The new-built 170-key InterContinental Yao Yai Resort is set to open early 2020.
The resort is to offer a range of accommodation options in four main room categories. The first will consist of 72-square-metre oceanview rooms with a panoramic view suite on the top floor, complete with a plunge pool, and rooms or suites in one of three family-designated buildings featuring water slides, pool access and the brand-signature Planet Trekkers Programme
Also on offer will 18 one-bedroom tropical villas situated on the lagoon and creeks as well as beachfront pool villas comprising 10 one-bedroom, one two-bedroom and one three-bedroom units that boast unblocked ocean views across a kilometre of beach length.
Along with three restaurant and bar outlets, a gym, pool, spa and resort centre, the hotel will offer unique features including the Water Facilities Centre, high-end transfer to and from the hotel, as well as luxurious meeting facilities and intimate wedding arrangements. Special occasions can also be arranged at the private sandbank during low tide periods.
This marks Soraya Development Co Ltd’s third property with IHG, bolstering its current portfolio which includes Holiday Inn Resort Krabi Ao Nang Beach and Holiday Inn Express Krabi Ao Nang. The company has plans to grow its hospitality portfolio in partnership with IHG in Thailand.
Rajit Sukumaran, Chief Development Officer, Asia Middle East Africa, IHG, commented, “Together with our trusted partner, Soraya Development Company Limited, we are delighted to bring our world-class InterContinental Hotels & Resorts brand to Koh Yao Yai. We are expanding our luxury footprint to give aǽluent travellers a new destination to explore and unwind.
“As one of Thailand’s most popular areas, Phang Nga Bay attracts over five million visitors annually and this number is expected to rise substantially, thanks to continuous infrastructural development. Phang Nga Bay is blessed with its own array of natural attractions from limestone cliffs and rock formations, as well as mangrove forests and small deserted islands in a relaxed setting, whilst still easily accessible from Phuket and Krabi, another travellers’ favourite.”
Soraya Development Co Ltd President Sornkom Kitprasan said, “With our success in bringing two IHG hotels to Thailand, we are excited to work with IHG once again to bring luxury travel experiences to the up-and-coming Koh Yao Yai at Phang Nga Bay.
“The island is gaining increasing popularity amongst discerning travellers who seek a more exclusive experience, and we are confident that the InterContinental brand’s premium offerings, combined with the hotel’s stellar location, will be well-received when we open our doors in 2020.”
IHG has 24 hotels open in Thailand across five brands – InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express and Hotel Indigo – with a further 13 hotels opening in the next three to five years.
Across Asia, Middle East and Africa, there are 72 InterContinental Hotels and Resorts, representing over a third of a total 194 of the brand’s properties globally, with 23 in the development pipeline set to open in the coming three to five years.