US hotel to expand operations in Thailand
Executives of Hampshire Hotels and Resorts has big plans for expanding its brands in the Kingdom. The firm already has a hotel in Bangkok, where a second property is planned, alongside new hotels in Pattaya and the South.
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Hampshire Hotels and Resorts plans to increase its number of hotel rooms and serviced apartments in Thailand to 2,000 by 2010.
The New York-based hotel group already operates the 100-room Dream Hautel Couture hotel - its first investment in Thailand and Asia - on Sukhumvit Soi 15 in Bangkok.The firm's second property will be a serviced apartment, also on Sukhumvit Road. Meanwhile, a hotel is to be built in Pattaya, while a resort will be opened in the southern part of the country. The group has properties in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. A spokesperson said the increased investment in Thailand would serve international tourists looking for trendy and boutique-style hotels in the region. The group plans to manage three different brand ideas: "Dream" - for boutique hotels and residences; "Night" - for barrack-style accommodation; and "Time" - for trendy hotels. Dream Hautel Couture general manager Olivier Delangre, said his hotel aims to run an occupancy rate of 55 per cent in the first year of operation and will break even within three years. "We are targeting tourists who prefer trendy and hip styles, particular those from Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan," said Delangre. He said direct competitors were boutique hotels such as the Metropolitan on Sathorn Road and all five-star hotels on Sukhumvit Road. Delangre said his property was formerly the Somerset Hotel, which was in business for 19 years. The group bought it three years ago and spent Bt2.8 billion on creating the Dream Hautel Couture. Suchat Sritama, The Nation
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