Meritus Making Its Mark On Corporate Travel Market
<B>Meritus Making Its Mark On Corporate Travel Market</B>
By Judy Jacobs
Singapore-based Meritus Hotels & Resorts is determined to position itself more firmly in the corporate travel market. An all-suites hotel in Bangkok, a major renovation of the Marina Mandarin in Singapore and a new convention center at the Mutiara Penang all are moves calculated to help the company achieve this goal.
One of the main challenges the company faces is recognition in the marketplace. "Many people still don't know Meritus," said Victor Koi, Meritus' La Palma, Calif.-based regional director of sales and marketing of North America. "They think it's a brand new hotel company and don't realize it's the former Singapore Mandarin International." SMI changed its name to Meritus in late 1997 and now includes 10 hotels in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam.
The Meritus RCK Suites will be the company's first all-suites property and its first venture into Thailand. Scheduled to open by the end of the first quarter 2001, the hotel will occupy 23 floors of the 68-story RCK Tower, a mix-use complex located on the corner of Silom and Charoen Krung Road in central Bangkok and will incorporate offices, a shopping center and F&B outlets. The hotel will consist of one-, two- and three-bedroom suites, each equipped with a kitchenette, home entertainment system and high-speed Internet access. It also will include executive floors, an outdoor swimming pool and a spa, and cater to both short- and long-staying guests.
Meanwhile, in Singapore, the 575-room Marina Mandarin completed a $10 million renovation in late September, which covered all guest rooms and created a new category of accommodation, known as Venus rooms, targeted to women travelers. Inspired by the book Men are From Mars, Women are from Venus, the 40 Venus rooms have special amenities for female guests, are spread out over different floors and all are located near the elevators. Each room includes herbal teas, fresh orchids, satin hangers, women's magazines and electric hair curlers.
In Malaysia, the Penang Mutiara Beach Resort opened a new beachfront conference center last month. Because Penang is a free-trade zone, the conference center is expected to appeal to corporate meetings, Koi said. It was created with the addition of three new meeting rooms adjacent to the recently refurbished ballroom. The ballroom accommodates up to 800 people theater style and 550 for banquets. Two of the new rooms will seat 120 attendees theater style and the third can accommodate 182.
The new conference center is expected to appeal to American electronic and high-tech companies doing business in Penang, Koi said. "Intel, United Technologies, Motorola and Hewlett-Packard, they're all there," he added. The latest development in Penang--which ranks as Malaysia's oldest, and still very popular, resort destination--is the Penang Technoplex, which will be a national and regional center for high-tech enterprises.
Meanwhile, as Meritus prepares the infrastructure to host more business travelers and meeting groups, the company also is offering promotions to attract more corporate business. Until the end of the year, Meritus is giving one free night's stay for every three nights booked at the Meritus Business Plan rate (the company's corporate rate). Guests also receive one complimentary lunch or dinner and, if they stay over the weekend, one room service breakfast on Saturday or Sunday. In addition, those booking a club floor room at any Meritus hotel (all hotels, with the exception of the resorts, have club floors) will get an automatic upgrade to a suite.