Unique to manage three new boutique hotels

It will even tap the international market for the first time.

The group will sign management contracts with hotels in Khon Kaen and Krabi provinces this year and one in Phuket next year.

The Bangkok-based firm, founded by hotel guru Peter Kaelli, now looks after 10 hotels and resorts in Chiang Mai, Hua Hin, Pattaya, Koh Samui, Trang, Sukhothai and Krabi.

Since all of the properties are unique in style and targeted at different markets, they are not in competition with each other.

"Hotels in Thailand, particularly independent ones, need marketing and sales-networking skills to reach out to targeted customers. The group helps by initiating new activities and packages so they can survive the current economic downturn," Kaelli, who is also group CEO, explained.

"We expect to increase our hotel-management as well as investment-consultancy services by two or three projects every year."

Kaelli explained that even though the number of guests at each of the hotels had dropped significantly, due to the Bangkok airport closures late last year and the global economic slump, the group was confident its revenue would grow about 5 per cent each year.

The group has recently established a subsidiary called Variety, aimed at offering management services to run-of-the-mill hotels and expecting to take on at least four or five management contracts in its first year.

Meanwhile, Unique is negotiating management contracts with two or three hotels in China.

Kaelli said the group was dealing with the economic slump by offering special prices and promotions at trade shows in Japan, Europe, the UK, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia to lure tourists.

Locally, it is offering 50-per-cent discounts at all of its properties until the end of October. Rooms at the De Naga Chiang Mai Hotel and the Sukhothai Heritage Resort, located within Sukhothai Airport, start at Bt1,999 per night; the Ban Sabai Sunset Resort on Koh Samui starts at Bt3,299; and the Putahracsa Hua Hin Resort and the Palm Grove Resort in Pattaya both start at Bt2,999.

Rooms in Nantra De Deluxe Resort, the Beach Boutique Resort and the Sea House, all in Krabi province, are offered for Bt2,250 to Bt4,375 a night, while a two-night package at the Seven Seas Resort on Trang's Kradan Island starts at Bt13,800. The group is also offering a three-night package at the Kamalaya Wellness Sanctuary and Holistic Spa on Koh Samui starting at Bt44,900.