American hotel chain Best Western Hotels and Resorts has launched a new hotel in Mandalay as its third hotel in the country. Best Western had launched its first Best Western Green Hill Hotel in central Yangon by taking over management of Green Hill Hotel and Best Western Chinatown Hotel as a second hotel since 2013. The new Best Western Plus Eastern Palace Hotel is located close to Mandalay’s main business district and historical landmarks. It also has a swimming pool, which features a pool bar, a spa, fitness centre, steam room and sauna. For corporate guests, the hotel provides a business centre and meeting space for events large or small. Olivier Berrivin, Best Western Hotels and Resorts’ Managing Director of International Operations-Asia said, “Best Western was one of the first international hotel groups to enter re-emerging Myanmar on the international stage, and I am delighted to be able to leverage our first-mover advantage with yet another superb hotel in the country. With our two properties in Yangon, Best Western Plus Eastern Palace Hotel will be another excellent addition to our nationwide portfolio. After Myanmar’s recent elections have passed off peacefully and successfully, this charming and alluring country is set for another prolonged period of prosperity.”
Since 2011, Myanmar has been opening up and has seen scores of international hotel brands – such as France’s Accor, America’s Hilton and Spain’s Meliá – jumping on the bandwagon to manage new hotel properties in the country, anticipating a rise in tourist arrivals. According to the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism, last year’s tourist arrivals figure were at 3.08 million and it expects Myanmar to get 7.5 million tourists by 2020. For comparison, Myanmar’s ASEAN counterpart Indonesia – with its superior tourism infrastructure and massive tourist attractions like Bali – received 9.44 million tourists in 2014.
According to the Ministry, Myanmar has 48,425 hotels and guestrooms as of September. Foreign investors own 47 hotel projects worth $2.64 billion in the country. Singapore is the biggest investor in the hotel industry with $1.53 billion in FDI, followed by Vietnam, Thailand and Hong Kong.
