8 minute read
Swiss Belhotel
PROJECT DIRECTED BY Ben Youngman
WRITTEN BY Laura Watling
The Business of Growth
Swiss-Belhotel International is recognized as one of the world’s fastest-growing midsized hotel management groups.
With brands such as Swiss-Belresort, Swiss-Belboutique, Grand SwissBelhotel and Zest, the business provides professional expertise and management services for hotels, resorts and serviced residences globally.
Chairman and President, Gavin Faull, speaks with Business Enquirer about the business success and new brand development – Māua, an exciting emotional brand for special resorts.
With 35 years in the market, Swiss-Belhotel International is a privately owned hotel management company, founded by the late Peter Gautschi - a Swiss national who had an illustrious career in Asia with The Peninsula Group in Hong Kong. Peter Gautschi brought the Swiss professionalism to the exciting environment of the Asian passion for hospitality.
Swiss-Belhotel International has a unique combination of Swiss heritage and Asian passion.
“The business culture of Swiss-Belhotel International is built on Passion and Professionalism™,” explained Gavin Faull, the Chairman and President. Gavin also worked with The Peninsula Group to gain his international hotel experience and with his entrepreneurial flair bought over the company, with his partner from the founder.
Today, the Group has 10, strategically located management hubs in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Hanoi, Bangkok, Jakarta, Bali, Baden, Sydney, Auckland, and Dubai with its headquarters in
Swiss-Belhotel
Hong Kong. With this global span, Gavin ensures that he talks and connects with each hub daily, often finishing his communications, due to time zone differences almost at 11.00p.m., no matter which part of the world he is in.
All in the feeling
Swiss-Belhotel International manages 125 hotels, resorts and serviced residences across 19 countries. The business’s model is to manage the hotel business as the Owner’s partner working in close unison and communication with the Owner.
Over time, the landscape of hotel ownership has changed, explained Gavin, expanding from institutional ownership (such as banks) to now individuals investing their money into hotel assets with personal and passionate involvement.
“Many of our clients are first time hotel owners,” said Gavin, “it is our responsibility to educate owners on the market, the fact that ROI takes time, and the need to position the product and the need to develop a modern day hospitality experience. We have to take a very humble and respectful approach”.
What makes Swiss-Belhotel International’s approach unique is how well connected it is to the hotel owners, ensuring they can have an open line of communication 24/7.
The business prides itself on offering quality market positioned hospitality experiences, but at the right value point. All properties are culturally sensitive but have the same, high quality service levels.
“Our role is to manage the client’s hotel to their unique style, not enforce a blanket approach to every property under the Swiss-Belhotel International brand,” explained Gavin, “A hotel visitor will not necessarily know they are in a Swiss-Belhotel International product but they can feel that they are in an environment of Passion and Professionalism™”.
Travel Feature
Travel Feature
Swiss-Belhotel
Inspired by heritage
“In 1999, when we bought the Group with three hotels, little did I know that we would now have 125 properties under our brands, and be considered one of the top 100 hotel brands in the world,” shared Gavin.
Gavin highlighted that his business philosophy is ultimately underpinned by people. “The hotel industry is an emotional business, which is hard to teach and must be infused. During the Covid pandemic, which was a particularly difficult period for our industry, I found my strength in our people,” he said.
“I consider the business to have a direction rather than an ultimate goal, although there may be short term goals along the way. We recruit executives who understand and believe in the direction”.
Gavin hails from Taranaki, New Zealand, where he owns his family’s fifth generation farm. The dairy farm has been recognised for its sustainable methods, attracting VIP guests such as Charles, Prince of Wales.
“The farm is a completely separate business, but it is very exciting and I take a lot of inspiration from my homeland,” said Gavin.
One of the beds at Swiss-Belhotel’s MAUA properties
The togetherness of MĀUA
At Gavin’s farm is a carved sculpture - MĀUA. The sculpture represents the ideal state of togetherness and the will to strengthen communities. The sculpture was erected as an acknowledgement of the Faull family’s Māori ancestry and generations of heritage.
It is this history which inspired Swiss-Belhotel International’s latest brand offering - Māua. The aim of Māua is to create a healthy, peaceful and serene environment, in which the guest can experience life and rejuvenation, at one with nature and the environment.
“Māua is a very personal, emotional brand to me, and one which we have approached with cultural sensitivity,” shared Gavin, “the feeling of togetherness which we are creating seems very appropriate to the post-Covid environment with its enhanced need for sustainability”.
The first Māua property was opened in Bali in March 2022 – MĀUA Nusa Penida. As well as a customer-centric togetherness, the hotel is sustainably led. “We use sustainable products and practices across Māua operation, which reflects the sensitivity of the Māori culture and connects with the Balinese community and environment,” explained Gavin, “this is not a mass-market product, and is crucial to us delivering a unique, personalised experience to guests”.
The Reception, H Resort, Beau Vallon Beach, Seychelles, Credit: Gerry O’Leary
Travel Feature
Kiwi-bred STAAH checks into 12,000+ property milestone
With 12,000+ customers across 90 countries, the transformational digital technology company, STAAH is all set to double down its growth strategy in the next three years.
How did the STAAH story begin?
STAAH was established by Kiwi entrepreneur, Gavin Jeddo, more than a decade ago to fill the gap in the hospitality industry – a need for affordable and effective distribution solutions for properties, most of which were just about coming to terms with the online boom.
Starting out with a hotel channel manager, the company has expanded its product portfolio with innovative technology that has become an engine of digital growth and revenue for hoteliers across the globe. The STAAH Channel Manager is now an industry-leading offering along with a Hotel Booking Engine, Website Development, Online Reviews and Gift Voucher Engine.
STAAH now: a preferred hotel technology partner
STAAH’s success is cornered in its approach to product development.
All the STAAH products are designed to meet the specific requirements of the hospitality industry. Amongst all the hoteliers that partner with STAAH for their technology needs are hotel groups such as Swiss-BelHotel International which has a presence across 21 countries and is one of the top 100 hotel companies in the world. “We are delighted with our association with Swiss-BelHotel,” says Tarun Joukani, Commercial Director - STAAH Ltd.
“Swiss-BelHotel International is recognised as innovators and one of the fastest growing hotel groups. Our prolonged partnership of over the last eight years has helped us in product development and innovation producing thbe best-in-class products and services for the hospitality industry.”
STAAH’s native knowledge of the industry and approach to product development has also earned it a preferred partner status with leading online travel agents (OTAs), including Booking.com, Expedia, Agoda & Airbnb. The resultant integration between STAAH and these OTAs is fine-tuned to optimise guest journeys and help boost hotels’ bottom line.
The company has been showing a double-digit growth before the pandemic and with business now back to normal it is forecasting the same growth for the next few years. Its multi-cultural and vibrant team has grown from 40 in 2015 to 175+ in 2022. Headquartered in Auckland, STAAH now has seven offices around the world to service its expanding clientele.
Looking into the future
From the initial concept, born out of a desire to support accommodation providers who otherwise had few other avenues to find success, STAAH has come a long way to becoming even partners to stalwarts of the industry.
Its product strategy is firmly entrenched in enhancing its core products in a manner that meets the holistic guest acquisition and management needs of accommodation providers.
STAAH’s greatest geographical footprint is across the Asia Pacific, Middle East and UK /Europe regions. Strengthening its position as an employer of choice to ensure STAAH has the team to deliver on its promise of continued double-digit growth.
Together, the plans are ready for the company to cement its leadership position and step into the next phase of growth.
Travel Feature
Tourism variety
Despite the travel and tourism industry being grossly affected by the Covid pandemic, it gave the organisation an opportunity to reflect and change.
“Although the industry is starting to see growth again, we are still picking up the pieces. The labour market is difficult and some regions still have their borders closed,” said Gavin, “however, it has taught us to think differently. For instance, we have increased our online communication throughout the organization and relocated operational functions across borders”.
Gavin also highlighted how people are now eager to travel having been under lockdown for two years. “We are seeing that people want to work less, and experience more. There is more to tourism than a holiday, there is educational tourism, experience tourism, medical tourism, cultural tourism - we are facing a lot of exciting business opportunities,” he said.
Looking forward, Swiss-Belhotel International now has their eyes on many regions in the next 12-18 months. “As an entrepreneur, as a hotel owner myself, I want to see Swiss-Belhotel International be the key to true hospitality. We want to spread our culture of Passion and Professionalism™. We are presently working on exciting opportunities in New Zealand, Australia, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines and Africa”.
www.swiss-belhotel.com
Swiss-Belhotel
