Accor Takes Over Management of 568-Room Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand

Accor has signed an agreement to take over the management and rebrand a 568-room hotel in Bangkok, Thailand.

The Grand Mercure Bangkok Atrium, which operated most recently as the Avani Atrium Bangkok – part of Minor Hotels, has been welcoming guests for over 26 years.

The hotel is easily accessible via road and rail, including Bangkok’s elevated expressways and MRT subway network. Makkasan Station, the downtown terminal of the Airport Rail Link to Suvarnabhumi International Airport, is just a short distance away.

The 568 rooms and suites boast panoramic city views and range in size from 30 to 129 square metres.

Executive Suite at the Grand Mercure Bangkok Atrium in Thailand

Facilities include a variety of F&B outlets, an outdoor swimming pool and sundeck, fitness centre, spa, a ballroom and selection of meeting rooms that can host up to 350 people for corporate and social events.

The Grand Mercure network consists of more than 55 hotels in 12 countries worldwide, as well as a pipeline of 30 new hotels and 7,200 rooms due to open in the coming years.

“Just as no two countries are completely alike, no two Grand Mercure hotels are completely alike,” said Garth Simmons, Chief Executive Officer for Accor, Southeast Asia, Japan & South Korea. “Each property is tailored to offer a uniquely local spirit, where the community can feel at home and visitors can discover the unexpected. I am proud to welcome Grand Mercure Bangkok Atrium to our network, becoming our fourth Grand Mercure in Thailand. This signing demonstrates the confidence that owners continue to place in Accor’s renowned brands, local knowhow and experts spanning every function of the hotel business.”

https://teawlataem.com/2022/12/21/accor-takes-over-management-of-568-room-hotel-in-bangkok-thailand/

What Are The 20 Most Visited Cities in the World?

Bangkok topped the list of the most visited cities in the world! In this list, the capital of the Kingdom of Thailand left behind such traditionally popular cities among travelers as Paris, London and Dubai. These capitals are ranked 2nd, 3rd, and 4th respectively.

Rank
City
Total International Visitors

1
Bangkok
22.78 Million Visitors

2
Paris
19.10 Million Visitors

3
London
19.09 Million Visitors

4
Dubai
15.93 Million Visitors

5
Singapore
14.67 Million Visitors

6
Kuala Lumpur
13.79 Million Visitors

7
New York
13.60 Million Visitors

8
Istanbul
13.40 Million Visitors

9
Tokyo
12.93 Million Visitors

10
Antalya
12.41 Million Visitors

11
Seoul
11.25 Million Visitors

12
Osaka
10.14 Million Visitors

13
Makkah
10 Million Visitors

14
Phuket
9.89 Million Visitors

15
Pattaya
9.44 Million Visitors

16
Milan
9.10 Million Visitors

17
Barcelona
9.09 Million Visitors

18
Palma de Mallorca
8.96 Million Visitors

19
Bali
8.26 Million Visitors

20
Hong Kong SAR
8.23 Million Visitors

https://travelness.com/most-visited-cities-in-the-world

Life is about to get easier for pedestrians in Bangkok

Life is about to get a little easier for pedestrians in Bangkok at the turn of the year. Bangkok Deputy Governor Wisanu Subsompon revealed that two pedestrian tunnels are expected to open under Na Phra Lan Road in early January 2023, reported Bangkok Post.

Wisanu met with his boss, Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt, Sanon Wangsrangboon, and City Clerk Khachit Chatchawanit to check the progress of the construction work.

The 54 year old reported that the tunnel work is complete, and the only checks are preventing the public from accessing them. Tests need to be run on the electricity, drainage, ventilation systems, elevators and escalators.

The first tunnel is 96 metres long and lies 6.6 metres underground at the intersection of Na Phra Lan and Na Phra That roads with entrances close to the Emerald Buddha Temple and Sanam Luang.

Waiting areas have been built as have 21 male toilets and 51 female toilets, two elevators, a staircase and three escalators at each of the four entrances.

The second smaller tunnel is located at the front of the Na Phra Lan branch post office. Its entrances are close to the gates of the royal palace. The tunnel is 37 metres long. It has two elevators and a staircase and two escalators in three entrance areas.

Wisanu said the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is to undertake commercial development to bring in extra money to cover maintenance bills, notably the monthly electricity bill, which costs 28 million baht. (The Thaiger)

ONE BANGKOK ANNOUNCES STRATEGIC LEASING PARTNERSHIP WITH CBRE AND JLL TO BRING TO MARKET ‘THE ULTIMATE WORKPLACE ECOSYSTEM’

One Bangkok, the largest holistically integrated district in the heart of Bangkok being developed by Frasers Property and TCC Assets, announced a strategic partnership with CBRE and JLL to introduce the market to the first two office towers at the heart of Bangkok CBD. Offering a combined 200,000 sq. m. of lettable premium Grade A office space, Tower 4 and Tower 5 at One Bangkok will deliver a new approach to do business and set bold new standards for workplaces in Thailand.

(Bangkok, Thailand) One Bangkok, the largest holistically integrated district in the heart of Bangkok being developed by Frasers Property and TCC Assets, announced a strategic partnership with CBRE and JLL introduce the market to the first two office towers at the heart of Bangkok CBD. Offering a combined 200,000 sq. m. of lettable premium Grade A office space, Tower 4 and Tower 5 at One Bangkok will deliver a new approach to do business and set bold new standards for workplaces in Thailand.

Lim Hua Tiong, CEO of One Bangkok, said, “The future of the work is evolving, therefore Bangkok office buildings must tailor to the new trends. As a vertically integrated developer and asset manager with a proven track record of delivering the best office tenant experience in Bangkok, Frasers Property has a good understanding of what customers want to go beyond current market standards in terms of physical space, amenities, and services. By partnering with CBRE and JLL, global leaders in commercial real estate services with expansive networks, to act as strategic leasing partners, we will have an even deeper insight into the office asset class to deliver the ultimate workplace ecosystem of the future.”

“The offices at One Bangkok emphasize health, well-being, sustainability, and quality in every detail. For these two office towers, we engaged world-renowned consultants to deliver beautifully designed, high-performance environments with flexibility and efficiency for the best occupant experience. They are also the first office towers in Thailand underpinned by future-ready smart technology, targeting WiredScore and SmartScore certifications, and are designed for WELL Platinum certification, ensuring the physical and social environments will benefit the health, well-being, and performance of occupants. These attributes have already been recognized by the industry, with One Bangkok recently receiving the ‘Best Office Development’ award at the 17th PropertyGuru Thailand Property Awards 2022 ceremony.” 

As global leaders in commercial real estate, CBRE and JLL have unmatched data, market intelligence, and agenda-setting research capabilities to support One Bangkok. Roongrat Veeraparkkaroon, Managing Director of CBRE Thailand, the local unit of the world’s largest commercial real estate services and investment firm, said, “We are convinced that One Bangkok is well-placed to meet the demand gap for modern office space.”

Based on CBRE’s experience of over 30 years in Bangkok’s office market, we have found that the market has grown to put more importance on community, environment, and human wellness. From 2022 - 2025, Bangkok will see 1.17 million sq. m. of new office supply and many of these new projects will be registering for building certifications such as LEED and WELL. Buildings demonstrating that they can meet environmental and health standards will receive good responses from office occupiers, particularly those developed and managed by highly experienced teams with a proven track record of successful projects such as Frasers Property with FYI Center, Sathorn Square, Samyan Mitrtown, and The PARQ.

“In addition, many older buildings – those built before 2000 – are also increasingly registering for such certifications to remain competitive. This is partly due to the “flight to quality” demands from multinational corporations (MNCs) and agile workforces, who now expect a work environment that can combine a mix of flexible and efficient work, a healthy lifestyle, and a focus on well-being. These demands will shape how buildings are developed, determine what kind of amenities they come with, and put the industry on the road to sustainability and carbon neutrality. One Bangkok is a good example of new office developments that have thoughtfully incorporated these new features and will benefit from it.” added Roongrat

One Bangkok, located at the corner of Wireless and Rama 4 roads with direct linkages to the city’s burgeoning mass transit systems, comprises workplaces of the future, a new retail loop, superlative residences, hotels with the finest five-star hospitality, a world-class live entertainment arena, the presence of art and culture, and vast, welcoming public realm that covers 50 rai of the 104-rai district. As a well-equipped smart city with sustainable infrastructure, One Bangkok aims to be the first project to be awarded LEED for Neighborhood Development Platinum certification in Thailand and WELL Building Standard to support human health and wellness.

New Year celebrations not cancelled yet, officials sayThe Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) backs New Year countdowns and celebrations going ahead as planned as long as the government does not order any cancellations. TAT governor Yuthasak Supasorn said at the moment, the TAT has not yet received any warning that an order of this nature is forthcoming after a number of provinces decided to downgrade their countdown events this year.Many operators had also requested permission to add an official blessing ceremony for Her Royal Highness Princess Bajrakitiyabha Narendiradebyavati in their events. The princess was admitted to King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital after losing consciousness due to a heart condition on the evening of Dec 14. 

Bangkok's event will be held at the pier beside Wat Phra Chetuphon (Wat Pho), with highlights including free concerts and fireworks with the music still set to go ahead as planned at the moment.Mr Yuthasak said Thailand would boast about 700,000–800,000 foreign tourists during the upcoming holiday week.