Having done well in the North American and domestic UK markets, Pan Pacific London now hopes to grow its Asian guest community through a stronger presence at travel tradeshows in Asia.
General manager Anne Golden told TTG Asia that the North American market is leading for her hotel due to the power of association with sister property, Pan Pacific Vancouver, and the US-based Forbes Five-Star awards, which Pan Pacific London has acquired every year since 2022.
“The American accreditation opened so many doors for us, and was a singularly biggest contributing factor to our financial success in the first couple of years,” said Golden.
She added that while London has the most number of Forbes Five-Star hotels – where 21 of such highly graded hotels out of 320 in the world are located in the capital city of the UK – Pan Pacific London’s ability to score the award within the first year of operations attracted intense attention.
“Everybody noticed us,” she remarked.
To build the same level of awareness of Pan Pacific London in Asia, Golden’s team has started to exhibit at ILTM Asia Pacific, an annual luxury travel tradeshow held in Singapore.
“We had a lovely stand there and it drove interest. This year at ILTM Asia Pacific, we also hosted an absolutely perfect after-party at Pan Pacific Orchard for top travel advisors. Our presence reminded them that there is a Pan Pacific hotel in London,” recalled Golden.
The hotel is also strategically building interest in China and India through content on the Xiaohongshu e-commerce platform to target the Chinese and through global sales offices in both giant markets.
Golden is confident that the Asian reach of GHA Discovery loyalty programme will also bring more Asian guests to her doors.
“Many Singapore travellers and loyal members of GHA Discovery, who are planning to visit London, will look up the programme and see that there is a familiar option here,” she added.
While Pan Pacific London is four years old, Golden said the property is still “fresh” for many reasons.
“We opened at the tail end of the pandemic, so international travel was still very slow for the first 18 months of operations. In a way, people today are still discovering us. We see new guests all the time,” she stated.
A fresh experience is also offered through updated suites in January this year. The product category was enhanced with new colours and texture alongside fun additions, such as a Crosley record player and vinyl selection for every suite.
“We also wanted to expand our offering for families,” she explained.
New and repeat guests can look forward to even more new offerings, including a new mixologist who will bring Asian flavours to the cocktail menu and a range of experiences on and off property to satisfy travellers’ quest for unique destination experiences.
For little guests, the hotel operates a treasure hunt that would win children Singa lion plushies, which are a nod to Lion City Singapore.
A series of experiences, to be named Discover a Different Side to London, are in the works. They will open guests’ eyes to London’s East End, where the hotel is located.
Golden shared that the hotel will work with established partners to offer unique city tours and meaningful activities, as well as identify ideas for memorable experiences.
