THE PIPELINE : GENERAL HOTEL MANAGEMENT
Chinese traveler . For the medium term , however , the aim is for Anh Luh to become a lifestyle brand that upwardly mobile Chinese can relate to .
“ Differentiation is fast becoming one of the most critically important selling points in a market such as China , which is inundated with all the more predictable hotel brands and names ,” says
The library lounge at the Ananti in Seoul
GHM lost its only U . S . property , the Setai in Miami Beach
Akira Moreno , vice president of development and preopening services for GHM . “ The Ahn Luh concept is aimed at taking advantage of the richness of the Chinese traditions and culture and to incorporate them directly into our selling proposition .”
Such differentiation will be achieved for Anh Luh , Moreno says , by allowing architectural styles and building materials to be influenced by the locale . Food and beverage offerings will be regionally authentic , as will staff uniforms , and spa offerings will be based on traditional Chinese medicine . Despite having not officially launched Anh Luh yet , GHM has signed three memorandums of understanding and is negotiating with nine other developers . Conservatively , Moreno expects five Anh Luh properties open within five years .
On the outskirts Much like Amanresorts , GHM prefers taking the road less traveled when it comes to selecting sites for expansion . Zecha and CEO Hans Jenni pride themselves on pioneering up-andcoming destinations , being among the first to open properties in Bali ’ s Ubud and Vietnam ’ s Quang Nam . That legacy continues with projects like the 107-key Chedi Tamouda Bay , scheduled to open next year in northeastern Morocco , and the 45-key Chedi Club Qutub , under development on the outskirts of New Delhi in a UNESCO World Heritage site . In Switzerland , GHM will debut in the emerging ski resort of Andermatt . At 169 guestrooms , The Chedi Andermatt will be GHM ’ s largest hotel to date .
In the Middle East , GHM is developing a second resort to join the successful Chedi Muscat , Oman . The Chedi Khorfakkan in Sharjah , a 115-key hotel overlooking the Indian Ocean set amid a 17th century Portuguese fort , is slated to open in 2015 .
“ At GHM , we ’ re all about visionary ,” says Clement Koh , vice president of sales and marketing .
Beyond GHM ’ s announced pipeline , the company is in talks for projects in “ relatively uncharted destinations ” in Africa , Russia and Central America , Moreno says .
Aman genes The genesis of GHM was , in large part , an outgrowth of Amanresorts ’ massive success . In the early 1990s , Zecha , who serves as GHM ’ s non-executive chairman , was being approached by developers eager to partner with him on larger projects than the 30-key maximum he had established for Amanresorts . “ He sees GHM
42 HOTELS May 2012 www . hotelsmag . com