INTERVIEW: MUNDUS REPRESENTATION ON NEW PARTNERSHIPS, TRENDS & MORE

Mundus Representation has partnered with SH Hotels & Resorts to represent the 1 Hotel Mayfair, Treehouse London and Treehouse Manchester properties.

The news marks the company’s first UK hotel partnerships and expands its hotel representation offering – its portfolio currently includes Viceroy Hotels & Resorts and 14 DMCs covering destinations across the globe.

Managing partners Wayne Redman and Andre Van Der Bijl celebrated the news with a small gathering of leading event agencies at the 1 Hotel Mayfair last week.

We caught up with the pair, who are also celebrating their fifth anniversary this year, to find out more about the new deal, and the key destination trends they are seeing…

Congratulations on the announcement. Were you actively looking to expand your hotel portfolio?

Wayne: As you know we have a history with Viceroy Hotels, with me working there before, and Andre also knowing Jane O’Shea from her Jumeirah days. Jane left Viceroy earlier this year and moved over to SH Hotels, which represents the 1 Hotel Group and Treehouse Hotels brand.  Jane approached us and asked if we would consider representing the UK properties, snf having worked closely with Jane before it was an easy decision to make.

Once we saw the products, it was a no brainer because of their focus on sustainability, which aligns perfectly with our values. It’s fantastic to have these properties in our portfolio and be able to offer our clients something in the UK. Our conversations have already broadened so much as many of the agencies we work with on  international events, also organise UK events.

Andre: We have thought about working with more hotels for some time but we were waiting for the right opportunity. This felt like the perfect partnership for us, at the right time, and is also very complementary with the Viceroy Hotel brand as there is no crossover. It’s almost like the stars aligned.

What is unique about these hotel brands?

Andre: With the 1 Hotel Mayfair, it’s all the little things. The building used to be another hotel, but they have recycled around 80% of the materials of the existing property and all materials used are from within a 300 miles radius of the hotel which is phenomenal.

The natural decor and over 1,300 plants from 220 species make it a real green haven and each of the 181 rooms has a water station with a living wall around it – so you won’t find plastic bottles. It’s stylish and elegant, but super sustainable, perfect for eco-conscious event planners.

1 Hotels also have a third-party partner they work with to help clients make their events more sustainable. The Certified Sustainable Gatherings Program is an optional extra focused on reducing waste and there are three levels or stages that clients can choose from. It’s a fantastic offering and they are going to be rolling that out across Treehouse Hotels too.

Will your partnership extend beyond the UK properties?

Wayne: We’re starting off with the UK properties and won’t be officially representing the ones that are abroad, but of course we will be able to put our clients in touch with any of the international properties they are interested in.

Jane is keen that we are updated on the full portfolio because we do anticipate our clients asking us for details or support with The Treehouse and 1 Hotel properties around the world as the portfolio grows.

You’re celebrating your 5^th anniversary this year. What’s been the highlight so far, apart from winning the micebook Award this year, of course 😉

Andre: Without a shadow of a doubt the highlight of our year so far was winning “Best Representation Company” at the your awards. It was a real testament to our clients and partners and we are humbled by it. We were on the road recently in Leeds and Manchester and it was great to be able to introduce ourselves as award-winning. It feels fantastic and we’re going to dine out on it  until the next micebook Awards, and then who knows?

Do you think you might branch out to more hotels? Or are there any destinations missing off the DMC list that you’re keen to add?

Andre: Our onboarding for a DMC often starts a year to 18 months in advance. It’s important for us to be able to test them out and ideally work with some close clients who we recommend them to in order to see how they operate and do our due diligence. So, by the time we introduce them as our partner, we know they are the right fit for the Mundus Family. We do have another destination sitting in the pipeline that’s in the onboarding progress, we will see how that develops.

With hotels, it’s a bit different, as we’ll know pretty much when we see the product whether it’s going to fit with our portfolio and values.

Which destinations are most popular right now?

Wayne: Montenegro is a real gem and very popular at the moment. When we do FAM trips, sometimes we don’t see a return for three or four years, but after our fam trip to Montenegro last year, five out of eight agencies contracted within six months.

Malaga and Seville are also getting more interest because of all the new product that’s coming up in that region of Spain. For long-haul, we’re seeing interest in Mexico City Riviera Maya and Los Cabos.

The appetite for long haul is coming back, and clients are looking for more unique options and considering destinations that don’t have direct flight connections. Last year, we did six back-to-back groups in the Azores, and that was with a connection via Lisbon.

Andre: Cappadocia is also doing well for us because the connections via Istanbul are so smooth. This makes it easy to do a three-day program that combines Istanbul for the city experience, with the captivating landscape of Cappadocia for hot air balloons and cave hotel experiences like no other,

With other destinations, its cyclical. We are seeing a real uplift in interest in Malta and Gozo. These islands offer a consistent appeal due to their exceptional value, strong sustainability focus, and unparalleled potential for creating unforgettable incentive programs.