With a lifetime of experience in the hotel industry, spreading his knowledge worldwide, Pancho Llamas takes pride in the concept “Yes we’re different” he has implemented into his brand, Pink Hotels, known for several PinkCoco properties in Indonesia.
Q: How did you first get into the hospitality industry and how long has it been your passion?
A: My story started when I was young in the Canary Islands, when my father booked a few rooms for the entire family in a hotel. While having a drink with the hotel’s general manager at the time, my father asked, “What does a general manager in a hotel do?” His reply amazed me. He said, “My job is this; I’m having a drink with you now, later I’m going to play tennis with some other guests and I will walk around the gardens to make sure everything is clean. My goal is just to make sure everyone enjoys themselves.” At the time, being 10 or 11 years old, I said, “I want this job.” In the end, things turned out completely different, and the reality is nothing like what I heard at the time, but that is the moment I decided to become a GM. I got my first general manager position at 31 years old.
Q: Why do you name your hotels PinkCoco?
A: It’s funny. I was at a hotel opening in the Maldives, which is known for beautiful sunsets, and I remember that the sunset was pink. After a few glasses of wine, I said, “How beautiful is that pink colour? Why don’t we see this colour more common in nature?” I thought of how beautiful it would be if the palm trees had pink coconuts. The people around me began to suggest “PinkCoco” in a sarcastic manner, but I loved the name. I promised myself that the first hotel I ever opened would be named PinkCoco, because of the colour of the beautiful Maldivian sunset.
Q: What makes Pink Hotels different from other hotel brands?
A: Once I decided to go into the hotel business by myself, my only chance was to start something I could afford with my savings as a general manager. I have learned through my experience with good chairmen and CEOs that the important thing in business is to be different from the competition. The vision for PinkCoco started with just that. To be different is the colour, to be different is to provide a lot of the services we provide within a simple three-star hotel. This three-star hotel is different because the five-star services allow us to charge a four-star price. Our expectation is that guests must have been surprised during their stay.
Q: Can you talk about your main market and how you would describe them?
A: Well, 70 percent of bookings are made by the wife or girlfriend. This being said, we cater to what the woman will typically look for in a potential hotel. We have to come up with a design to meet the expectation of the woman, which we provide to cater to the feminine market, with big clean bathrooms, pink colours and feminine features.
Q: What niche services does PinkCoco provide?
A: We are a very sexy type of hotel. For this reason, we stand by our Cool Adults Only slogan, as a sign of respect to all guests. Being topless in Indonesia is often frowned upon, but in many European countries, it is encouraged. While we need to be careful with what we promote here, we have started the Sexy Midnight Swim here at PinkCoco. At 12am, our front doors are locked, lights are turned off, and candles are lit around the pool. If guests want to swim naked, they may. This celebration of love and intimacy is just one of the things we do to make ourselves different.
Asia Dreams Volume 48
Pink Hotels
Jalan Tanjung No. 31, Sanur
Bali 80228, Indonesia
T: (+62) 8113855528
E: pancho.llamas@pinkhotels.com
W: pinkhotels.com
IG: @pinkhotels
