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Red Planet launches as tech-inspired brand

Red Planet Hotels has end its relationship with Tune Hotels, rebranding 21 of its existing hotels to launch the Red Planet value brand across its portfolio. The new brand immediately consists of 24 hotels with 3,783 rooms in Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines. In addition to the existing portfolio, Red Planet said will be opening the new brand’s flagship properties in Tokyo and Bangkok this year.

The company, founded in 2011, has raised several rounds of capital from private investors and anticipates a future public listing in the region.

Five-year-old Red Planet Hotels acquired a 16% stake in Tune Hotels in 2012 and it is not yet clear whether it will retain those share.

The Red Planet Asoke in Bangkok
The Red Planet Asoke in Bangkok

Bangkok-based Red Planet’s hotels target value-conscious travellers and provide a technologically-enabled stay in desirable locations at attractive prices. “It’s all about value,” said Red Planet CEO Tim Hansing. “Value for our customers and creating value for our shareholders. When our guests leave our hotels we want them to think they have made a smart decision by staying with us.”

Red Planet has invested heavily in its IT platform, according to Hansing, significantly upgrading Wi-Fi speeds in all properties and launching a mobile app, which is acts as a booking portal and when guests arrive at a hotel it activates an in-stay mode. The app then feeds information about relevant local events and points of interest directly to guests’ hand-held devices. It also facilitates room-to-room and front desk calling, as well as a chat line, along with many other features.

“Over 50% of our guests have stayed with us more than four times, so we have also launched a loyalty programme called Remembered, aimed at rewarding our guests for their frequent stays,” Hansing added. “We are currently enrolling around 1,000 members a month to this program and that number is growing sharply over time.”

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