Boutique hotels take Southeast Asia by storm
Venues such as Villa Song Saigon in Ho Chi Minh City and The Sanchaya on Bintan are out to compete with the bigger hotels
Small boutique hotels with limited function facilities might initially seem no match for the marketing might of international chains when they pitch for meetings business.
“Despite being a small 23-room boutique hotel, we actually do a lot of events,” says Yega Thiyagarajan, the property’s general manager. “In January 2018 alone, we did 28 events, big and small, including nine weddings.” Part of the Secret Retreats network, Villa Song Saigon offers one main meeting space and a smaller board room for meetings.
Many small boutique hotels primarily operate in the fully independent traveller market and often have little to no dedicated MICE facilities.
Boutique hotels exude an individual charm and identity of their own, where spaces speak to ‘guests’ and are designed to evoke memories and experiences
Such small venues often prefer clients to hire the entire hotel to avoid disturbing other guests.
“If the group does not book out the entire hotel, then it’s tricky, as I need to balance hotel guests’ satisfaction and need for privacy as well, so we can’t have noisy events or theme parties unless the group blocks all hotel rooms as well,” Thiyagarajan says. He also says that as the hotel is in a quiet residential area, parties have to end by 10.30pm.
“These suites are being used by companies doing fashion shows, photoshoots, and video filming. They offer an entire setup of a scene which perfectly fits the needs of clients as they don’t have to decorate the venue” explains Lützel. The family who own the hotel also own the Parkview Green shopping mall in which it is housed, which means the hotel has the added flexibility of holding events within the mall.
A lot of our corporate guests have been coming to Vietnam for a long time now and are looking for something different
The hotel’s location also defines its clientele and general MICE competition.
“Corporate guests are time-sensitive and the ease of access combined with superior service and the utterly well maintained facilities of The Sanchaya have proven a very successful combination,” Green says. With few other MICE facilities on Bintan, the hotel mainly tries to lure small, exclusive CEO- and managing director-level events away from Singapore.
Luang Prabang’s MICE industry is only just beginning as the government tries to promote tourism, so much of the trade received is organised by the government itself. Most properties in the city are small. “There are very few hotels in Luang Prabang with a capacity of more than 60 rooms and with a proper meeting room facility,” Tebano says.
Convention facilities in Ho Chi Minh City are limited, with only two centres, and the MICE scene is not developed. Villa Song offers bespoke MICE events with clients including Nike and Air New Zealand.
In Bali there are hotels with facilities for up to 2,500 delegates, however.
“While the island is known for leisure business, MICE business is growing and shows potential from global and domestic companies wanting to plan incentive trips for their staff,” Quek says. With the hotel targeting hipsters and creatives as guests, it looks to companies that want something less mainstream.
“Our clients come from fashion and retail,” Lützel says. “They’re luxury labels that want their products to be exposed in a very unique environment.”
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