THAILAND Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts plans new properties in Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Koh Samui during the next three years, signaling a period of Asia expansion for the Switzerland-based operator.
Building on the success of Mövenpick Resort and Spa Karon Beach Phuket, its first Thailand hotel that opened in 2006, the company has signed a management agreement to operate Mövenpick Suriwongse Hotel Chiang Mai, Mövenpick Resort & Spa Mae Nam Beach Koh Samui and Mövenpick Hotel & Residences Bangkok.
“We are pleased to significantly expand our presence in such a magnificent and flourishing country,” says Andreas Mattmuller, chief operating officer of Mövenpick Hotels in the Middle East and Asia.
Mövenpick’s plans in Thailand reflects the company’s expansion strategy of growing by clusters, as it has done previously in Jordan, Egypt and Germany, says President and CEO Jean Gabriel Peres.
Kicking off the expansion will be the renovation of an existing hotel in downtown Chiang Mai, which will be rebranded Mövenpick Suriwongse Hotel Chiang Mai. The 286-key hotel is located on the corner of Loikoh and Changklan Road, in the heart of Chiang Mai’s landmark Night Bazaar. The reflagging will be completed around mid-2011.
Mövenpick Resort & Spa Mae Nam Beach Koh Samui, up on the northern shore of the island, will feature 81 exclusive villas with private pools offering stunning views across the Gulf of Thailand and to Koh Pha-Ngan. The new-build resort will appeal to high-end leisure travelers when it opens late next year.
Mövenpick Hotel & Residences Bangkok, located in Phayathai near the Victory Monument area, will feature 266 guestrooms, including some loft-style units, along with 100 residences. The property is due to open by 2014.
Existing projects in the country include the upcoming Mövenpick White Sand Beach Resort, set to open in Jomtien in 2013, and the 30-unit Mövenpick Residence Karon Beach Phuket.