The
Hong Kong-based company has ambitious plans to roughly triple its current hotel
portfolio.
Note: This story first appeared in Travel Weekly
HONG KONG – Hong Kong-based Langham Hospitality Group is in
the midst of an ambitious
expansion plan, aiming to roughly triple its portfolio to more than 100
properties. The company, which is known for its luxury Langham brand and
upper-upscale Cordis hotels, also plays in the limited-service space with
Ying'nFlo properties and in lifestyle with its Eaton flag.
Travel Weekly Hotels Editor Christina Jelski sat down with
Langham CEO Bob van den Oord during ILTM Cannes in December to learn about
the group's latest developments.
Christina Jelski: Which markets are you targeting
for expansion?
Bob van den Oord: Japan is very popular right
now, and we have focus on not just Tokyo but also other areas in Japan. Korea
is going to be very popular in the next couple of years, and hopefully we can
announce something there within the next year. In Europe, we feel there are
some opportunities. We do have our Langham Venice project opening in 2027,
which will be right in Murano. We're really happy with the announcement of the
Langham Kuala Lumpur opening in 2027. This particular hotel sits right in the
Golden Triangle district of Kuala Lumpur, and that comes just on the back of
our Langham Customs House Bangkok announcement.
It's a cycle, and China will be back. It's the biggest economy in the world. We will continue to focus on China, and we just need a little bit of luck on our side for the environment to improve.
Bob van den Oord
Jelski: How is the hospitality landscape evolving?
van den Oord: We're seeing a widening of the
luxury landscape. There's luxury, lifestyle luxury, ultraluxury, and within
those segments there are many other offerings. And that's a really good trend,
because that means there's something for everyone. We're also tapping into
younger demographics with destination bars that we're putting in all our
hotels. We have Artesian in London, we have Allegory in Washington, we have The
Fed in Boston, and those are all award-winning bars.
Jelski: What about attracting the growing segment of
travelers who may be drinking less or not at all?
van den Oord: That's a good point, and that's
not just a trend. For example, at our Wigmore bar in London, we have
nonalcoholic beer on draft, and it's very popular. We're probably going to take
that to other hotels around the world. The mocktail section is also very
popular, and we're looking at how we can we make that more attractive and
appealing.
Jelski: This seems to tie into a broader wellness
focus. How are you expanding your wellness offerings?
van den Oord: We're constantly trying to come up
with new ideas and initiatives across our portfolio. We have our Sleep Matters
program, for example, and we've just partnered with the Sleep Cycle
sleep-tracking app. Sleep Matters isn't just a slogan; it's something we've
done in every one of our rooms around the world to make sure we have the right
blackout curtains, that there are no red lights flickering around the room,
that it's quiet and that we have the most comfortable mattresses. Secondly,
we've partnered with a dietitian who has created beautiful dishes that we offer
on our menus. We still have hamburgers and club sandwiches, but these other
options are for people that are a bit more health focused.
Jelski: What challenges do you see in the new year?
van den Oord: Obviously, China has gone through
a few things economically over the past year, and we feel it's probably going
to continue a little longer. We're a little concerned, because a big part of
our portfolio is in China. We have 16 hotels there now and 15 hotels in our
project pipeline. I've spoken to various luxury travel agents, and they are
seeing some good momentum coming out of China and going outbound, and that's
good, but I'm keeping an eye on inbound travelers coming into China and staying
at our hotels. It's a cycle, and China will be back. It's the biggest economy
in the world. We will continue to focus on China, and we just need a little bit
of luck on our side for the environment to improve.