CHINA will be Small Luxury Hotels of the World’s (SLH) top priority in 2013, as the marketing group continues to court customers in the Asia-Pacific region.
“Our main goal for 2013 can be summed up into these two words: Go China. China is our fastest growing source market and we’ve just literally opened our office in Shanghai to capitalise on the phenomenal Chinese appetite for luxury accommodation,” said SLH’s CEO, Paul Kerr.
He added that plans are in the works to create a Mandarin website and iPhone app, and to grow the number of Chinese members in SLH’s loyalty programme, The Club, to around 60,000 by end-2013 from approximately 5,000 now. Tie-ups with Shanghai-based luxury clubs, which will give SLH direct access to the city’s elite, are also in the pipeline.
Beijing is another key segment SLH plans to woo, although there are no immediate plans to open an office there.
Kerr also hinted that SLH is set to unveil a group of exclusive-use properties worldwide, including ski lodges and villas, in the first quarter of 2013.
Its travel consultants website was also recently relaunched, and plans are also on the cards for an extensive B2B marketing blitz in the new year.
Kerr said that despite the group’s intense focus on China, it would still be keeping a watchful eye over other markets in Asia and the Pacific.
He said: “All signs point to the fact that we can still expect major growth in this region despite the less than ideal economic conditions, and we believe that in order for SLH to truly benefit from this growth, we have to remain true to the tenets of our brand by continually providing unique, exceptional experiences for the most discerning of leisure travellers.”
SLH currently has a collection of 115 hotels in the Asia-Pacific region, which accounts for almost a quarter of all of its properties worldwide, compared to under five per cent in 1992.
