La Vie Hotels & Resorts turbo-charges growth in 2022
Management structure and group’s point of difference catalyst for ongoing development
It has proven a stand-out four months for La Vie Hotels & Resorts which, working hand in hand with owners to procure franchise agreements with major hotel brands, has in the period signed agreements with Accor in Australia, Radisson in Sri Lanka, and Choice Hotels in Phuket.
These follow an agreement announced in February with IHG to badge its Bondi Junction property under its Holiday Inn & Suites brand.
And in May, La Vie Hotels & Resorts announced its acquisition of The Islington Hotel Hobart, as part of hotel group’s wider, strategic expansion plan within Australia.
In addition, La Vie has secured the exclusive rights to manage the design-led YOO brand in Australia, which led to the announcement in May that Melbourne will be the venue for Australia’s first By YOO Luxury Lifestyle hotel in 2025.
La Vie Hotels & Resorts Managing Director, Craig Bond said the rapid progress is due to the management structure and the group’s point of difference that has seen its growth expedite.
“We are the first Australian headquartered company that has sought to champion the franchise model in Australia. In Europe and America, franchise hotels make up approximately 80% of the hotel pool,” he said.
“In Australia and South East Asia the franchise model isn’t as prevalent. We see an opportunity in the market to capitalise on this and partner with owners to find the right brand for the right location and work in conjunction with owners to get the most out of their assets and drive performance from the brand’s loyalty, distribution networks and global reach.
“We see great synergies working with the big hotel brands and value the global distribution the brands bring, though a lot of the time, we find owners are left wanting.
“We cross that threshold and work alongside owners and their teams to optimise performance across all facets of the hotel business.”
La Vie Hotels & Resorts CEO, Jerry Xu, CEO said the company now has an incredibly strong team in Australia and its regional offices in Bangkok, Singapore and Dubai supports its growth across the various regions.
“Our portfolio represents a collection of diverse properties: business hotels in bustling CBDs, family resorts in popular tourism destinations and boutique art hotels in sought-after neighbourhoods.
“Particularly as people look to indulge and spend quality time with friends and loved ones following the recent lockdowns, we see great potential for growth in resort destinations, so much so, we are currently developing our very own brand that will launch in one of the world’s most iconic resort destinations later this year.
“As we continue to see great traction outside the traditional hotel business model, we will keep pushing the boundaries to deliver the best possible returns for owners and work with our teams to deliver memorable guest experiences.”
Mike Parker-Brown is a UK-trained and qualified journalist and an award-winning travel communicator with more than 30 years experience.
Since 2002, Mike has worked as a freelance writer and PR consultant providing his services to major organisations in Australia and internationally in the tourism, aviation, hospitality, recruitment and export marketing sectors.
