Royal Orchid Sheraton eyeing rise in room rate
THE Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel and Towers, one of the luxury hotels by the Chao Phraya River, is set to raise room rates by 6 per cent next year, banking on the anticipated rebound in demand following new developments in the vicinity.
This year, the room rates have been raised by 5-6 per cent from 2014. Despite the Erawan Shrine bombing, Thailand's tourism industry remains bouyant with the number of international visitors expected to hit a record high of 30 million.
Average occupancy rate is expected at 70 per cent this year and should increase to 72 per cent in 2016.
Dominik Trimborn, director of sales and marketing, said the luxury hotel on the banks of the Chao Phraya River had rebounded from a difficult 2014 thanks to new attractions in the area such as Asiatique The Riverfront, the Yodpiman River Walk, the booming flower market and Maharaj Pier.
More tourists are expected to be lured to the area by several huge |new projects such as IconSiam, an upscale residential and shopping centre, the second Asiatique, the Avani Hotel, and the Four Seasons Residences.
“The Chao Phraya River and its new attractions are drawing many groups of visitors – leisure, business, and free individual traveller,” he said.
There are several international-brand hotels operating on the river, offering more than 4,000 rooms and 16 meeting and conference rooms.
Trimborn said the Royal Orchid Sheraton’s major rivals were the Millennium Hilton, which is on the other side of the river, the Shangri-la Hotel, and Anantara Bangkok.
The big hospitality players on the riverfront will launch a joint campaign on Friday called “River on the Plate” in an attempt to boost their food and beverage revenues. It will run until December 13.
They are also working together on an event to celebrate the New Year.
Trimborn said his hotel would continue to focus on top markets such as China, the United Sates, the Netherlands, Germany, the United Kingdom, South Korea, Japan, and local markets in an effort to keep the occupancy rate high all year around.
Some markets in Europe such as Germany and Switzerland are bouncing back, while China is a huge market for all the leading brands in the area.
One of the Royal Orchid Sheraton’s main selling points is its MICE (meeting, incentives, convention, and exhibition) facilities.
Trimborn said the hotel would continue to promote its new homepage along with its human-resource development and its information-technology system.
No major renovations are planned for next year as it has already had a major upgrade.
The hotel will focus on security and the safety of guests, with its staff receiving twice-yearly security |training.
