Artist impression of the Aksorn Rayong, The Wellity Collection
Thai real estate developer Mida Assets is collaborating with Singapore-based Wellity to launch Aksorn Rayong, The Wellity Collection, a property integrating science-driven wellness and an arts and culture theme on the Laem Mae Pim coastline in the eastern Thailand province.
Anthony Jude Tan, CEO and co-founder of MW Wellness Management, established in 2017 a joint venture between Wellity and Mida Assets, explained that the Rayong property is the first hotel to combine features of both Aksorn, an arts and cultural concept-theme hotel brand, and The Wellity Collection, an integration of medical wellness aspects based on evidence-research for hotels and resorts.
Artist impression of the Aksorn Rayong, The Wellity Collection
Wisood Leosivikul, president and managing director, Mida Assets and co-founder of MW Wellness Management, added: “We’ve invested over 20 million baht (US$627,000) with Wellity to set up MW Wellness Management (last year), with over one billion baht budgeted to build Aksorn Rayong, The Wellity Collection.”
Of this amount, an estimated of 35 million baht alone was pumped into the project specifically for wellness equipment and element fittings.
The first resort under MW Wellness Management devotes equal emphasis to health and hospitality, distinct from “wellness retreats with accommodation options”, said Vincent Tan, COO of Wellity.
“The resort, as with all upcoming Wellity Collection properties, paves the future in the hospitality and tourism industry by incorporating science-based wellness features into every facet of guests’ experience,” he elaborated.
An example of a treatment offered is the Wellity Center’s Ozone Infrared Therapy, which uses a “deep penetrating heat that promotes sweating at lower temperatures”.
Beyond Thailand, The Wellity Collection brand is also present in Malaysia, China and Vietnam. There are plans to expand to the rest of Asia in the coming years, Tan said.
The Laguna Lăng Cô integrated resort in central Vietnam is expected to have a casino by 2022, after being awarded the first casino licence to be issued by the Vietnamese government in 10 years.
At the recent Vietnam-Singapore Business Forum 2018 in Singapore presided by the Vietnamese prime minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, the license was presented by chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Van Cao to executive chairman of Banyan Tree Holdings Ho Kwon Ping.
From left: Provincial People’s Committee’s Nguyen Van Cao; and Banyan Tree Holdings’ Ho Kwon Ping.
This license issuance kicks off the second phase of development at the Banyan Tree-operated resort. Said Ho: “Many hotel investors and development funds have been awaiting the casino license and the selection of a casino operator before finalising their investment into (the property’s second phase).”
The five-year-old property is undergoing an expansion from 2018 to 2022, expected to see investment capital increase from US$875 million to US$2 billion.
Laguna Lăng Cô’s first phase of development, with an investment value of US$285 million, comprises both Banyan Tree and Angsana hotels, a 18-hole championship golf course designed by Nick Faldo, luxury private villas and residences, convention facilities, recreational activities and beachfront land for six more hotels, part of a 280ha project.
The Radisson Hotel Group, as part of its new strategic and operating plan to expand in the region in the next five years, has appointed Ramzy Fenianos as chief development officer for Asia-Pacific.
Joining the company’s Asia-Pacific headquarters in Singapore on June 11, Fenianos will oversee all aspects of the group’s regional development activities, including leading the Asia-Pacific development team in identifying new opportunities to drive growth and strategic expansion of the group’s hotel portfolio.
He will also be a member of the Asia Pacific executive committee, according to a statement.
Prior to joining Radisson, Fenianos was based in Dubai as vice president, development EMEA, for Minor Hotels.
With more than 15 years of experience in the real estate and hospitality sectors, he has held key positions with several other major companies, including Dubai Holding Group and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide.
Qantas has launched a new technology platform to enhance its retailing, booking and servicing capabilities for trade partners, enabling them to provide their customers with a more personalised experience.
The Qantas Distribution Platform (QDP) improves the functionality of indirect agent channels by closely aligning them with the capabilities currently available via qantas.com, making it easier for trade partners to sell Qantas products and provide more seamless customer service.
Qantas launches new technology platform for trade partners
Qantas trade partners will have access to richer content relevant to a customer’s journey, including images of cabins and meals and the ability to book extras such as Extra Legroom seating. It will also provide Qantas Frequent Flyer information and tier status at the point of sale.
The airline’s chief customer officer Vanessa Hudson said the platform is a key part of a broader digital evolution of Qantas’ booking channels and an important step in the delivery of the best possible experience for trade partners and customers.
“There have never been more ways for a customer to research and book their travel. We want to make the booking experience as seamless and enjoyable as possible, no matter their booking channel preference. This new platform will help us provide that to our trade partners and customers, modernising the way Qantas delivers content.”
QDP was developed in partnership with travel technology company Farelogix, and utilises IATA’s New Distribution Capability (NDC) industry standard. The new Qantas platform has been certified to NDC Level 3, IATA’s highest certification.
Travelport, Serko and CTM are among early adopters of the QDP, and Qantas is currently working closely with other GDS and agency partners to adopt the new technology and innovate as the platform evolves.
Trade partners are able to access the QDP either via approved partner connections, or directly by developing a connection to Qantas’ NDC XML Application Program Interface.
For more information, please visit the QDP website qantas.com/NDC.
The integration of Tourico Holidays and GTA ancillary units into the Hotelbeds Group has given the group a much bigger ancillary bank, a significant step for the group which now sees this category of products as a core part of its growth strategy.
Carlos Muñoz, bedbank managing director at Hotelbeds Group, stated: “This fast-growing area for our group forms a core part of our strategy for growth by offering the 60,000-plus travel intermediaries around the world who use our platform the opportunity to upsell their customers with the full range of travel needs and experiences.”
Javier Arevalo will head up the much larger ancillary bank
The group has confirmed that Javier Arévalo will be director of ancillary bank, while three dedicated regional sales & sourcing roles for ancillary bank have also been introduced to ensure the company is optimising cross-selling opportunities.
The company is also reshaping its hotel extras brand, which provides in-destination and in-origin distribution of ancillary products to hospitality industry partners, mainly accommodation suppliers, cruise lines, activity providers, tourism boards and other in-destination points of sale.
With the integration of Tourico and GTA products, the group’s ancillary bank now boasts an expanding offering comprising cruise products from over 16 cruise companies; over 18,000 activities and 24,000 transfer routes worldwide; 400 theme and water parks including Disney Parks, Universal Parks & Resorts, SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, Legoland, Port Aventura World and Parques Reunidos; 230 round trips and car rentals from the group’s B2B car rental brand Carnect, which offers 500-plus car rental companies.
Dusit Princess Moonrise Beach Resort, Vietnam
Dusit International has made its debut in Vietnam with the opening of its latest property on Phu Quoc island. The four-star resort offers 108 guestrooms ranging from the 32m2 Deluxe Rooms to the 90m2 Suites, most of which offer views of the ocean. Dining options include an all-day-dining restaurant, lobby lounge, swim-up pool bar, and beachfront bar and lounge. Leisure amenities span a large infinity pool set within a tropical garden, gym, kids’ club and Luna Thai Spa, in addition a large ballroom that can accommodate up to 190 people.
DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Penang, Malaysia
Malaysia’s first resort-style property under the DoubleTree brand has opened on Penang’s north coast, overlooking the Indian Ocean. There are 316 rooms and suites, all equipped with walk-in rain showers, 40-inch LED TVs and Wi-Fi. Many rooms also feature a private balcony with sea views. The family-friendly resort offers facilities such as a kid’s club, babysitting service, and special children’s buffets at the all-day-dining Makan Kitchen. There are also two other F&B venues, a spa, fitness centre, outdoor pool with its own beach,three flexible meeting rooms and a ballroom for up to 550 guests.
Fraser Suites Dalian, China
Located in the city’s new CBD of Donggang is Fraser Suites Dalian, part of the mixed-use Europark Tower development with a 100,000m2 lifestyle shopping mall, offices and residential apartments. The property offers 259 fully furnished serviced apartments ranging from studios up to three-bedroom configurations. Business amenities include an executive floor, a library lounge and meeting rooms. Recreational facilities include an indoor heated pool, 24-hour gym, billiards room, children’s play area and restaurant. This Dalian property is within walking distance of the Dalian International Conference Centre.
Emporium Hotel South Bank, Australia
Scheduled to open on July 1, 2018, this 143-suite hotel is part of the mixed-use Southpoint development on Grey Street in Brisbane. Rooms will be set over 21 levels, and recreational facilities include a rooftop bar, 23m-long infinity pool, gym, steam room and sauna. For conferences and meetings, there is also a grand pillarless ballroom, and three state-of-the-art boardrooms. Bookings are now open.
Country Holidays’ Jess Yap (fourth from left) and other Virtuoso award winners with Virtuoso’s Matthew Upchurch (third from right) and Michael Londregan (second from left)
Asia is a missing piece in Virtuoso’s plan to be a fully global company but the American company’s attempt to plug it may not necessarily be an easy ride despite its storied name and a burgeoning number of luxury travel agencies in the region.
After 15 years of setting up an Asia-Pacific office in Sydney, Virtuoso has 60 members in Australia/New Zealand and 16 members in Asia. It is seeking to increase that paltry number and has appointed an Asia regional director based in Singapore, Evan Pierce, to lead expansion in the region, including China.
Country Holidays’ Jess Yap (fourth from left) and other Virtuoso award winners with Virtuoso’s Matthew Upchurch (third from right) and Michael Londregan (second from left)
In other eager signs, Virtuoso held its APAC Forum in Singapore just ahead of the opening of ILTM Asia-Pacific on Monday. Its founder and CEO, Matthew Upchurch, was present and was at his evangelical best in inspiring Asian luxury agents to share knowledge, improve their game and create a positive impact on someone’s life through delivering best-ever trips.
But when preaching to the not-yet-converted, Virtuoso may hit a wall.
Another network of travel designers, Traveller Made, based in Sion, Switzerland, has made some inroads into Asia, claiming 45 members in Asia. Virtuoso is still widely perceived as “too American-centric”, and being established (over 30 years in operation) has its disadvantages.
For one, many Asian luxury travel agencies are younger entrepreneurs who are anti-establishments. Many are also small players who perceive Virtuoso as being too big for them. Many have been able to handcraft journeys with research on the Internet and finding suppliers at luxury shows such as ILTM.
One of these owners told TTG Asia he found Virtuoso’s annual show in Las Vegas “kinda old fashion” while another said being a small company, she would prefer to be in the company of same boutique-style agencies, although she met a Virtuoso vice president last year and “was very impressed by the solutions he was able to suggest even for smaller companies like mine”.
Some agency owners, like Justin Moxley, CEO of Luphoric Malaysia, are just too busy chasing dollars. Moxley said he never got around to completing the registration to join Virtuoso. Business is booming and Luphoric is opening an office in Jakarta to tap high-yield Indonesian clients.
“It (joining Virtuoso) is something we’re looking at; it’s not priority at the moment as there’s just so much to do. Every tour is handmade, the time involved is enormous and when you finish one, two others are waiting,” said Moxley.
But those agency owners in Asia who have joined Virtuoso, including Charlotte Travel Hong Kong, Goldman Travel Corporation Australia and Country Holidays Singapore, said it’s the best thing they had done for their company.
Oft-cited benefits include better treatment showered on their clients by a wide range of luxury hotels worldwide in the Virtuoso network, including room upgrades, early check-in/late check-out, free breakfast, even spending money in hotel; getting to know good and trusted on-site providers through Virtuoso; the ability to grow new business segments, such as cruise, through Virtuoso’s strong direct partnerships with cruise lines; and the ability to learn not only from other agencies in the region but globally.
The best measure is growth: Country Holidays picked up Virtuoso Asia-Pacific Luxury Award, Hotels & Resorts Growth 2017, while Charlotte Travel’s head of sales & marketing, Charlotte Harris, said the company’s revenues have been growing around 16 per cent year-on-year since joining Virtuoso four years ago.
“Virtuoso has also become less Americanised,” added Harris. “They are very open to how they can do things differently from a culture point of view.”
Upchurch: aims for Virtuoso to become a truly global company
So it looks like Virtuoso has its work cut out for it in debunking certain myths. Founder and CEO Matthew Upchurch, in an interview with TTG Asia at ILTM Asia-Pacific Singapore, acknowledged the view that Virtuoso was too American-centric but said it was correct if it were four years ago. He said he had been “deconstructing” Virtuoso to be a global company, opening up in Latin America, Europe, Australia and now, Asia.
But more than just having a global footprint, Virtuoso had also evolved its core infrastructure to be more global, he said. “We didn’t want to be the typical American company that comes in with an American product and say, here, take it. Part of the evolution of our company has been to purposely make ourselves flexible, that we can create certain core values but allow those values to be localised,” Upchurch added.
In a step further, he said the US team is now becoming just a region while Canada would be split from the US with its own head in Toronto, just as Asia-Pacific now has a director of Australia/New Zealand, Cristina Magni, and Asia has Pierce, both reporting to Virtuoso’s managing director, Michael Londregan based in Sydney.
“As we grow the membership and volume (in Canada, Asia, etc), we basically start to build the local infrastructure and have people that wake up everyday in the market and think nothing other than that market,” shared Upchurch.
The thing that he had found ironic was the perception Virtuoso was big and nearly monopolistic. “There were two things that drove me to build this organisation. One is my love of travel…Travel is in my blood; I worked on multiple sides of the business, as a tour operator, agency and I opened the Hong Kong office of our company back in 1984. The other reason was there were these amazing boutique agencies and I wanted to create an organisation that could bring entrepreneurs together. To be called a big, giant organisation that’s a monopoly does not make sense to me (laughs).
“Here’s the stats: we’re only 450 agencies in 1,000 locations in 50 countries. The reason people think we’re big is our annual networking Virtuoso week (in Las Vegas). When I set it up, we had only 98 attendees. Today, nearly 6,000 pax. There are other organisations in the world that have 5,000 locations but only 2,000 pax show up at their annual meet. The secret is engagement.
“We’re not only an organisation that helps entrepreneurs come together to create solutions, we’re an organisation with a greater purpose: to enrich lives and human connections,” said Upchurch.
He said he was not concerned with growing numbers in Asia. Yes, he wants to grow in relation to the growth of the market, but most importantly the fit has to be right. “We will only grow as large as our values allow us to. That means we’re not going to take people who don’t match our values.
“If, for example, you don’t believe that sharing ideas and information with one another is actually more powerful than to keep something to yourself, than we’re probably not the right organisation for you.”
Upchurch also debunked the perception Virtuoso was only for the bigger guys. “(Aside from big members), we have members that own practices, agencies with just five people – but how well designed and exclusive they are. Same with hotels. We have 1,300 hotels worldwide; yes we have the Mandarin Orientals and the Four Seasons, but 48 per cent of our partners have 100 rooms or less; 25 per cent 50 rooms or less,” said Upchurch.
Tan and Jugkarut (both centre) seal the deal with a handshake, flanked by IHG's Serena Lim and Ratanakorn Asset's Niti Ruangratanakorn
Thailand’s eastern seaboard, largely perceived as a big industrial zone barely a few years ago, is now emerging as a much-touted business, investment and tourist destination, driven by the Thai government’s strong push for the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) to connect with China’s One Belt, One Road initiative.
The InterContinental Hotel Group’s (IHG) latest signing in Thailand clearly reflects the bullish sentiments surrounding the eastern provinces. In one fell swoop, IHG yesterday sealed “one momentous signing” with Pattaya-based real estate company Ratanakorn Asset to develop eight hotels spanning more than 2,000 rooms in Thailand, half of which will be located in the eastern seaboard.
Tan and Jugkarut (both centre) seal the deal with a handshake, flanked by IHG’s Serena Lim and Ratanakorn Asset’s Niti Ruangratanakorn
The multi-brand signing consists of new-builds and a conversion across the Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express and Staybridge Suites brands and is expected to ramp up IHG’s portfolio from the current 24 hotels open and 14 under construction.
The first hotel to open from the newly inked partnership with Ratanakorn Asset will be Holiday Inn Express Pattaya Koh Larn, a direct conversion, which will open later this year on a small island off Pattaya’s coast. The remaining seven will be new-builds, comprising Holiday Inn Resort Koh Larn, Holiday Inn Resort Pattaya Jomtien, Staybridge Suites North Pattaya, Holiday Inn Resort Rayong, Holiday Inn Resort Khao Lak Cape Kakarang, Holiday Inn Express Phuket Kata, Holiday Inn Express Samui Chaweng, which will progressively open from 2022 onwards until 2027.
Speaking to TTG Asia in Bangkok yesterday, Clarence Tan, IHG’s managing director South-East Asia and Korea, expressed his positive outlook: “Thailand tourism performance has been very linear in the last five years, but last year was the tipping point where for the first time revenue growth was faster than the tourism growth, and that portends well for everyone in the tourism sector.
“Thailand is like a tennis ball – it always bounces up very fast after a crisis. We’re now seeing the rise, and with continued stability and development into EEC – the opening of the Utapao airport and the expansion of Suvarnabhumi Airport, etc – this will be a nice ride to be on,” remarked Tan.
Equally enthused is Jugkarut Ruangratanakorn, managing director at Ratanakorn Asset, who believes that the infrastructural projects including the high-speed railway linking Bangkok to Rayong and expansion of the U-Tapao airport in Rayong, plus tax breaks and land concessions given to foreign investors, will draw more investment into this economic zone. “The momentum is there now,” he added.
Pattaya, which Jugkarut admits suffers from “negative image” issues due to its traditional association with sex tourism, is currently evolving and gentrifying with a new crop of hotels, lifestyle amenities and attractions to attract more upscale travellers and families.
A Holiday Inn Express will soon open in Koh Larn (pictured), with another new-build Holiday Inn Resort joining it in the years to come
Midscale brands make up the bulk of this Ratanakorn Asset signing because Holiday Inn is a “proven brand” and makes a “safe bet” for emerging locations like Na Jomtien (near Pattaya) and Rayong, said Tan.
“The Holiday Inn brand family fits the profiles of the resort and city sites best, capturing all the possibilities of future growth within the EEC,” he added. “We will watch the developments of these micro locations and cities; if the demand and supply matches, we will introduce higher-price brands (into these destinations).”
When asked if there will be any mismatch between travel demand and hotel supply in the EEC, when the region has only been promoted as an international tourist destination in recent years, Tan remarked: “ With G2G development and FDI, these will spur further development in the eastern seaboard… We doubled our size in Pattaya in the last five years, and we will time our supply in the market to meet the demand that is coming in.”
The Asian long-stay markets with business interests in the EEC, as well as domestic and South-east Asian resort travellers, will make up the target markets for IHG’s hotels in Thailand’s eastern seaboard.
Beyond the eastern provinces, Thailand overall is still a growth story, and Jugkarut is also upbeat about development opportunities in other parts of the country. “Korat and Khon Kaen have potential for corporate and MICE,” he said.
Tan concurred: “In South-east Asia, Thailand and Vietnam are happy hunting grounds (for IHG). These two countries are able to play in all segments.”
The Philippine travel trade is hopeful that the country will regain its marketing momentum on the international stage following the resignation of Cesar Montano as COO from the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB), two weeks after tourism secretary Wanda Tulfo Teo stepped down, with both accused of corruption.
Hounded by controversies in his almost a year-and-a-half stint as TPB’s head, Montano gave the roadside eatery programme Buhay Carinderia Redefined to organiser Marylindbert International, whose owner Erlinda Legaspi is Tulfo Teo’s friend, without public bidding and paid it 80 million pesos (US$1.5 million) even before the programme commenced.
The Philippine travel trade are eager to make up for time lost amid the controversies, and are looking to nominate a new COO; Skyline of Manila pictured
New tourism secretary Bernadette Romulo Puyat suspended Buhay Carinderia Redefined and all the projects of TPB, which is the marketing arm of the Department of Tourism (DoT), and asked the Commission on Audit to review them.
Tourism Congress of the Philippines (TCP) president Jojo Clemente commented that Montano’s resignation “was the right and only thing he could do considering the overwhelming information that has come out regarding the alleged corruption in the TPB”.
Clemente added: “We are anxious to get back and work with the TPB in coming up with substantive and effective marketing campaign to regain the momentum that the Philippines lost the last couple of years.”
Christine Urbanozo-Ibarreta, president, Hotels Sales and Marketing Association (HSMA), said that “core competency in marketing” is critical to the COO role and Montano should be replaced “by someone who is knowledgeable to promote the Philippines tactically and strategically and is ready to listen to the stakeholders”.
There is an open nomination for the new TPB COO, and Clemente said TCP will have its own recommendations.
Tourism stakeholders were unhappy when Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte appointed the actor, an ardent supporter of his in the 2016 presidential elections and who failed thrice in getting elected to political posts, to helm TPB.
A group of TPB employees also sent the president a white paper accusing Montano of incompetence, nepotism and other charges but nothing came out of it.
NH Collection's Venezia Palazzo Barocci in Venice, Italy
Thailand-based Minor International (MINT) has increased its stake in NH Hotel Group, Europe’s sixth largest hotel chain with 382 hotels and resorts spanning 59,350 keys across 30 countries in Europe, the Americas and Africa.
The 192 million euros (US$224 million) purchase of 30,000,000 shares, which together with its existing shareholding, will increase MINT’s stake in NH Hotel Group to 8.6 per cent.
This investment is a further push into Europe by Minor International, following its earlier expansion into Portugal and Brazil through the acquisition of Tivoli Hotels & Resorts in 2016.
NH Collection’s Venezia Palazzo Barocci in Venice, Italy
Dillip Rajakarier, CEO Minor Hotels, said that the latest investment is “a significant milestone”. “Over the past few years, NH Hotel Group’s board of directors and management team have reinvigorated the business and delivered strong business performance in line with its five-year strategic plan,” he stated in a statement.
“As a key shareholder in the business, we look forward to supporting the management team as a strategic shareholder to continue this success and build long-term shareholder value for NH Hotel Group and its shareholders including MINT. MINT can also support the NH hotels with its food & beverage expertise where appropriate to maximise financial performance and enhance customer experience.”
Following the investment, the properties will continue to operate under NH Hotel Group’s brands, including NH Hotels, NH Collection Hotels, nhow Hotels and Hesperia Resorts.
No management changes at NH Hotel Group are expected in connection with this investment.
