Jihong An, senior vice president of Sono Hotels & Resorts Asia, discusses the strategic acquisition of Cross Hotels & Resorts, plans to export the brand's integrated travel ecosystem across key Asia-Pacific markets, and how evolving guest mindsets are shaping modern lifestyle hospitality
What does the acquisition of Cross Hotels & Resorts signify for Sono Hotels & Resorts’ global and regional portfolio?
The acquisition is a pivotal milestone in Sono Hotels & Resorts’ transformation into a premier Asia-Pacific hospitality brand. By integrating Cross Hotels’ strong regional footprint and operational expertise with Sono’s rich heritage in lifestyle and leisure, we are building a powerful platform for strategic expansion.
This acquisition also allows us to export our unique Sono Eco-system – a holistic lifestyle model that connects every step of the guest journey. It signifies our commitment to bringing a refined, multi-dimensional hospitality experience to diverse markets across the region while establishing a robust foundation for global growth.
What is your overarching business strategy for the Asia-Pacific region moving forward?
Our strategy is to establish ourselves as the fastest-growing lifestyle brand in the Asia-Pacific region by building an end-to-end eco-system that connects every stage of travel.
Instead of competing head-on in saturated markets, we focus on generating new market demand and creating a category of our own.
Central to this strategy is our partnership with Trinity Airways. We are preparing to launch an end-to-end ecosystem with an integrated loyalty programme across aviation, hotels, and retail to seamlessly connect the entire travel journey and accelerate our growth.
Which Asian countries are central to your expansion plans, and what makes these destinations particularly strategic for growth?
Our agile expansion leverages hubs connected by Trinity Airways, which connects major hubs across South Korea to key destinations in Thailand, Indonesia, Japan, Vietnam, Singapore, Taiwan, and beyond.
Currently, our Asia entity operates 17 hotels, with an additional 12 properties scheduled to open by 2029, bringing our total portfolio to 29 hotels and over 3,500 rooms. This represents a quarter of Sono International’s global operation of 15,000 rooms, highlighting the Asia-Pacific region as a primary growth engine.
Following the launch of Sono Moon Nagoya last June, we are targeting Tokyo, Kansai, Hokkaido, and Kyushu, while pushing into emerging lifestyle destinations across Indonesia and Thailand. Key upcoming developments in Indonesia include a luxury glamping retreat on Nusa Penida, a lifestyle hotel in Seminyak, and a 2027 debut in Jakarta, while expansion in Thailand includes Pattaya, Chonburi, and Bangkok.
Vietnam is our next immediate focus, debuting in Hanoi next year through local partnerships. We are also pursuing strategic entries into Singapore, Australia, and Malaysia via flexible deal structures, while keeping China and India as long-term targets once our regional foundation is fully set.
In your view, how do hotel development concepts evolve across the region to keep pace with changing traveller habits and preferences?
Modern travellers are seeking highly specialised, lifestyle-oriented, and emotionally fulfilling destinations. We see development concepts evolving to capture specific guest mindsets –such as the rise of wellness, bleisure, digital nomads, extended stay with edu-vacation and the booming medical tourism market in key hubs like Bangkok, as well as niche lifestyle positioning like our plant-based/vegan-concept hotel, Away Chiang Mai.
At Sono, we respond to these evolving habits by curating deeply specialised experiences within our properties. A key example is Sono Pet, which redefines pet hospitality. Rather than just being pet-friendly, Sono Pet offers dedicated entire facilities where owners and their companions stay, dine, receive grooming and training, enjoy curated dog parks, and access pet lifestyle retail. By continuously adapting our concepts to modern lifestyle trends, we ensure our properties remain relevant, destination-worthy, and deeply resonant with changing guest preferences.
How do you view the intensifying competition between regional hotel chains and established international brands in Asia?
Sono redefines hospitality by looking beyond traditional competition. We view true luxury not through high price tags or superficial opulence, but through cherished time spent with loved ones – positioning Sono as the ultimate destination for families to connect. By integrating aviation, travel, lodging, retail, wellness, pet lifestyle, and workation into a single intuitive ecosystem, we reflect the latest hospitality trends while prioritising long-term authenticity over rapid expansion. Every experience we create serves our core vision: bringing families closer through every journey.
