Rayong touch to Indian weddings
If fairy-tale weddings are on your wishlist, we tell you why Rayong Marriott Resort and Spa should figure as your destination of choice
We all know that fairytale ending: “And the prince and princess got married, and lived happily ever after.” Today's brides and grooms are scripting their own happily-everafters, beginning with a fairy-tale wedding. The setting for such a dream wedding is a suitably exotic destination, and Thailand, offering many such stunning locales, is a popular choice.
As more and more Indian wedding crowds throng the beaches and hills of Thailand, the country is opening up new venues for Indian brides and grooms to explore. Rayong is one such beach destination. A relatively new market for Indians as well as foreigners, Rayong has made it to the top three weekend beach getaways from Bangkok alongside Pattaya and Hua Hin. However, unlike Pattaya, which is known for its nightlife, Rayong offers a quiet, green setting that lets you connect with nature.
The Rayong Marriott Resort and Spa is the first five-star international hotel chain that has opened in the area and is already a big hit among Indians scouting for venues for their dream wedding.
Talking about what makes the property a popular destination for Indian weddings, the hotel's General Manager, Parichart Kotrajarus says, “I think our appeal lies in the location itself. The property has much to offer in terms of venues: you can have a function by the beach, by the pool, up on the hill, or on the lawns. The second thing is that we have the expertise to handle it. We have one person who is solely responsible for all the functions- a one-point contact for all our guests, which makes for better coordination.”
Coordination is key, as anyone hosting an Indian wedding would confirm. After all, it's not just a day-long affair, with the revelry extending for three or four days. How well is the hotel equipped to handle the continuing celebrations? Kotrajarus says, “Most of the time we work very closely with wedding planners, who
The property has already hosted 8 INDIAN WEDDINGS in Q1, 2019
we hosted 14 Indian weddings, this year we had three in January, four in February and one in March. But that's just in the first three months of 2019. We are hoping to get many more towards the end of the year, which is the peak season,” Kotrajarus says.
The majority of the hotel's Indian clientele is from Mumbai. Kolkata comes a close second as proximity is an advantage: Bangkok is only a short 2.5-hour flight away.
Talking figures, Kotrajarus informs that while the maximum number of guests they have handled at a time at an Indian wedding has been 450-500, their longest wedding lasted four days.
On a lighter note, she quips, “I wish we had festivities lasting for seven There is much to keep kids busy as well.
As a family resort, it offers a kids' club and also organises activities such as treasure hunts which children and their parents can enjoy. While the resort is a favourite among Thai locals, India comprises one of their top three markets. It's not just wedding revellers, but also corporate guests that the resort would like to host.
Kotrajarus says, “We work very closely with Indian wedding planners to whom we offer incentives. We also work with OTAs like MakeMyTrip and some Indian agents. Looking at the potential of the Indian market, we are also keen on getting the MiCE crowd from India.
Our ballroom can easily seat around 400 people in theatre setup, while in a banquet setting we can have their supplies ready in terms of decoration, light and sound, but if clients request us to make the arrangements, we contact vendors for them.
We have an Indian chef, who prepares excellent Indian food and I guess that's the reason we are so popular for Indian weddings."
The number of Indian weddings the hotel hosts, about 14-20 a year, is testament to its popularity. “Last year, days. I wouldn't mind two weeks even!”
An active nightlife is not Rayong's unique selling point. Instead, it offers opportunities aplenty for people who want to connect with nature. host around 250 guests. Even though we promote the property as a family resort, we have a lot of activities lined up for MiCE groups; our team building programmes for MiCE groups are also very popular.”