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NEW YORK — Belmond plans to double its number of properties and products by 2020. The company currently has 45 hotels, trains, cruises and safaris.
Belmond CEO Roeland Vos said on Tuesday that a strategic plan will focus on expansion and building brand awareness, centering around the idea of “authentic escapes.”
Vos said that the global expansion will come via a combination of new management and franchise agreements, hotel acquisitions, and new trains and cruises.
Belmond expects to sign between 44 and 67 deals by 2020, with 36 to 53 hotels expected to open around the world in that time frame. Most properties will have between 75-150 guestrooms.
Recent deals include the launch of the Belmond Grand Hibernian train in Ireland in August 2016; Peru’s Belmond Andean Explorer train, which Belmond says will be South America’s first luxury sleeper train when it launches in May 2017; and two new barges to the fleet of Belmond Afloat in France next summer.
Belmond, which changed its name from Orient-Express Hotels in 2014, will also invest in existing assets, such as it did with the recent rebuilding of its Belmond Eagle Island Lodge in Botswana’s Okavango Delta.
Vos said that in order for the plan to work, guests “have to connect with our brand and understand what it’s all about.” To do that, Belmond will focus on setting itself apart from the competition by providing “authentic escapes” focused on three key touch points: well-being, nature and culture.
“A strong brand makes people come back to us and also pay a premium,” Vos said.
Travel agents will be a vital part of Belmond’s growth efforts, Vos said. “Luxury travel agents are an extended arm of our salespeople. They know our hotels better than we do. They know which suites their clients want. They know when it’s rainy season.”
Sourse: travelweekly.com
