A unique bouquet

Roland Jegge, VP (Asia Pacific) for WORLDHOTELS, talks about getting unique hotels together. By Sanjeev Bhar

Roland Jegge VP (Asia Pacific) for WORLDHOTELS

While global brands in the hotel business constantly strive to reach every nook of the world, there is an increasing trend of establishing strategic alliances with those that share a common platform for mutual benefit. WORLDHTOELS is one such platform for these unique properties.

According to Roland Jegge, the last year for WORLDHOTELS has been a tumultuous one. "Year 2007 was when we recorded some amazing growth figures, especially in the APAC region with spectacular new hotels in Macau, Xiamen, Hong Kong, KL, Jakarta and Singapore joining the group," he reveals.

Talking about the challenges of bringing the best brands and unique properties together, Jegge says, "Success breeds success and we are attracting some landmark individual hotels and groups like the historical Hotel D'Angleterre in Copenhagen and the new hip and trendy Buddha Bar Hotel Group, which will open high-end luxury properties in Prague, Budapest, Bucharest, Dubai, Panama, Dominican Republic and Paris."

The plan of action for the company can be gauged by the unveiling of its new website - Worldhotels.com - for the travel agent. Redesigned to offer images, videos, hotel reviews, weather forecasts and maps, its features will help agents find the best-fit accommodation for travellers from almost 500 hotels in more than 70 countries. The portal also provides a range of search options such as the 'Get Inspired' tool, which allows agents to identify a hotel according to their customers' preferred temperature, cuisine and style, culture and nightlife, recreation, and wellness and activities.

India positive

Despite the rising inflation, India still remains strong on the global platform. Jegge says that although the US recession might have halted the growth of other economies, nothing will stop the fast progress of India (and China) in the years to come. If American investments will slow down for a while there will be European or Asian interests and partners knocking on India's doors, he adds.

He has reasons to be optimistic. India is currently the country with the most hotels under construction or on the planning board. "Ten years from now, India will have the newest and the most modern hotel park in the world. This, combined with the grace of Indian people and its traditional hospitality, will doubtless put Indian hospitality on the global forefront," he remarks.

Quality, key to success

Going by the proposition of 'bringing unique hotels and people together' as the company tagline, how does WORLDHOTELS ensure that each hotel within the chain of hotels has a unique identity? Jegge answers, "We feature hotels with a strong sense of individuality, soul, character and appeal for the modern customer who wants a more personalised and unique experience. Each of our properties is well known in the respective city and country."

So quality is of supreme concern for WORLDHOTELS. The phenomenon is more of lending a name - a franchise. So how should the franchise mode of operations be observed? "Franchise or our business model doesn't sacrifice quality; on the contrary, it allows us to refresh our portfolio more quickly than the hard brands and managed hotels who are stuck to owners with lengthy management contracts," Jegge says. He adds that besides adding new hotels every year, WORLDHOTELS is also reviewing agreements and eliminating those hotels that are not keeping up to its strict standards. Hence its concept of 'mystery shopping', which was incorporated when the young company needed a global, neutral entity to review its hotels at least once annually (although many hotels are now asking for audits twice a year and even quarterly).

Today, WORLDHOTELS has planned out programmes on education/training for its Indian partner hotels. "Our WORLDHOTELS academy programme came as a logical step after 'mystery shops', which highlighted areas that needed improvement, especially in service. We are now offering a specific and targeted menu for training sessions to work on the hotels' weak points," explains Jegge.

In its pursuit to get better, WORLDHOTELS is always looking for better ways to carry its mission forward. "Our plan for that perfect vision will be one of quality growth by identifying the right partners with the right mindset - such as the Claridges Hotel group," he explains. The company aims at building the newest hardware and hotels as a preventive measure. Jegge says, "India has to watch and maintain these properties, grow and develop their talent pool, and encourage the right people to enter the hospitality industry." This said, he adds, India has one of the largest labour pools in the world so the challenge is mainly about putting up hotel schools and developing the right education infrastructure.