SilverNeedle Hospitality’s ‘SilverNeedle Collection’, which features Riva Surya in Bangkok and 137 Pillars House in Chiang Mai, has announced its focus on growing the group’s independently owned and branded luxury boutique hotels in Thailand and key Southeast Asian destinations to at least 15 properties by 2016.
Iqbal Jumabhoy, MD and Group CEO of SilverNeedle Hospitality, said with ASEAN Economic Cooperation (AEC) set to become a reality as early as 2015, Thailand’s importance as a gateway to markets like Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam would yield fresh opportunities to cater to business travellers in the region and globally looking for excellent service and high quality boutique hotels and resorts for business and leisure.
Iqbal Jumabhoy, MD and Group CEO, SilverNeedle Hospitality.
“Thailand especially is a key market for development and we are actively pursuing opportunities for hotels and resorts that are the right fit for the ‘SilverNeedle Collection’,” Jumabhoy revealed during a visit to Bangkok.
SilverNeedle Hospitality manages over 67 properties in Asia-Pacific and offers an impressive array of hotel management and professional services that fulfill a need gap in the market from which owners can benefit.
Thailand closed 2012 with a record 22 million tourist arrivals, and with an office strategically positioned in Bangkok and a global head office in Singapore, the company appears perfectly poised to begin a new phase of growth.
Jumabhoy says each ‘SilverNeedle Collection’ hotel and resort has been carefully selected for its uniqueness and attention to detail: “Every hotel featured is distinguished by offering guests unique and authentic experiences in special and desirable locations where service excellence comes as standard,” he said. “From intimate retreats embraced by nature to urban havens in the city, our properties are as individual as they are diverse.”
The ‘SilverNeedle Collection’ debuts with three distinctive properties in South East Asia: 137 Pillars House, Chiang Mai is a boutique hotel that revives the old world elegance of the orient and invites guests to enjoy exceptional modern day luxury.
Riva Surya, Bangkok, a hotel located along the Chao Phraya River in the heart of Bangkok, adds a touch of style and charm to this bustling locale.
Kiridara Luang Prabang, Laos is an elegant, contemporary boutique hotel scaled on a hillside and surrounded by native teak forests. It offers panoramic views of Mount Phou Si.
SilverNeedle Collection’s 137 Pillars House in Chiang Mai blends old world elegance with modern day luxury.
Jumabhoy continued, “As owners ourselves, we recognize the requirements and different business cycles within the independent boutique hotel sector in the Asia Pacific region. It is with the foundation of this understanding that we have identified the need for a platform like ‘SilverNeedle Collection.’
“Flexibility is key to the way we operate,” he added. “From pre-opening to post-opening and beyond, owners can choose from a selection of operational and management services. We can effectively tailor solutions according to their specific needs while connecting them to our powerful sales and marketing platforms, thereby maximizing the potential of each individual hotel while continuing to retain their unique identity.”
