Park Hyatt Bangkok is opening on May 12 and this time, the date is likely to stick after several missed deadlines over a construction delay of more than two years.
When it opens, the hotel will be a modern addition to Bangkok’s luxury hotel market and will up the ante on the city’s ever-expanding F&B options. A signature dining concept there is Penthouse Bar & Grill, which spans the uppermost 34th, 35th and 36th floors of the hotel. Conceived as the fictional penthouse of a well-travelled British-Thai collector of fine art and vintage car-racing relics, the complex will include an international grill restaurant, a cocktail bar with resident DJs, a VIP lounge, a speakeasy and a sky bar, all with spectacular panoramic views.
Park Hyatt guestroom
General manager Michael Golden said the delay was due to the complicated architecture of the iconic building, which has a curvilinear, twisted-coil structure, unsymmetrical in all dimensions. The 222-room Park Hyatt Bangkok is housed within the top 27 floors of this retail complex and has no fewer than 57 different room configurations because of the building’s design.
Rates will be comparable to the other posh brands in the city at around 8,500 baht (US$244.89), and F&B pricing will be reasonable. “We want people to come to the hotel everyday, not just on special occasions. We’d rather be turning seats in our restaurants several times than have them half full in a single seating then have marketing meetings on what to do about it. Unlike in the past, there are so many F&B options in Bangkok, you don’t need to go to a hotel. So we’ll combine five-star service with reasonable pricing,” said Golden.
The hotel expects an AOR of 45-50 per cent in the first six months of opening, with guests comprising both leisure and corporates. “Thailand is a leisure destination but given our location which is surrounded by embassies and business houses, we will have corporates, small meeting groups and lots of weddings, so we’ll have a fairly good mix,” he said.
The hotel has 12 event venues covering a total of 2,000m2. They target high-level board meetings and glamorous cocktail receptions, from elegant gala dinners to spectacular society weddings.
Its geographical mix will comprise the US, the UK, Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore. Japan will figure in as well, despite competition from the Okura Prestige Bangkok across the street. “The Japanese know the brand and love great architecture and interior design,” Golden said.
China is getting stronger, thanks to awareness of the brand which is present in both Beijing and Shanghai, he added.
On competition with sister property Grand Hyatt Erawan down the road, Golden said: “Every hotel is a competitor but being a sister property, there are synergies. We’re a small hotel and there will be lots of groups that are too big for us and we’ll look to split them (with Grand Hyatt). Commercially, we will also share resources wherever possible.”
For instance, a team member of the PR/communications department at Park Hyatt has a cluster role and looks after Grand Hyatt Erawan, Hyatt Regency in Hua Hin and the new Hyatt Regency Bangkok.
