Sindhorn Midtown in Thailand, a hospitality brand owned by the quasi-governmental Crown Property Bureau, is courting Taiwanese tourists, who on average travel to the nation twice a year, top officials in Taipei said.
About 680,000 Taiwanese visit Thailand each year, with repeat travelers accounting for 45 percent, driven mainly by those seeking to escape the hustle and bustle of modern city life on a relatively affordable budget, Sindhorn Midtown general manager Jee Hoong Tan said in an exclusive interview with the Taipei Times this week.
Sindhorn Midtown, a lifestyle hotel of 344 rooms and suites, is seeking to take advantage of the booming business potential when it starts operations in March.
In Bangkok’s Langsuan neighborhood near the four-faced Buddha and major embassies, the hotel represents the latest venture of Siam Sindhorn Co, a fully owned subsidiary of the bureau, which is responsible for managing property for the Kingdom of Thailand.
The company expects Asian travelers aged 25 to 50 to make up 75 percent of the hotel’s customers, with leisure to underpin 60 percent of visits, Tan said.
Tour groups could supply 20 percent of customers and embassies another 20 percent, Tan said.
The hotelier flew to Taipei this week to visit local shipping and computer companies to promote stays at the Sindhorn Midtown for business and personal travel.
The hotel hopes to achieve an occupancy rate of 55 percent in its first year and 75 percent or higher in the second year, he said.
“The goal is doable given the hotel’s top-grade amenities, including a fitness center, infinity swimming pool, ample social space and chic contemporary room decor, with average room rates of NT$3,500 per night,” Tan said.
The offer is much more affordable than NT$10,000 for a night in a five-star hotel in Taipei’s prime Xinyi District (信義), he said.
Sindhorn Midtown is a Thai hospitality brand that aims to develop more properties, Tan said.
The parent company has investments in other hotels managed by international chains, but decided it was time to groom native brands and boost its profit margin.
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