Thai hotel management company Centara Hotels and Resorts will officially enter Chinese market by opening their first office in Shanghai this October.
CHINA – According to Lu Jiang, Sales Director of Centara Hotels and Resorts China and Northeast Asia, Centara Group could be viewed as the largest retail group in Southeast Asia that mainly runs shopping centres with comprehensive businesses in hospitality in Thailand. So far, the company has already owned several shopping malls in Chengdu, Shenyang as well as Hangzhou, while this time, its hotel branch is ready to set off and get a piece of the pie in Chinese market. Sources show that there are currently several projects under discussion with two hotels being confirmed to open in She Shan (Shanghai) and Sanya respectively.
Lu Jiang indicates that Chinese investors have been showing great interests in Thai hotel brands these years, with whom there are already a number of programmes and projects under discussion at the moment. For example, only in the area of Yunnan Province, the company is being in touch with partners from four cities i.e. Xishuangbanna, Lijiang, Dali and Kunming. The reason, as stated by Lu Jiang, could be that investors are now much more familiar and confident with large international hotel brands and that the impossibility of keep investing in the same brand calls for diversity in the market. Meanwhile, this is also an opportunity and can be seen as a positive signal for other international chains.
In addition, based on its successful operation in Thailand, Centara Group tend to be more active in expanding overseas markets. Properties that the company owns now include five hotels in Phuket Island, five hotels in Pattaya with another one under construction, one resort in Maldives, one hotel in Mauritius and three resorts in Sri Lanka.
“This year, the growth rate has reached 285% from only January to August compare to the same period last year, which enhance the position and importance of Chinese market in terms of Thai hospitality industry and also, it gives reason to Centara’s certain expansion in China.” Lu Jiang explained, “while the next two years is of great significance to the company as its strategy to chase rapid growth and expansion, there will be 14 new hotels and resorts opening in 2014 and more emphasises will be put on the distribution of its 3-star brand ‘Centra’, which are now located mainly in Bangkok, Phuket Island, Bali Island, etc.“
What is more, Centara Group is developing a new brand, COSI, positioning itself as an economy hotel chain with its first property being launched in Bangkok in the year 2015. According to sources, the new brand will focus on its businesses in Bangkok and Pattaya on the early stage while overseas expansion would stick to its 5-star brand “Centara Grand”.
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