After launching its luxury Clermont brand earlier this month, GLH announced on Wednesday another new brand, the 4-star Amba Hotels, which will debut with four hotels in London with the first opening in June 2014.
GLH, the London-based subsidiary of GuocoLeisure Group, said it is investing £70 million (US$112 million) in the four hotels, which it will own and operate. The hotels will include the 801-room Amba Hotel Tower Bridge, the 692-room Amba Hotel Marble Arch, the 346-room Amba Hotel Buckingham Palace Road (the first to open) and the 239-room Amba Hotel Charing Cross. GLH said it is targeting 30 key cities in the U.K. for the Amba brand and that it will also expand the brand internationally in China, Malaysia and the U.S.
“Four-star hospitality can be impersonal and lack differentiation. The launch of Amba signifies a step change in the market. An Amba hotel will combine a fantastic location with genuine warmth, intuitive service and technology to ensure that both business and leisure travellers get the most out of their stay. From booking to check out, we will endeavor to offer our guests a more personal and authentic service which will leave them feeling refreshed and recharged,” said Colin Roy, GLH CMO.
Amba Hotels guestrooms will feature free Wi-Fi and a smart TV, and GLH says it expects 60% of Amba customers Monday to Friday to be business travellers.
GLH CEO Mike DeNoma and Roy discuss the new brand in this video released on YouTube: