STARWOOD Hotels & Resorts is eyeing more room for growth, even as its entire brand portfolio arrives in Bangkok with upcoming openings of its St Regis, aloft and W Hotels.
Starwood’s vice-president and area managing director for Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia, Wayne Buckingham, said the group would continue to look for opportunities to expand its mid-scale brands in the Thai capital, such as Four Points by Sheraton.
The group opened the 268-room Four Points by Sheraton Bangkok Sukhumivit on December 15 last year, joining its existing inventory of five hotels and 2,164 rooms under the Sheraton, Westin and Le Meridien brands.
Starwood will open the 224-room St Regis Bangkok in April, the 297-room aloft Bangkok-Sukhumvit 11 in October and the 414-room W Bangkok in May 2012.
Buckingham said that despite growing supply in the Thai capital, demand would soon level up as long as the political situation remained calm.
He added that Starwood’s Bangkok hotels are expected to run at 60 to 65 per cent occupancy this year, up from last year’s 55 to 60 per cent. Average room rates are seen to increase by three to four per cent.
By Sirima Eamtako
