Centara continues expansion with agreements to manage three new resorts in Laos and Thailand

Centara Hotels and Resorts, Thailand’s leading hotel operator, is continuing its expansion in South East Asia, following the signing of hotel management agreements (HMAs) for one resort in Khao Yai, Thailand, and two resorts in Vang Vieng, Laos, adding 304 keys to its portfolio.

In Laos, Centra by Centara Riverside Resort Vang Vieng (formerly Thavisouk Island Hotel) and Thavisouk Riverside Resort and Spa Vang Vieng, Centara Boutique Collection (formerly Thavisouk Riverside Hotel) are located on the opposite sides of the Nam Song River, connected by a private bridge linking the two properties.

Following the completion of significant refurbishment programs, the two rebranded riverside properties are expected to open before the middle of the year.

Announcing the expansion, Centara Hotels and Resorts Chief Executive, Thirayuth Chirathivat stated “we are delighted to be partnering with Thavisouk, and to draw on their wealth of local expertise and hospitality experience for Centara’s expansion in this beautiful country. Our values of treating our guests and employees like family are closely aligned, and I am excited to offer new destinations for guests who seek authentic travel experiences surrounded by nature.”

Rooms at Thavisouk Riverside Resort & Spa Vang Vieng, Centara Boutique Collection, are housed in five low-rise buildings, ranging from 40 to 136 metre². The resort also features a spa and riverside restaurant, looking out over the town’s iconic karst rock formations.

On the opposite side of the river, the all-suite Centra by Centara Riverside Resort Vang Vieng offers one of the largest room sizes in the town, starting at a spacious 52 metre² for the one-bedroom standard, with larger one-bedroom corner suites measuring 55 metre². The family-friendly resort features a rooftop restaurant, swimming pool, and meeting rooms ranging from 50 to 100 metre² for unique MICE events.

With the recent opening of the new Vientiane-Vang Vieng expressway in December 2020, Vang Vieng is located approximately just an hour drive from Luang Prabang.

Bounsong Khammang, owner of Thavisouk Hotels & Resorts, added “signing this management agreement with Centara Hotels & Resorts represents a milestone for us.

“Since we started in 2002, we have grown alongside the destination to become the largest hotel operator in the city, and we are excited to leverage Centara’s international reach to present Vang Vieng to a wider audience.”

Based in Vang Vieng, Laos, Thavisouk Hotel and Resorts was founded nearly two decades ago with just 40 rooms; today, it is the biggest hospitality group in the city with more than 300 rooms.

Another new addition to the Centara Boutique Collection, Roukh Kiri Khao Yai Hotel is nestled within the lush and mountainous landscape Khao Yai National Park, one of Thailand’s largest national parks just three hours from Bangkok. Featuring 12 contemporary barn-styled villas perched on a hill overlooking the valley, the intimate, luxurious resort combines contemporary living with the beautiful simplicity of the great outdoors. This is Centara’s first hotel in the beautiful Khao Yai destination.

The HMA signings of Centra by Centara Riverside Resort Vang Vieng; Thavisouk Riverside Resort & Spa Vang Vieng, Centara Boutique Collection; and Roukh Kiri Khaoyai Hotel, Centara Boutique Collection, are the latest in the Centara Hotels and Resorts group’s steady path of growth, and follows the group’s seven other management deals signed in 2020 for resorts in Myanmar, Oman, Vietnam and Thailand.

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Images: Views of Vang Vieng's Nam Song River. Credit: Centara Hotels and Resorts.