World Eminence Chinese Business Association Leader Award for Millennium VP of Sales & Marketing Greater China of Millennium Hotels & Resorts

Beijing, China (May 10, 2010) /ChinaNewswire.com/ — For his outstanding leadership and excellent achievements in the hotel industry, Charles Lai, Vice President – Sales & Marketing, Greater China of Millennium Hotels and Resorts, has been awarded the 2010 Hotel Industry Top 10 Leaders Award by Eminence Chinese Business Association at the magnificent Great Hall of the People.

As a veteran hotelier, Charles has extensive international working experience in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. He is a seasoned professional with over 28 years of experience in Sales & Marketing, Food & Beverage, Hotel Operations, Brand Representation and Global Distribution. The most recent project that Charles was involved in for Millennium Hotels and Resorts before being appointed to his China position was to develop a new hotel brand: Studio M Hotel, an urban, sleek & lifestyle hotel which caters for "Social Business Travellers" who understand the importance of work-life balance and appreciate the authentic "People Experience".

The Global Chinese Business Leaders Award is an annual award issued by World Eminence Chinese Business Association with sound government background and public confidence, to honour the top elites of industries for their outstanding industry influence, leadership and contribution to their respective industries.

Recently, on April 10th, 2010, he received 2009 Most Leadership Award at the International Elite Forum 2010 in Beijing by Hotel Professional Executive magazine. Last year on December 5th, he was awarded the 2009 International Hotel Industry Top 10 Leaders Award at the International Hotel Investment Forum 2009 in Jinan by Hotel Professional Executive magazine as well.

As one of the world's largest owned and managed hotel groups, Millennium Hotels and Resorts operates a portfolio of more than 100 hotels worldwide. Since stepping into the China market in 2006, Millennium Hotels and Resorts is now the largest and most rapidly-growing Singapore-based hotel group in China and runs 6 hotels spread in Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Wuxi, Xiamen and Qingdao.

Millennium Hotels and Resorts have made a lot of developments and achievements in the past four years. Recently Millennium Hotels and Resorts was very pleased to announce that their flagship hotel in China – Grand Millennium Beijing just received its official Five-Star Rating Award on 31 Mar 2010, after comprehensive auditing and evaluation by the National Star-Rating Committee. It's very rare to have received this award within two-years of opening, compared to other hotels' experience, as Grand Millennium Beijing only opened on Apr 10th, 2010. With Millennium HongQiao Hotel Shanghai receiving its the official five-star plaque in April of 2009, so far Millennium Hotels and Resorts has already got two hotels in China awarded this recognition.

As is well known, the China market is the largest single market around the world. Recently at the end of April, we launched our new dedicated Chinese website for China market, which is set to become the industry standard for international hotel groups. However, Millennium Hotels and Resorts has many distinctive features compared to the other hotel groups' Chinese website. Besides the common hotel products information, we have another three key functions – Latest Promotions, which updates the latest China regional joint promotions and individual hotel's promotions as valued selections; City Special Event – introduces the present year hottest events and activities information of the city where our hotel located; Place of Interest, which covers the most famous scenic spots and attractive places of the city where our hotel located. On the main page, is a search bar on which guests can view the information they are specially interested in by selecting Date, Destination City and Interest. For example, if you search any date in Shanghai for City Special Events, Expo 2010 Shanghai China ect will come out as destination driven information. For more real experience, please view www.millenniumhotels.com.cn.

To recognize our frequent guests and reward our best corporate guests as appreciation, Millennium Hotels and Resorts launched the Group's global loyalty programme – M&C Loyalty Club in April 2010 which replaced the Group's previous Asia-based FGR programme. Starting in the China region, then Asia, UK, Middle East and USA ect, Millennium Hotels and Resorts expects to complete the global roll-out of M&C Loyalty Club by June 2010. This program serves to enhance one-to-one customer relationship by offering various opportunities to guests' personal interests. It's very flexible with three tiers of members, Classic Member, Golden Member and Diamond Member to target different market. It's simple to become M&C Loyalty Club members and easy to earn loyalty points by every qualified hotel stay. Discover a brand new world of privileges with M&C Loyalty Club!

Millennium Hotels and Resorts expands Asian footprint with a new international hotel brand – Studio M to meet the diverse requirements of travelers. The first Studio M Hotel was opened in Singapore on 27 Mar 2010 with 365 distinctive rooms offering guests 24-hours integrated technology and wireless connectivity. Studio M, aimed at the new generation of savvy business and leisure travelers, to offer both style and functionality to the well-travelled guest who relishes the urban contemporary lifestyle and demands access to fuss-free integrated technology and high connectivity. A focus on elegantly restrained accommodation with loft room design that offers a high degree of connectivity will set Studio M apart from current offerings. Savvy travelers will also enjoy using the hotel's unique open-air tropical deck, which offers private spaces in relaxed landscaped surroundings for both business meetings and leisurely conversations with friends. Guests will appreciate Studio M's locality within the vibrant Robertson Quay and Mohamed Sultan entertainment district, which offers abundant dining and leisure options. Millennium Hotels and Resorts has already received several enquiries from the Middle East to take the Studio M brand there.

On Jan 18th, 2010 in Shanghai, Millennium Hotels and Resorts signed the Strategic Cooperation Agreement with Travelsky on GDS distribution & connectivity is the symbol of strengthening and expanding its Hotel Business opportunity in Greater China. As a hotel management company, Millennium Hotels and Resorts' development strategy does not focus only on travel agents or corporate clients etc, but also on these that are able to provide services like airline bookings, Hotel accommodations, a series products to their clients. Travelsky network covers a large area in domestic and international markets in its business, which includes 30 domestic airlines with more than 200 regional and international routes, 8000 air ticket booking centers spreading over 300 cities and 80 overseas cities worldwide, and 100,000 terminals. It provides such wide distribution channel network toward to Millennium Hotels and Resorts' operation. What agencies need to do is to just simple key in "MU" — the GDS code of Millennium Hotels and Resorts and they will access to all our 120 hotels worldwide to make Hotel direct booking right away. Furthermore, agencies will get commission for all materialized business. This purely a B to B business platform whereby enable travel agencies make more revenue by using travelsky "IE" not just for products but hotel products. In other word, clients are able to book hotel through "ONE STOP" service.