OUTRIGGER Hotels & Resorts is focusing its expansion in Asia-Pacific on purchasing rather than managing properties in its drive to become the world’s premier beachfront resort brand.
A case in point, the company in April sold its four hotels in Australia because the properties did not meet the brand’s new beachfront requirements.
“We will go back into Australia but with properties that meet the criteria,” said Mark Simmons, the company’s vice president for sales and marketing Asia-Pacific. “Australia is also a key outbound destination for all of our properties and we recently invested more in our sales and marketing office there.”
The brand’s next launch will be the August opening of Outrigger Konotta Maldives Resort, a 53-key all pool villa property, which it owns outright.
As part of its efforts to access new markets, the company opened a sales office in Beijing last year and another in Russia earlier this year.
“The brand is well known in Australia, Japan and North America,” Simmons pointed out. “The challenge is growing it in South-east Asia, North Asia and Europe.”
Outrigger also purchased Akaryn Koh Samui Resort and Spa outright last week. Commented Simmons: “We’ve been looking to get into Samui for some time and the right opportunity came along at the right time with the right price.”
Existing staff have been retained but a new general manager appointed at the resort – now rebranded the Outrigger Koh Samui Beach Resort – and it will target customers in Europe, mainly the UK and Germany, along with Australian guests and Asian honeymooners.
