ONLY four months into his current post, Daniel Wee affirms that he has fully settled into his new role as country general manager of The Ascott Ltd. Philippines.
It helps that his local team has been a breeze to work with, as everyone is “just smiling all the time,” Wee said.
“By my first week here, I was already very charmed by everyone’s friendliness and sincerity,” he added.
Having been assigned into different locales, however, hardly seems to be a challenge for this well-traveled hotelier. Hailing from Singapore, Wee shared that the multiracial and multicultural society he grew up in has worked to his advantage for overseas postings.
“Good communication helps all parties understand where problem solving is required without wasting precious time ‘bumping our heads around,’” the general manager revealed. “In my business, guests and travelers come from everywhere and every walk of life. Requirements are always changing. So, understanding and adopting strategies ahead is like being the early bird who gets the worm.”
A graduate of the National University of Singapore where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in Estate Management, Wee has been with The Ascott Ltd. for the past eight years.
He first joined the company as residence manager for Somerset Xu Hui Shanghai, where he became city manager in Tianjin and subsequently, area general manager in West China.
PHL: Global destination
IN charge of ensuring operational efficiencies and financial performances of the company’s eight existing properties here in the Philippines, and responsible for the progress and timely opening of 12 more under development, Wee believes that aside from focusing on innovation, grooming future talents is just as important, which he does by cultivating honesty within his team.
“Having integrity helps me build sincere relationships,” he averred.
Aside from the country’s people, Wee believes the Philippines is a global destination, given its many beautiful islands; hence, The Ascott Ltd.’s plans of opening 50 more properties here in the country, which will include hotels, student accommodations and lodging for independent seniors who are looking for an active lifestyle with a community, on top of their current serviced apartments.
The company’s existing brands in the country are Ascott, for prime central-business district locations; Somerset, which caters more to long-stay guests with their families; Citadines, which is ideal for young individual business travelers; and the soon-to-open lyf for millennial and millennial-minded guests who are looking for a new way of living and collaborating with their peers and with the community. (The first lyf setting in the Philippines will open in Cebu in 2021.)
The company has been in the Philippines for the past 18 years, with eight operating serviced apartments and 12 properties underdevelopment, or a total of over 4,300 units.
Unveiling properties
JUST recently, The Ascott Ltd. opened Citadines Bay City Manila at the newly developed Bay City district along Macapagal Avenue in Pasay City. The 212-room property features spacious accommodations with first-class hotel amenities for both short or extended-stay travelers such as an all-day café, swimming pool, fitness center and spa, 24-hour front desk and housekeeping, Wi-fi access, as well as function rooms for events, including corporate and social functions.
“We have projects lined up in Metro Manila, as well as other key cities such as Cebu, lloilo, Davao, and Bacolod. The northern part is being explored as well, like Subic and Clark, as these are high-potential areas because of developments lined up in the coming years,” the Singaporean executive revealed.
“In the Philippines, we see Citadines as the brand with the most growth opportunities as it is able to capture a good mix of corporate and leisure markets.”
He further stated: “Tourism is still the main thrust in terms of progress, as destinations like Boracay, Cebu, Bohol and Palawan manifest a steady growth over the years. The local folk also serve as a major factor that makes the country attractive. The warmth and friendliness of the Filipinos [as well as] their strong English proficiency are some of the pillars here.”
These plans form part of The Ascott Ltd.’s global expansion: an aggressive growth target of 160,000 units by 2023. With recent developments within the company such as the acquisition of Indonesian brand TAUZIA Hotel Management and its chain of hotels, Ascott is expanding beyond its core of serviced-residence business, and scaling up its overall lodging portfolio with wider product offerings.
Having quite a number of major global chains rapidly expanding their portfolios in the Philippines, Wee was asked how Ascott stands out from the competition:
“Our company primarily caters to the corporate market, which provides a more stable business base. Our international exposure, strong management expertise coupled with cluster operations support offer a more profitable and sustainable business model to property owners.”
“With these new developments and our established track record in the Philippines, we are confident that we can achieve our growth targets nationwide,” Wee declared.
Image credits: Jimbo Albano