Aswin Ingkakun, the owner of the Miracle Grand Convention Hotel and Louis' Tavern Hotel, is spending Bt300 million on facilities at Suvarnabhumi International Airport, including hotel rooms, shops, waiting lounges and a hair salon.

Aswin is spending about Bt100 million to open a "day-room" hotel, called The Miracle by Louis' Tavern, which will be located inside the passenger terminal. The hotel will have 80 rooms and is scheduled to open when the airport begins operating at the end of September.

Aswin said the hotel would provide the same services as hotels outside the airport and its room rate would be Bt1,000 for six hours.

"Long-haul passengers and those travelling across continents with transit at Bangkok are the main customers for the hotel," he said.

The Miracle Grand Convention Hotel and Louis' Tavern Hotel are close by and at Don Muang airport respectively.

Aswin declined to forecast the new hotel's returns, but said it would depend on the number of passengers changing flights at the airport.

He is also opening two lounges at opposite ends of the passenger terminal. The lounges, which will serve business and first-class passengers, will cost more than Bt20 million. "Each of the lounges will be double the size of the current ones at Don Muang Airport," Aswin said.

He said he would also spend Bt20 million to open five snack bars in the food court at the new airport as well as in-house canteens for Airports of Thailand Plc. The food court will be located on the ground floor of the passenger terminal.

Aswin said he was spending Bt15 million to open a hair salon on the third floor of the departure hall. The salon will be managed by British salon chain Tony and Guy. The venture marks his first foray into the business.

 "I see big potential in this business," Aswin said. His company is also opening a serviced apartment and office complex for airport staff at a building on King Keaw Road. It is renovating the building it recently bought from a private company, he said.

Aswin said annual revenue from the day-room hotel and lounges at Don Muang Airport is about Bt250 million. The new facilities at Suvarnabhumi International Airport should push revenue up by 10 per cent next year, he said.

The Miracle Grand Convention Hotel has revenue of Bt40 million a month, while Louis' Tavern Hotel takes in Bt6 million a month, he said. The group also opened an aircrew-training academy, Miracle Flight Attendant Academy, last year.

Suchat Sritama

The Nation