After a tumultuous few years, Regent Hotels and Resorts is looking to return to its roots, the company has announced, opening more properties in Asia.

The brand was the first to introduce concepts such as the five-fixture bathroom, hotel shopping malls and villa resorts which have now become standard in luxury hotels.

The brand is now looking to revive its glory days since being purchased by Formosa International Hotels from Carlson, which owns Radisson and Park Plaza.

Now, the brand says that it will focus on Asia, mindful of its history as “the first truly Asian-based global hospitality group”.

Regent boss Steven Pan said that “Regent was born is Asia” and “is now coming home to Asia.”

It plans a massive international expansion, moving into major cities such as Hong Kong, New York, Los Angeles, London and Shanghai, as well as Abu Dhabi, Bali, Bangkok, Doha, Dubrovnik, Gurgaon, Kuala Lumpur, Maldives, Phuket, and Puerto Rico.

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Regent owned some of the world’s most iconic hotels, including the flagship Regent Hong Kong, which was later sold to InterContinental and is still in operation as one of Hong Kong’s best-known luxury properties.

Some of Four Seasons’ luxury properties in New York, Bali and Milan were intended for Regent, but retained by Four Seasons when the brand was passed to Carlson.

At its peak, it also owned the famous Beverly Wilshire hotel, a Beverly Hills landmark which still regularly makes appearances in the television series Entourage.

Source: AFPrelaxnews