HotelsMag January-February 2014 | Page 24

Global Update

The GosTelow reporT

Turning London buildings into hotels is a current craze that looks to continue for a long time . Following the conversion of a newspaper building to One Aldwych , an insurance building to the just-opened Rosewood London and the planned transformation of Admiralty Arch to a spectacular hotel , now Great Scotland Yard is to become a hotel . The former headquarters of London ’ s Metropolitan Police , on the current site since 1829 , was rebuilt in 1910 .
Mary GOSTELOw
it bought from Starwood Capital ’ s Société du Louvre to Hyatt management , Jauslin ’ s portfolio has added what is now Hyatt Regency Paris Etoile ; Hotel du Louvre Paris , a Hyatt Hotel ; Grand Hyatt Cannes Le Martinez ; and Hyatt Regency Nice Palais de la
Mediterranée . He is still not satisfied , however , and wants Biarritz , Courchevel and Lyon .
The Oberoi Group , New Delhi , is thrilled with the reaction to The Oberoi , Dubai as
Now the Loughton , Essex-based Galliard Group , led by CEO Stephen Conway , has acquired a 125-year lease to turn the brick-and-stone building into a 235-room hotel .
Soho House , London , now has Paul White , former CEO of Orient-Express Hotels , in charge of development and finance . Soho House , majority owned by Los Angeles entrepreneur Ron Burkle , appeals to successful designers and the entertainment crowd . It already has 11 properties , and White is looking especially at expansion in Mexico City and São Paulo , and in Asia he wants Hong Kong and Shanghai . Unlike many more mainstream groups , Soho House is looking for leases .
Michel Jauslin , GM of Park Hyatt Paris Vendôme , is also regional vice president for France . Since Qatar ’ s Constellation Holdings put the quartet of properties
President Kapil Chopra says the company flew in enough experienced Oberoi staff to make sure service was immediately up to the exacting standards for which Oberoi is renowned . Development continues to be overseen by the company ’ s Executive Chairman PRS ( Biki ) Oberoi , who already had a future-list that includes Chandigarh , Navi Mumbai and Pune in India , and , elsewhere , Casablanca , Marrakech and Oman .
Ascendas Hospitality Trust , listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange , already has 10 hotels — in China , Japan and Australia , all of which will continue to be key expansion areas , says CEO Tan Juay Hiang . He is particularly excited about Japanese business centers such as Tokyo , Fukuoka and Osaka .

A picTure ’ s worTh …

Since Starwood hotels are already tagged in more than 40,000 Instagrams a month , the hotel company has started a campaign to encourage guests to geotag their Instagram photos and videos so they also appear on its branded website Guest Galleries .
The goal is to increase consumer engagement with Starwood brands as potential bookers can get an even better , more realistic picture of exact hotel experiences .
The move speaks to a trend , as Marriott ’ s Travel Brilliantly campaign offered prizes to people who posted content on Instagram , Pinterest and Twitter using the # travelbrilliantly hashtag . IHG encouraged guests to post pictures of their stays on Instagram with the hashtag # DiscoverIHG for the chance to win IHG Rewards Club points .
20 HOTELS January / February 2014 www . hotelsmag . com