Hong Kong-based New World Hospitality has embarked on a fast-moving strategy to reposition its three brands – New World Hotels, pentahotels and a new brand under development.
Executive vice chairman Sonia Cheng said the challenge is “to create an Asian-based international hotel management company with a distinctive corporate culture and global appealâ€.
New World is investing USD1.1 billion into New World Hospitality properties over the next five years, many of them in China.
“We will do whatever it takes to be competitive within the markets we enter,†said Ms Cheng.
New World Hospitality manages the New World Hotels brand of deluxe properties in Dalian, Shanghai, Wuhan, Ho Chi Minh City and Manila, with two affiliated hotels in Shenyang and Shunde, as well as the select service pentahotels brand currently represented in Shanghai.
“We believe that the secondary and tertiary cities in China will be the economic powerhouses of tomorrow,†said Ms Cheng.
She added, “Our expansion plans are aggressive. New World Hotels will more than double in size by 2015.
“We are also expanding our pentahotels brand and expect to have 30 in operation also by 2015. And we’ll be introducing a new premium brand.
“Overall, we are targeting to launch more than 40 hotels in five years.â€
Ms Cheng said New World would be bringing, “Oriental hospitality to a new generation of Asian travellers…. who are more sophisticated and open-minded and do not see things superficiallyâ€.
“They are also looking for something new and refreshing that isn’t a clichéd version of an Asian hotel.â€
