Hong Kong-based Langham Hospitality Group is in the midst of an ambitious expansion plan, aiming to roughly triple its portfolio to more than 100 properties. The company, which is known for its luxury Langham brand and upper-upscale Cordis hotels, also plays in the limited-service space with Ying'nFlo properties and in lifestyle with its Eaton flag. Hotels editor Christina Jelski sat down with Langham CEO Bob van den Oord during ILTM Cannes in December to learn about the group's latest developments.
Bob van den Oord
Q: Which markets are you targeting for expansion?
A: Japan is very popular right now, and we have focus on not just Tokyo but also other areas in Japan. Korea is going to be very popular in the next couple of years, and hopefully we can announce something there within the next year. In Europe, we feel there are some opportunities. We do have our Langham Venice project opening in 2027, which will be right in Murano. We're really happy with the announcement of the Langham Kuala Lumpur opening in 2027. This particular hotel sits right in the Golden Triangle district of Kuala Lumpur, and that comes just on the back of our Langham Customs House Bangkok announcement.
Q: How is the hospitality landscape evolving?
A: We're seeing a widening of the luxury landscape. There's luxury, lifestyle luxury, ultraluxury, and within those segments there are many other offerings. And that's a really good trend, because that means there's something for everyone. We're also tapping into younger demographics with destination bars that we're putting in all our hotels. We have Artesian in London, we have Allegory in Washington, we have The Fed in Boston, and those are all award-winning bars.
Q: What about attracting the growing segment of travelers who may be drinking less or not at all?
A: That's a good point, and that's not just a trend. For example, at our Wigmore bar in London, we have nonalcoholic beer on draft, and it's very popular. We're probably going to take that to other hotels around the world. The mocktail section is also very popular, and we're looking at how we can we make that more attractive and appealing.
Q: This seems to tie into a broader wellness focus. How are you expanding your wellness offerings?
A: We're constantly trying to come up with new ideas and initiatives across our portfolio. We have our Sleep Matters program, for example, and we've just partnered with the Sleep Cycle sleep-tracking app. Sleep Matters isn't just a slogan; it's something we've done in every one of our rooms around the world to make sure we have the right blackout curtains, that there are no red lights flickering around the room, that it's quiet and that we have the most comfortable mattresses. Secondly, we've partnered with a dietitian who has created beautiful dishes that we offer on our menus. We still have hamburgers and club sandwiches, but these other options are for people that are a bit more health focused.
Q: What challenges do you see in the new year?
A: Obviously, China has gone through a few things economically over the past year, and we feel it's probably going to continue a little longer. We're a little concerned, because a big part of our portfolio is in China. We have 16 hotels there now and 15 hotels in our project pipeline. I've spoken to various luxury travel agents, and they are seeing some good momentum coming out of China and going outbound, and that's good, but I'm keeping an eye on inbound travelers coming into China and staying at our hotels. It's a cycle, and China will be back. It's the biggest economy in the world. We will continue to focus on China, and we just need a little bit of luck on our side for the environment to improve.