Trump hotel group seeks to grow Asian footprint
The US-based Trump Hotel Collection, presided over by internationally renowned developer Donald Trump and his three adult children, is tapping into the Asian market with the recent announcements of two resort properties being developed in the area.
In August, the hotel group reached an agreement with the MNC Group, Indonesia's leading investment group, to manage a six-star luxury resort and residential development in Bali. The property, on the southwest coast and set against the Indian Ocean and renowned Tanah Lot temple, will be the hotel group's first resort in Asia.
On Sept 10, the group also announced it will develop a new ultra-luxury resort in Indonesia located in Lido in West Java. The development will be the group's second property in Asia in partnership with the MNC Group.
Currently one of the fastest growing luxury hotel companies in the world with a portfolio of 14 award-winning hotels, Trump properties are known for their standard of excellence, personalized service and prime locations.
Eric Danziger, CEO of the Trump Hotel Collection, said that as the hotel group continues to strategically grow its portfolio, they seek only highly desirable cities and resort destinations.
"Bali is consistently voted as one of the world's best islands and is one of the best resort and residential destinations globally. We are actively looking at other possible projects in gateway cities and key resort destinations globally, including in Asia. Some of the cities we are looking at include Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, and Bangkok," he said.
Bali is a very popular destination for Chinese travelers. The Trump Hotel Collection is also pressing ahead with a range of initiatives to appeal to the Chinese market.
Danziger said the group, on the marketing front, has invested in a Chinese-language website, as well as dedicated efforts to target the most influential online and offline media. On the property level, hotels that receive many Chinese travelers are continuing to make sure they are sensitive to the needs of this market.
"For example, at Trump SoHo New York, we have multilingual staff to assist travelers, a dedicated arrival procedure for Chinese guests that keeps cultural customs top-of-mind and several traditional Asian dishes on the hotel's in-room dining menu."
From a development standpoint, the Trump organization has a representative office in Shanghai to grow the brand's footprint on the Chinese mainland and is looking to open another representative office in Southeast Asia towards the end of the year to unlock further opportunities in the Asia Pacific region, Danziger said.
The CEO said Asia is one of the largest markets for outbound tourism and the world's largest inbound tourism market.
"We are definitely bullish on the luxury travel market in Asia, including the Chinese market. Asian travelers are among the most frequent travelers in the world. While travelers from Asia do not comprise the majority of the business for our hotels, they represent an important and growing part of our growth," Danziger said.
fuChao@chinadaily.com.cn
(China Daily 10/17/2015 page10)
