With a career spanning prestigious hotel brands across Europe and beyond, Amin Masshafi brings a wealth of international experience to IHG’s Malta cluster, encompassing the iconic InterContinental Malta, the established Holiday Inn Express, and the eagerly anticipated voco Malta. This multi-brand approach, a key evolution Amin has observed upon his return, is at the heart of IHG Malta's strategy to cater to the diverse needs of the modern traveller in a competitive market. 

“One of the most significant changes I’ve observed is IHG’s strong focus on multi-brand differentiation,” Amin notes, emphasising the group’s clear delineation between its luxury, lifestyle, and essentials brands. This strategic clarity is crucial as IHG Malta navigates a landscape demanding both brand individuality and operational synergy.

Managing a cluster sales team across three distinct properties presents a unique leadership challenge, one that Amin embraces with strategic agility. His approach is rooted in balancing brand individuality while harnessing the inherent synergies within the IHG Malta complex. “From a leadership perspective, managing a cluster sales team across three diverse properties requires strategic agility, clear brand positioning, and a data-driven commercial approach,” he explains.

The upcoming launch of voco Malta, IHG's lifestyle brand, adds another layer of dynamism to the cluster. This expansion allows IHG Malta to offer guests an unparalleled range of experiences, from the luxury of the InterContinental to the value-driven Holiday Inn Express, and now, the distinctive lifestyle appeal of voco.

Amin details how this multi-brand portfolio creates unique advantages: “IHG guests benefit from access to multiple F&B outlets, recreational facilities, and shared amenities across all three properties. This makes the complex a unique and highly attractive choice for both business and leisure guests, offering flexibility based on their needs and preferences.”

A cornerstone of Amin’s strategy is fostering collaboration within the sales and marketing teams. Instead of internal competition, the focus is on synergy. “To drive performance, we ensure that our commercial and revenue strategy for our hotels is built around collaboration rather than competition,” he explains. This approach involves carefully aligning pricing, segmentation, and distribution strategies across the three properties. The aim is to capture a broader market range while safeguarding each brand’s unique value proposition.

Cross-selling opportunities are a key element of this synergy, maximising both occupancy and revenue. Amin also highlights the efficiency gains from centralised operations. “By leveraging our centralised Sales, Marketing, Revenue, and Reservations teams, we enhance cost efficiency and consistency, strengthening our market position while ensuring sustainable growth,” he explains 

Amin’s previous experience in Malta also provides him with a valuable understanding of local market, enabling him to position each brand effectively within the destination. “Based on my previous experience with the Corinthia Regional Office in Germany, I have visited Malta multiple times for conferences, internal meetings and FamTrips and gained a good understanding of the local hospitality landscape, key competitors, and Malta’s market dynamics, particularly in terms of seasonality and key feeder markets,” Amin elaborates.

Meanwhile, managing a sales and marketing team responsible for luxury, lifestyle, and select-service offerings presents both significant challenges and unique opportunities. Amin acknowledges the complexity of ensuring the team is equally adept at representing three distinct brand propositions. “The key challenge lies in ensuring that the team is equally proficient in positioning and selling three distinct brands, each with different guest expectations, pricing strategies, and service levels,” he states.

Recruitment and retention also pose ongoing challenges within Malta’s competitive hospitality sector. However, Amin emphasises that IHG’s global stature is a significant draw for talent. “Being part of IHG, a global hotel industry leader, makes the role more attractive. The opportunity for career growth, both locally and internationally, within a renowned hotel group enhances employee retention and development, positioning us as an employer of choice,” he shares.

The multi-brand cluster model also presents considerable opportunities. “A multi-brand cluster allows the team to develop a diverse skill set, engaging with different market segments from high-end corporate and leisure travellers at InterContinental Malta to lifestyle guests at voco and value-driven corporate clients at Holiday Inn Express,” Amin says. Through targeted training, cross-exposure across brands, and a flexible commercial strategy, Amin ensures his team remains adaptable and effective across the diverse IHG Malta portfolio.

Now, the launch of voco Malta is a pivotal moment for IHG on the island, introducing its lifestyle brand to the Maltese market. Amin outlines the team’s structured approach to ensure they can effectively represent and sell three distinct brand propositions, especially with the addition of voco. “All team members undergo brand-specific training to fully understand the positioning, value proposition, and unique selling points (USP) of each hotel, ensuring they can confidently sell across the portfolio,” he explains.

Looking towards a bright future, it is clear that Amin and his team at IHG Malta are strategically positioned for continued success in the dynamic Maltese hospitality market. By embracing a multi-brand approach, leveraging Malta's strategic advantages, and prioritising both synergy and individual brand identity, the stage is set to offer exceptional experiences to a diverse clientele, further solidifying Malta’s role as a key destination within IHG's global portfolio.