THAILAND TRAVEL NEWS: The Ritz-Carlton Hotel group, a subsidiary of Marriott International, has announced plans to operate at least 10 hotels in Thailand within the next five years.

The group, whose name has become synonymous with luxury hotels and resorts worldwide, said visitors to Thailand will be catered for with properties under the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Ritz-Carlton Residences and the new Ritz-Carlton Reserve brands.

The announcement coincided with the global introduction of the Ritz-Carlton Reserve brand, which will see the first resort under this moniker officially open in Krabi in December (See: Krabi snares worlds first Ritz-Carlton Reserve).

Mark DeCocinis, Ritz-Carlton Hotel group’s regional vice-president for Asia Pacific, said the company has already announced a contract to operate the Ritz-Carlton Residences Bangkok and two more properties are expected to be signed-up by the end of the year.

Mr. DeCocinis said that while Thailand tourism had been affected by economic and local political problems this year, the group saw the growth potential of Thai tourism.

He said the Ritz-Carlton Reserve at Phulay Bay, Krabi, will be the groups flagship boutique hotel in Asia-Pacific with the group expecting it will achieve 55-60 percent average occupancy in its first year, with about 60 percent of guests expected to come from the Asia-Pacific region, particularly Japan and Korea, and the remainder from North America and Europe.

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel group currently operates 73 properties worldwide and Mr. DeCocinis said the company aims to manage at least 20 properties in the Asia-Pacific region by 2014.

By John Le Fevre

Thailand Travel News for October 26, 2009