Roeland Vos has a portfolio of 46 assets of which many are global icons – from the Cipriani in Venice to the Copacabana Palace in Rio de Janeiro . Yet these legends , no longer under the |
Orient-Express brand , have been looking for a boost to improve profitability . Vos ’ predecessor , John Scott , evidently didn ’ t have the confidence of the board to elevate the new Belmond |
brand , and still less than a year in as CEO , Vos must reposition the brand and create better recognition to drive revenue and value .
Vos , who was the president of Starwood Europe Africa and Middle East at Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts , as well as a former board member of Orient-Express Hotels , says one of his top priorities is to position the Belmond brand and build recognition globally .
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“ That name still needs to be developed into a true brand that our current and future guests recognize and identify with ,” he says .
In addition , Vos is charged with expanding Belmond ’ s global footprint and has identified a target range for the number of new properties it expects to add over the next several years . “ We will be flexible in our approach and will look to sign a mix of management , smaller
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acquisition , sliver equity and other deals to allow us to achieve our growth plans ,” he says .
More immediately , Belmond plans to launch a new luxury sleeper train , the Belmond Grand Hibernian , in Ireland , this August , and to introduce its first hotel in London , the Belmond Cadogan Hotel , in March 2017 . “ We are on our way to building our portfolio and expect that we will have more news to share soon ,” Vos adds .
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Carlos Miguel latuff president
Gaviota Group , Havana
While very low-profile to date , there is no more important Cuban tourism company than Gaviota . “ They have the money , have taken the decision to grow in the hotel industry and are investing the money ,” says Arturo Garcia
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Rosa , RHC Hospitality Consulting , Punta del Este . “ Gaviota will be the number one hotel owner in Cuba , and it seems to me that they will be one of the largest hotel owners in the world very soon .”
While that is a bold statement , Gaviota certainly has designs on dominating Cuban hotel ownership , especially as American hotel companies come knocking looking for local partners to earn management contracts . In fact , Gaviota signed a deal with Starwood Hotels &
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Resorts to rebrand its Hotel Quinta Avenida in Havana to a Four Points by Sheraton .
Gaviota told HOTELS in March that its main objective now is to move forward into high-class tourism , luxury hotels , international standards and well-known global hotel brands . With 25,688 rooms by the end of 2015 and another 26,000 in the pipeline for 2025 , Gaviota is emphasizing Havana as the number one Cuban plaza , as well as beach resort destinations like Varadero .
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The company is upgrading mostly Havana hotels and preparing HR to manage the demands of its new American guests . Gaviota is also |
developing concepts that will match its new market , and it operates from a privileged position to capitalize on the opportunity . |
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30 hotelsmag . com June 2016 |