BFM 89.9

HIGHLIGHTS 
Podcast  >  Enterprise  >  Open For Business  >  How Hotel Owners Lose Money And How to Avoid It

How Hotel Owners Lose Money And How to Avoid It

Dr. Timmy Ho, Managing Director, Pragmatique

20-May-25 10:00

How Hotel Owners Lose Money And How to Avoid It

Owning a hotel sounds glamorous, but beneath the surface lies a high-risk, capital-heavy, and often misunderstood business. Dr. Timmy Ho, Managing Director of Pragmatique, a boutique hotel asset management consultancy, joins us to break down the realities facing hotel owners in Malaysia.

Since 2021, Pragmatique has guided hotel owners through the entire investment cycle, from site selection and financing to operations and eventual exit. In this conversation, we explore:

  • What hotel asset managers actually do (and why they’re often called “nannies” and “whip crackers”)

  • Why many hotels underperform financially, and what investors often get wrong

  • The structural fragility of Malaysia’s hotel market, including oversupply and stagnant room rates

  • How Pragmatique helps clients benchmark performance, reduce waste, and plan for the long haul

  • Why this boutique consultancy focuses on depth over scale, and how it plans to grow organically through like-minded collaborators

Whether you’re a property developer, investor, or just curious about what it really takes to make hotels work, this is one for the playlist.

Produced by: Roshan Kanesan

Presented by: Roshan Kanesan


This and more than 60,000 other podcasts in your hand. Download the all new BFM mobile app.

Categories:  marketsCorporateseconomymanaging

Tags:  hotel investmenthospitalityreal estateconsultingmalaysia businessproperty development





Play / Pause

Listen now : BFM 89.9 -- The Business Station

Today’s Shows



11:00 AM

Best of Enterprise

(REPEAT) Justin Graham, CEO of M+C Saatchi APAC and Global Network Lead, and Sharifah Menyalara Hussein, CEO and Founder of M+C Saatchi Malaysia, discuss why the agency rebranded, how it’s reshaping their work, and what it takes today to build brands that don’t just sell, but stay.

12:00 PM

Popcorn Culture

(REPEAT) We review Ballerina, and then talk about the limits and appeal of violence on screen.

1:00 PM

Cruise Control

(REPEAT) It’s another used car review - this time it’s something more utilitarian! Daniel talks about a used Toyota Land Cruiser Prado!

2:00 PM

Matt-Splained

(REPEAT) Richard and Matt get together again to talk about AI, and the cost of ignorance.

3:00 PM

Earth Matters

(REPEAT) When it comes to protecting Malaysia’s natural heritage, sometimes it’s the smallest creatures that spark the biggest movements. In Sungai Sepetang, fireflies are uniting communities, scientists, and storytellers alike. We discuss the fight to save these glowing wonders

4:00 PM

Bar None

(REPEAT) It’s racing in its purest form - we talk about go-karting and its appeal beyond its recreational fun!

5:00 PM

BBC World Service

On The Conversation, Ella Al-Shamahi speaks to an ex-circus performer from Bulgaria and a skydiver from France to find out what it takes to achieve some of the world’s most extreme records.