The Erawan Group recently released plans to open a chain of hotels in the Philippines as part of the company’s international expansion plans. The company, which operates the Grand Hyatt and the JW Marriott hotels in Bangkok, will bring its Hop Inn brand to the country, The Inquirer noted.
The first Hop Inn is scheduled to be open in Manila by December of next year with more set to follow, Kamonwan Wipulakorn, president of the Erawan Group, told the website. “Our Hop Inn is categorized as economy hotel, which fits well with domestic travelers who look for a clean and comfortable place to stay in a conveniently accessible location,” she added.
Kamonwan also acknowledged that the tourism market and hospitality sector in Manila is already very crowded but believes the Thailand-based company can make inroads into the country. The Erawan Group thinks it will differentiate itself from the competition by offering its 25 years of Thai hospitality experience along with its expertise on operating on an international standard, The Inquirer said.
The Erawan Group chose the Philippines to be the site of its first international venture due in part to its confidence in the economic growth currently being realized in the country. “We believe that the Philippines will offer the fastest and highest economic growth in ASEAN and through our analysis and market research on the ground, we see good very opportunities to expand in the Philippines,” Kamonwan pointed out.
Kamonwan also said that its venture in the Philippines would help bring a number of other benefits to the local population including more jobs. “We have created jobs with our on-going construction already. We will set up an operation team in the next few months and the plan is to hire as many local staff as possible since they understand customers’ requirements and respond well to market,” she concluded.
