When I first began masking the lodge trade years in the past, you’d hear the insult that massive manufacturers like Marriott International and IHG Hotels & Resorts could not efficiently personal a luxurious or way of life model.

Kimpton wasn’t the identical since IHG took over, cynics would jeer. The late Marriott CEO Arne Sorenson even admitted partnering with nightlife and lodge legend Ian Schrager on Edition Hotels partially as a result of “If we opened exactly the same box without Ian … Would we have gotten the same reception from the market? I think the answer is no.”

It’s due to this that I at all times seen IHG’s takeover of Six Senses and Regent with a little bit of skepticism. IHG wanted the ultraluxury additions to its model lineup, however would this increase to IHG imply a weakening in luxurious standing for the 2 takeover targets?

After visiting three Regent properties over the past month, it definitely appears to be a brand new day for luxurious and way of life over at IHG — one which signifies the lodge large is greater than able to working ultraluxury manufacturers. That poses a serious menace to IHG opponents like Marriott, Four Seasons, Hilton and Hyatt.

“Luxury and lifestyle brands are a strategic focus for us,” mentioned Tom Rowntree, IHG’s vice chairman of worldwide luxurious and way of life manufacturers, on the Regent Hong Kong final month. “Part of that is important from a loyalty perspective. We have a customer base seeking that. We have our loyalty members wanting us to have these aspirational brands within our offering.”

“What I’m really excited about is, up until about 2015, InterContinental was our only luxury brand,” he mentioned. “What we have done is we built out a portfolio of five very distinct brands.”

Kimpton, the Vignette Collection, Six Senses and Regent have all been added since then.

What’s in retailer for Regent below IHG’s affect

The final two years delivered the primary batch of Regent motels the place IHG was basically concerned from the beginning of improvement: Regent Phu Quoc in Vietnam, Regent Hong Kong and Carlton Cannes, a Regent Hotel, in southern France. An further lodge, Regent Santa Monica Beach in Southern California, is slated to open subsequent 12 months.

Jane Mackie — senior vice chairman of luxurious, way of life and premium manufacturers at IHG — instructed TPG on the International Luxury Travel Market convention in Cannes earlier this month that the vibe of a Regent lodge is supposed to be 50% serenity, 40% sudden concord and 10% decadence.

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“The decadence can be played up however a hotel wants,” Mackie mentioned whereas giving property-specific experiential choices as an instance. “We don’t apologize for decadence. It’s giving the hotels permission to amp that up.”

The motels observe model requirements and mantras like “personal haven,” meant to offer spacious rooms which can be speculated to be retreats you really wish to hand around in all day as a substitute of only a place to sleep and bathe. Guest rooms in Hong Kong and Cannes showcase unimaginable waterfront views with daybeds in entrance of the home windows.

In Phu Quoc, most villas and suites function personal swimming pools whereas all include ample dwelling and entertaining area. Regent Phu Quoc additionally received notably excessive marks for its extremely attentive workers, scrumptious meals choices at eating places like Oku, a Japanese-French omakase venue, and Rice Market, house to a palatial buffet that includes all the pieces from dumplings and banh mi to fresh-squeezed juices and pastries.

While Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai exterior Hoi An is a TPG workers favourite, it is simple to see the Regent Phu Quoc rapidly attaining an analogous lofty perch — particularly as Phu Quoc’s airport will get extra service past low cost air carriers.

Regent’s “With Compliments” model commonplace supplies extras like complimentary snacks and drinks from the lodge minibar. IHG additionally rolled out experiential choices like “Taste Studio” that should appeal to a following from vacationers who ebook a keep round a particular occasion.

During my keep at Regent Phu Quoc, this was displayed within the type of an art-inspired dinner with video projections throughout the desk (including an immersive layer to programs of lobster and marbled steak) and a musical efficiency by the Vietnam National Academy of Music.

“The way that we built the brand is so that it flexes and comes alive in its own unique way,” Rowntree mentioned.

Why different manufacturers ought to be nervous

It wasn’t too way back when IHG wasn’t seen in the identical luxurious and way of life class as its opponents like Marriott or Hyatt. The firm reportedly misplaced out on an try to amass Starwood earlier than Marriott swooped in on the finish of 2015.

But at present, it looks like IHG has an enviable place. Its speedy ascent within the ultraluxury and way of life area contains the launch of latest manufacturers just like the Vignette Collection and the addition of manufacturers with smaller footprints like Regent that do not have as a lot product inconsistency as, say, St. Regis or Ritz-Carlton, the place our readers and reporters have discovered wonderful motels but additionally ones that that want a bit of refresh and renovation.

“If you want to be perceived as the best, you can’t have a lot, and you have to really hold them to the highest standards,” Mackie mentioned of IHG’s outlook on ultraluxury.

IHG is not immune from model inconsistency issues, both. InterContinental Hotels & Resorts equally has its mixture of shining stars and properties in want of a bit of TLC. The firm acknowledged this earlier this 12 months by saying a model revamp for InterContinental.

But even that may be seen as an indication that IHG is taking its luxurious push significantly.

As a six-time winner of “Most Improved Player” trophies over the span of my childhood Little League profession, I do know that label could be seen as an insult.

But within the case of IHG and its luxurious division, it is a worthy distinction anybody ought to be blissful to obtain. The preliminary batch of IHG-influenced Regent Hotels & Resorts proves simply that.

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