The Ahn Luh brand might have been envisioned as an oasis of calm and tranquility within the travel world, but investor interest after its launch this past March has been nothing short of a frenzy.

　　Ahn Luh, which literally translated means “peaceful and tranquil forest setting at the foothill of a mountain,” has one project in the pipeline, but another eight in “an advanced stage of negotiation,” said Akira Moreno, VP of development and pre-opening services for Singapore-based management company General Hotel Management.

　　The group signed its first property, the Ahn Luh Dujiangyan in Chengdu, China, in March.

　　GHM was one of three partners who joined to create the upscale resort brand. The others include The Beijing Tourism Group, with which GHM formalized a joint venture, and Great Ocean Group, which signed on as a third investor.

　　“Ahn Luh was born from a shared vision to introduce something that had not previously been thought of—an exclusive hotel brand with the conceptual and stylistic ‘DNA’ of GHM hotels but layered over with the finest essence of the rich Chinese culture, tradition and characteristics of the individual destination where they are situated,” Moreno wrote in an email.

　　“The aim is to deliver the finest elements of Chinese-inspired hospitality to all its guests who will be primarily Chinese but also from abroad—a domestic (Chinese) luxury lifestyle hotel concept in essence but with an international appeal,” he continued.

　　Development will be funded by each property’s respective owners and/or developers. Ahn Luh will provide the concept details, assist in the conception of the project and will eventually operate as the hotel management company enlisting GHM’s expertise.

　　Perfect timing

　　The launch of the Ahn Luh brand comes at a time of unprecedented growth in the Chinese hotel market. There were 204,900 rooms in the country’s total active pipeline as of 30 April, according to STR Global, sister company of HotelNewsNow.com.

　　But does the swell of increased competition concern Moreno? On the contrary, he sees the growth as an opportunity.

　　“The current landscape in the Chinese hospitality sector is quickly becoming saturated with the more traditional brands and names therefore creating an opportunity for a uniquely differentiated product such as Ahn Luh to leverage its positioning,” he said.

　　China’s potential for continued growth in inbound tourism is the icing on the cake, he said.

　　“The traffic figures are simply staggering,” Moreno said.

　　Ahn Luh’s management team will focus first on expanding the brand’s presence in key cities throughout China. Each hotel primarily will serve domestic travelers, with international travel making up approximately 35% of total demand.

　　“As the brand matures, we would want to ‘export’ it out of China and introduce it to the rest of the world,” Moreno added.

　　Chinese hospitality from the ground up

　　Ahn Luh is a decidedly Chinese brand, featuring amenities and design elements with strong tie-ins to the local culture and community, Moreno said.

　　Each hotel will offer a “dian xin” breakfast, an all-day Chinese-style tapas bar, and a retail shop selling regional goods as well as traditional Chinese medicine. Some Ahn Luh properties will include private villas and residences.

　　All will feature meetings facilities that provide intimate spaces for executive retreats.

　　“The Ahn Luh is not intended to be a hotel which is positioned to cater to large meetings and group business,” Moreno said of the meeting facilities. “As an example of the size and profile of the meeting segment, which we would attract, we anticipate demand being generated from the top-tier executive committee of a company wishing to organize a corporate retreat, as opposed to a large-scale event or convention.”

　　Ahn Luh’s hotels will range from 50 to 100 rooms and villas, featuring 60-square-meter rooms and 120-square-meter suites. As a complement to each hotel’s spa, a resident Tai Chi master will manage an on-site Tai Chi Centre.

　　While the essence of each property will remain the same, the actual layout and design can vary, Moreno said.

　　“The design details may vary from property to property to capture the uniqueness of each location.”