The Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group is planning to make further inroads into Asia, targeting multiple hotel developments in key emerging markets.
Speaking to Travel Daily today, the company’s recently-appointed Executive Vice President Development for Asia Pacific, Thomas Monahan, revealed that Carlson is actively pursuing partners in China, Indonesia and the Philippines, with the aim of developing multiple Park Inn by Radisson hotels, as well as expanding its portfolio of Radisson Blu properties to key Asian gateway cities.
Following the recent announcement of a joint venture deal with the Bestech Group to develop up to 49 Park Inn by Radisson hotels in India, Monahan told Travel Daily that similar schemes are being considered in Asia’s other fast-growing, highly populated countries.
“We’re looking to replicate the Bestech deal in China, Indonesia and the Philippines,” Monahan said. “We’re in the process of contacting our existing owners and developers in these markets.” When asked if any deals had been reached, Monahan revealed that Carlson has had “two bites of interest”, and that new developments could be linked to multi-use projects such as shopping malls.
With regards to the Radisson Blu brand, which Carlson launched in 2011, Monahan said that development would focus on “key, capital cities, including Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta”. Radisson Blu already has two properties in Thailand – one operating in Phuket and a second under development in Bangkok – and Monahan added that the brand “would be suitable for destinations like Koh Samui or Pattaya”.
“We might not currently have a large footprint, but we have the advantage of being able to develop a young brand,” he said. “We (Carlson’s development team) have been given the freedom to use our balance sheet to attract partners, and we can do this in several ways including joint ventures, profit underwriting and other offerings that other hotel companies are unable to promise.
“We have nearly 80 hotels currently operating in Asia and an equal number in the pipeline. We expect to have a portfolio of more than 150 operating hotels in the region by 2015,” he added.
