The Lai Lai Sheraton Hotel (
"We will definitely look into a large-scale renovation of the place once the transition is finished," said Josef Dolp, general manager of the hotel.
According to the Chinese-language Business Weekly magazine (
On April 30, Tsai, head of My Humble House Group (
Established in 1981 by Tsai's elder brother, Tsai Chen-nan (蔡辰男), the five-star hotel's ownership and management rights returned to the Tsai family after seven years.
In 1995, the Tsai family -- owners of Taiwan's largest insurance group, Cathy Life Insurance Co (
One industry watcher said refurbishing the Lai Lai is absolutely necessary.
"To compete with other new hotels in Taipei, the Lai Lai needs a face-lift as soon as possible," said Lee Shao-pin (
Hotels generally undergo refurbishment every three to five years, Lee said.
"Guests and travelers like to stay in bright, new places," he said.
Location is also a problem for the Lai Lai.
With the city's business center long shifted eastward, the Lai Lai is far from most pedestrian conveniences, Lee said.
Both the Taipei World Trade Center and the Taipei's major shopping districts are on the east side of the city.
"However Taipei Sheraton is located on Taipei city's west side, far from current hot spots," Lee said.
But one Taipei resident said the Lai Lai is always very competitive.
"Without any doubt, every time my friends and customers come to Taiwan I recommend they stay [in the Lai Lai]," said Dick Adler, a foreign businessman who has lived in Taipei for more than 30 years.
While the Lai Lai is older in appearance compared to the Grand Hyatt or the Formosa Regent, its hospitality and service are very good, he said.
"As far as I know, the Lai Lai retains many loyal customers," Adler said.
The company reported NT$2 billion in sales last year, Dolp said.
"This year we will target the same amount of sales," he said, adding that the industry is currently experiencing a slump.
The domestic unit of the Chinese-owned, Dutch-headquartered chipmaker Nexperia BV will soon be able to produce semiconductors locally within China, according to two company sources. Nexperia is at the center of a global tug-of-war over critical semiconductor technology, with a Dutch court in February ordering a probe into alleged mismanagement at the company. The geopolitical tussle has disrupted supply chains, with some carmakers reportedly forced to cut production due to chip shortages. Local production would allow Nexperia’s domestic arm, Nexperia Semiconductors (China) Ltd (安世半導體中國), to bypass restrictions in place since October on the supply of silicon wafers — etched with tiny components to
Taiwan is open to joining a global liquefied natural gas (LNG) program if one is created, but on the condition that countries provide delivery even in a scenario where there is a conflict with China, an energy department official said yesterday. While Taiwan’s priority is to have enough LNG at home, the nation is open to exploring potential strategic reserves in other countries such as Japan or South Korea, Energy Administration Deputy Director-General Chen Chung-hsien (陳崇憲) said. While the LNG market does not have a global reserve for emergencies like that of oil, the concept has been raised a few times —
AI-FUELED DEMAND: The company has been benefiting from the skyrocketing prices for DRAM chips amid the AI frenzy, especially its core product — DDR4 DRAM chips DRAM chipmaker Nanya Technology Corp (南亞科技) yesterday reported that its revenue for the first quarter surged 582.91 percent to NT$49.09 billion (US$1.54 billion) from NT$7.19 billion a year earlier, as the supply crunch caused chip price spikes. Last quarter’s figure is the highest on record. On a quarterly basis, revenue jumped 63.14 percent from NT$30.09 billion, the company said. In January, Nanya Technology expected global DRAM supply scarcity to continue through the first half of 2028, thanks to strong demand for artificial intelligence (AI) applications. Market researcher TrendForce Corp (集邦科技) forecast prices of standard DRAM chips would rise between 58 percent and 63
HIGHER PRICES: Given rising energy costs, CPC raised natural gas prices for generators by 41.58%, which Taipower said would raise its power generation costs by NT$10 billion State-run CPC Corp, Taiwan (CPC, 台灣中油) has activated its fourth naphtha cracker to boost ethylene supply, aiming to ease concerns over plastic material shortages amid tensions in the Middle East, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said yesterday. The move is expected to add 19,000 tonnes of supply this month and 30,000 tonnes next month, Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs Ho Chin-tsang (何晉滄) said at a meeting of the legislature’s Economics Committee in Taipei. CPC on Tuesday held talks with major polyethylene producers, including Formosa Plastics Corp (台塑), Asia Polymer Corp (亞聚) and USI Corp (台聚), and pledged to supply ethylene feedstock
RSS