Capella and Franklyn Hotel Chains Target Thailand Growth

West Paces hotel brand Capella which made its Asian hotel debut in Singapore on the weekend is eying Thailand as an area of growth. Founded by ex head of Ritz Carlton Horst Schulze the brand is competing with upper tier operators including Ritz, Four Seasons, Mandarin Oriental, Peninsula and St. Regis. With only 111 rooms the Singapore property in Sentosa is tapping into the urban resort market much like that of Bangkok's Sukothai.
While also in Singapore Stein Hotels have rebranded the chain as Franklyn Hotels and Resorts and announced that Thailand is high on their development objectives. With the recent investment by the island republic's KOP Group the intention is to position the brand along the lines of AMAN, Morgan, Como and Starwood. Currently the chain operates a number of properties in the UK and continental Europe.
Given the deep brand penetration already here by many of the major group's we'd expect these brands to be entering the Phuket market in the coming years.