Ambitious plans to expand the footprint of one of Asia’s most popular lifestyle hotel brands, Hotel Jen, have been revealed to the UK travel trade.
More than 60 travel professionals gathered at The Hospital Club in London last Tuesday for an exclusive event where members of the Hotel Jen executive team explained what’s next for the mid-range brand, a “Millennial-targeted” concept that was developed and launched by luxury hospitality firm Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts in September 2014.
Hotel Jen properties are currently located in 10 destinations across Asia-Pacific, bringing a “virtual-persona” hospitality concept to a new ‘Jeneration’ of independent travellers in countries including Singapore, China, The Philippines, Hong Kong, Australia, and The Maldives.
The second phase of expansion will see two new Hotel Jen properties open their doors, with the first, China World Beijing, launching in November this year. It follows hot off the heels of the December 2015 opening of Hotel Jen Tanglin Singapore, a former Traders hotel that underwent a £22-million makeover.
In 2018, Hotel Jen Kota Kinabalu, Borneo, will join the portfolio, forming part of PacifiCity, a new shopping and entertainment complex located along the coastal highway.
Hotel Jen Kuala Lumpur, which is set to open in 2019, is a 200-room, 36-storey-high property featuring a rooftop sky bar with ‘infinity’ pool as well as club lounge with privileges including express check-in and complimentary breakfast. The hotel will be located in the centre of the city, 800 metres from Kuala Lumpur’s landmark Petronas Twin Towers and 300 metres from the KL Tower.
New properties aside, a number of existing Hotel Jens will undergo refurbishments and enhancements in 2016.
Highlights include Hotel Jen Puteri Habour in Johor, Malaysia creating 12 Hello Kitty-themed rooms, to be completed by the end of 2016, in a bid to appeal to the family market. This property is located near Hello Kitty Town, as well as LEGOLAND.
Hotel Jen is inspired by virtual persona Jen, a professional hotelier and all-time lover of life, travel and discovery. The brand experience is focused around ‘InJenious Ideas’ to create a fresh, friendly and fuss-free experience for guests.
Product innovations include tablet-enabled check-in; free, fast WiFi and mobile charging stations; complimentary access to PressReader; and a best-in-class customer loyalty programme – the only one to offer instant redemptions.
Although the largest percentage of Hotel Jen bookings are generated online through the brand’s own website and third-parties, the company’s vice president of sales, Marisa Ahana, told TDUK the travel trade remained an important source of business, particularly from the UK, which is one of the brand’s biggest source markets for business outside of Asia.
Ahana, as well as Greg Ward, vice president, sales, regional sales office, for Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts, and Neela Goyal, the new head of leisure sales UK for Shangri-La Hotels& Resorts, all met with the UK travel trade elite at last week’s Hotel Jen launch event.
“We are working closely with High Net Worth agents to build brand awareness of Hotel Jen,” said Ahana.
“We want them to know we don’t just offer the five-star Shangri-La product but an affordable lifestyle brand that caters to today’s more lifestyle-driven and budget-conscious travellers.”
The hotel brand also offers a’jen’ts discounts, details of which will be revealed to the UK trade very soon.
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