Managing director and group CEO Iqbal Jumabhoy reveals SilverNeedle Hospitality’s big plans for the Year of the Horse.

Managing director and group CEO Iqbal Jumabhoy 

Jumabhoy said, “2014 will be a milestone year as we will open the world’s first Next Hotel, our flagship upper upscale brand that caters to the sophisticated business traveller. Currently being refurbished from the iconic Chifley at Lennons Hotel in Brisbane’s Queen Street Mall, the Next Hotel will open in time for the G20 Summit. The redevelopment will double the number of rooms to 304.

Another development that will bear fruit this year is the refresh of our 28 year-old Country Comfort brand. The refreshed brand also launched our franchising business, giving owners an additional arrangement apart from the current management and licensing options. An upper midscale hotel brand well-known in Australia and New Zealand, we updated Country Comfort so it will better resonate with guests in these markets and the broader Asia-Pacific region. Since we relaunched the brand in October, we have been in discussions with several parties across Asia Pacific, and I am confident we will be able to announce new franchisees in the coming months”.

To read more about what to expect in the events industry in 2014, check out the February issue of Spice Magazine. Subscribe here.