While the world is shrouded in difficult times, the party is still going on in Shanghai. At the ILTM in Shanghai, the signal we get, especially in China, is that luxury and experiential travel is intensifying. This was especially so at the talks where topics like ‘The Future of the Asian Luxury Traveller’, ‘Why China’s Generation Y is Driving Global Luxury’ and another on ‘collaborative consumption’ in the ‘sharing economy’ drove home the point.

Other updates from ILTM include:

Peninsula Hotel, Shanghai

• Peninsula Hotels expands its Keys to the City program from Chicago to Paris and Beijing, a refreshing way for guests to enjoy curated experiences like a behind-the-scenes kitchen tour or a meet the chef experience. The group also partners with esteemed brands that retail in their properties. ‘Legendary Artisans’ is the program where guests are taken on a journey into the iconic world of these craft specialists – in Shanghai, the Pen’s venerated lobby offers you a tea that is fashioned in the style of Harry Winston or Tiffany.

• Boutique hotel property Heritage Suites Hotel recently completed the refurbishment of 6 classic rooms – a warm yet inviting blend of comfort, aesthetics and modern chic; it’s tempered with the artisanal touches of local artists and has has been thoughtfully pulled together with a soothing palette of neutrals, rich deep wood tones and vibrant orange accents to provide guests with a pocket of tranquility and relaxation; they also completed the refurb of their Bungalow Suites last year. Heritage Restaurant’s Chef Vibol comes up with an experimental on a very regular basis so you can try an evolving menu of fusion dinners that bring together European and Khmer flavours.

• The word is out. Rocco Forte’s first Asia hotel, a 300 room property, is part of the Longhua International Aviation Service Centre in Shanghai’s West Bund, an area that’s home to a few art museums owned by private art collectors. It will take over the top 15 floors of a building in the development, opening 2018.

Tirtha Bridal

• Wedding venues in Bali aren’t all made equal. Luxury wedding venue Tirtha Bridal out in Uluwatu is just about to charm new couples with their new fairytale wedding The Glass House tucked in a secret venue in the hills. Think wedding in an enchanted garden by twilight, bathed in the delicate perfume of fragrant blooms and the soft illumination of twinkling lights. Together with award-winning landscape design studio Salad Dressing and renowned architect Fredo Taffin, who has been lauded for his work on some of Bali’s legendary destinations such as Ku De Ta and The Istana, Tirtha Bridal has been working on a wondrous new bridal concept designed to enthrall and fulfill the dreams of many a girl who has longed for that ethereal fairy-tale garden party.

• Park Hotel Group will open its first hotel in Malaysia; set in Malacca, the 245-keys property will open in the early half of 2019. The management contract for Park Hotel Melaka was signed with a subsidiary of Malaysian developer Jaya Mapan and comes hot on the heels of its new developments in Adelaide, Bali and Singapore (Little India). The group is positive about Malacca’s growth, particularly with the new Melaka Gateway precinct and Impression Melaka musical.