Onyx optimistic on hotel business

Bangkok-based Onyx Hospitality Group remains optimistic about the Thai hotel business despite facing crises overseas. The group plans to operate a few more hotels in the Kingdom by 2013.

The group's executive vice president and chief marketing officer, Duncan Webb, said it was scheduled to open an Amari hotel in Hua Hin early next year, followed by an Ozo property on Koh Samui in late 2012 or early 2013.

The expansion in Thailand is part of its 10-year plan for Southeast Asia, Australia and the Middle East. The group hopes to operate 50 properties in these regions.

Currently, it operates 32 properties, mostly in Hong Kong, mainland China and Thailand. These properties are under several brands, namely Saffron, Amari, Shama and Ozo.

In Thailand, it manages 12 Amari hotels with a total of 330 rooms in key destinations including Bangkok. It also manages six "white label" (non-branded) hotels in such places as Bangkok, Pattaya, Loei, Krabi and Chiang Mai's Doi Ang Khang.

Though the group is facing crises in many countries, it is still confident that tourism in Thailand will grow and many travellers will need greater convenience through online and e-commerce channels.

"Online marketing is highly flexible," said Chetan Patel, the group's vice president for e-commerce. "Our ability to track visitors' interest geographically in real time allows us to adjust our advertising activities instantly to meet demand."

Last year, the five regions with the highest growth of traffic and revenue for Onyx were Russia at 195 per cent, India at 136 per cent, Singapore at 75 per cent, the United Kingdom at 45 per cent, and Hong Kong at 30 per cent. Meanwhile, room-night reservations increased from 108,000 in 2008 to 164,000 last year, up 52 per cent.