Park Hotel Group has just announced its imminent entry to two new markets in Asia.
One of them is a to-be-rebranded property in Bali, set for opening in Q1 next year. Located in the hilltop precinct of Nusa Dua, the resort looks out to Tanjung Benoa and is about 15 minutes from the Ngurah Rai International Airport, traffic permitting.
The other one is in Thailand, in partnership with South Sea Group. Called Park Hotel Khao Lak Beach, it is located in the southwestern Thai province of Phang Nga and scheduled to open first half of 2015. Facing the white sand stretch of Pakarang Beach, all of the 125 deluxe and premier rooms, ranging from 38sqm to 55sqm, look out to the Andaman Sea with private balconies. One hour's drive from Phuket International Airport, the resort is surrounded by 2.3 hectares of tropical gardens. Facilities include four food and beverage outlets, complete with a spa, fitness centre and business centre.
"In both properties we have sizable meeting spaces, so the business centres are mainly there to take care of MICE events, and some of the unexpected business needs when we are on leisure holidays," said Park Hotel Group chief executive Allen Law, who announced the new projects at ITB Asia, taking place in Singapore until tomorrow.
The property will have six private conference rooms, for up to 200 guests, and a convention hall for up to 500 people.
Currently, the hotel group has eight properties in operation under two brands – luxury Grand Park and upscale Park Hotel – across Singapore, China, Hong Kong and Japan. Two more Park hotels have been announced for Singapore, to open in 2015 and 2016 respectively. The two new resorts in Indonesia and Thailand not only represent new markets for the group, but also its foray into resort projects.
"Entering in to resort destinations is both a strategy and a natural move for our expansion, as earlier on we have been focusing on city hotels," Law said. In addition to being destinations with great business potential, he said, Bali and Phang Nga have been chosen because the group has identified suitable business partners.
Law has also revealed that the Park Hotel group has been working on developing a third brand, which will target the "cool" and "savvy" travellers that want good location but at lower prices. He said that the brand will have its own DNA and unique features, and its first member can be launched in about a year, possibly in Hong Kong or Singapore.
Reggie Ho
