Country Comfort is getting a new look. Sean Flynn, executive vice president of brands at the Singapore based SilverNeedle Hospitality group, explains how the Country Comfort hotel brand will shape up for the future.
The company manages and licenses more than 20 Country Comfort hotels throughout Australia and New Zealand, and has plans to expand in these countries as well as develop further across Asia Pacific.
Leading the charge is a refreshed brand, with a new logo featuring a stylised feather that links to the original Kookaburra image representing Country Comfort.
And there’s a new brand promise: ‘Rest today for a more productive tomorrow’.
“Twenty eight years of history and building an iconic brand, we’ve created some good brand equity. All brands need a little attention and to ensure its relevance for the present and the future,” says Flynn.
“Outside Australia and New Zealand [ANZ] there are three regions, South East Asia, North Asia and South Asia. The strength of the brand lies in the ANZ market, we want to build on the past and create a platform for expansion.”
Country Comfort continues to cater for the mid-market business traveller and the aim is to make the offer “absolutely indispensable” to this category of guest, says Flynn.
Despite the increase of technology allowing for greater geographical interaction without travel Flynn believes the future is bright for the business travel market.
“What’s changed the game is the advent of budget airlines,” he says. “This is not the big deal end of town, this is for the IT professional or salesman who can go and meet the client at their premises. We offer them high quality mid-scale accommodation.
“We see ourselves as distinct from serviced apartments. Our focus is really on one or two nights travelling.”
What’s on offer is a luxury sleep product, excellent shower and a great breakfast, he says.
“There is a tremendous opportunity remaining for us in Australia and New Zealand, for further development.” The expansion for the two countries will come from a mix of Greenfield sites and existing site re-badging. The company views the mix of leasing, management contract, franchising and brand licensing as a long term strategy.
A prototype hotel for Darwin is under discussion with proposed partners.
The new hotel format offers extreme efficiency with 101 rooms fitted into 4,248 sq m. Design elements such as an island counter that serves as a bar on one side and reception desk on the other will allow a staff member to manage both services at quiet times.
“From an operating perspective we are confident we can operate a prototype at a lower cost and so a higher profit.”
Flynn [pictured above] is also confident there will be “tremendous” capital cost savings in site builds.
Environmentally friendly additions such as individual hot water heaters providing instant and endless hot water for guests but without the energy burn of a centralised system that is ‘on’ all the time are both appealing to guests and good for business, he says.
“We’re not an eco product but the customer appreciates us being environmentally sensitive,” he says.
The transformation of the brand is expected to take 12 months and current licensees will be assessed for brand fit when their agreement expires. There is the promise of an increasingly selective approach to signing up properties to ensure they meet the new brand standards.
There are other brands within the SilverNeedle Hospitality group that the company intends to license.
“Our other brands in ANZ include Chifley, Australis, and Sundowner. Like Country Comfort, we operate these brands under various operating strategies including management contracts and licensing,” says Flynn.
All images: SilverNeedle Hospitality
Country Comfort re-brand part of expansion strategy
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