Capella Singapore, the latest luxurious hotel of Sentosa, will be opening next month. It will be the seventh hotel to be built in the island.
Designed by Norman Foster, a British architect, this $400-million hotel is expected to be Sentosa’s main attraction, with its unique eight-shape structure surrounding the two restored colonial buildings.
There will be 111 rooms available in the hotel, including villas, suites and ‘manor’ houses.
With 1,200 available hotel rooms in the resort island, and over 1,650 planned to be built in the next three years, questions of Sentosa being ‘hoteled’-out are raised.
However, industry experts say no, explaining that various hotels serve to different markets.
For instance, the luxury rooms of Capella Singapore with manors and villas are the first among their kind in the resort island, says The TourismAcademy@Sentosa Director Mr. Philip Lim.
“It will be clearly differentiated from what is already available,” Mr. Lim says. His academy is a cooperation of Sentosa Leisure Group and Temasek Polytechnic, which offers diplomas in tourism and hospitality business.
The market of Capella Singapore is a very high end, with rates starting from $750 to $7,500 – the highest price in the island.
Other hotels of Sentosa are also available for those on strict budget, which makes them known with families and other crowds who can’t afford Capella’s luxury level.
The first category hotels include Costa Sands Resort, Treasure Resort, and Siloso Beach Resort. Prices range from $80 to $288 per night.
Those who belong to the high class are The Sentosa Resort & Spa, Rasa Sentosa Resort, and Amara Sanctuary Resort Sentosa. In Rasa Sentosa, prices start at $375, while it is $500 in Amara Sanctuary and $380 in The Sentosa Resort.
Mister Goh Lye Whatt, director of planning and property at Sentosa, points out that the resorts and hotels in the island are popular for various groups, such as families having vacations, businessmen on travel, as well as holiday-makers.
Mister Whatt adds that part of the resort island’s master plan is to build the hotels for the long run in line with a lot of tourism initiatives and offer a wide range of choices for travellers.
Caroline Leong, director of hospitality division on Singapore Tourism Board, says, “the wider range of offerings will better position Singapore to meet the accommodation needs of travellers”.
Amara Holding Chief Executive Officer Mr. Albert Teo is indeed unfazed by Capella Singapore’s opening. With 111 additional rooms at Capella, he says, ”it’s not that many to Sentosa’s total room count”.
Extended stays are also offered at Capella Singapore for a maximum of 20 years. “It is catering to a niche market that is different from ours,” Mr. Teo says of his 121-room hotel. He adds that Amara Sanctuary is aiming for its target occupancy rate but refuses to elaborate.
Same as the luxurious Capella Singapore, built over six years, Sentosa will have other hotels to be opened in the years to come.
Resorts World at Sentosa, the first among two integrated resorts of Singapore, is set to open by March of 2010. Four of its hotels will also open, offering about 1400 rooms.
A 250-room hotel located at Sentosa Cove is being developed by City Developments, which will be ready within two to three years. At first, it was reported to be a W hotel, but the project’s spokesman says that its name will be unveiled when it is near completion.
However, the project is still a long way to completion. At this time, the Capella Singapore is the main attraction, considered as the flagship property for Asia’s Capella Hotels and Resorts.
Michael Luible, Capella Singapore’s general manager, says they have already received bookings as early as January and “now has a healthy number of advance bookings”. Included are bookings from individuals, families, and corporate travellers.
Mister Lim says Sentosa can accommodate more hotels depending on the resulting demand “when the economy is back in its healthy state and when all hotels including those in Resorts World are ready”.
Customers benefit on more options provided by Sentosa as it has a wider range of hospitality and lifestyle choices for various needs and budgets. However, aside from those that were already planned, he chooses to see no further hotel developments on the island to preserve its natural beauty.