Source: ehotelier.com March 21, 2014 Do the test: pick your favourite location, do a search on TripAdvisor and you will find that most of the top rated hotels and resorts are not part of an international hotel management company. For instance, according to TripAdvisor 2014 Travelers’ Choice Awards, 4 out of the top 5 Indonesia hotels and resorts are boutique-styled and independently owned. While in the past hotel and resort owners have largely relied on attaining a brand and available management models to differentiate their properties and build reputation, now owners recognise the change in guests’ preferences and the opportunities it creates. Hotel and resort owners all over the world are now investing in their own brand to attract well-travelled and digitally savvy consumers who are seeking more individuality and local flavour. Private hoteliers should acknowledge that location, not brand, is what guests are looking for nowadays. They wish to interact with the passionate people who drive hotel and resorts and provide great service, not a company or an international brand, and this has been the trend in recent years. However, underestimating the task of running a hotel or resort business or not doing the homework can come at a high risk and cost. Often the fundamentals of a thorough market research and financial feasibility and sensitivity analysisare omitted either due to negligence or cost containment. Not knowing the market, its dynamics, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and treats can lead to disaster. From:...

Source: ehotelier.com November 15, 2013 In August 2013 Virtuoso made headlines across the tourism industry after ratifying what has become a global trend: ‘personalised travel is the new luxury’. Whereas there are still tourists looking for the ‘all inclusive’ package holidays, there is clearly a move away from classic, amenity-heavy chain hotels, to smaller and more intimate properties, according to an article in the South China Morning Post in April 2013. Moreover, a hotel opinion survey carried by Burba Hotel Network in April 2012 about the preferences of over 1,000 hotel guests around the world, discovered that brands are less relevant than expected. The first consideration for travellers (61%) was location, followed by price (18%), brand affiliation (17%) and finally, amenities (5%). As hotel and resort owners recognise this changing nature of guests and the opportunities it creates, they increasingly consider to develop and invest in their own brand, maintain their independence and add a local flavour. This is also in line with their objective of enhancing the value of their real estate asset. It is clear, therefore, that the hospitality industry is witnessing a shift in the preferences of discerning business and leisure travellers, as they increasingly seek a more authentic and individual travel experience. In the past, hotel and resort owners have largely relied on acquiring a brand and available management models to differentiate their properties and build their reputation. While the benefits are well-known (brands are recognised by consumers and are often regarded as an endorsement), an ever-growing glut of brands is creating brand apathy among consumers who are seeking more individuality. Brand recognition at a high cost There are clear benefits, of course, of being associated to a strong brand, in terms of commercial visibility and a certain level of consistency that consumers have come to expect. Often, however, this comes at the expense of creativity, individuality and a sense of location. Owners, who have become wiser and more knowledgeable about hotel management and operations, are carefully considering the short and long term expenses that come with buying into a “cookie-cutter” model, especially when a hotel management contract with an international brand requires an average...

Source: eTravel Business News October 2, 2013 Global hospitality executives Michael Luible and Stephan Gnagi have launched VIVE Hospitality, a company that pioneers a new model of hospitality solutions in South-east Asia. The privately-held hotel, resort & residences service company in Singapore offers a ‘White Label’ concept which enables owners of distinctive hotels, resorts & residences to maintain their own brand at all times, while VIVE Hospitality serves as pillars behind-the-scenes in positioning, managing and maximising returns for owners. VIVE Hospitality provides conceptualising, pre-opening and technical services, as well as operational and management solutions for independent hotels, resorts & residences. Its core goal is to help private property owners and developers set and achieve the high quality standards of international brands, while maintaining the essence and uniqueness of a privately-owned property. Luible, Executive Director of VIVE Hospitality, who previously opened and positioned One&Only Reethi Rah in the Maldives and Capella in Singapore, said: “In recent years we have been witnessing a clear shift in the preferences of discerning business and leisure travellers, as they gradually seek a more exclusive and individual travel experience. Hence we provide owners of new or existing properties with the tools to cater to this new breed of travellers. Our hands-on approach and lean structure are two other very attractive features for our clients. They don’t have to communicate through corporate layers, whilst our fee structures are transparent and value for money.” Managing Director Stephan Gnagi, added: “Another interesting advantage of our ‘White Label’ concept is the fact that the brand ‘VIVE Hospitality’ is the invisible hand behind the success of an owner’s hotel. This means that owners of distinctive hotels, resorts & residences maintain their own brand at all times, avoiding costly rebranding campaigns in the case of an eventual break-up.” In the past, Gnagi held senior management positions with Hilton International, One&Only, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group and Fairmont Raffles Hotels International. VIVE’s first project is conceptualising, managing and operating a 270-room hip four-star hotel in Kuala Lumpur’s affluent district of Damansara, scheduled to open in April 2014 From eTravel Business...

Source: TravelWeekly Asia Melissa Tizi, Singapore, October 2, 2013 SINGAPORE – Global hospitality executives Michael Luible and Stephan Gnagi have launched VIVE Hospitality, a company that pioneers a new model of hospitality solutions in South-east Asia. The privately-held hotel, resort & residences service company in Singapore offers a ‘White Label’ concept which enables owners of distinctive hotels, resorts & residences to maintain their own brand at all times, while VIVE Hospitality serves as pillars behind-the-scenes in positioning, managing and maximising returns for owners. VIVE Hospitality provides conceptualising, pre-opening and technical services, as well as operational and management solutions for independent hotels, resorts & residences. Its core goal is to help private property owners and developers set and achieve the high quality standards of international brands, while maintaining the essence and uniqueness of a privately-owned property. Luible, executive director of VIVE Hospitality, who previously opened and positioned One&Only Reethi Rah in the Maldives and Capella in Singapore, said: “In recent years we have been witnessing a clear shift in the preferences of discerning business and leisure travellers, as they gradually seek a more exclusive and individual travel experience. Hence we provide owners of new or existing properties with the tools to cater to this new breed of travellers. Our hands-on approach and lean structure are two other very attractive features for our clients. They don’t have to communicate through corporate layers, whilst our fee structures are transparent and value for money.” “Another interesting advantage of our ‘White Label’ concept is the fact that the brand ‘VIVE Hospitality’ is the invisible hand behind the success of an owner’s hotel. This means that owners of distinctive hotels, resorts & residences maintain their own brand at all times, avoiding costly rebranding campaigns in the case of an eventual break-up,” added managing director Stephan Gnagi. In the past, Gnagi held senior management positions with Hilton International, One&Only, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group and Fairmont Raffles Hotels International. VIVE’s first project is conceptualising, managing and operating a 270-room hip four-star hotel in Kuala Lumpur’s affluent district of Damansara, scheduled to open in April 2014. From TravelWeekly...

Source: TTG Asia Raini Hamdi, Zurich, August 6, 2013 A NEW company that provides white-label hospitality solutions to independent hotel owners with distinctive assets in South-east Asia and beyond has been launched. Led by two hoteliers who had previously worked with world-renowned hotel brands, Michael Luible and Stephan Gnagi, VIVE’s first project, which it is conceptualising, managing and operating, is a 271-room hip four-star hotel in Kuala Lumpur’s affluent district Damansara. To be named Qliq Hotel, it is part of a mixed-use development that includes residential and commercial areas and a performing arts centre. Luible,VIVE’s executive director, opened and repositioned One&Only Reethi Rah in the Maldives and Capella in Singapore. He was also involved in rebranding and upscaling One&Only Kanuhura, Maldives, and was regional director of One&Only Resorts. Luible also served as general manager of Le Touessrok Mauritius and Raffles Hotel Singapore, and was managing director of Karma Resorts before setting up the new venture. Gnagi, VIVE’s managing director, held senior management positions with The Savoy Group, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, One&Only, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group and Fairmont Raffles Hotels International. Also on VIVE’s board of directors are investment banker Tatang Tabrani; Linda Wong, who specialises in M&As, real estate and commercial transactions; and Susie Cheah-Gnagi, specialist in sales and marketing and the development/distribution of wellness products. Luible said VIVE aimed to be unique by providing bespoke and tailormade white-label solutions for each property, its geographies and market. It hopes to build up a portfolio of properties that are “distinctive in design and branding, always genuine and consistent in service, developed at exceptional locations, focused on smart utilisation of land and space, and are integrated with the community and environmental-friendly”. The type of properties include urban-iconic hotels and residences, resort getaways and heritage landmarks. “We believe there is a demand for owners to create their own brand instead of developing the brand of international management companies,” he said. “Owners don’t have to communicate through corporate layers. Due to our lean structure, we are able to offer attractive fees and light overheads.” From TTG...