Ananda targets Mice with biggest ballroom in Hua Hin
The Srichawala family has invested 1.5 billion baht to develop Ananda Hua Hin Resort & Spa, which is due to open next month with the biggest ballroom in Chaam-Hua Hin to cater to the influx of Mice visitors in the coming years.
Hong Kong-based Compass Hospitality has been appointed to manage the new property under the Ananda Resort and Spa brand.
Pichet Wongkhuenkaew, director of operations for the Srichawala family’s business, said the highlight of the new five-star hotel is its 900-square-metre ballroom that can accommodate more than 1,000 meeting, incentive, convention and exhibition (Mice) visitors at any one time.
The 196-room hotel expects to have a strong appeal to Hua Hin’s Mice industry, with flexible function space, including a range of customised floor plans and audio and visual capabilities to support domestic and regional corporate events.
The hotel also features an exclusive oceanfront with a collection of private pool villas, a medley of spacious suites, and a variety of room types to suit various travel and vacation needs.
Mr Pichet said he is optimistic that the hotel will break even within 2029 as the upscale tourism industry in Hua Hin is constantly growing and improving.
The total investment for the hotel is 1.5 billion baht.
The Srichawala family also controls Fico Corporation, which runs hospitality and food and beverage businesses.
David Barrett, a Mice consultant for Compass Hospitality, said the group has worked closely with the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) and the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) in order to push Hua Hin to be the next Mice destination.
Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket, Khon Kaen and Pattaya are supporting the growth of Mice visitors in line with the government’s policy to draw more quality foreign tourists to the country.
Mr Barnett said the group expects to see a pilot project with the TAT and the TCEB to make Hua Hin the next Mice destination soon.
“The ballroom at the hotel will attract a massive number of Mice visitors and will play an important role in boosting tourism revenue to Hua Hin in the future,” he said.
According to a latest report by TCEB, Thailand is projected to welcome more than 1 million Mice visitors this year, generating 100 billion baht in revenue to the country.
The report also said the Mice industry is a key driver of tourism destination development and an i mportant generator of income, employment and foreign investment.
The Mice industry also presents opportunities for knowledge sharing, networking and is an influential driver of intellectual development and regional cooperation.
Compass Hospitality’s portfolio includes hotels, resorts, serviced apartments and spas located in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya and Hua Hin, Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru and Pulau Langkawi in Malaysia, and in Shrewsbury, Halifax, Cardiff, Cheltenham, Eastbourne, Nottingham, Oxford, Manchester, Inverness, Leeds, in Britain.
Apart from the Ananda label, the hotel chain also has Compass, Citrus and Citin brands.