Hotels in Hat Yai, Pattaya lead the pack
Malaysia-based Tune Hotels is marching ahead with its plan to operate 20 budget hotels in Thailand by 2015 despite the flood crisis.
The first hotel will open in Hat Yai next month with 148 rooms, followed by Pattaya in February with 192 rooms.
Two more hotels are under construction in Phuket’s Patong beach resort area and on Soi Asoke in Bangkok with a combined 300 rooms. Both are set to open next year.
Other key destinations for the near future include Udon Thani and Chiang Mai. Tune was established in 2006 in Kuala Lumpur and now has 13 properties in Malaysia, Indonesia and the United Kingdom.
The company aims for 100 hotels by 2015, chief executive officer Mark Lankester said yesterday.
“Besides the existing properties, we are planning to enter the Philippine, Australian and Indian markets. We will also launch more hotels in Indonesia, Malaysia, the United Kingdom and Thailand,” he said.
Investors spent Bt600 billion for the four hotels in Thailand.
The group is looking for more local partners, as it sees the Thai market in the long term as promising.
As part of the AirAsia group, Tune Hotels will supplement the low-cost carrier by catering to the lodging needs of the mass market throughout the region.
“Thai AirAsia has been doing well in bringing people to Thailand with many connective flights, and there will be even more after the introduction of Tune Hotels,” he said.
Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/Tune-plans-20-properties-here-30169982.html
