Centara’s Suparat Chirathivat awarded with Best Hotel Development Executives of Asia award

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Written by Linda Hohnholz

BANGKOK, Thailand – The AHF International Hotel Investment Summit has awarded Suparat Chirathivat, vice president of Centara International Management, the management arm within the Centara Hotels & Re

BANGKOK, Thailand – The AHF International Hotel Investment Summit has awarded Suparat Chirathivat, vice president of Centara International Management, the management arm within the Centara Hotels & Resorts group, as one of the Best Hotel Development Executives of Asia.

The award presentations, which are held annually, were presented during the 7th AHF International Hotel Investment Summit, held during 2-4 September 2014 in Beijing.

This award is designed to honor hotel management executives who have years of experience in the hotel investment industry, and who use courage and keen business acumen in exploring new markets.

Suparat Chirathivat is responsible for driving strategic partnerships for Centara Hotels & Resorts, Thailand’s leading operator of hotels, and overseeing the chain’s expansion plan to international destinations.

Reporting directly to Suthikiati Chirathivat, chairman of the Centara Hotels & Resorts board, and to Thirayuth Chirathivat, chief executive officer, their vision is to create strategic growth for the company through international expansion.

During his seven-year tenure, Suparat has helped to increase the Centara portfolio from 11 to 74 properties, of which 80 percent are managed properties. Suparat is the person behind promoting Centara’s Thai-style hospitality on an international basis.

“The entire Centara Hotels & Resorts group is honored to receive this prestigious award from the AHF International Hotel Investment Summit, and to have been nominated alongside outstanding representatives within the hospitality industry,” said Suparat.

“The credit for this award goes to all of our employees at Centara Hotels & Resorts. I want to personally thank all of my colleagues for their focused hard work and strong commitment that has allowed us to win such an important award.”

Suparat said that the intention is for Centara to become a global brand, not just an international brand.

“Right now we are concentrating on Asia,” he said. “After Asia, the Middle East and Africa, our expansion plans will focus on Europe and then America.”

Thirayuth Chirathivat said that Suparat is a true visionary, and that he is able to combine this with practicality, a profound ability to understand the needs and aspirations of business partners, and a strong sense of tourism markets.

“Suparat is a great driving force within Centara Hotels & Resorts,” he said. “His warm personality, his enormous experience, his reputation as a man of integrity, and his sheer love of the business have been amongst the factors that have allowed us to expand in Thailand and other countries.”

Thirayuth said that by 2018, Centara expects to have more than 130 properties in its portfolio, and will be adding at least 12-15 properties to the portfolio each year.

“In Thailand, we are focusing more on the expansion of our new COSI hotels and expect to have at least 18 COSI properties by 2018. Out of those 18, six hotels would be owned and 12 would be managed.

“Overseas, we will continue expansion of all of our brands, namely Centara Grand, Centara, Centara Boutique Collection and Centra in strategic cities through hotel management agreements and potential takeovers.”

The AHF International Hotel Investment Summit is acknowledged throughout the industry as presenting the most influential annual hotel awards.

Founded eight years ago, AHF provides a series of services including Asia Hotel Expo, Hotel Owners’ Club Meeting, Advanced Courses on Hotel Investment Management, Selected Hotels Inspection Tours, and PHC Hotel Consultant Service.

Centara Hotels & Resorts is Thailand’s leading operator of hotels, with 48 deluxe and first-class properties covering all the major tourist destinations in the Kingdom. A further 26 resorts in Maldives, Vietnam, Bali, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Ethiopia, Qatar, Laos and Oman brings the present total to 74 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 30 branches of Spa Cenvaree, one of Thailand’s most luxurious and innovative spa brands, together with 7 branches of the value brand Cense by Spa Cenvaree, which provides core spa services for busy travelers. The company’s Kids’ Club is available at all the family-friendly resorts to ensure that the youngsters and teens have their own leisure zone. Centara also operates three state-of-the-art convention centers in Bangkok, and two in northeastern Thailand, one being located in Udon Thani and the other in Khon Kaen. The latest Centara brand, COSI, is an affordable lifestyle brand designed for travelers who predominantly make their bookings via the internet and who want comfort and convenience at affordable prices; the brand is under development with the first property due to open in 2016.

Suthikiati Chirathivat (4th left), Chairman of the Board of Centara Hotels & Resorts hosts a congratulatory party for Suparat Chirathivat (center), vice president of Centara International Management, who has received the Best Hotel Development Executives of Asia award from the AHF International Hotel Investment Summit. The reception was held at Red Sky restaurant, Centara Grand & Bangkok Convention Centre at CentralWorld.

Photo shows toasting from left:

-Chris Bailey, senior vice president for sales and marketing of Centara Hotels & Resorts

-Supatra Chirathivat, senior vice president for corporate affairs and social responsibilities of Centara Hotels & Resorts

-Thirayuth Chirathivat, chief executive officer of Centara Hotels & Resorts

-Suthikiati Chirathivat

-Suparat Chirathivat

-Kristina Fischer, Associate vice president business development of Centara International Management

-Ronnachit Mahattanapreut, senior vice president for Finance & Administration of Centara Hotels & Resorts

-David Good, vice president of operations of Centara Hotels & Resorts

-Kanokros Sakdanares, corporate director of marketing communications of Centara Hotels & Resorts

For more information and reservations, please contact tel. +662 101 1234 ext. 1 or e-mail to [email protected] or website www.centarahotelsresorts.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/centarahotelsresorts
Twitter: www.twitter.com/MyCentara

Centara is a member of the International Coalition of Tourism Partners (ICTP) .

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Avatar of Linda Hohnholz

Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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