Crowne Plaza to return to Bangkok

InterContinental Hotels Group today announced its plans to extend its portfolio of hotels in Thailand with the development of the Crowne Plaza Sukhumvit Bangkok. The new build hotel is scheduled to open in January 2006 and is owned by Grande Asset Development Co Ltd.

"With Bangkok as one of Asia's key gateway cities and conference venues, the meetings market holds great potential and is a revenue generator for the hospitality industry in Thailand," said Khun Pongpahn Sampawakoop, Managing Director, Grande Asset Development Co Ltd. "Through our partnership with InterContinental Hotels Group, we can now leverage its depth of management experience, expertise, specialised resources and brand strength to deliver a compelling meetings product to capture a growing share of this market. As the place to meet, the proposed Crowne Plaza Sukhumvit Bangkok is uniquely positioned with a suite of differentiated business  offerings that meet the needs of both meeting planners as well as business travellers and convention participants."

Khun Suradej Narula, Managing Director, Grande Asset Development Co Ltd, added, "As a hotel owner, our main priority is to drive profitability and increase room occupancy in our properties. With 10 million guests staying at InterContinental Hotels Group's hotels per year, the group offers us a much  expanded audience that we can target to drive returns to the hotel. In addition, our hotel can now benefit from InterContinental Hotels Group's extensive global distribution network and pool of 18 million Priority Club Rewards members globally - one of the largest loyalty programmes in the hotel industry".

A. Patrick Imbardelli, Managing Director, InterContinental Hotels Group Asia Pacific said, "We are delighted to have the privilege of partnering with the Narula family and Khun Pongpahm Sampawakoop. Both bring a wealth of experience in successful hotel developments in the country and will significantly contribute to ensure that the proposed Crowne Plaza Sukhumvit Bangkok will become a choice brand with its unique business offerings specifically tailored to international business travellers."

"We are very excited about the proposed Crowne Plaza Sukhumvit Bangkok as this will be our sixth and latest addition to our brand portfolio in Thailand. This is a strong testament to our commitment to Thailand as we will continue to roll out our strategic growth plans in this key growth market. The  InterContinental Hotels Group is indeed on the move in Asia Pacific, seizing opportunities to build value for our partners and to enhance our offerings to our valued customers," he added.

The proposed Crowne Plaza Sukhumvit Bangkok boasts 400 guest rooms and is strategically located in the heart of Bangkok's retail and commercial district. It is conveniently situated close to Queen Sirikit Convention Centre, a popular venue for conferences in the city and is minutes away from the Bangkok Transit System (BTS). The proposed hotel will include premium  restaurants, bars, banquet and conference facilities, as well as a health club and spa.