[SPONSORED POST] Explore the World’s Most Beautiful Villages with Budget Rent-a-Car!

September 8, 2017

When one plans a road trip, it is usually about the spectacular scenic routes and major highlights that one gets to experience along the way. But what about doing something different and embark on a trip to discover some of the most beautiful villages in the world with Budget Rent-a-Car?

Budget customers can easily explore Alberobello, with its conical “Trulli’ buildings in southern Italy; pull over and bask in the laidback atmosphere of Monteverde in Costa Rica, surrounded by cloud forest or even take a pit-stop to wander around the picturesque village of Bourton-on-the-Water in the Cotswolds, England.

These stunning locations have never been easier to visit as Budget offers affordable car hire in more than 120 countries worldwide, from approximately 3,500 locations. Additionally, Budget offers a wide range of models, with a choice of sizes and styles to suit differing requirements.

Regularly voted as one of the prettiest villages in England, Bourton-on-the-Water is quintessentially British, with its quaint, stone-built buildings and the small bridges which cross the River Windrush. Stretch your legs for a stroll around the village or sample some of the sweet treats in one of the many traditional tea rooms which line the streets. Renting a car means one can easily travel around and discover the surrounding Cotswolds towns and villages, known in England as an ‘area of outstanding natural beauty’.

In complete contrast, Budget drivers can journey on the winding road to Monteverde which is perched high up on Costa Rica’s continental divide. The village itself is filled with restaurants and artisan craft shops, but the real beauty lies in the surrounding coffee plantations and cloud forests which is home to an abundance of wildlife, including monkeys and colourful birdlife. Monteverde is only accessible by road, so hiring a car is the best way to access this remote Costa Rican village.

With the windows rolled down, explore the pretty region of Puglia in southern Italy, making a stop in Alberobello. Alberobello is most famous for its unusual white-washed houses with cone-shaped roofs, known as Trulli houses which are made from dry stone. Here, one can easily park the Budget car at Largo Martellotta and go on foot, following the steps to the main square, known as Piazza del Popolo, and be rewarded with fabulous views over the entire quirky village. After exploring the sights, refuel on typical Italian cooking in one of the many authentic trattorias. The cuisine is sure to delight!

Driving with Budget cars is simple and with so many beautiful villages located across the world, be inspired by the collection to help decide on the next road trip. The only difficulty would just be to decide which destination to discover first!

For more information on Budget cars for you or your clients, visit us at www.budgetinternational.com/ttgasia.

(Photo Sources – Budget, Getty, Pixabay, visitcostarica.com)

Aviation to spend US$33 billion on IT this year: SITA

By TTG Asia

September 8, 2017

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Ilya_Gutlin_,_President_Air_Travel_Solutions,_SITA — Gutlin: cyber-attacks a real threat in highly interwoven air transport industry

Airlines and airports are estimated to spend nearly US$33 billion on IT this year, with cyber security, cloud service investments and passenger self-service topping their agenda, according to the SITA 2017 Air Transport IT Trends Insights released this week.

This year, spend as a percentage of revenue is projected to rise to an estimated 3.3 per cent or US$24.3 billion for airlines, and 5.5 per cent or US$8.4 billion for airports. Looking ahead to 2018, over 70 per cent of airlines and 88 per cent of airports are expecting IT spend to increase or remain at the same levels as today.

Gutlin: cyber-attacks a real threat in highly interwoven air transport industry

As IT spend increases, airlines and airports agree that the number one priority for their investments is cyber security. Nearly all respondents – 95 per cent of airlines and 96 per cent of airports – plan to invest in major programmes or R&D on cyber security initiatives over the next three years.

Cloud services are another top priority which 95 per cent of airlines and 85 per cent of airports plan to invest in over the next three years, continuing an upward trend that SITA has recorded since 2015.

Ilya Gutlin, president, air travel solutions, SITA, commented: “Cyber attacks are a very real threat in the highly interwoven air transport industry so building solid defences is essential. Cloud services provide important efficiencies, which play a key role in keeping costs down.”

The third key area of investment highlighted by airlines and airports is passenger self-service. Today the vast majority of airlines provide check-in (73 per cent), boarding (70 per cent) and flight status notifications (68 per cent) via mobile, and more than 97 per cent plan to do so by 2020.

Moreover, the proportion of airlines providing real-time flight updates over social media is estimated to rise from 31 per cent to 92 per cent in the next three years.

Airports operators are looking to new technologies such as the Internet of Things, beacons and sensors to support their goals. SITA’s insights show that 80 per cent are investing, or planning to invest, in these technologies over the next three years. Nearly three quarters, 74 per cent, are investing in way-finding solutions and 68 per cent in personalisation solutions.

IHG shocks with Asia regional HQ shift to Europe, Smits leaving chain

By Raini Hamdi

September 8, 2017

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InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has announced a new operating region that combines Europe, Middle East, Asia & Africa (EMEAA) to be based in the UK, effectively relegating the current regional office in Singapore which covers AMEA (Asia, Middle East and Africa) to a sub-regional division.

A second shock is the resignation of Jan Smits, the current AMEA CEO who is widely respected by Asian owners and hospitality professionals as running a tight ship and sealing long-lasting, trustworthy relationships.

The restructure is the first major move made by IHG’s new group CEO, Keith Barr, who rose to the top on July 1 after making a mark as IHG’s CEO of Greater China, then as its chief commercial officer. The new CEO Barr picked to run EMEAA, Kenneth Macpherson, is currently IHG’s CEO of Greater China. Replacing Macpherson as CEO of Greater China, which remains as a regional office, is Jolyon Bulley, currently COO of Americas and was COO of Greater China.

Smits will be with the chain until the end of the year

The changes will take effect at the start of 2018. Smits will remain with IHG until the end of this year.

Some in the industry are pondering the logic of IHG moving farther away instead of staying close to the fastest-growing hotel market, Asia-Pacific. An EMEAA region is also atypical for the industry, raising eyebrows if such a “mega” region and one so diverse is do-able.

Just running Middle East and Asia is a challenge, pointed out Robert Williams, partner and head of hotels & hospitality Asia-Pacific, Withers Worldwide, based in Singapore. “So this is bold. And, trying to manage Asia from Europe – not many have succeeded there. Strong senior and empowered management on the ground in Asia and a clear mandate for them to execute strategy will be key.”

Asked how he thinks this will affect the current regional office in Singapore, Williams said: “Asia-Pacific is a key growth engine for the industry. That often gets overlooked by management teams in Europe and the US, who point to its smaller current size. Those sitting in Singapore may feel disenfranchised initially, and will miss Jan’s great leadership. But Kenneth has long been identified as a superstar and will no doubt represent Asia strongly in Denham.”

Asian owners and owner-representatives that let IHG manage their hotels are concerned. Said a shocked Choe Peng Sum, CEO, Frasers Hospitality Group: “First of all, the two major regions are so diverse, and to lump all operations under the UK? Just spells a little to owners like us that Asia is not that important anymore! I am indeed concerned whether we will get the attention for our properties in Asia out of Europe. There are so many opportunities both in Europe as well as Asia, two major distinct regions – it doesn’t quite figure to me.

“Secondly I am shocked and sad to see Jan leave the group as I have seen how he has led AMEA with passion and dedication, and the tremendous growth the group has seen under his watch. The attention to detail and the approachability whenever we need help or attention is always there. I hope things are not going to change with this major reshuffle. If so, we will certainly make our own plans for a reshuffle as well.”

On the flip side, Withers’ Williams thinks the move may give Barr more direct visibility into and control of Asia. “Arguably, it improves Asia’s representation in the head office too. Hopefully this feeds into the overall imperative for IHG, which must be to become the global operator that makes a difference quickly and much more aggressively.

“IHG has a track record of putting through a very deliberate reshuffle every four years or so. With a new group CEO at the helm, this is an early move to shape the management team and regions in a way that aligns with the vision the board is asking Keith Barr to deliver on,” said Williams.

He agrees with the sentiments being expressed on Smits’ sterling leadership. “Jan has built a great management team in Singapore and steered the region to record growth during a period in which two IHG legends Anthony South and Paul Logan (IHG’s development chiefs in AMEA) retired, and in which IHG has not been as aggressive with capital as some of its competitors. That is a legacy he can be very proud of.”

In a statement, IHG assured that the UK-based EMEAA region will operate through “strong” sub-regional divisions based in a number of locations, including Singapore, “to ensure the business remains close to hotel owners, guests and colleagues”.

“By bringing two strong, established regions together as one, the company will focus on further growth through increased agility and effectiveness,” it said.

Barr said in the statement: “The success of our current AMEA and Europe regions has put us in great shape. Our clear and focused strategy that remains unchanged, along with the investments we have made, has seen our business grow significantly in these markets. We are now ready to take the next step, which will continue to drive operational performance and accelerate the growth of our brands.

“The EMEAA region will be hugely diverse with tremendous opportunity. With Kenneth’s experience in our fastest-growing region, sharp focus on operational excellence and strong background in consumer brands, he has both the experience and passion to take our new region forward.”

– Keith Barr says he’s not de-prioritising AMEA:

http://bit.ly/2xu2vTt

Malaysia’s budget travel segment hit by tourism tax

By TTG Asia

September 8, 2017

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While agents operating out of Singapore say they are barely seeing a dent in demand for Malaysia after a tourism tax recently kicked in, trade players in the destination are concerned the budget travel segment might take a hit.

Joe Lim, executive director of Singapore’s Konsortium Express & Tours, told TTG Asia: “The news had been discussed for some time before finally being implemented. Customers have accepted it and it’s not turning them off from visiting Malaysia.”

Lim added that the exchange rates for the Malaysia ringgit has also made the price difference “negligible”.

Some confusion may arise when budget hotels do not clarify that they are collecting the tax, senior sales and marcom manager of TACentre.com Philip Gejon said, leading guests to mistake it for room payment.

Price-sensitive segments who typically choose budget hotels may opt for unregistered accommodation instead

Aside from this minor hiccup, customers are “quite accepting” of the tax, especially as “hotels are not that expensive” even in capital city Kuala Lumpur, said Gejon.

However, trade players in Malaysia say this acceptance does not come easy for the more price-sensitive segments – including younger travellers from the region and backpackers from longhaul countries.

Ally Bhoonee, executive director, World Avenue, said the company’s student travel segment, who typically opt for budget hotels, has taken the biggest hit.

Raaj Navaratnaa, general manager at the Johor-based New Asia Holidays Tours & Travel, shared that he had a group of 30 youth from Singapore refuse to pay the tax as it was not included in the package price.

The high tax to rate ratio at budget hotels has PK Leong, president, Malaysia Budget Hotel Association, concerned that the association’s members would lose their competitive edge to unlicensed accommodation providers.

“A RM10 tourism tax (could be an) additional 20 per cent to (budget hotel) rate. That is very high. We had members saying that guests walked out upon hearing about the tax. Where do you think they will go? Airbnb operators will benefit because it is unregulated and not registered by the government,” he said.

Alex Lee, CEO at Ping Anchorage Travel & Tours based in Terengganu, added: “In the long run, I foresee backpackers from longhaul destinations shortening their stay in Malaysia and neighbouring countries like Indonesia and Thailand benefiting from it.

-reporting by S Puvaneswary and Pamela Chow

New ‘livingroom’ concept makes the most of hotel space

By S Puvaneswary

September 8, 2017

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Ansa Hotels & Resorts will introduce its second brand, thelivingroom Hotel, a three-star, limited-service hospitality concept, adding to its existing four-star, full-service Ansa brand.

Hanley Chew, CEO of Berjaya Hotels & Resorts, the parent company for Ansa Hotels & Resorts, explained: “We see a lack of hotels catering to corporate travellers with their families and millennials in key cities. This brand is meant to fill this gap where the demand is constantly on the rise.

“We offer a realistic 10-year return on investment outlook as compared to traditional hotels, which take approximately 15 years,” Chew added.

Investors can expect a faster ROI due to greater operational efficiency and space maximisation. For example, the lobby also doubles as a lifestyle café area, which will be operated by a third party to generate premium rental revenue for the hotel.

Thelivingroom hotels will boost “new ways of serving guests” such as a flexible check-in service round the clock, which allows stays for a full 24 hours upon checking in, and a 24-hour breakfast concept at the lifestyle café, Chew told TTG Asia.

Rooms, however, come in one configuration only with a standard size of 25m². Despite being smaller than the usual 30-35m² room sizes at city hotels, thelivingroom hotels seek to cater to families with the innovative use of in-room space – a full-sized queen bed, which, when not in use, can be reclined back to the wall to transform into a study desk, and a three-seater sofa that opens up into a double-decker bunk bed.

There will be a facilities floor for guests to access the ironing room, vending machines and ice dispenser. Other facilities will include a fully equipped gym and small meeting rooms catering to 20-30 pax.

The first two properties, in Kuala Lumpur and Johor Bahru respectively, are currently under development and are expected to start operating in 2H2018.

The livingroom brand will have between 180 to 220 room keys. Room rates are expected to start from RM280 (US$66.50).

Chew is also looking at expanding the brand overseas through foreign partners who will have exclusive rights to expand the brand in their respective countries.

Upgrading travel industry training for the 21st century

By Industry Expert

September 8, 2017

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David Topolewski, CEO of Qooco, urges a rethink of travel industry training programmes with greater use of technology

It is 16.30 in the afternoon, and finally the 30-plus guests from Japan enter the front office all at once, along with their luggage, arriving after a long flight that was delayed by three hours, with rain and traffic further delaying their arrival from the airport. They are all tired, and looking forward to going to their rooms, showering, eating and sleeping.

There is a problem, though. Some of their rooms are not yet ready, thanks to a previous group that left late and an undermanned housekeeping staff. Additionally, a glitch in the system means that check-in needs to be done by hand, and the front office staff don’t seem to be communicating with each other with guests being checked in twice and passports being mislaid, trying to explain the situation in halting Japanese. The team leader needs to take control of the situation, before guests start complaining and team members get too stressed.

Topolewski: hotel employee training needs to incorporate more technology

Then everything goes dark, and a voice appears asking everyone to remove their goggles. There is now a lengthy debrief from the training manager, picking apart what went wrong, what went right and how the team can work better together to improve the situation. Not a single guest was harmed!

While this could be a real-life scenario, luckily this is virtual reality (VR) training of the (not too distant) future, which allows the hotel to train its staff realistically, away from the hotel frontlines. While this may seem far-fetched, the technology that would enable such realistic training is available today, yet many hotels still use 19^th century training techniques.

Most hotels train their staff through apprenticeship programmes where they will work together with senior staff members in the various departments of a hotel, and classroom-based theory lessons conducted by professional trainers.

Language learning is nearly always an afterthought for these hotels, with few providing any proper training. Most simply hire a native language speaker at much greater expense. Little attention is paid to teaching upselling skills, at best a more experienced employee would pass down a few ‘tricks of the trade’ to a new team member.

Hotel employee training needs to be dragged into the 21^st century. This does not necessarily mean a wholesale change in the way that staff are trained – frontline experience is a nerve-wrecking, yet vital part of a service employee’s development – but more incorporation of technology would reduce costs and improve learning outcomes.

VR is a low-cost yet effective way to prepare employees for real-life situations

VR is one technology that is almost tailor-made for the travel industry. VR can replicate many of the stresses and strains that employees would face. All this could be done in daily, 30-minute intervals at very low cost.

Mobile learning has already been adopted by the corporate world (mobile learning is forecast to grow by 16.5 per cent between 2016-2020), and is highly suitable for employee training given the use of smartphones among young workers today.

Not only can mobile learning teach employees language skills, but also upselling skills and customer interaction and engagement – something that was previously taught via a few role-plays during the first weeks of training. Importantly, unlike classroom-based learning, this can happen anytime, anywhere.

Augmented reality (AR) can aid employees to improve in their specific roles, and even accompany them on the job. An AR start-up, AR-Check, has developed glasses worn by housekeeping staff that informs them which tasks should be completed, when, where and how, reducing errors and inconsistencies.

This applies not only to hotels but the entire travel industry. Airlines have their stewards and stewardesses go through lengthy training processes, yet this could be made cheaper and more efficient through technology. Travel agencies can improve their frontline employees’ language skills through mobile learning, retailers can train their staff through AR.

The list goes on, but what is clear is that we are now entering an age where employees are more used to learning from a screen than from a book, and so the opportunities for constant learning and training are now opening up in ways that were not available before.

New facilities give The Strand Yangon urban resort shine

By TTG Asia

September 8, 2017

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The Strand Yangon is moving into the final stage of an 18-month revamp, which will see the 31-key icon get new facilities and repositioned as Myanmar’s first luxury urban resort.

Following the complete renovation and upgrade of the hotel’s original 1901 building in 2016, the final phase will see the addition of a new 18x8m infinity-edge swimming pool. As well, a new poolside terrace will offer space for 35 loungers, as well as four private pool cabanas and tables for al fresco all-day dining for up to 48 guests.

The iconic hotel’s branding will be revamped as well

Completing the urban oasis positioning, the hotel will also get a new gym, a wellness area with two 25m²therapy rooms and 800m²private garden.

The enhancements are scheduled to be officially unveiled in November.

New hotels: Lub d Cambodia Siem Reap, Mantra MacArthur Hotel and more

By TTG Asia

September 8, 2017

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The latest hotel openings and announcements made this week.

Lub d Cambodia Siem Reap
This new-age hostel located a five-minute walk from Pub Street offers three room categories – Mixed Dorm (with 120 beds), Ladies Dorm (with 30 beds), and Junior Room (72 private rooms with a private bathroom). All dorms feature complimentary Wi-Fi, USB charging ports and lockers, while the private rooms come with extras such as bottled water, toiletries and a smart TV. Facilities include a swimming pool with a swim-up bar, co-working space, game area, laundry room, restaurant and tour desk.

Mantra MacArthur Hotel
The only hotel to open in Canberra this year is converted from a former office tower after a A$19 million (US$15 million) makeover. Located in the inner city suburb of Turner, the 10-storey property features 136 rooms and 40 suites. Facilities on-site include the new Podilato restaurant and bar serving Greek Mediterranean-style cuisine, a fully-equipped gym, 24-hour reception, Internet lounge and express check-out.

Hilton Yantai
Occupying levels one to six and levels 26 to 41 of the 323m-tall Shimao Skyscraper in China’s coastal province of Shandong is the Hilton Yantai. The hotel offers 252 guestrooms and suites with views of either the sea or city skyline, and come furnished with 42-inch LED TVs and marble-clad bathrooms. Amenities include a temperature-controlled indoor pool, fitness centre and four F&B options. For events and meetings, the hotel offers 1,652m2 of space that includes the 940m²Fortune Grand Ballroom.

Red Planet Nishiki
Value-hotel chain Red Planet will open its third property in Japan, the Red Planet Nishiki, on November 1. All rooms in the 211-key property feature free high-speed Wi-Fi, custom-made beds, a workstation, refrigerator, 40-inch flatscreen TV, and tea- and coffee-making facilities. The property stands close to the Nagoya train station and attractions such as the Nagoya Castle. The property is now accepting reservations.

The future of ASEAN hotel industry

By Raini Hamdi

September 8, 2017

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Last month on August 8, ASEAN turned 50. The ASEAN hotel industry without doubt, is one of its fascinating economic successes.

Hotels, unlike office buildings and retail centres, can open up destinations or bring a whole new market segment to a country. Being labour intensive, they provide jobs, but can also change the destiny of thousands of locals by equipping them with lifelong skills that will take them far – and faraway. Hotels are an integral part of communities, bearing witness to weddings, birthdays, anniversaries and other important occasions. They are a personal choice; everyone has a say about them.

It’s the sector I love covering the most in travel & tourism. There’s never a dull moment in the business. Hotel GMs love publicity – we knew a few who actually jostled to see who could get more photo airtime in TTG. ASEAN’s hotel industry was also peopled with unforgettable characters who played a huge in shaping it.

There were the educators such as Pakir Singh and Chanin Donavanik, who believed in local talent and built the first hotel schools in ASEAN; industry giants such as Adrian Zecha, who brought out the best of ASEAN’s service culture and beautiful locations; or Ho Kwon Ping, who turned a tin mine into a hotel goldmine, long before the word ‘sustainability’ was bandied about in the industry. There were the first ladies such as Jennie Chua, the first female GM in Singapore if not ASEAN, or Kamala Sukosol, the first and only female hotel owner who is at the same time, an accomplished jazz singer.

But ASEAN’s hotel industry wasn’t shaped just by locals. In fact, in the early years, it was the Westerners, individuals or international chains that came and set new standards. Brands such as Holiday Inn, Novotel, Hilton, Four Seasons, Meliá, etc were earlier than others. Today, these major chains have hundreds of hotels in operation throughout ASEAN and with more to come. AccorHotels and Marriott International alone have 100 hotels each in the pipeline.

But while the future spells growth, a more meaningful yardstick lies in how the industry will overcome the talent shortage in the region, how it will embrace sustainable development, and how it will address the changes technology will continue to bring on distribution, operations, alternative accommodations, among other key issues.

The next five decades look set to be even more fascinating for the ASEAN hotel industry.

What’s there not to love about covering it!

Changing nature of representation

By Raini Hamdi

September 8, 2017

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09SEPT-8-Geoff-Andrew-640 — Geoff Andrew

What is the future of representation?
When people talk of representation, it conjures up an old-fashioned way of doing business and some have made it their mission to reinvent the word. But I think it’s exactly what we do. A hotel is under more competitive pressure right now with the chains getting bigger, OTAs getting a larger share and margins being squeezed as acquisitions outstrip room revenue growth. Hotels need representation more than ever.

Hotels need the sales reach into international markets which they could hardly afford and definitely can’t now. The nature of sales however is changing. It’s not the traditional us visiting the agents or getting RFPs; much of sales has moved online and we have had to move with it.

The idea of how you represent a hotel is also changing. We’ve become a hospitality services company. For example, we launched a Why? programme over a year ago. It forces hotels to answer a fundamental question: Why do you exist? Why should anyone stay with you versus the other hotel next door? One of the services we offer is helping a hotel to stand out in the crowd. We can also help them balance their distribution on OTAs versus their own websites.

So we put them through a whole workshop covering not just sales and marketing but all the way to service delivery. Hotels that have taken this see material changes in the way they are being reviewed online. They get higher rankings on TripAdvisor or Booking.com and this isn’t just marketing but revenue. A Cornell research shows every point you gain on one of these sites is worth 5.5 per cent in terms of your ability to drive rate up without losing volume. You can’t dismiss OTAs but if you’re working with them, at least do the best you can and try to get your visibility up.

Then we work with them on how they can get more business directly, which involves a full audit of the hotel website, booking engine, strategy to improve traffic and conversion on the website. Online is so important that we’re putting more resources in helping hotels in that area of sales. Worldhotels now has a digital account manager and experts who do the audits. We’re trying to fill the need the hotel has in terms of competing. It’s a tough world. The nature of representation is changing but the fundamental philosophy – how do we best represent your property and help you achieve the optimum in roomnights and at the right rate? – hasn’t changed. I’ve been in the business for 30 years. I started with Utell, I know how it works, and that the philosophy hasn’t changed.

What is the impact of hotel chains launching soft brands to get independent hotels into their fold?
We battle with owners who say we’re going to Hilton, Hyatt, etc, whereas before they didn’t necessarily want the big brands. But now those chains are offering soft brands – it’s ridiculously expensive but hey they got them. And of course at the other end is to pick up a tech-and-plug and you have a channel manager; it is so simple to pick up OTA business these days. We still occupy the middle ground, from hard branding on the one end to simple plug-in on the other.

The battle is the quality of service you deliver. Some hotels think they’ve figured out the technology but often they haven’t figured out the sales. It’s great to have an engine, but if you aren’t pushing business through that engine, you’re doing only half the work.

Do you consider chains your competition now rather than the other representation companies?
There are still a number of us. There are opportunities for hotels to stay independent, so while the other representation companies are still competitors they are also partners. We are all trying to protect the individual ideal against the encroachment of the big boys.

It’s going to be down to who’s giving the best value at the right price. We think the combined organisation with ALHI (Associated Luxury Hotels International, whose parent Associated Luxury Hotels bought Worldhotels in February from Boston-based private equity firm Battery Ventures) is going to give us an edge in a number of areas that will sit well with some hotels. Relais & Chateaux for instance has a certain profile; they have an F&B niche. We have done well in city hotels, even though we have resorts. Our sweet spot is business travel although we also have a lot of leisure.

How is the new parent good for you and your members?
ALHI is a good fit as they also deal with independents and are hotel people (ALHI describes itself as a global sales organisation dedicated to the meeting and incentive marketplace, handling global sales services for over 250 luxury level hotels and resorts primarily in the US.) Battery Ventures was more technology focussed; they had sold Trust and Nexus to Sabre and we didn’t fit in with their strategy.

Already, ALHI is generating leads for us. They have clients that they can’t place in their own portfolio so they pass those leads to us. As well, ALHI has a programme called Global Luxury Alliance and we’ve picked 50 or so of our hotels that fit the criteria to join this alliance so they will now benefit from the resources and expertise of ALHI’s sales team.

What’s the criteria?
They have to be luxury, upper end members, and if they have meeting facilities and are in destinations ALHI believes has the demand, we put out an invitation to them.

But all this gets bigger than meetings and incentives. Between us, we have 150-odd sales people and 600 hotels. One of the things we’re looking at is what services can we add that will benefit both organisations and members? Within the parent group, we’re evolving some ideas, for example, enlarging our loyalty programme Peak Points to potentially include ALHI hotels. We want to strengthen our proposition to give members more than what they were getting before, while ALHI is looking for a way to broaden their offerings to their hotels and their global footprint.

You were appointed CEO of Worldhotels last December. What is your mission?
To strengthen the brand. I see our World Luxury collection becoming a bigger element of what we do. I also see us developing a stronger meetings portfolio because of the opportunity we now have. I see our loyalty programme becoming a massive plus for our hotels.

Our mission has always been empowering true independence. So the question we always ask is what services do our hotels need in order to be successful? New services which we are not thinking of at the moment will emerge as we partner ALHI; the scale we have now will help us to accelerate this much faster than before.

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IHG shocks with Asia regional HQ shift to Europe, Smits leaving chain

Malaysia’s budget travel segment hit by tourism tax

New ‘livingroom’ concept makes the most of hotel space

Upgrading travel industry training for the 21st century

New facilities give The Strand Yangon urban resort shine

New hotels: Lub d Cambodia Siem Reap, Mantra MacArthur Hotel and more

The future of ASEAN hotel industry

Changing nature of representation

Tried and Tested

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