The chief executive of Thailand-based Onyx Hospitality believes the opening of a new Amari property in the Maldives and a refurbished hotel in Koh Samui will be significant draws for the UK market.
Onyx has a number of brands including the select-service OZO and Shama serviced apartments, but is best-known in the UK for its four-star Amari portfolio.
Speaking at World Travel Market, Peter Henley admitted headwinds in Thailand including the Bangkok terrorist bomb had affected trading, but said he saw reasons for optimism heading into 2016.
“It’s been a tough year but we are up on 2014 and heading in the right direction,” he said. “The new openings and the refurbished properties give us a growth story which really energises us as a company.
“The UK market is incredibly important to us, representing around 6.5% of our global business, and within that, around 70 to 75% of UK sales come through the trade.”
He added: “We are seeing increased demand for the select-service brands like OZO and Shama, but the UK has a long association with the Amari brand, and the re-opening in Koh Samui and the opening in Maldives will boost that further.”
Amari Havodda Maldives is due to open in January, featuring 120 villas including 60 overwater villas. Amari Koh Samui is due to re-open in April, featuring three new wings.