WHAT ’ S HOT PEOPLE
Promoted to president of the Japanese hospitality company with 50 properties and facilities — including 30 mid-priced hotels throughout Japan under the Gracery Hotels and Washington Hotels brands — the man who spent 30 years as a banker is eager to increase global awareness and start building local business in other markets outside Japan . “ It is time to globalize our uniquely Japanese expertise ,” Segawa says .
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There are currently four different municipalities where Omni is working on ground-up development opportunities . The goal , according to Deitemeyer , is to create nontraditional convention center hotels that foster a sense of place and community . The most recent examples : the new Omni Nashville Hotel and its recent acquisition of a hotel in Providence , Rhode Island . Otherwise , Deitemeyer says revenue management practices are always top of mind .
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Deitemeyer says he is looking at global expansion . Omni continues to leverage its partnership with the Global Hotel Alliance , and Omni has a longterm goal of diversifying its holdings and building a more global footprint .
AKIRA SEGAWA
PRESIDENT , FUJITA KANKO INC ., TOKYO
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Since August , Fujita Kanko has opened three overseas offices in Korea , Taiwan and Singapore — in addition to its Shanghai office — to expand its global marketing and business development efforts . Segawa has been studying how to reinforce the group ’ s local authenticity as a competitive advantage .
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Segawa wants to raise awareness of the company ’ s brands in international markets , including the United States . “ I also want to develop new local business in Asia ,” he adds .
Segawa is working on the company ’ s recently rebranded flagship property , Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo , which operated as a Four Seasons for 20 years . He wants to take the property to a new level of service . “ We will offer true Japanese hospitality and culture at all of our properties as we continue to build our business on our successful history ,” he says .
MIKE DEITEMEYER
PRESIDENT , OMNI HOTELS & RESORTS , IRVING , TEXAS
Deitemeyer leads Omni ’ s focus on its forte — public / private partnerships in city-center locations .
BRUNO SCHÖPFER
MANAGING DIRECTOR , THE BÜRGENSTOCK SELECTION , ZUG , SWITZERLAND
Schöpfer has opened for Katara Hospitality the Hotel Schweizerhof Bern to critical acclaim and is now focused on restoring of The Royal Savoy Lausanne and the Bürgenstock Resort above the Lake of Lucerne .
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Schöpfer says the Royal Savoy will open at the end of next year , retaining its Grand Château architecture while introducing contemporary flair . When it reopens in 2015 , the Bürgenstock Resort will include three hotels with amazing views and 21 outlying buildings perched on a cliff high above the Lake of Lucerne . Schöpfer is working on the design of luxury residence suites , a high-tech conference center , an integrated medical wellness facility , an enormous indoor-outdoor Alpine spa , sports facilities and 12 restaurants and bars . “ When you add in the resort ’ s own historical funicular railway and an outside elevator that whisks guests straight up to the hotel from the steamship landing , you have what is surely the most exciting resort development project in Europe right now ,” he says .
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Schöpfer must operate these hotels and deliver a return . Then , perhaps , if sustainable long-term growth is achievable , Katara Hospitality will look to add hotels in Zurich and Geneva .
28 HOTELS June 2013 www . hotelsmag . com