Features

Asian Hotel brands: Regional Players 5

30 Apr 2014 by Clement Huang
Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts WHO ARE THEY? Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts is part of the publicly listed multi-business operator Banyan Tree Holdings Limited. The Singaporean operator’s portfolio currently consists of 35 hotels and resorts, as well as 70 spas, 80 retail galleries and three golf courses across 24 countries. Along with the Banyan Tree-branded properties, the operator also manages Angsana Hotels & Resorts – a sister brand that offers chic retreats celebrating the best of Asian heritage. WHERE ARE THEY? The largest number of Banyan Tree and Angsana-branded properties are located in China, but the group maintains a significant presence in other Asian countries such as Thailand, where it has five Banyan Tree properties and a single Angsana resort in Phuket. Outside Asia, the group operates two Banyan Tree hotels in Mexico and one each in Seychelles and the UAE. There are also two Angsana resorts on the African continent (Morocco and Mauritius). WHAT ARE THEY LIKE? The group tends to place emphasis on quality rather than quantity, with the majority of its Banyan Tree properties offering a modest 50 to 100 rooms. The design and architecture of each hotel is also often highly representative of its location. Banyan Tree Hangzhou for instance, which opened in 2009, has been designed in the style of Jiangnan, the area in which it is situated, with each guestroom featuring dark wood floors, carved items of furniture that are accented by splashes of silk, embroidered fabrics and tapestries. In contrast, Angsana resorts are developed with one intention in mind – to create contemporary and fun experiences for guests. The properties typically feature a brighter décor compared to their sister brand, while the use of bright and vibrant colours are virtually guaranteed in any Angsana guestroom. The Angsana suite in the group’s Bintan property, for example, blends the use of varnished wooden furniture with multi-coloured walls, and modern art pieces to create a modern, and vibrant feel. Pool at Banyan Tree Seoul ARE THEY FOR BUSINESS TRAVELLERS? Club floors are typically absent from most Banyan Tree and Angsana properties. As most are designed as holiday retreats, the group does not specifically target a business cliental. However, Banyan Tree Bangkok does have designated club rooms, along with an executive lounge, which offer personalised check-in/check out, full buffet breakfast, complimentary drinks and suit-pressing services, as well as use of the boardroom. Meeting facilities are available at most Banyan Tree resorts, and the group has just launched a new global meetings and events concept, which it brands “Meaningful Connections”. The aim of the initiative is to combine the wellness nature of the brand with event planning, planners -the option of “combining business with the rejuvenation of mind, body and soul”. The group has just launched a website for Meaningful Connections banyantree/en/meetings-events which details key Banyan Tree destinations, seating capacities and styles, unique experiences and dining options for groups, whether large and small. IS THERE A LOYALTY SCHEME? No. THE GOOD NEWS: The group’s two different brands offer good contrasts to one another, and still maintain strong five-star offerings. Banyan Tree hotels exude class and finesse, while Angsana properties are youthful and energetic. The group's city properties are good for mixing business with leisure. THE BAD NEWS: The lack of a loyalty programme and club floor offerings is likely to be deliberate, as a way to maintain an image of exclusivity. For some customers, it could be considered a drawback FUTURE PLANS: Over the next four years, the group is expecting to open a further 30 hotels with 23 of the new properties being based in Mainland China alone – a key fast developing market in which the group hopes to build brand awareness. In addition, the group will be entering new markets by opening their first ever properties in Malaysia and India in Asia, and Spain in Europe.   Crown Resorts WHO ARE THEY? Within its home base in Australia, the company operates resorts in Melbourne and Perth. Globally, Crown wholly owns and operates a casino in Mayfair, London, while holding a 33.6 per cent stake in Melco Crown Entertainment, a major integrated resort operator in Macau. The group currently owns entertainment complexes in both Melbourne and Perth, which offer a total of five hotels across the two cities. The properties fall under three different brands, namely Crown Towers – the group’s signature five-star brand; Crown Metropol – a fun and urbane brand aimed at younger travellers; and Crown Promenade – hotels that target the MICE market, with a full array of meeting and conference facilities. WHERE ARE THEY? Three of Crown’s hotels are in Melbourne, one for each brand. Meanwhile, in Perth, there is also a Crown Metropol and Crown Promenade property, with a Crown Towers hotel slated for opening in 2017. The group’s overseas exposure includes major stakes in Crown Aspinalls, a high-end casino in London, as well as a joint venture with Melco Crown Entertainment for Macau’s City of Dreams integrated resort – where the group operates Crown Towers – as well as the nearby Altira Macau. Crown exterior WHAT ARE THEY LIKE? Each brand is targeted at different categories of travellers. The five-star Crown Towers, for instance, aims to offer luxury without compromise, and this can be seen from the expansive art deco designs that the Melbourne property features. The brand also boasts some of the country’s top restaurants, with celebrity chefs Guillaume Brahimi and Neil Perry serving delicious bites at Bistro Guillaume and Rockpool Bar & Grill respectively. The darker palette of Crown Towers gives way to the brighter and thematic décor seen in Crown Metropol properties. Both the Melbourne and Perth properties feature a consistent and easily recognisable interior design that is suave, luxurious but uncomplicated. Furthermore, as the brand generally targets a younger demographic, guestrooms feature high-tech entertainment facilities such as iPod docking stations, wifi access, VoIP phones that provide updates and connectivity to various services, as well as HD plasma television with on-demand movies. Finally, Crown Promenade offers a highly functional service that aim to help increase the productivity of travellers. Rooms are stylish without being extravagant, and the hotels offer good meeting facilities for both small and large events. Crown Promenade Perth, for instance, offers three different boardrooms -– two of which open to an outdoor terrace where guests can enjoy their breaks. Meanwhile, guests staying at any of the three Melbourne properties have access to a dedicated Crown Events & Conferences website to help them plan their events. ARE THEY FOR BUSINESS TRAVELLERS? Wifi is complimentary across all Crown properties, which allows guests to stay connected for general internet browsing, and checking emails. However, for more intensive users, a premium high-speed service can be purchased for A$30 (US$28) a day. Executive lounges are available at both Crown Towers and Crown Metropol hotels. The Crystal Club at the lone Crown Towers property in Melbourne, for example, adheres to the typical premium club lounge offering by providing personalised check-in, complimentary breakfast, afternoon tea and evening pre-dinner drinks and canapés. Meanwhile, the 28 “sky bar & lounge” at Crown Metropol Melbourne works as a de facto pay-in club lounge with exclusive breakfast; complimentary tea, coffee and soft drink; and pre-dinner drinks in the evening. The add-on access costs A$65, and it needs to be reserved together with your room. From midday the facility is also open to the public as a bar, otherwise, it can also be booked for private gatherings of various sizes. IS THERE A LOYALTY SCHEME? The Crown Signature Club is the group’s reward programme. Basic bronze membership is free and guests can begin accruing points throughout the Crown entertainment complexes in Melbourne and Perth including casinos, hotels, spas and participating restaurants and retailers. Every purchase grants members points, and for every 450 points earned per week, users will earn one membership credit. The number of membership credits one has determines his/her tier status (bronze, silver, gold, platinum and black -– the last of which is by invitation only), with each granting varying privileges such as complimentary hotel nights, free parking and birthday offers. THE GOOD NEWS: The loyalty programme is particularly attractive, especially considering that it extends throughout the group’s entertainment complexes. In addition, the hotel types are clearly defined and offer quality facilities and services for specific clienteles. THE NOT-SO-GOOD NEWS: The group’s hotel portfolio is currently limited within Australia to Melbourne and Perth, and beyond Australia to Macau. FUTURE PLANS: A 500-room Crown Towers hotel in Perth is scheduled to open its doors by 2017. In addition, the group has proposed to build a resort in Sydney, along with the first five-star integrated entertainment complex in Sri Lanka.   Swire Hotels  WHO ARE THEY? As a division of Swire Properties, itself a wholly owned subsidiary of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange-listed Swire Pacific, Swire Hotels operates three hotel brands: The House Collection, at the top of its portfolio, is a series of small luxury properties. East is a collection of business hotels, and Chapter Hotels encompasses locally inspired boutique setups. WHERE ARE THEY? The group currently manages six properties in Hong Kong, Mainland China and the UK, with two more in the pipeline. In addition, the group also owns two other independent UK properties – Avon Gorge Hotel in Bristol, and Hotel Seattle in Brighton. WHAT ARE THEY LIKE? It’s difficult to generalise when it comes to descriptions, as each of the three brands have distinctive characteristics. However, all properties feature modern designs that draw inspiration from where they are situated. The House Collection, which includes The Opposite House (Beijing) and The Upper House (Hong Kong), has as its signature characteristic varnished wood and ambient illumination in the form of spotlights. The group will soon be adding its third House Collective property in the fourth quarter of 2014 – The Temple House, Chengdu. East Beijing As the business brand of Swire Hotels, East places an emphasis on functionality in order to best accommodate the hectic lifestyle of business travellers. This is exemplified through the brand’s embrace of technology. Wifi and wired internet for instance are all complimentary, and the two East properties boast good connectivity to offices and business centres. East Hong Kong is part of Swire Properties’ Island East development that consists of a residential, commercial and recreational complex. Taikoo Place, itself part of the precinct, comprises 10 office towers that are home to many technology firms including Hong Kong telecommunications company, PCCW and the local headquarters of IBM. The Chapter Hotels brand is based entirely in the UK. As a group of boutique establishments, the two properties are highly “British” in both look and feel. This is clearly seen from some of the features in the hotels that have a rustic and homely charm. The open fireplace and library at The Montpellier Chapter in Cheltenham is the perfect embodiment of this. ARE THEY FOR BUSINESS TRAVELLERS? East Beijing is the only hotel in the group that offers a designated business lounge called Upstairs, for executive guests staying on either the 24th or 25th floor. But most of the properties are located in business and commercial districts. Hong Kong’s The Upper House, for instance, is located in bustling Admiralty with sheltered access to the Mass Transit Railway through Pacific Place. Opposite House in Beijing is located in the Sanlitun entertainment district, flanked by embassy areas and reasonably close to Wangfujing. IS THERE A LOYALTY SCHEME? The group does not currently offer one, but as a subsidiary of Swire Pacific, which is the major shareholder of Cathay Pacific, each stay in a Swire hotel will earn Asia Miles members 500 miles. THE GOOD NEWS: Swire Pacific is one of the largest developers in Hong Kong, with significant investment properties under development in Mainland China, the US and the UK. The hotel division may be relatively small in size, yet it benefits from its strong parental roots. What’s more, having three completely different brands allow the group to target a wider demographic, and provide products at attractive price points for each group. THE BAD NEWS: While Swire Hotels will be expanding to other markets soon, the reality is that most of its properties are still based in Greater China. This makes it more challenging for the group to develop customer loyalty. The lack of a loyalty programme, of course, does not help in this regard. FUTURE PLANS: The group currently has two properties in the pipeline. The Temple House, part of The House Collection, is expected to open in Chengdu – the capital of Sichuan and a fast-growing commercial hub in Western China – at the end of the year. Further down the line will be the opening of EAST Miami, which will be a part of a mixed-use development by Swire Properties. It marks the group’s entry into the US market.
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