Radisson Hotel Group is advancing confidently towards the end of 2024 and the dawn of the New Year in Asia Pacific, following a highly productive 12 months that have included the arrival of a new leadership team for the South East Asia & Pacific (SEAP) region, a series of landmark hotel openings, and a continued upturn in its business performance, as the company starts to reap the long-term benefits of its transformative five-year plan.
The arrival of Tim Cordon as Chief Operating Officer for SEAP in January 2024, which he took up alongside his existing role as COO for the Middle East & Africa (MEA), set the tone for the year ahead. A key element of Radisson Hotel Group’s strategy to leverage its internal talent, Tim brought a wealth of experience and expertise to the SEAP region. Having overseen the opening of 45 hotels in MEA over the last three years, he has already been instrumental in strengthening the Group’s market presence in SEAP. Tim’s arrival has also included the expansion of several other key departments, such as HR, F&B, Revenue, Marketing and Procurement, as the company positions itself for future success.
This fresh impetus was boosted by the arrival of Rob Collier as Managing Director for Future Openings, who has also expanded his successful MEA role to encompass SEAP and will now be instrumental in the growth of the Group’s portfolio across both these exciting regions. Following the arrival of Tim and Rob, Radisson Hotel Group has achieved several milestones. Radisson RED, the bold upper-upscale lifestyle brand, was introduced to SEAP with the launch of Radisson RED Danang, Vietnam, and will soon be complemented by Radisson RED Resort Phuket Patong, Thailand. Radisson Collection Galle, Sri Lanka, will mark the regional debut of this luxury lifestyle brand, followed by the launch of Radisson Blu Resort Hoi An, Vietnam, both in Q1 2025.
In total, Radisson Hotel Group signed 16 new hotels and resorts across SEAP in 2024, as it continues to unlock the vast potential of this fast-growing region with its comprehensive collection of 10 distinct brands.
Looking ahead to 2025, Radisson Hotel Group will open a series of exciting properties all across the region. These will include three additional Park Inn by Radisson hotels in the Philippines, where this contemporary upper-midscale brand is already a market leader. Indonesia and Malaysia will be in the spotlight, with between 40 and 50 new hotels set to be established across these two countries by 2030. The Group will also reaffirm its commitment to its most important strategic markets: Thailand, Vietnam, Australia and New Zealand.
Radisson Hotel Group’s confidence in Asia Pacific is underpinned by a variety of factors, including the growth of intra-regional travel, and high demand from major source markets like India, the Middle East, and China. As part of Jin Jiang International, the world’s second largest hotel chain, Radisson Hotel Group is perfectly positioned to take advantage of the opportunities created by the huge Chinese travel sector, which is forecast to generate 200 million outbound tourists by 2028¹.
The Group is ready to cater for this surge in demand, having successfully implemented its five-year action plan and completed landmark investments across the business. Being a customer-centric company, Radisson Hotel Group now offers personalised online and app content in more than 60 markets, which has resulted in a surge in conversion and click-through rates. Guests can also now virtually enter hotels, rooms and meeting spaces from their laptops, mobiles or even VR headsets. The launch of a revitalised HR strategy and Radisson Academy have helped to position Radisson Hotel Group as the employer-of-choice for talented hospitality professionals, and a steadfast commitment to responsible business and sustainability is underpinned by the Group’s target of becoming net zero by 2050.
“We can look back on 2024 with a great deal of satisfaction, and look forward to 2025 with a high degree of optimism. We have achieved several milestones this year, and it has been very exciting to see us introduce new brands to SEAP, including our inaugural Radisson RED and Radisson Collection hotels. As we leverage the benefits of our transformative five-year plan, our relationship with Jin Jiang International, and the vast growth potential of the Asia Pacific region, the coming years are set to be highly exciting for Radisson Hotel Group. We look forward to welcoming all guests to our expanding portfolio of hotels and resorts across the region,” said Tim Cordon, Chief Operating Officer, Middle East, Africa and South East Asia Pacific, Radisson Hotel Group.
