Marriott International has signed an agreement with FICO Corporation to add seven Marriott hotels in Thailand, a deal expected to bring 1,262 keys to Bangkok, Pattaya and Phuket and to introduce three of the group’s brands to the country for the first time.
For UK companies sending staff to the Thai capital, the detail that matters is where the rooms will be. Five of the seven properties, with 928 keys between them, are planned for Bangkok, spread across the Sathorn, Sukhumvit and Surawong areas and pitched at different budgets, from luxury to no-frills value. No opening dates were given in the announcement.
Which Marriott brands are coming to Thailand?
Three brands are set to make their Thai debut under the agreement: citizenM, Four Points Flex by Sheraton and Series by Marriott. The deal also extends JW Marriott, the luxury brand behind the recent JW Marriott Costa Elena opening, with a new address in the capital.
That hotel, JW Marriott Bangkok Sathorn, is expected to have 288 keys. Marriott says the property will put an emphasis on wellbeing, with a range of sports and fitness facilities and what it describes as a lifestyle hub.
citizenM Bangkok Sukhumvit 11 is expected to offer 147 keys, bringing the brand’s technology-led approach, contemporary design and a food and drink venue to the Sukhumvit district.
Four Points Flex by Sheraton is due to arrive with three Bangkok properties: Four Points Flex by Sheraton Bangkok Sukhumvit 8 (expected 162 keys), Four Points Flex by Sheraton Bangkok Sukhumvit 14 (expected 130 keys) and Four Points Flex by Sheraton Bangkok Surawong (expected 201 keys). All three are slated to sit close to the BTS Skytrain network. The brand is aimed at guests who are frequently on the move and is built around reliability, efficiency and value.
What the new Marriott hotels in Thailand mean for business travel
The practical appeal for employers is range within a single hotel group. A firm with a senior team meeting clients could place them at the JW Marriott, while project staff on longer or more frequent visits could be booked into a Four Points Flex property at a lower price point, all without leaving one supplier. Rates have not been announced, so it is too early to say how the new hotels will compare with existing options.
Location is the other consideration. Being close to the Skytrain matters for business travel to Bangkok, where a rail connection is often the more predictable way to reach a meeting on time than a taxi in city traffic.
A wider choice also helps where travellers have limited influence over bookings. Recent research covered by Travelling for Business found that more than half of workers have little or no say where they stay on business trips, and a broader spread of brands in one city gives travel bookers more room to match a hotel to the purpose of the trip.
Anyone planning a visit should check the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s entry requirements for Thailand, which cover passport validity, visa rules for business engagements and the digital arrival card that must be completed before arrival.
Outside the capital, Series by Marriott, the group’s newest collection brand, is set to launch in two of Thailand’s best-known resort destinations. The 192-key Easy Planet North Pattaya, Series by Marriott and the 142-key Easy Planet Phuket Patong, Series by Marriott are designed to offer comfortable, approachable stays that reflect their surroundings while keeping standards consistent. Both may suit companies planning incentive trips, or staff adding a few days of leave after meetings in Bangkok.
The signing builds on an existing relationship. FICO Corporation already has four Bangkok hotels with Marriott under four brands: Hotel Muse Bangkok, Autograph Collection; Marriott Executive Apartments Bangkok Townhall Sukhumvit; Four Points by Sheraton Bangkok Ploenchit Sukhumvit; and Metropole Bangkok, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel. The expanded partnership is set to create a joint portfolio of 11 hotels across eight brands.
Until the seven new Marriott hotels in Thailand open, those four properties remain the bookable options from the partnership.
