While it has become a big name in the air, low cost carrier Air Asia is now looking to the ground, as budget hotel group Tune, closely linked with the airline, will be opening four locations in Thailand. The first property is expected to open in Hat Yai this December, and will be followed by location in Pattaya, Bangkok, and Phuket in 2012, according to the Bangkok Post.
The new hotels will be part of a major expansion that started in late 2009, and Tune hopes will result in over 100 locations by 2014. In addition to the already announced branches, Tune plans for 10 other locations throughout Thailand, for a total investment of about THB900 million (US$30 million).
The Tune Hotel in Hat Yai will be renovated from an older hotel, and boast 148 rooms. The Bangkok, Pattaya, and Phuket locations will be newly built, and offer 130, 192, and 150 rooms, respectively.
A standard room charge for local Tune hotels with a bathroom, “five star” bed and electric fan will range from THB700-900 (US$23.38-30.06) per night.
Services such as air-conditioning, laundered towels and WiFi will be extra.
Tune Hotels currently operates 12 facilities, with nine in Malaysia: central Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur airport, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, Penang, Johor Bahru, Kota Damansara, Bintulu and Kota Bahru.
Two more are on the Indonesian island of Bali, at Kuta and Legian. The London borough of Westminster boasts one as well.
In the four years since the first Tune Hotel opened in central Kuala Lumpur, the group has accommodated more than 2 million guests.
Apart from Thailand, more Tune Hotels are planned for Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, India, Australia and the UK.
Tune is also co-sponsoring the EBA Share Love Charity Concert, to raise funds to buy kidney-dialysis machines for Chulalongkorn Hospital.
Source: http://www.property-report.com/site/air-asia-tune-hotel-group-expanding-thailand-15387
