Thai hotel operator Centara Hotels & Resorts has signed management agreements with Asia Investment, Development & Construction Sole for three new properties in Laos slated to open in 2020 with a combined total of 216 guestrooms.
In Luang Prabang, Centara plans to open an upper-upscale Centara Grand Luang Prabang and a midscale Centra by Centara property. The third hotel will be under Centara’s new Cosi lifestyle brand in Vientiane, the Laotian capital.
The new hotels are part of Centara’s expansion strategy, which calls for doubling the number of properties under its management during the next five years.
The management agreement comes as Laos launches ambitious new plans to promote tourism, which the country's government regards as a priority sector for driving socio-economic development. The government officially aimed to attract 5 million visitors in 2018 and increase numbers in the years ahead. A factor that may help in this effort is the country's perceived value: According to a new report from the Swiss-based World Economic Forum, Laos ranks 14th among 136 countries in price competitiveness.
“We are excited to partner with Centara to bring their trusted brands to these great cities and further promote the tourism potential of Laos,” said Pheutsapha Phoummasak, president of AIDC Laos in a statement. “Luang Prabang and Vientiane are very popular destinations for both Thai and international travelers.”