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THAILAND- Almasalla– Centara Hotels&Resorts and Accor announced today that they are ending their association of three properties at the end of this year.
Two partnership agreements will expire on December 31, 2011, ending the joint branding of the Sofitel Centara Grand Bangkok and Sofitel Centara Grand Resort&Villas Hua Hin. In addition, the contract for Novotel Hat Yai Centara will also not be extended beyond December 31, 2011.
From January 1, 2012, the three hotels will be rebranded as, respectively, Centara Grand Plaza Bangkok, Centara Grand Beach Resort&Villas Hua Hin, and Centara Hotel Hat Yai.
The parting, which is an amicable one, sees the end of a strong and positive 25-year partnership between Accor, owner of the Sofitel brand, and Centara, a relationship that began with what was then the Sofitel Hua Hin in 1986.
“Centara and Sofitel have been on a remarkable journey together, sharing a great vision and working closely to nurture and develop many exciting opportunities,” said Suthikiati Chirathivat, Chairman of the Executive Board, Central Plaza Hotel Public Company Limited, owners of Centara Hotels&Resorts.
“We have enjoyed a highly-productive working relationship, and there is always the possibility of further collaborations in the future,” he said.
Centara has established itself as Thailand’s largest operator of hotels and resorts, with 53 properties at key destinations throughout the kingdom, and a fast-growing overseas portfolio that includes properties in the Maldives, Bali, Mauritius, Vietnam, and the Philippines.
There are now five brands within the Centara group, namely the premium Centara Grand, the 4-star Centara Hotels/Resorts, the intimately-scaled Centara Boutique Collection, Centara Residences&Suites, and the mid-range Centra Hotels brand.
Centara Hotels&Resorts is Thailand’s largest operator of hotels, with 37 deluxe and first-class properties covering all the major tourist destinations in the Kingdom. A further 16 resorts in the Maldives, Philippines, Vietnam, Bali Indonesia, Srilanka, and Mauritius Indian Ocean, brings the present total to 53 properties. Brands and properties within Centara ensure that specific categories such as couples, families, individuals, and meetings and incentives groups will all find a hotel or resort that is appropriate to their needs.
Centara operates 25 branches of Spa Cenvaree, one of Thailand’s most luxurious and innovative spa brands, and the company’s Kids’ Club is available at all the family-friendly resorts to ensure that the youngsters and teens are taken care of. Centara Hotels&Resorts also operates two state-of-the-art convention centers in Bangkok, and one in Udon Thani in northeastern Thailand.
