The Langham London opened in 1865 as the city's then-largest hotel. It's taken 160 years and many locations around the world for Langham to return to Europe.
In 2027, the highly anticipated The Langham, Venice will open in a 16th-century building on the island of Murano, now owned by Palladium Italia.
While the luxury hotel brand's origin story began in England, the larger Langham Hospitality Group has grown in recent decades as a wholly owned subsidiary of Hong Kong-based Great Eagle Holdings. Great Eagle develops, invests in and manages commercial real estate around the world.
Langham Hospitality Group includes four brands — The Langham Hotels and Resorts; Cordis Hotels & Resorts; Eaton; and Ying’nFlo, a hotel-serviced apartment flag with two assets in Hong Kong.
The flagship Langham brand has 18 hotels open and 13 in the pipeline. Asia and the United States are its regions with the most representation. Given the brand's London roots, Europe has long been a priority, though a challenging one, said Kevin Robinson, chief operating officer at Langham Hospitality Group.
Robinson said time is a friend when it comes to finding a location and developing a hotel in a competitive, yet hugely historical, market such as Venice. The city has been on Langham’s radar for some time.
“We always knew that entering such an iconic destination would call for strategic foresight and restraint. That considered, our approach ultimately led to securing a remarkable 16th-century property on Murano island with direct lagoon frontage and an equally compelling backstory,” he said.
That story features a structure that started life as the opulent Casino Mocenigo and later as a glassmaking factory staffed by master artisans.
Robinson said a key challenge for Langham lay in honoring Venice and Casino Mocenigo’s heritage while transforming the space into a contemporary, luxury destination.
Part of the project involves restoring original frescoes by 16th-century artists such as Benedetto Caliari and Dario Varotari.
The company enlisted architecture and design firm Matteo Thun & Partners to guide the transformation with a "sustainable yet elegant approach," Robinson said, noting that the property, restored into a 133-room hotel, sits in a fragile destination, where its buildings have withstood centuries of high tides, salt water and lately, overtourism.
Langham's transforming business model
Langham Hospitality’s business model —built largely on operating hotels — is in the process of transforming too, Robinson said.
“While roughly half of our existing portfolio is owned by Great Eagle, that ratio will gradually shift to the downside as we sign more operating agreements with other parties.
“Our close relationship with our parent company affords us a clear view of the considerations that matter most to our clients," he said. "That perspective sharpens our ability to drive stronger asset performance, maintain a disciplined approach to capital planning and build more resilient operating models.
“We’ve long believed that it often takes an owner to know how to cater to one. That said, we expect the proportion of hotels under our parent’s stewardship to gradually decline,” he said.
“Regarding conversions, we’re certainly open to the idea and have undertaken a few in the past,” he said, adding that such a model tends to be more appropriate for the group's Cordis and Ying’nFlo brands, which have more flexible brand standards compared to the luxury Langham brand.
He said management is currently exploring options to facilitate faster and more scalable growth for Ying’nFlo. As well as in China, Cordis is making great strides in New Zealand, and there are plans to expand it to other markets.
Robinson said the ethos of these two brands is a “neighborly and wellness-oriented take on upscale hospitality.”
Across all its brands, Langham Hospitality Group has 31 hotels open, comprising more than 11,000 keys, with 13 hotels in the pipeline. Sixteen hotels, mostly across The Langham brand, are owned.
Regional strongholds, feeder markets
A luxury brand such as The Langham often relies on high demand from U.S. travelers. Robinson said he has seen a slight dip in U.S. outbound travel numbers, but it is not a concern.
“Our flagship hotel in London draws in guests from across the globe, with Europe and the Middle East serving as key feeder markets. And while U.S. guest inflows to Europe may have eased, we view this as a temporary shift rather than a structural change,” he said.
The 356-room The Langham, Shanghai Xintiandi had a full-year 2024 occupancy of 81.6%. Chinese travelers are making up some of this percentage, but so are international guests.
“In China, which is our largest single market by property count, we’ve seen strong performance driven by the surge in domestic travel and continued demand for high-quality experiences close to home.
“At the same time, we’re also seeing renewed momentum in both inbound and outbound international travel, with the former supported by the Chinese government’s introduction of new visa-free entry schemes in recent years,” he added.
For now, the numbers are stacking up.
In its latest earnings results for full-year 2024, Langham Hospitality’s hotels recorded a 0.6% increase in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization to approximately $1.1 billion Hong Kong dollars ($141.4 million).
“We continue to see positive revenue growth. And while cost management is a priority amid the still uncertain global economic landscape, we remain committed to expanding our operating portfolio, albeit with an added focus on careful market selection, strong local partnerships and strategically paced development to ensure each project is positioned for long-term success,” he added.