BANGKOK-based luxury hotel company, Lebua Hotels & Resorts has announced plans to open uber-luxurious chateau hotels in France together with investors from the Middle East.
The company first launched its destination restaurant concept with the Dome at Lebua, Thailand, offering six exquisite restaurants and bars. It is very much a connoisseur’s favorite and now the company is committed to expanding into the hotel industry with a series of one-of-a-kind experiences.
According to chief executive Deepak Ohri, moving into the hotel business was the natural next step with large numbers of diners visiting The Dome at Lebua from neighbouring countries such as Singapore and Hong Kong.
The company launched its first hotel in Bangkok in 2006, with the opening of the all-suite Lebua at State Tower. This was closely followed by the Tower Club, an exclusive members only club for high-end clientele, and more recently a luxurious lodge at Lake Okareka in New Zealand.
 |
|
Poolside Lebua Bangkok |
“Lake Okareka was an experiment for us to see if we can target the top three per cent of the market and, at $6,000 a night, can we successfully sell this property?” said Ohri. “And yes, it has been very profitable in its first year of operation, maintaining good occupancies and attracting clients from the European and American markets.”
The property is a 657-sq-m lake house with three luxury suites, including an executive suite. The lodge is booked to only one couple, family or group at a time and can accommodate up to nine guests.
Lebua is now in the final stages of negotiations to develop uber-luxurious manors or chateau hotels in France. At $8,000 a night, the clientele will be on an invitation only basis. The company plans to buy and renovate six or seven chateau hotels, each offering eight to 10 luxury suites. These chateaus will bring to life the 18th century atmosphere. “We want to offer culture, history and experience to our guests and what better place to do it than with these historical chateaus,” said Ohri.
“We are currently in talks with investors from the UAE to form a joint venture company, though it is too early to confirm anything. This will help us expand into global markets including plans to open more destination restaurants in Sydney, LA, Hong Kong and London,” he added.
“While architecturally every Lebua property is very different, our common factor across all the properties lies in our service quality. We believe in a consistent experience, with a very variable design. Today our rate of repeat clientele is at 65 per cent and I would attribute this to our individuality. On existing operations, we have seen a very organic growth of 12 per cent year-to-year.”
Last year the company saw strong occupancies at 73 per cent and witnessed a 30 per cent increase in average room rates. This year, with the launch of the Tower Club, it expects further growth.