Singapore-based SilverNeedle® Hospitality is proud to announce that 137 Pillars House, managed as part of the SilverNeedle® Collection, has won the award for Five-Star Hotel of the Year - Thailand. The Chiang Mai hotel received the accolade this week from the Mekong Tourism Alliance Awards in Ho Chi Minh City.

The award is given to the hotel that demonstrates excellence in every aspect across facilities, services, commitment to guests and operation. The annual Mekong Tourism Alliance Awards - organised by the tourism ministries of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam - acknowledge excellence in tourism and hospitality in these countries.

"We are honoured to receive this prestigious award and recognition by the tourism ministries of this important region," said Iqbal Jumabhoy, Managing Director & Group CEO of SilverNeedle® Hospitality. "As a Singapore-based company, the Mekong and the broader Southeast Asia regions are key markets where we aim to expand our network, given our optimism about the areas' tourism growth."

A growing hotel management company, SilverNeedle® Hospitality focuses on the professional and leisure needs of the business traveller, with a key count of around 4,000 in Asia Pacific. This includes the SilverNeedle® Collection of independently-owned and branded luxury boutique hotels that offer guests unique and authentic experiences in special and desirable locations where service excellence is a standard.

The award is the latest in a string of accolades 137 Pillars House has received since its December 2011 opening. The luxury 30-suite boutique hotel has been named on Conde Nast Traveller's Hot List 2013 "Best New Hotels in the World," TripAdvisor Traveller's Choice 2013 "Top 25 Luxury Hotels in Thailand" and Travel & Leisure Magazine (USA)  IT List 2012 "50 Best Hotel Openings in the World." Exuding the old-world elegance of the orient in Chiang Mai's Wat Gate area, 137 Pillars House has also been named as one of the "World's Greatest Hotels 2013" in Asia by Travel & Leisure (USA).

"We are proud of the progress that 137 Pillars House has made in its short history," Mr. Jumabhoy said. "It is the perfect example of how we can deliver the best services to our guests while providing exceptional hotel management and professional services to hotel owners."

The SilverNeedle® Collection also comprises

• Kiridara, Luang Prabang - an award-winning contemporary 24-room boutique hotel located in the mystical city of Luang Prabang, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with panoramic views of Mount Phou Si.
• Riva Surya, Bangkok - a charming 68-room hotel located along the Chao Phraya River in the historic centre of Bangkok.

For more information on SilverNeedle® Collection, please visit www.snhcollection.com

For further information please contact:

Chia-Peck Wong

Director Corporate Communications

SilverNeedle® Hospitality

Tel: +65-6645-9405

Chiapeck.wong@snhgroup.com

About SilverNeedle® Hospitality:

SilverNeedle® Hospitality is an innovative and progressive integrated hospitality investment, management and development company, with a focus on mid to upscale hotels and resorts that are intelligently designed and operated for the professional and leisure needs of the business traveller. SilverNeedle® Hospitality currently operates more than 60 managed and licensed properties with two more properties under development which account for more than 4,000 keys in the Asia-Pacific region. Headquartered in Singapore, SilverNeedle® Hospitality has regional offices in Bangkok, Sydney and Bangalore.

The Nadathur Group, an investment firm owned by Nadathur S. Raghavan cofounder of NASDAQ-listed Infosys Technologies, founded SilverNeedle® Hospitality.

For more information, please visit www.snhgroup.com.