Centara ramps up Chinese expansion

Thailand’s Centara Hotels & Resorts has ramped up its international expansion with the signing of two new properties in China.

The company, which signed its first ever Chinese hotel in 2015, has now secured management contracts for the new-build Centara Grand Beach Resort Jin Tai Hainan, which is located in the southern island province of Hainan, and Centara Villas Zhaoqing in Guangdong province.

Thirayuth Chirathivat, Centara’s CEO, said the move formed part of his company’s plans to “strategically build our brand beyond Thailand”.

Centara Grand Beach Resort Jin Tai Hainan will be “five-star family resort”, according to Centara. Scheduled to open in the fourth quarter of 2019, the resort will feature 350 rooms, three restaurants, several swimming pools, a spa, fitness centre, a water park, kids’ club and extensive conference and banqueting facilities.

Scheduled to welcome its first guests in the fourth quarter of 2018, Centara Villas Zhaoqing will also be a new-build property. An upscale resort, it will offer 46 villas with up to three bedrooms. The resort is owned by Yuhao Properties, which also owns the 237-room Centara Resort Zhaoqing – the Thai hotel group’s first Chinese signing.

Centara’s vice president of brand, marketing & digital, Tom Thrussell, said he is confident of his company’s success in the competitive Chinese market.

“At Centara we are well known for our resort products and expertise at providing vacation experiences to families, couples and groups alike. We are fortunate enough to already have a strong Chinese client base and with our continued focus on meeting and exceeding guests’ needs, we believe that these new developments will be a real success in the market,” Thrussell said.

As well as its 45 hotels and resorts in Thailand, Centara also currently operates 22 international properties in the Maldives, Vietnam, Laos, Indonesia, China, Sri Lanka, Qatar, Oman and Turkey.