Marriott International, a US-based hotel brand, revealed that it intents to open 19 new hotels in Thailand during the next five years as tourist arrivals to the Kingdom continue to increase. In particular, the hotel chain is focusing in on the meetings and incentives sector.
Regan Taikitsadaporn, Marriott’s chief human resources officer for Asia-Pacific, explained to local media that the meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE) market is growing in Thailand and hotel demand from MICE guests is expected to increase.
Marriott already works closely with the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau, which has given the brand a first hand look at just how much the MICE market in Thailand grows each year. According to the Bangkok Post, the bureau is predicting that Thailand will welcome roughly 900,000 MICE tourists this year.
Marriott was most recently in the news for its recent merger with Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide. The deal sees the two major hotel players come together to form the largest hotel chain in the world. Marriott now manages 39 hotels in Thailand including 21 properties that have been transferred to its portfolio from Starwood. That total will grow with the 19 properties Marriott has in the pipeline.
Sheraton, the Westin, the St Regis, W Bangkok and the Plaza Athenee Bangkok are among the brands Starwood Hotels & Resorts managed in Thailand. Marriott made waves earlier this year after the opening of the Hua Hin Marriott Resort & Spa (pictured).
The merger should see Marriott’s revenue double after combining the two giant hotel chains, but Taikitsadaporn told the newspaper that it is too early to forecast what exactly the revenue will come in at.
“For Thailand, I think Marriott’s revenue will surely increase and this will give us an opportunity to use the synergy of the two hotels to become the world’s biggest hotel chain,” he noted.
