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Published on March 18, 2008

Local chain Dusit International will manage three luxury hotels in Bhutan by 2010 or 2011, company sources said yesterday.

It is also negotiating to manage properties in Bali, China and Japan.

The three Bhutan hotels are being developed by investors and are worth US$35 million (Bt1.1 billion).

With a combined 90 villa suites, the three hotels are situated in Thimphu, Punaka and Bumthang. The Thimphu hotel will have 40 units, while the Punaka and Bhumthang properties will each have 25 rooms.

Dusit senior vice president Octavio Gamarra said the chain would run the properties under its Dusit Devarana brand.

The chain has been reorganising its portfolio by adding two new brands to its older Dusit Thani and Princess brands.

Dusit Devarana aims to be a six-star chain for the high-end market.

The first Devarana is expected to open in Dubai in the first quarter of 2010.

Dusit Thani is its five-star brand while its Princess chain caters to the four-star market.

Its other addition, the D2, will operate boutique hotels.

The group has also formed Dusit Residence, a division to manage residential businesses abroad.

Gamarra said it would be the first time Dusit had entered a niche market like Bhutan. The Himalayan kingdom strictly limits the number of tourists it accepts annually to protect its natural environment. Last year, only 37,000 visitors were allowed in.

Visitors are each required to spend about $250 daily and stay an average of 10 days.

Bhutan has become a fashionable destination because it can still offer pristine landscapes and unspoilt, cultural settings.

Only a few international hotels are operating there. They include the Como Group of Singapore and the Amanpuri chain.

Gamarra said Dusit Devarana would compete directly with brands like Banyan Tree of Singapore.

Dusit plans to add 55 properties to its current 20 hotels by 2010. It is negotiating with a Korean investor to manage a hotel in Bali. It is also in talks to manage a 40-room hotel in Hiroshima, Japan.

The chain is also keen to manage hotels in Beijing and Shanghai. It plans to bring the Dusit Thani brand to Beijing and a Princess hotel to Shanghai.

Dusit plans to manage a second hotel in Dubai and is also in talks to open a hotel in India.

Suchat Sritama

The Nation