Langham gives hotels more local control as it expands

Thailand, Italy, and Saudi Arabia are next on the group’s expansion map.

Hong Kong’s Langham Hospitality Group Ltd. is giving hotels more flexibility to adapt to local markets whilst tightening performance reviews and staff development as it prepares to open more than 20 properties through 2028.

“A successful launch depends on the culture of the team as much as the quality of the product,” Langham Chief Operating Officer Nils-Arne Schroeder told Hong Kong Business.

Schroeder, who took the role in June, said his first-year priorities include hotel performance, guest experience, leadership appointments, staff training, and understanding local market expectations.

The group plans to open The Langham, Custom House, Bangkok in December, its first hotel in Thailand, followed by properties in Italy and Malaysia in 2027 and Saudi Arabia in 2028.

The company will use its LEAD The Langham Way programme to prepare managers and hotel teams before the openings. Owners and hotel teams will also agree on commercial plans, service culture, and the guest experience before operations begin.

“The most complex projects are those that take us into a country or region for the first time, particularly when rooted in places of architectural or cultural significance,” Schroeder said in an emailed reply to questions.

The Bangkok hotel incorporates a heritage building along the Chao Phraya River, whilst the Venice property on Murano Island will occupy a former glassmaking factory.

The Langham, Diriyah, its first hotel in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East, will require preparation because of its proximity to the birthplace of the Kingdom, he added.

Schroeder held senior roles with Raffles and Fairmont Hotels & Resorts. He is also responsible for Langham’s portfolio of more than 30 hotels and residences, as well as group operations and quality and sustainability.

Investment in existing properties will remain a priority alongside expansion, he said.

“Keeping trophy properties at their best has an impact beyond a single hotel,” Schroeder pointed out.

Langham also plans to expand sustainability measures across its portfolio, including improved tracking, purchasing, and preparation to cut food waste and a more sustainable in-room amenity programme.