19 Oct 2022
Words Christine Retschlag Informer 104

The sky’s the limit for TOGA

They’re the family behind TOGA - the creators of homes, hotels, and commercial and retail spaces around the world - but it began with humble beginnings for Holocaust survivors Ervin and Charlotte Vidor. In an industry exclusive, Christine Retschlag speaks with Allan Vidor – TOGA Group Managing Director and TFE Hotels Chairman – about their enduring philosophy “to create and shape meaningful spaces for life.”

Could you share a little of your parent’s European background and what brought them to Australia?

My father, Ervin, was born in Budapest, Hungary and my mother, Charlotte, in Lvov, Poland which became Lviv, Ukraine after the Second World War. Both arrived as refugees having survived the Holocaust. Charlotte arrived in 1948 with her parents and Ervin arrived alone in 1949 at the age of 17. Like many Europeans at that time, their families were seeking new beginnings following the devastating effects of the war. Years later, they met at a dance in Sydney, fell in love and married.

Ervin started his own business making metal boot tips shortly after arriving in Australia. From there his business changed direction and he started manufacturing costume jewellery. Charlotte, who was a pharmacist, would dye the jewellery’s stones. They sold this business in the early 1960s and founded TOGA together with Antonio Stillone - an Italian immigrant who was a small builder at the time. Their first venture in the industry was a block of nine flats in Glebe. In the 1970s, they started the ‘Glen’ chain of motels and then in the early 1980s, the first Medina apartments opened in Sydney’s suburb of Randwick.

The company philosophy is “creating and shaping meaningful spaces for life” – can you elaborate on what this means?

One of our current projects, Surry Hills Village in Sydney, is a great example of this where we are creating a mixed-use precinct of homes, retail and commercial spaces, event spaces and a beautiful new Collection by TFE Hotels property that will enrich the community and provide unique experiences, ensuring a lasting legacy.

How many people does TOGA now employ?

TOGA employees over 2,000 people in Australia, New Zealand, and Europe.

The Calile Hotel_Brisbane

You have three arms to your business – can you explain them a little?

TOGA’s business includes Development & Construction, Property Investment and TFE Hotels.

TOGA’s Development & Construction (D&C) teams do just that – they develop residential, commercial, or mixed-use real estate opportunities and then build them. Currently, we are developing eight projects to the value of $2.3 billion.

TOGA’s Property Investment team manages a diverse portfolio of real estate assets. The diversity extends to asset class, geography and product type and includes retail, commercial offices, industrial assets, car parks, residential and marinas.

TFE Hotels is a joint venture between TOGA Group and Singapore’s Far East Orchard. Our brands include Adina Hotels, Vibe Hotels, Rendezvous Hotels, Travelodge, Quincy, A by Adina, and Collection by TFE Hotels which span Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, and Europe.

How many hotels does TOGA Group operate?

As at July 2022, our hotel division, TFE Hotels operates 68 hotels (10,079 keys) across seven brands and six countries.

In which countries are you based?

TFE Hotels operate in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Germany, Hungary, Denmark, and Austria

with Adina Geneva set to open in Switzerland in March next year.

Artist Impression_Surry Hills

How have you managed your growth?

The diversity of our portfolio has ensured continued performance through the changing market cycles. Also, the agility, dedication and perseverance of our teams have been remarkable.

Do you have a favourite property? And if so, why?

Like with my children, I don’t play favourites with the hotels. Each brand has its own personality. Each new opening is an innovative sign of the times, which is, naturally, exciting.

What are the key elements of TOGA’s success?

There are many things that have contributed to TOGA’s success starting with the vision and entrepreneurship of my parents, Ervin and Charlotte. This created the culture of the business which despite our size and sophisticated systems and governance, still retains a strong family feel with a flat accessible management structure, unanimity of purpose, entrepreneurship, and a lack of politics.

Quincy Hotel_Melbourne

What has been your biggest challenge and learning from that?

The biggest challenge is having the discipline to know when to say no to an opportunity, and then communicating this across the group. In the late 1980s we were overly diversified, which became unmanageable. We have learnt the discipline of strategic planning while at the same time not losing our entrepreneurial culture.

What can guests expect at your hotels that they won’t get anywhere else?

We are constantly striving to provide our guests with a memorable experience. Each of our brands caters to a specific demographic and the special touches we implement reflect the desires of that demographic. At the Quincy in Melbourne, guests are offered a taste of South-East Asia through its world-class food and beverages. The tiffin service turns room service into a fantastic in-room dining experience. Even the minibar is stocked with incredible flavours from the region. END