THE PIPELINE : GENERAL HOTEL MANAGEMENT
as a means to provide a solution to developers who are attracted to the Amanresorts concept , but not quite prepared to adhere to what is a stricter product in terms of scale and exclusivity , or otherwise have a vision of their own which is better realized with GHM , where they can apply more of their own vision in collaboration with GHM ,” says Robert Hecker , managing director of consultancy Horwath HTL , Singapore .
GHM properties have more than 30 guestrooms but fewer than 200 , a size that “ has allowed us to attain service quality standards and levels of personalization that are significantly elevated and very sophisticated ,” Moreno says . GHM and Amanresorts share an office building and collaborate from time to time , but they are separate companies with independent corporate structures . Jenni cofounded the privately held
Dining room at the soon-to-open Chedi Club Suzhou , China
GHM 20 years ago with Zecha , and the two remain principal owners . Jenni , whose background includes a stint as president of Swiss-Belhotel International , Hong Kong , runs the business on a day-to-day basis .
“ Jenni is the guy who actually does all the tedious parts of developing hotels and providing the vision for it ,” Moreno says , “ whereas Adrian Zecha would say , ‘ You know what ? Andermatt would be a great opportunity for a GHM hotel — let ’ s develop something there .’”
Zecha is more big-picture-oriented , but his star power around the industry remains intense , making GHM an attractive partner for developers looking to create a true trophy asset . Even in a foundering global economy , the desire for unique experiences and highend luxury wavers little , and Zecha is on a short list of hoteliers dominating that niche . “ That ’ s not a crowded playing field ,” says Bill Barnett , managing director of Phuket , Thailand-based consultancy C9 Hotelworks . “ If they ’ re able to get the power of critical mass by getting more properties up , there ’ s a lot of power in that sector .”
Too elite ? Finding interested development and investment partners has never been a problem for GHM . Finding partners that meet the company ’ s very stringent operating demands , however , is another story . That , combined with the company ’ s historically deliberate approach toward expansion and its leaders ’ penchant for reclusiveness — both Zecha and Jenni declined to be interviewed for this article , supplying only a handful of quotes via email — helps explain why GHM ’ s portfolio sits at fewer than 700 guestrooms .
“ They ’ ve embraced that elitism — they ’ re very much ‘ come to us ,’” Barnett says . “ That works for them , but it also works against them . That ’ s to their detriment in terms of growing at a sustainable pace .”
GHM ’ s methodical pace of expansion — though it has picked up considerably as of late — is by design , Moreno says . “ Our growth objectives have never been based on our desire to grow our portfolio for the sake of adding inventory , but rather to ensure that we are partnering with the right developer who is aligned with our philosophy and business model ,” he says . “ At the risk of sounding snobbish , we have no intentions of changing our stance and in continuing to be very selective .”
That selectivity extends not only to projects , but also to ownership partners . A competing hotelier familiar with GHM ’ s corporate strategy , who requested anonymity in order to speak candidly about the company , says GHM executives leave little room for negotiation on a number of issues , including fee levels , design , FF & E and even rate pricing . GHM typically insists on demanding top-of-market rates and refuses to waver , holding rates steady even with multiyear rampup times . “ So they ’ re looking for owners that understand that , and they need to be able to navigate through tougher
44 HOTELS May 2012 www . hotelsmag . com