SK Hotels’ Scott Walton talks new hotels and destinations coming up in Thailand, innovation and technology
The put up SK Hotels’ Scott Walton talks new hotels and destinations coming up in Thailand, innovation and technology appeared first on TD (Travel Daily Media) Travel Daily Media.
SK Hotels is continuous its growth in Thailand, with a handful of new properties coming up in the capital Bangkok and new destinations throughout the nation set to broaden its present portfolio. Managing director Scott Walton talks with TDM in regards to the development, and how innovation and technology are taking part in key roles.
Travel Daily Media (TDM): Can you give us a top level view of the present SK Hotels property portfolio, and taking into consideration your development plans, new properties in the pipeline?
Scott Walton: SK Hotels was established as a three way partnership between Siamese Asset, a publicly listed property developer primarily based in Bangkok, and Kew Green Hotels in the UK, a hospitality group with a portfolio of 44 owned and 16 managed properties throughout the UK and Europe. The partnership was born from a strategic imaginative and prescient: leaders from Siamese Asset visited the UK and have been struck by how effectively Kew Green had structured its operations – not solely in phrases of resort administration, but additionally in areas like finance, human assets, and industrial help. These features have been embedded regionally in a approach that stood other than the extra inflexible company constructions usually seen in Thailand.
This go to sparked the formation of SK Hotels in Bangkok, with a transparent mission to carry the identical form of streamlined, performance-driven working mannequin to the Siamese Asset resort portfolio. In doing so, we’ve created a nimble, centralized help construction that has already confirmed efficient throughout a number of newly launched properties.
Since rising from the pandemic, SK Hotels has opened six properties throughout Bangkok, together with the Wyndham Queen Convention Centre, Wyndham Garden Sukhumvit 42, Ramada Plaza by Wyndham Sukhumvit 48, Ramada by Wyndham Sukhumvit 87, TRIBE Living Bangkok Sukhumvit 39, and Cassia by Banyan Group in Rama 9. Each of those properties entered the market post-COVID and have responded nicely to the resurgence in worldwide and home journey. Some properties hit the bottom operating with exceptionally sturdy efficiency, whereas others rapidly discovered their footing, delivering optimistic outcomes all through 2023 and into 2024.
Looking forward, our pipeline contains a number of high-profile openings. The Crowne Plaza Bangkok Rama 9 is scheduled to open quickly, adopted by Cassia by Banyan Group in Ram Intra, and then a Hilton Garden Inn, additionally in the Ram Intra district. These upcoming launches mirror our ongoing confidence in Bangkok’s potential, however we’re additionally increasing our imaginative and prescient past the capital.
We are at the moment in superior discussions on properties in main leisure destinations akin to Hua Hin, Pattaya and Phuket, with promising leads rising in Koh Samui and Chiang Mai. The timing is true: our Bangkok-based properties have stabilized, and the centralized help infrastructure that we have now constructed throughout industrial, finance, HR, and IT now permits us to develop the portfolio with energy and agility.
With this stable basis in place, SK Hotels is poised to proceed its growth throughout Thailand, bringing effectivity, innovation, and efficiency excellence to every new vacation spot.
TDM: We perceive innovation performs a key position in your operations, in explicit with regards to bettering property efficiency. Can you develop on this?
Scott Walton: Innovation has turn out to be a defining pillar of our operations. The fast rise of AI post-COVID, alongside evolving visitor expectations and a extra advanced working atmosphere, has pushed us to rethink how we work. Thanks to the forward-thinking nature of our three way partnership companions, we’ve embraced these modifications head-on, however with warning and intent.
At SK we don’t implement AI to interchange human roles, we use it to amplify efficiency. For instance, when revising our menus at TRIBE Living – a course of that usually entails weeks of costing, sourcing, and coordination – we used AI instruments to streamline procurement information, automate value comparisons, and pace up documentation. This allowed our cooks to focus totally on culinary creativity and innovation, bettering the visitor expertise moderately than being slowed down in admin.
Our innovation can also be deeply supported by Siamese Technology, an inside division of Siamese Asset targeted on enhancing visitor expertise via environmental design and development technology. They’ve pioneered developments in air high quality management, acoustic insulation between rooms and corridors, and energy-saving strategies all of which contribute to extra sustainable, comfy visitor environments. This partnership has helped a number of of the properties developed by Siamese Asset and managed by SK to earn EDGE certification, a globally acknowledged ESG commonplace originating from Singapore.
These improvements not solely scale back working prices but additionally be sure that we will meet or exceed model and sustainability requirements with confidence and consistency.
TDM: With meals & beverage and wellness additionally being cornerstones of your improvement technique, what can friends anticipate from SK Hotels properties in these areas?
Scott Walton: Food and beverage are on the coronary heart of each property we open. Our technique begins by contemplating the native market and what substances can be found, what the neighborhood craves, and the place we will break from the anticipated. We take inspiration from world traits whereas at all times remaining regionally related.
This imaginative and prescient is championed by Siamese Asset’s possession, who persistently encourage us to problem the norm. We experiment with new ideas, substances, and working fashions to stay forward of evolving shopper expectations. Whether it’s via centralized manufacturing kitchens that enhance consistency and effectivity, or by embracing the “Instagrammable” development to attraction to the visual-first buyer, our method is grounded in a ardour for reinvention.
I’m a agency believer that consistency, nevertheless, is simply as necessary as innovation. One of the earliest classes I realized in hospitality, working in Auckland’s restaurant scene, was that if one thing works, make it constant. If it doesn’t, change rapidly. We apply this precept at each property, making certain that strong-performing gadgets or providers are refined and delivered flawlessly, whereas underperforming ideas are reimagined.
Wellness is a key element of our improvement technique and continues to develop in significance as trendy vacationers place higher emphasis on steadiness, mindfulness, and self-care. At SK Hotels, we method wellness as an integral a part of the visitor expertise and as one thing that ought to really feel purposeful, accessible, and woven into the very material of every property.
To ship on this imaginative and prescient, our properties have partnered with Pravinia Wellness and Beauty Center, Sense Cera Spa, and Yumoto, bringing a various vary of wellness experiences to our hotels. These partnerships enable us to tailor every providing to the distinctive character of the vacation spot, whereas nonetheless reflecting world traits in holistic wellbeing. For native residents, our wellness centres present an city sanctuary, a spot to unwind and rejuvenate near dwelling. For worldwide vacationers, they provide a welcome second of calm amid a busy itinerary, with therapies starting from conventional therapies to trendy spa rituals and health options.
Each area is designed with intention, permitting friends to both reconnect with themselves via restorative practices or to fully disconnect from the stresses of on a regular basis life. We acknowledge that wellness as we speak means various things to completely different individuals, and we purpose to fulfill these wants in methods which might be considerate, regionally related, and persistently uplifting.
Alongside wellness, we’re additionally responding to a rising demand for versatile, purposeful workspaces as extra friends search to mix enterprise and leisure in their journey routines. Our hotels are being thoughtfully tailored to help this hybrid life-style, with communal areas reimagined as trendy, productive environments that help work with out sacrificing consolation or hospitality.
Through partnerships with coworking platforms akin to Reef Rocks, an app that connects distant staff with welcoming areas, we’ve remodeled our lobbies and lounges into vibrant, linked work hubs. These areas are outfitted with dependable high-speed web, ergonomic furnishings, accessible charging factors, and ambient design that encourages friends to remain so long as they want.
This evolution not solely enhances the visitor expertise but additionally permits us to activate areas which might be historically underutilized throughout sure elements of the day. By creating environments the place friends and locals alike can work, meet, and loosen up, we’re constructing hotels that stay related in a world the place work not suits a nine-to-five mannequin. More than simply locations to remain, our properties have gotten dynamic, multifunctional areas that help how individuals stay, work, and join each on the street and near dwelling.
TDM: Tell us in regards to the Thailand centre of studying, monetary providers, recruitment, income, digital spine and operations help that SK Hotels has established?
Scott Walton: When we launched SK Hotels in the aftermath of COVID, we have been met with the identical challenges dealing with the worldwide hospitality trade. Chief amongst these was a dramatic lack of expertise. Many expert professionals had left the sector altogether, some beginning small companies, others returning to their hometowns or pursuing new industries completely. To rebuild, we knew we needed to take a contemporary method, not simply to recruitment however to the long-term improvement of our individuals and the programs that help them.
The institution of a decentralized Centre for Learning marked a turning level. Rather than chase the identical restricted pool of expertise, we selected to take a position in people who could not have beforehand thought of hospitality. School leavers, latest graduates, and profession switchers have been introduced into the enterprise and given the construction, mentoring, and help wanted to succeed. In simply three years, many of those people have turn out to be integral to our operations and are already progressing into management roles.
In parallel, our method to recruitment has continued to evolve. With conventional channels yielding diminishing returns, we’re at the moment constructing an intuitive, user-friendly careers platform inside our web site. This new system will make it simpler for candidates to discover alternatives, perceive our tradition, and apply primarily based on potential moderately than simply prior expertise. We’re searching for mindset and angle people who find themselves hungry to develop inside a fast-paced, agile atmosphere.
Alongside expertise improvement, we’ve constructed a monetary providers platform that goes past the usual GOP focus typical of resort administration corporations. Our finance staff operates with a transparent mandate: to prioritize investor returns and long-term worth. This is achieved via sturdy inside controls, audit-centric reporting, and streamlined processes designed for transparency and accountability. Our finance management, beneath Ms. Rapeepan Banyen (Khun Jay), has embedded a tradition of fiscal self-discipline whereas enabling operational flexibility. It’s this steadiness that offers our traders confidence and our resort groups readability.
In the world of income technique, we’ve taken a hybrid method. Each of our hotels is provided with instruments akin to IDeaS and Avalon, giving them dynamic pricing and forecasting capabilities tailor-made to their particular markets. These instruments are additional enhanced by the legacy information and programs introduced in from Kew Green Hotels, whose affect has helped form our industrial path and method to demand optimization. Supported by a centralized industrial staff beneath Mrs. Tassanee Mangkala-apinun (Khun Pait), this hybrid mannequin permits every resort to reply regionally whereas being backed by broader market intelligence and strategic oversight.
Our digital and advertising and marketing operate has additionally turn out to be an important development engine. Through a mixture of structured digital technique and untapped artistic expertise – a few of whom we jokingly name “diamonds in the rough” – our advertising and marketing division has developed sturdy, narrative-led campaigns for every property. These should not generic resort adverts, however model tales that resonate with their goal audiences, crafted via the sensible use of AI, viewers analytics, and localized storytelling. The work has helped our properties stand out in a crowded digital market and has pushed measurable will increase in consciousness, conversion, and direct bookings.
Lastly, our IT infrastructure has been a foundational pillar from day one. The IT division has applied sturdy programs throughout all properties, making certain not solely performance however scalability as we develop. Every resort beneath SK Hotels is provided with standardized {hardware} and software program from PMS and back-office programs to firewalls and IPTV options making certain operational effectivity and information safety. The IT staff additionally performs a proactive position in property help, rolling out centralized updates, troubleshooting points remotely, and sustaining the cyber integrity of each guest-facing and inside platforms.
These departments – Learning, Finance, Revenue, Digital, and IT – should not working in silos. They are built-in and aligned to help SK Hotels’ mission: to function effectively, innovate responsibly, and empower our individuals to create distinctive visitor experiences. It’s a construction that places individuals first, however does so on a spine of course of and precision, making certain that as we develop, we achieve this sustainably and with confidence.
TDM: Explain to us the position that technology is taking in the continuing development of SK Hotels’ main proprietor Siamese Asset’s portfolio?
Scott Walton: Technology sits on the core of SK Hotels’ development and is deeply built-in into each Kew Green and Siamese Asset’s broader technique. From the outset, I used to be impressed by the entrepreneurial spirit of Siamese Asset’s management, particularly their early embrace of sensible constructing applied sciences, AI, and sustainable development strategies. Likewise with Kew Green’s ever evolving distribution, analytics and visitor satisfaction initiatives – a mixture that’s uncommon in the trade.
One standout instance of our dedication to technology and wellbeing is the deployment of Siamese Air of Life, a proprietary air filtration system now put in in all visitor rooms throughout our new properties. This system has confirmed particularly beneficial in the course of the annual burn-off season, when air high quality in Bangkok and surrounding areas can deteriorate considerably. Guests are capable of monitor each indoor and out of doors air high quality in actual time via a devoted app, whereas every room additionally includes a stay show of present air high quality readings. This stage of transparency and environmental management has not solely reassured friends, however has additionally turn out to be a compelling differentiator for our model companions and ESG-focused traders. It speaks to our dedication to visitor consolation, operational innovation, and sustainability in equal measure.
TDM: What thrilling issues can we anticipate from SK Hotels in the long run?
We’re coming into an thrilling new section of development. In addition to increasing our city footprint, we’re exploring alternatives in extra distant destinations throughout Thailand. In some instances, these properties could require sturdy model partnerships; in others, the vacation spot itself is perhaps the draw, permitting us to launch distinctive, impartial resort ideas.
We are additionally persevering with to develop strategic partnerships just like the one we have now with Siamese Asset. These alliances enable us to leverage our shared infrastructure – centralized finance, HR, IT, and industrial experience – decreasing prices and bettering efficiency on the property stage. Unlike extra inflexible company constructions, our management works contained in the hotels, for the hotels. This outcomes in sooner decision-making, stronger staff help, and finally, higher visitor experiences.
At the center of our philosophy is an easy however highly effective mission: to function hotels with a relentless give attention to effectivity and excellence, empowering our individuals to create distinctive visitor experiences. We emphasize transparency, sustainable development, and partnerships grounded in operational brilliance.
Above all, we imagine in widespread sense. It’s a worth that always will get misplaced in over-complicated enterprise processes however one which persistently solves issues, enhances experiences, and strengthens relationships with friends, stakeholders, and our groups alike.
I’d wish to share a latest instance that highlights the form of sensible intelligence and calm management we worth throughout our groups. It occurred in the course of the quick aftermath of the March 28, 2025 Myanmar earthquake, a day of widespread disruption, uncertainty, and logistical chaos throughout Bangkok.
Amid the aftermath, certainly one of our engineering staff members observed uncommon foot visitors close to a little-used emergency exit that led right into a service hall, an space usually quiet and safe. Despite the calls for of the day and the overwhelming distractions dealing with each division, they selected to behave on intuition. They flagged the priority to administration, reviewed the CCTV footage, and found that an unauthorized third-party vendor had been utilizing the area to maneuver items with out supervision or correct clearance.
While it may have been straightforward to miss or deprioritize given the broader disaster at hand, the staff dealt with it discreetly and decisively. Access controls have been instantly bolstered, distributors have been re-briefed, and the breach was resolved with out disruption to friends or compromise to the property.
What stands out in this situation is the usage of situational consciousness, widespread sense, and initiative, in the chaos of a real-world disaster. These are precisely the qualities we nurture at SK Hotels: a tradition the place staff members are empowered to behave, to suppose past checklists, and to guard each our friends and our model status in the moments that matter most.
As we develop, this core perception in sensible intelligence and human connection will proceed to information each resolution we make. At SK Hotels, the long run isn’t nearly growth it’s about evolving neatly, sustainably, and with objective.
The put up SK Hotels’ Scott Walton talks new hotels and destinations coming up in Thailand, innovation and technology appeared first on Travel Daily Media.