Last year at this time, Phil Keb was the new guy at Langham Hospitality Group, having been named EVP/development, The Americas and Europe. Twelve months later, Keb is moving the dial on expanding Langham Hotels & Resorts (LH&R), which includes luxury properties for The Langham and Langham Place brands, as well as upscale developments for the Cordis and Eaton brands, and pursuing investment opportunities and management contracts throughout the United States, Western Europe, the Caribbean and South America.
An industry veteran, Keb previously served in executive positions with Commune Hotels, Kiawah Partners, Capella Hotel Group, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co. and Hyatt Hotels Corp.
How would you characterize Langham in terms of its brand awareness with guests, as well as industry players? As to guests, in the markets where we operate LH&R properties, there is very high brand awareness. Our namesake property in London just celebrated its 150th anniversary in June, and there is extraordinary brand awareness with the luxury customer in London. Given the location of our headquarters in Hong Kong, the multiple properties we operate in that market and the large number of hotels in China, there is very strong brand awareness in Asia. The opening of The Langham, Chicago two years ago, coupled with all the accolades that property has received, has really been a shot in the arm here in the U.S. for brand recognition. As to industry players, most are aware Langham Hospitality Group is part of Hong Kong-based Great Eagle Holdings, and that goes long way to give the company awareness in the development and investment communities. Great Eagle is a global property developer, owner and manager of a broad range of real estate assets, including hotels.
Langham Hospitality Group is looking to expand. Why is now the best time? Like a lot of things in life, I am not sure there is always a best time—or worse time, for that matter—for a lot of things. Having said that, LH&R is fortunate Great Eagle has a long-term view of investing in both real estate and the management company to expand the number of hotels we manage. We are evaluating and committing to projects with that long-term view in mind.
What markets are on your radar? We have new projects underway in San Francisco, Santa Fe [NM] and Dallas. My colleagues in Hong Kong have been very busy and productive with new projects under development in Dubai; Doha [Qatar]; Bali [Indonesia]; Tokyo; Kuala Lumpur [Malaysia]; Jakarta [Indonesia]; Chongqing and several other cities in China. If you include existing hotels and those under development, there are a total of 36 LH&R properties around the world.
Additional new markets we are looking at include Washington, DC; Miami; Houston; Los Angeles; Barcelona [Spain]; Milan, Rome and Florence in Italy; and Berlin.
What markets would be good fits for Cordis or Eaton? Right now, the immediate plans for Cordis are all in Asia; Shanghai, Bali and Hong Kong are the key markets in which we see Cordis’ growth. There are eight Cordis hotels under development today. For Cordis to be globally relevant, we realize we will need hotels and distribution in major markets outside Asia. So, we are selectively seeking locations in major cities and resorts in North America and Europe. Eaton is still a work in progress and has yet to be officially announced. Watch for Eaton’s announcement; it is a great new concept in the lifestyle space.
How will the company grow? Today, the company owns about two-thirds of the hotels we brand/manage. Going forward, we see about two-thirds of the growth being from third-party management, but will continue to invest in strategic properties to grow all of our brands. Acquisitions are preferred due to the shorter time to market, but we are looking at all types of projects.
Do you see new frontiers for the brand, e.g., adding a certain tech amenity or distinct F&B concepts, in order to capture greater market share in the luxury space? Most of the technology we are focused on is the kind that our guests don’t see but that helps provide better service. On the F&B side, we have developed a particularly strong expertise in Asia with fine Cantonese dining. We have several Michelin Star restaurants in the region and are a recognized leader in that area. In new developments, we are evaluating F&B partners that share our vision of great service coupled with innovative and successful concepts. At the end of the day, it is about generating the most profit per sq. ft. in the F&B areas whether we self-operate, lease or operate in some kind of alternative structure.
How are you parlaying your previous career experience in this position? The relationships and contacts in the industry are the obvious ones. Having had the opportunity to work with some of the great brands in the luxury resort and hotel sector has given me a perspective to help contribute among the leadership team at Langham Hotels & Resorts.
What appeals most to you about your role? Two things: First, being part of Great Eagle Holdings and the global perspective on real estate investing and development that brings has been a great learning experience. Second, to once again be working with Bob Warman, our CEO, as well as alongside the great leadership team he has assembled. It is an incredibly smart, hardworking and diverse group of people who I get to work with every day.
What has surprised you thus far about being part of Langham Hospitality Group? The experience and passion of the general managers and their leadership teams in the hotels are of the highest caliber. I am routinely impressed by their sense of innovation, the loyalty they inspire in our guests and the level of service they offer on a daily basis. HB