Wednesday 16 September, 2020 TODAY'S TOP STORY Accor eyes Australian market for Mondrian brand AUS: Following the opening of Mondrian Seoul Itaewon last month, Accor is targeting Australia as a future location for a Mondrian hotel. LATEST NEWS
If you missed our last newsletter... check out the stories below! FEATURES VIDEOS & PODCASTS EDITOR'S COMMENT 16/09/2020
• Many hotel owners and operators have capitalised on the downtime in recent months to review or reposition their assets in preparation for the bounce back. For giants like Accor and IHG, this means further expansion with horizons set on Asia-Pacific.
Following the opening of the fifth Mondrian hotel in Seoul, Accor and sbe have announced the brand will debut in Australia. Similarly, IHG will launch two Kimpton hotels in Thailand and Japan next month.
The news signifies confidence in the luxury hotel segment and signals it is likely to be affluent travellers who will lead the recovery. The consumer is nevertheless king, and the industry's upturn cannot be narrowed to one specific driver or demographic - factors such as communication, responses to the pandemic, and brand affinity all come into play.
Looking ahead to the launch of new brands, there is a school of thought that Covid will signal a slowdown in the number of new flags coming to market. My own conversations have led me to believe that the saturation of names within the market could well result in further commoditisation of the hotel industry. That said, consumers are fickle, and evolving tastes and needs may pave for a brand renaissance in an attempt to appeal to cultural nuances.
My colleague, George Sell, explored this issue in his latest feature: Does Covid signal the end for the hospitality brand assembly line? Let us know your views on the debate.
• The next webinar in the Boutique Hotel Trailblazer series will be taking place on Monday 21st September at 14:00 BST. In the webinar, titled human versus digital concierge, I will explore how technology is changing the customer and operator experience.
You will learn about the growing role of technology within hotels and other hospitality asset classes; how are property managers and operators balancing high tech and high touch; how can technology enable value, recognition and loyalty - can it earn trust?; and contingencies of compiling and utilising guest data.
The trailblazers joining me in conversation are: • Jannes Soerensen, general manager, The Beaumont • Rogier Braakman, managing director, Penta Hotels • Jeremy Atlan, cofounder and business development, Wishbox • Jen Wong, CEO, LaaSie.AI • Julie Grieve, founder and CEO, Criton
Further information about the Boutique Hotel Trailblazer webinar series can be found here.
Future topics include: * Monday October 5th 14:00 BST: Design reimagined, hotel space repurposed • Monday October 19th 14:00 BST: In the spotlight: City versus country • Monday November 2nd 14:00 GMT: Boutique hotel investment and finance • Monday November 16th 14:00 GMT: Boutique hotels and a sustainable future
If you are interested in being a guest speaker in any of the webinars, please contact news editor Eloise Hanson at eloise@internationalhospitality.media
• Don't forget to join the more than 4,000 hospitality and real estate professionals who have signed up for our Urban Living webinar series.
Future topics include: • Wednesday September 23rd, 9AM BST: Meet the money: what are urban hospitality real estate assets worth and where are the opportunities post Covid-19? • Wednesday September 30th, 2PM BST: New real estate models and proptech investors • Wednesday October 7th: Investment: How to partially pandemic-proof your portfolio • Wednesday October 14th, 2PM BST: Will traditional retirement communities become fossils of the future?
If you are interested in being a guest speaker in any of the webinars, please contact editor-in-chief
Eloise Hanson, news editor
For more information and sponsorship/advertising opportunities please get in touch. Katie Houghton
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