JW Marriott properties in Thailand will continue to focus squarely on the South-east and East Asian markets to further the chain’s MICE business in the medium term, supporting the strategy with new hardware at the Bangkok hotel and an in-house events team at the Phuket resort.
Speaking to TTGmice in an interview, Peter Caprez, cluster general manager of JW Marriott Hotel Bangkok, said 70 to 80 per cent of MICE business in Bangkok came from international firms with headquarters in Asia, with Singapore and Hong Kong being the key markets.
The 441-key JW Marriott Hotel Bangkok, which courts sophisticated MICE groups and small- to medium-sized meetings, unveiled in May a new lifestyle meeting facility called Manhattan Studio, which comprises meeting rooms, a cocktail bar and a dining/breakout space with a private chef.
JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa and JW Marriott Khao Lak Resort & Spa are both banking on direct flights from Hong Kong and Singapore to win the bulk of their MICE business, which are comprised of mostly small- and mid-sized groups.
According to Tony Pedroni, general manager of JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa, software offerings – an in-house events team and teambuilding operators in particular – have given the property a winning edge.
In addition to the teambuilding programmes, Pedroni said that the resort’s landscape, dining options, spa facilities and location within a natural park all work together to create a seamless experience for MICE clients.
As a partner of Society Environment Economy Knowledge – commonly known as SEEK – JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa also offers CSR opportunities to MICE clients through activities such as beach clean-ups.
Over in Khao Lak, north of Phuket, the JW Marriott Khao Lak Resort & Spa, which sits 45 minutes from three national parks, makes an ideal jump-off point for trips to the Similan islands, noted Ty Collins, general manager of the property.
