July 13, 2026 - News Release
CEO Rei Matsuda Featured in Forbes Thailand
Celebrating 10 Years of Innovation and 40x Growth in the Hospitality Industry
We are thrilled to announce that our Founder and CEO, Rei Matsuda, has been featured in a prominent exclusive interview with Forbes Thailand in their renowned “Dine with the Boss” segment!
In the feature article, titled “Rei Matsuda: The Money-Making Formula for Mid-Sized Hotels ‘Kokotel’”, Rei shares deep operational insights into how Koko Global Hospitality (KGH) revolutionized the centralized property management market in Southeast Asia. Under his visionary leadership, KGH has achieved a staggering 40-fold growth over the past decade, expanding its portfolio to 44 managed hotels.
Key Highlights from the Forbes Feature:
- Hospitality from the Heart (“Kokoro”): Grounded in the Japanese concept of Kokoro (meaning heart), Rei explains how delivering genuine, heartwarming service remains the core DNA of the Kokotel and KGH brands.
- Unlocking the Mid-Sized Niche: Rei discussed identifying a massive market gap in Thailand—the lack of professional, institutional-grade management for mid-to-small-sized independent hotels (50–200 rooms). KGH stepped in to provide centralized operational excellence, maximizing profitability for local property owners.
- The Next Chapter – Global Expansion & VIVTEL: Beyond our family-friendly flagship brand Kokotel, Rei highlighted KGH’s multi-brand strategy. This includes the upcoming launch of VIVTEL, a vibrant lifestyle brand designed for Gen Z and Millennial travelers under the concept “Sleepover to Oversleep” (with upcoming properties in Surawong, Bangkok and Patong, Phuket). Furthermore, he outlined KGH’s global roadmap into markets like Morocco, Portugal, Australia, and India.
A Vision for the Future
Reflecting on this milestone, Rei shared his gratitude for the ecosystem and partners that have supported KGH since February 2015:
“Where there is a challenge, there is an opportunity. Thailand has been an incredible launching pad because independent hotel owners needed a professional solution. We are incredibly proud of our 10-year milestones, but we are just getting started as we take our operational model to the global stage.”
Read the Full Interview
We invite our partners, owners, guests, and community to read the full, in-depth feature on Forbes Thailand to learn more about KGH’s strategic formula, financial models, and future innovations.
👉 Read the Full Forbes Thailand Article Here
Thank you to our dedicated team and trusted partners for making milestones like this possible. Stay tuned as Koko Global Hospitality continues to reshape the global hospitality landscape!
