Page 75 - MASALA Magazine Vol.15 Issue 5 | June - July 2024

Hospitality and real estate are long-term businesses. It’s not about
Secondly, we’re approaching sustainability from the engineering
side – we’re pushing hard to make sure we can put more money posting on TikTok or Instagram, and getting a million subscribers.
into reducing our carbon footprint through engineering, from solar Often, the younger generation want something more flexible and
panels; to irrigation; to implementing the ISO framework, which an easier take on life – that’s okay, but with hospitality, you’ll need
ensures that some of our hotels can reduce their carbon footprint. It’s to build your business from the ground up, like a tree. The payback
a long journey, but one we’re willing to take. In the F&B side, we period will take at least 10 years, which is a big investment in time and
try to get our ingredients directly from farmers and local producers money. With the current economic landscape and high interest rates,
as much as we can. the pace of growth will be a lot slower, but more selective. Whatever
location and brand you put together, you have to be 150 percent sure
What strategies does ONYX Hospitality Group employ to enhance that it’s going to work.
the guest experience across its various properties, including the
ways it leverages technology to improve operations? Going forward, I try to ensure that hospitality in Thailand and SE

Asia is still an attractive industry to be in. If it’s not an attractive
We have our own application, with which guests can sign in, upgrade, proposition, I can’t attract talent and media attention, and the brand
and are given all kinds of services related to the guest experience value won’t go up.
based on the brand that we have. Each brand gives a different guest
experience: Amari is more refined and peaceful; OZO is more As you mentioned, many in the Thai-Indian community own
colourful, more lifestyle-related; and more engaged with local practices, real estate, or are hoping to enter the hospitality industry. Which
from street art to surfing on the beach. I want to leave room for elements of your businesses have been particularly attractive to
creativity for each brand. Every brand needs identity and ownership, the community, and what opportunities for collaboration do you
or it won’t have the flair and attractiveness; it’s just hardware with no foresee?
real attachment. For one, the Amari brand has a great reputation in the Thai-Indian

How do you ensure effective leadership and management across community. But right now, we’d love to focus on the next generation of
ONYX Hospitality Group’s diverse portfolio of hotels and resorts? Thai-Indians who own real estate and are thinking of expanding beyond

full-service hotels. Perhaps they’re considering serviced apartments,
This was one of the most difficult tasks for me, because you need to mid-scale hotels, or 3-star hotels with high profitability. Many want to
really know your people, and ensure discipline across the board. Some work with overseas brands, but if you don’t have the scale to contribute,
hotels have had General Managers (GMs) who have been around for then you become just a number to them. However, ONYX Hospitality
more than 10 years, or financial controllers who’ve been with us for Group will always treat our partners like people – we have an owner-
more than 20 years. Joining the team, it was a culture shock for me to-owner relationship.
because while experience can be good, sometimes doing the same
thing for so long can mean that everyone can get too comfortable, Are there any exciting new projects or developments in the pipeline
and they’re not open to change. for ONYX that you can share with us?

I had to force a lot of changes: we rotated all the key management at We just launched Shama Hub, a studio serviced apartment in
the property level, and established targets and financial goal posts that Hong Kong, and next month we will launch another Shama Hub
they needed to deliver in three years. We built up the team, and as in Hangzhou and then Amari Colombo in Sri Lanka, and Amari
we continue growing our portfolio, we’ve handpicked talent for each Vientiane in Laos. There are a lot of big openings we’re trying to
property, and created a roadmap for them. Sometimes, Thailand’s complete this year, and there will be some conversions as well, like
hospitality industry is so tight-knit, and after being here for so long, an Amari resort in Bang Saen.
people’s mindset can become too sabai; too laidback. We’ve really We’re targeting around THB 5 billion of reinvestment next year. We’re
set out to challenge our key management and ensure they don’t also in the process of signing a joint venture with a hotel operator
become too complacent. We encourage them, after a while as GM, from Malaysia, to do a project together in Phuket. It’ll be the first
to either move to the corporate office, or try something new, even joint venture for us, which is very exciting.
exploring opportunities outside of ONYX Hospitality Group. However,
as a medium-sized company, we still retain the personal touch; we What message would you like to give to the Thai-Indian community,

recognise all our people and know their names. including advice for those in the industry?
We want to ensure that Indian culture is a recognised part of Southeast
What are the biggest challenges you face in the hospitality sector Asia – for example, we’ve opened our brand-new NILA restaurant
today, and what opportunities do you see for growth and expansion? on the 18th of March, on the 4th floor of Amari Bangkok. This
A lot of people have or inherit real estate, but they don’t know what establishment promises an unforgettable culinary journey curated by
to do with it to generate recurring income – everyone just wants to Chef Bharath S. Bhat, the esteemed winner of Thailand’s Iron Chef
build hotels and serviced apartments. My goal is to ensure that the one-on-one battle chef competition. NILA sets a new standard for
ONYX Hospitality Group brand portfolio can create opportunities for Indian cuisine, blending traditional recipes with contemporary flair
all the real estate developers and landlords who would be interested to create a truly immersive dining experience, indirectly catering to
to enter the industry. We’re here on the ground, we know the turf, we the Thai-Indian community. Additionally, we’re hoping to incorporate
know the players; we’re not just the new kid on the block. more Ayurvedic treatments in our spa brands. We’re also working

We want ONYX Hospitality Group to be one of the top brands in with one of the best F&B consultants, Soho Hospitality, which is
Thailand or the region that those who want to enter the hospitality Thai-Indian owned.

industry would want to consult and seek advice from. Our portfolio is As a local player, I believe we can find great synergy with the Thai-
not going to have 1,000 properties in the next 10 years. At maximum, Indian community to create something exciting. My advice would
we’ll maybe have around 70 by 2028, although the target is to move be, don’t look at us as solely a local brand, we are a regional brand
to as many as 100 properties. But if they’re the right properties, with committed to long-term partnerships. We seek owner-to-owner
the right people, the pressure to manage 100 properties will be the relationships that are personalised and enduring. In short, don’t be a
same as managing 10 properties. stranger. I’m around, I would love to meet you and get to know more
people in the Thai-Indian community, and help in whatever way I can.

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