May 01, 2013--BANGKOK (The Nation/ANN) -- Thailand is one of the most important markets for Hilton Worldwide because of the increasing inflow of tourists.

The company manages eight properties here under three brands -- Conrad, Hilton, and DoubleTree by Hilton. And now it has revealed plans to open two more in Bangkok -- a Hilton in July and a Waldorf Astoria in 2015.

HIlton entered Thailand in 1983 and now manages more than 2,600 rooms. In Southeast Asia, it operates 21 properties and is looking for more.

Martin Rinck, president for Asia-Pacific, said Hilton was off on a good start this year in expanding its role in Southeast Asia by signing more management contracts. The firm plans to debut the 300-room Hilton Yangon next year and the 350-room Conrad Manila in 2015, while the Hilton Garden Inn Hanoi was launched on April 2.

Yesterday, the firm opened a DoubleTree by Hilton in Bangkok, its 100th property in the Asia-Pacific region. Over the next five years, the company plans to add 170 hotels to its regional portfolio.

Worldwide, the firm has more than 330 properties under management.

In 2012 alone, Hilton Worldwide signed 55 contracts in key Asia-Pacific markets, including Greater China, Australia, Japan, South Korea, India, Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia. They are under six brands -- Waldorf Astoria, Conrad, Hilton, DoubleTree by Hilton, Hilton Garden Inn and Hampton.

Of the 55 new properties, 22 will be DoubleTrees. The 93-year-old company has 10 hotel and resort brands under its portfolio and six of them are in the Asia-Pacific region.

"Asia-Pacific is a major growth engine in the world, and our powerful portfolio of brands allows us to serve a wide range of guests across this dynamic and exciting region," Rinck said. In Thailand, its business has shown good performance. Last quarter, its hotels in Bangkok, Pattaya and Phuket achieved the best occupancy rate in four years.

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