How Global Hotel Chains Differ in Approach to Asia-Pacific’s Huge Opportunity

Thousands of hotel rooms are being built in Asia-Pacific. Thousands more are unbranded. The region continues to be the fastest growing for asset-light global hotel chains hungry for management and franchise revenues. A well-oiled setup to cover the region is essential as, while opportunities are big, competition is bigger. Owners have more brands to choose from, not just from various chains but within a chain itself. They also have more choices on how their properties can operate, as technology has opened up new distribution, sales and marketing, and operating solutions. How chains are set up in the region depends on their size and scale. But big or small, the need to be close to the market is gaining importance, as this enables chains to understand owners, partners, and employees better as the region expands. Moreover, Asia is seeing a younger generation of owners taking over the family business; they have different expectations, and relationship building between them and cha