Pattaya on track to accommodate over eight million hotel guests in 2012

Hospitality consulting group C9 Hotelworks released its Pattaya Hotel Market update this week, which highlights a nine per cent surge in hotel occupancy last year as a clear indication of an upward cycle.

An increase in branded hotel offerings has induced greater demand with the chain-operated properties hitting 74% annualized occupancy for the year ending December. This equated to an eight per cent premium over the non-branded hotel inventory.

Speaking about the destination’s evolution C9’s Managing Director Bill Barnett said, “With the geographic shift away from long haul tourists to the Asian and domestic segments, key demand generators such as large-scale retail, tourist attractions and a rising resort residential market has fueled positive sentiment.”

 With 49,348 rooms in registered tourism establishment, much of the buildup came between the period of 2009 thought 2010 when supply increased 28%. This has flattened out with 1,779 keys now in the pipeline that equate to an upward swing of four per cent.

Appraising Pattaya’s DNA, Bill Barnett added, “Comparing Pattaya to other resorts in the country such as Phuket, Chiang Mai and Koh Samui the former has less pronounced seasonality which results in mitigating volatility. Currently supply and demand remain balanced as limited prime land availability points to a future regime of hotel redevelopment versus new build properties.”