Crowne Plaza to Launch in Bangkok

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) today announced that a Crowne Plaza hotel will replace the Pan Pacific Bangkok, marking the entry of the brand to the capital of Thailand. The rebranding will come into effect 1 January 2011, making Crowne Plaza Bangkok Lumpini Park the fifth IHG property in Bangkok.

The 241-room property takes its new name from Lumpini Park, the city’s first public park. The hotel is located in the heart of Bangkok, close to the Siam Paragon Mall and is a short distance from the Royal Bangkok Sports Club, the Chulalongkorn University as well as a variety of entertainment, dining and retail options in the Silom area. The property offers panoramic city views from the 21st to 32nd floor, and is the hotel component of Ramaland, a mix-use development complex.

“It’s no secret that we’ve been looking for the right opportunity to open a Crowne Plaza in Bangkok. This rebranding gives us the chance to launch Crowne Plaza in a great location and a fantastic platform to build this brand in Thailand,” said Jan Smits, Managing Director of IHG Asia Australasia.

The Crowne Plaza brand is an upscale brand targeted at frequent business travellers, promising a great night’s sleep and intuitive business solutions. Crowne Plaza Bangkok Lumpini Park will be updated to feature business-oriented services and facilities that are well-suited for the corporate traveller and the meetings market. Additionally, the hotel is located near Sathorn, one of Bangkok’s fastest growing districts and home to embassies and corporate head-quarters, which makes the hotel an ideal choice for business travellers.

Guests will also enjoy the fact that the Sala Daeng BTS and Silom MRT stations are easily accessible from the hotel. With five food-and-beverage outlets, a spa and extensive banqueting facilities, the hotel looks set to capture a strong share of Bangkok-bound visitors.

“Bangkok continues to attract business and leisure travellers as a regional hub, so this partnership comes at an opportune time. We are excited to work with IHG to bring Crowne Plaza into Bangkok. We see a real opportunity in a hotel targeted at corporate travellers within the Ramaland complex,” remarked Masao Hashimoto, Director of Ramaland Development Co. Ltd and Vice Managing Director of Kajima Overseas Asia Pte Ltd.

“By next year we will have four IHG brands operating in Thailand – InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express. This puts us on a great path to grow our pipeline in Thailand, and we are looking to double our presence in this market over the next few years,” Jan added.

IHG currently operates nine hotels in Thailand. IHG will be premiering two new brands to Southeast Asia in Bangkok, including Hotel Indigo Bangkok Wireless Road and three Holiday Inn Express properties.