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Simplifying Site Management Through Data

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2 years ago

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Okada Manila

Located in the Philippines, Okada Manila is one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing markets for gaming, hospitality, and entertainment. This magnificent integrated resort is a bustling city unto itself, boasting 993 accommodations, extensive shopping on its Retail Boulevard, a premier spa, an array of dining choices, and a variety of entertainment options including a casino, nightclub, and indoor beach club. Okada Manila has been accorded a Forbes 5-star rating for four consecutive years to date. To keep the resort abuzz, Okada Manila’s thousands of staff spread out across this expansive and scenic oceanfront property.

“From a physical control standpoint, it can be incredibly challenging to secure a property as diverse as ours,” says Kelly Billups, Executive Director of Security Technology Services for Okada Manila. “From a security systems perspective, we expect a very high level of capability to provide a strong layer of technical administration and proactiveness in regard to the overall security effectiveness for the property.”

To achieve that high level of supervision and monitoring, Okada Manila requires a security partner capable of simplifying the site’s complex management while offering controls capable of matching the resort’s elite standards.

But Kelly takes it all in stride: “It’s a huge operation, but the big benefit we have is that we’ve got Gallagher.”

Managing a site through centralized data

The scale of Okada Manila’s operation means managing their site’s security has the potential to become unwieldy rather quickly. Even simply controlling staff entry can become a monumental task with a requirement that all employees and third parties use one dedicated entrance and exit to a very sizeable back of the house area that extends nearly the entirety of the property.

To ensure such compliances are met across the site, Okada Manila relies on data reporting from multiple technologies to provide a bird’s eye view of the resort. Gallagher’s Command Centre integration capabilities make it possible.

From one centralized platform, Okada Manila can generate singular, chronological reports populated from multiple systems, enabling their security division to combine data from their back of the house applications, guest lodging, electronic key management system, lifts on the property, and custom HR interface to produce a holistic account of activities within the resort.

“We rely on Command Centre for that technical administration and to generate high-level reports,” says Kelly, “and those information sets are one of the key benefits of our Gallagher system.”

Data reporting also enables Okada Manila to optimize site management.

“Beyond the expected service of access control, we’re looking for behavioral patterns in our reflective data and reports,” explains Kelly. “We maintain a combined proactive approach utilizing live data with other systems, as well as conduct random audits every month to get a sense of how individual parts of our resort are operating. That information can tell us the usual amount of time or frequency members of our team utilize a space, perform an action, or generally move about the property, which in turn helps us identify where additional staffing or resources are needed, or if any unusual activity is happening.”

A one card solution with dramatic results

But to achieve this level of oversight across their site, Okada Manila needs a single input tool for tracking those behaviors. To simplify the process and ensure compliance, Kelly introduced a one card solution.

Using a single card, employees can:

  • Enter the property
  • Operate lifts
  • Access restricted areas, guest rooms, and amenities
  • Interface with payroll time clocks, electronic key management, parking boom gates, and wardrobe services

Not only does this make it easy to collect data from multiple technologies, but this one card solution also removes the burden of managing several codes, key fobs, and cards for staff.

But of all of these access card benefits, one in particular stands out.

“If I were to lay claim to any one major win we’ve accomplished with Gallagher at Okada Manila, it’s what we did with staff lockers,” Kelly says. “We have around 6,000 lockers for staff and third parties on our property, and previously, as experienced in other integrated resorts, we were only able to secure and manage lockers with mechanical locking solutions. This meant investigating any events involving staff lockers was significantly challenging and not always successful. But once we applied Command Centre’s Locker Management Solution, we reduced undesirable events to nearly zero, and at the same time increased the efficiency of staff services.”

Using their one access card, Okada Manila’s staff secure their individual lockers, ensure they’re closed properly, and prevent unauthorized access. “Such a dramatic reduction in adverse events has been an incredible benefit to the business and our employees, who don’t have to worry about the safekeeping of their belongings anymore” explains Kelly. “And of course, it frees up security resources to focus on other things.”

Partnerships beyond security

With all the complexity surrounding Okada Manila’s operations, Kelly emphasizes that a supportive partnership is a key proponent among the resort’s top security needs.

“Partnership is everything,” says Kelly. “I know a lot of customers use less than 10% of the features when they deploy an access control system, but we always want more out of our system, so it’s important that we work with a vendor who we know is going to listen to our ideas.”

And Okada Manila believes they’ve found that kind of lasting partnership in Gallagher.

“People ask me all the time, ‘Why the preference for Gallagher?’; I say it’s the ease of use, and most importantly, because they listen and cater to individual customer needs,” Kelly reflects. “It’s that ease of interface to a multitude of control and business systems, and you only get those results by really, truly listening and addressing your customer’s needs. Trusting in that partnership and being able to combine all the technologies I need into one platform is critical to our success with security technologies.”

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Hospitality

TWG Tea Unveils the TWG Tea Gallery, Its Largest Flagship and First-Ever TWG Tea Museum at Singapore Changi Airport

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3 days ago

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October 8, 2026

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TWG Tea, the finest luxury tea brand in the world, unveils its largest global flagship, TWG Tea Gallery, at Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 3, marking a significant milestone in the brand’s international growth. Welcoming travellers around the clock, the TWG Tea Gallery is strategically located within one of the world’s leading aviation hubs, underscoring TWG Tea’s continued investment in travel retail as a key pillar of its global expansion strategy. Spanning 2,700 square feet beneath a soaring 23-foot-high ceiling, the new flagship represents the brand’s most ambitious retail expression to date, setting a new benchmark for luxury tea in the global travel retail landscape.

Envisioned as an immersive expression of TWG Tea’s craftsmanship and savoir-faire, this destination invites discerning travellers into a luminous world where rare harvests, exquisite blends and timeless rituals converge. Its landmark TWG Tea Museum showcases more than 170 antique tea wares and over 50 antique Russian samovars from the 17th to 20th centuries, personally curated by the brand over the past 15 years from around the world. TWG Tea Gallery also introduces a selection of exclusive creations, including the Grand Voyage Tea from the Grand Mode Tea Collection, the Singapore Surprise Gift Set, and specially created tea-infused macarons, ice cream and sorbet.

Bringing together the Tea Boutique, curated tea accessories, bespoke gifting and a Takeaway experience, this flagship also introduces Singapore’s only Tea-Infused Ice Cream & Sorbet concept, designed for travellers on the go. An impressive tea wall displaying more than 1,200 tea tins anchors the space, transforming the space into a compelling new expression of TWG Tea for today’s global traveller.

“The TWG Tea Gallery represents the most definitive expression of TWG Tea to date. More than a Tea Boutique, the flagship brings the past, present and future of tea into one immersive experience, celebrating the stories, traditions and artistry that have shaped tea over the centuries, brought to life through its landmark TWG Tea Museum. Singapore has remained central to TWG Tea since its founding, and we are honoured to present our largest global flagship at Changi Airport, an icon of aviation excellence and an extraordinary platform to bring the world of TWG Tea to travellers from around the world.”
—Taha Bouqdib, President & CEO of V3 Gourmet and Co-Founder of TWG Tea

“Changi Airport is proud to be home to TWG Tea’s largest flagship store in the world and its first-ever TWG Tea Museum. As one of Singapore’s most recognised brands, TWG Tea offers travellers a uniquely Singapore experience. Together with TWG Tea, we are delighted to introduce a collection of exclusives created specially for Changi Airport, including Singapore’s only tea-infused ice cream and sorbet concept. This new flagship transforms a retail visit into an immersive journey through the heritage, artistry and culture of tea, reflecting the innovation and hospitality that define both TWG Tea and Changi.”
— Hung Jean, Managing Director of Airside Concessions at Changi Airport Group

A Voyage Through Design

This location within Changi Airport was chosen to house TWG Tea Museum to form a defining part of the flagship experience, showcasing more than 170 antique tea wares and decorative objects spanning cultures and eras. The collection offers a compelling window into the artistry and cultures that have shaped tea over the centuries, adding a rich traditional dimension to the contemporary travel retail experience.

Among its highlights are Yixing clay teapots, traditionally marked by their makers and prized for their craftsmanship and provenance, alongside Chinese and Western tea wares tracing evolving traditions of form and decoration from the 18th century to the present day. Blue-and-white ceramics shaped by Chinese-Islamic artistic exchange sit alongside porcelain once prized in Europe as “white gold,” revealing the movement of ideas and aesthetics across cultures through the rituals of tea.

The collection also includes more than 50 antique samovars from Russia, with notable 19th- and early-20th-century examples from the celebrated workshops of Tula and beyond. Works by makers such as the Batashev and Shemarin brothers bear distinctive hallmarks attesting to their provenance and craftsmanship, offering a further perspective on the decorative traditions surrounding tea.

This dialogue between cultures continues in the flagship’s design, crowned by a hand-painted ceiling depicting a luminous world tea map. As its defining architectural feature, the composition traces the global journey of tea through intricate motifs and rich colour, extending the museum’s narrative of cultural exchange into the contemporary setting of Changi Airport Terminal 3.

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Hospitality

MI AMOR: ORILLA INTRODUCES A NEW WEEKLY LADIES’ NIGHT IN JVT

Published

3 days ago

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October 8, 2026

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Orilla is turning Wednesday nights into an occasion with the launch of Mi Amor, a new weekly ladies’ night bringing together free-flowing drinks, live entertainment and an elevated late-night atmosphere at the restaurant’s rooftop setting in Jumeirah Village Triangle.

Launching on Wednesday, 7 October from 7:00pm onwards, Mi Amor invites ladies to dress up, gather their favorite people and settle into an evening designed around good energy, flowing drinks and memorable moments.

Set on the 27th floor of Hotel Local, Orilla provides the backdrop for the new weekly ritual, combining panoramic surroundings with the restaurant’s lively Latin-inspired atmosphere. For the launch evening, guests can expect free-flowing drinks for ladies, sensational entertainment throughout the night and a room dressed for the occasion.

More than simply a midweek drinks offer, Mi Amor is designed as an opportunity to make Wednesday feel like the start of the weekend. From the first cocktail to the final song, the evening brings together music, entertainment and an upbeat social atmosphere for groups of friends looking to make the most of their night.

The launch will set the tone for what guests can expect from Mi Amor as it becomes a regular fixture at Orilla — a night built around celebration, connection and a little indulgence.

Mi Amor Ladies’ Night launches on Wednesday, 7 October, from 7:00pm onwards, with free-flowing drinks available for ladies and entertainment throughout the evening.

Event Details

  • What: Mi Amor Ladies’ Night | When: Every Wednesday, launching 7 October 2026 | Time: From 7:00pm onwards | Where: Orilla, 27th Floor, Hotel Local, Jumeirah Village Triangle, Dubai | Ladies’ Offer: Free-flowing drinks | Entertainment: Throughout the evening | Reservations: +971 4 575 2986 / +971 55 104 7521 | Email: reservation@orillarestaurant.com
  • Limited tables are available. Guests are encouraged to reserve in advance and join Orilla for the first taste of Mi Amor. 
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Hospitality

From AMAYA to MYA: Dubai Mall Dining Destination Refines Its Global Identity

Published

3 days ago

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October 8, 2026

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AMAYA is now MYA. As the brand expands its regional and international presence, a unified name gives every location one voice and every guest one clear promise. MYA supports consistency across its growing portfolio of destinations while preserving the energy, hospitality and attention to detail established in Dubai.

The Dubai-born dining and lifestyle brand has refined its name as part of its continued growth: one concise name that can be recognized, remembered and expressed with equal confidence in every market. MYA is shorter by design, creating greater clarity across destinations, partnerships, communications and digital platforms.

The refinement is precise. MYA carries forward the same founder and leadership, the same team, the same concept, the same culinary direction, the same standards and the same distinctive guest experience. Everything that earned the trust of AMAYA’s guests remains at the heart of MYA.

“Strong brands grow through clarity, consistency and trust. MYA gives the name we have built a sharper global expression. Our people, standards and guest experience remain exactly the same. One name. One vision. One uncompromising standard, built in Dubai and continuing forward as MYA.”               

–  Murat Tutuncu and Moe Ezzat  | Founders & CEO, MYA

MYA’s purpose is clear – to give the established Dubai-born hospitality brand a shorter and more consistent name as it grows across destinations. The shorter name increases recognition, the unified name strengthens consistency, and the same standards give the brand the foundation to grow confidently across cultures and geographies.

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