Anthony McDonald, CEO, Boutique Hospitality Management Asia (BHMAsia), talks about the company’s brands and future expansion plans…

　　Anthony McDonald, CEO, Boutique Hospitality Management Asia (BHMAsia), talks about the company’s brands and future expansion plans…

　　You currently offers several different brands, including X2 and Away – how do you differentiate between these?

　　X2 (pronounced ‘Cross To’) is a chain of boutique design five-star hotels, resorts, residences and apartments in Thailand and Australia, and soon in China). X2 has a very unique and unequivocal persona of simplicity, natural, freedom and privacy that is embraced by all elements, whether it be design, service, location. It delivers this in very unpretentious manner that is both confident and down to earth – just like our guests.

　　All the Away properties appeal to people who recognise they need to find a better balance, without forging some of life’s luxuries. It is a relaxed and casual brand that allows guests to slow down and take a break from the chaos and complexities of life.

　　You are currently planning a property in Hainan. Is China a major area of focus for BHM Asia?

　　China is our main overseas expansion focus at the moment. We have several property and hotel developers in China looking for fresher, more stylish brands, and our success and fame in Thailand has attracted their attention. We expect several openings of our X2 brand next year, and several spa openings. The first of our YanSpa’s will open in Hainan in March. There is a growing need for unique boutique property brands, and our X2 and Away brands are ideally suited for this increasing trend in China.

　　What are your main guest source markets, and are you seeing a rise in demand from Asia’s emerging markets?

　　Each property in our portfolio has a very different source market profile, so it is difficult to generalise. However we do see largest source coming from domestic and regional markets. Like most hotels we are seeing increased Chinese clientele, but also from Korea, Hong Kong and Malaysia.

　　What parts of Asia do you believe hold the most potential for BHMAsia’s future expansion?

　　Thailand is our home base, so that will always be a large part of our business. After that China will be our biggest market, without a doubt. It will take time to develop, but the very positive feedback we are receiving from developers there is encouraging.

　　What future developments can we expect from BHMAsia over the coming months?

　　We have been working on the development of a Condotel brand and rental pool management service for Thai and China condo developers. We have a background in this area, and hope to work with developers who have unsold inventory or completed projects with a need for professional rental management. In the next six months we plan 2-3 properties in Thailand with another two in China under this new brand.