Twenty hotels win 2015 SEA Games tender

SINGAPORE — Twenty hotels within the Singapore city area will be awarded the tender to provide accommodation for athletes, officials and delegates during next year’s South-east Asian (SEA) Games.

Based in the Chinatown, Havelock, Marina Bay and Tanjong Pagar areas, these include the Amara Hotel, the Marina Bay Sands, Peninsula Excelsior, the M Hotel Singapore, the Resorts World Sentosa’s Hard Rock and Festive Hotels, and the Swissotel the Stamford.

It is based on the “Celebration in the City” concept adopted by the Singapore SEA Games Organising Committee (SINGSOC) to house the athletes near the Sports Hub and where most of the sports competitions and fringe activities will also be held.

“We want our SEA Games athletes and officials to enjoy our city’s unique flavours, sights and sounds, even as they focus on competing at their best,” said SINGSOC Executive Committee Chairman Lim Teck Yin.

“We are very appreciative of the hotels’ support and effort for this historic event. The 28th SEA Games is an important event in our calendar of celebrations for Singapore’s 50th anniversary next year, and for the entire Southeast Asian region.”

To ensure that housing athletes and officials in hotels would be a cost-effective arrangement, SINGSOC had evaluated the alternative of a centralised athlete’s village in university hostels.

The study showed that the costs would be comparable because of the need to install additional arrangements for the Games, for example security fencing, and to restore conditions on return.

The hotels which participated in the tender had also taken onboard their role in this national effort and had offered attractive packages.

The 28th SEA Games, to be held from June 5 to 16 next year, is expected to see more than 7,000 athletes from 11 ASEAN nations compete across 36 sports.