Hyatt recently opened its first Hyatt Place-branded hotel in Southeast Asia in Phuket and the company continues to target the region for further expansion in the coming years. The 161-room beachside hotel is located in Patong and is now the third Hyatt property operating in Thailand.
Unlike other Hyatt hotels, Hyatt Place offers all-inclusive pricing along with a stylish design, casual atmosphere, several amenities and free Wi-Fi. However, the Patong location is a bit unique for the brand as it is in a resort setting. Most properties under the Place brand are focused on catering to business travellers in urban, airport and suburban locations.
And while the property has only been open for a short amount of time, general manager Ivan Berthelot is already looking at ways to improve the property including opening a rooftop restaurant or bar and providing 24-hour room service.
“We need to see what fits with the resort location here, so we will work on our standards and offerings and adjust them to test the demand,” Berthelot told the Phuket News. “Due to our location on the hill, we definitely want to showcase the view, rooftops are very hot in the market, so in our location it would definitely make sense.”
The other Hyatt-branded hotels currently operating in Thailand are the Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok, Hyatt Regency Hua Hin and Hyatt Regency Phuket Resort. Three more hotels are also under development in the Kingdom. These are the Park Hyatt Bangkok, which is located at Central Embassy an expected to open in early 2017, Hyatt Regency Bangkok, Sukhumvit and Hyatt Place Bangkok, Sukhumvit.
“They [Hyatt] realised that Thailand is a strong market, so of course to develop the brand in Asia, Phuket is a top priority.” Berthelot stated.
Hyatt is said to be considering opening one of the brand’s flagship Park Hyatt hotels in Phuket’s Siray Bay area in the near future, according to Berthelot.