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Ascott Grows The Crest Collection in East Asia and the Middle East, Extending the Brand’s Heritage-Inspired Luxury Beyond Europe and Southeast Asia
- Added new locations in Japan, China, the UAE and Saudi Arabia, including the brand’s first resort
- La Clef Bangkok by The Crest Collection is set to open soon, bringing the brand’s number of operating properties in Southeast Asia to four
- Launches The Crest Chronicles, the inaugural brand programme celebrating the unique heritage stories that define each property and enrich guest experiences
SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 3 June 2025 – The Ascott Limited (Ascott), the wholly owned lodging business unit of CapitaLand Investment (CLI), is accelerating the global expansion of its European-born luxury brand, The Crest Collection, in response to growing demand from luxury travellers for distinctive, heritage-rich stays. Over the past six months, the brand has gained strong momentum across East Asia and the Middle East, adding over 1,200 units from four new signings and one opening. The portfolio now comprises 16 properties with over 2,700 units, both operational and in the pipeline, across 11 countries and 13 cities. As a key brand within the Ascott Star Rewards (ASR) programme, The Crest Collection enhances the diversity of the ASR portfolio, offering members a broader range of luxury options and more opportunities to experience heritage-inspired stays around the world.
Among the newest additions in East Asia is SEN/KA TOKYO by The Crest Collection, set to open in the second half of 2029, marking the brand’s debut in Japan. Also contributing to growth in the region are two developments in China: Hong Yuan Hotel by The Crest Collection, which opened in Haikou, Hainan Province, at the end of last year, and a property slated to open by mid-2026 in Wuhan’s Donghu New Technology Development Zone, commonly known as Optics Valley. In the Middle East, Al Mahra Resort by The Crest Collection – the brand’s first resort and its debut in the United Arab Emirates – will open in early 2027, to be followed by the brand’s first property in Saudi Arabia, opening in Riyadh in 2028.
This expansion into East Asia and the Middle East builds on the brand’s growing traction in Southeast Asia. La Clef Bangkok by The Crest Collection, set to open in mid-2025, will become the brand’s fourth property in the region, following the 2023 debut of The Grand Mansion Menteng by The Crest Collection in Indonesia, The George Penang by The Crest Collection in Malaysia and The Robertson House by The Crest Collection in Singapore. Meanwhile, the brand’s seven other operational and pipeline properties are located across Europe, where The Crest Collection was first established in 2016.
Ms Serena Lim, Chief Growth Officer, Ascott, said: “Interest in luxury stays continues to rise in Asia and the Middle East, driven by travellers seeking meaningful connections to the region’s rich culture and heritage. The Crest Collection meets this aspiration with its ‘A Story Behind Every Door’ brand promise, delivering culturally immersive experiences enriched by each property’s distinctive identity, while enabling owners to tap into the strength of Ascott’s global commercial ecosystem. Supported by our flex-hybrid model and multi-typology brand strategy, The Crest Collection is highly conversion-friendly, adapting seamlessly across serviced residences, hotels, resorts and other accommodation types. While recent signings highlight new builds such as the brand’s first resort, its adaptability also makes it ideal for property conversions that enable swift time-to-market. By tailoring solutions to the unique demands of each location, our market-driven approach empowers us to respond to evolving traveller expectations with agility and deliver sustained value for owners.”
The luxury travel sector is projected to grow from US$1.4 trillion in 2024 to US$2.2 trillion by 2030, driven not just by affluence among the wealthy but also by younger travellers who are willing to pay top dollar for meaningful experiences[1]. With luxury travellers drawn to destinations that excite, along with surprising environments and experiences that speak to their individuality[2], it is clear that the true essence of luxury lies in celebrating unique stories rather than uniformity.
Ms Tan Bee Leng, Chief Commercial Officer, Ascott said: “Curating experiences that resonate with the expectations of the most discerning travellers has become the currency of modern luxury. Our most affluent guests are seeking emotional connection, personal transformation and cultural resonance. By integrating heritage narratives with thoughtfully curated hospitality, The Crest Collection offers our guests a luxurious and storied experience rooted in the unique identity of each property and its locale. Defined not only by what is provided, but by what is remembered, every stay at a Crest Collection property reflects Ascott’s boutique lens on luxury – one that nurtures individuality and crafts hyper-localised, distinctive experiences that engage all the senses. This approach allows us to offer timeless sophistication, elevated by bespoke touches that reflect the spirit of each destination. As The Crest Collection expands from Europe to Asia and the Middle East, we remain dedicated to redefining modern luxury through evocative, story-driven experiences that deliver meaningful moments with purpose and creativity.”
Distinctive Heritage Stories Shape The Crest Collection’s Luxury Expansion
With every addition, The Crest Collection reinforces its vision of heritage-inspired hospitality. Each property brings local culture to life through design, storytelling and immersive guest experiences.

- La Clef Bangkok by The Crest Collection, opening in mid-2025, is situated near Thong Lo BTS station on the historically significant Sukhumvit Soi 38. The 115-unit luxury serviced residence artfully blends French Art de Vivre with cherished Thai heritage, offering a range of premium amenities including a luxurious swimming pool, rejuvenating onsen, inviting residents’ lounge and state-of-the-art fitness centre. Beyond easy access to upscale shopping destinations, vibrant entertainment venues and top-tier medical facilities, guests can look forward to a refined selection of studios and one- to two-bedroom apartments, each thoughtfully designed to embody the timeless elegance and rich legacy of its distinguished location.
- The upcoming SEN/KA TOKYO by The Crest Collection is part of the landmark Yaesu 1-Chome North District Type 1 Urban Redevelopment Project, located near Tokyo Station in the Yaesu district. The property’s name pays tribute to its location, historically known as Gofuku-cho (Kimono Fabric Town) during the Edo period, once home to prestigious kimono fabric shops patronised by the shogunate and the Imperial Household. The district’s rich heritage of delicate artistry and craftsmanship will be brought to life through the design and storytelling of this luxury hotel-in-residence, which features 92 guestrooms designed for both short and extended stays.
- Hong Yuan Hotel by The Crest Collection, which opened late last year in Haikou, China, draws inspiration from the city’s historic role as a key gateway on the ancient Maritime Silk Road. Located in the Jiangdong New District of the Hainan Free Trade Port, the 261-key hotel blends Song Dynasty aesthetics with modern luxury. Guests are immersed in a richly storied environment – from copper screen partitions in the lobby and architecture echoing Song-era design, to Chinese paintings depicting maritime trade scenes in the restaurant, all reflecting Haikou’s historic role as a hub of global cultural and commercial exchange. The upcoming property in Wuhan’s Optics Valley will further grow The Crest Collection’s presence in China, offering a narrative rooted in the city’s academic and innovation heritage at the heart of a national high-tech development zone.
- Al Mahra Resort by The Crest Collection located on Marjan Island, Ras Al Khaimah, takes its name from the Arabic word ‘mahra’, referring to a young female horse – a symbol of youthful grace, strength and noble spirit in Bedouin heritage. Reflecting these qualities, the 539-key beachfront resort will blend Arabian heritage with contemporary design, offering guests an experience rooted in the UAE’s rich equestrian and cultural legacy.
- The Crest Collection will also make its debut in Saudi Arabia when it opens in Riyadh, offering bespoke hospitality in the Kingdom’s capital with a stay experience inspired by local culture. Strategically located on King Fahd Road and surrounded by key commercial and lifestyle hubs, the property will house a selection of accommodation options spanning elegant hotel rooms, serviced apartments, and suites, catering to both leisure and business travellers. Guests can expect access to an array of premium amenities, including specialty dining restaurants, a signature ‘Reading Room’ lounge and café, and comprehensive wellness facilities featuring a pool, gym, and treatment rooms. The property will also offer state-of-the-art meeting and multi-functional spaces.
The Crest Chronicles: Showcasing Heritage and Hospitality at The Crest Collection
Through a carefully curated series of activations spanning gastronomy, literature, architecture, art and performance, The Crest Chronicles brand programme brings heritage stories to life at each property within The Crest Collection. From culinary events that evoke the flavours of the past to literary legacies that immerse guests in historic narratives, this programme reveals the stories behind every door.
In Paris, France, La Clef Champs-Élysées Paris by The Crest Collection, the flagship property that launched the brand, has hosted Cognac Heritage Tastings featuring three exceptional eaux-de-vie – Hennessy, A.E. Dor and Koya – offering guests a unique journey through fine cognacs and brandies inspired by the heritage of the former Hennessy family mansion, now home to the hotel. Meanwhile, history enthusiasts can explore the 1889 Exposition Universelle through a Literary Display opening mid-June in the lobby of La Clef Tour Eiffel Paris by The Crest Collection.
At Hong Yuan Hotel by The Crest Collection in Haikou, China, guests can immerse themselves in the cultural richness of the Song Dynasty, the hotel’s key design inspiration. Titled “The Four Refinements of the Song Dynasty”, year-round activities include tea tastings, floral arrangement workshops, incense crafting, art appreciation and guqin performances. Complementing these experiences, a thoughtfully curated culinary menu inspired by the 24 solar terms of Chinese culture promotes health, relaxation and seasonal nourishment.

Starting early June in Singapore, cocktail aficionados can toast to the rich history of The Robertson House by The Crest Collection through a series of cocktail workshops that tell the story of the locale with expertly crafted spirits.
Discover more about The Crest Chronicles at https://www.discoverasr.com/en/the-crest-collection.
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About The Ascott Limited
The Ascott Limited (Ascott) is driven by a vision to be the preferred hospitality company, enriching global living with heartfelt experiences. With a portfolio of over 990 properties across 230 cities in over 40 countries, Ascott’s presence spans Asia Pacific, Central Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the USA. Its diverse collection of award-winning brands includes
Ascott,
Citadines,
lyf,
Oakwood,
Somerset,
The Crest Collection,
The Unlimited Collection,
Fox,
Harris,
POP!,
Preference,
Quest,
Vertu and
Yello.
Ascott specialises in managing and franchising a wide range of lodging options, including serviced residences, hotels, resorts, social living properties and branded residences, catering to the varying needs and preferences of global travellers. Through the
Ascott Star Rewards (ASR) loyalty programme, members enjoy exclusive privileges and curated experiences, enhancing every aspect of their travel journey.
As a wholly owned business unit of
CapitaLand Investment Limited, Ascott generates fee-related earnings by leveraging its expertise in both lodging management and investment management. It also drives the expansion of funds under management by growing its sponsored
CapitaLand Ascott Trust and private funds.
For more information on Ascott and its sustainability programme, please visit
www.discoverasr.com/the-ascott-limited. Alternatively, connect with Ascott on
Facebook,
Instagram,
TikTok and
LinkedIn.
About CapitaLand Investment Limited
CLI aims to scale its fund management, lodging management and commercial management businesses globally and maintain effective capital management. As the investment management arm of CapitaLand Group, CLI has access to the development capabilities of and pipeline investment opportunities from CapitaLand Group’s development arm. In 2025, CapitaLand Group celebrates 25 years of excellence in real estate and continues to innovate and shape the industry.
As a responsible company, CLI places sustainability at the core of what it does and has committed to achieve Net Zero carbon emissions for Scope 1 and 2 by 2050. CLI contributes to the environmental and social well-being of the communities where it operates, as it delivers long-term economic value to its stakeholders.
Media OutReach
OOm Institute Calls for AI Fluency to Close Human Critical Thinking Gap
The rapid adoption of AI tools without sufficient verification, contextual understanding, or critical oversight is contributing to a growing “Human Critical Thinking Gap”.
Recent research from Professors Rick Dakan and Joseph Feller also corroborates this; only 8.7% of participants consistently verified high-stakes AI-generated claims before accepting them.
Beyond the Prompt: The Human-Centric Shift
While prompt engineering remains a foundational skill for today’s workforce, OOm Institute suggests the discipline must evolve beyond simple input mechanics.
“We are entering a false competence trap,” says Ian Cheow, CEO at OOm Institute. “People are learning how to prompt, but they aren’t learning how to make the right decisions. If you cannot spot when an AI’s logic fails, you aren’t using a tool, you are delegating your intelligence.”
The Warning: If You Let AI Think for You, You “De-skill”
Professionals who rely heavily on AI without developing critical evaluation skills risk “de-skilling”, where domain expertise erodes over time due to over-dependence on automated systems.
The concept of AI Fluency is built around three core capabilities:
- Decision to Correct: The ability to determine when AI-generated output is sufficient and when it poses a risk that requires human revision or rejection.
- Contextual Sovereignty: Ensuring human oversight remains central so AI outputs align with Singapore’s cultural, commercial, and ethical contexts.
- Critical Inquiry: Moving beyond prompting to actively question assumptions, logic, accuracy, and completeness in AI-generated responses.
Real-World Practice vs Theory
As AI tools evolve rapidly, practitioners argue that effective AI capability cannot rely solely on static classroom theory. Real-world usage often involves changing workflows, unpredictable outputs, and context-specific decision-making that require continuous practical application and human judgment.
Maintaining AI fluency increasingly requires learning from practitioners actively applying these tools in commercial environments.
“At OOm Institute, our focus is on building practical decision-making in AI usage,” Mr Cheow added. “Our goal is to help professionals use AI with stronger critical thinking, clearer accountability, and practical business understanding.”
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OOm Institute
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Suanova, a Subsidiary of Yeebo, Signs Comprehensive Strategic Cooperation Agreement with InfiX.ai
Advancing Deployment of Training and Inference Integrated AI Platforms in Healthcare Applications, Powered by Domestic High-Density Computing Infrastructure
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 10 June 2026 – Yeebo (International Holdings) Limited (“Yeebo”; Stock Code: 00259.HK, together with its subsidiaries, the “Group”) is pleased to announce that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Suanova Technology Limited (“Suanova”), has entered into a comprehensive strategic cooperation agreement with InfiX.ai, a global leader in enterprise-grade generative AI (GenAI) infrastructure solutions. Leveraging Suanova’s Shanghai Cube, a domestically developed high-density computing infrastructure, the two parties will jointly advance the deployment of training and inference integrated AI platforms with continuous self-learning capabilities in healthcare applicatoins. As part of this collaboration, Suanova will contribute its expertise in domestic computing infrastructure by providing the core computing power and foundational support.
With healthcare as the initial focus, the two parties have already collaborated with leading medical institutions to conduct clinical validation in areas such as cancer GenAI, foundational medical Large Language Models (LLMs) and personalized cancer treatment planning.
Building Integrated Infrastructure for Medical AI with Shanghai Cube as the Foundation
The training and inference integrated AI platforms deployed under this collaboration are powered by Shanghai Cube, combined with InfiX.ai’s training, inference and multimodal AI capabilities. This integration delivers a truly unified hardware-software infrastructure tailored for medical AI applications.
Shanghai Cube, developed with the participation of Suanova, was among the earliest of its kind in China and is currently the highest-density domestically developed GPU supernode product. It adopts a high-density deployment architecture featuring 128 GPUs per rack with liquid cooling, enabling compact and efficient deployment of large-scale computing clusters. Shanghai Cube integrates a range of domestically produced core components, including liquid-cooling systems, high-performance parallel storage systems, retimers and motherboard capacitors. It provides a one-stop, highly efficient solution for the large-scale deployment of domestic computing systems and models.
Partnering with InfiX.ai to Build Enterprise-Grade AI Infrastructure
InfiX.ai is a research-driven AI infrastructure company serving global markets, with capabilities spanning IaaS, PaaS and MaaS. The company is building a Decentralized Co-GenAI Network that connects computing power, models, platforms and intelligent applications, with the aim of helping enterprises and organizations train, deploy and own their domain-specific AI based on proprietary data, expertise and business workflows.
InfiX.ai brings together world-class talent in AI research and industry deployment. The company is led by its Founder and Chief Scientist, Prof. Hongxia Yang, with Co-Founder and Vice President Haiqing Chen and Chief AI Architect Jianmin Wu forming the core management and technology team. Prof. Yang is also a Chair Professor at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and is a globally recognized leader in artificial intelligence, with extensive experience spanning both academia and industry. She previously served as Head of LLMs in the at ByteDance (U.S.), AI Scientist and Director at Alibaba Group, Chief Data Scientist at Yahoo!, and Research Staff Member at IBM T.J. Watson Research Center. Prof. Yang has published more than 150 papers and holds over 50 patents. She has also received numerous international honors, including the WAIC SAIL Award, the National Scientific and Technological Progress Award, and recognition as one of the AI 2000 Most Influential Scholars worldwide.
By integrating InfiX.ai’s training and inference algorithms with Suanova’s high-performance computing platform, the solution significantly reduces memory usage and computing resource requirements. This enables higher throughput and supports training and deployment of larger-scale models under equivalent hardware configurations. The system is also capable of continuously capturing data for incremental training, integrating user feedback for fine-tuning and reinforcement learning, thereby ensuring that model performance evolves alongside changing business needs. Furthermore, the infrastructure supports local execution of the entire AI workflow – from training and fine-tuning to inference – thereby ensuring data security by design and meeting the stringent security requirements of sectors such as healthcare, finance, and government.
Mr. Daliang Chen, CEO of Suanova, said: “This partnership with InfiX.ai represents an important milestone in Suanova’s expansion into medical AI. Leveraging the Shanghai Cube high-density domestic computing platform, we aim to accelerate the adoption of medical AI in real-world clinical settings. This collaboration not only brings together the complementary strengths of both companies from a technological perspective, but also serves as a key step in advancing the domestic computing ecosystem. Looking ahead, we will continue to work closely with our partners to drive the deep integration of artificial intelligence across diverse industries.”
Hashtag: #Yeebo
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About Yeebo (International Holdings) Limited
Founded in 1988, Yeebo (International Holdings) Limited is a diversified electronic component company with a well-established presence in the global market. The Company’s core business spans flat panel displays, computing power and capacitors, serving a broad spectrum of industrial and consumer applications. Headquartered in Hong Kong, Yeebo operates its manufacturing operations primarily in the Guangdong and Jiangsu provinces, supporting a global sales network that ensures localized service and support for its international clientele.
In alignment with its long-term strategic vision, Yeebo is leveraging its robust operational foundation to expand into the Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) compute and related sectors. This initiative reflects the Company’s commitment to innovation and technological advancement, with the objective of positioning Yeebo as a leading and influential participant in the rapidly evolving AI industry across mainland China and Hong Kong.
About Suanova Technology Limited
Suanova, under Yeebo, is an innovative technology company focused on delivering independent, efficient, and accessible domestic AI computing services. Its business spans three core areas: computing power and cloud operations, computing technology development and computing industry investment. With branches in Hong Kong and Shanghai, it provides customers with better localized services. It is committed to transforming complex AI infrastructure into simple, efficient, and cost‑effective services through continuous technological innovation, with the goal of becoming a leading “infrastructure operator” in the AI era.
Media OutReach
KAST chooses Elliptic digital asset decisioning for global AML and sanctions compliance
KAST has used Elliptic’s solutions since 2024 to screen wallets and monitor crypto transactions for indicators of financial crime as customers fund and use their KAST accounts. By integrating Elliptic’s blockchain intelligence into its risk and compliance stack, KAST has been able to identify high-risk activity in real-time, reduce exposure to sanctioned or illicit wallets and demonstrate robust controls to regulators and partners.
Founded in July 2024 by former Circle executive Raagulan Pathy, KAST provides USD-denominated accounts, global pay-ins and payouts to more than 170 countries, and a growing suite of consumer and business financial tools built on stablecoin rails rather than legacy settlement networks. With KAST, people can hold, send, and spend instantly while transacting with merchants and ATMs around the world.
Since launch, KAST has scaled to more than one million users and is processing about $5 billion in annualized transaction volume, reflecting the growing adoption of stablecoin-based financial services beyond trading and crypto-native use cases. In March, KAST announced a record $80 million Series A funding round, which is being deployed to expand across North America, Latin America and the Middle East. Elliptic’s analytics help KAST manage risk, applying a consistent, data-driven approach to AML and sanctions screening as the platform scales into new markets.
“Every time customers tap their card, send or receive transactions, they need to trust it’s safe,” said Pathy, Founder & CEO at KAST. “Our users rely on us for institution-grade security everywhere in the world. Elliptic is a key part of that promise. Their blockchain intelligence helps us detect fraud patterns, sanctioned activity and other red flags behind the scenes so that our customers feel safe and secure.”
“As stablecoin financial platforms like KAST reach more users, regulators and partners expect the same standard of financial crime controls that apply in traditional finance,” said James Smith, Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Elliptic. “KAST has been building with compliance in mind from day one. Through this partnership, we are helping to ensure the platform can scale while meeting regulatory expectations for AML and sanctions risk.”
Elliptic’s analytics now underpin KAST’s financial crime controls. Working alongside the platform’s identity, fraud and transaction monitoring solutions, Elliptic supports a consistent, risk-based approach to onboarding, funding and card usage as the platform scales.
Hashtag: #Elliptic
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About Elliptic
Our platform’s unrivalled uptime, scalability, depth and breadth of our data and intelligence means exacting organizations choose Elliptic for their compliance, risk management, intelligence operations and blockchain infrastructure needs.
Founded in 2013, Elliptic is headquartered in London with offices in New York, Washington D.C., Miami, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Tokyo. To learn more, visit www.elliptic.co and follow us on
LinkedIn and
X.
About KAST
KAST is a stablecoin-powered financial platform that connects digital assets with traditional finance, enabling 1 million+ people to send, receive and convert funds across borders, currencies and payment rails through a single app. The company focuses on helping individuals and businesses earn globally and spend locally by combining instant peer-to-peer transfers with compliant access to local bank payouts in supported markets. Visit www.kast.xyz.
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