Traders Hotel Rebranding

THM gears up for international branding 

By Earl D.C. Bracamonte 

Something exciting and new will unveil for Traders Hotel early next year. The hotel brand has its sights focused on re-branding by the first quarter of 2011. Traders will then become a 'stand-alone' brand as it becomes independent from the Shangri-La Group management. With this change comes a new logo and new signage that will replace all existing emblems by February. Traders Hotel Manila (THM) under the stewardship of newly-appointed general manager Gordon Aeria is excited about the new Traders Hotel transformation. Among its many facelifts is the nascence of the Traders Club sky lounge, fondly called the T Lounge, on the hotel's 19th floor. 

“With the re-opening of the new Traders Club Lounge, we are able to offer local and overseas travelers a contemporary lifestyle experience coupled with the gracious hospitality that the Philippines is known for. Our Traders Club rooms and suites provide affordable accommodation at great value within the relaxing confines of Manila's bay area,” said GM Aeria, during an exclusive interview. 

“Our color scheme stays but there will new uniforms for all. And from March 'til May of next year, refurbishment will be underway. I've never been to the Philippines before. This is my first time here so it makes everything exciting,” he added. 

Born in Singapore to Australian parents, Gordon served the military in its Air Force unit for seven years before deciding to become a hotelier. “The stress level and long working hours in the hotel are the same as in the military. My stint with the Air Force prepared me for the hospitality required in the industry plus the level of discipline one gets from training. These resourceful traits somehow gets inculcated into you. 

“I guess the change was inevitable, shifting careers, so to speak. My mother worked for 27 years in a hotel and whenever we dropped by, it always felt nice to meet people. It also showed me that my mother's work made people happy.“ 

GM Gordon made a tour of a number of international hotel brands before getting to his present post. He was in Thailand with the Meridien/Accord for a decade then to Malaysia with Shangri-La for two years. After that, he moved to the Shangri-La hotel in Cairns (Australia) for four years before joining the Sofitel in China. He followed it through with another four years with Novotel Hong Kong until the property reverted to the Traders Group and then to Manila. 

“I enjoyed moving around. There was never a dull moment. Meeting a lot of people giving and seeing the smiles on their faces. Providing a safe haven for the 'road warriors' of today, as these travelers are being called, as well as the modern entrepreneurs that constantly move from continent to continent, gives me a high level of satisfaction.” 

Guests staying on the Traders Club floors get to enjoy a wide range of VIP services such as express/private check-in and check-out with exclusive access to the Traders Club Lounge. The new T Lounge offers guests a 180-degree panoramic view of Manila Bay from the film center unto the harbor, along the bustling stretch of Roxas Boulevard, plus a glorious view of the famed Manila sunset every evening at cocktail hour and, on occasions, the spectacular fireworks that light up the sky on weekends! Guests can truly relax, unwind and enjoy the many complimentary dining privileges - from breakfast to afternoon tea and evening cocktails with canapés. A dedicated kitchen and bar service also offer a variety of free flowing beverages and a combination of international comfort dishes perfect for an all-day dining affair.

“We will be opening a Japanese restaurant before the year ends. We are also looking at two international food festivals for next year. One is the Thai Food Festival in March/April in time for the Songkran Water Festival in Thailand. And the other is the Singaporean Food Festival by late August in time for Traders' 40th Founding Year. This coincides with the Shangri-la Groups's celebration of its Ruby Year Anniversary.”

The T Lounge is also a business-friendly environment with unlimited Wi-Fi access. Laptops are available for recreation or work convenience. Adjacent to the T Lounge, Club floor guests can also use the executive boardroom which is designed for small meetings and formal presentations. “By November through December, the T Lounge will be opened to outside guests. Moreover, revelers are invited to be part of our countdown party for New Year's Day 2011. There will be DJ music and lots of fun. This will be a ticket event and will be opened to the public,” GM Aeria invited at the end of our colloquy. 

Traders Hotels are located in Abu Dhabi, Beijing, Changzhou, Dubai, Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Shenyang, Singapore, Yangon and Manila with scheduled openings in Iskandar and Macau. The group has over 40 projects under development in Austria, Canada, mainland China, France, India, Macau, Malaysia, Russia, Qatar, Seychelles, Turkey, United Kingdom and the Philippines. For more information and/or reservations, please contact a travel professional by accessing their Web site www.tradershotels.com.