Swiss-Belhotel International is embarking on a widespread expansion of its exciting budget brand, Zest Hotels, with plans to triple its portfolio of properties in Indonesia within 3 years.

At present, seven Zest Hotels are operating in the country, located in Jakarta, Surabaya, Yogyakarta, Bandung, Batam, Bogor and Bali. And by the end of the decade, this collection is expected to reach 20 hotels, bringing “Cool, Comfort, Convenient and Connected” accommodation to Indonesia’s new generation of millennial travellers.

The development drive will see Zest Hotels add more locations in key cities like Jakarta, whilst also spreading further across the archipelago, reaching towns and cities including Ambon, Solo, Timika, Manado and Jailolo. This will contribute to the Indonesian government’s efforts to bring the benefits of tourism to even more parts of the country.

“We see strong potential for the expansion of Zest Hotels across Indonesia,” commented Emmanuel Guillard, CEO of Zest Hotel International and Swiss-Belhotel International’s Senior Vice President of Operations & Development for Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam. “Tailored to young professionals and families, groups of friends and students, Zest Hotels is totally in tune with the modern millennial mindset. We now plan to reach a nationwide collection of 20 hotels by 2020, catering for guests in many exciting new destinations.”

“Looking further ahead, the emergence Indonesia’s large and youthful population, the rapid growth of second and third-tier cities, and enhanced low-cost air connectivity mean that the future opportunities for Zest Hotels are almost limitless. We look forward to introducing even more travellers to Zest’s cool concept in the years ahead,” Mr Guillard added.

Zest Hotels are all situated in prime locations and feature an array of guest-friendly offerings, such as 24-hour room use, instant Wi-Fi connectivity, comfortable bedding and 24-7 services.

The expansion of Zest Hotels will see the addition of at least seven new hotels, which have already been signed. These confirmed properties will add 768 new affordable hotel rooms, almost doubling the brand’s total nationwide inventory. Zest Hotels is also targeting approximately six additional signings, potentially taking the brand’s total portfolio size to 20 hotels by 2020. This will include properties in popular destinations like Jakarta and Bali and emerging regions like Sulawesi, Kalimantan, Sumatera and North Maluku.

The growth of Zest Hotels is being driven by an impressive operating performance. Total revenues surged 18.8% in 2017, compared to the previous year, and the group’s operating profit jumped 21.3%.