Carlos Garcia Lorente, general director of Galo Architects' HCMC branch, which is set for inauguration on May 14, told the Daily that Room-Mate Hotels asked the company in November for the locations of new hotels in Vietnam.

"We have the confidence of the international hotel chain to search for opportunities in the central districts of big cities in Vietnam," said Lorente.

The Spanish architect said HCMC and the capital city of Hanoi were top priority locations given that the cities have international airports and are suitable for business customers and leisure travelers alike.

Lorente said the hotel chain set its 2008-2011 development target at 40 hotels in major cities around the world, among which Vietnam is a new market.

"Beside traditional areas of development for Room Mate in Europe and America, we have also identified Vietnam as a strategic area," Juan Cena, chief executive officer of Room Mate Hotels, said in a letter to Galo Architects.

Cena said that the hotel chain was convinced that its business model would be a success in the country and that the management company had provided the financial resources to achieve the goal.

Room-Mate Hotels runs 20 hotels, 14 of them in Spain and the U.S., and six, which are being refurbished, in Mexico, Argentina and Spain.

Lorente said Room-Mate Hotels will start in Vietnam with hotels with a minimum of 75 rooms and will not consider buildings under construction but only existing hotels or at least buildings which could easily be converted into hotels.

Lorente disclosed that among several potential property owners in the city, Saigontourist and Vina-Capital were on his list for further negotiations for the would-be hotel locations.

Galo Architects last year toured Vietnam to sound out business opportunities and collaborations on future projects with Vietnamese architectural, construction and development companies.

The Spanish firm is active in urban planning, office and apartment buildings, resorts, golf courses and amusement parks.

Lorente said the company chose HCMC for its Asian branch office because it saw potential in the Vietnamese property market.

Source: Saigon Times