With the hotel development world gathering in Hong Kong for the Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific, IHG took the opportunity to announce the repositioning of its Regent Hotels & Resorts brand, four months after it closed a deal to acquire a 51% stake in the luxury brand from Taipei’s Formosa International Hotels Corp.
At the same time, it announced the signing of a Regent property in Kuala Lumpur, the first addition to the portfolio since the acquisition.
Through consumer research and feedback from owners and industry experts, Regent’s new positioning comes complete with new brand hallmarks and design philosophy, a newly created service style and visual identity.
The repositioning revolves around three brand promises:
- Majestically intimate – experiences designed for the individual where they can discover crafted personal havens, and escape and indulge
- On their terms – guests to stay on their terms using a combination of attentive service and frictionless technology to create a stay that feels effortless
- Inspiring discoveries – enabling guests to discover and experience the best of local culture, new tastes, delights and ideas
IHG has stated its intention to grow the Regent portfolio from six hotels today to more than 40 in global gateway cities and iconic resort locations.
The first new signing, announced Thursday, is with Multibay Development Sdn. Bhd for the Regent Kuala Lumpur. It will be situated next to Tun Razak Exchange project, which is set to become the next financial district of Kuala Lumpur and an extension to the city’s golden triangle known for its commercial, shopping and entertainment options.
In addition, plans are already underway to rebrand the InterContinental Hong Kong, which is set to become a Regent hotel in 2021. The rebrand will see the hotel return to its roots, having first opened its doors as a Regent in 1980.