JAPANESE HOTELIER PLANS NEW OUTLET IN CENTRAL BANGKOK IN 2025

TOKYO, Feb 20 -- A new luxury hotel operated by Japanese hotelier Hotel Okura will be opened in the centre of the business district in Bangkok in 2025, with a total cost of JP¥24 billion (US$208 million), according to Nikkei Asia quoted by Vietnam news agency.

 As more countries are lifting entry restrictions and opening their borders, tourism investment, which was hit hard during the pandemic, has gradually started to resume.

Japanese contractor Nishimatsu Construction will start developing the hotel this year, the company announced on Febr 18.

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Okura Nikko Hotel Management, a subsidiary of Hotel Okura, will operate the hotel under the brand of Grand Nikko. Okura operates its flagship "the Okura Tokyo" and other luxury hotels in Japan, it reported.

The hotel will be built in Bangkok's business district Sathorn Road, which is close to the Japanese embassy and the many office buildings rented by Japanese companies. The 35-storey, above-ground hotel will have 405 guest rooms including 13 suite rooms. There will be 36 rooms for longer periods of stay to cater to demand from Japanese executive business travelers.

As Bangkok is frequently hit by floods caused by torrential rains, the hotel will be equipped with a rainwater storage tank and a stockpile warehouse. It will also be able to be used as an evacuation facility.

According to the report, this is the fifth hotel Okura will operate in Thailand. Since before the pandemic, the company has expanded its overseas hotel business and has set Thailand and four other countries as their focus markets.

By opening five or more hotels in each region, the company aims to enhance its brand recognition. As of February, there are 79 hotels under the name of "Okura" or "Nikko" in Japan and overseas markets. This is the first time that a hotel bearing the Grand Nikko brand will be operated in Thailand, it added.

-- BERNAMA