Approximately 25 years ago, Kempinski was primarily present in Germany, with a portfolio comprising mostly city hotels. Since then, the company have diversified its portfolio in order to cater to business and leisure travellers.
Now, Kempinski manages 64 properties from traditional grand hotels to beach resorts, safari lodges and even a holistic retreat and is set to open a further 11 properties in 2011.
Kempinski Hotels offers a high standard of personalised service in attractive destinations in Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia.
Reto Wittwer, President and CEO of Kempinski Hotels, says: “We believe that even though our guests travel for different reasons, they enjoy discovering new countries, new people, and different cultures. That’s why becoming a part of the destination is important to us, as well as representing the best of a region’s hospitality traditions.”
The company’s most recent opening was in October 2010 - the Siam Kempinski Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand – which has been very well received by guests. The newly built property features 303 rooms and suites and 98 serviced apartments, all overlooking the property’s gardens and swimming pools.
Speaking about Kempinski’s flagship resorts, Wittwer says: “In all our main destinations, there are one or two properties which I consider a flagship property – unique, and a landmark in its own right.
“In Germany, the legendary Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin, right next to the Brandenburg Gate, is undeniably one of our finest properties. The history of the property, when brought together with service and product excellence, creates something magnificent."
“In Istanbul, the Çirağan Palace Kempinski on the shores of the Bosphorus is a very special landmark. Kempinski’s standards of service are integrated almost seamlessly with local hospitality traditions, which are quite unique."
“One of my personal favourites is the Bilila Lodge Kempinski in the Serengeti, in Tanzania. It is a wonderful property, surrounded by breathtaking scenery, where the comfort of a luxury hotel is entwined with the Serengeti’s stunning natural landscape.”
However, Wittwer said luxury cannot be endlessly duplicated. “You cannot have too many items of the same product on offer otherwise it will not be a luxury item but a mass product.
“The same is valid for luxury hotels. For this reason, we have decided to cap our portfolio at a certain point. This year’s openings are mainly in Asia, Middle East, and Eastern Europe.
“Our main requirements are to be the market leader, or manage a landmark property in the region.
“To give you an example, the Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates in Dubai is not the market leader in Dubai, but it offers something nobody else offers in Dubai – a ski resort in the middle of one of the hottest cities in the world."
For the full article, please see the March 2011 issue.
|
