Business as usual...
GuocoLeisure unit to launch 3 hotel chains
London-based unit rebranded as glh. ahead of worldwide launch
Published on Jun 12, 2013
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By Rachael Boon
SINGAPORE-LISTED GuocoLeisure has rebranded a British unit in preparation for launching three new hotel chains around the world.
The firm has renamed Guoman Hotel Management (UK) as GLH Hotels Management (UK) but will refer to the entity using the snappier title glh.
The unit is a major hotel owner and operator in London, with more than 4,000 rooms in the city. In all, it has 36 outlets in Britain, including those under the Thistle brand.
Chief executive Mike DeNoma told The Straits Times by telephone from London: "glh. will be launching the first of the three global chains next month, a luxury chain, and this will have an impact on Singapore.
"The other two chains will be a budget brand launching in September or October and a four-star brand, in October or November this year."
It will also revitalise the Thistle brand, which has been doing well over the past 12 months, with "an increase of 57 per cent in the amount of loyal users".
Mr DeNoma said glh. marks a new strategic direction for the firm, as well as introducing a different operating model.
"We've got a model that is differentiated in two ways. One is how we manage the hotels and how we create value with guests and owners," he said.
"The second is how we deal with employees and unlock their potential."
Some of the changes include offering more flexible terms and conditions to property owners and developers, such as shorter terms of agreements.
Mr DeNoma also said the company aims to move away from a hierarchical way of management so that glh.'s general managers have more autonomy. "We found there was a dramatic under-use of talent and human potential in our folks. The company tended to be hierarchical and paternalistic," he added.
"What we've done is that we've taken that model and flipped it on its head, put a new layer of profit-accountable general managers reporting to the hotel general manager, so that they become true hotel general managers."
Mr DeNoma was previously chief executive of Chinatrust Commercial Bank and, before that, the global head of consumer banking at Standard Chartered.
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