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SINGAPORE : The Singapore F1 tickets are fast selling out, but fans can still catch the action from some choice locations.
Hotels along the circuit are seeing high demand but rooms with a circuit view are still available, if you're willing to pay.
Offering a bird's eye view of the race, the Swissotel is probably the place to be during the F1 weekend.
The hotel is also home to three major F1 teams - Ferrari, BMW and Honda. And because some teams are still operating on European time, the hotel needed to make adjustments.
"(It's) not just checking our facilities, housekeeping is also very important, to make sure individuals are not disturbed too early in the morning. A number of our restaurants and bars have shifted the times, and we've extended breakfast into brunch now, until lunch time to accommodate those who get up later," said Aiden Mcauley, general manager of Swissotel The Stamford.
The hotel is dedicating 220 rooms over 10 floors to the F1 teams, and there's still room for more.
"Over Formula One, we'll be touching 90 per cent, which is great. We've exceeded what we thought we would achieve. We thought we would do a low 80, but to be reaching 90 per cent is strong indeed," said Mcauley.
Fullerton Hotel, situated at the corner of the track, offers a great view of Turn 13. So it's no surprise that the rooms have been filled to capacity.
Over at the Ritz Carlton, their 608 rooms have been fully booked in the last two months leading up to race weekend. Most are staying at least 4 nights.
And it's the same happy situation over at the Conrad.
Hotels with rooms still available include the Mandarin Oriental, Marina Mandarin, Pan Pacific and Raffles Hotel, with Mandarin Oriental and Marina Mandarin about 80 per cent full.
But it will cost at least S$1,750 a night, and rates are not expected to come down. That is because some observers believe the track side hotels have hit their targets with their high room rates.
Many hotels have a minimum stay requirement, some of up to five nights. And this strategy may be working, instead of having lower room rates and filling every hotel room in the circuit area.
But there's hardly a spillover effect for hotels further away but still within the town area.
Rendezvous Hotel said they are about 70 per cent full.
Further away, hotels and resorts in Bintan said they are filling up but there are still plenty of rooms available. - CNA /ls
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