Marriott International seeks to ride the wave of popularity in the meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (Mice) sector by opening 17 hotels in Thailand over the next four years.
Mike Fulkerson, vice-president for brand and marketing in Asia-Pacific at Marriott, said the new hotels would be operated through various (mostly luxury) brands in the company's portfolio.
Some projects in the plan have already been unveiled to the public, including the Surawong Road Marriott, the Marriott at Asiatique the Riverfront, and a Marriott in Pattaya. All three developments are owned by beverage tycoon Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi.
The Sirivadhanabhakdi family recently relaunched its flagship hotel: the Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen's Park, formerly the Imperial Queen's Park Hotel. Queen's Park is the first Marriott in Asia-Pacific to reach the "Marquis" category, and it focuses on Mice business.
The venue's 21,336 square metres features 37 event rooms, 1,360 modern rooms and suites, and six Thai and international restaurants, and is located in the heart of Bangkok
Mr Fulkerson said Marriott operates 39 hotels in the country, and nearly 550 hotels and resorts worldwide.
To prop up its reputation, Marriott teamed up with media organisation TED to host TED's 4th Salon at Marriott Marquis Queen's Park. Similar events were held in Seattle, London and Abu Dhabi since the partnership was established in September 2016.
In the past, TED has worked with leading personalities like Bill Gates, Jane Goodall, Elizabeth Gilbert, Sir Richard Branson, Monica Lewinsky, Philippe Starck, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Sal Khan and Daniel Kahneman.
Hong Kong-based Cesar Jung-Harada talked about how robotics startups like MakerBay and Scoutbots can help clean oceans for future generations.
"Today's travellers look for more in a hotel. Through innovation, we are elevating guests' stays into memorable experiences," said Mr Fulkerson.
"TED content not only entertains, but also educates and engages guests. Together we hope to deliver original content, events and experiences that will spark travellers' creativity and inspire them to have new perspectives."