Mövenpick CEO upbeat on Sri Lanka tourism

By Nisthar Cassim

Leading Swiss hospitality brand in the world Mövenpick is upbeat on Sri Lanka’s tourism industry’s prospects, giving it confidence about its first-ever hotel in the city, whilst looking for opportunities in a beach resort.

In partnership with Softlogic Holdings Plc., the Swiss giant is busy rolling out the first hotel in Sri Lanka – the 200-room five-star property at Colpetty.

Recently in town was Mövenpick Hotels and Resorts President and CEO Jean Gabriel Peres to sign the management agreement with Softlogic Holdings. The Colombo hotel, excavation work for which slated for January, will be completed within 24 months.

“With the growing business traveller in mind as well as holiday guests, Mövenpick Colombo will be cosy, warm, exquisite, premium quality, and an upscale five-star hotel,” Peres told the Daily FT in an exclusive interview, along with Chief Operating Officer Middle East and Asia Andreas Matmuller.



Positioning itself as a single-brand operator of a “collection of hotels” instead of the standard “chain of hotels,” Peres said the Colombo city hotel would be classy with a Sri Lankan theme.

“Each of our hotels has its own unique character and a sense of place. Colombo will have its own, making it unique within the Mövenpick collection, aided by the quality of the operating team in Sri Lanka,” said CEO Peres, adding that in Softlogic Holdings and its Chairman Ashok Pathirage, the Swiss brand has found the perfect partnership.



At present Mövenpick manages a collection of 76 hotels worldwide in 25 countries in Europe, Middle East, Asia and Africa and has 30 more under construction. By end 2015 it will manage 100 hotels. Of the 30 upcoming properties are Ankara, (Turkey), Dubai (four projects – United Arab Emirates); Abu Dhabi (three projects – United Arab Emirates), Shanghai (China), Dharamshala (India). In India its foray was with first property in Bangalore, which was recently voted as the best business hotel in the Southern city by tripadvisor.

“Sri Lanka’s natural hospitality and warmth is legendary. Sri Lanka is a gorgeous country. Following the end of the conflict Sri Lanka has great potential for the future,” emphasised Peres, who has had some exposure to Sri Lanka having been the Managing Director for Asia Pacific of Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts.



“I know how Sri Lanka was 30 years ago and was pleasantly surprised to see its vastly improved profile today,” the Mövenpick CEO said. “The country has changed tremendously for the better now. The city is very clean and support infrastructure as well as real estate developments are encouraging. I am impressed with the quality of new hotels and the entry of several new brands,” he added.

A veteran hotelier, Peres said Sri Lanka tourism has the potential to be successful as Thailand is today as hospitality is natural for Sri Lankans. With increased marketing as well as specific positioning of Sri Lanka such as for health tourism, MICE tourism, etc., entry of more brands as well as greater flight connections will vastly improve prospects for Sri Lanka, the Mövenpick CEO emphasised.

The global brand is also looking for opportunities to manage a beach resort to complement and expand its offering in Sri Lanka.

Founded 60 years ago as a food and beverage company and foraying into hospitality 20 years later, Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts is passionate about delivering premium service, culinary enjoyment and sustainable environments – all with a personal touch.



“Our hotels are not mere brick and mortar, but living things with their unique characters. The soul of a hotel is the food and beverage; therefore we put a lot of emphasis on this as part of overall differentiation. We strive to make guests enjoy, and create emotions and experiences,” Peres said, adding that true to Swiss virtues, brand focus is on quality, trust, and precision.

“In all our properties worldwide, we rely on local talent and work closely with the local community,” said the CEO of Mövenpick, which has the largest Green Globe certified collection of hotels.

Peres, who has been CEO and President of Mövenpick since 1999, said Asia is the future growth markets for global tourism. Mövenpick has eight properties at present in Asia and there are seven slated for opening in the next two to three years and a further 10 in the pipeline that are being firmed up. In recent years Mövenpick has seen rapid expansion in the Middle East, which is home for 35 of its hotels and resorts both operating and those opening soon.



The collection of over 70 hotels at present or 100 by 2015 will market Sri Lanka, whilst Mövenpick will also harness the 17 sales offices globally in addition to online and social media and familiarisation tours. In the management agreement with Softlogic Holdings Plc, a marketing contribution has been inbuilt as well with penalty for non-performance.

Born in Paris, Peres has an MBA from ESSEC, the French business school. Following two years in the French Navy, Peres has had an international career within the hospitality and luxury goods sectors. Before joining Mövenpick, Peres was the Managing Director of a leading sales and distribution company for luxury goods, perfume and tobacco products with branches in 13 Asian countries.

Prior to this, he was the Managing Director for Asia Pacific of Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts and an Executive Committee member of the Le Méridien Group. During his tenure with Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts he was based in Hong Kong. In a previous capacity, he was the Group’s Vice President Development for Africa and the Middle East. Prior to joining Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts he negotiated strategic partnerships, including aeronautical agreements with corporations in the United States and the Middle East for the Matra Lagardere Group (today EADS).



Peres is a board member of Orascom Development and an active member of the World Travel & Tourism Council. He resides with his family in Paris and is a vivid tennis player and sailor.

Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts, an international upscale hotel management company with over 14,000 employees, has evolved into a highly-regarded upscale hotel management company since its founding in 1973. Today Mövenpick counts among the 50 leading hotel groups in the world. Traditional Swiss values, such as quality, reliability, and care with a personal touch, are lived in all its hotels, so that the almost six million guests annually feel very well taken care of.



For Ueli Prager, the founder of Mövenpick, the key to a successful business was a simple idea. “We aren’t doing anything extraordinary,” he was fond of saying. “We are simply successful because we are doing quite normal things in an extraordinary manner.”

It was a philosophy that revolutionised the European restaurant business and inspired a completely new generation of hospitality. The hotel company is owned by the Mövenpick Holding (66.7%) and the Kingdom Group (33.3%).