Regional hospitality group Red Planet Hotels has launched one of Asia’s most customer-relevant hotel products by transforming its 24 properties into “Red Planet”, a brand specifically created to redefine the value hotel experience.
Asia is the world’s fastest growing travel market, with visitor arrivals in the region setting new records. Red Planet’s hotels are targeted at the value-conscious traveller by providing a high quality, comfortable, technologically-enabled stay in desirable locations at attractive prices.
“It’s all about value,” Tim Hansing, Chief Executive Officer of Red Planet said. “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.
“We conducted extensive surveys with many thousands of our guests across the region and, among other things, we established that our new brand is all about giving our customers more of what they want, and less of what they don’t. Almost all of our guests are between 20 to 30 years old, and this online generation is changing the dynamics of the hotel industry.
“To embrace this shift, we have invested heavily in our IT platform and are constantly listening to our customers and responding to feedback. We have significantly upgraded Wi-Fi speeds in all properties to be amongst the fastest in the hotel industry. Being able to access stable and fast Wi-Fi is crucial to our guests.”
A key component of the new Red Planet brand is a highly functional mobile app. Not only is it a simple and efficient booking portal, but when guests arrive at a Red Planet 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 innovative features.
“No matter what type of hotel we stay in, technology will always play a key part of getting the most out of your stay in the hotel and the city you are in,” Mr Hansing added. “We are always looking to add both value and relevance to a guest’s stay through our investment in technology at all times.”
The new Red Planet concept has been unveiled across its portfolio of 24 hotels, consisting of 3,783 rooms in Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines. In addition to the existing portfolio, Red Planet will be opening the new brand’s flagship properties in Tokyo and Bangkok this year.
“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,” Mr Hansing said. “We are currently enrolling around 1,000 members a month to this programme and that number is growing sharply over time.”
Since opening its first hotel in 2011, Red Planet Hotels has welcomed nearly four million guests. The company has raised several rounds of capital from private investors and anticipates a future public listing in the region.
