![](\"http:\/\/www.hotelmanagement.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/hansarbangkokNEW-300x219.jpg\")
<\/a><\/div>\nIt mightn\u2019t be so hard to become the top motel in Mootwingee or the first choice B&B in Clybucca, but to rise to the dizzying heights of number one-rated hotel on Tripadvisor in one of the world\u2019s most competitive accommodation markets really does take something special.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s exactly what the all-suite, boutique Hansar Hotel in Bangkok did \u2013 and within six months of opening.<\/p>\n
Fast becoming (if not already) the defining benchmark for hotel popularity, TripAdvisor.com lists 629 hotels in Bangkok ranging from $7 to around $500 per night. Bear in mind too, that star ratings and ARR have little bearing on your ranking as you can stay at the number three ranked hotel for just $45. So, it\u2019s the whole package that travellers rate and whether they have good value despite the price.<\/p>\n
In an exclusive interview with HM, Hansar Hotel Manager Jeerasak Loturit was asked what he thought the Hansar provided that won them this coveted accolade.<\/p>\n
\u201cHansar Bangkok is a boutique hotel offering the 5-star market a powerful alternative in a great location which attracts the visitor to Bangkok,\u201d he said. \u201cThe reason Hansar has been able to retain a good rate is a differentiated product with great appeal to the modern traveller combined with a strong team of passionate professional hotelkeepers.\u201d<\/p>\n
A fairly safe answer, so I took the hotel tour with Hansar Hotel Assistant Manager, Surat \u2018Ploy\u2019 Somboonthana, to see for myself.<\/p>\n
Far from a \u201ccookie-cutter\u201d approach to design, each of the 94 suites has its own character. Some have little kitchenettes and concealed laundry facilities, some have balconies, while others have an interior green wall with sunlight-fed plants behind a glass screen. Views and layouts vary and the two split-level \u2018Loft\u2019 duplex suites are divine.<\/p>\n
Naturally there is a spa and treatment rooms, gym and pool while business and \u2018club\u2019 facilities are exceptional and retain the same intimate feel.<\/p>\n
Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) is clearly playing a critical role in the launch phase.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are getting around 50% of bookings from SLH members,\u201d Somboonthana told HM, and with such competitive pricing, it\u2019s little wonder the luxury-loving set are impressed.<\/p>\n
With a soft opening in December 2010, it must have been a nervous time for Hansar with the recent well-publicised challenges in Bangkok and a widely acknowledged oversupply of rooms.<\/p>\n
\u201cBangkok in general has experienced strong growth from regional markets as a great Asian City to visit,\u201d Loturit said. \u201cAs supply rapidly grows, so marketing efforts have intensified across all market segments with strong growth coming out of Asian and Middle East countries in addition to traditional European markets.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur segment has held steady while there has been rate pressure on 3-star (about 25% of total inventory) and 4-star (about 50%) categories but growth is there for differentiated products.\u201d<\/p>\n
5-star properties make up the remaining 25% of total Bangkok hotel inventory. Colliers Thailand* supports this optimism, reporting that occupancy was climbing towards 70% in the upper and luxury segments after bottoming out to 30% this time last year.<\/p>\n
And where is the growth coming from and what draws them to Hansar?<\/p>\n
\u201cGrowth markets seem to be in niche segment across Asian markets not purely India or China but more from Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and Japan,\u201d Loturit said. \u201cA lot of \u2018design\u2019 and \u2018eco-attuned\u2019 travellers will select Hansar over other 5-star products. The size is also appealing in that it is not \u2018chain\u2019 and \u2018big\u2019 yet safe, and at the same time exciting yet private.\u201d<\/p>\n
While Bangkok is not \u2018out of the woods\u2019 yet, the signs of recovery are there and Hansar is perfectly poised to gather the lion\u2019s share of returning visitors in the luxury segment.
*Colliers International \u2013 Bangkok Hotel Market Report Q1 2011<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
BY RODERICK EIME IN BANGKOK It mightn\u2019t be so hard to become the top motel in Mootwingee or the first choice B&B in Clybucca, but to rise to the dizzying heights of number one-rated hotel on Tripadvisor in one of the world\u2019s most competitive accommodation markets really does take something special. That\u2019s exactly what the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21866","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/traveloscopy.com\/travel-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21866","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/traveloscopy.com\/travel-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/traveloscopy.com\/travel-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/traveloscopy.com\/travel-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/traveloscopy.com\/travel-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21866"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/traveloscopy.com\/travel-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21866\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/traveloscopy.com\/travel-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21866"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/traveloscopy.com\/travel-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21866"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/traveloscopy.com\/travel-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21866"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}