New Central London Low-Cost Hotel Promises 5 Star Beds at 1 Star...
With typical room rates starting from just £35, the Tune Hotels business model is based on the low-cost airline structure with low-cost rooms focused on offering high-quality basics - excellent beds, powerful showers, air conditioned rooms, central locations, a clean environment, and 24 hour security – with guests paying extra only for the facilities and services they use.
Like low-cost airlines, guests are encouraged to book early online to secure the regular lower promotional prices which in London will start from just £9 per night.
Tune Hotels targets the savvy guest who wants the best value for money whether they be leisure or business travellers. The first London hotel is located on Westminster Bridge Road, a stone’s throw from Waterloo station and a short walk from London’s culturally rich South Bank.
In addition to the 5 star beds - the same used by many 5 star hotels - and powerful ‘wake up’ showers, the hotel provides electronic keycard access to rooms, CCTV systems and no access to the main lobby without a keycard past midnight.
Mark Lankester, Group CEO of Tune Hotels said “Tune Hotels’ first hotel in London is the tenth in our network. We have indeed come a long way since first opening our doors in Kuala Lumpur 3 years ago. This is a very exciting development that goes to show that our limited service, pay-as-you-use concept is fast gaining worldwide acceptance.
Commenting on Tune Hotels’ expansion in London, Lankester said: “London offers so many possibilities, there’s a world of culture and fun to be had and by choosing to stay at a Tune Hotel, guests can have a safe and comfortable night’s sleep without breaking the bank.”
“For non essential items such as TV, WIFI, tea and coffee and hairdryers, guests only pay if they need them. This means that unlike other hotels, guests not using the extra facilities won’t be charged for them as part and parcel of the room price, it’s about low prices, great central locations and our guests having more in their pocket to spend out and about in London,” he remarked.
The Tune Hotel in Westminster is the first of 15 locations scheduled to open across the Greater London area by 2017, creating 1500 rooms and representing a total investment of £150 million for the capital’s hospitality sector. Already a big success in Asia with nine hotels in destinations including Kuala Lumpur, Penang, and Bali having already accommodated close to a million guests, Tune is aiming for 100 hotels in its global portfolio by 2015.
Tune Hotels is part of the Tune Group, the private investment group of Tony Fernandes, founder and Group CEO of low-cost airline AirAsia and Team Principal of the Lotus F1 Racing Team. Tune Group recently signed a deal to become the new Principal Partner for Professional Games Match Officials (PGMO) for three seasons beginning from 2010/11; PGMO being the body responsible for providing and managing all professional match officials in English football. Tune Hotels in the UK will be operated under a strategic partnership with Queensway Group Limited, a UK-based private investment group owning and operating hospitality assets in the UK, Europe, and United Arab Emirates (UAE).
