Published August 24, 2009

F1 organisers, hotels hit the home stretch

There's catching up to do as race weekend nears

By NISHA RAMCHANDANI
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(SINGAPORE) Michael Schumacher may not be returning to Formula One racing, but the buzz is slowly stealing back to the Singapore Grand Prix as the September event approaches.

After a more subdued start this year against the backdrop of an unprecedented economic recession and the recent U-turn by Schumi, ticket sales and hotel bookings have just a little over a month to play catch-up for the Sept 25-27 event.

At present, close to 70 per cent of grandstand and walkabout tickets have been sold, while over 82 per cent of corporate hospitality suites and the Paddock Club have been taken up, said race promoter Singapore GP (SGP). The numbers have been climbing although at this point last year, over 95 per cent of tickets had been sold.

SGP also scaled back the number of its built-to-order hospitality suites at the circuit to 160 this year from 180 previously, given the poorer economy.

Meanwhile, hotel bookings for race weekend are also lagging behind last year's despite the steeper discounts offered by hoteliers. The trackside Grand Park City Hall (GPCH) has yet to see bookings hit the halfway mark for the F1 weekend.

'Currently, we are not seeing very strong demand,' Park Hotel Group director Allen Law said.



And this is despite the fact that room rates at GPCH have been kept largely the same, although the 30 per cent F1 tax for trackside hotels which is being levied by the government will be passed on to patrons. Room rates start at $480.

'We want to maintain our normal traffic, so we are only asking our normal rate plus the surcharge,' explained Mr Law. Stipulations such as a minimum number of nights have also been done away with, as this tends to deter travellers who are not attending the race.

The Ritz-Carlton, which is near the pit building, is not running a full house yet but remains upbeat.

'Based on last year's occupancy over the race weekend and given that hotel reservations since late last year have been made on a shorter-term basis, we're anticipating to once again fill up this coming year,' said Michelle Wan, director of public relations. The Ritz-Carlton was fully booked over the 2008 race weekend.

Still, the one thing the industry does seem to agree on is that bookings will - and have started to - move faster as the race weekend approaches.

'Bookings at The St Regis Singapore for the Singapore Grand Prix have started to pick up speed as race week draws closer,' said Cheryl Ong, director of marketing communications.

'Given the positive shift of business sentiment lately, it is expected that the optimism will encourage increased corporate bookings as well,' Pan Pacific Singapore general manager Ivan Lee added.

Hotels are also working with other parties to help drum up additional business. The Ritz-Carlton, together with GH Mumm, event organiser B-Yond and other partners such as Audi and Citibank, are joining hands for the Podium Lounge party, a ticketed event at the Ritz-Carlton poolside over race weekend.

And in a tie-up with the Singapore Flyer, the Pan Pacific is offering a $1,900 package which includes three nights' accommodation, a three-day pass to watch the race as well as tickets for the Singapore Flyer.

Meanwhile, the spate of announcements in recent weeks have also started to herald the arrival of Grand Prix season.

The three-day multi-artist concert F1 Rocks, which makes its worldwide debut right here in Singapore, just added Taiwanese pop singer A-Mei to a star-studded line-up which includes Beyonce, the Black Eyed Peas, ZZ Top and Jacky Cheung.

GH Mumm, the official champagne of F1, will be hosting an F1 vintage party at Velvet Underground on Sept 25. And Johnnie Walker, which is flying in some 150 corporate partners and VIPs for the race this year, will host a 500-strong private party at One on the Bund as well as set up a makeshift venue at Clarke Quay - Black Lounge Experience - which will be open to the public.