TO DISCUSS YOUR PROJECT OR LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR SERVICES:

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Sandstorm In the Sandbox

Category: Tourism, Posted:03 May 2021 | 09:39 am

All eyes this week locally are on the fate of the Phuket Sandbox which remains a work in progress. The second round of local vaccinations were planned to start this week but given Thailand’s third wave it’s unclear whether the process can move on the expected timeline due to vaccinations being deployed elsewhere in needed areas.

For Phuket hotels, the current situation is a de facto lockdown given the incapacitation of the domestic travel market due to travel restrictions between provinces. Sadly, for the hotel and tourism trade, it’s extremely likely the darkest days remain in the future and not the past. Thailand’s vaccination crisis is likely to trump the sandbox model it seems.

Meanwhile, the success of Kimpton Maa-Lai at Bangkok’s Sindhorn Village has created a strong tailwind for Thai developers in the Kingdom. A second Kimpton in Koh Samui has been signed with an opening slated for the last quarter of this year. The Kimpton Koh Samui is beachfront and has 138-keys.

The Bangkok pairing of Kimpton (an IHG brand) and Kempinski at Sindhorn Village has strong positive sentiment with developers, so expect more signings and similar projects coming in different locations and destinations.

In transaction activity, a notable acquisition is Vietnam’s Fusion Hotels and Resorts takeover of Thailand’s Glow group. Grow is a midscale brand that operates in Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam. The combined portfolio of the two brands is over 4,000 keys.

Glow’s founder Kevin Beauvais has been relocated to Vietnam in the role of CEO for Fusion. Lodgis Hospitality Holdings is funding the Fusion investment strategy and is a joint venture between Vinacapital and Warburg Pincus.

Other News

Read more

New C9 Hotelworks Bali Report Released

Category: , Posted:16 Mar 2024 | 08:49 am Bali is back and tourism is booming. Did you know in 2023 5.3 million international visitor arrivals and nearly 10 million domestic travelers went to Bali? Read the latest on one of Asia’s best-known travel destinations in C9 Hotelworks and Horwath HTL Bali Hotel and Branded Residences 2024 report. Top tourism source markets include Australia, […]
Read more

C9 Hotelwork’s Releases Philippines Branded Residences Report

Category: Real estate, Posted:25 Feb 2024 | 19:51 pm The Philippines branded residences market is experiencing a significant maturation, impacted by urbanization and a post-pandemic shift in lifestyle changes. The market is poised for a high level of growth. C9 Hotelworks newly released Philippines Branded Residences Market Update shows a 105% increase in the pipeline, translating to an additional 5,599 units supplementing the current […]
Read more

Phuket’s Largest Highway Interchange Expected To Attract Largescale Development

Category: , Posted:10 Feb 2024 | 09:42 am The release of plans for a massive highway interchange in North Phuket is spurring development activity in the Mai Khao area. A Mueang Mai interchange on the road leading to Phuket International Airport on the island’s main North-South artery will also have a  direct connection to the East Coast spur highway 4027.  (CLICK to see […]
SiaJai logo

Thailand's Leading Homecare Marketplace