Aston Takes Hawaii-Centric Operations To Asia/Pacific
<B> Aston Takes Hawaii-Centric Operations To Asia/Pacific</B>
By Judy Jacobs
While Aston Hotels & Resorts is well known as an operator of Hawaii condominium properties, few are aware that the group now has an international presence. In its slightly more than two years of existence, Aston International has opened or assumed management contracts for five hotels in Guam and Indonesia, thus establishing a base from which to expand in the Asia/Pacific region.
"The idea to create an international division was conceived in 1996, when it became obvious that Hawaii's visitor industry would be in trouble for quite some time," said Elizabeth Powell, Aston International's director of planning and product development. "Aston became very aware that putting all of one's eggs in one basket was way too risky and looked toward Southeast Asia as a place to expand business."
The company's first international property, the all-suite Ladera Tower, in fact, began accepting guests in the village of Mangilao, Guam, in September 1997. Aston added a second Guam hotel when it assumed management of the Inn on the Bay at the island's southern Agat Bay three months later. From Guam, Aston moved on to Indonesia and opened its Bali Resort & Spa in Tanjung Benoa, near the Nusa Dua resort development in January 1998. It followed with two hotels in Jakarta, the Aston Grand Suites Jakarta, which it debuted in April 1998, and the Aston Atrium Hotel Jakarta, over which it assumed management in May 1999.
Aston's Indonesian and Guam hotels are just the beginning of the company's international expansion. "We would like to have under our management at least 20 hotels within the next five years in various Asia/Pacific countries," said Allan Takahashi, the company's Jakarta-based senior vice president. "We are looking to further expand our presence in Indonesia, the Philippines, Guam, Australia and China, in order of priority."
Added Takahashi: "We are in the process of opening three properties in Melbourne, which will have a total of 400 rooms. The first is scheduled to open in March 2000. These properties are four-star serviced apartments, located in close proximity to the central business district. In addition, we also have executed a memorandum of understanding to provide technical consulting services and management for a 124-unit, five-star serviced apartment complex scheduled to break ground next February in Melbourne across from the Crowne Casino.
"We are in discussions to take over the management of existing hotels in Indonesia (Bandung, Bali and Medan) and in Guam. We are also in very active negotiations for the management of a new hotel in Manila, scheduled to open in March 2000, and in Shanghai for a five-star hotel in Pudong, also scheduled to open next spring."
The company's goal is to start with major destinations and then move on to other parts of a particular country. "Once we establish our name presence in major cities or resort destinations, we would then expand our presence to other secondary business destinations," Takahashi said.
Aston plans to play on its brand name to attract American business travelers, competing with France's Accor and Hong Kong's Century Hotel Group to attract those who want high standards at a good value. "Because the Aston name is well known in the United States," Takahashi added, "we are looking at opening hotels in cities and countries that have a large number of U.S. investments and/or U.S. travelers.