Ahn Luh, a Chinese hotel management group with plans to open luxury properties in key cities in China, including Chengdu, Shenzhen, Beijing and Tibet, over the next few years, has appointed its first CEO.
Akira Moreno, currently the Vice President of Development and Pre-opening Services for GHM, takes on the new responsibility while maintaining his duties at GHM. GHM partnered with Chinese real estate and tourism behemoth Beijing Tourism Group, and Great Ocean Group, to form Ahn Luh in Oct 2011.
In his new role, Moreno will oversee the operations and development of Ahn Luh, a brand that promises to seamlessly blend Old World Chinese hospitality and traditions with the contemporary elegance that today’s travellers seek in accommodation.
Moreno will draw on a career that began in his native Canada in 1984 and what he has experienced in Asia since moving to the region in 2006.
"Ahn Luh is rooted in the idea that the destination ought to influence the hotel's style," said Moreno. "From its architectural bones right down to the food and beverage offerings, every aspect of an Anh Luh property is going to feel calibrated to that particular place."
The first Anh Luh hotel will come online next year in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province. The area lays claim to Mount Qingcheng and the Dujiangyan Irrigation System, which together earned UNESCO World Heritage site status in 2000 for their contributions to Chinese history.
The brand's first beach resort, Ahn Luh Xunliao Bay, follows in 2016 on an island within three hours' drive of Shenzhen that is renowned for its white sand, remarkable rock formations and proximity to a bay with crystal-clear waters.
"Our intent is to develop Ahn Luh in China and then export the concept to destinations abroad," said Moreno, who managed hotels in Miami and Malaysia before assuming a corporate leadership role in 2010.
"The Chinese are very proud of their heritage," he said, "but no one has tapped this in a way that Ahn Luh will."
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ABOUT THE PARTNERS
As an equal, joint venture partner with GHM, the Beijing Tourism Group (BTG) is China’s first provincial-level, wholly state-owned tourism enterprise, as well as the country’s largest tourism group, with investments and management enterprises extending to Europe and the United States. Established in 1998, BTG oversees the investment and management of various areas within the tourism and hospitality industry. These include hotels, tourism and tourist spot services, retail services, catering, and auto services. In addition, BTG holds investments in the following listed companies: Beijing Retailing Group, Co. Ltd., Quan Ju De Group, Beijing Capital Tourism Co.,Ltd and Home Inns & Hotels Management Inc.
Established in 1992, GHM Holdings Ltd (GHM) is known for conceptualising, developing and operating an exclusive group of hotels and resorts. With an expansive portfolio and more projects in the pipeline, GHM prides itself in providing guests with an unrivalled lifestyle experience through a genuine, close-up experience of the best each destination has to offer. The signature GHM style melds contemporary interpretations of Asian designs and distinctive local touches to create inspired, memorable spaces. GHM properties worldwide include The Nam Hai Hoi An in Vietnam, The Chedi Muscat in Oman and The Strand Yangon in Myanmar.
Founded in 1996, Great Ocean Group (GOG) is a private holding company headquartered in Beijing. An investor focused on industries and markets where it possesses a unique competitive edge, GOG’s core interests are in innovative real estate projects and high-end consumer sectors with an emphasis on China. GOG is devoted to each project’s selection, development and operation and adheres closely to the group’s mantra to be respectful and responsible towards the society and its history. GOG’s close strategic partnerships with experienced architects and real estate companies globally ensure world-class quality projects.
