Red Planet hotels launches new mid-market brand

Thailand-based Red Planet Hotels has launched a new brand for the mid-market sector in Asia.

Hotels under the Red Planet brand will target value-conscious travellers.

The new concept is being rolled out across 24 hotels, consisting of 3,783 rooms in Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines. In addition to the existing portfolio, Red Planet will be opening the new brand’s flagship properties in Tokyo and Bangkok this year.

Red Planet chief executive officer Tim Hansing said: “It’s all about value – value for our customers and creating value for our shareholders. When our guests leave our hotels we want them to think they have made a smart decision by staying with us.

“We conducted extensive surveys with many thousands of our guests across the region and, among other things, we established that our new brand is all about giving our customers more of what they want, and less of what they don’t. Almost all of our guests are between 20 to 30 years old, and this online generation is changing the dynamics of the hotel industry.

Hansing said the group has also invested heavily in its IT platform, based of customer feedback.

“We have significantly upgraded Wi-Fi speeds in all properties to be amongst the fastest in the hotel industry. Being able to access stable and fast Wi-Fi is crucial to our guests,” he commented.

A key component of the new Red Planet brand is its mobile app, which acts as a booking portal and also activates an in-stay mode when guests arrive at the hotel. The app then feeds information about relevant local events and points of interest directly to guests’ hand-held devices. It also facilitates room-to-room and front desk calling, as well as a chat line, among other features.

Red Planet has also launched a loyalty programme called Remembered, which Hansing says typically enrols 1000 new members each month.