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Holiday Inn Chiang Mai gets a facelift
The new lobby bar is just one of the areas that
were redesigned as part of their 5 million dollar refurbishment.
Redesigned to reflect the elegance, art and culture of the region, The
Holiday Inn Chiang Mai hotel is ready to show off its new look after a 5
million dollar refurbishment.
The hotel has re-opened the Lobby, function venues, relocated the bakery
with Wi-Fi and Internet stations, the Lobby bar with “Al Fresco” riverside
dining overlooking the tranquil Mae Ping River.
In October, the hotel will unveil new guest rooms, five additional break-out
venues and a newly re-designed River Terrace.
As part of the refurbishment they are offering special introductory rates
that are valid until the end of September.
More international
flights to Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai’s beleaguered travel trade can expect more regional visitor
arrivals following the announcement of new direct flights from South Korea
and Taiwan.
Korean Air will introduce a new Incheon-Chiang Mai service with four flights
weekly in its winter schedule, starting from October 31. Meanwhile, China
Airlines is understood to be in the process of launching a direct service
between Kaohsiung and Chiang Mai, but details of the flight are not yet
available.
Thailand Incentive and Convention Association (TICA) vice-president, Mr Opas
Netraumpai, said despite the upcoming new air access from regional markets,
Chiang Mai’s tourism industry was still overwhelmed with increasing hotel
room supply and limited direct international air access. “My concern is the
increasing hotel room supply will cause inevitable price wars not only among
properties in the same category, but also between five-star hotels and four
or even three-star hotels,” he said.
About 2,000 new hotel rooms in the five-star and boutique categories are
expected to open in Chiang Mai up to 2010. Three new convention and
exhibition venues are also slated to open within the next three years - the
Empress Convention Center, Chiang Mai University’s Convention Center and the
TAT-built Chiang Mai Convention and Exhibition Center (put on hold, see
story on Page 1).
To help fill the estimated 18,000 hotel rooms now available in Chiang Mai,
TICA has joined hands with the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau,
Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and Tourism Council of Thailand to
promote the northern Thai capital and nearby provinces as a meeting and
incentive destination. TTG
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