Australia’s hotel industry breaks new ground with Trilogy Hotels

SYDNEY, December 2023 – Three of Australia’s top hospitality innovators have launched a new venture poised to advance the hotel industry in Australia and New Zealand. Scott Boyes, Tony Ryan and Grant Alchin are combining their hospitality experience to deliver hotel owners and hotel brands an alternative way to run their business, where all parties are playing to their strengths.

Before founding Trilogy Hotels, Scott Boyes spent almost 30 years with Accor rising as a graduate front office manager to become its Senior VP of Operations, Pacific North. By the end of his tenure, he was responsible for 85 hotels across NSW, ACT, QLD and the NT. Tony Ryan has provided commercial and legal advice to the hotel industry globally for more than 35 years. He specialises in complex and major transactions and helped to deliver Accor’s US$940m takeover of Mantra Group. Another alum, Grant Alchin built a reputation for consistently transforming underperforming hotels into profitable operations for Accor and IHG. More recently he oversaw strategic asset management at one of Asia’s largest diversified real estate groups, CapitaLand.

The trilogy of owners, guests, and team members sits at the heart of Trilogy’s business. Each of the founders shares a genuine belief that hotels can change lives, supported by their own experiences. The central purpose behind Trilogy Hotels is to positively impact the lives of these three core stakeholder groups.

Trilogy Hotels provides hotel owners and hotel brands with an operating platform for investment-grade assets where hotel operations are managed independently by Trilogy’s experienced team. Hotel brands may, under a franchise agreement, provide strong globally established branding, marketing, distribution, and loyalty programs. Trilogy manages the hotel operations and drives the operational and profit performance on behalf of an owner. The company also provides access to operational systems, training, and team development.

“Here in Australia and New Zealand, the industry has relied heavily on the traditional hotel management agreement model where hotel owners engage with a particular hotel brand for both their distribution and operating capability. However, in the US and Europe the independent management model, with brand support under a franchise agreement is the predominant model preferred by hotel owners and hotel brands alike,” says Scott Boyes, CEO of Trilogy Hotels.

“We are expanding that model further and tailoring it for the Australian and New Zealand market to help hotel owners feel more connected with their investment, whilst partnering with and utilising the exceptional distribution capability of a global hotel brand. We look forward to collaborating with multiple global brands to deliver great outcomes for owners.”

While a relatively unfamiliar business model for Australia and New Zealand, it is well established in the US where Aimbridge Hospitality is the current industry leader. That company began in 2003 with just eight hotels and has rapidly grown to more than 1,500 properties across 23 countries. According to industry source Hotel News Now, at a recent Aimbridge conference, the Global CEOs of Marriott, Hilton, and IHG all reinforced the growth story behind the franchise model and the need for quality independent hotel operating partners in each market.

Sean Hunt is the Area Vice President for Marriott International in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific. With the independent hotel management model already proven successful in the US, he believes it’s only a matter of time until the platform emerges with scale locally.

“We commend Trilogy Hotels on their decision to enter the market and have no doubt that their high calibre personnel will offer certain hotel owners a valuable alternative to traditional hotel management models. We anticipate powerful opportunities will exist for Marriott International to bolster Trilogy’s success by partnering with them under franchise agreements with our global brands. This collaboration will be central to maximising distribution reach and financial performance for assets under Trilogy’s management, and will deliver genuine benefits to hotel owners, their management company, and our hotel brands,” says Hunt.

Gus Moors, Managing Director for JLL Hotels & Hospitality, expresses strong support for Trilogy Hotels’ approach to the local hotel marketplace.

“In a mature market like Australia and New Zealand, I’m very much in support of the approach that Trilogy Hotels is looking to adopt as it lines up with successful investment trends in both Europe and the US,” says Moors.

“By blending independent operations with brand support under a franchise agreement Trilogy Hotels offers hotel investors a compelling opportunity. I believe both hotel owners and investors are looking for ways to achieve positive outcomes through more local and bespoke hotel operations while still benefiting from the global distribution and presence of successful hotel brands.”

Between them, the three founders of Trilogy Hotels have an unmatched combination of experience in the tourism and hospitality industry in Australia, New Zealand and throughout Asia Pacific. They each share a deep passion for hospitality and a desire to improve the industry overall. Both Boyes and Alchin fondly recall the camaraderie and team dynamics at the start of their professional careers, while Ryan brings unique insights based on his global experience and relationships.

“Hotels are spaces where stories intertwine, where dreams are nurtured, and where connections are forged,” says Boyes. “With an unwavering commitment to our hotel owners, team members, and guests, we also recognise our role in positively influencing the environment and the communities in which we are privileged to operate.”

Over the past few weeks, the founders of Trilogy have met with brands, partners, and hotel owners to share their philosophy. The Trilogy team is on the verge of finalising a groundbreaking deal that is poised to transform the industry here in Australia and New Zealand.