HONG KONG—Hong Kong-based Shangri-La International Hotel Management Ltd. has revealed a new brand called Hotel Jen that will cater toward independently minded business and leisure travelers. The brand will launch quickly with 10 Hotel Jens opening in major cities in Asia Pacific by March 2015.
Hotel Jen Orchardgateway, opening in Singapore on Sept. 15, is the first hotel in a major initiative that will see the transformation of Shangri-La’s Traders Hotels. The rebrand will bring an intuitive service attitude and relaxed, friendly style to the diverse collection of existing and new mid-range hotels in Asia Pacific.
The Hotel Jen brand is inspired by the virtual persona Jen, a professional hotelier who loves life, travel, and the adventure of discovering new places. “The Hotel Jen experience delivers what matters most to guests with a millennial mindset. They appreciate important things done well; demand quality, comfort, and value, together with honest, authentic service; and want privacy and efficiency without unnecessary fuss or intrusion,” said Greg Dogan, president and CEO of Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts.
The Traders brand has had a 25-year history of success in generating solid business, Dogan said. “However, we are looking to the future and—based on extensive consumer research and insight into the way our target market lives and travels, including talking and listening to our customers—we are recognizing and responding to the global travel trends and particular needs of this new generation traveler. This will keep us relevant and competitive for the next 20 years to come.”
Stress-free ease and simplicity will be reflected in the overall Hotel Jen stay experience through the informal and friendly check-in, stay, check-out and ongoing contact. A sense of belonging will be reflected through a brand persona concept that positions guests as “friends of Jen,” with a caring and respectful service standard communicated by staff in an enthusiastic, helpful, and engaging way.
Hotel Jen will also guide guests to the best of where they are, through local restaurant recommendations, under-the-radar sights, and unusual boutiques. The Hotel Jen team will be a guest’s own personal local lifestyle guide.
Technology will also be key to catering to target guests. Free WiFi everywhere, all the time, and convenient mobile charging stations throughout the hotels are few of the many features.
Hotel Jen’s restaurants will focus on fresh local products. Free coffee/snack-box-to-go after breakfast and grab-and-go kiosks will be available.
“We are excited to be launching and engaging this new brand so rapidly. We definitely want to retain our existing customer base, who have been extremely loyal to us, but we also recognize that their needs have changed. Today’s guests want more flexibility, as busy non-traditional work hours tend to blend the boundaries between business and leisure,” said Lothar Nessmann, chief operations officer of the Hotel Jen brand.
“With the rebranding of Traders Hotels to Hotel Jen, we will broaden our range of guests and attract more travelers looking for distinctive experiences of local interest and character, as well as appeal to families and groups who want a more independent, yet friendly and personable stay experience,” added Nessmann.
In the first phase of the Hotel Jen roll-out, the Traders hotels in Singapore, Hong Kong, Brisbane, Penang, Johor Bahru, Manila, Maldives, Beijing, and Shenyang will be rebranded to Hotel Jen from September 2014 to March 2015. Future Hotel Jen development projects are under discussion in key gateway cities in South East Asia.
