Holiday Inn targets Southeast Asia
Economy hotel chain Holiday Inn is pushing into Southeast Asia and China with the aim to capture a share of the ballooning numbers of business and leisure travelers in the region who are more budget-minded than Westerners and Japanese who once dominated the local hotel trade, Forbes reported.
The region’s first Holiday Inn Express opened in April 2012 in Bangkok. Two more then opened in Phuket and Singapore, while three Indonesian cities are on target, Denpasar, Jakarta and Surabaya. The plan is to have 18 hotels up and running in three to five years in the region, and also 19 in India.
The company behind this expansion is UK-based InterContinental Hotels IHG Group, which runs more than 4,000 under such brands as Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza, Candlewood, Indigo and China’s Hualuxe. The chain has lined up big-name partners in Thailand. The owner and developer of the 23-story Siam Square hotel in Bangkok, built at a cost of $35 million, is Indian-Thai Sunny Bajaj of Amburaya Hotels & Resorts. Bangkok’s next Holiday Inn Express, on Bangkok’s Sathorn Road, is being developed by Thai billionaire Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi.
With more money in people’s pockets and the rise of discount airlines, tourism is booming in the region, especially in Thailand. The country is expected to draw 25 million visitors this year, more than any of its neighbours. Some 3.3 million are arriving from China, nearly double the 2011 figure.
At the Holiday Inn Express in Bangkok, Chinese are the largest group of guests by nationality, followed by Southeast Asians from outside Thailand, Thais and Australians. In Phuket, Russians make the largest group.
Economy hotel chain Holiday Inn is pushing into Southeast Asia and China with the aim to capture a share of the ballooning numbers of business and leisure travelers in the region who are more budget-minded than Westerners and Japanese who once dominated the local hotel trade, Forbes reported. The region’s first Holiday Inn Express opened in April 2012 in Bangkok. Two more then opened in Phuket and Singapore, while three Indonesian cities are on target, Denpasar, Jakarta and Surabaya. The plan is to have 18 hotels up and running in three to five years in the region, and also 19...
Economy hotel chain Holiday Inn is pushing into Southeast Asia and China with the aim to capture a share of the ballooning numbers of business and leisure travelers in the region who are more budget-minded than Westerners and Japanese who once dominated the local hotel trade, Forbes reported.
The region’s first Holiday Inn Express opened in April 2012 in Bangkok. Two more then opened in Phuket and Singapore, while three Indonesian cities are on target, Denpasar, Jakarta and Surabaya. The plan is to have 18 hotels up and running in three to five years in the region, and also 19 in India.
The company behind this expansion is UK-based InterContinental Hotels IHG Group, which runs more than 4,000 under such brands as Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza, Candlewood, Indigo and China’s Hualuxe. The chain has lined up big-name partners in Thailand. The owner and developer of the 23-story Siam Square hotel in Bangkok, built at a cost of $35 million, is Indian-Thai Sunny Bajaj of Amburaya Hotels & Resorts. Bangkok’s next Holiday Inn Express, on Bangkok’s Sathorn Road, is being developed by Thai billionaire Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi.
With more money in people’s pockets and the rise of discount airlines, tourism is booming in the region, especially in Thailand. The country is expected to draw 25 million visitors this year, more than any of its neighbours. Some 3.3 million are arriving from China, nearly double the 2011 figure.
At the Holiday Inn Express in Bangkok, Chinese are the largest group of guests by nationality, followed by Southeast Asians from outside Thailand, Thais and Australians. In Phuket, Russians make the largest group.
