Swiss-Belhotel International is set to grow its presence across Indonesia following the acquisition of its Indonesia management companies November last year.

Indies Capital Partners (Indies Capital), an alternative asset manager in South-east Asia, has acquired 60 per cent stake in Swiss-Belhotel International Indonesia and Zest Hotels International Indonesia from Ciputra Group Indonesia, with Hong Kong-based Swiss-Belhotel International Holdings owning the remaining 40 per cent.

The new ownership is expected to open up opportunities for the hotel group, with a significant advantage in the financial support that Indies Capital can provide during the development phase of new hotel projects.

Emmanuel Guillard, senior vice president, operations and development Indonesia, Swiss-Belhotel International, remarked that the budget for any hotel project could go up in the middle of the development stage.

He elaborated: “In situations where investors may face financial constraints (during an ongoing project), Indies Capital has expressed its willingness to offer key financial assistance, such as providing money to secure loans for property owners and eliminate operational delays.”

Indies Capital will eventually help Swiss-Belhotel International Indonesia to acquire local hotel companies and consolidate them under its portfolio, according to Guillard.

“With our resources, we can provide upgraded standards and enhanced services that smaller hotels may struggle to afford, ultimately supporting their growth,” he said, adding that the taking over of existing hotels and acquiring hotel companies would speed up Swiss-Belhotel International’s plan in the country.

Discussing the future strategy, Guillard said Swiss-Belhotel International would focus on secondary and tertiary cities in Indonesia.

“The major cities are a bit saturated. With a large population spread across numerous islands, there are second- and third-(tier) cities which house 200,000 to 300,000 inhabitants, creating a demand for quality facilities. We do not have presence in every one of them, so the opportunity is there.”

Earlier this year, the hotel company took over the management of two midscale hotels in Eastern Indonesia, namely Swiss-Belcourt in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, and Swiss-Belinn in Timika, Central Papua. Additionally, it will expand its hotel collection in the Eastern region, including the upcoming Māua resort in Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara.

Development projects are also underway with the signing of the Swiss-Belexpress project in the Cipali toll area and the Swiss-Belinn project in Indramayu, West Java. A Swiss-Belhotel will also open in the Yogyakarta International Airport area in 3Q2023.

There are also several project developments planned in 2024, including in Lampung, Jember (East Java), and Pontianak (West Kalimantan).

Source: https://www.ttgasia.com/2023/05/24/swiss-belhotel-plans-ambitious-growth-in-indonesia/