The Quincy Hotel in Singapore has responded to rise of the savvy traveler by combining the design aesthetic of a boutique with a simple, old-fashioned proposition: value for money.
The 108-room Quincy, which opened in February, operates under a flat-rate system where the room charge includes airport pickup, three meals a day, evening cocktails, Internet use, mini-bar, limited amounts of laundry and all local calls. This transparent approach is a clear pitch at businesspeople being squeezed by tighter travel budgets, but appeals to the broader traveler who no longer understand why they should be overcharged for essentials like Internet or non-luxurious extras like a canned drink.
Quoted net rates for early July are SG$228 a night (US$157), an all-inclusive price that is competative for the city-state and, for consumers, laudably easy to understand. By comparison, the same night at The Scarlet would cost SG$175, room only (SG$263 with breakfast and airport pickup). The Naumi is SG$260 including minibar but excluding breakfast or pickup.
This will be a tough year for Singapore’s hotels, with 4,500 new rooms due to come online, even as the number of visitors falls, according to Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels.
The change of economic mood means that consumers are less tolerant of murky pricing policies and hidden extra charges. They still believe they deserve to travel in style. But if they are going to spend their money, they want to know what they’re getting in return. The Quincy is one example of a business response.