Shangri-La looks to future with Traders rebrand

Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts has revealed that Traders hotels will be rebranded under a new Generation Y-targeted brand, Hotel Jen.

The new brand has been developed to cater to “a new Jeneration” of travellers and is inspired by a virtual persona called Jen, “a professional hotelier who loves life, travel and the adventure of discovering new places”.

The Hotel Jen is to have an “informed and friendly service style”, offering guests local information and recommendations. The virtual personal concept is aimed at creating “a sense of belonging reflected through a brand persona that positions guests as “friends of Jen”.

Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts CEO Greg Dogan said: "The Hotel Jen experience delivers what matters most to guests with a millennial mind set. They appreciate important things done well; demand quality, comfort and value, together with honest, authentic service; and want privacy and efficiency without unnecessary fuss or intrusion."

The website of the new brand, hoteljen.com, welcomes guests in the first person with an “about me” section instead of “about us” and a “my travel blog” section details a number of itinerary ideas for things to do around the launch hotel, Jen Orchardgateway, to open in Singapore this month.

Itineraries include “A whirlwind trip”, “Street food in Singapore” and “Singlish Lesson” in an informal friendly blogger style written in the first person.

Traders, Shangri-La’s 30-year old midscale brand, has according to Dogan had “success in generating solid business, carving out a niche amidst a highly competitive industry and building a loyal base of customers”.

However he added that now Shangri-La is “looking to the future”.

“Based on extensive consumer research and insight into the way our target market lives and travels, including talking and listening to our customers – we are recognising and responding to the global travel trends and particular needs of this new generation traveller. This will keep us relevant and competitive for the next 20 years to come," he said.

In the first phase of the Hotel Jen roll-out, the Traders hotels in Singapore, Hong Kong, Brisbane, Penang, Johor Bahru, Manila, Maldives, Beijing and Shenyang will be rebranded to Hotel Jen from September 2014 to March 2015.

Future Hotel Jen development projects are under discussion in key gateway cities in South East Asia and no plans have yet been confirmed yet for Traders Dubai, Traders Abu Dhabi or Traders Doha, set to open next year.