- Secures 16 Oakwood signings in 2024, reflecting a 30% year-on-year growth
- Adds four new Oakwood Premier properties in Adelaide, Bali, Shenzhen and Singapore
- Adds Bali to Oakwood’s growing portfolio of resort destinations, which includes Batam, Chongli and Ha Long
Oakwood
Suites
Chongli
The
rapid
growth
of
the
Oakwood
brand
is
anchored
in
Ascott’s
flex-hybrid
hotel-in-residence
model,
which
seamlessly
combines
the
comforts
of
a
fully
serviced
apartment
with
the
luxuries
of
a
hotel
stay.
Offering
a
variety
of
room
configurations
to
accommodate
diverse
travel
needs
and
lengths
of
stay,
Oakwood
properties
also
provide
a
wide
range
of
ancillary
services,
including
dining
options
and
meeting
facilities.
The
Oakwood
portfolio
now
comprises
nearly
100
properties
–
both
operational
and
in
the
pipeline
–
solidifying
its
appeal
to
bleisure
travellers.
Oakwood’s
global
footprint
spans
14
countries
and
50
cities,
with
a
strong
presence
in
key
gateway
cities
such
as
Tokyo,
Jakarta,
Beijing
and
Manila,
as
well
as
popular
resort
locations.
New
openings
in
2024
include
Oakwood
Suites
Chongli,
a
ski
resort
in
the
winter
sports
hub
of
Chongli
in
Zhangjiakou
City,
Hebei
Province,
China;
the
all-villa
Oakwood
Ha
Long,
located
in
the
heart
of
Ha
Long
City,
a
gateway
to
Vietnam’s
UNESCO
World
Heritage
site,
Ha
Long
Bay;
and
Oakwood
Hotel
&
Apartments
Grand
Batam,
offering
tranquil
water
views
on
Indonesia’s
Batam
island.
These
openings
mark
the
brand’s
debut
in
these
prime
resort
destinations.
Ms Serena Lim, Chief Growth Officer, Ascott, said, “Oakwood remains one of the fastest-growing brands in Ascott’s portfolio, driven by its strong positioning to capitalise on the increasing popularity of bleisure travel. With a 30% increase in signings in 2024 compared to 2023, Oakwood is well-placed to meet the needs of guests seeking a seamless balance between work and leisure. These new signings continue to drive Oakwood’s expansion into the resort sector, including the introduction of Oakwood Jimbaran Villas & Residences in Bali, one of the region’s most sought-after resort destinations. Beyond the volume of signings, we are seeing greater interest from property owners in the higher-tier Oakwood Premier brand following its recent refresh, with one in every four Oakwood signings in 2024 being an Oakwood Premier property. Notably, the signings will mark the entry of Oakwood Premier into new cities such as Adelaide, Bali and Shenzhen.”
The newly signed Oakwood Premier properties include Oakwood Premier Adelaide, Oakwood Premier Luohu Shenzhen and a new property in Bali. In Singapore, the Oakwood Premier brand makes its return with Oakwood Premier Draycott Singapore, located in the Orchard Road precinct. This addition will expand Oakwood’s presence in Singapore to two properties, joining Oakwood Studios Singapore.
Capitalising on the Rise of Bleisure Travel with Elevated Guest Offerings
According to research by Forbes[1], bleisure travel is currently a global market valued at nearly US$600 billion, with projections for a five-fold increase or more over the next decade. Based on American Express Travel’s 2023 Global Travel Trends Report[2], food plays a pivotal role in travel experiences. With travellers often organising vacations around culinary activities – ranging from trying local favourites to participating in cooking classes – 46% of respondents say they would sign up for cooking classes to engage with the culture of the destination, while 34% shop for groceries while travelling.
As this market continues to expand, Oakwood is strategically positioned to meet rising demand by leveraging its brand signatures to elevate the bleisure guest experience, catering to the evolving needs of travellers seeking the perfect blend of business and pleasure. Following last year’s brand refresh, all new Oakwood properties will feature on-site dining options. To date, more than half of Oakwood properties offer the convenience of dining on-property, featuring a variety of culinary options that focus on comfort food.
Oakwood
launches
brand
campaign
All
You
Knead
is
Comfort,
inviting
guests
to
experience
the
comforts
of
home
through
food-inspired
activations.
Ms
Tan
Bee
Leng,
Chief
Commercial
Officer,
Ascott,
said:
“As
bleisure
travel
continues
to
grow,
our
guests
are
increasingly
seeking
distinctive
culinary
experiences.
This
reflects
a
broader
shift
towards
experiential
travel,
where
food
acts
as
a
gateway
to
understanding
and
appreciating
the
culture
and
heritage
of
each
destination.
Oakwood
is
well-positioned
to
ride
this
trend
and
distinguish
itself
with
its
multi-faceted
approach
to
culinary
tourism.
With
Home
on
a
Plate
as
one
of
our
brand
signatures,
Oakwood
apartments
are
equipped
with
kitchens,
allowing
guests
to
prepare
local
dishes
using
ingredients
sourced
from
the
region.
This
hands-on
approach
not
only
fosters
a
deeper
cultural
connection
but
also
offers
flexibility
in
dining
choices.
Additionally,
our
food
&
beverage
programme,
All
You
Knead
is
Comfort,
goes
beyond
the
physical
dining
spaces
by
offering
guests
interactive
culinary
events
like
cooking
classes,
food
tastings
and
seasonal
offerings.
These
activities
enable
guests
to
engage
directly
with
local
chefs
and
food
traditions,
enriching
their
stay
and
creating
lasting
memories.”
All You Knead is Comfort Brand Campaign 2025
Oakwood’s All You Knead is Comfort brand campaign this year taps into the universal power of comfort food to soothe the soul and satisfy the palate. Celebrating comfort food as a language that resonates with everyone, the campaign invites guests to experience the comforts of home through food-inspired activations, including cooking classes, celebrity chef collaborations and limited-time offerings at on-property restaurants, available through 31 March 2025.
As part of this campaign, Oakwood is also showcasing its culinary capabilities with the launch of its first digital cookbook, Comfort, Curated. Featuring recipes by Oakwood chefs from all 12 countries that Oakwood currently operates in, the cookbook presents a collection of comfort food dishes from various regions, and is available for free download on the brand campaign webpage. Through this initiative, Oakwood invites guests to recreate a taste of home no matter where they are, and when they return home, a taste of the destinations they have visited.
Recreate
local
treats
like
the
Indonesian
Klepon,
a
chewy
rice
ball
with
a
molten
brown
sugar
centre,
with
a
recipe
shared
by
Chef
de
Partie
Arie
Nurandi
from
Oakwood
Premier
Cozmo
Jakarta.
Among
the
featured
recipes
in
Comfort,
Curated,
Chef
Nixon
Low,
representing
Oakwood
Studios
Singapore,
reimagines
the
beloved
Singapore
dish
Hainanese
Chicken
Rice,
giving
it
a
creative
twist
by
turning
it
into
Hainanese
Chicken
Rice
Nigiri
with
a
Japanese
flair.
In
India,
Executive
Chef
Reagan
Fernandes
from
Oakwood
Residence
Kapil
Hyderabad
presents
his
favourite
local
delicacy,
Haleem
–
a
hearty
stew
of
meat
and
lentils,
enjoyed
both
as
street
food
and
as
a
fine
dining
speciality.
Other
highlights
from
the
cookbook
include
King
Fish
Tacos
by
Head
Chef
Jean-Pierre
(JP)
Sauterelle
of
Oakwood
Premier
Melbourne,
Khmer
Margherita
Pizza
by
Chef
Pok
Phearum
from
Oakwood
Premier
Phnom
Penh,
and
Steamed
Pork
Buns
by
Chef
Andy
Huang
from
Oakwood
Premier
Guangzhou.
Guest
Chef
Pawat
Kritsaruenon,
from
competitive
reality
TV
series,
MasterChef
Thailand,
will
host
a
culinary
masterclass
at
Oakwood
Suites
Bangkok,
so
guests
can
recreate
Thai
recipes
in
their
apartments.
Alongside
the
digital
cookbook,
Oakwood
properties
have
teamed
up
with
local
culinary
experts
to
offer
exclusive,
limited-time
menus
and
masterclasses
for
guests.
At
Oakwood
Apartments
PIK
Jakarta,
local
celebrity
Chef
Devina
Hermawan
will
debut
a
special
menu
featuring
authentic
Indonesian
cuisine
in
February
2025.
In
Thailand,
Guest
Chef
Pawat
Kritsaruenon
(Tong),
a
finalist
from
Season
2
of
the
competitive
reality
TV
series,
MasterChef
Thailand,
will
host
a
culinary
masterclass
at
Oakwood
Suites
Bangkok,
sharing
simple
and
authentic
Thai
recipes
that
guests
can
recreate
in
their
apartments.
In
China,
Oakwood
properties
will
host
cooking
classes
in
celebration
of
Lunar
New
Year,
where
guests
can
learn
to
make
traditional
Chinese
comfort
food
like
dumplings
and
sweet
glutinous
rice
balls
also
known
as
Tang
Yuan.
For more information on the full list of culinary activations across Oakwood properties, please visit: https://www.discoverasr.com/en/all-you-knead-is-comfort.
https://www.discoverasr.com/en
https://linkedin.com/company/the-ascott-limited
https://www.facebook.com/discoverasr/
https://www.instagram.com/discoverasr
Hashtag: #ascott
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