Lebua eyes China and Europe
Chain seeks more overseas presence.
After establishing an overseas presence in India, Lebua Hotels and Resorts, a local luxury hotel company, is now ready to broaden its network into the European upscale market while preparing to open its first hotel in China next year.
Lebua is already holding talks with a leading hotel alliance in Europe that has more than 50 hotels and resorts across the continent.
“If the deal is sealed, we hope to see an increase in traffic in our group and European alliance,” CEO Deepak Ohri told The Nation last week.
After opening the doors to its first luxury hotel in India last year and with three more properties to be added this year, the company is set to move on to China and Europe, he said.
Upmarket tourists remained unchanged both in emerging countries and mature markets like Europe, particularly Germany, the UK and Scandinavia, he said.
In the last couple years, Lebua has aggressively expanded its portfolio into India with the opening of its first luxury hotel, the 400-room Lebua New Delhi, a year ago. And three more properties with a total of more than 200 rooms are coming next year, including the 14-room, 40-villa property in Goa. There are two others, in Cochin (Kochin) and Rajastan.
Lebua also brought its flagship bar called Sirocco II to its first property in the world’s fourth-largest country.
Currently, the hotel chain operates the 357-room Lebua at State Tower in Bangkok and the Lake Okareka Lodge by Lebua, a five-star ultra-luxury lodge in Rotorua of New Zealand.
“It’s the right time to broaden our service to the world’s second-largest economy, China. So Lebua plans to open its 300-key property in Shanghai next year.”
In five to 10 years, emerging markets like China would play a key role in global tourism industry, he said.
According to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer, China’s expenditures on international tourism increased by US$18 billion (Bt540 billion) to $73 billion last year, while the Annual Report of China Outbound Tourism Development 2012 predicts expenditures will increase by 12 per cent to Bt78 billion this year.
