Recognised as one of the top properties in New York, the Plaza Athenee is a well known landmark. What makes it a little different perhaps is that it is Thai-owned, having been newly acquired by Thailand's Imperial Hotels Group and TCC International (Thailand) Co Ltd. The match is a suitable one, for Imperial has long been recognised as one of the top hoteliers in Thailand with a number of high-class hotels and resorts strategically located around the Kingdom.
"The Hotel Plaza Athenee was an obvious choice for us to spearhead our overseas expansion drive, "says Mr Opas Netraumpai, vice-president for sales and marketing of the Imperial Group. "We were looking for a hotel that provided the elegance and level of comfort guests have come to expect from our properties here in Thailand.
"Our next overseas venture, the Imperial Angkor Wat in Cambodia, will also carry the distinctive Imperial style. The first phase is due tO open in 1999, and we are very excited about the potential of the hotel. It is located close to Angkor Wat, which is emerging as one of the great tourist attractions of this region."
The Imperial Queen's Park Hotel in Bangkok is an example of the high standards set by the group. Although it is Bangkok's largest hotel, with 1400 rooms of which no less than 120 are suites, the Imperial Queen's Park manages to offer a personal service that belies its immense size. All six restaurants have private dining facilities and, uniquely for Thailand, the hotel retains qualified butlers from the United Kingdom to attend to guests. Although the hotel deals very much in conventions - in addition to its own meeting facilities, the hotel is only a brief walk from Bangkok's Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre - Mr Opas points out that a large number of the guests are repeat customers, often coming back for a private vacation having stayed in the hotel for a convention.
The versatility of the Imperial style is however readily apparent from the other two hotels the group manages in the capital. The Imperial Tara Hotel, with 195 rooms, and the Imperial Impala Hotel with 165 rooms are both located within walking distance of the flagship property. Although much smaller in size, the two hotels are run with the same attention to detail.
The Impala's unique "Thai country house" style lobby is an example of the group's desire to continually offer something slightly different in its properties. Nowhere is this more evident than at the Imperial Boat House Hotel on Koh Samui, a resort island on the east coast of Thailand. A low rise resort set in garden surroundings with a tranquil beach, the Boat House has 182 rooms and 34 unique suites. Constructed from renovated traditional teak rice barges, the suites take pride of place around the boat shaped swimming pool and offer top level comfort and a chance to relax amid tradition.
Also on Koh Samui, the group runs a Mediterranean style resort. Framed by topical palm trees, the Imperial Samui Hotel offers 140 deluxe rooms and 15 suites, built on gently sloping ground that affords each room a splendid view.
Although Thailand has always been famous for its beaches and islands, more and more visitors are now looking to natural retreats in the north of the country as a means of getting away from it all. The Imperial Tara Mae Hong Son is constructed in the Thai Yai and Lanna traditional architectural style and sits in a teak forest right on the country's north western border with Burma. The hotel has 104 rooms furnished to the highest standard and, set amid tranquillity and nature, is fast becoming a popular spot both for vacations and for business meetings.
Just as picturesque, the Imperial Phukaew Hill Resort in Petchahoon is set amongst rolling green hills to the north of Bangkok. With 140 rooms and meeting facilities for 250 persons, the hotel's chalets and low-rise buildings have been designed to fit into the stunning surroundings.
Even further north, the Imperial Group boasts two very popular hotels. The 371 room Imperial Mae Ping Hotel in Thailand's Northern capital, Chiang Mai, is situated in the heart of town and has gained something of a following amongst tourists and businessmen, both for its standard of service and for its exceptional location. The Imperial Golden Triangle Resort Hotel in Chiang Rai, a northern town on the bank of the famous Mekhong River sits astride the point where Thailand meets Burma and Laos. The hotel features Lanna architecture and combines modern accommodation in 73 rooms and suites set in beautiful countryside. The panoramic views offered by the hotel's location make it an ideal base from which to explore the Mekhong river.
The group's strategically placed hotels in the Kingdom allow it to offer accommodation in some of the country's most important venues. And with more new hotels to come, the group has no plans to let up in its expansion.
"We aim," says Mr Opas, "to provide top class accommodation at strategic points around the country and the world. The Imperial Group has an excellent reputation and we intend to build on that reputation."
Certainly, the Plaza Athenee Hotel in New York shows the level of standards the Imperial Group has attained. Mr Opas is confident that existing guests of the Plaza Athenee will find similar comfort and quality at the group's properties in Thailand. "From our flagship hotel to our smallest resort we have only one objective, which is to be the best," he says. "Nothing less will satisfy us."