Onyx seeks Australian foothold

Onyx seeks Australian foothold
By admin


Onyx Hospitality Group is on the hunt for development opportunities in Australia, with the Thai firm signalling a rapid expansion of its portfolio of hotels across Asia Pacific.

The firm, which includes Amari, Saffran, Shama and OZO, currently has 31 properties across the region and expects to increase it to 51 by 2018.

Senior vice president sales ML Suravut Thongthaem told Travel Today the firm was looking at a number of opportunities to enter the Australian hotel landscape but has yet to find the right fit.

Sydney and Melbourne are priorities for the firm, he said, but Queensland and Perth would also be considered if the right opportunity presented itself.

Onyx has no specific brand in mind for the Australian market, he added, instead searching for the “right building” and the “right brand match for that property”.

Meanwhile, it has eight properties under development including its first three-star OZO property, due to open in Hong Kong later this year.

Thongthaem visited Sydney with representatives from a number of Onyx properties for a roadshow held earlier this week in partnership with the Tourism Authority of Thailand and Thai Airways. The event aimed to grow awareness of the entire Onyx brand portfolio among the trade, already familiar with the Amari brand.

The roadshow will return next year, with more locations added across Australia.

Thongthaem revealed that Australia consistently fell within its top five markets overall, creeping up even higher in popular Aussie holiday spots such as Koh Samui.

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