elef Posted May 20, 2004 Report Share Posted May 20, 2004 INTERVIEW: Hard Rock Hotel boss upbeat about Pattaya's potential Published on May 20, 2004 In his talk with Suchat Sritama, Andrew Khoo, general manager of the Hard Rock Hotel Pattaya (HRHP), is optimistic that Pattaya will soon re-establish itself as a tourist paradise following the successful implementation of the city's development plan. Hotel investors will follow the tourists, he says. The following are excerpts from the interview. What's the status of the hotel industry in Pattaya at the moment compared with last year? In the first quarter of 2004, the average hotel occupancy rate has been around 74.4 per cent, the same as last year. Five-star properties achieved slightly lower occupancies than last year because of negative world press coverage over the bird flu and higher room rates. How has Sars, the bird flu and southern unrest affected HRHP compared to other leading hotels in Pattaya? Hard Rock Hotel Pattaya, since its opening, has targeted the Thai and expat community, which has helped sustain the hotel's success.- We are doing that by promoting the brand's youthful image and its ice-breaking activities for regional and domestic markets - and we have been quite successful at that. It's a venue for work and fun, especially when it comes to motivating young executives. What strategies does the hotel employ to lure guests during tough times? HRHP is differentiated by the unique youthfulness of its branding, unique interior design and staff, who are trained to provide pro-active services. Hence, the hotel will continue to focus its marketing and sales activities towards more meeting, incentive, convention and exhibition business in order to meet domestic demand. Since the hotel began operations two years ago, how successful has it been? Comparing the first quarter of 2004 against 2003, HRHP has shown a 17.4-per-cent rise in total revenues, 23.5-per-cent growth in average room rates and 19.7-per-cent growth in gross-operating profits. How will you compete with other international hotel chains which will soon open? We will continue to target meeting planners and incentive organisers, who need to motivate young executives by emphasising the hotel's unique differences and youthfulness. Can you rank the hotel's customers by region? The local market supplies us with the most business, followed by Pacific Rim countries and Europe. What's your prediction for the second half of the year? Barring any unforeseen problems, there is every reason to be optimistic. However, there are concerns that the sharp increase in the price of oil could dampen long-haul travel and affect the length of stay. What are the hotel's upcoming marketing activities? Between June and October will see the launch of several promotions for the domestic market. The Summer Breeze Package is due out from June 1 till the end of October. It is priced from Bt2,800. A meeting-and-room package called the "Queen and King Meeting Package" is Bt3,800. Do you have expansion plans? We are evaluating the benefits of building a new ballroom that will compete in the mid-sized conference market. We are also looking at adding serviced apartments or time-share units. How many new properties do you have under development both overseas and in Thailand? We continue to search for locations and destinations that will provide a reasonable return on our investment, and that includes Thailand and the Pacific Rim. The company plans to open a new property in Malaysia next year. The Nation Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Damen Posted May 27, 2004 Report Share Posted May 27, 2004 They would do well to upgrade the rooms a bit. I have stayed at the HR Pattaya a couple of times but the rooms are a bit shabby for the price. The pool is second to none but I wont stay there again unless I get a great rate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 27, 2004 Report Share Posted May 27, 2004 Rooms shabby. Jeez its only 2-3 years old. you must have really high standards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 27, 2004 Report Share Posted May 27, 2004 I found the rooms really snazzy and unique. Wowed my BG to no end for sure. What they need to do is knock out every other room to double the size!!! They are tiny as apparently it was a 2 star hotel before they converted it so the king bed takes most of the floor space. They mount the TV up by the ceiling to allow things to fit in the room. I don't like tiny rooms so haven't returned--it's that enclosed, cramped feeling similar to being in a sub-compact car. Probably won't bother some, but sometimes wonder how much repeat business they lose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pom Michael Posted May 27, 2004 Report Share Posted May 27, 2004 Asiahand, Escape Rabbit advised already about the past of this hotel, it used to be called the Merlin if I remember correctly. THB 500 per room per night. Renovate it and bring in the name Hard Rock and then charge THB 2,990 or so - great marketing ! Cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 28, 2004 Report Share Posted May 28, 2004 Sorry, i didn't realise it was an existing building. Thanks for the advise on the small rooms. Off my wish list now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elef Posted May 28, 2004 Author Report Share Posted May 28, 2004 Merlin Hotel Hard Rock Hotel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
think_too_mut Posted May 28, 2004 Report Share Posted May 28, 2004 Elef, What a great and simple post of yours! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Damen Posted June 2, 2004 Report Share Posted June 2, 2004 asiahand said:Rooms shabby. Jeez its only 2-3 years old. you must have really high standards. My standards/expectations are set by the price I pay. I wouldnt expect nicely appointed rooms when staying at a budget hotel but the HR does not fall into this catagory. I have paid approximately the same rate for the HR and the Marriot in Pattaya and there is no comparison between the two. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
torrenova Posted June 2, 2004 Report Share Posted June 2, 2004 Depends upon which room you get in the Marriott. I first saw some small ones but later saw much bigger and better ones in the low rise building. Neither was a patch on what would be build by a "real" Marriott. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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