Country Comfort ups franchise promise
Country Comfort, an upper midscale hotel brand of SilverNeedle Hospitality, is set to reinvent the hotel franchising business with a modern model that is fair and transparent providing a compelling investment proposition.
Based on the simple principle of aligning its economic interests with those of its franchisees, SilverNeedle Hospitality as a franchisor will strive for an ideal partnership with franchisees by being one of the few hotel franchisors to pass on all savings from negotiating the lowest possible costs for all furniture, fittings and equipment with its suppliers, directly to the franchisees. “As franchising is one of the best ways for hotel owners and investors to grow a hotel chain, we want to offer an attractive and cost-effective model that stretches yields,” said Sean Flynn, executive vice president, brands at Singapore-based SilverNeedle Hospitality.
SilverNeedle Hospitality aims to take the Country Comfort brand, already familiar in Australia and New Zealand, to other parts of Asia Pacific, specifically Southeast Asia, North and South Asia. The group is in discussions with interested franchisees in Japan, Malaysia, Macau, Vietnam and Australia.
SilverNeedle Hospitality’s team of franchising experts has also scoured the globe for the best-quality FF&E at the lowest costs for franchisees, thereby maximising their yields. The FF&E cost of a Country Comfort room will be 25 per cent lower than the average FF&E cost of a midscale hotel room according to the 2013/2014 HVS Hotel Development Cost Survey.
Quality fittings in the Country Comfort franchise include the DreamWeave Sleep System comprising the highest quality pillow-top mattress with gel-infused memory foam, Egyptian cotton 300 thread count per inch linens and a selection of premium pillows. Guests will also enjoy an energising high pressure shower experience, with limitless hot water and quality bathware from the high-end German brand, Bravat.
To top it off, a complimentary healthy continental breakfast will leave guests refreshed to face the next day’s challenges in line with Country Comfort’s new brand promise: Rest Today for a More Productive Tomorrow.
SilverNeedle Hospitality rebranded the 28-year old Country Comfort in October 2013 with a new brand promise and a refreshed brand identity and introduced the Fair Value Promise that includes free wi-fi, free local calls and great value on IDD calls, lobby retail products priced just 30 per cent above local convenience stores and laundry and dry cleaning at 20 per cent above street pricing.
