Singapore’s Unbranded Boutique Giant Goes Sideways

Singapore’s Business Times has reported that the owners  of the newly-opened mega design hotel South Beach  are looking at a hotel management company option for the hotel along with the Studio M.

Both properties are co-owned by Hong Leong and CDL’s with the latter managing the properties under Millennium and Copthorne.

With 654 rooms and a  vaunted design by Philippe Starck, South Beach has been an unbranded gamble that is now attracting attention from global hotel chains looking to brand the property.

For the developers they are facing an large influx of new hotel supply along with the view  that a chain will help improve trading levels.

Expect news in the near future on operators for both hotels.

In Phuket as the hotel supply becomes more muddled there will be  news soon of a branding of a island-based chain of properties to an international brand.

Again trading levels in  a crowded house are seeing hotel owners looking  at how to enhance trading.

What many developers fail to understand in the land of ‘same same’ hotels is that simply changing or adding brands is not a fix but at the design and conceptual stage, niche or unique products that meet market trends should be the focus.