

High-tech locking systems can adjust the air-conditioning when guests leave and re-enter

rooms, or adjust which circuits are available

depending on whether a guest or a cleaner isin the room.

They say ‘Reduce, Reuse, Recycle’ but

when we hear that one hotel GM is ripping the

pages out of his copy of AHCT to pass tips on

to staff – we say that’s taking Reuse too far!

E d i t o r ’ s M E s s a g E

sptmr 2010 AHCT 3

8/8/2019 AHCT Sept 2010


36

24 Ensuring public acilities

receive equal attention

Food

32 Olive oil – is it about to take

o in Asia?

drinK

36 Cocktails – never mind the

mixology, let’s get the Martini

and G&T right rst

EQuiPMEnt

44 Saving energy, time, and money in

the laundry

48 Induction cooking nally catches on

MarKEt rEPort

16 Who’s in Malaysia’s sights?

tEChnology

20 Eco conscious locking systems

dEsign

nEWs

Culinary

28 Wine matching; ches de

ches; whisky

industry

6 Beijing Capital Airport; IHG

results; Pipeline and arrivals

ProduCt

40 Water tumblers; fowery syrup;

perecting the brew and more

ManagEMEnt

12 Gaining a green image and a

green reality

cvr ptrap rt tsar-la’ Taj Ar Rrt & spa,Kta Kaa

Wash up well

A Malaysian plan

24

EvEnts & Exhibitions

60 Wine & Gourmet Asia 2010 previewed

aPPointMEnts

62 See who is moving where

Talking cocktails

AHCT sptmr 2010 sptmr 2010 AHCT 5

Up and Coming...

October

• Spa

• Market report: Macau

• Revenue/Yield Management

• Spa design

• Caviar

• Wine

• Spa amenities/Tabletops

November

• Loyalty programmes

• Market Report: Hong Kong

• In-room entertainment

• Guest room design

• Meat

• Whisky

• Tea & Coffee

CONTENTSVm 35 sptmr 2010

Agrovim

Alliance

Alpha International

Andy Mannhart

Boncafe 30 & 31

COSMOPROF 58

Elle & Vire International IFC

Equip’Hotel 59

Food Hotel China 53

Food Hotel Indonesia 55

Francesca 17

Global Chef 7Global Search International 13HIFI 61

HK International Wine Fair 56

Hotel Expo Macau 54

Hyperlux IBC

IHM&RS 57

International Furniture Fair 52

IRCO 21

Jensen Group OBCKung Kai Hong & Co 43

LRT 27

Monin 39

National Prawn Company 35

Routin 37

Saok 23Santos 9

Siemens 11

Tabasco

Wine & Gourmet Asia 41

Avrt r’ ix

8/8/2019 AHCT Sept 2010


Flying start orairport hotelsBeijing Capital Airport has welcomed the Hilton and Langham

Place hotels.

Hilton Beijing Capital Airport was number one on the runwaywith an opening date in late July, while Langham Place Beijing

Capital Airport opened at the end of last month.

Both are owned by Beijing Capital Airport Tourism Co. The

airport itself has an average of 1,400 ights a day and served

more than 65 million travellers in 2009.

The Hilton is being positioned as China’s rst and only luxury

airport hotel and General Manager, David Prince, told AHCT that

the MICE market was, “Absolutely a priority.” Source markets

are likely to be China itself and India. The GM also jokingly

added he was looking forward to tapping the market of delayed

passengers.

Many of the hotel’s design features and F&B facilities are

strongly geared to the local market. Design motifs echo the

Summer Palace or other icons of Chinese architecture. Aside

from the all-day dining outlet and the bar, the three other

restaurants all contain a large number of private dining rooms

and in fact the Yue Shang Cantonese restaurant only has private

dining facilities.

The facilities likely to attract MICE groups include two large

ballrooms - 820 and 645 square metres in size, holding 920 or

720 people, both column-free and 21 breakout meeting rooms,

which vary in layout from a traditional U to a Chinese boardroom

and in size from 50 square metres to 180 square metres.

To call the building vast is somewhat of an understatement

as Prince calculates that a top-to-bottom inspection walk covers eight kilometres. The entrance lobby alone occupies

1,800 square metres. Yet there are just 332 guest rooms,

Philippines tragedy Travel alerts have been issued warning tourists to avoid th e Philippines following the

shooting deaths of eight Hong Kong residents taken hostage by a sacked Manila police

ofcer.

Dressed in combat pants and armed with an M16 assault rie, Rolando Mendozahijacked the Hong Thai tour bus in the capital’s historic Intramuros district on August 23rd.

Aged between four and 74, the t rapped Hong Kong tourists suffered a 12 hour stand-off

as security forces, police personnel and negotiators tried to diffuse the situation. Despite a

seemingly calm few hours during whi ch Mendoza released several hostages, things took

a turn for the worse as night fell. Mendoza started shooting as commandoes stormed the

bus in a hail of bullets and tear gas leaving eight dead, including the gunman, and several

others injured.

As the situation unfolded live on television, Philippines authorities have been roundly

criticised for acting too slowly, being badly prepared, poorly equipped, taking unnecessary

risks and displaying tactical incompetence. Criticisms they refute. The governments of

China and its SAR, Hong Kong expressed “deep shock” and demanded a thorough

investigation while recommending their residents avoid the Philippines completely.

This latest tragedy is said to add to the growing number of attacks on foreign visitors in

the Philippines and will undoubtedly have an adverse effect on the tourist industry, which

operators say was already in dire straits.

According to the Philippines Department of Tourism, China is the country’s fourth

biggest source market for tourists, with some 300,000 visitors in 2009.

varying in size from t he 45-square-metre Deluxe to the

365-square-metre and opulently-appointed sole Presidential

Single Suite.

The opening of Langham Place, Beijing Capital Airport may

mean Hilton can no longer claim to be the only luxury airport

hotel in China but Hilton retains one distinction – few other bars

in the country could boast a Cuban barman mixing it up at the

Hilton’s Long Bar.

Langham Place promises to be a “destination in its own

right” with DJs in the lobby and loft-style apartments. The

property has 372 guest rooms and suites, varying in size from

45 square metres to 300 square metres. In-room facilities

include signature Dream Big beds, marble bathrooms with

oversized baths and separate rain-forest showers.

Both hotels are a short distance from the airport’sinternational Terminal 3 and the Airport Express Railway, which

reaches the city in 15 minutes.

Hilton Beijing Capital Airport – a vast building housing 332 rooms

Beijing Capital Airport as seen from the Hilton

n d u s t r y n E w s

AHCT sptmr 2010

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

sptmr 2010 AHCT 7

Westin

PIABoutiqueHotels

4 DreamsKohSiray

Regent

FourPoints

RawaiPalmBeach

Maiton IslandResort

Kata Rocks

Centara Grand

Mercure Deevana

U Kamala

Pullman

The Pavillions

WestSands

MaikhaoDream

HolidayInn

Wanakarn

khaoDreamNat ai

Kameha

Novotel

Absolute Sansabai

Centra Otongsolute Twin Sands

The Kalima

BayCli NovotelDahlia

Wyndham

yooPhuket

Source:C9HotelworksMarket Research

While China and India dominate the

development pipeline gures show that

some Thai markets are outperforming

expectations and other ASEAN members

are also doing well.

Releasing its latest data at the end

of August, hospitality industry analysts,

STR Global say the Asia Pacic hotel

development pipeline comprises 1,029

hotels totalling 256,060 rooms. China

reported the largest number of rooms in

the total active pipeline (139,193 rooms)

and in the In Construction phase (98,515

rooms). India followed with 46,562 rooms

in the total active pipeline and 29,819

rooms in the In Construction phase. Among the key markets in the region,

Shanghai, China had the largest number

of rooms in the total active pipeline

(13,980), with more than 80 percent of

its rooms in the In Construction phase

(11,411). Bangkok, Thailand, reported

9,642 rooms in the total active pipeline

and 5,411 rooms in the In Construction

phase, followed by New Delhi, India, with

7,399 rooms in the total active pipeline

and 5,040 rooms in the In Construction

phase.

Two of the seven Chain Scale

segments, combined, accounted for

nearly 50 percent of rooms in the total

active pipeline: the upper upscale

segment (25.2 percent with 64,472

rooms) and the upscale segment (24.4

percent with 62,575). The midscale

without food and beverage segment

made up the smallest portion of rooms in

the total active pipeline with 2.4 percent

and 6,119 rooms.

STR now also compiles a monthly

Association of South East Asian Nations

(ASEAN) Hotel Review, which reports

year-to-date and current month hotel

performance information for Indonesia,

Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore,

Thailand and Vietnam. The latest gures

suggest the region is in the midst of a

strong recovery. All markets in the report

showed positive growth in revenue per

available room (RevPAR) for the year-to-

date June 2010, even if t he comparison

with the same period for 2009 needs to

be tempered by the weak performance

of last year. Ongoing political instability

in Thailand seems not to have affected

business in coastal resorts. Conversely,

Bali has underperformed in RevPAR

when compared with other Indonesian

destinations. Nevertheless, Bali still

records the highest actual occupancy

(71 percent) and ADR (US$121).

Singapore shows promising signs of

recovery with occupancy improvements

pulling up ADR. In Vietnam, strong year-

to-date occupancy growth has resulted

in steady improvements in RevPAR in

spite of weak ADR changes.

Hospitality consulting rm, C9

Hotelworks, which specializes in tourism,

hotel and property development in the

Asia Pacic region agrees things are

looking up. According to its analysis,

passenger trafc through Phuket

International Airport grew 28 percent

in the rst half of this year compared to

2009 and passenger volumes have now

hit 2007 levels. Company data suggests

occupancies have risen from 61 percent

in 2009 to 70 percent in the same period

of this year, although average room rates

are down 9 percent. An additional 4,538

rooms marks an 11 percent rise over

the next four years. Concerns about

oversupply will be “cushioned by induced

demand,” says the company.

Numbersshow surpriseboost orThailand

Aston’s Nusa Dua Retreat– Bali is recording highoccupancies and rates

Phuketeline

8/8/2019 AHCT Sept 2010


Busy timesor Preerred,WorldhotelLuxury hotel afliation group, Preferred

Hotels & Resorts has added properties

in all categories (Preferred, Boutique,

Summit and Sterling) in Mexico (6), Italy

(2), France (1), Morocco (2), Brazil (1)

and Spain (1) to its portfolio as well as

a number of establishments in the Asia

Pacic region, including: The Fullerton

Bay, Singapore (Preferred); The Landis

Taipei, Taiwan (Preferred); Citrus Pune,

India (Summit) and the Mosaic, Naiad

India (Sterling).

Celebrating its 40th anniversary this

year, and recently awarded Platinum

Hotel Chain status with the American

Express Preferred Extras Hotel Program

2010, Worldhotels has announced

signicant growth in Asia-Pacic so far

in 2010. Of 29 new hotels with over

12,000 rooms welcomed to the group

internationally since January, Asia-Pacicaccounted for nearly half of th em. In

Japan, four RIGA Royal Hotels join as

afliates in Osaka, Tokyo, Kyoto and

Hiroshima. New heritage hotel, Hotel Fort

Canning, is the fourth Singapore hotel

in the portfolio, joining Good wood Park

Hotel, Carlton Hotel Singapore and York

Hotel Singapore. Styled after the famous

Potable Palace in Lassa, the Tibet Hotel

Changed becomes the rst hotel in South

West China to join Worldhotels. Marking

the seventh afliate in Shanghai, new

lifestyle hotel Yue Shanghai has joined as

the First Class Collection afliate. Central

Hotel Shanghai, Grand Central Shanghai,

New World Mayfair, The Eton Hotel,

The Seagull on the Bund, and The Ever

bright International Hotel are the other

properties ve of which are offering ‘Expo

Special’ room deals for guests visiting

World Expo 2010. The Furama Hotel

Dalian becomes the rst 5-star hotel in

North East China to join Worldhotels,

whose recent Asian road show visited

Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai and

Tokyo, allowing almost 1,000 clients to

network and make presentations with

key travel management companies,

MICE organizers, American Express and

Carlson Wagon-lit Travel and corporate

clients. Across the water and Australia’s

portfolio was meanwhile boosted by the

addition of two famous casino hotels

operated by gaming and entertainment

group Tabcorp: Brisbane’s Treasury

Casino & Hotel and Jupiters Hotel &

Casino on Queensland’s Gold Coast. Afliate hotels scooped a clutch of

gongs at the recent China Hotel Golden

Star Awards. Top honours went to

Furama Hotel Dalian, The Garden Hotel

Guangzhou, Hotel Kunlun in Beijing,

Jianguo Hotel Beijing and Central Hotel

Shanghai.

Asia leads IHGinto positive rst halInterContinental Hotel Group’s half yearly gures are in showing a total gross revenue

from all hotels of US$8.9bn, an increase of nine percent at constant currency; a rst

half RevPAR growth of 3.9 percent and a second quarter RevPAR growth of 7.4

percent, which takes into account a 0.5 percent rate decline.

Within the 148 hotels added to the IHG portfolio were 19,003 rooms bringing the

total to 4,503 hotels and 656,661 rooms an increase of 4 percent with anot her 130

hotels signed up taking the pipeline to 197,431 rooms, in 1,302 h otels. The company’s

interim dividend was up ve percent to 12.8 US cents, helped by the successful sale

of an Atlanta property for US$105m. This is in line with the strategy to reduce capital

intensity (IHG is on track to maintain the US$75m of sustainable savings achieved in

2009 across regional and central costs and managed and franchised cost of sales).

IHG’s July data shows (on global constant currency) a RevPAR growth of 8.1

percent breaking down to 6.4 percent for the Americas; 10.0 percent for EMEA

and 15.0 percent in Asia Pacic. Of the group’s total estate, 76 percent is under the

Holiday Inn ag now with recently relaunched properties performing “better thanexpected” and 75,000 rooms under construction (21,000 of whi ch expected to open

in the remainder of this year). Concentrating on the rapidly expanding China market

means 148 hotels in the development pipeline over 50 percent of which comprise

upscale brands.

IHG says Asia is leading the economic recovery with its Greater China RevPAR

gures up 29.4 percent in the half. Throughout Asia, operating prot increased 106

percent to US$35m (94 percent CE*). Franchised hotels’ operating prot increased

US$1m to US$3m. Managed hotels’ operating prot grew 76 percent to US$30m

(65 percent CER) primarily driven by 31.2 percent RevPAR growth across IHG’s

managed operations in Greater China and 12 percent rooms growth across the

region. Operating prot at owned and leased hotels increased 27 percent to US$14m

reecting RevPAR growth of 16.5 percent at InterContinental Hong Kong.

Meanwhile, IHG and Osaka Station North Yard Development Project – a 24 hectare

“special zone for urban development” – have agreed the group may open a luxury

hotel and high-end residences building. This marks th e debut of the InterContinental

brand in Osaka and the debut of InterContinental residences in Japan. Both the hotel

and residences are scheduled to open in 2013.

In other group news, tailor-made

business initiatives appear to be

paying dividends. Global 'recession

buster' measures entitled ‘High 5’

have driven short-term business whilean extensive booking incentive for

MICE professionals for selected global

corporate partners offers a special

rate guaranteed at ve, ten or 15 per

cent better than the best available rate

(BAR) for contracted, as well as non-

contracted, destinations. The group

also has a rewards programme for MICE

agents to earn gift vouchers or make a

donation to a charitable cause.

The rst collection of independent

hotels to launch a dedicated programmefor small and medium-sized enterprises

(SMEs), the Worldhotels Travel Select

programme of preferential rates via a

designated booking engine is also a

comprehensive reporting tool, making

it easy for companies to keep track of

accommodation expenses.

New Preferred member the Fullerton Bay in Singapore

China Hotel Golden Star winner the Furama Hotel Dalian

* Constant Exchange Rate

Asia is the driver of IHG’s growth, including projects such as the OsakaStation North Yard Development (Artist’s impression)


AHCT sptmr 2010

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Once considered rabies free, the

Indonesian island of Bali continues to

struggle with an outbreak of the disease

rst reported in late 2008. As more

nations issue travel alerts to the tourist

destination, attempts to control the

rabies epidemic have proved ineffective.

Contrary to World Health Organization

(WHO) recommendations, the

Indonesian government has carried out a

widespread culling campaign killing more

than 200,000 stray canines. Australia

based group, Bali Street Dog Fund has

been vaccinating dogs. However, it’s

the human vaccine that is now causing

concern as supplies run dangerously

low and six of the eight island regencies

have no supplies left with little chance

of the poor inhabitants able to travel to

get their shots. Over the next few weeks,

the WHO will ship 18,000 vials of anti-

rabies vaccine to Bali to help address theproblem. The Indonesian government

has allocated Rp7 billion (US$777,000)

to purchase anti rabies serum, and has

itself shipped 18,000 vials to Bali so by

the end of September there should be

enough vaccine available. Rabies kills

around 55,000 people each year mostly

children and 60 percent of the deaths

are from dog bites in Asia (Source: WHO

2010).

IN BRIEFThe Rachawadee Residence, the new

residential-style meetings and events

space at Four Seasons Resort Chiang

Mai, is scheduled for a mid-September

opening. Surrounded by working

rice elds and lush, tropical gardens,

Rachawadee Residence is named after

a fragrant Thai ower and reects the

traditional Lanna architecture of northern

Thailand. The open-plan Rachawadee

Residence is the rst of its kind in

Chiang Mai and targets the small and

medium-sized events market.

Professor Haiyan Song, Chair Professor

of Tourism and Associate Director of

the School of Hotel and Tourism

Management (SHTM) at The Hong

Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU),

has recently been honoured by the

International Council on Hotel, Restaurant

and Institutional Education (I-CHRIE)

with the John Wiley & Sons Lifetime

Research Achievement Award, which

recognizes an I-CHRIE member for

lifetime contributions to outstanding

scholarship and research in hospitality

and tourism. It is given to a distinguished

I-CHRIE member who has demonstrated

high standards in the systematic and

objective analysis of data that has l ed to

the development of principles or theories

resulting in a signicant contribution to

the body of knowledge. Professor Song

has a background in economics. His

main research areas include tourismeconomics, tourism impact assessment,

tourism project appraisal, and tourism

demand modelling and forecasting.

The Royal Group of Cambodia has unveiled plans to transform the island of Koh

Rong into Asia's rst environmentally planned resort destination. Following a 6-month

architectural study, the aim is to build a hi gh quality, sustainable tourism destination

having embraced every aspect from infrastructural development of an international

airport, marina, port and roads to proposed locations for resorts, hotels, golf courses,

shopping, restaurants, bars and entertainment. With a 5 year timetable for phase one

and a completion date 25 years from now, it will be the "rst environmentally planned

resort island in Asia". CBRE Thailand is the exclusive advisor and sole agent for

developing the island and The Royal Group has been granted a 99-year lease by the

Cambodian government to develop Koh Rong. The eco-model for Koh Rong is the

vision of The Royal Group chairman Kith Meng.

Saman Villas in Sri Lanka has re-opened

after complete refurbishment. As part of

Great Hotels of the World, the boutique

hotel underwent a major £580,000

(US$897,000) transformation programme

and now boasts a brand new look while

keeping a distinct Sri Lankan concept.

Sheraton Hotels & Resorts continues

its expansion momentum in Asia

Pacic, announcing an agreement with

Rockwood Hotels & Resorts Ltd. to

debut the Sheraton brand in the city of

lakes, Udaipur in India. The Rockwood

Palace Resort and Spa has been

re-branded as Sheraton Udaipur

Palace Resort & Spa and is managed

by Starwood Hotels & Resorts. With

another ve Sheraton hotels to open

in India over the next three years in

Bengaluru, Visakhapatnam, Chandigarh,

Mysore and Amritsar the hotel chain is

on track with plans to grow its portfolio

in India by 60 percent by 2013.

Meeting space at The Rachawadee Residence

Honouring Professor Song

Environmentally planned Cambodian resort


0 AHCT sptmr 2010

8/8/2019 AHCT Sept 2010


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• Household Management.

• The Art Of Valet Service.

• Exceptional Food & Beverage Training.

• Luxury Villa Training.• Royal Standards Of Service.

• Perfect Room Service.

• Teaching Others - Training Techniques.

Hotel guests are often sceptical about many of the hotel

industry’s green initiatives, says Lloyd’s Register Quality Assurance’s Vice President in Sustainability, Richard

Gunawan. He says that to create a deeper sense of

responsibility about protecting the environment, hotels need to “gainbuy-in” from their staff and also their guests.

Sustainable development must meet the needs of the present

generation without compromising the ability to meet the needs of future generations. At the heart of sustainable development are

environmental protection, economic development and social justice.

For the hotel industry this translates into building greener properties,and improving the quality of life for employees and local communities

to ensure that business will thrive and last.“Often a hotel’s green drive - that plants a forest or starts a

recycling drive or tries to cut down on laundry – can be seen as one-

off and short term,” says Gunawan.

“On the other hand, ISO 14001 is for the long-term and it’squantiable. When a hotel can measure results over a year, three years

and ve years, then it’s clear that the property is in environmental

management for the long-term.”

As one of the leading global companies engaged in assessing

and certifying business processes and products to internationallyrecognized standards, Lloyd’s Register works with hotels on

programmes that cover quality management and food hygiene too

such as ISO 9001, ISO 28000, plus ISO18001 on OHSAS, as wellas ISO 14001 which certies environment management systems.

Gunawan explains the strengths of ISO 4001: “Fundamentally

it shows the organization wants to make a difference – that theyare taking environmental issues seriously and that environmental

management is becoming part of the organization’s culture. This

More practical steps When a sustainable approach to hotel management starts delivering nancial savings even the most faint-hearted supporter of sustainable

development starts to sit up. Michael Hartmann, Senior Vice

President, Head Market Development Board Hospitality, Siemens AG, says hoteliers can make signicant inroads into their energy

consumption through actively adopting eco-responsible policies.

The Siemens approach is to develop a single point of contact model to manage the many factors that contribute

to the energy requirements of a hotel. By monitoring andcontrolling room automation, heating, ventilation, air

conditioning, security, re detection, power supply, IT,

lighting, water consumption and guest services Siemens’solution focus is on maximizing building efciency and

guest comfort.

Products such as Siemens One, address the challengeof integrating the different functions in building

management so that the very latest information is available

on demand, in the right place and at the right time, even

on mobile devices.

Connecting with communities Along with developing systems that are moreenvironmentally friendly and ensuring properties are

more economically sustainable by keeping energy costs down, the

third critical element sustainable development relates directly toa property’s relationship with local communities, nature and the

environment.

Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts, which is working towardsISO 14001 certication for all its properties, also supports some

remarkable local environmental projects. All its resorts participate

Green-washing builds cynicismin both staff and guests, whichmay damage the brand, so howcan hotels convince stakeholdersthey are sincere? Ruth Williams investigates

will increase prole and improve reputation and it also drives

staff retention. Staff are hard to kid. They may be cynical of aproperty’s ‘green laundry’ scheme, but this is different — having

this certication shows that an organization is formally trying to

do the right thing.”

Greener propertiesUnited States-based Sustainable Travel International also offers acertication designed to demonstrate luxury hotels’ commitment

to sustainability.“The Luxury Eco Certication Standard (LECS) has set a

new precedent in the luxury accommodation sector. An increasing

number of ve-star hoteliers around the world are applying for eco-certication. They’ve excelled in quality an d service and now want

to demonstrate their commitment to helping to safeguard the natural

and cultural heritage of our planet for future generations,” explains

Brian T. Mullis, President.The LECS standard consists of 100 environmental and social

criteria divided into ve sections: policy and documentation, energy

conservation, water conservation, re cycling and community. TabacónGrand Spa Thermal Resort in Arenal, Costa Rica a member of

The Leading Hotels of the World (LHW) recently completed LECS

certication and several other LHW members are slated to complete

the inspection process this year.

All LECS applicants are required to undertake a third partyassessment through global certication agency Leading Quality

Assurance (LQA). The process of becoming LECS eco-certied is

challenging and requires a serious commitment on behalf of the

hotel applicant. “The programme is more focused on macro issueslike supply chain and waste management,” notes Mullis.

Selling

sustainability

Kelly Francklin fromSustainable Smiles (Second L) joins with Indigo Pearl staff to

develop green ideas

Indigo Pearl staff are keen toparticipate in green initiatives

Richard Gunawan –taking the certiedapproach

Two Shangri-La properties in Penang areinvolved in river clean up campaigns

Dugongs swim in the waters off Malaysian Borneo

P h o t o g r a p h y c o u r t e y o f s h a n g r i - l a

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In Phuket independent ve-star hotel Indigo Pearl has opted

to work with the international Sustainable Smiles movement and

its President Kelly Francklin to promote environmental, social and

economic sustainability among local communities. Well-known for

its creative re-use of relics of Phuket’s tin mining industry, IndigoPearl’s rst initiative is an environmental education project for over

150 students at two local schools.Day to day, Indigo Pearl is also working hard to maintain the

nearby Nai Yang Beach, and General Manager Arnaud Girodon

says management is highly committed to the sustainable initiativesand getting staff excited about green programmes is not a challenge

for Indigo Pearl.

“After the beach clean up, we are able to sell the recyclable items. With the little money we made we organized a call party for the staff

to thank them for their efforts,” notes Arnaud.

“We also organize a larger monthly clean up of the same beachfrom April to October inviting other hotels and businesses in the

community to join. We realize that we all share the same goals: to

keep our beautiful beach as beautiful as possible for tourists and wellthe locals to enjoy now and for the years to come.”

in the Sanctuary project aimed at ensuring the highest standards

in marine and terrestrial habitat restoration and environmentalconservation.

In Malaysia two Shangri-Las in Penang are involved with

river clean-up projects and protecting the habitats of parrots andgiant squirrels. Further south on Kota Kinabalu, the Shangri-La's

Rasa Ria Resort maintains a rainforest next to the resort as an

orangutan rehabilitation reserve while Shangri-La's Tanjung AruResort and Spa is involved in a project to protect dugongs. A recent

recipient of Malaysia’s Hibiscus Award for notable achievements in

environmental performance, Tanjung Aru is one of 34 Shangri-Lahotels and resorts with ISO 14001 certication.

iemens One solution is applicable to airports, hotels, hospitals, and entire districts such as New Wembley construction project in London pictured

e sale of items from a beach clean up funded a staff party at Indigo Pearl

“Often a hotel’sgreen drive can

be seen as one-off and short term,” Richard Gunawan

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Fairmont Hotels & Resorts is a leader in sustainable tourism andwas the rst major hotel group in North America to embrace

environmental stewardship in its daily operations through

the implementation of its own Green Partnership programme, a

comprehensive commitment to minimizing the operational impactsof its hotels on the pla net. This green philosophy has grown to

become a core brand value and Fairmont’s main corporate social

responsibility platform. With over 60 distinctive hotels around the globe, under the

leadership of the corporate environmental affairs division and

hotel-based Green Teams, over 30,000 Fairmont colleagues havebecome environmental ambassadors, helping protect the habitat,

resources and culture of the places where they, and their guests,

work, live and play.To ensure sustainable operations, Fairmont has embraced policies

that reduce waste, conserve water and energy, address climate change

and support sustainable communities.Their joint hotel and community projects — known as

‘Eco-Innovation’ signature projects — are designed to concentrate

their efforts to “think globally and act locally”. Through operationalimprovements environmental benets are realized, often through

reduced utilities consumption and best practices. Fairmont’s

sustainability efforts encompass everything from recycling and organicwaste diversion in the hotel’s kitchens to retrotting energy-efcient

lighting and protecting endangered species. They also include

such activities as redistribution of household goods and food tothose in need, purchasing green power and employing sustainable

energy technology.

In 2010, Fairmont celebrates its 20th Anniversary of the Green

Partnership programme. Sarah Dayboll, Manager, Environmental Affairs, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts commented that it is a celebration

of outstanding achievement for the brand: “We will continue toexpand our commitment to the environment, addressing new

challenges, while providing innovative sustainable solutions,

consistently improving our operations.” As part of its 20th anniversary celebration, Fairmont would like

to offer 30 AHCT readers a copy of “The Green Partnership Guide:

Practical Guide to Greening Your Hotel”. This guide is intendedto help hotels and resorts to start, and to continue, environmental

programmes at every property level. It offers practical tips, as well

as interesting environmental facts and lots of examples to see whatother Fairmont properties have done for idea inspiration.

To win a copy, nish this sentence in 100 words or less: “Green

initiatives are important to the hotel industry because...” and submitthe idea to [email protected], along with

your name, the property that you work for, job title and email address.The Grand Prize winner will also receive a 3Day/2Night packageprize for two to Fairmont Beijing (air tickets included).

The recently opened Fairmont Beijing is conveniently located

near the city's major cultural, shopping and business areas, including The Forbidden City, the imperial palace of the Ming and Qing

dynasties. For the ultimate in relaxation a visit to the three-level,

2,000-square-metre Willow Stream Spa, provides the ideal sky-highlevel rejuvenation experience.

Win a trip to Beijing!

Fairmont celebrates20 years of its GreenPartnershipProgramme

Competition Rules1) All entries must be submitted by November 1, 2010. Entry submission must include the name of the property that the participants work for as well as name, job title and

email address

2) All entries must be original and written by the participants. By entering the competition, participants thereby assign absolutely the copyright

3) Winning entries will be selected by the Fairmont Hotels & Resorts Green Partnership Programme committee based on, among other factors, (i) creativity and (ii) relevancy to

the hotel industry

4) Results will be announced and the top 3 entries published in the December 2010 issue of AHCT

5) Prizes are not transferable and no substitutions or exchanges (including for cash) of any prize will be permitted

6) All decisions from the Fairmont Hotels & Resorts are nal on all matters

7) The competition is not open to anyone working for Fairmont Hotels & Resorts or Thomson Press (HK) or their relatives

8) Personal data collected will be used for the purposes of the competition only

Sarah Dayboll, Manager,Environmental Affairs,Fairmont Hotels & Resorts

8/8/2019 AHCT Sept 2010


FRANCESCA Ltd, Central, Hong Kong

[email protected]

FRANCESCA was established in 2009 by SwissMaster Chocolatier, Cornelia Francesca Maeder.Based in Hong Kong, Cornelia created the

FRANCESCA brand to inspire the palate of thosewho appreciate the ner things in life.

Specializing in Grand Cru quality, the FRANCESCA collection of premium chocolate is handmade inSwitzerland and created with a deep awareness for

well-being and health.

FRANCESCA Services and opportunities forHotels and Catering Services:• We offer Chocolate Expertise and Chocolatier

Consulting• We offer premium Swiss chocolate delicacies for

your preferred occasion (rooms, spa, welcome

gift, chocolate appreciation classes andexclusive chocolate gift experiences)

• We offer more than 14 different avors of chocolate and respective recipes to create newmenus or innovate your current ones

• We offer access to Swiss Chocolatiers who cantrain your staff and help increase prots

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States that fuelled Malaysia's tourism

industry, an important foreign exchangeearner for the economy.

But with the United States facing a

double-dip recession and Europe's debtcrisis, Malaysia is shifting its strategy to

woo visitors from China, India, the MiddleEast and Oceania to ll its 5-star and 4-star

hotel rooms.

“I believe the Chinese and Indian

markets are largely untapped by Malaysia.They are a pot of gold,” said Shaharuddin M.

Saaid, Executive Director of the Malaysian

Association of Hotel Owners.“Chinese tourists love food and shopping

while, the Indians beside sightseeing keenly

shop for electrical and electronic goods.Chinese especially including, [those] from

Macau and Hong Kong, and Indian tourists

come in big groups.“India and China are newly booming

economies. It is a big tourism potential.

I have seen Indian tourists buying big electronic gadgets and computers in Kuala

Lumpur,” Shaharuddin notes, adding that

they mainly stay in 3- and 4-star and somein 5-star hotels.

In 2009 there was a steady rise of 7.4

percent Chinese visitors hitting 1,019,756compared to the previous year while Indian

tourist arrivals rose 7.1 percent to 589,838

during the same period. As for West Asia, there was a 61 percent

surge in tourists from Iran in 2009 to 101,664

from 2008.The focus on the new regions comes

as Malaysia is shifting its direction from

attracting mass, middle-income tourists tohigh-yield visitors.

Follow the moneyThe Malaysian Ministry of Tourism hopesto bring in 36 million tourists with US$53

billion in tourism receipts in 2020.

“We need quality tourists who willspend more and stay longer in the country,”

Shaharuddin said. “The two countries

[China and India] have a very big populationand there are many rich people there.”

For 2010, the ministry has a target of

US$17 billion in receipts from a projected

24 million visitor arrivals.Tourism brought in about US$16 billion

to the nation's coffers last year from a totalof 23.65 million tourist arrivals (2008: 22.05

million visitors).

Tourism Minister, Ng Yen Yen wants

Malaysia to capture a sizeable slice of thegrowing Chinese and Hong Kong market,

especially the luxury end as some 17 million

tourists from there travelled overseas last year.“The demand for luxury tourism has

increased for the past few years, especially

in China and Hong Kong, as many of theirtravellers are looking for quality holidays

rather than cheap products with poor

service,” Ng says, believing Malaysia standsa good chance of getting more tourist

arrivals from Hong Kong and China this

year who want to experience “luxurious

lifestyles” during their travels: “We mustbuild ourselves up as the beauty of Malaysia

and our fascinating heritage allows us to offera diversity of sophisticated products such as

golng, spa retreats as well as art tourism.”

Shaharuddin said Malaysia must attemptto bring in the famous and fabulous such as

Kung Fu stars Jackie Chan and Jet Li and

Bollywood star Shahrukh Khan to boost

Malaysia's image as a major destination.“Why can't we attract tourists who

pay US$35,000 dollars a night to visit the

sun-soaked beaches of paradise islands, the Atlantis Hotel, the Bahamas and Dubai?”

he asks.

Island life Andrew Steele, General Manager at Shangri-

La's Tanjung Aru Resort & Spa in easternSabah state on Borneo island conrms its

new emerging markets are China, Middle

East and Russia.

“Our average occupancy is 70 percentover the past ve years with our key markets

being Hong Kong, UK, Australia, China and

Korea,” Steele says. Asked about the different needs of Asian

and European guests, Steele said European

guests enjoy relaxing in the resort while Asianguests prefer spending their time out of the

resort and engaged in sightseeing. The needsbetween the two are vastly different and

vary in terms of length of stay and overall

expenses in the resort.“When serving the needs of an Asian

guest, one must always remember to practice

Guests from China, India and the Middle East arereplacing dwindling numbers of visitors from Europe and

the United States, reports Muuniandy Jegathesan

Malaysia looks

to new source

markets

The tourism industry is a majorincome earner for Malaysia and

as stellar performances by the

Chinese and Indian economiesare generating outbound tourists with lots of

spending capacity, Malaysia is placing itself

as a potential destination with the tagline:“Malaysia truly Asia”. Offering more new

top class hotels for example, in the heart of Malaysia’s capital Kuala Lumpur, a stone’s

throw from the iconic Petronas Twin Towers,

and next to the Kuala Lumpur ConventionCentre, the much-awaited premium 5-star

Grand Hyatt is taking shape, with an opening date yet to be conrmed, Grand Hyatt is

expected to offer about 400 rooms while the

Rafes Hotels & Resorts will open at Pavilion

Kuala Lumpur in 2011 with 200 rooms. Thecountry is also parading itself as a shopping

paradise with the Suria KLCC and Starhill

malls front and centre.

Continental shift In the past it was tourists from the traditional

source markets of Europe and the United

Andrew Steele, General Manager atShangri-La Tanjung Aru Resort and Spa

New properties are joiningthe well-establishedcity centre Mandarin

Oriental, Kuala Lumpur(Photograph from 2005)

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“We must invent new tourist products

to bring in high yield tourists. We are nowcompeting with emerging regional countriessuch as Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos. If we

are not careful we will lose our tourists tothese countries,” he warned.

According to Malaysian Association

of Hotel Owners figure s last year, hotelsin Malaysia averaged a 60 plus percent

occupancy due to global economic

problems while average 5-star room rateswere low at 350 to 380 ringgit per night

(US$110-119).

But in July this year, most of the 5-starhotels in Kuala Lumpur hit 90 percent

occupancy as Asian tourists come back in

big groups.

Spending powerShaharudin said last year, an average touristper capita expenditure was 2,756 ringgit(US$867) staying in the country for about

seven days.

“We need to make them spend morethan 3,000 ringgit (US$943) and remain

in the country for at least 10 days,”

Shaharuddin contests, believing. Malaysiacould launch new top end consumer

products like fashion leather bags and

jewellery to woo big spenders from India,China, the Middle East and other countries.

“It is important that we identify a nd know

what products the high profile touristsusually shop for and spend their good

money on when they go overseas.

“The Chinese andIndian markets are

largely untappedby Malaysia. Theyare a pot of gold”

haharuddin M. Saaid Can these shores attract the US$35,000-a-night guest currently patronizing Dubai or the Caribbean?

Mountain view room at Shangri-La Tanjung Aru Resort and SpaLuxury product – the Presidential Suite at Shangri-La Tanjung Aru Resort and Spa

respect, trust and recognition,” he said, going on to say European guests tend to stay longer

in the hotel and spend more money especiall y

when dining and making recreationaldecisions compared to Asian tourists.

Other 5 Star hotels in Sabah indude SuteraHarbour Resort, Nexus Resort Karambunai,

Shangri-La's Rasa Ria Resort and Hyatt

Regency Kinabalu while at the 4-star level areLe Meridien and Promenade Hotel.

Middle East tourists are back in big

numbers in 2010 following 2009’s swineu scare.

Last year, Malaysia attracted 284,890

visitors from the Middle East region with agrowth of 7.8 pe rcent over 2008, at 264,338.

The target for 2010 is 300,000.

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access control without the need for expensive hard wiring with its

Virtual Network data on card technology. It recently introduced a

real-time battery powered wireless system, which controls all the doorsin a building from one central location and can monitor network

access, delete key cards and download audit trail information.The company says their in-room energy saving device (ESD)

helps save up to 65 percent of a hotel room’s electricity consumptionand unlike standard (magnetic stripe) energy savers, only authorized

Salto key cards will switch on the lights. Any other card (frequent

yer, business card, etc) or other Salto cards belonging to other rooms

will not activate the lights.This is also available in a connected on-line version, which as

well as energy saving indicates, in real time, the presence of guests or

staff in a room, logging the information directly into the hotel PC. When a guest enters the room and inserts their card into the ESD it

switches on all electrical equipment. When hotel staff enter the room

for cleaning or maintenance, the ESD recognizes their staff card andswitches on only the electrical equipment they

need to do their work.

David Rees, Asia Pacific Regional

Manager of Salto Systems, says: “Our EnergySaving Devices are offered in a number of

formats. They are available with one or tworelays: the second relay is normally reserved

for aircon and TV, which the housemaids andporters do not have access to, only the rst

relay which controls the lights and general

power. The second relay can also be set to

switch off if a window is left open, so theenergy for the aircon isn’t wasted.”

Salto also offers hoteliers a “set back

thermostat” which is often used in theUnited States.

Says Rees: “This is where the hotel

operator wants the air con temperatureto stay within a particular range. This

helps to minimize the stress on the air con

equipment when people come into theirroom, select the coldest temperature and set

the fan to maximum.

“In Vietnam we have a very largepercentage of new resorts and hotels using the

online Energy Saving Devices to enable room

and maintenance staff to report items in theroom which need attention (lighting, plumbing,

mini bar, etc) and also know when th e room is

occupied by the guest, in real time.”

Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies sayits Cisa Wave Mode contactless lock offers 95percent of the benets of a hardwired system

at a fraction of the cost and is environmentally-

friendly before it has even been installed.

Celia Feng, Electronic Locks & HospitalityProduct Manager, Asia Pacific, says: “Our

electronic hotel locks are made from recycled

material. Also, they have a special surface thatcombines dust-protection and waterproong

which prolongs the lock life - especially useful for

rooms or suites that are exposed to the elements.Our Cisa Wave Mode wireless intelligent

hotel lock has the same lock cylinder as other

Cisa hotel locks, which means it is easy to replacethe locks without re-digging or replacing the

door. Undoubtedly, this savesmuch in manpower costs as

well as being better for the

environment in terms of waste.”

Another unique function

of the Cisa Wave Mode wirelessintelligent hotel lock, according to

Ingersoll is the “Do Not Disturb”

feature integrated in the lock itself.Says Feng: “This saves time

and costs in separate searching,

purchasing and installation of anothersystem. [While] our master key system

for hotel security and safety works

by authorizing staff for different areas,thus improving management

efciency as well as saving

costs on key quantity.”

Savings on the cardSwiss-headquartered Kaba Group has green

key cards which are made of biodegradabl e

materials and there’s been a lot of interestin them from Asian hotels: “We have seen

interest in the green keycards from every

geographical region,” explains Dena Reyes,Marketing Communications Manager, Kaba

Lodging Systems. “Our customers, and their

guests, understand that it is important to reducewaste and to select environmentally friendly

products and materials wherever possible.

We offer keycards made from corn, which is arenewable resource and is biodegradable.”

The company also offers keycards made

from 100 percent recycled PVC andRFID cards made from PET plastic,

“a greener type of plastic,” Reyes says.

The locks also, “interface with a numberof Energy Management Systems, including

InnCom” to help regulate and control roomtemperature, for example. Reyes again: “We offer

the Saok Messenger System, a bi-directional

wireless communication network that operateson the internationally accepted ZigbBee Prostack

protocol. It converts standalone battery-operated

door locks into a bi-directional communication

device. An important component of Messenger is the MessengerLock Event Notication System (LENS) that relays information

in real-time as it occurs at the lock. LENS enables properties tocustomize job-specic proles, the type of notications that are

received for these proles, and also the notication delivery method,

that includes email, SMS, XML web service adaptors, or postings toa web page.” Additionally, the Kaba group deploys keycard return

programmes to reuse keycards and cut down on plastic waste; a

number of corporate e nvironmental responsibility programmes,including ROHS certications and LEED certication; Sustainability

Charta, and Powerstar Technology: “[This is] a technology used

in commercial systems to offer locks that never need their batteriesreplaced the lever movement powers the locks,” explains Reyes.

Obviously, locking systems designed to maximize guest comfort,increase security and staff efciency while offering environmentally

friendly solutions can only be advantageous to hoteliers.

Ving’s Signature RFID system

A solution from Saok

Saok promotesthe benets of

technology

t E C h n o l o g y

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today people pay far more attention to good

bathroom design, “in public and commercial

spaces” as well as their own homes. “Tostand out from the crowd in the long run,

more and more architects and designers usespecial, distinctive and functional products,

especially in hotel projects and even for the

public spaces. While the interior designer ispredominantly involved when the bathroom

space is discussed, the design of a hotel

bathroom is considered at the architecturalstage, too. In great buildings, both public

and private, the bathroom design is not

accidental. At commercial projects suchas big hotels, it’s a key factor customers

are looking for because it can enhance a

building’s style and architecture.”Duravit’s ethos to provide maximum

variety for individual washing areas means

new trends such as round, angular or oval

basins are supported by furniture consolesavailable in a range of dimensions and

finishes. The range has recently beenupdated to include consoles just 36 cm

deep instead of the usual 55 cm, which the

company says, opens up new possibilities forplanning bathrooms. In widths from 900 to

1800 mm with either one or two drawers

and in a variety of heights, Duravit vanityunits can be tted either to the left, right or

on both sides. Cut-to-size consoles ranging in

width from 80 to a maximum of 200 cm and,on request, even 270 cm, and with a depth

of 55 cm are user friendly, even for largerbathrooms or those with difcult layouts.

Painted surfaces are currently the latest thing

in interior design, Duravit contends and

it’s a trend that has made its way into thebathroom, says the company. “Above all els e,

this bathroom season is gleaming! Whereas,

a few years ago, paint was still something fordedicated followers of fashion, it has today

become an everyday feature so that even

the most functional bathroom furnishingsnow make a modern statement. This gives

bathrooms a completely new dimension. A

whole range of matching mirrors and mirror

cabinets, either with or without lighting, addsthe nishing touch to the perfect bathroom

furnishings.”

Spoilt for choice As part of this evolution sanitaryware now

comes in an almost endless variety of shape s,sizes, styles and colours to suit all installation

requirements. German manufacturer Grohe

notes while the choice of tile and coloursets the tone for the bathroom it’s the

ttings that determine the design style. For

example, “Graphic shapes give a clean look to a contemporary setting while Art Deco

pedestal basins add an element of g randeur

to traditional bathrooms,” a companyspokesman says. Signalling a move away

from the all-white movement the company

Public spacewashrooms have longbeen temples to darkwood and marble.Zara Horner saysdesigners need to startthinking outside thecubicle

has noted stone, glass and resin have become

increasingly popular, adding another layer of

texture and colour to public washroom areas.“Planning bathroom facilities for the hotel

sector poses particular challenges,” Groheadmits. “Whether for a weekend break,

family holiday or business trip guests expect

their requirements to be met. Immaculatehygiene is not considered a luxury but

standard. [While] quality is of the essence

when it comes to keeping guests happy, forhotel operators cost efciency is top priority.”

While conceding space can be an issue when

designing public space washrooms, Grohe’sspokesman says it’s imperative these areas

should be straightforward, inviting, andreect the hotel’s specic design. “The smart

money is on creative solutions especially

where space is at a premium and in places

where people keep coming and going -

planners must place special emphasis onhygiene.” Suggesting a bright, friendly,

clear design makes public bathrooms look

more inviting, Grohe goes on to point out

that water and energy saving devices alsoincrease the comfort of guests while ensuring the cost efciency and competitiveness of the

hotel. Other considerations include: water

renewal being set as swift as possible and theprevention of backow, and stagnant areas to

reduce potential intrusion of contaminants

into the system.

Everyman … and womanHotel bathrooms have to cater for a wide

variety of different demands. They need

to adapt to the requirements of all usersincluding men and women (according to

the British Toilet Association, for example

women take twice as long in the l avatory thanmen) children, parents with babies, elderly

and handicapped guests. As such designers

FOR THE

PUBLIC’S

CONVENIENCE

While most people shy away

from discussing bodilyfunc t i ons ( thank fu l ly )

everyone is quick to recall

a clean and aesthetically pleasing publiclavatory. There are even websites dedicated

to those deemed worthy of a visit.

A really well designed and cared forpublic toilet is a rare and welcome discovery

so even though hotel guests now expect

their guestroom bathrooms to be an oasisof clean luxury, nding the same attention

to detail paid to those conveniences within

the hotel public space is known to make agreat impression on guests, and leave them

with a positive opinion of the establishment.

But has this affected how hotel operators view these areas?

Up until fairly recently bathrooms

were relegated to second place as far as

design was concerned and the publicconveniences were even further down the

priorities list. Today bathrooms perfectlyreect design evolution and designers are

turning the bathroom into an experience

of the senses imbued with artistic air and

value. For those at Kohler, the focus is on“people not things”. A company webcast

outlines its ‘universal design’ concept where

designers are encouraged to rebel againstthe traditional dictates of when, where

and how people should relieve themselves

concentrating instead on enabling thesatisfaction of physical needs while also

providing a pleasant experience. Ensuring

emotional needs are addressed as well ashygiene considerations is a priority, notes

the company.

All change

Meanwhile, “Duravit is working with hotels[all] over the world and I can say that many

hotels have said no to conformity and

uniform furnishings,” says Agnes Shum,Marketing & PR Manger Asia Pacific.

“Generally, you can observe that, in the

sanitaryware area, ‘off-the-peg’ toilets havelong since had their day. With creations by

Sieger Design, Philippe Starck, Norman

Foster, Phoenix Design, EOOS and manyother high-prole designers more and more

individual bathroom visions are realized

for individual architectural projects. Hotelsmake sure their high standards of design

[are] met in every detail of t he building,including the public bathroom.”

Ignoring the ubiquitous ‘dark wood and

marble’ theme of yes teryear, Shum says

Duravit’s Starck 3 design gives better access to the disabled

Philippe Starck – the French designer hashelped change the way we see bathrooms

Toto’s Neorest ushing system helps save water

Auto sensor faucets from Toto save water

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developing technologies to “make everydaylife more comfortable,” says Sharon Wong,

Senior Marketing Executive, environmental

impact is at the forefront of the companyethos. “We have developed Ecopower - aqua

auto and efciency ushing technologies

for water closets and urinals for energy andwater saving,” Wong explains. Supplying

only that which the user requires, “The ow

are imbuing these areas with a special

status as a vehicle for artistic expressionand corporate values. “Individuality is the

keyword,” Duravit’s Shum says. “However,individuality also means unlimited freedomof movement for all. Without exception or

restrictions with no ifs and buts. This means it

demands a design that is not only affordablefor many people but that can also be used in

comfort by all. Therefore, public bathroom

solutions should include solutions that tendmore towards barrier-free applications such

as the Starck 3 designer range. The comfortoor-standing WC has a 10cm higher seat,

thus offering greater comfort for people

who have just undergone a hip operation,

for example. For wheelchair users, there

is a disabled-friendly washbasin and awall-mounted WC that meet current DIN

standards 18024/II and 18025/I+II. With

all products, expediency is always combinedwith high requirements in terms of design,

function and quality.”

Meeting the requirements of guestsis not enough for Japanese manufacturer,

Toto. While the company concentrates on

of water spins the high efciency turbine to

both create and store power. As each turn of

the turbine powers and re-charges the aqua

auto system, Toto has eliminated the ne ed forhardwiring or routine battery replacement.

We put all the effort into eliminating waste

while reducing maintenance and the cost of operation so as to provide more performance

and more function with fewer resources and

lower cost.” While concentrating on theaesthetics of their products the company

takes pride in the fact their sanitarywareuses signicantly less water than standard

units - from 12 or 6 litres to 4.5 or 3 litres.

“Our goal [is] to optimize water conservationand set a high bar in ushing performance.”

Since it was established in 1917, one

of Toto’s main missions has been to create

environmentally friendly products. “Thelatest one, Neorest helps people to enjoy

every single moment in the bathroom

with simplicity and the refinement of tranquility while saving the world,” Wong

enthuses. “Neorest saves water and energy

without compromise on comfort. With thetornado ushing system water rushes out

directly from the nozzle within the bowl like

whirlpools so as to wash the entire innersurface perfectly [while] using low volume

ushing. It helps to save approximately 61

percent water consumption per year.” Tomaintain high standards of hygiene, the

company’s latest stain-proong technology,

CeFiONtect, is a newly-developed glaze witha super-smooth surface. “It provides a stain

resistant surface and makes Neorest more

easy to clean, plus lasts semi-permanently.” With heating functions, soft lighting, hands-

free lid opening, full wireless remote control

resulting in an oscillating comfort cleanse,automatic and adjustable wand positioning

and cleaning and a warm air dryer, “Neorest

will radically change the way you think [about] bathrooms,” Wong says.

Future hotelier problem?: Getting people

out of the bathroom!

Duravit-designed sinks displace wood and marble

Slate and white, Duravit’scontemporary take on the

bathroom

n and comfortable – the urinals arehilippe Starck for Duravit

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Flavorsomecombinations

Ada Leung, founder of Cottage

Vineyards , has been continuing her

mission to match food and wine for an

expanding Hong Kong audience.

Most recently the wine distributor

organized a dinner to showcase the

wines of Frederic Lornet from the

French region of Jura. Bordering

Switzerland, the area is known for some

oxidized wines with a distinct walnut

characteristic and also for its unique

grape varieties Savagnin, Trousseau

and Ploussard. The eight courses of

modern yet rustic cuisine – think trout

carpaccio or yellow wine chicken pot-

au-feu with vanilla and wild mushrooms

– were paired with some of Jura’s mostdistinctive wines. Vin de Paille is made

from grapes dried in straw and has a

strong raisin avour. The Macvin is made

from a late-harvest grape related to

Gewurztramminer that is fortied with a

locally-distilled marc (a French equivalent

to grappa).

One of the main characteristics of

Jura wines is the mineral character the

grapes take from the glacial murrain in

which they grow.

When Nicola Jaboulet came to Asia

to promote his young wine concern

Maison Nicolas Perrin he chose to

match his Rhone valley wines with food from the region.

The story behind the house is the story of two winemaking

families from opposite ends of the Rhône valley meeting and

deciding to produce wine in an old-fashioned way. Calling

themselves a “boutique negociant”, the company buys wines

from small local producers and blends them itself, using what

Nicolas Jaboulet told AHCT are “some old-fashioned, less well-

known techniques.”

Jaboulet comes from Hermitage

in the north of the valley while his

business partners in the Perrin

family come from the appellation of

Chateauneuf du Pape.

The wines are from the north only,

taking advantage of the steep, granite-

strewn slopes that reect heat on to ali

sides of the grape as they ripen.

The house currently only produces

small volumes of a Shiraz and whites

from Marsane, Roussanne and

Viognier grapes but has ambitious

plans for expansion.

Ross Chan of Asian Vintnersalso

recently hosted a small wine dinner

at which he explained the principles

behind matching the apparently

unlikely combination of French wines

and Chiu Chow cooking, with its rich,

salty, garlicky and oily avours. The Chiu Chow are a shing tribe

and seem to like food that is as salty

as the sea. Matching this level of salt

requires wines that are medium to full

bodied in style and fruity. Preserved

soy braised goose breast, which is

salty, gamey and needs to be dipped

into a garlic vinegar to cut through

its richness works well with unoaked

Chateau Tour de Mirambeau La

Reserve Rouge by Despagne 2007.

As this is 80 percent Merlot and 10

percent each of Cabernet Sauvignon

and Cabernet Franc it is very easy

drinking and fruit forward with a soft texture.

It also pairs well with braised pig intestines.

An oaked Le Grand Cros Nectar Cotes de Provence Rouge

2002, which is 90 percent Cabernet Sauvignon and 10 percent

Syrah/Grenache proved more than capable of standing up to

a traditional salty oyster omelette and whelk dipped in hoi sin

seafood sauce.

Award-winningwhiskyFour expressions of whisky from small, family-owned distillery

Glenfarclas took four awards at the recent International Wine &

Spirit Competition.

The Glenfarclas 12 years old and 25 years old both took

Gold and Best in Class, while the 17 years old t ook a Silver and

the 105 Cask Strength (105º proof) took both a Silver and a

Best in Class.

The secret is in the ageing, the distillery’s Director of Sales &

Marketing Robert Ransom told AHCT at a recent tasting.

The pot liquor, which is about the same strength as the

Cask Strength whisky, has a nose of pears and cherries and

very little avour. This is the spirit that was drunk in Scotland

before middle class people introduced the sherry and the

State o exclusivityNo amount of culinary skill, pleading or Michelin stars will get

a chef into the Club Des Chefs Des Chefs if one qualication is

lacking – the 30 members must cook for a head of state.

The chefs surely operate the most hygiene conscious

kitchens in the world – imagine the consequence if they

poisoned their diners!

Last month 22 members of the club came to the Mandarin

Oriental, Hong Kong for a gala dinner at which each chef hosteda table of eight, answering some of diners’ queries about the

eating habits of the world’s elite. Chefs for monarchs, presidents

and prime ministers from countries as far apart geographically

and politically as the United States, Britain, Russia and South

Africa were present. Asian chefs included those for the h eads of

state of Sri Lanka, China (four of them) and Thailand.

The gala dinner menu was designed by Uwe Opocensky,

Executive Chef of the Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong and diners

were treated to:

spra

Olive, Sesame, Oil

crp f

Fried Garoupa, Chinese Wine Vinegar

Pk dk

Wafe

Ta

Chicken Broth, Chervil, Gold, Flower, Tea Bag

Starwood introduceseMenus toolStarwood Hotels & Resorts have introduced menus accessible

as web pages as a convenience with a green pay-off for

meeting and event planners.

The eMenus give planners direct access to banquet and

catering menus either at starwoodmeetings.com or via links in

emails and proposal documents, eliminating the need for large

attachments and the possibility of email being incorrectly ltered

as spam.

The electronic process eliminates some paper use. “Not

only are eMenus more environmentally sound than paper

menus, they can be viewed by anyone, anywh ere with access

to the internet,” said Alison Taylor, Vice President of Sales for

Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Asia Pacic.

bourbon barrel.

The Cask

Strength whisky has

an element aged 10

years in bourbon

barrels, which is

light in colour and

obviously greatly

more developed

in avour than pot

liquor. The other

component is whisky

aged for 10 years

in sherry barrels for

a darker colour and

fruitier, spicier avour.

The family has

also been setting

aside a small volume

of distinctive whisky

for limited release since the 1960s, with whiskies dating from

the early 1950s to 1994. The Malt Vault in Singapore, Bar

Nemo in Tokyo and the Pan Pacic in Bangkok are the only

bars in Asia that have a complete series. Walter Gerrard, Brand

Promotions Manager at Hong Kong and Macau distributor Fine

Vintage (Far East) calculates that at retail prices a complete set

of one bottle from each year costs £17,000 (US$26,220).

The whisky has found favour with Scottish chefs Graham

Harvey and Sheila McConachie, authors of The Whisky Kitchen

and owners of the Craggan Mill restaurant.

bar ck

Lotus Leaf, Chinese Mushroom, Preserved Vegetable, Shell

Butterfy

Raspberry, Chocolate, Hazelnut

Araa c r st Ta

br ca

Glutinous Rice Dumpling with Custard, Caramel Apple,

Pineapple Puff, Chilled Mango Pudding

Jura wines come under the Arbois appellation

Chiu Chow braised pigs intestines

The avour’s in the barrel

Award-winning 105 Cask Strength whisky

Chefs to the chiefs

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The world’s olive oil exporters are looking at t he Chinese

market for their product and they like what they see.

According to a report commissioned by theInternational Olive Council, China’s olive oil

consumption may – at some 16,400 tons in 2009 – lag

well behind Italy’s 750,000 tons but is due to quadruple to 63,000tons in 2012.

Olive oil consumers t the prole of most Chinese consumers

of imported Western goods. The age range of consumers is 30-45,and they tend to be from wealthier families with a higher educational

background and a desire to adapt to some extent to a Western lifestyle.Such consumers mostly live in the greater Beijing, Shanghai andGuangzhou areas.

Olive oil consumption is growing in Hong Kong too.

One company picking up on growing interest in China and otherparts of Asia is Australia’s Cobram Estate.

“We are currently only selling into the retail market in China,

however we are about to launch into the foodservice marketplace.This will initially be in the key markets of Shang hai, Beijing,

Guangzhou and Changsha. We sell into foodservice in Thailand and

are launching in Bali foodservice this month,” says the company’sExport Development Manager Ashley Read.

The message that Asia’s consumers are picking up on is that oliveoil is a high quality product with signicant health benets.

One chef who has taken that message to heart is Jaako Sorsa,

Executive Chef at Finds Scandinav ian restaurant in Hong Kong andPresident of the local chapter of the Disciples d’Escofer.

Travelling chef Chef Jaakko’s take on Scandinavian food is very contemporary andsubstitutes the butter and cream rich sauces of Nordic cooking with

lighter olive oil-based sauces and marinades. The chef explores them

further in his book Scapas – Dining , which has been nominated for an Australian award as best hardcover recipe book.

The Finnish chef rst started using olive oils early in his career in

Helsinki but his knowledge expanded exponentially when he servedfor a year as a peacekeeper in the Finnish United Nations contingent

in southern Lebanon.The chef uses an Italian olive oil for marinades and cooking,

often marinading meats in a mix of oil, mustard and herbs. Themustard helps tenderize the meat as it is full of vinegars but theolive oil and herbs bring the avour. The marinade is good for most

meats but best on lamb. As a nishing oil the chef uses Spanish Amarilla de Ronda brand

olive oils, originally made by nuns and now by the Gomez de Baeza

family. There are two oils – mild, light Suave and the extremely

intense Intenso.Chef Jaakko is still hunting out good olive oils and on a recent

trip to Italy came back with a real treasure – Castello di Verrazzano

from Chianti country. The oil has fruity and vegetal aromas and aslightly spicy, artichoke heart avour.

Italy is famously the biggest exporter of olive oil, if not the biggest

producer and has a brand clout that carries Italian-bottled oils of whatever origin far.

“Australian extra virgin olive oil producers have a challenge on

their hands to educate the market that high-quality extra-virgin olive

The oil couldbe the perfect

cooking mediumfor the Asian

diner requestinghealthier fare,

Mischa Mosellereports

Bringing olive oil to China

Chianti – origin of Chef Jaakko’s latest nd

P h o t o g r a p h y c o u r t e y o f J a a

k k o s o r a

Cobram Estates’Barnea and Picual oilfor China

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oil is not just produced in Europe says Read.”

As Chef Jaakko only managed to buy two bottles of Italian oil hewon’t be passing on its healthful, avoursome properties to as many

diners as he would like to.

Healthy returnsProducers are as keen to stress the health benets of olive oil. Greek

producer Agrovim, known for its Iliada brand, grow Koroneiki

variety olives in the Kalamata area. The company’s spokespersonEva Nikolakea believes that the healthy properties of the oil make it

a good match for the Asian lifestyle.

“We believe that olive oil could work in the Asian cuisine asolive oil is perfect for the vegetables and sh that are basics in Asian

cuisines. The health benets of ol ive oil could give Asian cuisine an

additional avour,” she says.

Read also says that “Olive oil is a very healthy frying oil” and as

such “can work in Asian cuisine”.Is olive oil really that adaptable? The Mediterranean is the

home of olive oil. While the label ‘Mediterranean’ is undoubtedly

useful it actually describes cuisines as diverse as the subtle spicing

of Morocco, rustic Provencal dishes such as bouillabaisse, southernSpanish, Greek, Turkish, Jewish, Muslim and Christian diets and

cooking methods. What avour prole will the chef be dealing with?

The Cobram Estate Fresh & Fruity extra virgin olive oil sold in

China is a blend of Barnea and Picual. The oil is said to be fruity,with medium bitterness and pepper aftertaste.

“We have tested the different styles of oil on the China market and

this extra virgin olive oil seems to be the most preferred,” says Read. Agrovim’s olive groves are located in the Taygetus mountains in

the Peloponese islands. The Koroneiki variety grown accounts for

60 percent of Greek production as the tree is low maintenance andcan withstand low temperatures.

The company’s Iliada Extra Virgin Olive oil is described by the

company as “fairly punchy” as it is “fruity with plenty of grassy tonesand great aroma. Bitterness and pepper grow to quite a ery nish.”

Iliada is a four star plus olive oil that has won international awards

that include the Los Angeles I nternational Olive Oil Competition2010 and Great Taste Awards 2010 in Britain.

P h o t o g r a p h y c o u r t e y o f J a a k k o s o r a

Low maintenance Greek olive trees

Extra VirginOlive Oil from

Koroneiki olives

e Mediterranean ise home of olive oil

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Contemporary cocktails such as the Grey Goose-based Stereotonic for Lily Allen have yet to catch on

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We live, supposedly, in an exciting age for thecocktail. New ‘molecular’ techniques are opening

up previously unimagined creative vistas for the

imaginative mixologist.In Asia at least, the drinker by and large hasn’t been tempted. He

or she tries the champagne and caviar concoction whisked up with a

bit of sodium alginate and calcium chloride, says “how interesting”and then goes back to an old favourite - which is quite likely to be a

variant of one kind or another on the Dry Martini.

“The trend of drinking in the past few years hasn’t changedmuch,” says Andy Wong, Manager of t he M Bar at the Mandarin

Oriental, Hong Kong Hotel. “The most popular choices are the

Martini, the Mojito, the Cosmopolitan and the Caipirinha.”The appeal of the classics endures – even for a younger generation

of drinkers. Although Wong says that other hardy perennials such

as the Bloody Mary appeal less to youth – “I think the Captain’sBar sells more than we do” – the big four he lists most certainly do.

Know your drinkPart of the enduring appeal of the Dry Martini is, perhaps, that itallows the drinker to assert his or her individuality. Although the order

is essentially a shot of neat spirit, the connoisseur – or the drinker who

wishes to look like one – can choose the brand, nominate olive, twistof lemon or cocktai l onion as the garnish, and choose between having

it shaken or stirred. It’s not complicated and it makes it personal.The Martini can also be a signature cocktail for a bar. Morton’s

The Steakhouse outlets, which keep the spirit of the Three Martini

Lunch alive, are known for their “Mortinis” – large icy measures of high quality spirit often served with a small steak sandwich. Hendricks

gin is a particularly favoured pour.

The origins of the Dry Martini cocktail are a matter of contentious debate among cocktail historians, but the institution has

certainly been with us for 100 years or more.

It is traditionally made from gin with a dash of vermouth to taste – recipes range from one part vermouth/three parts gin to Winston

Churchill’s famous formula which consisted of pouring gin, glancing

at the vermouth bottle and drinking the gin. Now however the stirred

The region’s cocktaildrinkers can be very culturally conservative

says Robin Lynam

A taste for

tradition

gin martini has largely been eclipsed by the shaken vodka martini,

supposedly as preferred by James Bond.

Actually Ian F leming’s original Bond Martini recipe in 1953’sCasino Royale calls for both gin and vodka, but does call to be

shaken, not stirred.“Vodka is more popular,” Wong conrms. “Sales are around 50

percent more than gin, and people are prepared to pay more for the

high quality vodkas. Belvedere and Grey Goose are the most popularones because they have put a lot of effort into promoting them. It

denitely reects advertising.”

Other premium vodkas available in M Bar, and widely around Asia, include New Zealand’s 42 Below, Ketel One from the

Netherland s, and China’s Shanghai White, of which Wong says, “itis still new to the market, but people denitely

want to try it.”

Although vodka is traditionally associated

primarily with Poland and Russia, it is nowpromoted mostly on the basis of purity and

the quality of its ingredients rather than its

national origin.

It certainly has no very strong associationwith Switzerland, but Swiss distilled Xellent

vodka is a Martini-grade spirit with a growing presence in Asian markets, including Japan,

Malaysia, China and Hong Kong.

In the traditional camp – David Furnish and Elton Johnattend a Grey Goose vodka event with Lily Allen

The Kowloon Shangri-La’s take on theCuban classic Mojito

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It has most certainly made its way to Asia now however. Mojitos

are a speciality of the Lobby Lounge and Tapas Bar of the Kowloon

Shangri-La Hotel.“Mojitos are popular for good reasons. First, the vibrant colours

of these Cuban highballs are a surere way to shake things up and

get people in a relaxing and convivial mood. Then the combination

of sweet, fruity and refreshing mint avours complement the potent

kick of rum very well, giving city folks the much needed sense of vacation,” says the hotel’s Communication Executive, Erica Yuen.

Patricio De La Fuente Saez, Managing Director of wine and

spirits importer Links Concept Ltd has a fondness for the Caipirinha,but laments the way Brazil’s national cocktail is made here.

“You go into a bar in Lan Kwai Fong and you order a Caipirhina,

and 99 percent of the bartenders will take a glass, put ice in it, putin a spoon of sugar, pour cachaça into it and some lime juice, and

give to you. There’s no crushing, no blending, no mixing. I think the

reason cocktails are not popular here is that they are made so badly.Ninety percent of the bartenders can make vodka tonics all night,

but don’t ask them to do any more than that,” he says.

This is a standard of skill , according to De La Fuente Saez, typicalaround Asia, and he believes that a cocktail culture has largely failed

to develop in the region at a sophisticated level, although he does see

signs of the basis of one in China.“I think China is the most interesting place now for cocktails,

by far. In Shanghai there is a lot happening because the big spirits

companies are sending top bartenders there to teach people. InShanghai and Beijing you can nd a very interesting cocktail culture

– a lot more interesting.”

Some of that activity focuses on new molecular techniques, buteven in China the trend seems to be towards essentially classic recipes,

albeit with a new emphasis on the quality of ingredients – not just

spirits but mixers, juices, and bitters.One reason for the resilience of the classics may be that they are

founded on simple principles, and are accordingly easier to prepare

quickly and reliably.“In Japan people have the pat ience to wait 12 minutes for one

drink. In Hong Kong they want their drink within 30 seconds,”

says De La Fuente Saez. “That’s the difference. The Lan KwaiFong crowd just wants a gin and tonic, a vodka Red Bull or a

Heineken.”

Sex sellsVodka is also the base spirit for the Cosmopolitan, a drink whichprobably dates back only as far as around the 1970s and owes much

of its international reputation to exposure on the TV series Sex and

the City.It doesn’t, accordingly, quite qualify as a classic, but is the most

popular modern variant on the Dry Martini. Cosmopolitan drinkers

are less particular about their vodkas, presumably because with theaddition of cranberry juice and triple sec, the taste of the spirit more

or less disappears.

Gin may be lagging behind vodka as a Martini spirit in Asia, butit is making a comeback in Western markets, and there are signs of

increasing interest around the region.

Partly this is due to the availability of a more diverse range of premium spirits with different botanical characteristics. Hendricks

and Tanqueray No. Ten have recently joined the ubiquitous Bombay

Sapphire on the white spirit shelves of the region’s higher-end bars.It may also have something to do with a return to fashionable

favour of a classic highball mixed drink – the gin and tonic.

A new gin now being promoted to G & T drinkers is No. 3 Dry

Gin from Berry Bros & Rudd Spirits Ltd, although according toBerry Bros Chairman, Simon Berry it was conceived more with the

Dry Martini crowd in mind.“No. 3 is unmistakably traditional London Dry Gin,” says Berry.

“By traditional we mean gin that tastes as gin should, with juniperat its heart. We are determined that No. 3 will be the last word in

gin for a Dry Martini.”

The gin has made its biggest splash so far, however, by winning The Spectator magazine’s blind tasting in June this year for the best

gin for a gin and tonic.

That tasting was conducted with Fever-Tree tonic water as themixer – a premium quality tonic designed to put the G & T drinker

on the same level as the Dry Martini

connoisseur in knowledgeablepickiness about ingredients. It has

been credited with a revival of

interest in the drink.The tonic is unfortunately not

yet widely available in Asia, where

it lacks agencies, although it isdistributed in Australia and the

Middle East.

“We have sold Fever-Tree beforebut at the moment there is no

supplier in Hong Kong,” says Wong.

“We use cans [rather than a sodagun] and its Schweppes which is the

most popular brand in Hong Kong.”

Muddling through Although the international vogue

for Latin American cocktails such as

Mexico’s Margarita, Brazil’s Caipirinha, and the runaway successof recent years, Cuba’s Mojito, is relatively recent, the drinks have

a long history.

The Margarita dates back to the 1930s, and the Mojito in oneform or another is believed to have been around in the Caribbean for

several hundred years. The beginning of its international popularity

– along with that of the Daiquiri – can perhaps be traced to ErnestHemingway’s endorsement. In Havana La Bodeguita, which was his

preferred Mojito bar, still does a roaring trade in them.

Hemingway has been credited with introducing the Bloody Maryto Hong Kong, teaching a barman at the Hong Kong Hotel how to

make one during a one month sojourn shortly before the Japanese

invasion in 1941, but apparently did not pass on the Mojito recipe.

“The trend of drinking in the pastfew years hasn’tchanged much”

Andy Wong

No.3 Dry Gin, made for Martinis

New to the market –Shanghai White

A classicvodka Martinifrom Morton’s

Relative newcomer, the Cosmopolitan, Morton’s style

The heavily-promoted Belvedere vodka now comes in a 6L bottle

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Wine & water To complete its Harmony 40 range of

glassware, Rastal has unveiled a new

contemporary styled water tumbler. Designed

to meet the special needs of hotels, bars and

restaurants the Harmony 40 series of stemmed

wine glasses is break resistant and dishwasher

safe, as is this latest edition to the set. The

water glass joins others in the Harmony 40

series including Burgundy, red and white wine

glasses, as well as 0.5 and 1 li tre carafes,

which the company considers, “a harmonious

companion for the water glass. The austere,

clear design is in perfect visual harmony with

stylish table culture.” The glasses may also be

individualized with corporate design motifs,

which Rastal recognizes as “a feature, which

especially in the gastro scene is gaining ground

as a means to distinguish brand.”

For more information: www.rastal.com

FLORALBEVERAGESPremium syrups, sauces and smoothies

and cocktail mixes manufacturer, Monin

has added a oral dimension to it’s range.

Celebrating a native Asian bloom, Le Sirop

de Monin Hibiscus has an intense ruby

colour, aciduous bent with oral avourings

enhanced by notes of cherry. Hibiscus

owers are edible with a very light scent,

which the company says makes them ideal

for a syrup mix to be used in teas, sodas,

lemondade and cocktails. The Hibiscus

syrup is available in 70cl bottles.

For more information: www.monin.com

Coee –the perectshade obronzeEgro Coffee Systems’ The ONE,

has received a Bronze award in the

Commercial & Vending Appliances

category in Design magazine’s 23rd

Annual Excellence in Design Awards

Competition. The product was

designed by the conjoined Egro and

Rancilio R&D department and is the

rst fully-automatic machine to be

produced by that merger. An independent panel of three industrial design experts

judged the entries, evaluating them on four criteria: appearance, human factors,

innovation and technical merits. The judges noted the companies behind those

which won demonstrated attention to detail and an innovative approach that

sharply differentiated winning products from their competitors. Another common

element was the ability to make technology more accessible to the user.

For more information: www.egrocoffee.com

MOUTHWATERINGMONEYWhile specializing in Grand

Cru confectionary, Hong Kong

based Swiss Master Chocolatier,

Cornelia Francesca Maeder likes to

complement her premium chocolates

with a range of other products,including a recently released music

cd. Now Maeder wants to help

increase everyone’s wealth. Well,

almost. The Fashionable Lucky

Money range of chocolates is

designed to give a new dimension

to thoughts of lu ck and prosperity.

Shaped like old Chinese coins the

chocolate pieces are available in

40gr (HK$128) 80gr (HK$256) 120gr

(HK$368) and 240gr (HK$688)

boxes - there’s enough sweet tasting

readies for all.For more information: www.

enrichyourpotential.com

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DANCING TO YOUROWN TUNELeader Radio Technology (LRT) introduces not one but three n ew in-room

docking stations designed to enhance that home from home feel. The

remote controlled, app enabled iA100 is an iPad, iPhone and iPod playing

and charging station which will wirelessly stream music from Bluetooth

enabled iPhones, PDAs or computers. With dual alarms for separate

wake up times, a synchronized clock and 10 station memory pre set FM

radio the iA100 also controls Bluetoothed enabled cell phones and other

devices. Meanwhile, the iA5 iHome device recommends guests should

“Live Life Loud”. The iPhone and iPod speaker system allows users to

take calls, listen to their own music or watch their own movies. The iA5 is

a stylish space saving device, which comes with 18 additional software

alarm systems. The HiP42 is an easy to set clock radio alarm, iPad and

iPhone docking and charging station with patchcords for cd and

other audio device playing, adjustable lighting, and extra

security with tamper proof screws. iPod interfaces, auto

set functions and outstanding clarity and depth of sound

through high delity stereo drivers in the speakers add

the nishing touches.

For more information: www.leader.com.hk

ARE YOUBEINGSERVED?UK table and serving ware supplier, Athena

presents its new Imperial and Metro series of

chang dishes. Designed exclusively for the

hospitality industry the ranges boast hydraulichinges, which allow the dish lids to silently roll

up and down. Athena also provides juice, milk

and cereal dispensers as well as coffee urns.

For more information: www.athena.com

r o d u C t n E w s

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Zara Horner nds

out if, and how

laundry appliances

have kept up with

environmental

sensibilities

A CLEAN CONSCIENCENature’ is a water conservation programme

aimed at protecting the world’s largest sourceof freshwater in South West China (Pingwu

County, Sichuan). The campaign commits

Marriott to using 25 percent less water andenergy over the next decade. “We have

the ‘freshen up’ card in each guest room,

informing guests we will change bed linensevery third night or only upon check-out

[unless otherwise requested] and only those

towels left in the bath will be launderedeach day. Guests nowadays are more eco

conscious and want to give a helping hand

to save the planet, many of them do not ask for daily maid service in terms of bed sheet

and towel change.”

Making it right German manufacturer, Jensen Group

has conducted in-depth analysis of thetrend towards green laundries and Gerda

Gerschwiler concludes, “When we look at the

production steps in the horizontal directionand at the resources ow in cross direction,

we realize all the players in our industry are

involved in the process of reduce, reuse andrecycle. It takes two to embrace the concept:

a manufacturer that supplies the equipment

and a laundry willing to invest in the future.” Jensen Group is committed to playing

its part, says Gerschwiler by developing andmanufacturing high performance laundry

equipment that minimizes energy and water

consumption. The company’s CleanTech‘steamless laundry’ was introduced two

years ago. “In this short period, Jensen has

successfully installed more than 20 steamlesslaundries, where the laundry operates

without a boiler house,” Gerschwiler notes.

The objective of the concept is to increaseefciency of the primary energy source and

to reduce its use with g as-operated laundry

machines. The steam-free continuous batchwasher is equipped with the gas-operated

aquaheater, which heats up the process

water in compartments where steam usedto be injected. In this way, the same amount

of energy is suppl ied to heat the process

water to the required temperature butthe tube-in-tube heat exchanger reduces

energy consumption by about 30 percent.

Depending on the process temperature, upto 0.15 kWh/kg energy can be saved. “In

addition to direct gas operation, CleanTech

involves the integration of internal energy

and water recovery systems. In comparisonwith modern steam operations, energy

savings of up to 60 percent are achieved -primarily thanks to the elimination of losses

arising from the steam generation system and

its pipes. At the same time, higher processtemperatures are achieved, resulting inshorter drying and nishing times, in turn

generating increased productivity.”The concept of gas heated equipment

means the steam boiler is no longer necessa ry,says Gerschwiler. “Higher thermal efciency

means higher performance, reduced carbon

dioxide emissions, direct energy availability

without losses, no steam or condensatepiping, no energy losses due to radiation,

higher operating temperatures mean lowerdrying and nishing cycle times, and there

are even space savings, and faster and easier

In the contemporary zeitgeist water

and energy are limited resourceswhich can’t be taken for granted

and need protecting. As a result of

this perception how we do everyday thingshas changed and continues to do so. The

reasoning behind most of these adaptations

is a focus on reducing total environmentalimpact.

The textile care industry is one of the

world’s largest and perpetual consumers of fresh water and energy (Source: Laundry

Consulting 2010) and whatever the size

or requirements of a laundry certainfundamental pieces of equipment are

needed - washers, dryers, water and chemical

detergent at the very least. Because of thesheer volume and types of washing, the

necessary investment in a hotel laundry is

substantial, so too the corresponding useof resources.

The idea of a ‘green laundry’ addresses

potential waste and misuse at every

opportunity and the hospitality industryand its suppliers have grasped the concept

wholeheartedly.Overseeing 600lbs of laundry a day,

using just HK$600 worth of laundrydetergents (272 kg for US$77), Hong

Kong SkyCity Marriott Hotel Director of

Service, Wilson Ho says, “A green laundry

means reducing water, energy costs, waste[and] alkalinity. [It also] rinses cleaner with

noticeably less chemical build up. Labour

costs are lowered due to a 30 percentreduction in water cycle by using detergents

with less chemical build up [and] we have

brought down the water temperature from60-70° Celsius to 30-40° Celsius in order

to save energy and heat, without sacricing

the quality of the wash.” The hotel group’senvironmental campaign, ‘Nobility of

Higher thermal efciency means higher

performance in Jensen equipmentEfciency and environmental care

combine in today’s laundry equipment

Electrolux washer extractors use high G-force to extractas much water as possible at the end of the wash

“Most all hotelgeneral managers

are tuned in to doing more with less” Randy Radtke

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TOP TEN TIPS FOR A GREEN LAUNDRY

1) Shut down equipment not in use – this will increase the lifespan of the

appliance, and save costs

2) Have preventative maintenance programmes. Regular service with log

reports ensures machine longevity and efciency, as well as minimizing

unforeseen mishaps

3) Invest in a water reclamation system. Recycling water protects the eco-

system, and reduces costs

4) Optimize lint procedures. As a lter it’s critical a dryer’s lint collector is

operating well as it directly impacts efciency. An inefcient lint collector

restricts heat ow, increases drying time, and costs, causes linen damage,

and is a re hazard

5) Monitor dryer performance to ensure no loss of heat from seals and

wheels. Drying times and temperatures should be adjusted with each

load. Overdrying signicantly and unnecessarily increases costs

6) Use low temperature detergents. Quick activating detergents which reduce

the wash formula time and perform well at low temperature will reduce

costs without compromising quality

7) Use NPE free detergents: Nonlyphenol Ethoxylate is a serious health

hazard and has been banned in Canada and the EU

8) Maximize washroom chemistry by customizing each wash. Hotels heavily

invested in linen assets should use appropriate formulas to ensure

longevity. Bedsheets and towels are not the same

9) Install sub-metering devices to monitor utility consumption

10) Change light bulbs: laundries must be well-lit. Because there is usually

limited space lighting plays a key role in evaluating the quality and

cleanliness of linens. High efciency, low energy bulbs are better for eyes

and last longer

SOURCE: AMERICAN HOTEL & LODGING ASSOCIATION 2010

[equipment] installation and start-up. The Jensen CleanTech concept enables cost

savings of up to 44 percent per year in

comparison to a new, state-of-the-art steam-operated garment processing laundry. When

changing from an older steam-operated

laundry with significantly higher energyconsumption to a Jensen CleanTech, the

savings would be much higher.”

In addition the Jenroll EXPG ironer usesoil as its heating medium with an integrated

gas-red burner and heat exchanger. “By

using chests made from high-grade carbonsteel, the distribution of energy to the linen

is at its optimum as heat conduction is four

times higher than that of stainless steel,”Gerschwiler notes. “Transfer of heat via the

oil medium is up to 40 percent higher than

that of steam, as oil can be heated up to230°C, whereas only 190°C (12 bar) can be

achieved with a traditional steam installation.

The higher temperature increases drying capacity, especially when running heavy

sheets and duvet covers. Due to the higher

temperature the output of the Jenroll EXPGironer can be increased by up to 25 percent

compared to a steam operated ironer with

flexible chests. Furthermore the JenrollEXPG is a space saving solution because the

capacity of a two roll Jenroll EXPG equals

that of a three roll steam heated ironer.”

Counting the cost Achieving a balance between reducing

environmental impact and cost of equipmentis at the forefront of most laundry equipment

manufacturers thinking. “Our products

and solutions offer the way to diminish theimpact on the environment and at the sametime ensure quantiable savings and a real

benet in terms of return on investment,”

says Jean-Francois Gobert, Elextrolux Headof Product Management (Laundry Business

Unit). “This represents a tangible advantage

to customers as water, energy and detergent

consumption have a truly high impact on

Furthermore, the amount of detergent canbe adjusted accordingly. Water and energy

savings are also achieved through intelligent

programmes, which are designed to saveutilities without compromising on wash

performance. Another way to reduce the

use of water is through water re-use systems. Water from the last rinse is drained into a

tank and used in the next wash or pre-wash.

[Our] high G-force washer extractors ensurean optimal dewatering effect at the end of

the wash, allowing low energy consumption

during the drying process, as the amount of water needing to be evaporated is reduced.

On the dryer side, implementation of heat

pump technology in some of the modelsensures the lowest possible consumption in

terms of energy. Sustainability is one of our

major drives.”Electrolux’s advance microprocessor

technology controls enable customers tochoose alternative settings for maximumexibilty and converience. The company’s

dryers measure the moisture content in the

linen automatically optimizing energy useand time. “Over drying is history!” Gobert

enthuses. “[Electrolux dryers] incorporate

the heat pump principle [whereby] insteadof blowing warm moist air created during the

drying process outside, the heat is recovered

at every cycle, moisture is removed, and

running costs since they are the lion’s shareof the overall cost of the laundry.”

The Electrolux Professional laundry

minimizes resource consumption throughseveral methods, Gobert says. “One of the

most effective methods is to have the machineweighing the garments and adjusting theamount of water according to the weight of

the load. At half l oad you can save 35 percent

of water. Savings of water result in savingsof energy, since there is less water to heat.

the heat is recycled and ready to be used

in the next drying cycle.” With ironers it isall about efcient heating. “Thanks to the

patented Dubixium technology - thermaloil ow inside the cylinder - our customers

can combine different heating options formaximum energy efciency. Our unique gas

ceramic burner generating infrared heating

allows great energy savings whilst providing a safe and healthy workplace.”

Plain speaking “Given the current hit the hospitality industryin general has taken, no capital purchases are

an easy sell, much less a back-of-the-house

purchase such as laundry equipment,”admits Associate Brand Manager for

Alliance Laundry Systems, Randy Radtke.

“However, the savings we are able to showby moving to our highly efcient washer-

extractors, drying tumblers and ironers, veryoften make such upgrades an easy decision.Most all hotel general managers are tuned

in to doing more with less. With products

from brands such as IPSO, Speed Queenand UniMac, we show them their laundry

will do just that.”

Like his industry counterparts, Radtkebelieves flexibility and “programmable

controls” are important to give laundry

managers the ability to reduce usage and

costs, going further: “The additional costof green laundry equipment usually is

overshadowed by the savings, which quickly

offset the purchase price. It’s particularlyimportant to understand the difference

between price versus cost. Very oftenit’s the lowest price machine that costs a

laundry operation more over time due to itsinefciency, speed or lack of reliability. By

contrast, lower operating costs and higher

productivity when multiplied over the life

of a machine quickly show that a ‘moreexpensive’ machine actually makes the most

scal sense.”

Guests at the Marriott SkyCity have the option ofchanging sheets every three days or daily

Savings offset the cost on equipment such as Alliance Laundry Systems’ IPSO

UmiMac’s programmable controls help reduce costs

Electrolux machinesweigh the wash tosave on water anddetergents

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Induction cooking equipment used to be the reserve of the

adventurous chef or the chef skilled at loosening the owner’s

purse strings. Early adopters faced high initial costs, both forthe equipment itself and for pans that could work on it, and

skepticism of some staff that the equipment could achieve

temperature requirements. While initial costs remain high, use of the equipm ent is becoming

more widespread and moving out of the kitchen itself and into the

buffet area. One manufacturer believes the equipment can pay foritself in less than two years and nding the appropriate pan has

become simpler.For some new users none of the practical considerations are asimportant as the environmental benets of using induction over gas

or conventional electricity.

How Induction cooking takes the heat out of the kitchen and keeps itrmly under the pan. Executive Chef Michael McCalman recently

supervised the installation of induction cooking equipment at the

InterContinental Grand Stanford Hong Kong’s renovated Café on

M and in the banquet kitchen. Chef Michael tells AHCT the fact thatthe induction cooker is heating the pan only has several benecial

knock-on effects including, no need for large and expensive extractor

fans and air conditioning, leading to a cooler, quieter environmentwith less energy expenditure. Chefs can also cook more quickly, which

makes the buffet options at Café on M fresher and more exible.

Small portions can be put on the induction chang equipment

(which keeps the food warm without steaming it), and replaced

more frequently. Items such as pasta dishes can be cooked to order

in front of the guest.The hotel’s Chinese chefs, used to working with raised woks over

high gas ames have found using a wok which has to be in contact

with the plate to stay hot means there is less chance of back and wriststrain. The chance of oil spilling over with the potential for burns

is also reduced. (The opportunities for burns overall are much less

as there is only a little residual heat on the plates once turned off)

What Induction equipment manufacturer, Andy Mannhart’s Managing

Director, Daniel Sutter says using the appropriate cookware for theplate will ensure the correct cooking temperature. “Induction cooking

is a concept consisting of the right materials which complement each

other - induction unit and cookware. If this is respected no chef willever complain about not reaching the right temperature.”

Sutter tells AHCT that using the cookers can show reductions of

over 50 percent in energy consumption, “Tests show even reductionsof close to 70 percent compared to normal operations.”

Kitty Mortland, spokesperson for manufacturer Cooktek explains

that if a comparison is made between the Watt rating of the induction

cooker and BTU’s emitted by a gas range, a 7,000W induction cookeris the equivalent of a 62,000 BTU burner, adding that traditionalgas ranges deliver about 30-40 percent of the gas energy to the pan

while traditional electric ranges convert about 50 percent of energy

to heat. “The remaining energy is lost to heating the cooktop and tothe surrounding air,” she says.

However, Cooktek induction woks and cooktops are said to b e 90-95 percent energy efcient, meaning that 90-95 percent of the energy

is going into the pan and then into the food. Andy Mannhart’s selling

point is to provide both induction units and the correct cookware and

the company claims that the right Andy Mannhart cookware has anenergy reception of over 90 percent.

Does replacing the ranges with induction units mean replacing

all the pots in the kitchen then?One simple test is to hold a magnet near the bottom of the pan.

The stronger the magnet sticks the more likely the pan is to work

on induction equipment. Mortland tells AHCT that 100 percentaluminium, glass or copper pots will not work but cast iron and

nduction ovens, hobs andookware are gaining newconverts. Mischa Moselle

discovers why

INDUCTIONINTRODUCTION

Andy Mannhart supply the appropriatecookware as well as the induction unit

Induction units heat rapidly saving energy and time

P h o t o

g r a p h y c o u r t e y o f A n d y M a n n h a r t

Cooktek has an energy calculator to advise customers

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DATE EvENT DETAILS ORGANIzER

Sep 7-9 Restaurant & BarHong Kong Hong Kong Conventionand Exhibition CentreWanchaiHong Kong

Sep 7-9 Asian Seafood ExpositionHong Kong Conventionand Exhibition CentreWanchaiHong Kong

Oct 13-15 HICAPInterContinental Hong Kong 18 Salisbury Road,Tsim Sha TsuiHong Kong

Oct 17-21 SIAL (France) Parc desExpositions de Paris Nord,Villepinte - France

Oct 28-30 Wine & Gourmet Asia 2010Hall D, CotaiExpo atThe Venetian MacaoMacau SAR, China

Nov 11-13 FHC China 2010Shanghai NewInternational Expo Centre,Shanghai, China

Nov 24-26 Hotel Expo 2010The 6th International HotelEquipment, Supplies andFood & Beverage ExpoThe Cotai Strip Conventionand Exhibition Center at theVenetian Macao

Mar 29 – Hotelex Shanghai 2011Apr 1, 2011 Shanghai New International

Expo CenterShanghaiChina

Diversied Events Hong Kong LtdTelephone: +852 3105 3970Fax: +852 3105 3974E-mail: [email protected]

Restaurant & Bar Hong Kong is the fastestgrowing exhibition for the hospitality sector in Asia Pacic. Currently in the ninth year, it has agrowing reputation as the biggest and best nichegourmet hospitality event in the region. Its focuson presenting excellent products and services toinspire and create ideas to develop foodservice andhospitality business.

Diversied Events Hong Kong LtdTelephone: +852 3105 3970Fax: +852 3105 3974E-mail: [email protected] www.asianseafoodexpo.com

Meet face-to-face with seafood buyers fromthroughout Asia Pacic with direct purchasing responsibility for live, fresh, frozen and packagedproducts. The Asian Seafood Exposition isthe newest product in Diversied BusinessCommunication’s global seafood portfolio thatincludes the world’s largest seafood fairs: theEuropean Seafood Exposition and the InternationalBoston Seafood Show.

Wine & Gourmet Asia is a trade, networking andculinary platform showcasing the very best of Asia Pacic’s ne wine, gourmet and hospitalityindustries. The event is for the region’s hospitalityindustry leaders as well as all gourmands and wineenthusiasts.

Koelnmesse Pte LtdTel: +65 6500 6712Fax: +65 6294 8403Email: [email protected] www.wineandgourmetasia.com

FHC China is the biggest international trade showfor food, wine and hospitality equipment in China.FHC China features Wine and Spirits China2010, Meat China 2010 and Tea and Coffee 2010specialist areas, with Olive Oil China, UltimateBarista Challenge China, Ice Cream University, Wine Seminars, China Sommelier Wine Challenge,FHC international cooking competition and more.

Lily ZhuChina International ExhibitionsRoom A2402-03, Singular Mansion,No.318-322 Xian Xia Road, Shanghai(200336), China

DID:(86-21)6209 5209Fax:(86-21)6209 5210Email: [email protected]

After the success of the past ve editions, the sixthHotel Expo will be held in The Venetian Macaoagain. Gathering thousands of hospitality industrydecision makers and procurement groups from notonly Macau, but also Hong Kong, China and othermajor Asian countries, Hotel Expo is the largestexhibition in the hotel, catering and hospitalitysectors in Macau.

Coastal International Exhibition Co., Ltd.Room 2106, China Resources Building,26 Harbour Road, Wanchai,Hong Kong Tel: +852 2827 6766Fax: +852 2827 [email protected] www.hotel-exhibition.com

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

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

Incorporating 3 exhibitions: IPA, In-Food andSIAL this is the largest international meeting placefor the food industry under one roof. Including allprocesses, semi processed, ingredients and nishedproducts the exhibition caters for retail, trade,manufacturing and catering services showcasing different stages of the industry and is the foodindustry’s main growth driver.

As Asia’s largest and longest running hotel

investment event, HICAP has become the mostimportant gathering of hotel investors, nanciers,

and leading industry professionals in the Asia Pacicregion.

Compexposium/Immeuble Le Wilson70 Avenue de Général de Gaulle, 92058 Paris LaDéfense Cedex, FranceT: 33 (0) 1 76 77 13 33F: 33 (0) 1 53 30 95 15www.sial.fr

HICAP

c/o BHN2900 Bristol Street, Ste. D101Costa Mesa, CA 92626 USA Tel: [email protected]

400 series stainless steel pans work well. “There are quite a few pans

available that have a steel core with an aluminium coating. These work very well, because the steel inducts to generate the heat, while the

aluminium conducts the heat up the sides of the pan.”

Flexibility with materials choice means that Chef Michael couldchoose a range of dishes from Staub to present some buffet options.

While the dishes have one disadvantage in having heavy lids, Chef

Michael likes the appearance and the hard-wearing interior.

Yea or nay Weighing up the pros and cons can be seen in purely monetary termsor by including a number of other considerations. “The professional

induction unit is probably still slightly more expensive than a normal

electrical unit – however the green advantages - over 50 percent lessenergy equals reduced operating cost - will make good for a bigger

initial investment,” says Sutter.

Cooktek’s Mortland offers chefs and F&B managers the use of the company’s energy calculator, which can take many variables into

account but ultimately she believes that restaurants, “can start making

money in under two years, oftentimes less.”The InterContinental Grand Stanford estimates a reduction of

about 40-50 percent in fuel consumption; less t ime and money spent

on maintenance and repair of e quipment with few moving parts;cleaner, safer kitchens and happier staff working in less humid kitchens

with a temperature reduced by 5ºC and a noise level of 40 decibels.

“It helps us to protect the environment,” says Chef Michael.

“Restaurants can startmaking money in undertwo years” Kitty Mortland

With smaller units, thekitchen can be designed

around the chef ratherthan the hob

Andy Mannhart’s newest RTSCmp range

InterContinentalGrand StanfordExecutive ChefMichael McCalman

An induction cooker for woks from Cooktek

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T he fourth edition of Wine & Gourmet Asia will be held at The

Venetian Macao next month.

Showcasing the region’s premium food and beverage,

wine and spirits, and hotel and foodservice equipment sectors,

Wine & Gourmet Asia 2010 targets importers, distributors,

exporters and retailers from throughout Asia Pacic to attend

what is being positioned as the only trade show of its kind in the

Southern China area.

Wine & Gourmet Asia 2010 provides a platform for trade and

networking to the 100 exhibiting companies from 15 countries,

including Austria, Australia, China, France, Hong Kong, Macau,

India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan and

USA who will be able to showcase their local food and beverage

specialties.

Numerous supporting events will run simultaneously to the

show, including the 4th Asian Cocktail Championship in which

mixologists test their bartending skills. Thi s year, the contest is

sponsored by Seapower Trading, Macau’s largest wine and spirits

distributor. “Wine & Gourmet Asia 2010 is a good platform for us

to meet everybody at one place at one time,” Paul Iec, Managing

Director of Seapower notes, believing the event, “helps to bring

up the hospitality service standard …. And [make] the entire scene

more vibrant.”

ANTICIPATINGSUCCESS AT WINE &

GOURMET ASIA 2010

Wine & Gourmet Asia 2010

October 28 – 30, 2010The Venetian Macao

www.wineandgourmetasia.com

h i b i t i o n s

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Cary Michael Gray

Angie Ho

Thomas Ng

Hyatt Regency Sanctuary Cove in Australiahas announced the appointment of Michael

Dawkins as F&B Director. Dawkins comes

from a 12-year stint at Hyatt RegencyCoolum, where he worked in various F&B

and Catering management positions. Prior

to this Dawkins gained experience in casinosand several properties in Australia and Britain.

W Hotels Worldwide has announced the

appointment of Cary Michael Gray as

opening General Manager of the W Taipei.Gray has been with Starwood since 1980

and worked at prestigious properties in

China, Japan, Thailand and Australia. TheHawaiian grew up in a family hotel and

studied architecture and hospitality.

Pan Pacic Hotels Group has announced the

appointment of Angie Ho as Director Online

Marketing. Ho will be responsible for online

marketing strategy and platforms and revenuefor the Pan Pacic and Parkroyal brands. Ho

has nine years’ experience in digital marketing.

The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels has

announced the appointment of Doug Lui asGeneral Manager, Audit & Risk Management.

Lui has worked in nance and compliance for

17 years in a career that has taken him fromCanada to Hong Kong, the United States,

Europe and other Asian countries. Previous

posts have been with large corporations andLui is also a member of some ve professional

bodies.

Accor Hotels has announced the appointment

of Damian Niesel as General ManagerSotel Shanghai Sheshan Oriental and Area

General Manager Sofitel Oriental Hotels

China. Niesel has worked in Qatar but mostlyin China since 1991 with companies as di verseas IHG and Shangri-La.

Eaton Hotel Hong Kong has announced the

appointment of Thomas Ng as Director

of S&M. Ng has over 20 years’ experiencein the hotel sales sector, including previously

working as Director of Global Sales Asia for

Langham Hotels International. Ng has alsoheld sales positions at The Luxe Manor and

the Holiday Inn Golden Mile.

Yeung Kin-Yip

Accor Hotels has announced the appointment

of Rudy Rodas as General Manager of theSotel Qingdao. Rodas joined Accor in 2000

and has worked at properties in Thailand,

Singapore, Beijing and Xiamen. Rodas startedhis career with Sheraton in 1987.

Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has

announced the promotion of Emily Snyder

to Vice President S&M for The Americas fromDirector of S&Ms at the Mandarin Oriental

New York. Snyder’s 25 years in hospitality

include two stints with MOHG and an eight year break from 1995-2003 to work at other

luxury properties in New York.

Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai hasannounced the appointment of Titiya

Chooto as General Manager, also responsible

for Four Seasons Tented Camp. Titiya is theonly female Four Seasons GM in Asia Pacic

and the rst Thai GM in the company. She

has previously worked with other Four Seasonsproperties and in London and Moscow.

Alila Ubud has announced the appointment

of Budiman Tanto Widjaja as ResortManager. A graduate of Les Roches school in

Switzerand, the Java native has also worked in

Bali, Miami and Myanmar and has just spentsix months studying Putonghua in China.

The Kowloon Hotel has announced the

appointment of Yeung Kin-Yip as Chinese

Head Chef of Loong Yat Heen. Yeung

has 30 years’ experience at leading hotelsand restaurants in Hong Kong, Macau and

mainland China and has just spent seven years at the 2-Michelin-starred Tim’s Kitchen.

Accor Hotels has announced the appointmentof Johnson zhang as General Manager of

Sotel Wanda Ningbo. Zhang has worked

with Shangri-La for eight years, attending their management training centre and Hotel

Executive Development programme. Zhang has a certicate from the American Hotel

& Motel Association and Hotel School The

Hague.

Rudy Rodas

Emily Snyder

Titiya Chooto

Michael Dawkins

Doug Lui Budiman Tanto Widjaja

Damian Niesel

Johnson Zhang

p o i n t M E n t s

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