Returning from a long trip? This Singapore hotel is a great stopover spot
Check-in
Capri by Fraser's China Square property, a youthful, social offshoot of the Frasers Hospitality serviced apartments brand, arrived on Singapore's hotel scene in 2019, just in time for COVID. As such, it still feels quite new and particularly so given its location. The new-build property sits in the heart of Chinatown, surrounded and contrasted by the colourful heritage shopfronts of yesteryear. And while the 15-storey building rises above them, its entrance is tucked away down a freshly paved lane, leading to a modern glass entryway with a giant animated screen (the lane is still so new in fact, rideshare drivers seem to be surprised by its existence).
With an eye on younger guests, particularly those looking for longer stays or digital nomad experiences, many of the rooms offer at least a microwave, while some feature a full kitchenette with cooking facilities. There's also a self-service communal laundry (conveniently located next to the rooftop gym and pool, so you can take a dip or do a workout while you wait for your load to finish. If that doesn't appeal, there's also a Playstation and bean bags in the laundry itself). For those staying in the Studio Executive or Executive rooms (as I am) there's also 'The Den' a lounge and co-working space offering complimentary snacks and drinks, including, from 6pm to 8pm, hot food and alcoholic beverages.
The look
The small entry hall leads to lifts which take guests up to the second storey, where the actual lobby and check-in desk is located (though there are check-in kiosks on the ground floor). At first glance the look is traditional, if not ostentatious, with marble and glass, until you notice the more modern design elements, like the colourful cityscape by local artist Simon Ng that adorns the wall behind the reception desk and extends up and across the ceiling. It's one of many works throughout the property from various artists both local and international.
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The Advertiser
2 days ago
- The Advertiser
The cooking school where a dining table takes centre stage for the guests
In the name chosen for her business, Jen Nicita hoped to capture the essence of her work in its three simple words. Our Italian Table is the name of Jen's cooking school, where the skills learnt are only part of the experience, as the dining and conversations around the table during the meal are the hallmarks of its success. The school is located in Pokolbin on the family's 70-acre Nicita Estate and has wonderful views of the Brokenback Ranges and nearby vineyards. Even though it became fully operational just as the COVID lockdown occurred in 2020, the school has now welcomed its 7000th guest and is thriving. At the recent Hunter Valley Legends Awards, Our Italian Table won Tourist Operator of the Year. This is a credit to Jen and her staff's dedication in creating a destination where food, wine and conversations flourish. "The first time I visited my husband's family, it was the full Italian meal experience, so different to my own - no Italian heritage in my family," she said. "Beautiful food and wine, lots of co nversations at once, and everyone gathered around the family table. "That is what I wanted to create with my business in Pokolbin: a table, food, and conversations like one big Italian family. That is why I called it Our Italian Table." A career in the food industry alongside helping her husband, Vince Nicita, in his software business when her children were young would eventually lead the couple to buy their property at Pokolbin in 2017. "We lived on the North Shore and had easy access to the Hunter wineries, and I always had a passion to start a cooking school. So the property was ideal for the family getaway and my school," she said. In addition to the school, the property has a 12-acre vineyards which Scarbough Wines manage. "We love drinking the wines, but none of us is interested in making wines, so we leave it to the experts," Jen said. The school is noted for its pasta making lessons with the classes open to 10 people who may book singly, as a couple or in a group. "The mixed groups are lovely as people learn about pasta making at the same time as they chat to the other guests," Jen said. "We have such a variable guest list, so it's interesting for us and the guests." The classes last four hours, with three devoted to cooking before the guests move on to tasting their work. Jen bases the dishes where she can on local produce, but it must be seasonal, and all the ingredients must be easily procured. "If you want to buy special pasta flour, that's your call, but I want people to make their pasta with ingredients they can afford and that are available at a local supermarket," she said. Jen has noted since she started school how some people are hard on themselves when it comes to cooking. "If they took pottery classes, they could fail multiple times with their clay creations, but not when it comes to cooking, there is so much self-doubt, people are so self-critical of their cooking skills, which I hope to reverse while they are with us," she said. "We hope to instil self-confidence in our classes." The successful business now has two teachers and 10 other staff working alongside Jen, who loves that her little passion project has succeeded. "Five minutes before a class, I look around the room and think how lucky I am to be able to share my passion for food and the Italian table with others," she said. In the name chosen for her business, Jen Nicita hoped to capture the essence of her work in its three simple words. Our Italian Table is the name of Jen's cooking school, where the skills learnt are only part of the experience, as the dining and conversations around the table during the meal are the hallmarks of its success. The school is located in Pokolbin on the family's 70-acre Nicita Estate and has wonderful views of the Brokenback Ranges and nearby vineyards. Even though it became fully operational just as the COVID lockdown occurred in 2020, the school has now welcomed its 7000th guest and is thriving. At the recent Hunter Valley Legends Awards, Our Italian Table won Tourist Operator of the Year. This is a credit to Jen and her staff's dedication in creating a destination where food, wine and conversations flourish. "The first time I visited my husband's family, it was the full Italian meal experience, so different to my own - no Italian heritage in my family," she said. "Beautiful food and wine, lots of co nversations at once, and everyone gathered around the family table. "That is what I wanted to create with my business in Pokolbin: a table, food, and conversations like one big Italian family. That is why I called it Our Italian Table." A career in the food industry alongside helping her husband, Vince Nicita, in his software business when her children were young would eventually lead the couple to buy their property at Pokolbin in 2017. "We lived on the North Shore and had easy access to the Hunter wineries, and I always had a passion to start a cooking school. So the property was ideal for the family getaway and my school," she said. In addition to the school, the property has a 12-acre vineyards which Scarbough Wines manage. "We love drinking the wines, but none of us is interested in making wines, so we leave it to the experts," Jen said. The school is noted for its pasta making lessons with the classes open to 10 people who may book singly, as a couple or in a group. "The mixed groups are lovely as people learn about pasta making at the same time as they chat to the other guests," Jen said. "We have such a variable guest list, so it's interesting for us and the guests." The classes last four hours, with three devoted to cooking before the guests move on to tasting their work. Jen bases the dishes where she can on local produce, but it must be seasonal, and all the ingredients must be easily procured. "If you want to buy special pasta flour, that's your call, but I want people to make their pasta with ingredients they can afford and that are available at a local supermarket," she said. Jen has noted since she started school how some people are hard on themselves when it comes to cooking. "If they took pottery classes, they could fail multiple times with their clay creations, but not when it comes to cooking, there is so much self-doubt, people are so self-critical of their cooking skills, which I hope to reverse while they are with us," she said. "We hope to instil self-confidence in our classes." The successful business now has two teachers and 10 other staff working alongside Jen, who loves that her little passion project has succeeded. "Five minutes before a class, I look around the room and think how lucky I am to be able to share my passion for food and the Italian table with others," she said. In the name chosen for her business, Jen Nicita hoped to capture the essence of her work in its three simple words. Our Italian Table is the name of Jen's cooking school, where the skills learnt are only part of the experience, as the dining and conversations around the table during the meal are the hallmarks of its success. The school is located in Pokolbin on the family's 70-acre Nicita Estate and has wonderful views of the Brokenback Ranges and nearby vineyards. Even though it became fully operational just as the COVID lockdown occurred in 2020, the school has now welcomed its 7000th guest and is thriving. At the recent Hunter Valley Legends Awards, Our Italian Table won Tourist Operator of the Year. This is a credit to Jen and her staff's dedication in creating a destination where food, wine and conversations flourish. "The first time I visited my husband's family, it was the full Italian meal experience, so different to my own - no Italian heritage in my family," she said. "Beautiful food and wine, lots of co nversations at once, and everyone gathered around the family table. "That is what I wanted to create with my business in Pokolbin: a table, food, and conversations like one big Italian family. That is why I called it Our Italian Table." A career in the food industry alongside helping her husband, Vince Nicita, in his software business when her children were young would eventually lead the couple to buy their property at Pokolbin in 2017. "We lived on the North Shore and had easy access to the Hunter wineries, and I always had a passion to start a cooking school. So the property was ideal for the family getaway and my school," she said. In addition to the school, the property has a 12-acre vineyards which Scarbough Wines manage. "We love drinking the wines, but none of us is interested in making wines, so we leave it to the experts," Jen said. The school is noted for its pasta making lessons with the classes open to 10 people who may book singly, as a couple or in a group. "The mixed groups are lovely as people learn about pasta making at the same time as they chat to the other guests," Jen said. "We have such a variable guest list, so it's interesting for us and the guests." The classes last four hours, with three devoted to cooking before the guests move on to tasting their work. Jen bases the dishes where she can on local produce, but it must be seasonal, and all the ingredients must be easily procured. "If you want to buy special pasta flour, that's your call, but I want people to make their pasta with ingredients they can afford and that are available at a local supermarket," she said. Jen has noted since she started school how some people are hard on themselves when it comes to cooking. "If they took pottery classes, they could fail multiple times with their clay creations, but not when it comes to cooking, there is so much self-doubt, people are so self-critical of their cooking skills, which I hope to reverse while they are with us," she said. "We hope to instil self-confidence in our classes." The successful business now has two teachers and 10 other staff working alongside Jen, who loves that her little passion project has succeeded. "Five minutes before a class, I look around the room and think how lucky I am to be able to share my passion for food and the Italian table with others," she said. In the name chosen for her business, Jen Nicita hoped to capture the essence of her work in its three simple words. Our Italian Table is the name of Jen's cooking school, where the skills learnt are only part of the experience, as the dining and conversations around the table during the meal are the hallmarks of its success. The school is located in Pokolbin on the family's 70-acre Nicita Estate and has wonderful views of the Brokenback Ranges and nearby vineyards. Even though it became fully operational just as the COVID lockdown occurred in 2020, the school has now welcomed its 7000th guest and is thriving. At the recent Hunter Valley Legends Awards, Our Italian Table won Tourist Operator of the Year. This is a credit to Jen and her staff's dedication in creating a destination where food, wine and conversations flourish. "The first time I visited my husband's family, it was the full Italian meal experience, so different to my own - no Italian heritage in my family," she said. "Beautiful food and wine, lots of co nversations at once, and everyone gathered around the family table. "That is what I wanted to create with my business in Pokolbin: a table, food, and conversations like one big Italian family. That is why I called it Our Italian Table." A career in the food industry alongside helping her husband, Vince Nicita, in his software business when her children were young would eventually lead the couple to buy their property at Pokolbin in 2017. "We lived on the North Shore and had easy access to the Hunter wineries, and I always had a passion to start a cooking school. So the property was ideal for the family getaway and my school," she said. In addition to the school, the property has a 12-acre vineyards which Scarbough Wines manage. "We love drinking the wines, but none of us is interested in making wines, so we leave it to the experts," Jen said. The school is noted for its pasta making lessons with the classes open to 10 people who may book singly, as a couple or in a group. "The mixed groups are lovely as people learn about pasta making at the same time as they chat to the other guests," Jen said. "We have such a variable guest list, so it's interesting for us and the guests." The classes last four hours, with three devoted to cooking before the guests move on to tasting their work. Jen bases the dishes where she can on local produce, but it must be seasonal, and all the ingredients must be easily procured. "If you want to buy special pasta flour, that's your call, but I want people to make their pasta with ingredients they can afford and that are available at a local supermarket," she said. Jen has noted since she started school how some people are hard on themselves when it comes to cooking. "If they took pottery classes, they could fail multiple times with their clay creations, but not when it comes to cooking, there is so much self-doubt, people are so self-critical of their cooking skills, which I hope to reverse while they are with us," she said. "We hope to instil self-confidence in our classes." The successful business now has two teachers and 10 other staff working alongside Jen, who loves that her little passion project has succeeded. "Five minutes before a class, I look around the room and think how lucky I am to be able to share my passion for food and the Italian table with others," she said.
Herald Sun
3 days ago
- Herald Sun
Melbourne Airport: ‘Tipping point' could fast-track airport rail link
Don't miss out on the headlines from Victoria. Followed categories will be added to My News. Post-Covid traffic congestion on the Tullamarine Freeway and the airport's record growth path are likely to propel a $13 billion rail link to a faster track, Melbourne Airport says. Chief executive Lorie Argus said the Commonwealth was assessing whether extra traffic meant the Tulla's 'tipping point' for chaos would occur before 2036, when previous modelling predicted the freeway would be full. Ms Argus said anecdotal evidence and higher-than-expected post-pandemic international passenger growth meant the date was expected to be revised forward, and she expected rail line planning would be aligned. The Canadian-born chief executive strongly backed the long-awaited rail link during an interview with the Herald Sun to mark the airport's 55 year anniversary being celebrated on Tuesday. Ms Argus said the airport's success has grown steadily since its first flight arrived from Rome in 1970, and growth would be turbocharged over the next two decades — at which point about 74 million passengers a year would arrive and depart its terminals. Over its 55-year history, Ms Argus said international travel had transformed from an expensive luxury to a relatively affordable experience prioritised by millions, and that the pandemic had shifted society's preference for experiences over physical goods. 'Even though we are in a crunch, from an inflation and a cost of living perspective, the one thing that the pandemic has taught us is people are prioritising themselves and their experience over other things,' she said. International passenger numbers have soared following Covid-19, and outpaced expectations. As a result, Ms Argus said a major overhaul of the terminals and space inside the airport, which will be updated once a new road entrance to major terminals opens next year, was more imperative. 'I think it'll be the biggest growth period the airport's ever seen,' she said. 'We've done as many renovations as we can within the space that we have, but step change is now required.' A new road being built for passenger drop-offs at terminals 1, 2 and 3 is set to open next year, which will allow the airport to be expanded to 'bring the building out' to the forecourt. Ms Argus said a third runway opening in 2031 would slowly add to what is already a painful drive along the Tulla in peak periods. 'Post Covid, traffic hasn't gotten any lighter … there's more vehicle ownership, there's more people driving,' she said. Previously modelling suggested 2036 would be when roads would be choked by traffic, but Ms Argus said if revised modelling — commissioned by the Commonwealth — found it has shifted forward 'then it's important we just get on with it'. 'What's the tipping point and how do we work back from that to make sure we have that train open and operating as practically reasonably as possible within the time frame that those congestion points occur,' she said. 'Ideally, it'll be as close to 2031 as possible. We have to make sure that we've got access solved for the long term.'
Perth Now
5 days ago
- Perth Now
Aussies rethinking European summer plans
As winter sets in, millions of Australians are packing their bags and heading overseas - many bound for Europe's sun-drenched cities and the Mediterranean Sea. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, international travel by Australians has surged beyond pre-Covid levels, with more than 2.5 million people heading overseas between June and August 2023. Many of those travellers use the trip as an opportunity to stop over and explore the Middle Eastern cities of Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi on their way to bask in a European summer. Many Australians stopover in Middle Eastern cities on their way to and from Europe, but are reconsidering their travel plans following the recent conflict between Israel and Iran. Credit: Supplied But many are now rethinking their travel plans and wondering if it is safe to visit the region with recent conflict in the Middle East between Israel and Iran. The situation escalated then de-escalated this week when Iran launched an attack on US' Al Died Airbase in Qatar on Monday night, following US strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities days earlier. Air traffic movement was suspended in Qatar, resulting in planes travelling between Europe and Australia diverted to other countries or turned around while the airspace was closed. Two flights from Sydney operated by Qatar Airways on the way to Doha were diverted to Oman and India. The Middle East conflict escalated this week when Iran fired missiles at a US military base in Qatar, seeing flights in and out of the nation suspended while airspace was closed. Credit: Supplied Qantas flights were also impacted by the closures - one flight from Perth to London was diverted to Singapore and another flight from Perth to France returned to West Australia. Singapore Airlines also cancelled four flights from Singapore to Dubai. Flight Centre chief executive Graham Turner said their call centre was inundated with inquiries from travellers wanting to rebook their European holiday through Asia rather than travel through the Middle East. He said the problem for travellers reconsidering travel plans, that it was peak season and there was not a lot of availability to change bookings. 'We've had a reasonable number of requests for that,' he said. 'The three major carriers Qatar, Emirates and Etihad really didn't have any significant disruption so things are going ahead pretty much as normal.' Flight Centre was inundated with calls during the week from travellers wanting to change their travel plans to Europe through Asia rather than the Middle East. Credit: istock Mr Turner said there was a lot more activity from concerned travellers. 'Our numbers are telling us there's been no significant increase in cancellations but our call centres are handling lots of calls,' he said. 'With the disruption our travel agents had to change people's arrangements to some extent.'But generally (there's been) no major cancellations and nothing more than normal.' Flight Centre chief executive officer Graham Turner said while their was some disruption flights should be back to normal and he had his fingers crossed that peace had broken out. Credit: Supplied Mr Turner said while some Qatar flights were grounded during the week, services resumed on Tuesday and were expected to be back to normal by Thursday. 'Obviously it had an impact, and our main thing now is that nothing more happens between Israel and Iran,' he said. 'Things look positive at the moment and I would be perfectly happy to fly to London or Europe with Qatar. 'We just have our fingers crossed that peace has broken out for a while.'
