Archipelago International

Founding and Early Years (1997–2000)

Archipelago Hotels traces its origins to 1997, when Charles Brookfield established Aston International in Indonesia, with a focus on hotel management, serviced apartments, and property services. The company entered the market during the 1997 Asian financial crisis, a period of significant contraction in the regional hospitality sector. During this time, Aston pursued a strategy centred on midscale and budget hotels, targeting domestic travellers and cities with limited hotel supply.

The company also repositioned serviced apartments in the Indonesian market as daily-stay accommodation with long-stay facilities. In 2000, Aston relocated its headquarters from Hawaii to Jakarta.[3]

Expansion and Brand Diversification (2000s–2012)

Following its establishment, Aston International expanded across Indonesia through a multi brand portfolio spanning several market segments. Brands included Grand Aston and Royal Kamuela in the luxury segment, Aston and Kamuela Villas in the upscale category, and Aston City, Aston Inn, and Quest in the midscale segment.

The company later entered the budget hotel market with the launch of favehotel, targeting business travellers seeking affordable standardised accommodation. The brand initially launched with 12 to 15 management contracts in cities including Denpasar and Surabaya, later expanding to more than 50 properties across Indonesia.[4] In 2011, the group announced plans to open 20 favehotel properties simultaneously, reflecting rapid acceleration in its budget segment strategy.[5]

In 2012, the company unveiled Hotel Neo, a new superior select-service brand positioned between the budget favehotel and the upscale Aston brands.[6] That same year, the group broke ground on Aston Priority Simatupang Hotel & Conference Center in South Jakarta, described at the time as the largest Aston hotel planned in the capital.[7]

Aston also began extending operations into regional markets, including Malaysia and the Philippines.

Rebranding as Archipelago International (2013)

In 2013, Aston International was rebranded as Archipelago International, reflecting its expanded geographic footprint and brand portfolio.[8][9][10] The company was the first Indonesian hotel operator to receive ISO 9001 certification.[11]

Also in 2013, Archipelago launched the Harper Hotels & Resorts brand, targeting the upper-midscale segment, with the first property opening in Kuta, Bali.[12][13] The same year, the group introduced The Alana brand in Surabaya,[14] and took over management of The Green Savana Hotel at Sentul City, Bogor.[15]

Growth and Milestones (2014–2019)

In 2014, Archipelago Hotels announced plans to open 70 new hotels across Indonesia and brought The Alana brand to Yogyakarta, Solo, and Sentul.[16] The company also opened its first five star all suites hotel in Jakarta that year.[17]

In 2014, favehotel was recognised at the Indonesia MICE Awards, winning awards at Venue Magazine's annual ceremony.[18]

By 2015, Archipelago Hotels had opened its 100th hotel under the Aston brand with the launch of Aston Anyer Beach Hotel in West Java.[19] That year, the group also expanded its international footprint by opening its first Hotel Neo in Malaysia, at Penang.[20] In 2015, Archipelago Hotels also opened its first conference hotel in Yogyakarta through The Alana Hotel & Convention Center, which at the time was described as the city's largest conference facility.[21]

Caribbean and International Expansion (2023–present)

Archipelago Hotels expanded significantly into the Caribbean from 2023 onwards. The group opened the Grand Aston Varadero Beach Resort in Cuba, a five star all inclusive beachfront resort on the Varadero coast.[22] The group also announced additional Cuban properties, including Grand Aston La Habana and Grand Aston Cayo Las Brujas Beach Resort & Spa.[23]

In 2024, Archipelago signed a management agreement with CLERHP Estructuras S.A. for the Grand Aston Golf Hotel & Residences at Larimar City & Resort in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.[24] The group also announced an expansion into Africa through the addition of Ocean Beach Resort & Spa in Kenya under the Aston Collection Hotels brand.[25]

Also in 2024, Archipelago signed 36 new hotel projects across domestic and international markets, with a focus on Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America, and the Middle East.[26]

In 2025, Archipelago Hotels opened Aston Rubi City Suites in the Dominican Republic, its first property in that country.[27] The group also announced plans to open 10 Aston and By Aston branded hotels in the Dominican Republic, along with an Aston property in Cuba and two KOOP a branded properties in the Philippines, as part of 26 openings scheduled for 2026.[23] Archipelago also expanded its presence in Malaysia with the opening of Quest Hotel Midport Port Dickson.[28]

In late 2025, Archipelago signed a joint venture agreement with Knowledge Economic City (KEC) to establish a hospitality management company based in Madinah, Saudi Arabia, with equal shareholding between the two parties. The partnership plans to develop a Saudi hotel brand, with the first project consisting of a 2,600 rooms property across eight hectares, targeted to open in early 2028. The concept is intended to be extended to Mecca and Jeddah.[29][30]

In January 2026, Archipelago Hotels announced a partnership with Tonino Lamborghini for the development of ultra luxury hotels and residences under the Tonino Lamborghini Hotels by Huxley brand, with the first four projects signed in the Dominican Republic, Colombia, and Miami.[31][32] The partnership was announced publicly at FITUR 2026 in Madrid.[33]

Also in early 2026, Archipelago signed a strategic distribution partnership with LetsFly, a global travel platform, to expand hotel inventory access across international markets through LetsFly's HiBeds platform.[34]

Properties by City

The following table lists Archipelago Hotels's operational properties by city, as documented in the group's 2026 hotel collection brochure.[36]

MSME Support Programme

Archipelago Hotels has collaborated with local Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) across 29 of its properties in Indonesia. Participating businesses supply guests with locally produced goods including regional food products, traditional textiles such as batik and indigenous weaving, upcycled items, and leather goods.[37]

Environmental Practices

According to the company's published materials, Archipelago Hotels has introduced a range of environmental measures across its portfolio. These include the removal of single use plastic bottles in guest rooms, replaced by water dispensers on each floor, the phasing out of plastic straws and single use toiletry packaging, a linen reuse programme, the use of biodegradable cleaning products, and energy-saving equipment across hotel operations.[38]

Technology

Archipelago Hotels operates a proprietary property management system called Sentec PMS, which the company has described as central to its transition towards a modern, integrated hotel technology platform.[39] In 2025, the company introduced smart room technology across selected properties, beginning with The Alana Hotel Malang, described at the time as the first hotel in Malang with a smart room concept.[40]

Also in 2025, Archipelago Hotels became what it described as Indonesia's largest hotel group with a nationwide electric vehicle (EV) charging network, with charging facilities installed across its Indonesian properties.[41]

Digital Distribution Partnerships

Archipelago has formed a series of distribution partnerships with digital travel platforms. In 2023, AirAsia Super App partnered with Archipelago to expand its hotel portfolio, providing access to more than 40,000 rooms across the group's Indonesian properties.[42][43] In 2024, the group signed a strategic partnership with HBX Group to strengthen its B2B travel distribution.[44] In 2025, Archipelago Hotels partnered with Agoda to capture Indonesia's growing travel demand,[45] with Traveloka to deepen collaboration across the group's hotel network,[46] and with Xendit to enable digital payment processing across its Indonesian hotel network.[47]

Corporate Social Responsibility

Archipelago International has conducted a recurring Cancer Care Initiative programme, beginning in South Kalimantan in 2024 and extending to Jakarta later that year, channelling donations from its Archarity Run charity run event to children's cancer foundations including Yayasan Lilin Pelita Kasih.[48][49] In 2025, Archipelago Hotels also distributed emergency relief of approximately Rp 360 million to communities affected by flooding in Sumatra.[50][51]

The company has also supported child protection in tourism, receiving recognition as a top member of The Code (Code of Conduct for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation in Travel and Tourism) in 2025.[52]

Workforce Development

Archipelago Hotels operates an annual Black Box Battle culinary competition for chefs and food and beverage professionals across its hotel network. The competition, which began in 2023, has been held at multiple locations across Indonesia including Solo, Sidoarjo, Yogyakarta, Bali, and South Kalimantan.[53][54] The group also holds an annual Bed Making Battle housekeeping competition across its properties.[55]

In 2025, the group announced a partnership with Institut Pariwisata Trisakti to advance hospitality education and talent development in Indonesia.[56]

Archipelago Hotels has also affirmed its commitment as an inclusive workplace for people with disabilities, with the group implementing employment practices aimed at widening access to hospitality careers across its network.[57]

Culinary Programmes

Since 2023, Archipelago Hotels has operated an annual Archipelago Food Festival across its hotel network, featuring traditional Indonesian cuisine at properties throughout the country. The 2023 edition featured more than 5,350 traditional recipes across participating hotels.[58][59]

In 2023, Aston Inn Cilacap and favehotel Cilacap, together with Archipelago International, broke the Museum Rekor Indonesia (MURI) record for the longest tempe mendoan preparation in Indonesia.[60]

In early 2026, Archipelago launched a network wide Korean street food pop up programme called "60 Seconds to Seoul" across its hotels in Indonesia, covered by multiple national media including Kompas and Liputan6.[61][62]