Seibu Prince Hotels & Resorts, a subsidiary of Tokyo-listed Seibu Holdings, has made its Southeast Asian debut with the launch of Park Regis by Prince Singapore on September 3. The 203-room hotel, located in the Clarke Quay area, was previously known as Park Regis Singapore before undergoing extensive refurbishment and room improvements.
This includes upgrades such as complimentary high-speed Wi-Fi and 50-inch smart TVs with casting capability, as well as replacing most single-use plastics with more sustainable alternatives like water filters.
According to Alex Barnett, director of global brand and communications at Seibu Prince Hotels Worldwide, the refit and rebranding exercise has resulted in an increase in the hotel’s base room rates. The basic nightly rate has risen from around $200 in 2019 to approximately $230 following the relaunch.
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Offering four room categories ranging from 215 to 463 square feet, Park Regis by Prince Singapore caters to the mid- to high-tier market for both business and leisure travelers.
This is the first Park Regis hotel to be rebranded under the Seibu Prince brand, which is one of Japan’s largest hospitality conglomerates with over 50 hotels, 25 hot spring facilities, and 28 golf courses. According to Yoshiki Kaneda, president and CEO of Seibu Prince Hotels Worldwide, there is ongoing demand for Japanese-style hospitality in the luxury segment overseas, which the group is uniquely equipped to fulfill with over 80 years of experience in the industry.
Steven Tang, general manager of Park Regis by Prince Singapore, defines Japanese-style hospitality, or omotenashi, as consisting of three defining characteristics: anticipation, selflessness, and sincerity. To enhance guest experience, the hotel has implemented features like digital room keys and an AI chatbot through their app to facilitate guest service requests and provide information on nearby attractions.
Seibu Prince has also begun sending their Japanese staff overseas to train local hotel staff, with one example being The Prince Kitano New York where 12% of the staff are from Japan, including a team of master chefs.
Expanding the flagship brand internationally is part of Seibu’s efforts, which was recently unified with its two international subsidiaries, StayWell Holdings and Prince Resorts Hawaii, under the identity Seibu Prince Hotels & Resorts. The group acquired the Park Regis and Leisure Inn brands in 2017 for A$50 million and plans to focus on expanding in Asia and Southeast Asia. Next year, the brand will debut in Indonesia and Thailand with the opening of Park Regis by Prince Menteng and The Prince Akatoki Riverside Bangkok.
While the group hopes to triple its current portfolio of over 80 hotels to 250 by 2035, with 100 in Japan and 150 internationally, their current portfolio includes hotels in 11 countries such as China, Hawaii, Taiwan, Australia, and the UK.