Langham works on building brands

Langham Hotel Group is working on developing its two distinct brands – Langham and Langham Place - as it continues to expand its portfolio.



It will also have its very own GDS code, LO.



“Langham and Langham Place have distinct brand and character. Langham is traditional elegance whereas Langham Place is contemporary with more focus on technology and an edgy feel to it,” said Langham Place Mongkok general manager Jeffrey Van Vorsselen (above).

The Group is going on an aggressive expansion plan, signing a couple of agreements in Shanghai, Beijing and other major gateway cities in Asia and elsewhere. The expansion rides on the impressive performance Langham – and Hong Kong hotels in general – have been posting.



“The additional inventory that came into the market, like the Four Seasons, didn’t seem to have a negative impact and if anything, it’s been positive and the luxury market has helped Hong Kong’s image.”



It also pushed up the rates. The hotel is on track to finish in the mid-80s.



“We see 2007 as the time when our rates will come online with our competitors,” said Vorsselen.



The two-year-old hotel came onto the scene with a perceived image issue, largely due to its location in Mongkok – a very residential and old part of Hong Kong. That area has undergone renewal, helped by the owner’s vision to help transform the area.



“People were very skeptical when I arrived in Hong Kong but we’ve proven them wrong and one of the reasons is that because we were new, we had to try harder.



“We had to fight the location thing not just with more PR but to show that Mongkok is a great place to be. Our vision is simple – to change the face of Mongkok and that drives us in everything we do,” he said.



In the past, the inventory of Mongkok was three and four-star hotels, which catered to mainland Chinese. With its branding, higher-end clientele are now considering Mongkok. “It’s a very local area and an attraction to all markets,” he said.



One of the key defining features Langham Place Mongkok is its claim to being Asia’s most technologically advanced hotel. A structured cabling system runs through the skeleton of the building. The 1GB cable allows the hotel to run voice or data at very high speed and provide guests with high-tech options like Internet telephony and the world’s first colour touch screen.