New World Hospitality unveils aggressive expansion plans

HONG KONG: Hong Kong-based New World Hospitality has launched an aggressive programme to establish itself as an influential player in the regional and international hospitality industry, with more than 20 projects currently under development, representing an investment of over US$1.1 billion (RM3.41 billion) across three distinct brands.

Leading the expansion is the repositioning of its New World Hotels flagship brand, in which a new visual identity and service culture were unveiled on Tuesday, Oct 26 in the group's properties in China, Vietnam and the Philippines.

As well, new properties and opening dates announced on Tuesday include New World Hotels in Guiyang (2011), Beijing (2012), Shenyang (2013), and Qingyuan (2014). By 2015, the number of New World Hotels is targeted to more than double.

In addition to the New World Hotels brand of deluxe properties, New World Hospitality manages the select service brand, pentahotels, currently represented in Shanghai, and a new premium luxury brand is also currently under development.

These initiatives underscore New World Hospitality's aim to provide guests refreshing alternatives across a tiered spectrum of brands. The approach is to challenge conventions to become widely recognised for a distinctive culture.

"We focus on building strong and long-lasting relationships with our guests, each other and our communities. This philosophy is our compass, shared with our guests at every touch-point in their stays, delivered by associates who are as keen as we are to create new hotel benchmarks," said New World Hospitality executive vice chairman Sonia Cheng.

As part of the revitalisation of New World Hotels, the concept of "Modern Oriental Hospitality" has been introduced.

"Modern Oriental hospitality means featuring the best of the region's hospitality traditions and the values that they spring from, but extending them in a refreshingly engaging and fluid way," said Cheng.

To facilitate New World Hotels' significant repositioning, New World Hospitality has recruited some of the most experienced and dedicated hoteliers in the industry and, to reinforce its new service culture, New World Hotels has dedicated funds notably above industry standards for training and development.

"In conjunction with our new visual identity and workplace culture, we have launched a programme of initiatives that will include almost every aspect of the hotels, from human resources to sales and marketing, from operations to physical product," said Symon Bridle, New World Hospitality senior vice president for operations.

A regional advertising campaign has been launched featuring the work of award-winning photographer Platon Antoniou, supplemented by the unveiling of both corporate and hotel websites, http://www.newworldhospitality.com and http://www.newworldhotels.com.

The marketing campaigns introduce the New World Hotels logo with its mulberry symbol, the fruit of the tree from which the first silk was created in China. The story of silk's creation — how, through care and craftsmanship, a simple source became an exotic, beautiful, long-lasting, high-quality substance — was the inspiration for New World Hotels' fresh visual identity.

"Similarly, we hope with creativity to build a long-lasting, authentic entity, that is beautiful in its own right," said Cheng.

From its early beginnings in China in the 1980s, the modern incarnation of the New World Hotel Management Ltd company was officially launched in July 2010 as New World Hospitality.

Hong Kong-based New World Hospitality manages the New World Hotels brand of deluxe properties in Dalian, Shanghai, Wuhan, Ho Chi Minh City and Manila, with two affiliated hotels in Shenyang and Shunde, as well as the select service pentahotels brand currently represented in Shanghai. The group has more than 20 properties under development. The company is a member of New World Group, a Hong Kong-based leading conglomerate and principal investor in many New World Hospitality properties. For further information, please visit www.newworldhospitality.com. — PRNewswire-Asia/Bernama