Centara Hotels & Resorts, Thailand's leading Hotel Company, is involved in a period of rapid expansion and in spite of the difficult local and global economic conditions, has no intention of slackening off
The group portfolio has recently grown to 18 properties with a number of openings and deals in the pipeline.
Apart from wholly owned and managed properties like the stunning, recently opened new flagship property for the Group, the Centara Grand at CentralWorld, the unique, Lost World themed Centara Grand Mirage Beach Resort Pattaya, which is due to open next summer and the Centara Grand Beach Resort Phuket opening in 2010, Centara Hotels & Resorts is actively involved in numerous joint venture developments and management contracts both domestically and overseas.
The Centara Grand Island Resort & Spa Maldives a 5 star resort opening in June next year will be a joint venture and managed property and will be the first of several more overseas properties to come.
But the group has been especially busy in concluding Hotel and Spa Management contracts with a variety of Owners.
The Centara Duangtawan Hotel Chiang Mai was the first managed property. Since signing over 3 years ago the property has gone on to become one of the most successful in Chiang Mai. In 2007 a contract was signed with the Sikder Group to manage properties in Jomtien Beach Pattaya a 100 rooms hotel with 120 villas and 200 Apartments condominium, the Laguna Phuket, a contract signed in March 2008 to manage the now open Centara Chaan Talay Resort & Villas Trat as well as a contract recently concluded to manage the Spa Cenvaree at the reputable 5 star resort Furama Hotel, Danang, Vietnam from early 2008.
In June 2007 the Centara Grand Silapura Beach Resort & Villas Hua Hin, signed a management contract with Centara Hotels & Resorts and is due to open in 2010, and the Centara Hotel & Convention Centre Konkaen, a 202-room hotel with a space of 3,600 sq.m. convention centre opening in 2009, signed a few months ago.
The Group is also currently in discussion with a hotel in Bangkok's city centre.
We will also manage a mid range property, the first one is a property of 170 rooms in the Sukhumvit area. Also part of the dynamic of the development, Centara Hotels & Resorts is aiming to be present in the booming market of mix use development of Hotel/Real estate with a new project the Centara Laan Dara in Kho Samui, a 162 villas under the selling arm of Collier International and the Centara Resort Pranburi a 100 rooms hotel and 70 condo units at the design stage.
Centara Hotels & Resorts is also seeking to expand in the United Arab Emirates and India as well as in the neighboring countries.
Asked why Centara Hotels & Resorts is so successful in forming joint venture partnerships and in winning management contracts in such a competitive environment, Gerd Steeb, President of Centara Hotels & Resorts responded
"We are a large and experienced company which has operated successfully in this business for many years. We have all the tools for success. Centara Hotels & Resorts is a very strong brand which is recognized domestically, regionally and internationally for delivering quality and value - as evidenced by us being awarded Best Local Hotel Chain for the last 2 consecutive years by the world renowned industry publication TTG Asia.
Our team of Executives is one of the most experienced and capable you will find anywhere in the business and our global distribution network is excellent.
We have a team of top professionals based here in Bangkok and a network of overseas Representative offices in all the key markets including the U.K., Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia and Japan.
We are also a Thai Company so we understand the needs and concerns of local, independent Owners seeking flexibility of Management and access to financial assistance with banks while our oversea developers may be more interested to be associated with our Thai signature. We can see things from their respective perspective and ensure that we deliver quality and value added to them."
The group is also evaluating avenues to increase its branding strategy within the mid priced segment with new properties most of them will be under management agreement.