Langham Hospitality Group (LHG) is amid a major push to reach 100 hotels across its brands by 2040. Currently, it operates 33 properties across The Langham Hotels and Resorts (18), Cordis Hotels and Resorts (eight), Eaton Workshop (two) and Ying’nFlo (four) brands, with 15 more in the pipeline.

Not surprisingly, much of that growth is planned for the group’s luxury (and namesake) brand, Langham Hotels and Resorts. Eleven of the 15 announced hotels in development belong to the brand.

Luxury Hotel Development

In 2026, the group expects to open a Langham hotel in Bangkok, with properties in Kuala Lumpur and Venice following on its heels in 2027. Bob van den Oord, CEO of LHG, in a conversation with LATTE called The Langham, Custom House, Bangkok “the highlight” of the group’s updates this year.

Set to open in late 2026, the hotel will occupy a riverside complex in Bangkok’s Bang Rak District along the Chao Phraya River. The centerpiece of the site will be—as the name suggests—the city’s old Customs House, a heritage building. A Venice project—set within the historic former Casino Mocenigo building and Murano glass factory—will continue a trend by LHG of revitalising a historic building to house a hotel.  

The Langham, Custom House, Bangkok

Both of these follow in footsteps of the recently opened The Langham, Boston, a luxury hotel situated in a former Federal Reserve Bank building; and The Langham, Chicago, a sophisticated retreat housed in the iconic Mies van der Rohe building; not to mention The Langham, Pasadena, a property steeped in Hollywood history that dates back to 1907, which first opened 17 years ago and underwent a major renovation in 2025.

“Projects such as The Langham, Custom House, Bangkok underscore our commitment to adaptive reuse,” said van den Oord. “The hotel is centred on a landmark building dating back to 1888, which is being carefully restored to preserve its cultural and architectural significance. Similarly, The Langham, Venice—formerly a casino and later a glass-making factory—places a strong emphasis on restoration work, such as the conservation of its 16th-century frescoes.

“At the same time, we are selectively pursuing high-quality new builds in markets where purpose-designed hotels allow us to fully express our brands.”

The Langham, Pasadena

Examples of the latter include The Langham, Kuala Lumpur—part of the Oxley Towers KLCC development in Kuala Lumpur’s Golden Triangle in the CBD—and The Langham, Diriyah, which will form part of Saudi Arabia’s Diriyah Gate cultural hub. The hotels are scheduled to open in 2027 and 2029, respectively.

Beyond these hotels, Langham will expand into the following cities in the coming years:

• Chengdu, Foshan, Nanjing and Xiamen, China
• Tokyo, Japan
• San Francisco and Seattle, U.S.

If you weren’t counting, that’s seven new hotels slated for Asia in the coming years—something van den Oord said was “central to our growth strategy.”

Guest Trends

The Langham, Kuala Lumpur

“Travel is increasingly more intentional, with guests favouring longer, more immersive visits that blend leisure, well-being and cultural discovery rather than short, transactional trips,” van den Oord told LATTE.

Diving into those trends, the LHG CEO said, “Wellness remains an important driver, but the focus has evolved beyond traditional spa offerings towards experiences that feel restorative, personalised and credible.” He added. “At the same time, luxury travel is becoming more social and multigenerational, with families and groups seeking experiences that are memorable, engaging and shared. This has increased demand for playful, expressive moments alongside refined service.”

Regardless of the specifics of what a given guest may be looking for in a hotel—be that dining, programming or partnerships—van den Oord notes one commonality: guests are continually “placing greater value on engagements that feel genuine to the destination.”

So, as The Langham continues its expansion plans, how is van den Oord and his team adapting the portfolio to fit these evolving guest expectations?

The Langham, Venice

For one, “design plays a key role in this evolution,” said the executive. “Across our hotels, we are creating more versatile public areas and lounges that serve as flexible workspaces, informal meeting points and social hubs, enabling guests to move seamlessly between productivity and relaxation.”

He added that “food and beverage is another key differentiator. Our dining concepts are increasingly distinctive and locally relevant.”

Van den Oord concluded: “Underpinning these trends is a growing desire for authenticity. Guests are looking for hotels that feel distinctive and true to their surroundings rather than interchangeable. Creating that sense of place and emotional connection has long been central to our approach, and it continues to guide how we design experiences across our portfolio.”

Trade Engagement

With all of that underway, Langham Hospitality Group is also looking to strengthen the way it engages both the trade and guests. Notably, van den Oord said Langham is currently improving its Couture by Langham program “to better equip our luxury travel advisors to deliver tailored experiences.”