Here’s our curated look at some of the regional travel news of note that’s happened in the month of August 2022.
Travelling to Southeast Asia any time soon? Our inaugural issue of Spirited Travels looks at three recent hotel openings across Southeast Asia, an update to Kuala Lumpur’s Sunway Resort, as well as a rooftop bar opening in Bali.
Premier Bali rooftop pool club, Kuta Social Club, opens
Joining Bali’s iconic Kuta Beach strip is vibrant Kuta Social Club, perched on the rooftop of Bali’s first urban resort Mamaka by Ovolo. This vibrant rooftop party venue offers a day club experience that comes with a million-dollar sunset and ocean view particularly at cocktail hour, while its kitchen churns out Mediterranean-inspired eats cooked over a charcoal grill. Lounge over an innovation selection of cocktails and spiked juices while jiving to soulful tunes that range from 80s hip hop and jazz, to chillout sunset mixes and ‘oldie-but-goodie’ disco tunes. You may just think you’re in Ibiza.
Kuta Social Club | Rooftop, Mamaka by Ovolo, Jl. Pantai Kuta No.32, Legian, Kec. Kuta, Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80361, Indonesia (Google Maps link) | 11am to 11pm daily | kutasocialclub.com | +62 361 8496500
Boutique hotel Else Kuala Lumpur opens this September
Travellers to Kuala Lumpur looking for spanking-new and fancy boutique accommodations can consider Else Kuala Lumpur, which is set to open in September this year. Situated in the heart of Kuala Lumpur’s Chinatown, this 49-room property takes over the historical Lee Rubber Building and converts it into a classy urban getaway. Four room types are available, ranging from the standard 25-sqm Mantra Room all the up to its massive Else Suite offering a sweeping view of the KL metropolitan skyline. Else Kuala Lumpur is also set to rock the city’s culinary scene when its seafood-focused open-fire restaurant The Yellow Fin House opens year-end.
Else Kuala Lumpur | 145, Jalan Tun H S Lee, City Centre, 50000 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (Google Maps link) | Check-in time: 3pm; check-out time: 12pm | www.elseretreats.com | +60 16 4202455
Kuala Lumpur’s Sunway Resort unveils new room and suite categories
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s fully-integrated premier hospitality and entertainment destination Sunway City has just unveiled eight new room and suite types for Sunway Resort as part of the first phase of massive renovations that started in 2020. Aside from the entry-level Deluxe Room and larger Grand Deluxe Rooms to its more exclusive Club Rooms for usual guests, there are room types for specific needs as well. There are Business Suites catered to those requiring a dedicated office-style working space, or Wellness Suites targeted at those who require exercise equipment to work out in the privacy of their own rooms. Those who require luxurious family-friendly accommodations can consider the Sunway Grand Suite, which can accommodate four guests in two bedrooms, separate dining, living and bar areas, a spa-inspired bathroom, and even comes with personal butler service.
Sunway Resort | 1, Persiaran Lagoon, Bandar Sunway, 47500 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia (Google Maps link) | Check-in time: 3pm; check-out time: 12pm | www.sunwayhotels.com | +60 37 4928000
Wink Hotel Saigon Centre reimagines Vietnamese hospitality
Vietnam’s lifestyle brand Wink Hotels looks to bring a different perspective of Vietnamese hospitality with a ‘Made in Vietnam’ approach, especially for those travelling to Southeast Asia for the first time. It not only has reimagined its flagship property, Wink Hotel Saigon Centre @ 75 Nguyen Binh Khiem as an living art gallery. First opened in 2021, Wink Hotel Saigon Centre located in Ho Chi Minh City’s vibrant downtown Dakao district now comes complete with artwork created by Hanoi-based art photographer Nyugen The Son and contemporary artist UuDam Tran Nguyen, among others – but has also partnered other artisans for other installations and even music. Love your coffee and craft beer? Wink Hotel Saigon Centre has a partnership with artisanal coffee connoisseurs Lacàph and local craft brewery East West Brewing Co that should sate your thirst.
Wink Hotel Saigon Centre | 75 Nguyễn Bỉnh Khiêm, Đa Kao, Quận 1, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam (Google Maps link) | Check-in time: 2pm; check-out time: 12pm | www.wink-hotels.com | +84 28 3826 9999
New hotel Tribe Phnom Penh Post Office Square opens in Cambodia’s capital city
Those travelling to Southeast Asia don’t usually think about Cambodia’s capital city Phnom Penh, but maybe they should with the launch of a spanking new contemporary hotel there. Design-driven Tribe Phnom Penh Post Office Square by Ennismore is located in the city’s Post Office Square district, bordered by swathes of heritage buildings and iconic attractions such as the Mekong riverfront promenade and the historic Wat Phnom temple. There are six room types, all of which feature refined design touches and modern amenities targeted at travellers looking to explore the city’s urban reaches. For international tipplers, the hotel’s bar Mezcal Mad Memories 21, or MMM 21, is set to light up the city’s drinking scene with its signature Mezcal-laced drinks.
Tribe Phnom Penh Post Office Square | No 47 Corner ST 01 and ST 94 Village 9 Sangat Wat Phnom Phnom Penh, 12021, Cambodia (Google Maps link) | Check-in time: 2pm; check-out time: 12pm | www.mytribehotel.com | +855 23 965 500
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