Ariva Hospitality’s acquisition by Singapore-listed real estate and investment company Rowsley in March has allowed both parties to expand their hotel business towards a target of 20,000 keys by 2020.
While Ariva Hospitality’s executive chairman Cameron Ong – an industry veteran who was last CEO and managing director of The Ascott Group – admitted that the target is a “tall order” but it is also one that is achievable considering his company’s track record.
Cameron Ong
“Ariva was founded in 2008 but within these few years we’ve built a portfolio of more than 7,500 keys,” he remarked.
Ariva has been tasked with taking Rowsley’s Hotel Football brand – the first and only property sits across Old Trafford stadium and is developed in partnership with former Manchester United footballers – further in Asia and Europe while being given the financial backing through equity funds to grow Ariva’s own brands.
Ong aims to bring Ariva “deeper into South-east Asia”. The company’s brands include Ariva Hotels, Ariva Serviced Residences, by Ariva, as well as Super City by Ariva in China and Louis Kienne Hotels & Services Residences in Indonesia – both created through partnerships with real estate firms.
According to Ong, Ariva Hotels, Ariva Serviced Residences, and by Ariva will be the ones to be taken further into the region, particularly in secondary cities where tourism appeal has yet to be discovered and potential for growth is far stronger.
For Hotel Football, Ariva is considering possibilities of taking it to Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou in China. In the near future, Ariva is readying for a signing ceremony for two Hotel Football properties – one in Bangkok and another in Kuala Lumpur.
