Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group plans to triple its number of hotels in Thailand to 15 within the next five years after spotting high tourism potential here.
Thorsten Kirschke, president for Asia-Pacific, said 10 more properties are in the pipeline for Bangkok, Pattaya and Phuket and suitable brands are Radisson Blu, Radisson Red and Park Inn by Radisson.
"Asia-Pacific has high growth potential for Carlson Rezidor," he said. "Thailand is one of our major markets because the number of international tourists rises every year."
Last year, Thailand welcomed nearly 30 million international tourists.
Apart from Thailand, Carlson Rezidor is ready to roll into interesting markets in this region such as Vietnam, the Philippines and Indonesia.
Mr Kirschke said the hotel chain targets operating 200 hotels in the region by 2020. He wants the government to further support the tourism industry as Thailand still has a lot of potential while the global tourism trend is on the rise.
This year, the Tourism Authority of Thailand forecast the country would welcome more than 30 million foreign tourists, up from 29.8 million last year.
The Carlson Rezidor chain debuted Radisson Blu Resort Hua Hin on Nov 25 with the aim to draw upscale clients such as high-income Bangkokians and mixed nationalities.
The 1.5-billion-baht property has been developed by Mida Assets Plc, led by managing director Wisood Ieosivikul.
The 118-room Radisson Blu Resort Hua Hin is expected to perfectly fit target clients in this seaside resort town, which is totally different from the existing five hotels under the Carlson Rezidor chain in Thailand. Of the total expected guests, 70% will be Thais.
Mr Kirschke voiced optimism that the hotel's occupancy rate would be more than 90%. The hotel's strength is its 22 deluxe rooms with pool access, attractive design and landscaping and Gulf of Thailand views.
Mr Wisood said the hotel will generate more than 500 million baht in revenue next year.
The company still has undeveloped land nearby covering 18 rai, which is likely to be developed as the second phase including other facilities for the hotel in the future.
Carlson Rezidor now operates five hotels in Thailand under three brands including Radisson Blu, Radisson and Park Plaza. Of the total, four are in Bangkok and one is in Hua Hin.