Kempinski Hotels has set its sights firmly on Asia as a key region for expansion, with talks being held in a string of destinations.
Speaking to TTGmice at the Arabian Travel Market last week, Kempinski’s chief commercial officer Amanda Elder stated they have a strong commitment to South-east Asia.
To help grow business, the hotel management company has just hired a head of development based in Bangkok and another in China. They have been tasked with sourcing new projects across the region.
“They are both very experienced and I’m very excited about that because they’ll find new projects,” Elder said, adding the company is close to signing opportunities in Thailand in Khao Lak and Phuket. Initial discussions are also taking place for Chiang Mai.
In addition, there are talks about opening Kempinski’s first property in Vietnam, with a Kempinski slated to open in Lombok in 2027.
“We opened Apurva Kempinski Bali last year and it’s been a very successful hotel,” said Elder. “It’s the number one RevPAR in Nusa Dua. The same owner gave us an additional property in Lombok and there is talk of a third hotel in Indonesia with the same owner.”
For corporate groups, The Apurva Kempinski Bali offers a selection of upscale event venues, with the largest being Candi, a pillarless, ocean-view ballroom that can take up to 1,000 people.
Development also continues in Malaysia’s Kuala Lumpur in the form of 8 Conlay Kempinski Hotel, a mixed-use development comprising residences, an office tower and hotel complex. It is slated for completion in about 2.5 years.
Elder shared that initial talks on opening a property in Japan are also ongoing.
“Asia has so much potential. You can really tap into global markets in the region. Everybody is looking to go to Asia at some point of their travel experience, and it’s very accessible, about seven to nine hours from most parts of the world,” added Elder.
She currently serves as TUI as chief marketing officer, UK & Ireland, where she has worked for 20 years.
Prior to that, he was director of sales and marketing of Altabriza Resort Boracay for nearly six years.
Currently the executive vice president for customer experience, marketing & investment facilitation group at the Economic Development Board (EDB), Ow played a key role in transforming the organisation’s B2B sales and marketing model.
Hudson joined Qantas 28 years ago and has held several senior roles there, including chief financial officer, chief customer officer and senior vice president for the Americas and New Zealand.
Global DMC Partners (GDP), a network of independent DMCs and event service providers, have come together with DMI Hotels to better serve clients seeking on-the-ground support and events expertise.
GDP has representation worldwide. Members in Asia include Destination Asia Events offices in Cambodia, Hong Kong, Japan, Vietnam and more.
DMI has been providing hotel sales representation and marketing services to supplement on-property sales and marketing efforts for the past 25 years. Its services include direct sales calls, tradeshow participation and lead generation, and it offers a referral programme that allows partners to exchange leads and referrals with one another in a non-competitive environment.
DMI founder and president John Gaca, said: “With over 500 premier locations worldwide, the addition of Global DMC Partners to DMI will allow us to provide better service to both our long-term and new clients.”