Where do Asia's business elite like to rest their heads after a hard day of deal-making? FinanceAsia's put that question to its readers in its annual business travel poll.
The poll showed that travellers continued to value the traditional, international luxury names. But readers are also open to something new.
In the coveted best new hotel category it is the Four Seasons in Seoul that comes out on top. Located in a 25-storey mixed-use building with 317 rooms about 90 minutes from Incheon International Airport, the five-star hotel features motorised coverings that allow guests to instantly choose between complete darkness, veiled natural light or crystal-clear vistas across the city that takes in the landmark Gyeongbok Palace and N Seoul Tower from selected suites.
Perhaps a recent visitor to the Four Seasons Seoul summed it up best with the following comment left on travel blog TripAdvisor: “Big windows with a view of the cityscape bringing in lots of light into a very luxurious and spacious room. I could live here.”
Seoul's Four Seasons
The hotel is located in the central business district and is the Four Seasons group’s first foray into South Korea, underlining the country’s growing status as a regional hotspot for luxury tourism. “Seoul has emerged as one of the most exciting, inventive and inspiring cities in the world, and Four Seasons is right in the centre of the energy,” Lubosh Barta, general manager at Four Seasons Seoul, said in a statement.
Away from Seoul, the Upper House Hotel in Hong Kong, with its unique and contemporary interior design and gourmet dining, is the best boutique hotel in the region, according to those polled, whilst Thailand is home to both the region’s most luxurious spa experience and its best golf course, namely the Banyan Tree Spa and the Blue Canyon Country Club in Phuket
The Mandarin Oriental in both Hong Kong and Bangkok are still the best rated by elite business travellers in their respective local markets, while Ritz-Carlton is top-ranked by visitors to Beijing’s finance street and Shanghai’s Pudong districts, highlighting their favourable locations.
For the first part of the poll, which focused on the region's best airlines and airports, click here.
The results in detail
|
Bangkok |
|
1= |
Mandarin Oriental (pictured) |
|
1= |
Sukothai |
|
3 |
St Regis |
|
Beijing |
|
1 |
The Ritz-Carlton, Financial Street |
|
2 |
Park Hyatt |
|
3 |
Grand Hyatt |
|
Ho Chi Minh City |
|
1 |
Park Hyatt Saigon |
|
2 |
Sheraton Saigon Hotel & Towers |
|
3= |
Caravelle Hotel |
|
3= |
InterContinental Asiana Saigon |
|
Hong Kong |
|
1 |
Mandarin Oriental |
|
2 |
Four Seasons |
|
3 |
Upper House |
|
Jakarta |
|
1 |
Grand Hyatt |
|
2= |
Mandarin Oriental |
|
2= |
Shangri-La |
|
Kuala Lumpur |
|
1 |
Shangri-La |
|
2 |
Mandarin Oriental |
|
3 |
Grand Hyatt |
|
Macau |
|
1 |
City of Dreams |
|
2 |
Four Seasons |
|
3 |
Grand Hyatt |
|
Manila |
|
1 |
Shangri-La Makati (pictured) |
|
2 |
Fairmont Makati |
|
=3 |
Mandarin Oriental (now closed) |
|
=3 |
Peninsula |
|
Mumbai |
|
1= |
Taj Mahal |
|
1= |
The Oberoi |
|
3 |
Grand Hyatt Mumbai |
|
New Delhi |
|
1 |
Hotel Imperial |
|
2 |
ITC Maurya Sheraton |
|
3 |
Taj Mahal |
|
Shanghai |
|
1 |
Ritz-Carlton Pudong |
|
2 |
Pudong Shangri-La |
|
3 |
Park Hyatt Pudong |
|
Seoul |
|
1 |
The Westin Chosun |
|
2 |
Conrad |
|
3 |
Shilla |
|
Singapore |
|
1 |
Ritz-Carlton Millenia |
|
2 |
Fullerton Hotel |
|
3 |
Fullerton Bay |
|
Sydney |
|
1 |
Park Hyatt Sydney (pictured) |
|
2= |
Four Seasons |
|
2= |
Hilton |
|
2= |
The Westin Sydney |
|
Taipei |
|
1 |
W Taipei |
|
2 |
Grand Hyatt |
|
3= |
Le Meridien |
|
3= |
Shangri-La's Far Eastern Plaza |
|
Tokyo |
|
1 |
Mandarin Oriental (pictured) |
|
2 |
Okura |
|
3= |
Grand Hyatt |
|
3= |
Palace Hotel Tokyo |
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