Frasers Hospitality area manager (pre-opening) Middle East & Africa Cyril Warsono perceives his move to the Middle East as extremely fortuituous.
For years, while based at company headquarters in Singapore, he had patiently endured an almost weekly long-haul flight to Dubai, where his daughter and his wife, a pharmaceutical industry senior executive expatriated by her firm to the Middle East, were based. Consequently, when an opportunity for a Middle East-based role focusing on development, expansion and openings materialised within Frasers Hospitality, he leapt at the chance.
“I was very fortunate that the right opportunity in the company came up to be based in Dubai with the role to especially focus on the Middle East and Africa regions. This was around one year ago,” Warsono recalls.
Owned by Singapore-based international real estate group Frasers Centrepoint Limited, Frasers Hospitality operates serviced apartments and boutique hotels globally. Its serviced residence arm comprises a number of brands, namely, Fraser Suites, Fraser Place, Fraser Residence, as well as its new offerings, the eco-lifestyle Modena by Fraser and design-led, millennial-centric Capri by Fraser; the group’s presence in the Middle East, however, has so far has centred around its flagship Fraser Suites brand.The group first raised its flag in the Middle East in 2009 with the opening of Fraser Suites Seef, Bahrain; this was soon followed by other openings within the GCC, with Fraser properties in the region now totalling five, including Dubai in the UAE and a second one in Bahrain’s Diplomatic Area.
Within the next couple of months, before the year 2017 draws to a close, Warsono is quietly optimistic that the group will be entering the Saudi Arabian market for the first time, where he has been hands-on and knee-deep with pre-opening activities for Fraser Suites Riyadh. Projects like these, he says, are precisely what he came to the Middle East to do.
“My primary job is as a pre-opening general manager,” Warsono explains. “I have opened a couple of properties within the region in the past 11 to 12 months.”
He continues: “I also represent our business development interests in the Middle East and Africa regions to pitch new projects with owners, investors, developers, if there’s anything we can explore more together.”
“Part of my responsibility here is to serve as a representative of the Frasers Hospitality group,” he says, adding: “Sometimes I have to meet with our shareholders, the owners, or serve as the liaison between the property GMs and our corporate office people from the London and Singapore offices.”
The group’s early entry into the region is apparently reaping dividends. According to a press statement issued by Frasers Hospitality in March 2017, its five operating properties in the GCC region all enjoy an average occupancy rate of over 75%. Warsono believes the group’s business model, of specifically providing serviced long-stay accommodation, is precisely what drives its success.
“At Frasers, we are not like a normal hotel – we are a serviced apartment providing hotel service,” he says, while continuing to elaborate: “We are targeted more towards long-stay guests. This is what makes us different because it is our long-stay market that creates our base occupancy. Long-stay keeps our occupancies very stable.”
Warsono’s regions of remit and responsibility form an integral part of Frasers Hospitality’s global growth strategy. Seven properties have so far been confirmed for Frasers Hospitality’s active pipeline for the Middle East and Africa in the next few years, which should increase its global footprint to more than 1,500 units across both regions. These upcoming openings include the aforementioned Fraser Suites Riyadh in Saudi Arabia opening later this year; also in Saudi Arabia, Fraser Suites Al Khobar (2018); Fraser Suites Muscat, Oman (2018); Fraser Suites Brazzaville, Congo (2018); Fraser Suites Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (2019); and in the UAE, Fraser Suites Dubai Al Jadaf and Fraser Residence Dubai Al Jadaf (both due in 2019).
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