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Koos Klein, President, Hilton Hotels – Asia Pacific, has been named
“Asia Pacific Hotelier of the Year 2007” at the 11th Asia Pacific Hotel
Investment Conference, organised and hosted by Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels.
The ninth recipient to receive the prestigious award, Mr Klein has spent an illustrious 16 years of
his 27-year career in Asia Pacific. Since his appointment as President, Hilton Hotels - Asia
Pacific in 1997, Mr Klein has spearheaded dynamic growth of the famous hotel
brand, from 25 hotels to 60 today. He was responsible for realigning the Hilton portfolio, and did
this by setting the bar high for new Hilton hotels and evaluating existing hotels against stringent
brand standards. He has also overseen the company’s strong financial performance
with Hilton’s revenue in Asia Pacific having doubled and profits quadrupled over the past decade.
Handing the
award to Mr Klein, Mr Peter Barge, Global Chairman of Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels
said, “This annual award is dedicated to recognising the true capabilities of leading
hoteliers in Asia Pacific. I am delighted to honour Mr Klein’s contribution to the
industry. Throughout his career, his commitment to developing new talent and growing the business
has not faltered, and neither has his passion for hospitality.”
Today, Mr Klein oversees the largest development pipeline in Hilton’s history in Asia Pacific, with
the group poised to open 300 hotels in the next 9 years. When the
company was acquired late last year by the Blackstone Group, the already strong focus on development
intensified. Hilton has identified key growth markets China and India as well as Australasia where the group will
strengthen its presence and introduce its Hilton Family of Brands across the market segments.
As part of its recent plans to introduce the Hilton Family of Brands to Asia Pacific, under Mr
Klein’s leadership Hilton Hotels has formed strategic partnerships with India’s largest developer,
DLF to own and develop 75 hotels in 7 years; and Marigold Hospitality Limited, in India to
franchise 16 Hampton by Hilton economy hotels. In China, the company will operate 26 hotels in
China by 2011 and has entered into a deal to franchise 25 hotels under its mid-scale brand,
Hilton Garden Inn to RREEF Alternative Investments (the global alternative investment
management business of Deutsche Bank) and H & Q Asia Pacific.
Efforts to develop the flagship
Hilton brand continue, while the company expects to bring more luxury properties into the
pipeline under the Conrad and Waldorf =Astoria Collection brands.
Mr Klein
said, “There has never been a more exciting time in the hotel industry and it is
truly the century for Asia Pacific to blossom. The contribution of the hotel and travel industry to
economic and social development must not be undervalued. Tourism and travel are
responsible for creating positive change and broadening horizons. As the pace of development gains
momentum, the challenge for the industry going forward will be to quickly develop new talent and
build the leaders of tomorrow with the right skill set to face the challenges
and opportunities that lie ahead.”
Koos Klein was born and raised in the Netherlands. After graduating from Hotel
Management School at Maastricht, he embarked on career in the hotel business by joining
the Holiday Inn group in the Netherlands. Mr Klein then joined Accor and was transferred to
Australia in 1990 as General Manager of Accor’s first hotel in Australia, the Novotel Sydney
at Darling Harbour. Following this, he was appointed to a regional capacity, responsible for
Accor’s rapidly growing hotel operations in Australia, New Zealand and Japan. Between
1990 and 1996, under Koos’s leadership, Accor's presence in these regions grew from 1
hotel to 55. He returned to Europe where he headed the Novotel Central Europe
organization until 1998, when Mr Klein took on the role with Hilton Hotels as President of
Asia Pacific.
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