From left: Mr Lim Chin Beng, Ascott’s Chairman, Mr Willie Ong, Assistant Vice President, Ascott Centre for Excellence,
Dr Ng Eng Hen, Minister for Education
and Second Minister for Defence, Ms Jennie Chua, Ascott’s President & CEO, and Mr Liew Mun Leong, CapitaLand’s President & CEO and Ascott’s Deputy Chairman

The Ascott Group (Ascott) has officially opened a new global hospitality training centre in Singapore called Ascott Centre for Excellence (ACE). The event was officiated by Dr Ng Eng Hen, Minister for Education and Second Minister for Defence.

ACE trains Ascott’s 5,000 employees located in Asia Pacific, Europe and the Gulf region to support its global expansion. Besides Ascott’s proprietary programmes, ACE is the only training centre in Singapore to offer Workforce Development Agency’s full range of Hotel and Accommodation Services programmes. This full range of hospitality programmes will be opened to the Singapore public, making Ascott the first and only company to do so. The programmes, which will be available from October 2008, range from Certificate and Advance Certificate to Diploma level.

Somerset Hoa Binh, Hanoi

Ascott has opened four new serviced residences in four countries across three regions in the first two weeks of June. The four new properties are each located in Australia, Vietnam, Thailand and Qatar.

Ascott has added a new city, Perth, to its global footprint with the opening of Somerset St Georges Terrace. The other three new serviced residences are Somerset Hoa Binh in Hanoi, Citadines Sukhumvit 8 in Bangkok and Somerset West Bay in Doha.

The opening of these properties adds to the two properties Ascott opened early this year, bringing the total to six opened in the first half of 2008. The two serviced residences which Ascott opened in China early this year were Ascott Guangzhou and Somerset Emerald City, Suzhou.

Mr Richard Ong, Ascott’s Senior Vice President, Operations at the awards ceremony in Shanghai.

Ascott has won the inaugural ‘China’s Most Favourite Serviced Residence Brand’ award at the 5th Golden-Pillow Award of China Hotels. The Golden Pillow Award is one of the most important accolades in China’s hospitality business. This is the first time the serviced residence category is added to the list of awards.

This award is Ascott’s fifth accolade in China this year. Others include the China Hotel Starlight Awards and TTG China Travel Awards.

Ascott has acquired an existing serviced residence within London's 'Midtown' region at High Holborn for £43.5 million (S$116.4 million). Before the acquisition, Ascott leased the 192-unit property from Land Securities plc and has been operating it as Citadines London Holborn-Covent Garden.

Holborn is rapidly becoming a major shopping and office district. The property is a short walk from Covent Garden, one of the liveliest areas in London with many boutiques, theatres, restaurants and clubs. It is also near the city’s business area, across the Holborn Tube Station with easy access to both the Central and Piccadilly underground lines.

Residents of Ascott’s over 40 Citadines properties in Europe can now have free access to Regus’ 950 business lounges worldwide through a new partnership between Citadines and Regus. Citadines’ residents will receive 25% discount on the Regus Businessworld Gold card, giving them free access to the business lounges as well as discounts for the use of Regus’ products including meeting rooms, day offices and state-of-the-art video conferencing facilities which are available in 70 countries in Asia, Australasia, Europe, Middle East, Africa, the Americas as well as the United Kingdom. Regus’ 400,000 clients will enjoy preferential rates at Citadines in Europe.