CARLSON is hopeful it can get an agreement from the Missoni family to bring the lifestyle luxury Hotel Missoni brand to Asia-Pacific, even as its priority remains on the upper upscale and mid-market brands Radisson, Radisson Blu and Park Inn by Radisson.
In an interview with the Daily yesterday, Trudy Rautio, the new president and CEO of Carlson (which comprises Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, TGIF Fridays and Carlson Wagonlit Travel), said the contract with the Missoni family was only for Rezidor (in EMEA) and Carlson would have to get an agreement from the family to expand it to Asia-Pacific or the US.
“We are looking at that right now. Simon (Barlow, president Asia-Pacific of Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group) has some opportunities in Asia that are prime and we think the brand has great potential.
“We’re hopeful that we can get that agreement and move forward,” she said.
The equivalent of Bvlgari or Versace hotels, Rautio said the brand was unique in its design elements, with the Missoni family being very involved in the portrayal of the brand and hotels.
Barlow said in Asia, lifestyle and fashionable cities such as Singapore, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Shanghai would be ideal locations for Hotel Missoni.
Rautio said her biggest challenge, however, was to expand Radisson Blu fast enough in key cities in the US and Asia-Pacific. “If I had unlimited capital, I could grow faster. We look to our Carlson Wagonlit Travel team to work revenues into our hotels. It’s difficult for them to do that if we don’t have a property in Hong Kong or Singapore, so we need those assets. Our single largest challenge is to make sure we get distribution in those key cities,” she said.
In Asia-Pacific, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group operates 83 hotels with a further 75 in development, many in Chinese and Indian cities. It made its first financial investment to grow Park Inn in India recently with a joint venture with Bestech Hospitalities.
Rautio, who is one of two female professionals to head a global hotel chain as CEO, said one of her goals was to help women advance in the industry.
When asked how she felt being in a capable, but all-men club, she said: “This industry is particularly difficult for women. There is a lot of shift work and mobility requirements and when women want to start a family, it becomes a difficult career to stay in.
“We need to figure out more creative ways to make it possible for women to stay in the industry and to advance in it, because women are naturally hospitable.”
– Read more in View from the Top with Trudy Rautio, TTG Asia, soon
