Conrad revamps for executives
After a slight drop in its occupancy rate this year as a result of "unfavourable conditions", the Conrad Bangkok hotel expects to benefit from a rise in average daily room rates resulting from its expanded and renovated executive floors.
General manager Gregory J Meadows said the hotel had opened two more executive floors last month, adding 40 executive rooms to bring the total to around 200. These are now about half of the hotel total. It also refurbished the existing executive rooms as well as its executive lounge to cater to the growing number of business travellers. "We are a leading business hotel, in which the corporate and MICE [meeting, incentive, conference and exhibition] segment accounts for 75 per cent of total clients. Leisure travellers account for only 10 per cent", Meadows said. The renovation features a bigger and more stylish lounge, and new guestrooms and suites with a stunning array of hi-tech toys. These include 32-inch flat-screen LCD televisions, iPod docking stations, DVD players and a whopping 12Mbps in-room high-speed broadband Internet access. The 140-seat executive lounge also facilitates Internet use, with four Apple computers available free of charge. Meeting rooms also have high-speed broadband Internet access. Meadows believes this year's political turmoil will prove to have only a short-term impact. The Conrad Bangkok expects an occupancy rate of 82 per cent this year compared to 84 per cent in 2005. The expansion and renovation of the executive rooms and executive lounge led the hotel to raise its daily room rate by around Bt2,000. Earlier, the hotel initiated a limousine service that it says is "inspired by individuality". Each limousine is named for one of the magical creatures of Thai mythology to ensure safety and security. The limousines have experienced drivers, GPS navigators, security-tracking systems and iPod docking modules for clients to enjoy their own style of music. The hotel has recently received awards from the world's most respected print and electronic media. According to research from Jones Lang Lasalle, approximately 5,000 new hotel rooms will enter the Bangkok market from 2006 through 2008, bringing the total to nearly 70,000 rooms. The majority of the new supply is expected to enter the market in 2006 (40 per cent) and 2007 (41 per cent), with the remaining 19 per cent in 2008. About a third of the total supply (1,600 rooms) will be located in the Sukhumvit area, one of Bangkok's key commercial and expatriate residential locations. The Sukhumvit area is also well served by the mass-transit system.
Kwanchai Rungfapaisarn, Patcharee Lueng-uthai The Nation
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