Hotel Jen – a ‘virtual-persona’ hotel hospitality concept

Fresh, friendly and fuss-free. That’s the genre of Hotel Jen, the new brand revealed today by Hong Kong-based Shangri-La International Hotel Management Ltd. Catering to a new ‘Jeneration’ of independently minded business and leisure travellers, the brand will launch quickly with ten Hotel Jens opening in major cities in Asia Pacific by March 2015.

Hotel Jen Orchardgateway, opening in Singapore on the 15th September , is the first hotel in a major initiative that will see the transformation of Shangri-La’s Traders Hotels. The rebrand will bring an intuitive service attitude and relaxed, friendly style to the diverse collection of existing and new mid-range hotels situated in the best locations in Asia Pacific.

The Hotel Jen brand is inspired by the virtual persona Jen, a professional hotelier who loves life, travel and the adventure of discovering new places. Hotel Jen takes care of guests with efficiency and care, while also giving them informed access to the best a particular destination has to offer.

“The Hotel Jen experience delivers what matters most to guests with a millennial mind set. They appreciate important things done well; demand quality, comfort and value, together with honest, authentic service; and want privacy and efficiency without unnecessary fuss or intrusion,” said Greg Dogan, president and CEO of Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts.

“The Traders brand has had a 25-year history of success in generating solid business, carving out a niche amidst a highly competitive industry and building a loyal base of customers.

“However, we are looking to the future and – based on extensive consumer research and insight into the way our target market lives and travels, including talking and listening to our customers – we are recognising and responding to the global travel trends and particular needs of this new generation traveller. This will keep us relevant and competitive for the next 20 years to come,” Dogan added.

Stress-free ease and simplicity will be reflected in the overall Hotel Jen stay experience through the informal and friendly check-in, stay, check-out and on-going contact. A sense of belonging will be reflected through a brand persona concept that positions guests as ‘friends of Jen’, with a caring and respectful service standard communicated by staff in an enthusiastic, helpful and engaging way.

The Hotel Jen ‘informed and friendly’ service style will also guide guests to the best of where they are, through local restaurant recommendations, under-the-radar sights and unusual boutiques. The Hotel Jen team will be a guest’s own personal local lifestyle guide.

Technology will also be key to catering to the highly social, young-at-heart traveller. Free WiFi everywhere, all the time, and convenient mobile charging stations throughout the hotels are few of the many features. Guest comfort and safety are an absolute priority and there will be no compromise on existing, high-quality standards.

Hotel Jen’s restaurants will focus on fresh local products, ensuring that the food is genuine and authentic in every way. Free coffee/snack-box-to-go after breakfast and grab-and-go kiosks will be available.

“We are excited to be launching and engaging this new brand so rapidly. We definitely want to retain our existing customer base, who have been extremely loyal to us, but we also recognise that their needs have changed. Today’s guests want more flexibility, as busy non-traditional work hours tend to blend the boundaries between business and leisure,” said Lothar Nessmann, chief operations officer of the Hotel Jen brand.

“With the rebranding of Traders Hotels to Hotel Jen, we will broaden our range of guests and attract more travellers looking for distinctive experiences of local interest and character, as well as appeal to families and groups who want a more independent, yet friendly and personable stay experience,” added Nessmann.

In the first phase of the Hotel Jen roll-out, the Traders hotels in Singapore, Hong Kong, Brisbane, Penang, Johor Bahru, Manila, Maldives, Beijing and Shenyang will be rebranded to Hotel Jen from September 2014 to March 2015. Future Hotel Jen development projects are under discussion in key gateway cities in South East Asia.   

About Hotel Jen

Hotel Jen is a diverse collection of hotels in the best locations across Asia Pacific, with a unique brand of style and service delivery designed to appeal to a ‘New Jeneration’ of travellers.

The brand is the brainchild of virtual persona Jen, a professional hotelier and all-time lover of life, travel and discovery.

To guests, Hotel Jen delivers quality, comfort, convenience and value with a twist. Jen cares about what really matters to guests – the important things done well; comfortable rooms and honest authentic service; respect, privacy and efficiency served without fuss or intrusion; cultural insights; interesting experiences; and fast, free WiFi everywhere, always.

For more information and reservations, please contact a travel professional or access the Hotel Jen website at www.hoteljen.com