Hilton is adding two more hotels to its roster of seven in development in Thailand, including one to be built at Iconsiam's riverside mixed-use development.
The company's new project, the 176-room Canopy Hilton, is scheduled to open on Sukhumvit Soi 12 in 2022, while the upcoming 244-room Hilton Garden Inn Bangkok at Iconsiam across the street from the mall is targeted to open the same year.
"I think because of the BTS expansion and Iconsiam, that part of the river is about to explode in popularity," said Peter Webster, regional general manager for Hilton in Singapore, Thailand, Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia. "We're always trying to stay ahead of the trends and get to a certain area or region before it becomes hot."
The new Garden Inn is a joint venture with Thai construction firm Koncise One Co, while the Canopy on Sukhumvit is being built through a partnership with real estate developer Lucky Living Properties Co.
"Given the nature of our business, we've had the chance to work with many hospitality companies and were particularly pleased with the level of commitment Hilton has shown to the quality of services and its relationships with its partners," said Sirapat Lertkangwarnklai, chairman of Koncise.
Hilton came to Bangkok 16 years ago and now operates 11 properties, mainly in Bangkok and Phuket, and it has seven more in development.
Mr Webster said the company is always looking for new areas for expansion, primarily high-traffic areas like Krabi and Chiang Mai. The eastern coast, currently being developed under the government's Eastern Economic Corridor scheme, is another area of interest.
"We don't actually own any of the real estate, so we are always looking for new partners in new areas," Mr Webster said. "As the best brand in the world, there are always new partners wanting to open new hotels."
He remains optimistic about tourism growth in Thailand, driven not only by an exploding Chinese middle class, but also a growing domestic market.
Mr Webster is unfazed about future uncertainties, especially political, citing Thailand's resilience to disasters both natural and man-made.
"Name me a country in the world that doesn't have political instability," he said. "Thailand is an amazing country that always keeps growing despite domestic or natural incidents, but tourism always seems to keep growing."
In Southeast Asia, Hilton has its second-highest number of hotels in Thailand, behind Malaysia. Despite seeing Thailand as a "mature" hotel market, Hilton plans to increase its presence in Thailand alongside tourism growth.
"Having the opportunity to launch not one but two new brands into a strategic market in the same year is no mean feat, and this is only possible because of the trust and support our partners place in us," said Paul Hutton, vice-president of operations for Hilton Southeast Asia.
