Thailand
Thailand: Minor awaits travel bubbles in Bangkok
Hotels in Bangkok face low occupancy rates as the borders remain closed to international tourists, says Minor Hotels, the hospitality arm of Minor International.
Thomas Meier, senior vice-president for Asian hotel operations, said some of the group’s hotels in Bangkok have delayed the reopening process for 1-2 months as they wait for travel bubbles to emerge.
At present, Minor can open two of its five hotels in the capital.
The travel bubble scheme, which would begin by welcoming visitors from low-risk countries within the region first, is deemed essential to resume Thai tourism.
Minor has reopened 18 hotels in Thailand out of 29 in total after seeing demand pick up in major tourism destinations like Hua Hin and Pattaya. The hotels are busiest during weekends.
Mr Meier said 75% of Minor’s hotels around the globe suspended services during the peak of the outbreak, but some are in the reopening phase.
The number of reopening hotels has been growing in destinations that have strong domestic demand like Thailand and Vietnam, but hotels in the Maldives, which heavily rely on international tourists, must continue to stay inactive.
In Thailand, there are three properties serving as alternative state quarantine (ASQ) facilities: Anantara Siam, Anantara Riverside in Bangkok and Anantara Mai Khao Phuket Villas.
Mr Meier said the occupancy rate for the 18-room Anantara Siam stands at 50-60%. Anantara Mai Khao Phuket Villas, which was accepted for ASQ last week, had a tentative start with small occupancy numbers.
To cope with anxieties about the pandemic, this year the company aims to add more new services, including wellness centres, at hotels.
Minor will also debut its hospitality school in order to secure additional revenue.
Mr Meier said the wellness centre was planned long before the outbreak, but now is the right time to start because demand for wellness is rising.
Minor Hotels will introduce wellness centres at Anantara Siam and Anantara Riverside Bangkok with Verita Healthcare Group.
This is an addition to wellness projects with VLCC at Avani Hua Hin and Clinique La Prairie at the St Regis.
The Asian Institute of Hospitality Management’s campuses in Bangkok and Pattaya, in association with Les Roches Global Hospitality Education in Switzerland, are expected to open in October.
The company has also launched The Vietage, a six-hour luxury railway service in Vietnam connecting Da Nang and Quy Nhon cities on July 1.
Source: https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/1951512/minor-awaits-travel-bubbles-in-bangkok