IHG Hotels & Resorts and long-term partner Hotel Properties Limited (HPL) announced the first voco™ hotel to open in South East Asia on Singapore’s world-famous Orchard Road.
The premium brand was launched in 2018 and quickly reached the milestone of 50 signed and opened hotels in more than 20 countries – marking IHG’s fastest-ever global expansion. Now, voco Orchard Singapore is heading to the heart of the nation’s famous main shopping and entertainment district and a bustling centre of leisure and business.
Serena Lim, Vice President, Development, South East Asia and Korea, IHG said: “We are delighted to grow our partnership with long-term partner HPL and expand our brand portfolio in Singapore with the signing of voco. It’s fantastic to grow this premium brand’s global footprint with a flagship property of such stature – the first to open in South East Asia – and in such a vibrant and dynamic location. Across Asia Pacific, voco Orchard Singapore will join our fantastic voco properties in Australia and China, with further openings set for Vietnam, Thailand, South Korea, New Zealand and Saipan.
“We look forward to welcoming the team to the IHG family and together we will be ready to welcome guests from January 2022 as we are already seeing pent up demand for travel globally, regionally and in Singapore.”
The 423-room hotel will rebrand from Hilton Singapore and provide guests with the world-renowned voco experience from the moment they walk through its doors. They’ll receive the brand’s signature ‘Come on in’ warm welcome of a swift and simple check-in, and a locally inspired welcome treat to mark the start of what’s bound to be a memorable stay.
A dedicated voco host will ensure every guest makes the most of their visit, and there will be plenty of opportunity for “me time” thanks to the supremely comfortable guest rooms that will entice visitors to unwind and relax, and four restaurant and bars designed to provide the perfect ambience against a backdrop showcasing ‘voco life’.
Stephen Lau, Chairman, HPL Hotels & Resorts Pte Ltd commented: “We’re excited to bring a fresh, new brand to Singapore and especially to a much-loved area on Orchard Road. voco was the ideal choice for this location as it’s extremely popular with leisure and business travellers and it will fit perfectly in such a prime shopping and entertainment area. We are delighted to expand our trusted partnership with IHG and we believe voco, will bring renewed interest to the hotel and allow us to transition smoothly through the rebranding process. We look forward to a successful launch of voco in 2022.”
Throughout the hotel’s history, it has always been known as the place to meet for business or social occasions, a tradition that will be enhanced under the voco brand. With 12 meeting rooms across more than 1,750 square metres, it will provide the perfect stylish space for meetings, weddings and any other special occasion.
Every voco hotel has its own sense of style thanks to a commitment to be reliably different which guarantees that it stands out from the crowd. Originating from Latin, voco means ‘to invite’ and ‘call together’ which perfectly represents its thoughtful and playful nature, and an ability to offer meaningful connections.
The conversion-friendly nature of the voco brand means it is attracting widespread interest from owners looking to convert hotels, maximise returns and quickly benefit from IHG’s global scale, technology platforms, and one of the world’s largest hotel loyalty programmes – IHG® Rewards. Amidst the pandemic last year, IHG reported an increase in conversion activity with 25% of the company’s signings reported as such –13% of which were to voco.
The brand also continues to evolve as part of its global ambition to welcome guests at 200 voco hotels in leading urban and leisure locations within 10 years. Its first-ever all-suites property has been signed in Doha, Qatar, and its first new-build hotel has opened for business in Edinburgh, Scotland, with another, in Nanjing, China, preparing to welcome guests later this year.
The voco Orchard Singapore will be IHG’s 12th hotel in Singapore and its seventh brand in the country where it joins Regent, InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Hotel Indigo, Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express.
