GRAND WELCOME: Chefs prepare choice delights (above) for summit delegates, while security guards keep watch at the Shangri-La Hotel. -- ST FILE PHOTO

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From the choice of fruits and flowers in the room, to the pillows used, guests staying at the main venue for the Asean Summit will have it just the way they like it.

Many delegates have stayed there before, general manager Thierry Douin told The Straits Times. And the hotel remembers their favourite flowers and even takes note of their food allergies.

Government heads get an extra-special treat: Bathrobes embroidered with their initials.

The hotel also has the Asean Summit's logo - stalks of rice grains bound together - printed on a bar of white chocolate, as a gift for every VIP guest.

About 400 of its 750 rooms have been set aside for the event. The hotel will host delegations from New Zealand, Thailand and Australia.

Although other delegations are staying elsewhere, the hotel has reserved suites for each delegation head to use during the day - to freshen-up or hold meetings.

To reflect the region's diversity, special Asean menus have also been created.

These include dishes such as Vietnamese spring rolls followed by Thai salad, and fish tikka with chilli mash potatoes. Coffee breaks will feature local delights such as ice kacang, roti prata and satay.

With over 1,000 delegates from 43 countries expected, a wide range of menus - from Indonesian to Korean - have been created.

Senior sous chef Maran Mariapin, 35, spent three months on the menus:

'With people from so many countries coming together, I had to dig deep into my 14 years as a chef to come up with different themes.'

Mr Maran, together with a team of 40 chefs, will be working round the clock to cater to every guest's palate.

The hotel, like many here, is running at full occupancy. And with security checks both inside and outside, it has deployed more staff at the lobby to calm frayed nerves.

Said Mr Douin: 'In spite of the fact that we are used to high-profile delegations, we don't take anything for granted. We're always re-inventing ourselves.'

Checks with 10 other hotels showed that many are also full for the summit week.

Most declined to reveal the delegations they are hosting, but said their occupancy was also due to other corporate meetings here.

At the Hilton Singapore, which is hosting 70 Japanese media representatives, a daily set menu has been created by the hotel's Japanese chef.

The hotel is also full and has had to turn away about five guests a day on average, it said.

Still, the presence of the region's dignitaries and delegates has hardly caused a stir among malls and other attractions.

Checks with major shopping malls revealed there were no plans for special promotions or discounts for delegates and Asean visitors as happened at last year's International Monetary FundWorld Bank meetings.

Mr Steven Goh of the Orchard Road Business Association said special promotions for specific groups are not held unless the association is asked to have one.

'Such promotions are confusing and difficult to track. With just 1,000 delegates, it's not worth it.'

The Foreign Affairs Ministry said, however, there will be special tours for spouses of delegates to places like Sentosa, VivoCity and the National Museum. Other activities include dinners and an informal game of golf.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY LIN XINYI