What trends are you seeing in the needs of international visitors and how are you accommodating them?
The way travellers around the world think about luxury is changing. Things like quality time and rare experiences now define luxury travel more than luxurious spaces. Ecotourism, which aims to allow travellers to experience and learn about the natural environment, culture and history of a region, is now attracting attention. In this case, luxury tourism could be described as encountering nature that only exists there and experiencing food that can only be eaten there.
We believe that by offering these real experiences (unique to) each local area, we can meet the needs and trends for our luxury customers.
What are your growth plans in Japan?
We are trying out new initiatives such as operating a hotel near Kansai International Airport. (Surveys show that the) criteria for choosing an airport hotel were price, access and cleanliness, and airport hotels were mostly used only for sleeping. I want to create an airport hotel that can offer a fun stay as a hotel concept.
Also, we opened Risonare Osaka at Hyatt Regency Osaka in December 2022. This hotel is a new initiative for us as it is part of a “hotel-in-hotel” structure. When Hyatt Regency Osaka was built, it had a decent market size so 300 rooms were created to match that demand. However, due to the pandemic, market demand is changing. Tourists will become more numerous than business travellers. Osaka is oversupplied by accommodation and hotel competition is tough. Filling up 300 rooms became the issue, so we came up with the idea of two brands collaborating. While Hyatt Regency Osaka is strong in some markets, Risonare is strong in others, particularly among families with children. I wanted to try filling the entire 300 rooms by bringing together these two hotel brands.
How about your growth plans for overseas?
Our vision for the future is not only to operate in Japan, but also to become a globally competitive hotel management company. The Japanese are originally famous for their hospitality so I want to do something to change the fact that Japan cannot compete globally in the hospitality-focused industry of tourism. Now, we are targeting the US because it is the launching pad for the global hotel industry.
One of our ongoing plans is to open a Japanese-style hot spring inn (ryokan) within three to five years in the US. If we are recognised there, we will have more opportunities to expand in other regions. I believe the hot spring inn is a unique accommodation and has elements of a Japanese cultural theme park. There are about 1,200 hot spring spots in the US, such as (in) California and Colorado. As the number of foreign visitors to Japan from the US has increased in recent years, the level of understanding of (the) Japanese culture has also increased. Japanese-style hot spring inns in the US, therefore, are likely to be both desirable and successful.
Hoshino Resorts’ history goes back to 1914, when its first ryokan hot spring inn was established – so what is your secret to success?
In order to operate all Hoshino Resorts properties equally, the culture must be flat, and not the organisation itself. This is not an idea we came up with, but is based on American author Kenneth Blanchard’s theory of organisational management. This theory is the guiding principle for creating a flat culture and solving various onsite problems at Hoshino Resorts.
Our staff are always aware and discovering something new while serving customers, and without this awareness and discovery, it is difficult for hotels to function properly. Therefore, the most important element of management is that the employees think for themselves. Problems come up onsite and solutions should be decided immediately. Carrying out the decision-making process onsite, rather than at our headquarters in Tokyo, is our essence. Our job at the headquarters is to provide the right environment and invest in the system. It is important to create an organisation where each resort acts independently.
He joined Belmond in 2020 as divisional managing director for Asia-Pacific where he has since led the company’s Asian hotels through the pandemic, developing and implementing plans of ambition as well as playing an active role in multiple steering committees that have led to the rollout of strategic initiatives across the company.
According to its press statement, each tone in the musical scale has a specific vibration frequency and can enhance the flow of natural energy around the body. For example, mi – 528 hertz – can stimulate love and restore equilibrium, while sol – 741 hertz – cleanses the body of toxins.
Guests will go on a snorkelling or diving experience around the clownfish-nurturing project zone before sitting down for a lecture on SDG 14, titled Life Below Water: conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.
Improving Covid-19 situation and stronger travel confidence have resulted in an exceptional year of growth for budget lodgings in Indonesia.
OYO’s bookings rose 90 per cent between May and November 2022, compared to the previous year in the same period, while RedDoorz’s bookings have surpassed 2019’s performance by 90 per cent, particularly in popular cities like Yogyakarta and Bandung.
Ankit Tandon, OYO’s global CBO and CEO of Southeast Asia and the Middle East, noted that the Lebaran holidays in May 2022 alone pushed lodging bookings up by 82 per cent compared against 2021. Bookings spiked again during the long Independence Day holiday in August, with a 72 per cent increment over 2021.
Hendro Tan, country stock and flow head of OYO Indonesia, told TTG Asia that Indonesia has shown the greatest growth rate for the company, with demand stemming from leisure and business travel.
Bookings from Bandung, Bali, Yogyakarta, Malang and Lampung soared 114 per cent from May to November 2022, while commercials cities Jakarta, Tangerang, Surabaya, Bekasi and Medan recorded an average growth of 52 per cent in the same period.
“Entering its fourth year of operation in Indonesia, OYO has achieved 15 times positive business growth and attracted more than 13 million customers,” continued Hendro.
Adil Mubarak, vice president of multi brand RedDoorz Indonesia, is optimistic that RedDoorz would continue to experience good growth in 2023, especially on the back of expansion through its multi-brand strategy.
RedDoorz Indonesia is working with property owners to establish properties in several areas. There are plans for more SANS Hotels branded properties in east and west Indonesia, and the company is readying for the launch of Lavana Bali, a new product line featuring luxury villas.