ACCOR is continuing to expand its presence in Thailand, adding 1,400 rooms to its Thai portfolio over the last six months, despite concerns over the country's oversupply and slow-moving demand.

The chain now manages 50 hotels and 11,759 rooms in Thailand, and is scheduled to open the 166-room Hotel Muse Bangkok Langsuan and 213-room Mercure Krabi Deevana over the next six months. It opened the 162-room All Seasons Bangkok Victory Monument yesterday.

“We will open more (hotels) within this year,” said Accor Thailand operations director, Paul Stevens. “We are negotiating management agreements with more investors.”

Accor’s hotels in the country finished the first quarter of the year with an average occupancy rate of more than 70 per cent, similar to the same period last year. Its average room rate improved by one to two per cent, while RevPAR “did not grow,” said Stevens, blaming this on a combination of Accor’s growing inventory, Thailand’s oversupply and sluggish visitor arrivals.

As the country is entering low season, Accor is set to deploy a tactical marketing strategy, “mostly through online channels and partnerships with commercial brands”, to fill up rooms between June and October.