KL-based hospitality management company Filoxenia sets sight on independent hotel owners who want to grow brandLeonard Theng and Michael van Ommen are the dynamic duo behind hospitality consultancy and management company Filoxenia White Label. — Picture by Hari Anggara
The duo founded Filoxenia, which means ‘love for strangers’ in Greek, in 2017 after noticing a boom in boutique hotels in the city centre, mostly by third-generation landowners or those from construction and development backgrounds. With over 20 years of experience in the hotel industry, Theng’s expertise focuses on sales and marketing and revenue management while Van Ommen is an expert in operations such as rooms, food & beverage , financial and general management.
“White label in Asia is something new especially in Malaysia and what it basically means is an owner who has a hotel but doesn’t know how to develop their own brand. “Everybody knows where they are so they have a sense of belonging, a sense of safety which is reflected in the staff.