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Artyzen Hospitality Group Brings Two New Hotel Brands to the Asian Market

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Reading Time: 3 minutes

Artyzen Hospitality Group, the global hotel management company that bridges East and West, has just announced two significant milestones; the entry of the citizenM hotels brand into Asia and the global debut of its Artyzen Habitat brand.

The two new flagship properties are breakthroughs for the Asian hospitality industry and will debut in Shanghai. Slated to open in 2017, citizenM Shanghai Hongqiao and Artyzen Habitat Hongqiao Shanghai, owned by Artyzen Hospitality Group’s parent company Shun Tak Holdings Limited, will be co-located in the upcoming Shanghai MixC integrated project, a prized development of China Resource.

 

Launched in the Netherlands in 2008, citizenM is a new breed of hotel. It brings affordable luxury to contemporary travellers, the mobile citizen of the world. The brand’s key target cities include capitals and gateway cities – there are now citizenM hotels in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, London, Glasgow, Paris and New York. In Asia Pacific, citizenM Taipei is currently under development and scheduled to open in early 2017.

 

Mr Rattan Chadha, Chairman of citizen M, says ‘’The introduction of the citizenM to the Asian market is extremely significant for us. CitizenM offers owners and developers substantially higher returns through successful positioning and effective distribution; high profitability due to an efficient operating model that leverages on centralized management, innovative systems and technology; and efficient design that reduces floor area requirements.’’

Brand hallmarks include a Living Room  concept  for  the  lobby,  catering  to  the  expectations and lifestyles of Mobile Citizens who value connectivity, productivity and stylish design, as well as technology-driven in-room amenities that include a touch-screen MoodPad that controls the lighting, temperature, window  shades, alarm  and  television.

 

Artyzen Habitat targets both the short stay and extended stay segments and delivers an enriched living experience to corporate warriors, digital nomads and seasoned travellers who want a personalised experience while on the road as well as greater engagement with the social and cultural aspects of the city. Fuelled in part online casino by insights distilled from the Airbnb phenomenon, the development of the Artyzen Habitat brand has focused on delivering personable accommodations that provide a more home-like environment with the living area forming the nucleus of the room, instead of having the room designed around the bed. This concept is probably the first-of-its-kind in Asia.

Public areas of an Artyzen Habitat hotel are active, efficient and social spaces that form the perfect ecosystem for dining, co-working, interacting and relaxing, while generating revenue and buzz at the same time. The result is an optimised multi-revenue stream concept that is modular yet integrated, saves space and ensures maximum utility, flexibility and profitability.

 

Robbert van der Maas, President of Artyzen Hospitality Group says, “Artyzen Habitat is much more than an inspiring new upscale brand. It is a disruptive innovation that fundamentally transforms the way a hotel is conceptualised and the way it engages its guests. As the name implies, Artyzen Habitat provides that natural home-like environment, a personalised habitat that today’s travellers seek when they are away from their primary abode. Artyzen Habitat also has a built‐in adaptability that ensures its relevance in established gateway cities like Shanghai, Hong Kong and Singapore, and also in emerging cities where its dynamic and flexible use of space can offer crucial additional benefits that traditional hotel models do not.”

 

In Asia, four Artyzen Habitat hotels are currently under development in Shanghai, Beijing, Hengqin, and Lingang. “Shanghai is one of the most important cities in Asia and establishing our brand presence here first is a key to our Asian regional growth plans,” said Robbert van der Maas. Moving forward, Artyzen Hospitality Group intends to further expand their presence in Asia with cosmopolitan cities such as Beijing, Jakarta, Singapore and Hong Kong.

 

Hong Leong Group’s Global Headquarters Heads To Damansara City

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Reading Time: 4 minutes

GuocoLand (Malaysia) Berhad (GuocoLand) recently confirmed that its flagship development, Damansara City, has been chosen as the future home for the Hong Leong Group’s global headquarters. The 33-storey Grade-A office tower block in the southwest (direction) end of the iconic development, will be the star anchor tenant within Damansara City, once it is fully occupied by the end of second quarter next year. Office Tower A’s 530,000 sq. ft. of usable area will be progressively handed over to various operating companies within the Hong Leong Group in coming months.

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“This announcement reinforces the position of Damansara City as the heart of a leading new business district in the Greater Kuala Lumpur and Damansara Height’s community. It  underscores our unique combination of factors that sets us apart and has spurred both investor and corporate interest in the project to date. This includes our location within the exclusive enclave of Damansara Heights which is mere minutes away from Bangsar, the KL city centre, the KL Sentral transportation hub and other established townships; the highest levels of seamless integration between our corporate, residency and hospitality facilities; the onsite presence of a refined and curated lifestyle mall; and accessibility through multiple road systems and the soon to be completed MRT line,” said Tan Lee Koon, Managing Director of GuocoLand.

Damansara City, with a gross development value of RM2.5 billion, is an Entry Point Project (EPP) under Malaysia’s Economic Transformation Programme. It has been identified as a key component and driver of one the fastest growing business districts in the Greater Kuala Lumpur area with strong and growing interest from buyers and tenants across South East Asia.

The Hong Leong Group is a leading conglomerate based in Malaysia with diversified businesses in banking & financial services, manufacturing & distribution, property development & investment, hospitality & leisure, and principal investment. The Group today controls a number of listed companies in various stock exchanges with hundreds of operating subsidiaries and associate companies in Malaysia to North and Southeast Asia, Western Europe and the UK, as well as North America and Oceania.

The jewel of Damansara Heights, Damansara City is an integrated city development consisting of two Grade-A office towers; two towers of luxury residences known as DC Residency; an F&B-centric lifestyle mall; and a 5 star hotel. The entire project will be fully operational by mid 2016.

The office spaces at Damansara City are setting a new benchmark, not just in the Damansara Heights and greater Kuala Lumpur areas but also inviting great interest in the regional property market. Strong regional demand for both its commercial and living spaces is being driven especially by Damansara City’s strategic location in Damansara Heights and office towers which are MSC-status ready developments that comply with the Green Building Index (GBI) Certified rating; the Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) Gold rating; and CONQUAS Quality Assessment for its building construction works.

Hong Leong Group is the first of several prominent brands that are moving their corporate headquarters to Damansara City. DC Mall, the soon to be opened lifestyle and F&B heart of Damansara City is also seeing strong demand for its space as it has already secured in-principle agreements with some well known local and international brands for half its lettable space as well.

“This is translating into ever growing demand for the residential towers within Damansara City which is why we have decided to officially open Tower A of DC Residency for sale to the general public with very attractive packages for early bird purchasers from today,” announced Tan who added that a healthy portion of DC Residency’s units had already been placed through private showings and previews here and around the region.

DC Residency offers two 28-storey residential towers, consisting of 370 contemporarily designed serviced apartments with built-up areas (for typical units) ranging between 899 sq ft (1 bedroom) and 2,705 sq ft (3+1 bedroom).

Residents and tenants at Damansara City will, in addition to the host of facilities, also have access to a walking garden along the top of the retail mall. This is on top of the health and gym facilities that include an Olympic length salt-water pool and an aqua gym for residents at DC Residency.

The choice destination for some of Malaysia’s most influential people, living in DamansaraHeights is often seen as the highest mark of stature and accomplishment. It is also a key target for investment among local and international buyers who are looking to invest in integrated high-end property in Kuala Lumpur. Over the years, the tranquil neighbourhood has been a steady investment magnet to affluent homeowners and expatriates but recent interest in developments in the area has reignited higher demand for the increasingly scarce property within Damansara Heights.

Damansara City appeals to buyers looking for a lifestyle close to the amenities offered while enjoying easy access to nearby townships and the Kuala Lumpur city centre. The upcoming MRT station that will be completed in the coming months will also link them to KL Sentral which will house the future KL-Singapore Rail Link station as well which was announced by both Prime Ministers of Malaysia and Singapore last month.

“Now more than ever high achievers and discerning buyers are opting for a social lifestyle that’s about convenience and quality – living close to shops, cafes and amenities with everything they need within reach. GuocoLand, being an expert in creating thoughtful spaces, is leading the way in master-planned communities, as it offers a place for residents to belong – an excellent opportunity for residents to live, work, play and become part of a community of the very best people,” added Tan.

GuocoLand expects Damansara City to have an initial traffic of 10,000 people daily working within the integrated development and average another 6,000 visitors when it is fully operational. The future development of surrounding areas is expected to enhance the foot traffic within the area and further increase the demand for and the valuation of Damansara City’s units in both the residential and commercial towers.

GuocoLand has built an enviable track record as a leading property developer with a history that spans over 50 years in residential townships, commercial and mixed development projects in Malaysia such as the upcoming master planned townships Emerald Rawang and Pantai Sepang Putra, as well as upcoming Alam Damai and Jasin. It is part of the Singapore-based GuocoLand Ltd, which is a leading regional property player with established operations in China, Singapore and Vietnam.

 

$483m top bid for private home site in Queenstown

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Reading Time: 2 minutes

A PRIME private residential site in the mature Queenstown estate has attracted nine bids from developers – with the best offer well above expected levels.

The top bid of $483.2 million from Chinese firm HY Realty, was 8 per cent higher than second-placed Allgreen Properties.

HY Realty”s bid translates to $871.10 per sq ft per plot ratio (psf ppr) for the 1.05ha parcel – higher than the expected top bid range of $750 psf ppr to $820 psf ppr.

Mr Desmond Sim, CBRE research head for Singapore and South-east Asia, said: “With a winning margin of 8 per cent, the bid demonstrates the confidence in the mature estate of Queenstown, with its network of amenities and the MRT station located right next to the site, and the stability of the Singapore market.”

R”ST Research Director Ong Kah Seng said, “The winning margin is less than 10 per cent, so it means the top two bids are similarly interested in the plot.”

The Dundee Road plot was launched on April 29, with the tender closing yesterday. Experts had expected five to 10 bids.

But JLL head of research and consultancy Chua Yang Liang noted that this plot had the fewest bidders for a residential site in what is known as the rest of central region since the third quarter of last year – when a Sims Drive site had only four bidders.

This suggests a weaker interest, online casino compared with the 14 bidders for the site in Lorong 6 Toa Payoh which closed just last week, he said, referring to a 1.22ha plot not far from Braddell MRT station.

Rodyk & Davidson partner Lee Liat Yeang said it was a bullish bid by HY Realty, possibly owing to the close distance to the MRT station. He added that developers are probably concerned with the abundant supply of new units in the Alexandra and Queenstown area.

The Dundee Road site, set to yield about 645 homes, was offered for sale on a 99-year lease.

Mr Sim said that with the total debt servicing ratio – a tougher mortgage rule – approaching its second year since implementation on June 29, bidders for this site have the advantage of being able to punt on a possible review of the property measures.

JLL”s Dr Chua said: “We reckon the developer could be looking at a selling price of between $1,550 psf and $1,600 psf, assuming a construction cost of between $320 psf and $360 psf.”

A spokesman for HY Realty said it is not a unit of Chinese developer Hao Yuan as was reported, but it has the same shareholders as Singapore-based Hao Yuan Investment, which is controlled by mainland shareholders.

He said HY Realty has plans to build a 700-unit condominium on the site, expected to be launched in the first quarter of next year.

“We are confident of this site as city-fringe homes are always in high demand because of the close proximity to the city centre.”

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