2 new Grande Centre Point to rise in Bangkok and Pattaya
Grande Centre Point Group plans to open its fourth hotel in Bangkok this year and venture outside the capital for the first time with a project in Pattaya in a few years.
Suwanna Buddhapra-sart, a director of L&H Hotel Management Co, the owner and operator of the three Grande Centre Points, said yesterday that tourism this year would continue to grow if there were no unexpected and significant negative factors.
The group believes that the country will remain one of the top destinations for international tourists.
The new 442-room property in Bangkok will be located on Soi Thonglor in the same Sukhumvit strip as the others. It is scheduled to open in the final quarter of the year, perhaps in November, and charge Bt4,200 per room per night on average. "Thonglor is now claimed as the new prime location boasting a copious amount of international restaurants, fashion boutiques, community malls and every kind of goods and services," she said.
There are rivals in the area such as the Pan Pacific Hotel and Marriott as well as serviced apartments, but the new property is expected to run as much as 80 per cent full.
About 60 per cent of guests will be businesspeople and the rest leisure travellers.
The Bt2-billion Pattaya project will target expatriates and business visitors from industrial estates. It will have about 400 rooms. Since 2003, the local hotel company has invested between Bt8 billion and Bt9 billion to develop the three Grande Centre Points – the 277-room Ploenchit, 497-room Ratchadamri and 462-room Terminal 21.
"All of the existing and additional hotels are or will be built on leased land. We are choosing this option because it can bring a better return on investment," Suwanna said.
Last year, revenue from accommodations increased by 10 per cent and the occupancy rate averaged 80 per cent for all three branches. The group’s revenue exceeded Bt1.5 billion thanks to its strongest feature of being in prime locations in the heart of Bangkok.
"We should see a surge in deals for Bangkok hotels in 2016, both in terms of occupancy and revenue.
"We believe the volume of tourists, especially from China, Japan, India and South Korea, will increase sharply. That should make up for the loss of euro-zone tourists, who may continue to decline this year."
The group is gearing up to expand its market share warranted by the hotels’ prime locations, finest room quality and friendly services.
Under the new concept "Grande Your Stay", the hotel brand aims to create a lasting memory for guests.
Its members will reap various benefits from the chain’s subsidiaries once enrolled in its GCP Rewards programme.
