Choice Hotels is boosting its South East Asia presence, appointing a hotel management firm to expand the property portfolio.
The franchise hotel group has signed Krest Hospitality to develop the market for the Comfort, Quality and Clarion hotel brands.
The strategic alliance covers Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, South Korea, Maldives, Laos, Myanmar, Bangladesh and Bhutan.
Choice Hotels Asia-Pac plans to add at least 20 properties in the region over the next five years. There is already a strong development pipeline in place including a new build hotel in Phuket, Thailand. The Quality Resort Kata Phuket will open in September 2020.
Choice Hotels South East Asia deal to achieve growth plans
Choice Hotels Asia-Pac CEO, Trent Fraser, said the deal will help realise the franchise group’s growth strategy.
“With extensive knowledge and a successful track record in South East Asia, Krest Hospitality is ideally placed to assist us in expanding our presence in the region. We’re delighted to confirm the appointment of Krest Hospitality as our preferred hotel management company and look forward to a successful, ongoing relationship.”
Bangkok-based Krest is an an affiliate of Kosmopolitan Hospitality. The business launched in 2015 and today manages more than 18 hotel properties around the world.
Krest CEO, Glenn de Souza, said “Choice Hotels Asia-Pac has an excellent reputation in the industry. We are proud to have been engaged as the business’ preferred hotel management company in our local market. With industry knowledge and experience, our Krest Hospitality team is committed to raising Choice Hotel Asia-Pac’s brand profile and help grow the business.”
Krest will be responsible for identifying new properties, negotiating contracts, implementing staff training and providing marketing services.
Choice Hotels Asia-Pac is the region’s largest hotel franchise group. It has more than 300 hotels offering over 11,000 rooms. Choice Hotels Asia-Pac is a 100 per cent owned subsidiary of Choice Hotels International, a publicly listed (NYSE: CHH) company in the US. The global presence is more than 7,000 hotels and 570,000 rooms in over 40 countries and territories.
