Small meetings in Asia

Helping CEOs and hangers-on with small corporate meetings or company conferences. Some hot spots that may impress the boss and facilitate a swift kick up the bureaucratic ladder.

by Libby Peacock

See also Asian resort weddings | Asian casino hotels | Asian golfing | Beijing business hotels | Sanya resorts | Hong Kong business hotels | Bangkok business hotels | Singapore business hotels | Bali resorts | Phuket resorts | Palawan resorts | Rajasthan palace hotels

Go to China | Hong Kong meetings | Japan | Thailand | Vietnam | Singapore & Bintan | India | Philippines | Indonesia | Malaysia | Brunei | Maldives | Korea | Taiwan | Mid-East

Historic Neemrana Fort, India/ photo: hotel

WHEN Bollywood hot couple Aishwariya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan checked into the Dusit Thani Bangkok during an Indian International Film Academy (IIFA) awards do in Thailand, the hotel flew in top Indian chefs from Mumbai to cater for the celebrities’ every culinary whim. After midnight, when their secretary announced that the stars were ready to eat, the white-knuckle kitchen sprang into action, bleary-eyed, starched uniforms and spices at the ready – only to be told that what the pair really wanted was hamburgers from McDonald’s. This was duly arranged.

No matter how eccentric or mundane, it’s business as usual for meeting planners and hotel event organisers from Bangkok to Bali. From a sit-down dinner on the Great Wall or kimono-wearing workshop in Tokyo to playing pirates in Phuket or brainstorming and team-building at a Java heritage site, there are plenty of options for rallying the troops around the conference table.

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At times like these, hotel managers and event organisers need their wits about them. Late changes in guests’ meeting plans? No problem. Unusual catering demands? Bring them on. When it comes to small meetings in Asia for gatherings of 20 to 50 people, Asian hotels pull out all the stops.

Competition is stiff, with tussles between resort favourites Bali and Phuket and business hubs Bangkok and Singapore. Political strife and airport closures quickly change corporate minds. Powerhouse China is challenging conference stalwart Hong Kong, while booming India is giving Southeast Asian destinations a run for their money. As air links improve and more luxury and boutique hotels spring up, Vietnam is joining the fray with ever more competitive deals and buckets of charm.

Sporty El Nido, Palawan/ photo: hotel

With deep global business travel cuts and widespread travel postponements of staff incentives, the meetings sector has shown some signs of life and there appears to be room for optimism.

Many hotels will tailor-make packages (and rates), depending on group size, requirements and season. Just about every standard meeting package featured here includes lunch, at least two coffee or tea breaks, regular audio-visual equipment and stationery. Bear in mind that the listed rates generally exclude taxes and service charges. Meeting package rates are per person, per day (or half day). Below is a sample of some of the options available for small corporate meetings at Asian hotels and resorts. This is by no means a definitive guide of Asian conference hotels but a rule-of-thumb to indicate broad costs and destination options for more intimate gatherings. Prices are subject to constant change depending on season.

Conference hotels in China where mite is right

Sporting a whole new crop of architectural wonders following the Olympic Games, flexibility is key in Beijing, where hotels are finding that postponed events are being rescheduled along with an improving economic outlook. Growth is expected in the domestic and international market sectors, with particularly strong demand from the pharmaceutical and automobile industries. Booking lead times are notoriously short and competition is keen so bargain hard.

With 1,686sq m of meeting space, including seven state-of-the-art meeting rooms resplendent with natural light, The Westin Beijing Financial Street (tel: [86-10] 6606-8866, www.starwoodhotels.com/westin/) next to the huge Beijing Financial Street Conference Centre has an outdoor Zen Garden for true enlightenment. An ongoing business promotion for small groups comes from around Rmb450 per person. Alternatively, the full-day eco-friendly “From Clutter to Calm” meeting package encourages guests to go paperless. Choose creative meetings in the famous 798 Da Shan Zi art district or landscaped Song Qing Ling Courtyard in Houhai. Dragonboat racing and hill-side barbecues make for fun incentives.

Classic Ritz-Carlton Beijing/ photo: hotel

Classical and intimate The Ritz-Carlton, Beijing (tel: [86-10] 5908-8888, www.ritzcarlton.com), located in the central business district, 35 minutes from the airport and close to the city’s main attractions, offers meetings for 30 from Rmb600 per person (same price for a 20-person group). Room rates vary according to season. Value-added extras can include anything from dinner on the Great Wall of China or a function at the Forbidden City, to an art-gallery get-together.

Funky The Opposite House (tel: [86-10] 6417-6688, www.theoppositehouse.com) at the shopping and entertainment destination The Village at Sanlitun provides flexible event space for small meetings. Its largest meeting room accommodates up to 50 people with theatre-style seating and there are five discreet, private dining rooms.

Gastronomes will like the teambuilding option in the fully equipped professional kitchen next door. There’s no standard meeting rate – all packages are tailor-made. This is an Asian small meetings hotel with a difference and plenty of flair and attitude from its minimalist cubist décor to the wooden bathtubs.

The innovative, multi-function 560sq m The Gallery on the third floor of the towering Park Hyatt Beijing (tel: [86-10] 8567-1234], www.beijing.park.hyatt.com) is divided into seven areas, including a large open kitchen, library and quiet corner for small meetings. A “meeting concierge technology butler” is on hand at the Gallery One and Two venues. For inspiration up high, the four salons on level 61 accommodate groups from 12 to over 100. One level up, five dark-wood boardrooms feature local art, espresso machines, panoramic city views, and a glass-encased showcase kitchen with dedicated chefs. The curving 852-room Grand Hyatt Beijing (tel: [86-10] 8518-1234, www.beijing.grand.hyatt.com) is a striking modern construct and well located downtown close to offices, shops and restaurants. It ranks high among Beijing conference hotels and can do smaller corporate meetings too with equal aplomb. Make sure you have a meal in the dumpling specialist Made in China restaurant.

Hip Opposite House, Beijing/ photo: hotel

Shanghai, host of the World Expo 2010, is seeing the conferencing market looking up steadily but it remains a cutthroat business so good deals will be available.

The Peninsula on the Bund, Shanghai (tel: [86-21] 2327-2888, www.peninsula.com/Shanghai/) focuses on small- to medium-size meetings and, particularly, higher-level management summits. A full day’s meeting is around Rmb680 per person (Rmb600, half day). For a quick chopper get-away, the 14th-floor Rosemonde Aviation Lounge – just below the helipad with city and Suzhou Creek views – holds 20 people, boardroom style, with a separate lounge for breaks. New, slick and well run.

Well-located Portman Ritz-Carlton (tel: [86-21] 6279-8888, www.ritzcarlton.com) offers a daily meeting rate of US$125 per person, including breakfast, lunch and extras. Its 5,400sq m of meeting space includes 11 different function rooms. Across the river in Pudong, the soaring The Park Hyatt Shanghai (tel: [86-21] 6888-1234, www.parkhyattshanghai.com) is a slick new tower hotel that boasts eight private dining and meeting rooms. If you suffer from vertigo, avoid the 93rd-floor meeting spaces catering for anything from 22-person corporate board meetings to 100 guests for cocktails.

Next to it is sibling Grand Hyatt Shanghai (tel: [86-21] 5049-1234, www.shanghai.grand.hyatt.com), another top-notch Shanghai conference hotel contender with sweeping views, classy facilities and attention to detail.

Referred to as China’s “Oriental Hawaii”, tropical resort city Sanya on Yalong Bay at the southern tip of Hainan Island boasts a number of international resort brands with modern meeting facilities. Attractions include nice beaches, plenty of sunshine and good air links.

Park Hyatt Shanghai/ photo: hotel

The Sanya Marriott Resort & Spa (tel: [86-898] 8856-8888, www.marriott.com) draws 85 percent of its meeting business domestically and the rest from overseas. Take advantage of the location with meetings on the lawn or pool-side pavilion, or team building on the beach. Afterwards, nip off to the spa, or to two international golf courses nearby. A full-day meeting package runs from Rmb428 (half day from Rmb328). Room rates start roughly from Rmb1,550 per night.

Next door the Sheraton Sanya Resort (tel: [86-898] 8855-8855, www.starwoodhotels.com/sheraton/) has been the proud host of several Miss World pageants and is no stranger to conferences and curious eyes. Designed a bit like a Balinese resort with plenty of space and water features, the hotel has a 1,250sq m grand ballroom but for smaller meetings one of the function rooms will suffice. Expect Internet access in meeting areas, audio-visual equipment, pre-function space and video conferencing facilities. So while the CEO tans to Greek God gold, his hangers-on can glumly look on with Skype connections and fuzzy cameras.

Among the more unusual conference venues at The Ritz-Carlton, Sanya (tel: [86-898] 8898-8888, www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/Sanya) are an ocean-front wedding chapel, the centre lawn or a sandy beach. There is more than 1,700sq m of meeting and banquet space too (full-day meeting, from Rmb580; half day from Rmb480; minimum 25 people). Or, go for the resort’s “volun-teaming” options, offering “green” meetings and worthy incentives such as beach and mangrove tree cleaning exercises as well as mangrove bicycle tours. Get that wax out of your ears while you’re at it. Wind down with a choice of theme parties ranging from Hawaiian to a black tie, bare-foot do on the beach. Go on, leave your footprints in the sand.

Hong Kong’s can-do corporate spaces

Brisk Island Shangri-La/ photo: hotel

On the doorstep of southern China and a stone's throw from major mainland destinations, vibrant Hong Kong conference hotels have a track record for technical expertise and world-class meeting facilities. Dealing with business travellers is a doddle. A convenient visa system allows several nationalities to also visit Guangdong province for up to six days. As the market recovers, meeting planners are balancing cost and quality. As elsewhere around Asia, lead times have shrunk, with clients who used to book up to a year in advance now organising their meetings only a month or two ahead.

Groups of 20 at the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong (tel: [852] 2588-1234, www.hongkong.grand.hyatt.com) can meet in style in the opulent The Residence, with an open kitchen providing “creative” breakfasts and coffee breaks. Or choose semi-outdoor The Pool House, overlooking the swimming pool and gardens. At least 23 other function rooms cater for groups of all sizes. The “Executive Meeting” package starts from HK$750. Optional extras include head and shoulder massages during breaks, chef’s showmanship dim-sum-makingsessions or even professional tarot-card and palm reading. If your company has money to burn, there’s always a power meeting on the hotel’s mega-yacht Grand Cru. How’s that for a classy corporate meeting Hong Kong style?

At the Renaissance Harbour View Hotel Hong Kong (tel: [852] 2802-8888 , www.marriott.com) a “Meeting Package”  priced at HK$580 per person including complimentary use of a meeting room from 9am to 5pm, a projection screen, the usual audiovisual equipment to get the argle-bargle going including LCD, DVD, TV screen, laser pointers, whiteboard and markers.

Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong/ photo: hotel

If the discussions get too heated at your Island Shangri-La (tel: [852] 2820-8330, www.shangri-la.com/island) team meeting, stretching exercises with a professional instructor may ease the tension during your break. The full-day meeting package (20 to 50 people) runs from HK$850 per person. Room rates start around HK$2,850.) There’s a welcome gift too. The Island Shangri-La has a deserved reputation as a fine business address with quick and attentive service.

Centrally located above the Pacific Place mall and popular with business travellers, JW Marriott Hong Kong (tel: [852] 2810-8366, www.marriott.com) has 10,441sq ft of total meeting space, including 14 breakout rooms. Meetings packages are tailored on request. This is a central venue close to shopping, restaurants and cinemas should the keynote speech be too dull.

Neighbouring Conrad Hong Kong (tel: [852] 2521-3838, hongkong.conradmeetings.com) is another brisk Hong Kong small meetings hotel that is good with conferences as well as company get-togethers. This is a hotel with a special focus on pin-striped executives.

The legendary, revamped Mandarin Oriental (tel: [852] 2522-0111, www.mandarinoriental.com/hongkong) overlooking Victoria Harbour is connected by airconditioned walkway to top business addresses in the Central district. The “Meeting Edge” package guarantees at least 20 per cent off the hotel’s best available rate for bookings of 10 rooms and more (blackout dates may apply). Expect high-speed WiFi and IT butlers. Yes, the butlers definitely did it.

Across the road overlooking Victoria Harbour is the curving reflective glass Four Seasons Hong Kong (tel: [852] 3196-8888, www.fourseasons.com/hongkong), which serves up two ballrooms and eight meeting rooms with Wi-Fi for you to catch your favourite YouTube broadcast. A package with meeting facilities might include a fitness workout upon arrival, an afternoon at the shopping mall, a welcome reception in the Peak Suite, an evening of horse racing at the Happy Valley racetrack, and a gala farewell dinner. You can shake hands and make impassioned speeches in between.

Stately Peninsula Hong Kong/ photo: hotel

Mah-jong tiles, calligraphic screens and dim sum set the scene during one of the “Insider Breaks” offered by iconic city and harbour-view property InterContinental Hong Kong (tel: [852] 2721-1211, www.hongkong-ic.intercontinental.com) in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon. Healthy, girth-friendly meeting breaks comprising fruit and vegetable drinks and health snacks keep stress at bay. Tailored Insider Interactions allows you to rent a traditional Chinese junk or modern yacht.

Or discover inner harmony with a local feng shui master. All harbour-view meeting rooms have recently been renovated. The InterContinental Hong Kong "Meeting Experience" runs at HK$720 (plus 10 percent) for a full day package in a harbourview meeting room including lunch, coffee, WiFi. This requires a minimum 15 persons.

Close by, the classic The Peninsula Hong Kong (tel: [852] 2920-2888, hongkong.peninsula.com) offers a range of conferencing venues from the Peninsula Suite atop the tower block with panoramic views of the harbour, to the Salisbury Room. The two-section Nathan Room can host 24 to 50 persons with the combined rooms boosting the number to 80 for a reception. The more intimate Golden Pen room can accommodate 20 persons classroom style or in a U shape and 45 persons theatre-style.

For something more offbeat and hip, look at W Hong Kong (tel: [852] 3717-2222, www.starwoodhotels.com/whotels/). It sits atop a tower block in West Kowloon (on the airport express train line), looking out over Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. The hotel says it “puts the chi back in chic” and expect no less when it comes to conference venues and events. This 393-room hotel offers eight meeting spaces with plasma screens, WiFi, high-speed Internet access and breathtaking views. Run a small company meeting or a larger show with a touch of class, or mischief, as the mood demands. Breakout later in the “Wish Workshop” and learn cooking or yoga.

Cheeky W Hong Kong/ photo: hotel

New wannabe hipster The Mira (tel: [852] 2368-1111, www.themirahotel.com) is tucked away off Nathan Road in TST and strives for a “wow” factor. Multi-function meeting space and a 10,000sq ft ballroom can manage everything from 800 persons to just the top brass for an annual budget cruncher. Trendy and different in the midst of shopper neon.

In formerly unfashionable Mongkok, now a throbbing must-see district is the cheerfully arty Langham Place Mongkok (tel: [852] 3552-3388, hongkong.langhamplacehotels.com). The hotel has five meeting venues starting at 380sq ft, all bristling with technology.

Older and with classic décor, Kowloon sibling The Langham Hong Kong (tel: [852] 2375-1133, hongkong.langhamhotels.com) serves up its “Meetings with Poise” package at HK$550 with group rates starting at HK$1,300. Right next to shopping and with good F&B on site.

Away from the city bustle, Hong Kong’s new “urban resort”, the Hyatt Regency Hong Kong, Sha Tin (tel: [852] 3723-1234, www.hongkong.shatin.hyatt.com) has a “Residential Meeting Package” (minimum of 12 people). Book a room (from HK$1,380 per night) and get a full day’s use of a club meeting room, meals, free Internet and more. Rates are subject to change.

Japan meetings for all reasons

Tokyo is a pricy business destination, but there are good deals to be had in the post economic-crisis period, with hotels more inclined to be creative and flexible in accommodating requests and budgets. Savvy hoteliers have adapted their strategies to get through the downturn. This is good news for meeting planners.

Mandarin Oriental Bangkok/ photo: hotel

Kimono-wearing classes and pre-meeting, mind-opening yoga sessions are but a sample of the special meetings offerings at the Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo (tel: [81-3] 3270-8955, www.mandarinoriental.co.jp). The Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group’s global “Meeting Edge” programme has a group-rate guarantee of a minimum of 20 percent lower than the best available rate. Rates and offers are subject to change. Delegates can immerse themselves in local culture by enjoying a Japanese specialty dinner followed by Japanese-themed coffee break the following day.

The walls don’t have ears in the Japanese ceremony room at the conveniently located The Peninsula Tokyo (tel: [81-3] 6270-2888; www.peninsula.com). This traditional meeting area features a washi paper ceiling and urushi striped wall behind the altar. With more than 1,200sq m of banquet and meeting space and meeting consultants to offer seamless service, several function rooms in the hotel are perfect for groups of about 30. Stay in touch with two in-room telephones: a wired phone that can also be synchronised with your personal mobile phone and make Skype calls, and a portable landline phone functioning anywhere in the hotel. A full-day meeting package comes from Y25,000 (half day from Y15,000), for six to 30 delegates.

Sleek and towering, the 290-room Conrad Tokyo (tel: [81-3] 6388-8000, conradhotels1.hilton.com) in the Tokyo Shiodome area has six meeting rooms and two ballrooms hosting from 10 to 350. Meeting rooms feature the latest in audio-visual gadgetry (this is Japan after all, so practice on the Wii with the kids before venturing north). Check on their half-day and full-day meeting packages. Book 21 days or more in advance to secure 20 percent off the room rate.

River, beach and city conferences in Thailand

Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit/ photo: hotel

Comprehensive countrywide mobile phone networks, fast and efficient high-speed Internet and international teleconferencing complement outstanding services and facilities in the Thai kingdom. There are good domestic and international air links and top conference facilities. Bangkok alone houses the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre, the Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre and the Impact Arena Exhibition Centre. Political turmoil sent conference business scuttling to rivals such as Singapore and the market remains soft so bargains are to be had with the added advantage of great Bangkok conference hotels and top-line service.

Apart from more conventional spaces such as its Lord Jim’s meeting room and contemporary Embassy Boardroom, the Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok (tel: [66-2] 659-9000, www.mandarinoriental.com/bangkok) also offers tailor-made private meetings on its Maeyanang Dinner Cruise teak boat. Popular particularly among Japanese companies are three-day meeting packages, including a one-day session at the hotel’s Thai Cooking School.

Just across the river, with telescopes mischievously trained on its archrival are the classy tower rooms of The Peninsula Bangkok (tel: [66-2] 861-2888 www.peninsula.com/Bangkok/) where the Sakuntala Ballroom and six smaller function rooms await, all with high-speed Wi-Fi and grand, understated, settings. Apres-work enjoy the spa or do a river cruise. One advantage of this serene and very corporate dark-wood resort-hotel is that it is on the “other side of the river and thus keeps your audience corralled a bit better than a next-to-bars location.

The corporate Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit (tel: [66-2] 649-8888], www.sheratongrandesukhumvit.com) has eight dedicated function venues, including the 136sq m Sukhumvit Room that can accommodate 30 delegates and up.

Centara Grand at CentralWorld/ photo: hotel

The “wePresent” wireless presentation adapter in The Cove room provides an easy connection from your laptop to the screen. Themed coffee breaks (Thai and healthy themes are popular) match your corporate identity or cater to a special occasion. Across the road, similarly favoured by a location next to a BTS train stop and the underground metro station, The Westin Grande Sukhumvit (tel: [66-2] 207-8000, www.starwoodhotels.com/westin/) offers value stays in a refurbished product with new rooms and new-look restaurants. The hotel has nine meeting spaces. Expect video conferencing, pre-conference space and audio-visual gear to keep you wired for weeks.

Also on Sukhumvit Road, the artery of commerce, the JW Marriott Hotel Bangkok (tel: [66-2] 656-7700, www.marriott.com) features new high-tech “Rooms of the Future” and an IT concierge to cater for meetings, launches, events and incentives. Daily meeting packages start from Bt1,300 full day (Bt1,100, half day), with room rates from Bt5,200 per night. Seasonal promotions may offer up to 20 percent discounts for early group bookings.

The corporate market has remained strong for business stalwart Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok (tel : [66-2] 126-8866, www.fourseasons.com/thailand) with full-day meetings from Bt1,800 per person (half day from Bt1,600), for groups of 20 minimum. Fresh fruit and cookies are thrown in. Wind down afterwards with “tented camp”, “Arabia night” or other themed events. This is a centrally locate Bangkok conference hotel right next to a BTS SkyTrain station. Neighbour Grand Hyatt Erawan (tel: [66-2] 254-1234, bangkok.grand.hyatt.com) is a Bangkok conference hotel with excellent facilities and a splendid central location astride the Sukhumvit/Silom axis. The hotel offers 3,330sq m of conference space in 14 function areas. Six versatile rooms are able to host from 10 to 150 and are ideal for corporate company meetings. Or opt for “the residence”, a series of event rooms set around a Loft Kitchen where coffee breaks are taken.

Corporate do, Conrad Bangkok/ photo: hotel

The integrated hotel, convention venue and leisure complex Centara Grand at CentralWorld & Bangkok Convention Centre (tel: [66-2] 769-1234], www.centarahotelsresorts.com/cgcw/) in the heart of Bangkok’s CBD has nine executive floors and meeting spaces for groups of any size. A full-day meeting package is Bt1,550 per person, while the “Executive Meeting” Package (including accommodation, buffet breakfast and full-day meeting package) runs to Bt4,900. Sky-piercing architecture and vertiginous views await. The aforementioned Dusit Thani Bangkok (tel: [66-2] 200-9000, www.dusit.com/hotels/thailand/bangkok/) has long been a city icon favoured by royalty for major events. The Meeting Centre offers six boardrooms, well suited for small meetings in Bangkok, with the latest audio-visual equipment, LCD projectors, high-speed Internet, leather chairs and video conferencing.

On Surawong Road, close by Silom is the mod and hip 282-room Le Meridien Bangkok (tel: [66-2] 232-8888, www.starwoodhotels.com/lemeridien/) with two meeting rooms, two boardrooms and private spaces that can double as venues. This is a jaunty hotel well set to cater for small meetings with a degree of flair. Find 300sq m of conference space with high-end AV equipment including LCD projectors and 42-inch LCD screens. Explore tailor-made packages from Bt1,000 per person with two coffee breaks, lunch, and equipment.

The wood and silk Conrad Bangkok (tel: [66-2] 690-999, conradhotels1.hilton.com) is a smart address downtown with lots of Thai overtones on what is a very contemporary executive chassis. This is a chic address with style, functionality, and broad-spectrum appeal perfect for small meetings in Bangkok or larger corporate bashes. There are six conference rooms with plug-in and WiFI Internet access and a veritable arsenal of audiovisual equipment. Expect tele-prompters, “intelligent” light systems, surround sound and video conferencing facilities. A good address for corporate meetings and small conferences.

dusitD2baracuda, Pattaya/ photo: hotel

Next door is the fast-expanding Plaza Athenee Bangkok (a Royal Meridien Hotel, tel: [66-2] 650-8800, www.starwoodhotels.com/lemeridien/). This gleaming building is a short stroll from a BTS station and you’ll find a quality spa, classy accommodation, and some of the largest conferencing facilities in town. But you don’t need 10,000sq m of conference and exhibition space do you? Pick a smaller function room with state-of-the-art equipment and get cracking.

About 190km south of Bangkok, the resort town of Hua Hin offers good options for those wanting to avoid an onward flight from Bangkok. Formerly known as the Sofitel Central Hua Hin Resort, the iconic beachfront Sofitel Centara Grand Resort & Villas Hua Hin (tel: [66-32] 512-021, www.sofitel.com) with its old-colonial style and distinctive topiary of sculpted animals and birds is an elegant place to get together. With six 18-hole golf courses nearby, this is an executive dream. Tailored rates are available. The Hua Hin Halls one and two will comfortably manage 20 to 40 in various settings. At the hip Rest Detail Hotel Hua Hin (tel: [66-32] 547-733, www.restdetailhotel.com) a "Meeting Package" at Bt1,950 per person per day (minimum 10) for complimentary use of a meeting room 8am to 5pm, WiFi acess, LCD projector, DVD player, mineral water, snacks, two coffee breaks and lunch with the added bonus of a Nintendo Wii session during breaks so you can swing out and hit the boss plump on the chin. Whoops. Heck it was an accident.  A half-day package runs at Bt$1,650. Room rates from US$135 per night.

A convenient 130km by road from Bangkok airport, Pattaya is rapidly shaking off its erstwhile reputation as a booze-and-babes bolthole. The city has in recent years transformed into a more family-orientated spot, and posh new hotels are coming up with plenty of decent business offerings. Girlie bars still abound, but there’s also shopping, water sports, elephant rides, golf, base-jumping, high-end polo – and even a quality vineyard. This is now a gentrified family-friendly and certainly corporate-friendly venue so drop the pinstripe suit and don your bathers for a sizzling small meeting with attitude on the sultry Thai coast.

Centara Grand Mirage Pattaya/ photo: hotel

The chic new dusitD2 baraquda (tel: [66-3] 876-9999, www.dusit.com/hotels/thailand/pattaya/) designer hotel in the centre of town sports two bright meeting rooms for up to 50 people. The whole hotel is Wireless and scattered “desire buttons” place the hip young staff at your beck and call. All business packages and rates are specially tailored. Worth a look-see even if your gyrating Saturday Night Fever days are done.

For something bigger, much bigger, and spanking new, check out the theme hotel Centara Grand Mirage Beach Resort Pattaya (tel: [66-3] 830-1234, www.centarahotelsresorts.com/cmbr/). This architectural marvel hosts kids and rattled executives with equal aplomb with a 1,000sq m grand ballroom for MICE and other grand events.

On a smaller scale, customised function spaces are available. Work hard and play harder. Walk the beach, try the lazy river and explore the Lost World concept. Ideal for meeting planners who need to make arrangements for the family as well and kill two birds with one stone.

Far from the madding crowds, a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Bangkok airport in Khao Yai province, is the new, exclusive SALA Resort Group boutique property sala khaoyai (tel: [66-44] 760-500, www.salaresorts.com/khaoyai). For a high-profile corporate retreat, reserve the seven-villa resort exclusively (from Bt60,300, single/double, including breakfast; minimum two nights’ stay over weekends). Other distractions include golf courses, cave exploration, waterfall excursions and “adventure options” such as paintball and an extreme obstacle challenge. After dinner, there’s karaoke or quiet rooftop reflection. Up to you. Great for team building and more in the lap of nature.

sala khaoyai, personal/ photo: hotel

Phuket is popular for corporate get-togethers, company seminars and teambuilding retreats for all the same reasons that make it a holidaymaker’s paradise. There are easy flight connections, excellent conferencing facilities and more activities than you can shake a stick at. With good reason the island has earned plaudits as a top Asian meetings destination.

The Banyan Tree Phuket (tel: [66-76] 324-374], www.banyantree.com/en/phuket/) offers plenty of thrills, from an “Amazing Race” around the integrated Laguna area to “Adventures in the Andaman”, where team members armed with maps have to navigate their way around the island. More conventionally, the hotel’s “The Meeting of Minds” package, including deluxe villa accommodation, comes from Bt8,500 per room, single/double (pool villa, from Bt12,700), including breakfast for two.

This is subject to at least eight villas booked per night and at least two nights’ stay, and includes one full-day meeting package and one 90-minute spa treatment per room. Or choose a standard full-day option from Bt1,800 (half day from Bt1,620), valid for hotel guests only.

Be a corporate Survivor at the JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa (tel: [66-76] 338-000], www.marriott.com), with a teambuilding programme based on the popular TV reality show. Teams navigate their way to different islands by speedboat and compete to complete various challenges. Other offerings include “Pirates of the Andaman” and “Mai Khao Song Theaw Adventures”. The resort will happily tailor-make your corporate summit. A full-day meeting package costs from Bt1,650 per person (half-day from Bt1,450).

JW Marriott Khao Lak/ photo: hotel

Utilising the simple lines and clean strokes of Phuket Sino-Portuguese architecture, the stylish all-white SALA Phuket Resort and Spa (tel: [66-76] 338-888, www.salaphuket.com), set on Mai Khao beach on the island’s northwest shoreline close to the JW and surrounded by the Sirinath National Park, boasts a full-service 24-person boardroom (room rental from Bt8,000 per day, including meals) and tranquil surrounds.

Combine your small Phuket conference with teambuilding activities on Turkish sail ships on nearby Phang Nga Bay, river rafting, elephant trekking and more. A dedicated technician and guest relations officer keep things running smoothly.

For something intimate and classy explore the stylish and contemporary Twinpalms (tel: [66-76] 316-500, twinpalms-phuket.com) at Surin Beach (a couple of hundred yards from the sea but with a trendy beach club). Expect light-filled seminar space, AV equipment, WiFi, and motivated eager-to-please staff. This is not a large cookie-cutter Asian conference hotel. It is small, discreet, and fun.

Khao Lak (about 70 minutes’ drive north from Phuket’s airport) offers unspoilt nature and a peaceful environment featuring the largest and oldest rainforest in southern Thailand, a lake, beaches and islands, perfect for teambuilding. There’s elephant trekking, canoeing, snorkelling and, one hour away, white-water rafting.

Hotels such as Le Meridien Khao Lak Beach & Spa Resort (tel: [66-76] 427-500, www.starwoodhotels.com/lemeridien/) expects the meetings market to grow, particularly from China and India and the pharmaceutical, information technology, health and telecommunications sectors. Groups of 10 and up get special room rates from 2,900 baht per night, including daily breakfast, one free room for every 15 paying rooms and one upgrade to a villa for every 20 paying rooms. If you don’t need audio-visual equipment, go for a casual outdoor beach or rainforest conference option.

Le Meridien Chiang Rai/ photo: hotel

For those not easily distracted, two beachfront meeting rooms with floor-to-ceiling views of the Andaman Sea are available to meeting groups of up to 30 delegates at the JW Marriott Khao Lak Resort & Spa (tel: [66-76] 584-999, www.marriott.com).

Or choose an open-air meeting, complete with lunch and brainstorming, at the 10cm-deep side of the main swimming pool! Leave your Manolo Blahniks at home. Also on the menu could be white-water rafting, elephant trekking, Khao Sok National Park tours, mountain biking and hiking. A full-day meeting package comes from Bt1,300 (and rooms from Bt3,000 including breakfast).

A major meeting centre for regional corporates in north Thailand, popular Chiang Mai’s new Siripanna Villa Resort Chiang Mai caters for small groups with personalised service (full-day meetings from Bt 1,000). The Shangri-La Hotel Chiang Mai (tel: [66-53] 253-888, www.shangri-la.com/en/property/chiangmai/) is another newer entrant with larger facilities (3,500sq m of function space). Talk to a meeting planner or event manager. This is a well-equipped Chiang Mai conference hotel for small or big get-togethers.

The in-town 384-room Le Meridien Chiang Mai (tel: [66-53] 253-666, www.starwoodhotels.com/lemeridien/) is a modern, elegant, hotel construct featuring northern Lanna-style design touches in the interiors. It is well equipped to deal with meetings and conferences of all sizes and dispositions with 1,800sq m of space to play around with. Meeting rooms starting at 60sq m are on the third floor with a spacious 150sq m outdoor terrace. In the heart of the business district, offices and sights are all within easy reach of this hotel.

Mandarin Dhara Dhevi/ photo: hotel

For something atmospheric and uniquely Thai, explore the cultural-replica Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi (tel: [66-53] 888-929, www.mandarinoriental.com/chiangmai) that spreads blissfully over 60 lavish and green acres with its “temple” spires piercing the sky. The ballroom can accommodate 480, but for a smaller company meeting look at the Jum Ngern rooms that seat 20 theatre-style and 12 around a u-shaped seminar table.

Laid out over a spacious manicured site on the banks of the Kok River in Chiang Rai, the Thai-style Le Meridien Chiang Rai Resort (tel: [66-53] 603-333, www.starwoodhotels.com/lemeridien/) is within striking distance of town yet set away in idyllic surrounds in a sea of rice paddy, ponds, and rolling hills. Rooms are wired for Broadband and there's 1,250sq m of function space with the boardroom starting at 27sq m for smaller corporate dos.

Thailand Courtyard hotels (www.marriott.com) across the country offer a “One for You!” promotion (from Bt1,100 per delegate, including free cocktail reception). Pick a location, such as the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel Bangkok (tel: [66-26] 901-888), Courtyard by Marriott Hua Hin at Cha-am Beach (tel: [66-32] 708-300) and Courtyard by Marriott Phuket at Kamala Beach (tel: [66-76] 303-000), Patong Beach (tel: [66-76] 337-000) and Surin Beach (tel: [66-76] 303-300).

Centara Hotels & Resorts, one of Thailand’s largest hotel operator with 21 destinations across the country, offers some neat venues for smaller conferences, including a full-day meeting package (from Bt1,400 per person, until July 2010) at the popular Centara Grand Beach Resort Samui (tel: [66-77] 230-500, www.centralhotelsresorts.com) in Koh Samui.

Vietnam conference hotels

Vietnam increasingly attracts meeting business with its historic attractions, charm and culture – not to mention inexpensive shopping, great art and food. Airport facilities and air links have improved vastly over the past few years.

Elegant Park Hyatt Saigon/ photo: Verghese

Ho Chi Minh City, which has the added attraction of a newly completed exhibition centre and a host of five-star hotels with excellent facilities is a popular and very viable option for small meetings.

More unusual past requests to the Park Hyatt Saigon (tel: [84-8] 3824-1234, www.saigon.park.hyatt.com) include organising a special dinner for 30 delegates at the Performing Arts Academy of Ho Chi Minh City, and having special furniture made for a high-end fashion-brand launch.

Regularly hosting regional and international top executives, the hotel also once set up a round-table meeting for only four people in its 550sq m ballroom. Meeting packages start from US$43 per person, but staff will happily comply with special request and even provide catering at the Saigon Opera House and other venues. Room rates start at US$230, including breakfast, for groups of 20 and more. This is one of the top Vietnam conference hotels with a classical construct right next to the Opera House.

The Caravelle Hotel, (tel: [84-8] 3823-4999], www.caravellehotel.com) runs a meeting and accommodation package from US$197 per person, including breakfast, free in-room Internet and a full day of meetings. Optional shoulder massages come extra. Or you may choose a customised function on a private boat, at the Saigon Zoo and Botanical Garden or the Opera House. Great location next to the Opera House.

Business is also picking up in Hanoi, with meeting planners attracted to the city’s comfortable climate, sightseeing, safety, colonial architecture and street life. There are several Hanoi small meetings choices but a couple are standouts.

Sofitel Metropole, Hanoi/ photo: Verghese

Vietnam grande dame Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi (tel: [84-4] 3826-6919], www.sofitel.com) is a prominent and peaceful fixture in the heart of the frenetic city, having famously hosted literary characters such as Somerset Maugham and Graham Greene and several heads of state. Meeting groups come from all over the world. Business packages are from US$72 per person (full day; $65, half day). Apart from the usual offerings, an hour of reflexology is thrown in too. Pricier options include relaxing body massages and facial treatments. This Sofitel is a popular Hanoi small meetings hotel choice.

Overlooking the 800-year-old Golden Lotus Pagoda on Hanoi’s largest lake, the InterContinental Hanoi Westlake (tel: [84-4] 270-8888, www.intercontinental.com/hanoi) has a full-day meeting package from US$35 per person, with room rates from US$145. Rates are for single occupancy and include breakfast, welcome drinks and one free room for every 15 booked (minimum 10 rooms). Right next door is the highly regarded and much sought after Sheraton Hanoi Hotel (tel: 84-4] 3719-9000, www.starwoodhotels.com/sheraton/) looking out over the lake. This is a well managed and crisply-run establishment that gets its fair share of small meetings and conferences headed to the city. The Song Hong ballroom is a pillar-less construct that can accommodate 550 people but for more modest needs there are a number of function areas like Song Da with its high windows and lake views.

Farther south along the coast in Hoi An is the luxury retreat The Nam Hai (from GHM, tel: [84-510] 394-0000, http://www.thenamhai.com/) that will do creative arrangements for two to one hundred. This is a swish villa hideaway on the beach, secluded enough but within reach of some of the country’s more interesting sights. There is a spa on site and a nearby golf course for after-work distraction. This will not come cheap but you will not be disappointed.

Nam Hai Hoi An/ photo: hotel

A two-hour drive to the coast from Ho Chi Minh City at Ke Ga Bay is the Princess d’Annam Resort & Spa (tel: [84- , www.princessannam.com) another spoiling high-end escape with 57 villas, a large spa complex and four swimming pools to work off all those dull speeches. For conferences and small meetings the resort can rustle up arrangements for 20 to 250. The Binh Thuan ballroom can manage 250 people theatre-style. An interesting and calming away-from-it-all address yet within relatively easy access of Saigon and an international airport mark this down as one to watch.

Singapore conference hotels for corporate summits

Singapore hotels are seeing a gradual recovery, initially led by the leisure market but with corporate meetings following not far behind. The much-hyped new integrated Resorts World Sentosa is expected to drive up occupancies and spend so short-term rates may climb in anticipation.

Set on a vast property in the fast-growing Marina Bay commercial centre, The Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore (tel: [65] 6337-8888,www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/Singapore/) has 13 meeting rooms to accommodate anything from 20 to a mind-boggling 16,000 guests. The comprehensive “Meet with Success” package comes from S$96 per person, full day ($68 half day). The Chihuly Room is flooded with natural light while the poolside Millenia Room 9 makes for relaxing coffee breaks amid the greenery. Think out of the box: for a recent event focusing on corporate social responsibility, the women’s restroom was transformed into an alternative meeting space. The “Give Back Getaways” programme involves worthy teambuilding exercises and community work, such as painting, carpentry and gardening at a local nursing home for the elderly.

Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore/ photo: hotel

In the Tanglin district at one end of Orchard Road, The Regent Singapore (tel: [65] 6733-8888, www.regenthotels.com/singapore), with 1,565sq m of meeting space across 14 function rooms and the ballroom, hosts full-day small-meeting packages from S$90 per person. Green meetings encourage recycling and reusing.

Towering, gleaming, and grand, The St Regis Singapore (tel: [65] 6506-6888, www.starwoodhotels.com/stregis/) is also at this quieter end of Orchard Road. Walk in to find crisp welcoming service and cool white marble underfoot with detailed stone inlay, classical artefacts, wall-to-wall art, and quirky plump Bottero statues serving as an innocent reminder that there is indeed a pool, a good fitness centre and a spoiling Remede Spa to get you in shape if need be. There are eight meeting spaces with LCD screens, avant-garde touch-screen panels, and sophisticated video conferencing facilities. The Diplomat and Senator rooms will comfortably host 24 seated around a u-shaped table.

Just around the corner is the very classy and quietly corporate Four Seasons Hotel Singapore (tel: [65] 6734-1110, www.fourseasons.com/singapore) that can rustle up a company meeting for 20 to 50 with aplomb. This is a business traveller favourite close to shopping but set away from the hustle in green surrounds.

With an imposing colonial exterior replete with soaring Doric columns that belie its sophisticated, modern interior, The Fullerton Hotel Singapore (tel: [65] 6733-8388, www.fullertonhotel.com) at the epicentre of business, the Boat Quay entertainment district, and various cultural and shopping attractions, has a 24-hour Financial Centre and a range of full and half-day meeting options. Once the stately General Post Office, this is now a top Singapore meetings hotel with smooth service, décor to impress, and facilities to match.

Fullerton lit up at night/ photo: hotel

In the Marina area Pan Pacific Singapore (tel: [65] 6336-8111, www.panpacific.com/singapore) has skybridge access to three shopping malls and the Suntec City Convention Centre, which lends considerable muscle when it comes to Singapore conferences. Choose between 26 meeting venues, including balcony suites overlooking the Marina Bay harbour (full-day meetings from S$85).

Enjoy the Middle Eastern vibe, complete with shisha water pipes at local eateries, when staying at the PARKROYAL on Beach Road (tel: [65] 6505-5666, www.parkroyalhotels.com) on the fringe of Arab Street. Close to the CBD, this hotel is also near the Suntec International Convention & Exhibition Centre. Full-day meeting rates are less taxing from S$70. Another ethnic experience awaits at the 534-room PARKROYAL on Kitchener Road (tel: [65] 6428-3000, www.parkroyalhotels.com) located in Singapore’s Little India close to the MRT and with seven meeting venues (full-day meetings from S$65). This should suit most pockets.

In the heart of Orchard Road’s bustle, the Pan Pacific Orchard (tel: [65] 6737-0811, www.panpacific.com/en/Orchard) offers five meeting rooms, a boardroom and outdoor pool area for groups from 10 and up (full-day meetings from S$75).

On a secluded promontory on Sentosa Island and ideal for corporate meetings in Singapore, the starched colonial Capella Singapore (tel: [65] 6377-8888, www.capellasingapore.com) serves up three meeting rooms with sweeping sea views and lush vegetation. Three coffee breaks should keep you awake during a full-day meeting (from S$110 per person; half-day from around $65). Groups of up to 50 can splash out on yoga or meditation sessions ($30 per person, one-hour group class) – or grab a quick spa break for a head-and-scalp or foot-and-hand massage (from $70). For mood and mystique, this could be your spot. It is certainly a useful address for small meetings in Asia when you get in the hunt.

Colonial-style Capella/ photo: hotel

The mammoth new (Jan 2010) Resorts World Sentosa (tel: [65] 6577-8888, www.rwsentosa.com) complex of hotels – including a cheerful Hard Rock Hotel and some upscale choices – and entertainment, is stirring with casinos, a Universal Studios theme park and imaginative conferencing and incentives facilities. Expect noise and action.

Geared for business with state-of-the-art meeting facilities, including two private boardrooms, the characterful Goodwood Park Hotel (tel: [65] 6737-7411, www.goodwoodparkhotel.com) runs seminar packages from S$70 per person, full day ($60 or $45 half day for groups of 20 and up). This is an atmospheric colonial confection with turrets, gables and a languorous air about it just off Orchard Road. Speed up or slow down and try its high tea.

For splendid Raj memorabilia and echoes of the past – albeit brilliantly whitewashed and yanked up to modern standards – the Raffles Hotel Singapore (tel: [65] 6337-1886, www.raffles.com) delights both gawping tourists and corporate connoisseurs. The hotel can rustle up all manner of meetings from small to large. The 388-seat Jubilee Hall is an interesting theatre playhouse construct while one of the Casuarina Suites will seat 36 around a u-shaped table or 60 banquet style.

Just across the waters is Bintan

An hour from Singapore by ferry in Indonesia’s Riau archipelago on Bintan Island is the 61-villa Banyan Tree Bintan (tel: [62-770] 693-100, www.banyantree.com/en/bintan/), with a corporate retreat package based on a minimum of seven villas booked (from around S$280 per person, week days). This includes one night’s stay, breakfast, land transfers and meetings.

St Regis Singapore, corporate/ photo: hotel

The Natural Daylight Meeting rooms have great South China Sea views. There’s a myriad of value-added perks and activities, including one free villa upgrade and discounts on massages, golf, meals, teambuilding and marine activities. Hut and raft-building options are among the incentives on offer. This is a highly regarded Singapore conference hotel.

Curry favour with the boss in India

With a mind-boggling range of cultural and heritage sites, exclusive business hotels and modern convention facilities, India has one of the fastest growing economies in the world. Toss in a curry and it’s reason enough for hotfooting it there.

Conceding that the economic downturn had led to “rational” corporate spending, the meetings market experienced little more than a hiccup and is expected to grow steadily, according to Neemrana Hotels (tel: [91-11] 4666-1666, www.neemranahotels.com). Meeting packages from the group, which describes its 15 properties as “non-hotel hotels”, include the “Classic Package” (from Rs7,150 per night in a suite) and the “Heritage Package” (from Rs5,300, standard room).

The sprawling heritage Neemrana Fort-Palace (tel: [91-11] 4666-1666, www.neemranahotels.com/neemrana/) set in spectacular, restored 15th-century stepped palaces cut into the hillside, is located on the Delhi-Jaipur highway. An hour’s drive from call-centre hub Gurgaon and 100km from Delhi’s international airport, the hotel offers tailored open-air meetings in winter in addition to its more standard offers. This is an atmospheric choice for a small corporate conference in India.

Oberoi New Delhi/ photo: hotel

The Taj Mahal Hotel Delhi (tel: [91-11] 2302-6162, www.tajhotels.com) in the heart of India’s green capital city is close to business and shopping districts, foreign missions and embassies. A range of meeting rooms accommodate 20 people and up. For top-end incentives, polo can be arranged. Or convene your team in the terrace garden or on the poolside lawn. This is a more intimate and central location than the specialist conference property Taj Palace Hotel New Delhi (tel: [91-11] 2611-0202) in the diplomatic enclave.

Oberoi Hotels & Resorts runs corporate retreats, incentives and small to medium-sized meetings at its hotels in Agra, Jaipur, Udaipur and Shimla in India, and as far afield as Mauritius, Indonesia and Egypt. With a new 4,150sq ft business centre sporting floor-to-ceiling windows and overlooking the pool, the award-winning The Oberoi, New Delhi (tel: [91-11] 2436-3030, www.oberoihotels.com/oberoi_delhi) takes business seriously.

The rooftop Mount Batten suite fits 24 delegates, theatre style. A full-day special meetings offer runs to Rs36,000 for 20. Special dining options include an Indian rural theme and a Maharaja evening. This is a crisp-service business hotel well located next to golf and government offices downtown. For small meetings in India, this is an excellent choice.

A garden setting with more history and a priceless art collection, the classy old-world The Imperial New Delhi (tel: [91-11] 2334-1234, www.theimperialindia.com) has two stylish, wood-panelled meeting rooms perfect for conferences of 20 to 50 people. For fresh-air discussions, there’s always The Imperial Lawns. This is a popular New Delhi hotel for business travellers, sited on Janpath just a short walk from the central Rajiv Chowk (Connaught Place).

Taj Palace & Towers Mumbai/ photo: hotel

Established in 1903, Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces is one of Asia's largest hotel groups with 59 hotels in 41 locations across India (and 18 others around the world). The Princess Room at the historic landmark The Taj Mahal Palace & Tower Mumbai (tel: [91-22] 6665-3366, www.tajhotels.com), one of four Taj hotels in the city, has hosted historic meetings of India’s ruling princes, departing colonials and more. Today, the room with its Arabian Sea views and stained glass windows is one of a range of lavish meeting venues in the property, with 20,000sq ft of conference space divided into rooms seating 30 to 550 participants. Appropriately, incentives include Bollywood Night and a Mumbai Roadside Yatra, celebrating local street food. Among India conference hotels, this is a hard act to beat.

Just 600m from the majestic Mughal monument the Taj Mahal, The Oberoi Amarvilas (tel: [91-56] 2223-1515, www.oberoihotels.com/oberoi_amarvilas) in Agra with its Mughul and Moorish architecture and manicured gardens provides a peaceful haven with a range of meeting and conference facilities.The faux-fort setting of The Oberoi Rajvilas (tel: [91-14] 1268-0101], www.oberoihotels.com/oberoi_rajvilas) in Jaipur is another retreat for smaller, high-level corporate retreats and incentives. Staff are happy to arrange theme dinners for 30 in the courtyard or at the poolside. Choose from Rajasthani folk dance to Indian classic music to complement the ambiance.

A candle-lit floating pavilion anchored in the middle of Rajasthan’s Lake Pichola awaits at The Oberoi Udaivilas, Udaipur (tel: [91-29] 4243-3300, www.oberoihotels.com/oberoi_udaivilas), from Rs75,000 for groups of 20, including snacks. Spread over 30 acres on the banks of this Rajasthan lake, the hotel boasts six meeting rooms and an elegant boardroom. Book a two-night stay for 20 (at around Rs1,351,920 – quoted in India in lakhs as Rs13,51,920), including all accommodation and meals, one room upgrade, daily meetings and refreshments, discount on spa treatments and a free daily yoga session.

Oberoi Udaivilas, Udaipur/ photo: hotel

Also on Lake Pichola, the romantic white marble The Taj Lake Palace Udaipur (tel: [91-29] 4242-8800, www.tajhotels.com) might be a lovers’ dream, but it’s also open for business, with 35 to 50-person meeting rooms perfect for small gatherings. Take advantage of the exotic location and splash out on a theme event on the Mewar Terrace. These two are the pick of Rajasthan conference hotels in this area.

At a breathless 8,250ft above sea level, the Wildflower Hall, Shimla in the Himalayas (tel: [91-17] 7264-8585, www.oberoihotels.com/oberoi_wildflowerhall) offers inspiring views of snow-covered peaks. Combine meetings with trekking in the Himalayas, mountain biking, horse riding, billiards or golf, or indulge in a holistic wellness programme. This Shimla Oberoi resort has five meeting rooms leading onto open terraces with panoramic mountain views. The rate for a group of 20 delegates, including two nights’ stay, meals and more, comes to Rs623,720. In the rarefied oxygen-deprived world of the Himalayas at this altitude, executives will gasp at every word you utter. So will you.

Arrive by cable car at the Moksha Himalaya Spa Resort (tel: [91-17] 9223-2301, www.centarahotelsresorts.com/mhr/) in the Shivalik Mountain Ranges. This is an intimate small-meeting destination run by Thailand’s Centara Hotels group. There is a 12-person boardroom with stunning valley views, but by all means try a hill-side conference with the full range of audio-visual equipment.

Get high on adrenaline with an “Executive Retreat” (up to 20 people) at the Ananda (tel: [91-13] 7822-7500, www.anandaspa.com ) “destination spa” in the Himalayas. Perfect for high-level executive meetings is the boardroom with its 15ft-high ceiling and fireplace, and the mountain-view Adhyatma Dham Pavillion. Afterwards, rejuvenate your energy with ayurveda, yoga and a host of soothing therapies. Just up from Rishikesh the resort is about a half-day drive from New Delhi.

Centara Moksha, India/ photo: hotel

In the heart of India’s “silicon valley”, Bangalore, the ISTA Bangalore (tel: [91-80] 2555-8888, www.istahotels.com) is conveniently close to the CBD, with lake and city views. In addition to a main conference room, there’s also a boardroom and smaller meeting venue. Also consider the ISTA Hyderabad (tel: [91-40] 4450-8888), in the vicinity of the business premises of corporate giants such as Microsoft and Dell, and a new ISTA Amritsar (tel: [91-18] 3270-8888) a stone’s throw from the city’s famous Amritsar Golden Temple. The hotel is geared for corporate incentives, and has 13,000sq ft of flexible conference space, including two executive meeting rooms. Or take your team outside into the tented garden.

For a slice of Portugal in India, head to the all-suite The Retreat by Zuri, Goa (tel: [91-83] 2669-7272, www.thezurihotels.com), about 40 minutes’ drive from Goa’s airport at Panjim. The hotel, part of the up-and-coming Zuri Hotels & Resorts group, positions itself as a business-meeting and conference venue, as well as a holiday destination.

Also along the coast are the Park Hyatt Goa (tel: [91-832] 272-1234, goa.park.hyatt.com) that does small meetings and lavish weddings to boot, and The Leela Kempinski Goa (tel: [91-832] 662-1234, http://www.theleela.com/hotel-goa.html), which specialises in incentives and meetings of up to 400. A small get-together is a doddle.

Or head farther south to the rice paddy of Kerala to The Leela Kempinski Kovalam Beach (tel: [91-471] 305-1234, www.theleela.com/hotel-kovalam.html) that occupies a scenic promontory overlooking an arcing sandy bay. All the rooms offer WiFi and you connect your laptop at the poolside too. Along with holiday credentials, this is a good business traveller option for small meetings in India.

Brunton Boatyard, Cochin/ photo: hotel

Still in Kerala the Casino Hotels group, now CGH Earth (tel: [91-484] 301-1711, www.cghearth.com) flexes its green credentials at stunning old-world resorts in the Cochin area like Coconut Lagoon on Vembanad Lake (southern backwaters) and accessed only by boat, with artfully reconstructed 19th century mansions in the traditional mould. Around the grounds, special Vechoor cows graze unmolested to trim the grass. A novel solution indeed. And it helps preserve this species too. Or wander into their Brunton Boatyard, a resurrected shipyard that now hosts the travelling cognoscenti and glitterati near Fort Cochin (now Kochi).

Meetings in the Philippines

In the heart of Manila’s business district and just 9km from the international airport is an oasis of calm, The Peninsula Manila (tel: [63-2] 887-2888, www.peninsula.com/Manila/), with a meeting package from around P2,000 (a cocktail reception and business services discounts are thrown in for delegates staying inhouse). Room rates start from around P7,000 for groups of 10 and more, including breakfast and late checkout. There’s a big ballroom, but 13 meeting rooms cater for smaller conferences. Situated in busy Makati, the Manila Peninsula is set just away from the traffic, facing green. Attentive service and classy environs. If you’re searching for a classy Asian small meeting venue, explore Manila. Rates are attractive and there’s always a sense of fun.

Avoid multilingual confusion by taking advantage of a simultaneous translation system, one of the state-of-the-art facilities offered at The Makati Shangri-La (tel: [63-2] 813-8888, www.shangri-la.com/en/property/manila/makatishangrila). From time to time, the hotel offers special Super Value Dates for groups of 10 and up booking within three months of their stay. This is a happening place, close to malls and nightlife with no scrimping on the overall “grand” effect.

Peninsula Manila room/ photo: hotel

Aware of global warming and “earth-friendly” lifestyles, the popular, sprawling Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort and Spa (tel: [63-32] 231-0288], www.shangri-la.com/en/property/cebu/mactanresort) in Cebu offers green meetings, encouraging delegates to save files onto flash drives instead of using paper, whiteboards and flip charts. Water is served in pitchers rather than plastic bottles and guests use one mug throughout the meeting, snacking on dried fruit rather than plastic-packaged mints. Food is locally produced and there are separate containers for biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste. Hey, don’t toss your wife away yet. The “Whole Day Green Meeting” package (P2,500 per person; half day P2,000), includes organic snacks, lunch, and free-flowing coffee and tea. “Standard Meeting” packages (P2,500 full day; minimum 10 people) are also available. Soothe tired muscles with a five-minute head and shoulder massage and healthy snacks. This is a family-friendly hotel with a wonderful CHI spa.

Kayaking on emerald lagoons, rainforest hiking and snorkelling in a spectacular natural setting are among the offerings at Palawan’s two eco-friendly El Nido resorts (www.elnidoresorts.com), Lagen Island (tel: [63-2] 894-5644) and Miniloc Island (tel: [63-2] 894-5644). Specialising in incentives, team-building and high-powered meetings, the hotel group offers customised corporate packages including three meals a day and challenges designed to develop leadership and teamwork. Choose one of three levels: Experience (mostly free and easy beach games), Explore (a bit more strenuous) and Endure (think rope courses and survival).

Most corporate meetings run from two to seven nights. At Lagen, typically, arrive and settle in on the first day and on the second day park alfresco on a bamboo raft in the scenic Big Lagoon while fish gawk at your spindly white legs (work on that tan boy).

Shangri-La Mactan, Cebu/ photo: hotel

Enjoy a theme dinner poolside. On the third day participate in a team-building “Amazing Race” at Snake Island with dinner on your own candle-lit sandbar and on the fourth day, well, pack up and head for the rustic airstrip. Room rates at roughly P3,500 per person (triple-sharing) including activities, with special dinner events attracting a P1,000 surcharge per person. El Nido presents a very special incentives destination and is the perfect spot for an offbeat small meeting in Asia.

Corporate chats in Indonesia, Bali conference hotels

Bali hotels have steadily pushed rates up though the market remains soft depending on the season. Guests have been able to take advantage of some competitive rates with extra added value spa and other bonuses thrown in. The rollercoaster US dollar has also made holding corporate events in Bali cheaper than some years ago and there is substantial demand for strategy meetings and corporate get-togethers. A look at small meetings in Bali and Jakarta.

Apart from 595sq m of meeting space that can be divided into three rooms for smaller groups and six venues for groups of 10 and up, the secluded 77-hectare luxury AYANA Resort and Spa Bali (tel: [62-361] 702-222, www.ayanaresort.com) also has a range of cliff-top gardens and spaces for alfresco gatherings and meetings under the stars. With a standard full-day meeting package from US$45 per person, best room rates start from US$169 (special rates for groups of 10 or more). Participants may recharge their batteries with the Re-energise meetings package (from US$65 per person, full-day, until May 31, 2010), which includes access to what the property claims as the world’s largest Aquatonic Seawater Therapy Pool. A good option among Bali conference hotels.

Westin Nusa Dua/ photo: hotel

In the Uluwatu area not far from here in the south of the island, is the magnificent Bulgari Resort Bali (tel: [62-361] 847-1000, www.bulgarihotels.com) that exudes non-stop chic-by-the-cliff with chill-out music, soft lights, and beautiful people by the limo-load. Set up an elegant seminar at the 16-seater boardroom with the latest AV gadgets or pick the function room with its open-air terrace and breezy views. After hours unwind at the splendid spa. Close by are the contemporary low-rise units of the eco-friendly Alila Villas Uluwatu (tel: [62-361] 848-2166, www.alilahotels.com/uluwatu) where executive retreats and corporate meetings can be set-up with ease. This is a very different kind of resort, harmonious with nature, easy on the eye, a tranquil escape for brainstorming.

A boutique resort in the Nusa Dua area with just 29 rooms and a no-children policy, The Bale (tel: [62-361] 775-111, www.thebale.com) caters from groups as small as 10 up to a maximum of 58, which means booking out the entire hotel. For innovative extras, think head-clearing power yoga, group meditation or painting, in addition to more standard offerings. Past activities and incentives include cooking classes starting with a 5.30am visit to the market or motorbike tours on Harley Davidsons. Basic rates for a 20-person group, twin-share, work out to around US$4,000 per night (minimum three nights), including breakfast, transfers and a choice of spa treatment, yoga or lunch. Groups get 20 percent discount on food and drinks.

A butler service is one of the extras offered by the opulent St Regis Bali Resort (tel: [62-361] 847-8111, www.starwoodhotels.com/stregis), which easily hosts 20-person delegations in its Astor Ballroom (group room rates from US$375, including breakfast; meeting package from US$100). This is could become a favourite spot for board of director meetings and product launches. If you have the money and the moxie, opt for the swish villa accommodation by the beach.

Ayana cliff-edge pool/ photo: hotel

Set within Bali’s Nusa Dua resort area, The Laguna Resort & Spa, Nusa Dua, Bali (tel: [62-361] 771-327, www.luxurycollection.com/bali) has a range of meeting facilities, including a Summer Garden Boardroom with natural daylight and palm-tree views, great for small executive meetings. The “Laguna Bali Meeting Experiences Package” (full-day from about US$60 per person; half-day from US$55; minimum booking 15 people) includes a light massage during a coffee break.

The neighbouring Westin Resort Nusa Dua (tel: [62-361] 771-906, www.starwoodhotels.com/westin/) is a specialist Bali conference hotel with vast facilities and a lagoon pool well sited along the beach. Catering for corporate meetings, teambuilding events or incentives is not an issue here. There are a total of 17 meeting rooms, most welcoming of natural daylight and all with WiFi, as well as 2,700sq m of exhibition space should you be planning a monster meet. Usefully, the Westin is also a very child-friendly Bali hotel so the family will be well taken care off. The resort is pumping in US$8 million for a room refurbishment programme that runs a year from 1 May, 2010.

Popular Bali icon, the Grand Hyatt Bali (tel: [62-361] 771-234, bali.grand.hyatt.com) is on this manicured stretch as well. It has a new spring in its stride with the addition of a spa enclave and a grand ballroom that can seat 1,420. For smaller company meetings in Bali, this upgraded family-friendly resort is a versatile venue that can set you up for intimate get-togethers for six to twelve and up. There are 25 function rooms with the usual audiovisual equipment and lighting arrays.

The luxurious, thatch-roof The Oberoi, Bali (tel: [62-361] 730-361, www.oberoihotels.com/oberoi_bali) on Seminyak beach has one large meeting room seating up to 30 people that can be booked for full or half days. A two-night stay for a delegation of 20 runs from around US$12,800. Alternatively, reserve the room for the day for $1,200 (half day, $1,000).

Grand Hyatt Bali/ photo: hotel

The Legian (tel: [62-361] 730-622, www.thelegianbali.com or www.ghmhotels.com), run by Singapore-based GHM, is a chic choice in the swank Seminyak area with crisp service and a fairly compact layout right on the beach that affords both quick get-togethers as well as breathing space. But a splendidly offbeat choice would be the sibling Chedi Club at Tanah Gajah (tel: [62-361] 975-685, tanahgajah.com or www.ghmhotels.com) up in the verdant rice-paddy hill country of Ubud where shocking greens await to convert all city slickers to nature’s way. This away-from-it-all resort offers traditional villas in open landscaped gardens with water features, a boardroom and meeting facilities. Ask if you can use the open-air amphitheatre and get a tan while you’re at it. Small meetings only. July and August are cooler months when you might just get away with it without the drenching sweat so inimical to possible job promotions.

With art and culture as main selling points, Ubud is popular for small- to medium-sized conferences running over three days or so. A river runs through it at The Royal Pita Maha (tel: [62-361] 980-022, www.royalpitamaha-bali.com), where you may meet in an open-air pavilion overlooking the picturesque Ayung River and surrounding forests. There’s a more traditional meeting venue too. A full-day meeting (from US$75; half-day from $55) includes all the usual equipment, lunch and breaks. Royal Pita Maha describes itself as the only high-end resort in Ubud with a meeting capacity of between 40 and 200 people. Secluded location, nice villas and open green views across the valley. The spa is the icing on the cake.

Start your working day at the Maya Ubud Resort and Spa (tel: [62-361] 977-888, www.mayaubud.com) with a private yoga session overlooking a rice paddy. Swap the regular coffee break for a spa tea break, or build team spirit on a village bike ride followed by a picnic lunch. Post-meeting spa pampering keeps minds clear and bodies willing. Full-day meetings are from US$80 per person (minimum 20 people). Bring your partner – the hotel has a special spouse programme that could include Balinese cooking classes, spa treatments or shopping tours.

Banyan Tree Ungasen/ photo: hotel

More rice fields welcome guests at the Kamandalu Resort and Spa (tel: [62-361] 975-825, www.kamandaluresort.com), where a full-day’s meeting package for a group of 20 comes from US$50 per person (half day, $40). Close-to-nature incentives include trekking, cycling and harvesting paddies.

The villa product is good and service is friendly, always with a smile. The resort looks over paddy fields and is a breezy spot for honeymooners too.

For something offbeat, Arma (tel: [62-361] 975-742, www.armaresort.com), a museum sponsored retreat (Agung Rai Museum of Art) is a charming getaway that can manage small meetings and larger gatherings in idyllic surrounds overlooking paddy fields, in a water garden or in an open-air Balinese theatre. The added plus is cultural dances and other throw-ins.

If business calls in Jakarta, The Sheraton Media Hotel & Towers Jakarta (tel: [62-21] 626-3001, www.starwoodhotels.com/sheraton/) in one of the city’s up-and-coming business districts is a stone’s throw from the Jakarta International Exposition Hall and Jakarta International Event & Convention Centre. Half-day meetings start from US$45 per person, minimum 20 participants. For a business gathering with more vibes, splash out at the Media Bar & Yacht Club.

The Ritz-Carlton Jakarta (tel: [62-21] 2551-8888, www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/Jakarta/) is a swish downtown address with impeccable service and excellent meeting facilities including a 2,420sq m ballroom, and 20 meeting rooms. Expect high-speed Internet and the ever-present technology butlers. Perhaps they can fix your iPhone too.

Ritz-Carlton Jakarta/ photo: hotel

One of Indonesia’s top meetings destinations is cultural centre Yogyakarta in Java, with increasing business from small groups from around Asia and farther afield. Dinner overlooking a UNESCO World Heritage Site temple can be one of the perks of booking your meeting at the Sheraton Mustika Yogyakarta Resort and Spa (tel: [62-274] 488-588, www.starwoodhotels.com/sheraton/), where meeting packages start from Rp235,000 per person. Or choose a team-building programme at the archaeological site at Ratu Boko Palace. For more ancient temples and a taste of Javanese culture, explore the neighbourhood by bicycle.

Small meetings in Malaysia

Value-for-money Kuala Lumpur remains as last-minute bookings (with lead times as short as just three days) keep hoteliers on their toes. Shop around.

The downtown Westin Kuala Lumpur (tel: [60-3] 2731-8333, www.starwoodhotels.com/westin/) reports a “good recovery” in the meetings market. Here, delegates can take part in customised cooking, baking and cocktail-mixing workshops, or shake their booty at salsa dancing lessons. The “Westin Meeting Specials” include a M$180 deal per person (full day; $160, half day; groups of 10 and up). It’s cheaper if you cut the lunch.

The smart and refurbished Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur Hotel (tel: [60-3] 2717-9900, www.starwoodhotels.com/sheraton/) is a crisply efficient venue for small meetings in Kuala Lumpur. The hotel boasts 14,000sq ft of event space in 10 function areas with varying configurations. Expect live video conferencing, WiFi, and the latest in audiovisual equipment. There is good F&B and the poolside Italian restaurant Villa Danieli doubles as an event venue. This is certainly one of the top Kuala Lumpur conference hotels.

Sheraton Imperial KL/ photo: hotel

Small alfresco conferences are on the menu at Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur (tel: [60-3] 2263-7888, www.lemeridien.com/kualalumpur), with participants relaxing on mats in the nearby Lake Gardens. Coffee break snacks and lunch are packed into individual picnic baskets. Strategically located at the transport hub of Kuala Lumpur Sentral (at the main train station and airport link), the hotel also boasts 1,300sq m of meeting space, including nine meeting rooms for smaller events. Full-day meetings come from M$190 per person, with room rates from M$400 applying for a booking of at least 10 rooms. Joined at the hip is the new-breed contemporary Hilton wild child with spring in its stride and flair in its functions, the Hilton Kuala Lumpur Hotel (tel: [60-3] 2264-2264, www1.hilton.com). This hotel breaks the old Hilton mould and demonstrates that even formerly stolid American chains can generate razzmatazz. The hotel can manage from 15 to 550 persons and also throws in a breezy high-floor pool, a spa and 510 rooms.

Smart and chic 571-room The Traders Hotel, Kuala Lumpur (tel: [60-3] 2332-9888, www.shangri-la.com/en/property/kualalumpur/traders), just opposite the glinting much-photographed Petronas Twin Towers, is another breathlessly breakaway New Age product catering for upper-end business and leisure travellers. It has covered access to the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre. What more do you need? Talk to an event specialist and they’ll arrange something with zing.

On the island of Penang, Shangri-La’s Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa (tel: [60-4] 888-8888, www.shangri-la.com/en/property/penang/rasasayangresort) is located over sprawling hectares along Batu Ferringi Beach. The stately but thoroughly revamped resort features two connected wings with varying accommodation choices, a CHI spa, and flexible meeting venues. The Pelangi Ballroom can accommodate up to 350. Residential meeting packages start at RM800 per night for groups with a minimum 15 room bookings. This includes accommodation in deluxe ocean-facing rooms, in-room Internet, buffet breakfast and full-day and half-day meeting packages.

Shangri-La's Rasa Sayang/ photo: hotel

For themed meets explore the “Malay Wayang Kulit Theatre” with shadow puppets, the Western-style “Carnival” with jugglers and masks, or “Survivor Island” out on a quiet isle. Keep an eye on this Penang conference hotel and mark it down for your future small company meetings in Asia.

Elsewhere on the island, in bustling Georgetown, by the sea but not on the beach, is the colonial all-white E&O Hotel (tel: [60-4] 222-2000, www.e-o-hotel.com) with large classically furnished suites, butlers and WiFi. Founded by the Sarkies brothers in 1885, this delightful slice of history comes accompanied by six function suites that can host from 20 to 150 persons while the grand ballroom can manage 400. The “Meeting of Minds” package is priced at around RM88 per person for a full-day session with two coffee breaks and lunch. Penang continues to gain appeal as a good value MICE destination.

Sabah’s Kota Kinabalu has direct air links, and short travel time, to major Asian capitals such as Hong Kong, Singapore, Seoul, Tokyo and cities in China. The area’s attractions include golf, island tours, nature experiences and trips up Mount Kinabalu.

In the city centre close to shopping, dining and entertainment options, Le Meridien Kota Kinabalu (tel: [60-88] 322-222, www.lemeridien.com/kotakinabalu) is particularly popular among groups from China, Singapore and Taiwan. There are a number of function rooms with natural lighting, but for a breakout session with a twist, head off to nearby Gaya island. Meeting packages start from M$120 (groups of 20 and more). The well established and smartly managed Shangri-La’s Tanjung Aru Resort & Spa (tel: [60-88] 327-888, www.shangri-la.com/en/property/kotakinabalu/tanjungaruresort) is at one corner of town, on the beach, with good meeting facilities. Cruise off to offshore islands from here.

Starched E&O Penang/ photo: hotel

Kuching’s meetings business is traditionally slower than that of Kota Kinabalu, but with good value and the Sarawak Convention Bureau aggressively promoting Sarawak as a destination, interest is growing, particularly for medical conferences.

Headhunting takes on a whole new meaning at the new Four Points by Sheraton Kuching (tel: [60-82] 280-888, www.starwoodhotels.com/fourpoints/). Boasting a whole bunch of function rooms and ballrooms, the property offers competitive rates and flexible deals (full-day meeting package from RM90 per person; half day from RM70). If you’ve always wanted to kayak in a rainforest, party in a traditional Iban longhouse (chanting “warriors” will escort you there) or enjoy subterranean cocktails in a limestone cave, this hotel has the incentive for you. For real feel-good team building that makes a difference to people’s lives, join a bigger project to assist local people to construct facilities such as clinics, school buildings and bridges.

There are few distractions on Langkawi. Whether it’s a board meeting in a rainforest or an executive meeting on the beach that you’re after, The Andaman, Langkawi (tel: [60)-4] 959-1088, www.luxurycollection.com/andaman), with more than 1,100sq m of meeting space including six meeting rooms, will tailor a special package to suit every whim. Meet in a restaurant overlooking the Andaman Sea, on the beach after lunch or on a yacht before an evening barbecue at the Sheraton Langkawi Beach Resort (tel: [60-4] 952-8000, www.starwoodhotels.com/sheraton/), which has special room rates from RM410 including breakfast for two and a full-day meeting package from RM150 (half day, RM110). The hotel is set in tropical surroundings with its own small private beach cove. The specialist Langkawi conference hotel on this patch however is The Westin Langkawi Resort & Spa (tel: 60-4] 960-8888, www.starwoodhotels.com/westin/). There are seven meeting spaces at this beachside hotel (conveniently located not far from Kuah town) ranging all the way up to 5,191sq ft. Expect quality AV equipment, videoconferencing, and interesting function venues.

Empire Hotel, Brunei/ photo: hotel

The GHM-managed The Datai Langkawi (tel: [60-4] 959-2500, www.ghmhotels.com) is a rainforest villa resort gem, set in the secluded northwest of the island (next to The Andaman) with a superb beach. The resort blends into nature with minimum intrusion. Find a spa, excellent restaurants, and conference and meeting facilities. This is a great spot for team building and corporate encounters, the all-pervasive forest doing its best to ensure your company hangs together. Rooms and villas offer Lavazza coffee machines, 37-inch flat-screen TVs, DVD players, BOSE sound systems and complimentary high-speed Internet access.

Brunei boardroom romp

At The Empire Hotel & Country Club (tel: 673-241-8888, www.theempirehotel.com) you’ll find more gleaming marble and soaring Doric columns than in Ancient Rome. The state events venue for the Sultan of Brunei should be good enough for mere mortals. This is a lavish and spread-out resort with several swimming pools, spa, and numerous meeting options. For a group of 20 pin-stripers, the damages would be around B$750 per person (plus 10 percent service charge) based on single occupancies for two nights and three days.

As a sampler, kick off with a welcome reception and a sundowner at the Marine Center. Pick from themes including “Nelayan”, a fisherman’s village, or opt for an outdoor barbeque. There are ten meetings rooms that look onto the 18-hole signature Jack Nicklaus Golf Course, itself a major distraction. Save time for a swing. Meeting packages include morning coffee break, buffet lunch, and standard audiovisual equipment. The afternoon is for beachwear and sporty teambuilding exercises. Try the “Amazing Race” to test your endurance over land and sea. No James Bond antics here. Think slippery banana boats, soaring para-sails, kayaks, beach football, and muscle-wearying tug of war. Wrap up with a formal Cantonese dinner at Li Gong.

Sea and CEOs in the Maldives

Four Seasons Kuda Huraa/ photo: hotel

Coral-fringed islands, sun-drenched beaches and azure seas, anyone? Who wouldn’t want to meet up in the Maldives? It’s a long way to go, but why not? Well, yes, cost could crimp your style but then, for a fabulous blue-water small meeting in Asia, there are few better spots.

For a top-level executive gathering on a private island, Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa (tel: [960-6] 644-888, www.fourseasons.com/maldiveskh) has it all. Group activities range from fishing and snorkelling to dolphin cruises. In addition to the dedicated meeting room, gatherings can be held anywhere – from the resort terraces to the beach and tropical gardens. The “Meetings with More” package, offers savings on meals, meeting room and a credit of 10 percent of your room cost towards a future Four Seasons hotel stay.

More corporate retreats beckon at sister property the Four Seasons Resort at Landaa Giraavaru (tel: [960-6] 600-888, www.fourseasons.com/maldiveslg), where big windows and high ceilings connect meeting participants in its three function spaces (perfect for 20-person groups and up) with the natural beauty outside. Restorative ayurvedic treatments, yoga and diving will help you wind down.

The Conrad Maldives Rangali Island (tel: [960] 668-0629, conradhotels1.hilton.com) sprawls over two islands in fact, both connected by a wooden walkway. The seaplanes deposit you right in the middle. Apart from boasting the world’s first underwater restaurant where you can look at sharks and vice versa, the resort serves up stunning spa facilities and over-water villas. While not really a conference hotel at all, the resort has imaginatively rustled up venues for 10 to 20 persons at the small business centre, in the Presidential Suite and even on a deserted island. No promises. Call the hotel to check on possibilities. Could you arrange a meeting underwater? Well…

South Korea: small meetings in Seoul

W Seoul Living Room/ photo: hotel

Already a sought-after destination for the regional conferences market, Seoul regularly hosts major events each year, including the Korea MICE Expo for the next three years and the Design Olympiad as the World Design Capital for 2010.

Host to royalty, heads of state, celebrities and business leaders, the smart, modern The Shilla (tel: [82-2] 2233-3131, www.shilla.net) prides itself in state-of-the-art technology and business facilities. The “Business Meeting” package, which includes a night’s stay, breakfast, lunch and breaks is from W300,000 (minimum 15 people).

A floor-to-ceiling window view of Seoul’s own historic Temple of Heaven inspires meeting delegates in one of the eight conference rooms in the downtown The Westin Chosun, Seoul (tel: [82-2] 771-0500, www.westin.com/seoul). Close to trendy shopping and other landmarks in Myung-dong such as the Blue House, City Hall and Cheonggyecheon stream, the hotel’s guestrooms and ballroom (which can be divided into three separate meeting rooms) recently had an overhaul and the high-tech business centre is new.

It’s all systems ago at the 518-room The Grand InterContinental Seoul (tel: [82-2] 555-5656, www.seoul.intercontinental.com), with a no-frills “Design your Business” package from around W100,000 per person (minimum 10 participants). With a night’s stay included, the total runs from W275,000. On the fringe of town, on a breezy hillside overlooking the Han River is the trendy W Seoul – Walkerhill (tel: [82-2] 465-2222, www.starwoodhotels.com/whotels/) packed with touchy-feely art, a spa, and mood rooms in bright colours. For small meetings, expect endless hi-tech, high-speed Internet, and plasma screens, all set up in five meeting areas. Do it in style in Seoul.

Let's talk Taiwan

Grand Formosa Regent/ photo: hotel

Taiwan’s growing meetings market benefits from its advanced communication infrastructures, relatively affordable hotel rates and industrial excellence.

Apart from standard meetings packages (full-day from NT$2,000, half day, from NT$1,500, 20 people or more) the award-winning Grand Formosa Regent (tel: [88-62] 2523-8000, www.grandformosa.com.tw) in Taipei also offers a “Wellspring Spa Meeting Package” and “TAI PAN Executive Meeting Package” (15 to 30 participants). This is a popular hotel with business travellers to the city, well located and offering a high level of personalised service.

Meeting madness in the Middle East

With excellent air links to most major cities, top Middle Eastern meetings destinations are perfected located to attract delegates from both Asia and Europe. With sky-defying towers and outrageous man-made islands, Dubai remains the region’s conference hub, but neighbouring Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates, has in recent years poured a few billion dirhams into its own meetings and incentives market. Adding to its conference appeal is the new Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), with the UAE’s largest indoor auditorium, accommodating 5,700 delegates. Following suite are booming Bahrain and Doha, with the sultanate of Oman not far behind.

In Dubai, play with dolphins, feed some manta rays – it’s all in a day’s work at the mind-bogglingly opulent Atlantis The Palm Dubai (tel: [971-4] 426-2000, www.atlantisthepalm.com), with an astonishing 1,539 aquatic-themed rooms and suites overlooking the Arabian Gulf or Palm Jumeirah. Meeting packages are specially tailored for day delegates. Meet in one of the many conference rooms or in a natural setting outside. Groups of 20 and up may want to explore The Lost Chambers maze of underground tunnels offering underwater views of the recreated ruins of Atlantis. Or experience a practical lesson in teamwork with the Lost in Atlantis incentive. The dolphins live in three lagoons in a lush tropical setting. Only in Dubai.

Atlantis Dubai/ photo: hotel

The ultra-luxury Emirates Palace (tel: [971-2] 690-9000, www.emiratespalace.com) at the far end of the city’s corniche is set among 85 hectares of landscaped gardens. In addition to a gigantic ballroom and auditorium, it offers more than 40 meeting rooms and tailor-made meetings.

A breakout room on a luxury yacht? Nothing is impossible at the brand-new, futuristic Yas Hotel (tel: [971-2] 656-0000, www.theyashotel.com), with its eye-popping design mimicking the throw of a local fishing net. Overlooking the Yas Marina Circuit (the scene of the inaugural Abu Dhabi Grand Prix), the hotel has 1,760sq m of conference facilities including six meeting rooms and four boardrooms.

With its rich cultural heritage and natural beauty, Oman has a number of outstanding incentive possibilities. Its Desert Nights Camp (www.omanhotels.com/desertnightscamp) a couple of hours’ drive from Muscat hosts group of up to 30 in Bedouin-style tents. Or go mountain climbing in the Hajar Mountains. The planned new 6,000-seat Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre is expected to act as a gateway to capital Muscat.

Against a dramatic mountain backdrop, on an exquisite private beach and close to the fascinating Muttrah Souk, the luxurious 50-suite Al Bustan Palace InterContinental Muscat (tel: [968-24] 799-666, www.ichotelsgroup.com/intercontinental) has 13 banquet and reception rooms and 20 butlers are at your beck and call. Contact the hotel for specially tailored meetings and incentives. And the boutique-style The Chedi Muscat (tel: [968-24] 524-400, www.ghmhotels.com) offers a designer chic getaway for that corporate seminar. Nothing like quality surrounds to conclude a meeting on a high note.

That’s the long and short of small meetings in Asia, corporate seminars and long and waffling CEO sound bites. Take your pick of these Asian conference hotels.

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