Why the Shangri-La and Klook Partnership Isn’t as Odd as It Seems
Hotel chains and tours and activities are converging again as Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts and Klook strike a partnership. The deal, following Marriott International's stake in PlacePass last year, has its potential pitfalls but the upside could be huge for both parties if they can make it go smoothly.
One is exclusive, the other inclusive. Jet set versus young set, legacy versus cutting edge. Shangri-La and Klook may seem to be strange bedfellows but their partnership of a hotel company and a tours booking outfit announced Wednesday shows their objectives are not incompatible.
Both want to reach out to new customers, Shangri-La the younger affluent clientele, Klook the luxury market. Shangri-La wants its Golden Circle members to earn and burn more points and, after adding merchandise from bathrobes to iPhones to the redemption list, sees tours and activities as the next big thing, which it is.
Klook constantly wants to expand not just its user base but the number and quality of offerings, which Shangri-La hotels, with its CHI, The Spa network, over 500 restaurants and other attractions, provide, said its chief revenue officer Anita Ngai.
