The hospitality arm of Great Eagle Holdings, Langham Hospitality Group is a family of distinctive hotels that has a portfolio of landmark destinations in Asia Pacific, North America, UK and Europe. Here, RLI speaks with CEO Brett Butcher to discuss the company’s evolving portfolio and its next steps in the coming months.
Great Eagle Holdings acquired the legendary Langham, London in 1996 as part of a strategic move to build a global luxury hotel portfolio. At the time, this was the only Langham in the world but with its incredible history and heritage as Europe’s first grand hotel, a vision was born to build this into the globally recognised luxury hospitality brand it is in 2022.
“We operate 29 properties across the globe and we have a further 32 under development,” says Brett Butcher, CEO of Langham Hospitality Group. “The Langham and its sister brands can be found in gateway cities and international business or leisure hubs where our guests want us to be. We have been deliberately selective in our approach to ensure each hotel can deliver the essence of the brand while being at the true heart of every location.”
Today, the company is known as Langham Hospitality Group and this is the umbrella for its brands, The Langham, its upper upscale sister brand, Cordis and new upper midscale brand, Ying’nFlo.
Jakarta, Indonesia
As we move on to discussing the portfolio in a little more detail, Butcher explains that the company continues to open hotels in important international locations. Last year saw the launch of The Langham, Jakarta marking their first property in Southeast Asia which is setting a new benchmark for luxury hotels in the city.
Meanwhile, in June this year The Langham, Gold Coast in Australia opened to the public – the first direct beachfront resort to open in the destination in 30 years.
“Gold Coast is a globally renowned leisure destination with its own unique sense of style and culture. We have married the heart of our brand to the heart of the Gold Coast culture to create an iconic, beach front, luxury destination property in terms of facilities and service which we believe will make their community and our guests proud.”
In addition to new openings, they have also just reopened The Langham, Boston after a two-year, multi-million-dollar renovation to transform it into a landmark destination of which the community could be proud. With the renovation they paid homage to the building’s original status as a Federal Reserve Bank, and to Boston’s rich heritage with the introduction of an extensive new art collection.
In terms of new additions to the portfolio, they will open Cordis in Xuzhou, China in 2023 and three more projects in 2024, The Langham, Chengdu, Cordis, Baoshan International Cruise Terminal and a resort, Cordis Xianghu, Hangzhou. Meanwhile they are looking forward to opening The Langham, Venice in 2025, in a former fifteenth century Murano factory. Further down the line they will open in Tokyo and they have an extensive pipeline plan for China and Southeast Asia.
Boston, US
Unsurprisingly, location comes first for Langham Hospitality Group as they push forward with their goal of building the finest hotels in unsurpassed locations in the greatest cities and destinations around the world.
“Beyond the immediate wow factors of stepping into Europe’s first grand hotel or staying in a converted Federal Reserve Bank, or the architectural wonder of a Mies van der Rohe skyscraper, we look for opportunities that would bring these beautiful buildings to life. The Langham legacy captivates the senses of our guests with a world of sophisticated, gracious hospitality in an environment that speaks of old-world grandeur with modern sensibilities. Cordis is built around heartfelt service for travellers seeking a unique five-star experience in a hub destination,” explains Butcher.
The digital space is an important one for the business in terms of creating a brand that is visually appealing and luxuriously playful in nature which ensures it continues to command consumer attention. The company CEO highlights that the convergence of e-commerce and social media is a global phenomenon which have different tactical challenges from China to North America. “What this means is that while our core branding remains true visually and in terms of language, the execution is adapted for each market user’s experience.”
Another important priority is in the area of sustainability, which is integrated into the core purpose of the business. For the last 12 years they have implemented a systematic approach to managing environmental issues at hotels through a partnership with EarthCheck, who provide the holistic environmental management systems used by the travel and tourism industry as benchmarks and certification of their operational practices.
So why does Butch believe that guests remain loyal to the concept and their destinations?
“People come to The Langham to remember their special occasions, big and small. In essence, we “Celebrate The Everyday” – something that is incredibly personal to our guests, whether it is a big wedding or birthday through to everyday celebrations – the small wins in life.”
Butcher goes on to say these may include a Friday champagne cocktail at The Artesian at The Langham, London after a busy work week to a romantic milestone dinner for two at one of their Michelin-starred Chinese restaurants.
“Without a doubt, Langham Hospitality Group and its family of brands have built a loyal following of guests who resonate with the values we represent. For our like-minded owners, we’ve demonstrated resilience and agility to ensure their assets generate benchmark revenues and are well-maintained to exceptionally high standards,” the CEO comments.
“In everything we do, from global expansion and teamwork to brand development and financial results, we pursue it with excellence. The energy and dynamic approach that is required to achieve this high-level performance has meant we have built both global and local teams who can work together, adapt to changes rapidly and continue to pursue results that matter,” Butcher concludes.
