Following a record 2012, Kempinski Hotels forecasts a brighter 2013. With seven new properties and 14 under development, Kempinski’s predictions are well under way to fulfilment.
Chief operating officer of Kempinski Hotels Duncan O’Rourke confirms: “We are seeing a growth of around 15-20 per cent – which is healthy.”
However, there is no rush to pack the portfolio with the hotel company, created in 1897, believing in a slow but very steady stride in its plans.
O’Rourke says: “We have always maintained that we will not have more hotels than how old we are – which is 122 this year. What is very important to understand is luxury is limited and so we cap our growth. We already have 78 hotels and 25 projects in operation and so our growth is very selective now about where we go, what kind of hotel we choose and what we can achieve from the hotel.
“We only sign hotels that complement our portfolio. We prefer not to sign than have a wrong hotel. It has to be a really good hotel in the right location with the right owners with the right investment – then we can think of it as we are under no stress at all. We can get to the 131 quicker than we want.”
The hotel group’s properties include Kempinski Hotel Chongqing, Grand Kempinski Hotel Shanghai and Kempinski Hotel Yixing (soft opening) in China, Kempinski Ambience Hotel Delhi, Olare Mara Kempinski Masai Mara in Kenya, Palais Hansen Kempinski Vienna and Hotel Nikol’skaya Kempinski Moscow (soft opening) and Villa Rosa Kempinski Nairobi, which is set to open this month and Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City Accra expected to open in the first quarter of 2014.
Other projects under development include Kempinski Hotels Taiyuan, Kempinski Hotel Yanqi Beijing, Kempinski Hotel Longmu Bay, Burj Rafal Hotel Kempinski Riyadh, Kempinski Al Othman Al Khobar, Kempinski Hotel Royal Maxim, Kempinski Hotel Pearl Island Doha, Hotel Kempinski Plaza Minsk, Kempinski Hotel Summerland Beirut, Grand Hotel Kempinski Batumi (Black Sea), Emerald Palace Kempinski Hotel Kiev and Kempinski Hotel Crescent Baku.
O’Rourke says: “Europe will have the most number of hotels with Middle East and Africa coming second and then China. Our main focus will now be on Africa, because we have pretty much covered most of the Middle East region. We will have six new properties opening in Africa in 2014 and these are fabulous hotels that will redefine luxury in these countries. But we do not plan to stop there and are looking at various destinations across the continent including southern Africa regions like Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Mauritius and all the way up to Tunisia and Morocco. Africa is important for us. It is a very consistent growth – professional and structured.”
In order to enhance guest satisfaction and comfort during their stay at Kempinski, the group has initiated several innovations in its hotels. One such development is the ‘Lady in Red’, a concierge service. The group is also testing a new room service feature which began five months ago, ‘chef on call’ giving guests the choice to custom-make their meals. O’Rourke explains: It is fabulous and going well, but it is also difficult as the service is 24-hours and requires having the chef around at all times. We are working it out.”
Kempinski Hotels also caters to the Arab travellers through various services. He says: “The Middle East business is extremely important to us. We have a good background here and we understand this region well.”
The Global Hotel Alliance, founded by Kempinski, recently relocated its head office from Geneva to Dubai.
O’Rourke concludes: “We are small and unique but that comes with the disadvantage of the lack of loyalty programmes and so we thought to compensate that by forming the GHA. There is a leap and passion and mark my words, this hotel company will be standing up top.”