TDA Face-to-Face: Mark Flower, IHG
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Mark Flower, Director – Commercial, Southeast Asia, InterContinental Hotels Group
1) Can you tell us about the new IHG office that has opened in Bangkok?
Sure, the new Southeast Asia corporate office was launched just two months ago to support our massive growth in the region. The Bangkok office includes an entire range of central support functions for growth plans in the region, as we expand our portfolio from 35 to 60 hotels by 2015. The office will include sales and marketing, human resources, revenue management, PR, as well as a dedicated support team for our Holiday Inn Express brand which will see a major regional roll-out. Every aspect of operations at the hotel level will be catered for with a higher level of support from the Bangkok office.
2) Please tell us about your IHG’s expansion plans in Thailand
Exciting things are happening in the next six months. We’ll be launching the region’s first Holiday Inn Express in Bangkok in December 2011, opposite the MBK shopping centre, as well as the InterContinental Samui Baan Taling Ngam Resort, which has undergone a major refurbishment after being rebranded from the Baan Taling Ngam resort.
We also are seeing strong growth in Phuket and are opening the Holiday Inn Resort Phuket at Mai Khao Beach on 9 September. At the beginning of 2013 , we’ll also be launching another new brand, Hotel Indigo, which will be a new-build on Wireless Road in Bangkok. In addition, we have another Holiday Inn opening in Q2 next year on Sukhumvit Soi 22
3) How has the Crowne Plaza performed since opening in Bangkok?
The Crowne Plaza Lumphini Park has gotten off to a very successful start since we rebranded it in December last year. We’ve grown our international business due to the power of the IHG system - the online sales, GDS, central reservations and third party partners - which has been able to expand and diversify the hotel’s business, especially from the European and Australia markets. The hotel had always had a strong Japanese market, and due to IHG’s strong brand presence in Japan we’ve managed to maintain that.
4) Vietnam is another major growth market for IHG; can you tell us about your expansion plans there?
In the next six months we’ll be doubling our portfolio in Vietnam. We currently have three hotels there; two in Hanoi and one in Ho Chi Minh City, and we’ll be opening the Crowne Plaza Danang on 26 September, and two major InterContinentals; the InterContinental Resort Danang in Q4 2011, and the InterContinental Hanoi Landmark 72, which will be the world’s 16th tallest building.
We also have the Crowne Plaza Nha Trang opening in 2012 and three Holiday Inn resorts coming in Phu Quoc, Hoi An and Cam Ranh Bay. So massive expansion already in Vietnam, and there’s more coming.
5) You mentioned already about the regional launch of Holiday Inn Express; what is the roll-out plan for this brand?
Huge expansion plans for Holiday Inn Express in Southeast Asia; we plan to open up to 50 properties in the region over the next 10 years. Following the first Bangkok opening will be the Holiday Inn Express Pattaya, with additional openings planned in Bangkok and Phuket. Outside Thailand there will be two Holiday Inn Expresses opening in Singapore and one in Jakarta. Overall, these are very exciting times for IHG in Southeast Asia.
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