KIERAN TWOMEY, REGIONAL HEAD OF OPERATIONS (MEIA), SHANGRI-LA GROUP

Posted in People on 19 September, 2024

As leaders in Asian hospitality, Shangri-La Group has become synonymous with luxury and excellence. Now marking his 26th year with the company, Kieran Twomey takes the helm in his latest role, where he discusses the brand’s enduring commitment to sustainability and its innovative strategies for driving profitable growth in an ever-evolving market.

Born and raised in rural Ireland, Kieran Twomey has travelled far – and not just geographically. Like many hoteliers before him, he found his hospitality calling while working in a local pub during his high school summer holidays. Clear in his ambition of a career within the industry, he studied a Bachelor of Business in Hotel and Catering Management, before taking his first steps on the road to luxury hospitality. Instantly drawn to the camaraderie of hotel work, he set his sights on becoming an F&B Director, achieving his goal within four years at the Royal Garden, Hong Kong. Since joining Shangri-La Group in 1992, he has worked in various leadership roles across the globe, making him perfectly positioned to undertake his most recent role as Regional Head of Operations (MEIA).

Shangri-La is often credited with changing the face of Asian hospitality. What was the original vision for the brand?
Our founder Robert Kuok believed Asian hospitality had something different to offer the world of travel, which had been dominated for so long by European luxury. He believed that the Asian approach to hospitality – informal, heartfelt, and genuine – was the bedrock of so many Asian cultures. So, he set out to create an experience where everyone would feel welcome, no matter where they came from, and no matter who they were. In line with consumers evolving tastes and preferences, we now ensure elements of a country’s local culture is always infused in the service.

The Atrium at Shangri-La Istanbul. Photographs courtesy of Shangri-La Group

In your role as Regional Head of Operations MEIA, what are your main areas of focus?
My areas of focus are threefold. Strengthen the Shangri-La brand across our MEIA region, enhance operational efficiencies across our hotels and drive profitable growth. For example, both Shangri-La Le Touessrok, Mauritius and Shangri-La New Delhi are undergoing a major renovation this year to strengthen their positioning and enable us to retain our leading position in these markets. Ensuring the brand remains current and relevant to today’s travellers is something we’re really focused on.

We’ve also spearheaded several partnerships with like-minded luxury or high-profile organisations that support our objectives and drive profitable growth. For example, Shangri-La Jeddah has a great connection to Formula One, Shangri-La Toronto hosts the Toronto International Film Festival, while Shangri-La The Shard London has partnered with Jo Malone on her Jo Loves bathroom amenity line.

Which aspect of the role do you find most rewarding?
The most rewarding aspects of my role are definitely working alongside such a talented team and seeing our hotels outpace their previous results. Particularly when it comes to comparing pre-pandemic results with post-pandemic results. It is great to see the desire for travel and luxury hospitality ahead of 2019 demand levels.

Shangri-La at The Shard, London

With over 100 hotels across the group’s portfolio, what does Shangri-La look for in a potential location or property?
A new hotel development needs to hit a trifecta of the right site, in the right location, at the right price, to be a success. We’re constantly on the lookout for opportunities to grow our portfolio of brands globally. Currently we have hotels and resorts in some of the most sought-after markets in the world, which include London, Paris, Jeddah, Istanbul, Tokyo, Dubai, Toronto, Sydney, Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai and Singapore.

In the coming months we will be opening our debut property in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, as well as Shanghai Hongqiao Airport Shangri-La Hotel and Traders hotel by the end of the year in China. In 2026 Shangri-La Zhengzhou and Shangri-La Kyoto are scheduled to open their doors.

In addition, we’re expanding in South China. We recently (April 30, 2024) opened JEN Kunming as part of our Group’s innovative dual-brand project. The hotel will share facilities with Shangri-La Kunming, scheduled to open in 2025. Also, Shangri-La Nanshan, Shenzhen opened on 1 May 2024, reaffirming Shangri-La’s continued focus on expanding in the Chinese market.

Bar Botaniste at Shangri-La Paris

Shangri-La Hotels puts a strong emphasis on its commitment to sustainability. Could you share examples of how this is addressed from an operational viewpoint?
Our goal is to be the best-loved hospitality group by hosting people to the colourful joys of life in a sustainable manner. We deliver hospitality that empowers our people, uplifts local communities, nurtures the planet and celebrates our Asian heritage.

Our ‘Triple S’ strategy of Stay, Savour and Shine ensures that sustainability is embedded into every aspect of our business and operations, touching every step of the guest journey. For example, under our Stay pillar, 34 properties across our portfolio possess Green building and Green hotel operation certificates. The green building schemes assess a number of sustainability attributes, including sustainable materials, construction waste management, water efficiency, indoor air quality, and use of green spaces. The goal is to get as many of our hotels as possible certified as Green hotels.

Great F&B has long been at the heart of our hotels and a key part of our sustainability journey. Our Rooted in Nature (RIN) programme is the core of our commitment to providing sustainable F&B. It emphasises good provenance, encouraging our F&B teams to buy local ingredients supplied by small-scale community farmers, fisheries, bakers, and other producers who preserve traditional customs and techniques in environmentally and socially responsible ways. RIN also incentivises our hotels to embrace in-house growing for the freshest, most local ingredients possible. For example, Shangri-La Toronto has its own bee apiary, while Shangri-La Le Touessrok in Mauritius grows fresh fruits and vegetables in its chef’s garden.

The upkeep of hotels and resorts in the luxury sector must be a constant. Could you tell us about any renovations you are working on, and what’s involved?
With pleasure. Shangri-La Le Touessrok, Mauritius, a treasured Mauritian icon, is currently undergoing an extensive refurbishment as we speak and will officially reopen on the 19th of October 2024. The ambitious project involves a redesign of all guest accommodations as well as the introduction of 10 signature beach suites. We are also enhancing three of our much-loved specialty restaurants and bars and debuting two new dining concepts at the resort, promising spectacular culinary adventures. The reimagined resort will feel fresh and exciting for a new generation of travellers, yet familiar to our repeat guests who have loved it for the past 45 years.

Over in Delhi, India, Shangri-La Eros New Delhi is also undergoing a major refurbishment to reposition the hotel as an urban oasis in the heart of the city. The lobby and Porte cochere area is being completely re-designed as well as new landscaping. The hotel’s internal and external event spaces are also being revamped to allow for greater versatility of events, and the hotel’s spa is being transformed into a wellness oasis.

Experiential travel is at the forefront of hospitality offerings in 2024. What experiences can guests expect from Shangri-La hotels and resorts?
We have just launched a series of experiences across our MEIA hotels that literally takes guests behind the scenes of our hotel’s operations, or out into the hotel’s local neighbourhood to explore. Behind The Scenes, is a new initiative where hands-on experiences enable guests to delve deeper into a destination and learn from local experts during their travels. Whether that is being invited into the professional kitchens of some of Shangri-La’s most renowned restaurants to cook alongside a famous chef or connecting our guests with authentic artisans to create a memorable piece of jewellery or personalised scent. The common denominator of these experiences is that they are interactive and not just a show and tell experience. They go beyond the ordinary to offer guests the opportunity to learn a new skill.

Shangri-La Al Husn

And finally, what can we look forward to from Shangri-La in 2024 and beyond?
2023 was a real turning point for us, our key markets reopened, travel rebounded, and our guests returned. As the luxury travel industry continues to evolve at a rapid pace, it’s critical we too evolve and continue transforming and adapting to meet the needs and desires of today’s travellers. Our strategy for this is to put our guests and the guest experience at the heart of everything we do, and every decision we make.

We place a strong emphasis on several key pillars which include F&B, family travel and wellness. Our focus on the family experience (FAMEX) makes our hotels a destination for customers with children seeking quality time together. A great example of this is our new dedicated FAMEX floor on level 45 of Island Shangri-La, Hong Kong. The floor has 21 individually designed spacious rooms and suites featuring child friendly themes such as an underwater treasure theme, a safari theme and a suite themed around Hong Kong’s iconic landmarks including the Peak Tram. The family floor has thoughtful communal spaces such as a pantry full of child friendly snacks, a chill out room for parents, a children’s playroom, a laundry and an open plan cupboard where parents can borrow strollers, bassinets and the like.

Wellness is another area we’re focused on, as both leisure and business travellers are prioritising health and selfcare like never before. Our new wellness concept called YUN Wellness seeks to revitalise both the body and mind by channelling the soothing power of nature and offering therapies and holistic wellness experiences infused with Shangri-La’s unique Asian hospitality for guests at every stage of their life.

In the coming months we will be opening our debut property in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, as well as Shanghai Hongqiao Airport Shangri-La Hotel and Traders hotel by the end of the year in China. In addition, we’re expanding in South China. We recently (April 30, 2024) opened JEN Kunming as part of our Group’s innovative dual-brand project. The hotel will share facilities with Shangri-La Kunming, scheduled to open in 2025.

In 2026 Shangri-La Zhengzhou and Shangri-La Kyoto are scheduled to open their doors.

By combining our rich heritage with personalised luxury, we create memorable experiences that resonate with our guests and keep them coming back, thus increasing the demand for more Shangri-La hotels globally.