Over the past 30 years or more, Asia has seen the growth
of many
hotel chains - which are on par or if not better than those
offered
by established international names which have many
thousands of
properties managed or franchised (like Sheraton,
InterContinental,
Accor) under their names.
What makes these Asian chains different are that they are
owner-operators and actually own many of their own
properties, and whilst doing that, have also started out
spreading their expertise through their management arm.
Guests are often baffl ed when they see a hotel change name
In Singapore, for instance, Le Meridien in Orchard Road
became the Concorde Hotel. The Concorde Hotel was
previously at Outram Road and is now known as the Holiday
Inn Atrium Singapore. The Holiday Inn at Scotts Road became
known as the Royal Crowne Plaza (part of Holiday Inn), and
is today known as the the Royal Plaza on Scotts.
Behind the scenes, what happens is a change of
ownership
which necessitates a change of name. Or in many cases,
usually at the end of a management contract, the owners
having acquired
experience of the operations of the business, take back the
management, and form their own management company.
A case in point would be the Shangri-La group, which
began with the Shangri-La Singapore in 1971, first managed
by Western International Hotels (Westin). In 1979, Kuok
Hotels was formed to manage three properties: Shangri-La's
Sayang Resort and Golden Sands Resort in Penang, and The
Fijian, Yanuca Island, Fiji.
In 1982, Shangri-La International Hotel Management was
formed (from Kuok Hotels) and in 1984, it took back its
flagship Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore. Known as Shangri-La
Hotels and Resorts, it owns and manages 54 of its hotels,
and manage 18 others. Dusit International, based in
Bangkok, dates back to 1948 when, the "Princess" opened in
Bangkok. Today, it manages 20 hotels, 10 of which it owns.
It offers a room inventory of 5,079 rooms in fi ve
countries, and appears to be making headway in India
particularly. It manages five hotels belonging to others -
three in the Middle East, and the Dusit Island Resort
Chiang Rai, and
dusitD2barquda, pattaya. It has four hotel brands and one
Dusit Residence brand, and is active in Thailand, India,
China, Middle East and Maldives. The Meritus Hotels, which
started with the Mandarin Hotel in Singapore in the late
60's, owns and manages a total of fi ve hotels with 2,593
rooms in Singapore, Malaysia and China. Apart from the
Mandarin Orchard, it has the Marina Mandarin in Singapore,
Meritus Pelangi Beach Resort in Langkawi,
Meritus Mandarin Haikou and Meritus Shantou, China. It used
to manage the Istana in Kuala Lumpur, the Mutiara in Penang
and the JC Mandarin in Shanghai. Its brand expansion plans
include the "Express" version of Meritus catering to
corporate MICE and leisure travellers, as well as
Residences and Suites brand for short to long term stays.
In this feature, we look at several Asian hotel chains that
have made an impact through its ownership and management of
hotel properties , extending a style of hotel management
that is a blend of their own Asian heritage with
well-run management, perhaps acquired or infl uenced by
Western hospitality systems but finetuned to suit their own
markets.
THAILAND: DUSIT THANI
INTERNATIONAL
Dusit International has 60 years of history - chairperson
Thanpuying Chanut opened her fi rst hotel, the "Princess"
on Bangkok's New Road. Thanpuying Chanut embarked upon a
luxurious city-centre property, Dusit Thani Bangkok, which
has become the company's flagship hotel. Dusit Thani
(meaning "town in heaven") opened in February 1970.
In 1987, it acquired a hotel that was renovated to become
its fi rst resort - Dusit Thani Pattaya, and the Dusit
Thani Laguna Phuket (it was a first managed property till
the Dusit Group bought it from its owners in 2010).
In 1989, the group opened the Dusit Resort and Polo Club in
Hua Hin (now renamed Dusit Thani Hua Hin). In 1991, it
added the Royal Princess Chiang Mai, followed by the Dusit
Island Resort Chiang Rai the same year. In 1995, by
purchasing shares from Japan Airlines in the holding
company, the Hotel Nikko Manila came under Dusit's
management, and was renamed the
Dusit Hotel Nikko. Following a major renovation programme,
it became Dusit Thani Manila in April 2008. Dusit
International owns six hotels under Dusit Thani brand in
Bangkok, Pattaya, Hua Hin, Phuket, Manila and Maldives. It
also owns four under other
brands - Dusit Princess Srinakarin Bangkok, Royal Princess
Chiangmai, Dusit Princess Korat and dusitD2
Chiangmai.
On the international front, it spread its wings to the
Middle East, when it started managing the Dusit Thani Dubai
in 2001. It also manages the Dusit Residence Dubai Marina,
Pearl Coastal Premier Hotel Apartment and Dusit Thani
Lakeview Cairo.
In 2006, it started its dusitD2 brand; there are six Dusits
under
development - two in New Delhi (under dusitD2 and
Devarana), two in Hainan, China (Dusit Thani and Devarana),
a Dusit Thani in Abu Dhabi, and a dusitD2 in Pasadena,
California.
In 2007, Dusit entered into a joint venture agreement -
Dusit Bird - with Bird Hospitality Services (BHS), a wholly
owned subsidiary of Bird Group - one of India's largest
hospitality technology companies to bring Dusit into
India.
SINGAPORE: BANYAN TREE
Banyan Tree is renowned for its high standards of
accommodation, offering its own style which incorporates
its signature blend of "romance, rejuvenation and exotic
sensuality". Its name - Banyan Tree - is a symbol of
sanctuary, for which one finds internal harmony and peace
of mind. Its fl agship hotel Banyan Tree Phuket was
officially opened in 1995 on the Laguna Phuket development.
Its owners then set up as Thai Wah Resorts Development in
1983, had acquired a large piece of land on the site of an
abandoned tin mine at Bangtao Bay, Phuket.
I n May 1998 the company's name was changed to Laguna
Resorts & Hotels Public Company Limited to refl ect its
core operations.
On its ambitious Laguna Phuket resort, there are seven
hotels including Banyan Tree Phuket opened in 1995. The
Sheraton Grande Laguna (1993) has been renamed the Angsana
Laguna Phuket in 2011, and the Dusit Thani Phuket has been
sold to Dusit International in 2010. Banyan Tree Holdings
Limited is the largest shareholder in Laguna Resorts &
Hotels Public Company Limited, controlling 54.8 per cent of
total shares. . From a single boutique resort in Phuket,
Banyan Tree has grown into a multi-business operator
globally. Listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange, the
group has 30 hotels and resorts, 64 spas, 80 galleries and
three golf courses in 28 countries. By 2014, it expects to
have 40 hotels and resorts, 87 spas, and 112 galleries in
33 countries. The resorts each typically has between 50 and
10 rooms; its spas
are internationally known and it has its own spa
academies.
The company has ownership interests in 15 Banyan Tree,
Angsana and Laguna resorts and hotels. It manages15 resorts
and hotels, of which 14 are under the Banyan Tree and
Angsana brands. Angsana Hotels and Resorts was launched as
its sister brand with the opening of its fi rst resort in
Bintan, Indonesia in 2000. It has grown to its current
portfolio of more than 10 resorts and over 40 spas. Banyan
Tree is also spreading globally to include the Middle East,
Central America, Europe and Africa. It opened the Banyan
Tree Riverside, Shanghai last year, and 2012 will see the
opening of fi ve BanyanTree - in Tianjin, Hue (Vietnam),
Kerala, Shanghai, Jiuzhaigou (China). A new Banyan Tree
each is scheduled for Costa Navarino, Pylos (Greece),
Tetouan (Morocca),Oman , Montenegro and Portugal, and China
will have five more.
PAN PACIFIC HOTELS GROUP
Pan Pacific Hotels Group was formed in 2009 after the
successful
integration of two brands - Pan Pacifi c Hotels and Resorts
and PARKROYAL Hotels & Resorts. It was formerly known
as Hotel Plaza Limited, and is a hotel subsidiary of
Singapore - listed UOL Group, one of Asia's most
established hotel and property companies. "Pan Pacific" was
acquired from its holding company, UOL Group in 2008. Pan
Pacific Hotels Group was so named to refl ect its growing
reputation as a leading hotel management group. The "Pan
Pacifi c" brand (with over 30 years of international
recognition) was chosen to represent the new identity of
the Group. Today, it is an international hotel management
company that owns and/ or manages 29 hotels with a total of
9,034 rooms across 19 cities. It owns 14 properties and has
two under development in its portfolio, which also
includes serviced suites. Fully managed properties total 15
plus there are four in the
pipeline. Two others hotel in Vietnam are managed by
others.
Its six pipeline properties with 1,808 rooms are in four
cities - Ningbo, Shanghai, Singapore and Tianjin. In
Singapore, its flagship PARKROYAL on Pickering is scheduled
to be completed at the end of 2012.
In 2009, when PPHG was formed, it had embarked on its
growth strategy to expand and has extended its management
services to properties in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok,
Bali and Xiamen.
The UOL Group had bought Pan Pacific Hotels & Resorts
from Tokyu Corporation of Japan in 2007 which headquartered
in Singapore (since 1995). PPHR has 20 premium hotels,
resorts and serviced suites, including those under
development.
PARKROYAL Hotels & Resorts comprises 13 hotels, resorts
and serviced suites, including those under development.
Hotel Plaza Ltd had as its first hotel the Hotel Merlin
(now called PARKROYAL on Beach Road) which opened in 1971,
and renamed Hotel Plaza later. In 1989, it acquired the New
Park Hotel, which is now the PARKROYAL on Kitchener Road.
In 1993-2001, Hotel Plaza Ltd grew its portfolio in Asia
Pacific, and in 2002, it acquired the PARKROYAL brand name
in SouthEast Asia, the Indian subcontinent and North Asia.
In 2006, Hotel Plaza Ltd changed all of its hotels in
Singapore, Malaysia, Myanmar and Vietnam to PARKROYAL