From boutique to five stars
Building a small hotel empire in Sukhothai
By Jon Fernquest |
Small but luxurious boutique hotels might just be the wave of the future in Thailand's hotel industry.
Boutique hotels are well within the means of many small business people.
They can also be fun for the artistically inclined to design and build, a sort of artistic statement that people like to read about in feature magazine articles full of photos.
Building a hotel as a work of art might actually generate free publicity and advertising.
In the Horizons section of today's Bangkok Post, journalist Yvonne Bohwongprasert interviews Wiwat Tharawiwat, an up-and-coming hotel enrepreneur (hotelier) in Sukhothai.
(Photo on right is of the courtyard at the Ananda Museum Gallery Hotel in Sukhothai)
Here is the article in full:
AT LEISURE
Jumping in at the deep end
YVONNE BOHWONGPRASERTThursday August 28, 2008
Sukhothai native Wiwat Tharawiwat believes in taking calculated risks. Almost five years ago, this financial consultant with a degree in accountancy but absolutely no experience in the hospitality industry opened Ananda Museum and Gallery Hotel, a four-star establishment in the heart of Sukhothai's Muang district. A year later, he began work on another project, this time a smaller, boutique-style establishment in a tropical garden setting, which he dubbed Tharaburi Resort. Both properties have since become popular with high-end tourists willing to pay big bucks to be pampered.
"Yes, we're full all year round despite the fact that our room prices are much higher than those at other hotels in the area," said the soft-spoken 34-year-old.
"The success of both Ananda and Tharaburi has been due to hard work and perseverance. Taking calculated risks is part of starting any type of business, and I'm happy it's paid dividends for me. I believe that our guests are willing to dig deep into their pockets because they're guaranteed top-class service and a unique style and ambience."
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What motivated you to become a hotelier?
I'd always wanted to have my own business but had never got around to seriously making my dream come true. What got me going first was an advertisement I came across in a magazine for the Tamarind Village Resort in Chiang Mai. I fell in love with its alluring architecture, and was later introduced to an executive from that property while working on a project for my company at the time. After getting an opportunity to inspect that establishment, and seeing how well it was run, I was inspired to start my own hotel business. At that time, Sukhothai didn't have any hotels in the upper, high-end level.
What makes Ananda and Tharaburi stand out?
Both properties have their own charm. Ananda is a gallery-turned-hotel with 32 guest rooms while Tharaburi has 20 rooms designed in a contemporary Asian style. The room amenities and furniture I picked up in and around Sukhothai, so it's a real treat to stay in one of these rooms. The ambience also sets both establishments apart: While Ananda is a typical, modern hotel it's located in the same compound as the Sangkhalok Museum; Tharaburi, on the other hand, offers a more laid-back, community environment.
What were the biggest hurdles you faced in the initial stages?
I'd say training the staff to multi-task was probably the most challenging and exhausting part of setting up shop. The general manager of Tamarind Village was a huge help; he gave me valuable advice on running a five-star property, and also allowed staff of mine in managerial positions to observe how hotel guests should be treated. That's when I came to realise how important it is that staff be able to multi-task.
Marketing was another challenge. Business was slow at the beginning as well-heeled travellers preferred to stay overnight in luxury hotels in Phitsanulok because Sukhothai didn't have much of a choice in [terms of top-quality] accommodation.
There were times when we didn't have a single guest! I'd order my staff to keep the lights in the guest rooms switched on so that it'd look like we had visitors. This was all done to attract potential customers and, while the plan didn't always work, it was better than sitting around twiddling my thumbs. Thank goodness business did [eventually] pick up or I'd have had to go back to my old job! Guests started recommending our place to friends and I began to market my properties at travel road shows in Bangkok and overseas.
How much of an impact did the recent murder of a Japanese tourist in Sukhothai Historical Park have on tourism?
It had a significant impact because Sukhothai province is a favourite among Japanese tourists. Neither of my properties were directly hit because Europe and Scandinavia are my biggest markets, but the incident was unfortunate because it made tourists, especially single female visitors, uneasy. The local police have stepped up patrols of the area. Time is the best healer. Things are returning to normal now, with Japanese tourists slowly coming back. Nevertheless, I hope the police will succeed in catching the culprit soon!
Tell us something about your next project.
I'm now working on a third property, the Sukhothai Treasure Resort and Spa, which is due to be completed in November, 2009. It'll be a five-star boutique resort located close to the Old City area in Muang district. There will be 78 standard guest rooms, in addition to international-standard meeting and conference facilities. From the resort, it's only a five-minute drive to Sukhothai Historical Park and 10 minutes to the hospital, department stores and the national museum. The architecture will be typical Sukhothai but in a modern-day setting.
Which places in the province do you think are worth a visit?
Sukhothai has much to offer in terms of tourist attractions. There's not a single district that disappoints so it's really difficult to name just a few places. If you want to go trekking, you need look no further than Ramkhamhaeng National Park, which covers Muang, Khiri Mat and Ban Dan Lan Hoi districts. It has Khao Luang [mountain range] and there's a three-kilometre hiking trail which starts from the park headquarters.
Si Satchanalai Historical Park is another popular spot. It contains the ruins of some 200 temples and monuments in beautiful natural surroundings. Of equal importance is Sukhothai Historical Park, known also as the Old City, in Muang district. Here you'll find the ruins of Buddhist temples, royal palaces and numerous historical monuments. A mini light-and-sound show is being staged there daily until September 6. If your readers want more information they could call the Sukhothai TAT office on 055-611-196.
To contact the writer, email yvonneb@bangkokpost.co.th
Read more articles about Thailand's hotel, restaurant, and tourism industry.
(Source: Bangkok Post, Horizons section, page H4, YVONNE BOHWONGPRASERT, temp-link)
Vocabulary:
Hotel Industry Vocabulary
the hospitality industry - the restaurant, hotel, and bar industry (food, drink, travel, and entertainment) (See Wikipedia)
an establishment - (formal) an organisation, institution, or business
a boutique hotel - a small fashionable hotel with a high level of service
a boutique shop - a small fashionable clothing shop
X stars - (classification) used by reviewers for ranking things such as movies, TV shows, restaurants, and hotels. For example, a set of one to five stars is commonly employed to categorize hotels.
a five star hotel - the highest class of luxury hotel
a five-star property - Same as above
a five-star boutique resort
a four-star establishment - the second highest ranking for hotels
boutique-style establishment in a tropical garden setting
pampered - receiving care and attention (here a positive meaning, though originally a negative meaning: pampering a child spoils their character)
a hotelier - a person who owns or manages a hotel
amenities - something that makes it comfortable and enjoyable to live and work at a place, facilities
room amenities - things in your hotel room that make living there more comfortable and enjoyable
well-heeled travellers - rich travellers
facilities - buildings, equipment, or services provided for a special purpose
meeting and conference facilities - the large rooms and catering (food) services at hotels that allow large meetings to be held at the hotel
General Vocabulary
the wave of the future - a new trend, a popular thing to do
well within the means of - can afford and pay for, not too expensive
the artistically inclined - people who like to do art (painting, drawing, sculpting, flower arranging, etc)
a work of art - a piece of art
an artistic statement - a piece of art that expresses the ideas that you have about art
up-and-coming - successful and popular, likely to be the next big thing
a calculated risk - a risky decision made carefully after considering all the possible results
taking a calculated risk - making a risky decision carefully
jumping in at the deep end - starting with a very difficult task or project, the first time you try something (most beginners would choose something easy first)
a Sukhothai native - a person born and raised in Sukhothai
dubbed - gave something a name, called something by a name
soft-spoken - speaking with a quiet gentle voice
perseverance - having the strength to continue some task, even though it is difficult (See glossary)
paid dividends - profited from your investment
dig deep into their pockets - spend a lot more money
ambience - the character and atmosphere of a place
motivated X to Y - what gave X the idea to do Y, what inspired X to do Y
alluring - very attractive
alluring architecture - very attractive architecture
a gallery, an art gallery - a space for the exhibition of art, usually visual art (the art is usually for sale) (See Wikipedia)
a compound - an area enclosed by a gate or fence with a gate, where people live or business operations are located
laid-back - calm and relaxed
the biggest hurdles you faced - the biggest problems you had to solve
multi-task - do many things at the same time (in parallel)
sitting around twiddling my thumbs - not doing or accomplishing anything, wasting time
a road show - a show that tours around the country or world, trying to generate interest in a new company, product, or service
significant impact - a large and noticeable effect
an incident - an event, something that happens
the incident was unfortunate - it is sad that this happened
a patrol - police or soldiers move around an area to prevent trouble or crime
stepped up - increase
stepped up patrols of the area - increase in police moving around an area, checking for criminal activity
catching the culprit - catching the person who did something illegal
Si Satchanalai Historical Park - an ancient city from the Sukhothai era with many old ruins and temples (See Wikipedia)
Sukhothai Historical Park - the ruins of Sukhothai, capital of the Sukhothai kingdom in the 13th and 14th centuries (See Wikipedia)
