Pictured Left: Gen Next in discussion

Known as  “Generation Next“m they are innovative, have a dare to do attitude, to renovate and revolutionise their products to meet the changing needs of travellers.

Prakaikaew Na-Ranong, managing director of Indigo Pearl in Phuket, Thailand took over its management from her father and transformed it into a chic, stylish resort and, in the process, created a new lifestyle for its customers. Although she lost the hotel’s traditional customers, she has no regrets and, instead moved on to create new customer base.

“Indigo Pearl is different from other resorts in Phuket. It has an attitude, you either love it or hate it,’ is how she described the resort.

As to how her father took to the transformation, she said it was not easy to persuade him to accept such a radical change to the property. “He just wanted a cosmetic change but I wanted a major face life, a major surgery. He understood and gave me a one-in-a-lifetime opportunity to achieve my dreams.”

Pictured left: Indigo Pearl’s Prakaikaew

Now father and daughter work in tandem to promote this new lifestyle resort. “We have a strong management team. He looks at marketing strategies and policies.”

Loh Lik Peng, CEO of K.M.C Holdings Singapore, trained to be a lawyer but turned hotelier is known for buying an “over-leveraged brothel in Chinatown and turning it into a chick, funky boutique hotel”. He now has five hotels, all with unique architecture and with room design. His latest hotel is Wanderlust in Little India with four thematic levels of 29 rooms designed by award-winning Singapore design agencies, each group given full creative freedom.

His clientele are fairly radical, media savvy and would not gasp and said “Oh my God” on entering the colourful, radically designed hotels.

On how he differentiates his hotels from other boutique hotels in Singapore, Loh said that the key is to be different. The rooms and F&B outlets, for example, are different from other similar properties. He pointed out that currently there are not many boutique hotels in Singapore with less than 1,000 rooms.

Puttipong Prasarttong-Osoth (pictured right), president and executive vice-president, flight & ground operations of Bangkok Airways, took over the running of the airline from his father who decided to focus on the family’s other business.

He said he has a free hand in managing the airline with no interference from his father. “My father gave me a free hand to run the company. However, I have been working the airline for two years before taking over the president job in 2008. I am still learning.”

Wu Hai, CEO of the Orange Hotel Group in China, describes his hotels as of “high design and high value, for the young urban elite and psychologically young”.

On how he built up a hotel group on his own, he replied, “Work hard and work smart.”

All believe in investing in online to further tap the tech-savvy customers to make their bookings.

Loh said about 20% to 25% come through the hotels’ website and 30% through OTAs (online travel agencies). “We see the numbers increasing every year. We see smart phones changing the booking pattern dramatically. We will develop apps for customers to use their smart phones to make hotel bookings.”

Wu  (pictured left) said online bookings from the Orange hotels’ website is 15% with 18% from OTAs. “We will soon launch our new English website.”

Prakaikaew said Indigo is receiving online bookings at a good pace, averaging 15%-16%. “My dream target is about 60%”.

Bangkok Airways currently has 8% to 10% online bookings, with a projected increase 30% to 35% by end this year.

The one thing they look at investing in 2011?

K.M.C Holdings’ Loh:  Invest in online, create mobile apps, and continue marketing through social media such as Facebook. The key is to have a broad spectrum of options.

Orange Hotel Group’s Wu: “ Work with social media websites – more people are sharing on such sites.”

Bangkok Airways’s Puttipong: “Fly to new, exotic destinations in South East Asia. Invest in IT and upgrade the airline’s website to provide services such as bookings and payment online and web check-in.”

Pictured right: K.M.C. Holdings’ Loh

Indigo Pearl’s Prakaikaew: “This year we invested in improving the hotel’s website to give it style, flavour and spirit. In 2011 we will improve on the website, invest in a social media platform and a search engine. We want to create a strong web presence and strong customer base and loyalty.”

On exit strategy, both Orange Hotels Group and Bangkok Airways will go for IPO, while Indigo Pearl and K.M.C Holdings’ said they hadn’t thought of one.