Bangkok’s Arnoma embarks on “new era”

One of Bangkok‘s classic city centre hotels is undertaking a major transformation that will include not only the revamp of the property, but also an expansion of the brand into new markets.

The Arnoma Grand Bangkok, which has been at the heart of the Thai capital’s hotel scene for the last 25 years, has already upgraded its lobby, restaurant and technology, and will now renovate its rooms and add new facilities, including a spa, function space and more F&B outlets.

And once this work is complete, Arnoma will start expanding its brand to new locations across Thailand, starting with the renaming of its sister property, the Felix River Kwai Resort in Kanchanaburi.

Speaking to Travel Daily this week, Arnoma’s director of operations, Eric Brand, said the aim is to turn the Arnoma Grand Bangkok into a “quality four-star international corporate hotel”.

“We’re entering a new era,” Brand told Travel Daily. “The idea is that first we renovate this hotel – and we are now doing four mock-up rooms – and once these are approved we’ll roll it out stage-by-stage

The Felix River Kwai Resort in Kanchanaburi will be rebranded as the Arnoma Resort
The Felix River Kwai Resort in Kanchanaburi will be rebranded as the Arnoma Resort
“Once we’ve done that… we’ll reach out to the international market.”

And the renovation of the Arnoma Grand is just the start of a long-term project that could lead to the Arnoma brand becoming recognised across Thailand.

“Once the ‘mother ship’ here is ready, we’re going to renovate the [Felix River Kwai Resort] and rebrand it as an Arnoma Resort. Then we have two hotels in two cities.

“[Then] we will be looking for management contracts, branching out first in Thailand. There are plenty of independent hotel operators that need help and we are a local operator; we understand how Thailand works.

“It’s a long-term project and the owners are fully behind it,” Brand stated.

The renovation of the Arnoma Grand in Bangkok will be comprehensive, with new rooms featuring free Wi-Fi for up to six devices, flat-screen TVs and international plug sockets. The hotel has just launched a new F&B outlet, the Ah Yat Abalone Forum Seafood Restaurant, and it is planning to develop a prime street-facing space at the front of the property into a wine and tapas bar. A new spa will be created on the fourth floor, and the hotel’s 23rd floor will be transformed into a new convention space.

And according to Brand, this work will return the hotel “to its rightful place” at the centre of the Bangkok hotel sector – both geographically and figuratively.

 sourced:traveldailymedia.com