Dusit International half a decade ago decided it would go global. It’s making good on that promise today.

Adding a further 36 properties to a portfolio of 25 is what is filling the days of Rustom Vickers, Thai hotel company Dusit International’s group director of development.

The pipeline will noticeably expand the 67-year-old company out of its Asian roots.

“Dusit is known as the pioneering Thai hotel company, but four or five years ago a decision was taken to push the company to a new level due to a series of push and pull factors,” Vickers said.

“We are an Asian brand looking to grow internationally and be recognized, leveraging from a great macro-economic situation, the impact of Chinese and Asian outbound travelers,” he said.

“Thailand’s political volatility was one of the push factors, but there is a genuine demand for Thai hospitality all across the world—basic things such as spa, hospitality and food. Some is difficult to put a finger on, but people want to come back to it. We are looking to export this but not to merely copy and paste,” Vickers said.

Dusit’s pipeline features hotels in approximately a dozen countries, he added, such as United Arab Emirates, Mozambique, Guam and South Africa. Helping the cause are regional development offices in Dubai, Hong Kong, New Delhi and Seattle.

“We have a new Saudi Arabia joint venture for three projects, a second property coming to Cairo and safari lodges under negotiation in Tanzania,” he said.

Africa is one major pull, according to Vickers.

“The Nairobi property (101-room DusitD2 Nairobi debuted on 31 March) already has opened up so much interest from there to work with Asia,” Vickers said. Despite increasing its international reach, Dusit’s core focus is Asia—Singapore, The Philippines, Vietnam, Myanmar and “definitely” China, he added.

Family affair

A listed company on the Stock Exchange of Thailand since 1975, Dusit remains 49% family-owned, with a conservative business dynamic attracting institutional and private capital.

“We see things on a long-term basis. It’s a steady company,” Vickers said.

The company owns approximately half of its hotels and acts primarily as an owner-operator, but growth now is coming via management contracts as well.

“Each market has nuances, and we like investing equity in strategic investments,” he said. “The ultimate aim is to put Dusit on the map.”

He said investors see Thai hospitality as a unique selling point, as it focuses on clear, niche offerings. “It’s not generic, it works well and it’s true to what we are,” Vickers said.

Africa is one place these attitudes and desires combine well, he said.

“There’s a similar mentality, ethos and long-term business appreciation. As we are a family business, there’s more of an approach of mutual respect,” Vickers said.

In China and India, the company enacts partnerships because there is room for volume and scale, and investors like the reassurance that they’re dealing with locals, Vickers said. Two years ago, the company created a joint venture in China called Dusit Fudu that did 17 projects in two years. Three of those projects have opened and the rest are in construction.

“China is on its own in terms of pace and speed and the way business is done, and 90% of hotel demand is domestic,” Vickers said.

“Five years ago there’d be a concern (in China) over quality issues, but now properties are above brand standard. In all of Asia, the idea is to build beautiful hotels for hospitality and (to save) face,” Vickers added.

Dusit times four

Dusit has four brands, all seeking new locations:

Dusit Thani: Traditional, grand (10 opened; 18 in pipeline)

Dusit Devarana: Luxury, boutique (two opened; three in pipeline)

DusitD2: Upcoming, young, trendy (five opened; 10 in pipeline)

Dusit Princess: midscale, convenient, uncomplicated (five opened; three in pipeline)

Of much interest to Dusit is the Indian Ocean nation of The Maldives, and again a core target is the Chinese.

“Five years ago, no one believed Chinese would want Maldives, but now they’re No. 1in inbound,” Vickers said.

Growth is the game for Dusit despite the company posting losses in net profit and earnings per share in 2014.

“Last year was difficult in Thailand due to the political situation, but overall we’re in growth mode and have spent on our team and portfolio,” Vickers said.

China’s economic wobbles are of concern, too, he said, with the “hotel market down 30% year on year predominantly due to government cuts, but ultimately (hotel development) is good for the country and long-term. … There is less of an over-supply situation in the market.

“No Chinese company has really taken a hold in the 4- and 5-star segments, but everyone looking at the space wonders whether a Chinese upscale brand will move in with more flexibility. For us, though, in markets such as Shanghai with over-brand saturation, there’s a benefit for (Dusit) as the (Chinese) want something new and fresh but still international,” Vickers added.

Back to school

Another goal of Dusit is to increase industry education via its Dusit Hospitality Management Business School.

“Again, it’s about Thai values, a unique proposition, as no other hotel company has a genuine school offering. The industry suffers from not having enough talent. We’re looking to have hotel school projects around the world,” Vickers said.

The educational initiative has campuses in Bangkok, Pattaya (Thailand) and Philippines.

“In Thailand, we’re blessed in terms of hospitality, but there’s a gap in operational talent,” Vickers said.

Vickers knows that first hand, having been brought up in Hong Kong of English descent and with a career spanning Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, InterContinental Hotels Group and Hyatt Hotels Corporation.

“Joining Dusit was an interesting, refreshing challenge—to be part of a growing, medium-sized company with long-term goals. Multinationals are numbers driven and somewhat impersonal,” Vickers added.