Decision to Integrate Hotel Brand Names
Revenue Growth Through Diversified Profit Structures
Groundbreaking for 4th Generation Platform Business
Overdue Overseas Expansion Also Accelerates
Ananti, the first domestic hotel and resort company to approach an annual sales milestone of 1 trillion KRW, will unify its hotel brand names next year. The company is also expected to actively pursue overseas expansion and its 4th-generation platform business, which had been delayed. Through this, Ananti plans to strengthen brand awareness and competitiveness, continuing the momentum of its record-breaking performance.
Decision to unify brand names... Underlying 'Confidence'
According to industry sources on the 5th, Ananti has decided to unify the names of its three currently operated hotel brands into the format ‘Ananti at’ followed by the location name starting next year. Accordingly, ‘Ananti Hilton Busan’ will be renamed ‘Ananti at Busan Cove,’ and ‘Ananti at Busan’ will become ‘Ananti at Busan Village.’ The existing Ananti at Gangnam will retain its name without changes.
This decision reportedly came after internal discussions regarding whether to renew the contract with Hilton, which expires on the 31st of this month. The conclusion was reached based on the judgment that Ananti can secure sufficient market competitiveness with its own brand without relying on the Hilton brand.
Starting with the hotel name unification, Ananti plans to focus its efforts on marketing activities that can communicate its unique concepts and philosophy. The company intends to promote its hotels through video content and cultural and artistic programs, and provide membership benefits via its self-operated reward points system called ‘RIM.’
"Not Overconfidence"... Approaching 1 Trillion KRW in Annual Sales
Ananti’s decision to pursue an independent path is believed to be influenced by its recent strong performance. In the first half of this year alone, Ananti recorded sales of 539.6 billion KRW, already surpassing last year’s annual sales of 325.3 billion KRW. In the third quarter of this year, sales reached 266.5 billion KRW, and if the current trend continues, it is expected to become the first domestic hotel and resort company to reach the 1 trillion KRW sales mark. This indicates that the split from the global hotel chain Hilton was not based on unfounded confidence.
The business driving this strong performance is Village de Ananti, which opened in July this year. Ananti invested approximately 650 billion KRW in building this facility, and the success of pre-sales has converted advance payments and final payments into quarterly sales, leading to record-high results. CEO Man-gyu Lee of Ananti also predicted achieving 1 trillion KRW in annual sales in July, based on this structure, stating that "the investment has already been recovered."
The significant increase in sales at each business site after the endemic phase is another positive factor. Village de Ananti has maintained a high room occupancy rate of over 90%, and after renovations in the first half of this year, Ananti at Gangnam has seen the proportion of foreign guests exceed 50%. This reflects the success of Ananti, which previously focused on membership hotels and resort sales, in diversifying its revenue model.
Accelerating 4th-Generation Platform Development and Overseas Expansion
Ananti plans to accelerate preparations for its 4th-generation platform next year. Ananti classifies ’Ananti Namhae‘ (opened in 2006) as its 1st generation, ’Ananti Code and Cove‘ (opened in 2017) as its 2nd generation, and ’Village de Ananti‘ (opened in 2023) as its 3rd generation platform. The latest version of the Ananti platform, the 4th generation, is expected to debut in Cheongpyeong, Gyeonggi Province. Construction is scheduled to begin next year, with completion targeted as early as 2024.
Platform expansion projects will continue in Jeju as well. Renovation work is underway to relaunch the Saint Four Golf Course in Gujwa-eup, Jeju City, as ‘Ananti Club Jeju,’ and on the golf course’s adjacent land (284,000㎡), a 4th-generation platform resort facility will be built, similar to the project in Cheongpyeong, Gyeonggi Province. Ananti Jeju is expected to open as early as 2025.
The overseas expansion project, which was delayed due to the opening of Village de Ananti, is also expected to gain momentum. Last November, Ananti signed an agreement with a Singapore-based investment firm to establish a foothold for entering the Asian market. In July, CEO Lee told the press in Busan, "This year, we need to focus on stabilizing this place (Village de Ananti)," adding, "Once this business stabilizes, we will actively begin overseas expansion beyond Korea, including Singapore."
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