Edisi June 2016 Final

HOT | events
HOT DEBATE ON HOW HOTEL GROUP
CONSOLIDATIONS ARE BENEFICIAL FOR HEALTHY
GROWTH AT RECENT HOTEL MANAGEMENT
THAILAND SUMMIT
Bangkok, Thailand – Organized by international
conference producer Questex Hospitality
Group, the Hotel Management Thailand
Summit (HMT) welcomed over 30 international
speakers and 150 delegates at the Banyan
Tree Bangkok. High caliber senior hoteliers
gathered for the executive discussion on
“Hotel Group Consolidations are Beneficial to
Healthy Growth of the Industry” moderated by
Bruno Huber, vice president operations Asia of
Mövenpick Hotels and Resorts.
On the challenge of whether hoteliers are losing
in the distribution game, Jonathan Wigley,
founder and CEO of Absolute Hotel Services
said, “If brand.com is going to battle against
the OTAs, then we are going to lose. I would
not advocate anyone to invest in or purchase
distribution systems. Use licensed ones,” he
continued.
Dillip Rajakarier, CEO of Minor Hotel Group
concurred: “You can buy technology, built it
or partner with someone. Buying is expensive.
Building is risky and a never-ending process,”
he said to the attentive audience. But for
Nicholas Clayton, hospitality advisor of Pontiac
Land Group, the core business of hotels is
managing channels rather distribution.” It’s
about managing the profit,” he claimed.
Huber raised the issue of the mergers
between Marriott and Starwood as well
as between Accor and Fairmont Raffles.
According to Huber, 35% of the hotel room
inventory in Bangkok will be under the
management of the combined Marriott and
Starwood, for instance, which could provide
significant pricing power. But for Rajakarier,
deals are all about profit and return on assets
of the hotel groups. “The room inventory is
owned by different owners who will pressure
the combined Marriott-Starwood. It will be a
brand stretch and giving owners the facetime
and making everyone happy will be the issue.”
But for Clayton, it’s a wait-and-see moment.
“We shall see what value will be created.
Success depends on the team at the hotel. The
corporate helps group companies, flags, locations
and building brands.”
The issue at heart, according to Symon Bridle,
Roosewood Hotel Group’s chief operating officer
is on how much a fair deal customers will
get out of the mergers because pricing will
work itself out. “Guests will get a much more
genuine perception from smaller hotel groups
because of the perception of big hotel groups
being together [when pricing hotel rooms],”
he declared.
“More mergers; better for small hotel
groups,”agreed Wigley. “Mergers were done
as business decisions for shareholders, not
for customers or staff. Look at what big companies
don’t do well and make that your
strength.”
Other topics covered in the conference
included “Seeking Business Growth to Boost
Operational Performance,” “Boosting Revenue
Streams Amidst Shifting Demographics and
Disruptions,” and “Successfully Managing
Yields Under the New Norm of Rate Imparity.”
“Spending time at the conference gives you
ideas and different thinking so you can open
your mind to possibilities that you might not
see every day,” said Wayne Buckingham, senior
vice president, Asia Pacific of FRHI Hotels and
Resorts.
The next Hotel Management Asia Summit
Series conference will be on 8 September
2016. The Hotel Management Asia Summit
will be co-located with the Hotel Technology
Conference, serving a total of 300 senior hoteliers
covering topics from productivity to value
proposition, from finance to food and beverages,
and from existing technologies to pioneering
systems. For more information, please
visit: http:www.questevents.net/hmassummit
60 • HOTELIER INDONESIA | 26th | Vol 11 | June 2016 | www.hotelier-indonesia.com