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As hoteliers are anticipating a business slowdown next year, Asia Hotel
executives hope to pick up the slack by penetrating new markets,
particularly well-heeled, big-spending Indians.
Chinese and Indian tourists are the two largest Asian customer groups,
but on average the hotel's Indian guests -- mostly high-income professionals
-- spend more than the Chinese, said Chookiat Srivatjanapong, general
manager of the
Asia Pattaya Beach Hotel.
Oyetip Hayrabut, the assistant managing director of Asia Hotel Bangkok,
said her group focused its efforts on various markets, ranging from Europe
and the Middle East and Asia to neighbouring Southeast Asian countries. As a
result, it does not rely heavily on travellers from any particular market.
"When an incident that seriously affects tourism happens, for example
Sars a few years ago, the occupancy rate at some hotels plummets to zero.
But at the Asia Hotel Bangkok, the lowest occupancy rate we've ever had is
35 percent," said Mrs Oyetip.
For the Asia Hotel Bangkok, general manager Gerard Verhoeven said the
average occupancy rate throughout the year was now about 80 percent, while
during the peak season in November and December, it usually exceeded 90
percent.
The Asia Hotel group operates three properties: the Asia Hotel Bangkok,
the Asia Pattaya Beach Hotel in Pattaya, and the Asia Airport Hotel near Don
Muang International Airport.
The company spent 80 million baht renovating the 360-room Pattaya
property last year, and is now spending more than 100 million baht
renovating 160 rooms of the Asia Airport Hotel.
As the Bangkok International Airport will soon be moved from Don Muang to
the new Suvarnabhumi Airport, the company has changed the target group of
its airport hotel from travellers seeking accommodation near the airport to
international professionals working in nearby industrial estates.
As those professionals tend to look for long-stay accommodation, part of
the Asia Airport Hotel has been renovated into serviced apartments. The
occupancy rate now is about 70 percent, and most of the tenants are Japanese
professionals.
The Asia Hotel Bangkok yesterday announced it had been accredited a
four-star hotel by the Foundation for Standard and Human Resource
Development in Hospitality Industry, the standard rating arm under the Thai
Hotels Association. The Asia Pattaya Beach Hotel received the same
accreditation last year.
Asia Hotel, a SET-listed company, reported a first-half net profit of
967.88 million baht, compared with a net loss of 51.81 million baht in the
same period last year.
However, the 2005 figure included 940 million baht in gains from debt
restructuring of a subsidiary.
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