Vanta set to become a culture, connection and creativity hub

Source: Vanta. Members will enter the private club into a two-level dining and lounge salon where Italian marble, quartz finishes, and bespoke materials set a sophisticated tone. 

Singapore private club Vanta is set to launch this December along Orchard Road.

Envisioned as an invitation-only community for those poised to shape the future of business and culture, Vanta aims to reflect the values of Asia's new tastemakers. 

Spanning 16,000 sq ft at MacDonald House, the club boasts a two-level dining and lounge salon, private dining rooms and an AI golf simulator.

“Vanta represents the intersection of influence, culture and connection within Singapore's dynamic landscape. We aren't just creating a beautifully designed space,” said Wayne Lin, CEO of Vanta. 

“We're cultivating an ecosystem where leaders, creators, and investors come together to spark meaningful ideas and lasting impact. Our vision is for Vanta to become the epicentre of innovation and cultural exchange in Asia.” 

A defining feature of Vanta will be its approach to food and drink. Michelin-starred Consulting Chef Alvin Leung will curate the culinary programme, while the beverage selection includes investment-grade whiskies, rare single malts and collectible bottlings; vintage and limited-release wines; as well as small-batch sake brews, aged koshu, and coveted junmai daiginjo. 

Beyond the bottle, Vanta's calendar will be filled year-round with art exhibitions, talks, and cultural salons. 

“At Vanta, exclusivity isn't about status - it's about significance,” Lin added. 

“We've designed this club for individuals who are actively shaping conversations and leading change across industries. It will be a place where connoisseurs, especially those with a passion for whisky, wine and sake, can connect, collaborate, and define what's next for business and culture.” 

Ascott Star Rewards celebrates 2nd anniversary with promotions

The Ascott Limited’s loyalty programme, Ascott Star Rewards (ASR), is celebrating its second anniversary with the Celebrate The Little Joys campaign, offering double bonus points and complimentary tier upgrades to reward and thank its members.

Membership in ASR has grown over 400% since its launch in 2019. ASR members contribute about 90% of Ascott’s direct bookings online and over 60% of ASR members are repeat guests. ASR members also spend 36% more with Ascott compared to non-members.

The Discover ASR mobile app was introduced in October 2020, and has received 130,000 downloads. To date, over 1.3 million fans and followers of ASR connect and engage across the Discover ASR social channels on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.

Tan Bee Leng, Ascott’s MD for Brand & Marketing said: “We appreciate the strong support from our ASR members and are celebrating ASR’s second anniversary by providing our members with more rewards. Amid the challenging COVID-19 environment, we continue to stand by our ASR members and launched a series of initiatives to allow them to maximise their membership.

"These include offering members bonus ASR points if they had chosen to be refunded in ASR points* for their booking cancellations; ASR points purchase feature, ASR Elite Status Match and CapitaStar-ASR Points Exchange programmes which allowed ASR members to gain more perks or upgrade their membership tier. In December 2020, we launched Southeast Asia’s largest promotion with about S$13 million worth of goodies up for grabs on Shopee.”

“The launch of Discover ASR mobile app was also key to providing our members with contactless services along with the introduction of our Ascott Cares commitment to provide our guests with a safe home away from home. ASR members can look forward to more from us as we continue to improve our offerings to strengthen ASR’s position as one of the most rewarding global loyalty programmes in the serviced residence industry,” added Tan.

ASR’s anniversary deals run from 1-30 April 2021:

Double bonus points

ASR members who have booked and completed their stay from 1 April 2021 to 31 May 2021 can receive bonus points from their stay. ASR members who have booked their stay from 1-15 April 2021 will receive double bonus points from their stay, while members who have made their bookings from 16-30 April 2021, will receive 2,000 bonus points each night.

Today, ASR members can also purchase ASR points directly and use the points when they are ready to rediscover travel or towards their next staycation. From 1-30 April 2021, ASR members can purchase from as little as S$100 worth of ASR points to start earning bonus points, receiving up to 50% bonus points.

Complimentary tier upgrades

ASR members in the Classic tier will be further rewarded with a complimentary upgrade to the Silver tier for a year when they book their stay before 30 April 2021 and complete their stay during the promotional period of 1 April 2021 to 31 May 2021. Existing Silver, Gold and Platinum tier members will be rewarded with 5,000 ASR points when they book and complete their first stay within the same promotional period.

Details:

ASR members can book their stays at www.the-ascott.com or via the Discover ASR mobile app. ASR has no cap to points earned, no minimum points redemption and no blackout dates for redemption.

ASR membership is complimentary. Sign up.

*For stays booked before 20 April 2020.

UAE benefits for Almouj Golf members

Source: Almouj Golf.

Almouj Golf has introduced two new membership packages for individuals and groups respectively. 

In addition to playing Oman’s first 18-hole PGA-Standard links golf course, members will enjoy 20% discounts off food and beverages, and savings of 10% off products from Almouj Golf’s Pro Shop. Members will also receive exclusive guest rates and dining privileges when visiting two the Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club and the Emirates Golf Club in the UAE. Corporate members

can also benefit from reduced event fees. 

“The new packages underline Almouj Golf’s long-term promise to grow the game and introduce a variety of attractive membership categories, including Academy memberships,” said Mubarak Hill, Club Manager of Almouj Golf. “Since starting our operations, we have consistently strived to offer tailored programmes suited for enthusiasts and professionals alike. With these latest memberships, we aim to make the game more accessible to all and encourage everyone to learn, play, dine and celebrate at Almouj Golf.”

Starting in 2016, additional benefits of the new launch will see championship course members at Almouj Golf gain complimentary summer access to the 18-hole Championship Courses at the Emirates Golf Club and the Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club. Academy members will gain Academy Par-3 summer access to both clubs after the New Year.

Etihad launches loyalty card with walletplus by Visa

Source: Etihad Guest website.

Etihad Airways’ loyalty programme, Etihad Guest, has added the walletplus, powered by Visa payment feature onto its Etihad Guest card. Etihad Guest members will be able to load travel money onto their cards and convert it into 11 different foreign currencies to spend abroad.

The membership card can be loaded in advance, enabling card holders to better manage their travel budgets by locking in competitive exchange rates in real time before they travel. Pre-loading the card also means that members are immediately able to spend in the local currency upon arrival in another country, without having to first exchange or transfer funds at a bank or foreign exchange.

A maximum of 11 currencies can be held on the card at any one time, one of which must be UAE dirhams. The 10 other currencies are: US dollar, pound Sterling, Euro, Indian rupee, Australian dollar, Canadian dollar, Singapore dollar, Hong Kong dollar, Japanese yen and Thai baht.

Yasser Al Yousuf, Managing Director, Etihad Guest said: “The Etihad Guest loyalty programme focusses on providing features and benefits that enhance value to its members. The new Etihad Guest Card with walletplus is innovative in that it combines the functionality of a reloadable payment card with the benefits of Etihad Guest membership in a single piece of plastic, a first in loyalty and travel payments in the Middle East.”

Additionally, Etihad Guest members can download the walletplus mobile application, available for iOS and Android users, to access a range of functions that include checking their account balance and transaction history, transfer money to other Etihad Guest members with an activated walletplus account (AED only), and report a card lost/stolen.

Philip King, UAE Head of Retail, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB), said: “This is a highly innovative product and the first of its kind in the region. ADIB is proud to assist Etihad Airways in developing a multi-functional card which vividly demonstrates ADIB’s ground-breaking product development capabilities.

Etihad Guest also partnered with Rêv Worldwide, a global leader in multi-currency prepaid processing, to develop the product, utilising Rêv’s proprietary prepaid multi-currency processing platform and global experience in pioneering similar successful products.

“Well before starting work on this new product, we knew we were dealing with a partner that focuses on delivering excellent value and first class service to its members,” said John Mitchell, Chief Executive Officer, Rêv Worldwide, adding “we have great alignment on the value that innovation provides to further customer engagement.”

Etihad Guest members can earn one Etihad Guest Mile per US$2 spent in the UAE, and one Etihad Guest Mile per US$1 spent abroad when paying with walletplus.

Introduced in partnership with Visa, the Etihad Guest card with walletplus can be used to pay at tens of millions of global merchants, and card holders can withdraw cash at more than 2.1 million ATMs across the world.

Marcello Baricordi, General Manager UAE and Global Accounts Lead at Visa MENA, said: “Visa is delighted to partner with one of the world’s leading premium airline brands – Etihad Airways – to launch here in the Middle East a first of its kind travel card that promises Etihad Guest members the most extensive global reach.

Etihad Guest Tier members in the UAE will begin receiving their new Etihad Guest card with walletplus in early March, with rollout of cards to Etihad Guest members in other countries taking place in the future.