Amara Hotels & Resorts, Singapore: Building competitive advantage through sustainability and CSR initiatives

• Main Authors: RAMASWAMI, Seshan, TAN, Josephine, LIM, Thomas
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2022
• Subjects: Environmental Sustainability; Accommodations; Competitive Advantage; Company Reputation; Family Businesses; Brand Positioning; Business Administration, Management, and Operations; Marketing
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/cases_coll_all/427; https://smu.sharepoint.com/sites/admin/CMP/cases/SMU-22-BATCH%20%5BPDF-Pic%5D/SMU-22-0014%20%5BAmara%20Hotels%20&%20Resorts%5D/SMU-22-0014%20%5BAmara%20Hotels%20&%20Resorts%5D.pdf?CT=1663234627527&OR=ItemsView
• Institution: Singapore Management University

Amara Hotels & Resorts is a family-managed public-listed company running three business hotels, one each in Singapore, Shanghai and Bangkok, in addition to a resort on the island of Sentosa off the southern coast of Singapore. The company is led by Albert Teo, the son of the hotel chain founder. The case describes the sustainability initiatives implemented by the Singapore hotels, and the firm’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives in Singapore and Bangkok. As the COVID pandemic has deeply affected the fortunes of the hotel, Teo is considering various ways in which the hotel can respond in a substantive way to the growing requirements by investors, analysts and governments for Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) criteria to be fulfilled by corporations. Since it is a family-owned business, he is particularly conscious of the long-term legacy of the hotel brand name. In considering future initiatives for the hotel to advance its sustainability and CSR agenda, he would like to achieve a win-win situation in which there are tangible benefits for the world, as well as a long-term positive impact on the bottom line. The case illustrates this central challenge in running a modern corporation, especially a service business with an international clientele. The case can be used in marketing strategy or strategic brand management courses. Students will be able to understand the challenges of competing in the business hotel industry in a global city, appreciate the impact of the founding family on the management of a business, explore ways in which sustainability and CSR initiatives can be designed in the service industry, and comprehend how sustainability and CSR initiatives can be designed to enhance a company’s long-term sustainable advantage.