In 1983, the Central Group of companies – Thailand’s leading retail group – formed Central Hotels & Resorts and opened its first property, a five-star hotel together with the Bangkok Convention Centre, located in the expanding northern suburbs of Bangkok. Since renamed as the Centara Grand at Central Plaza Ladprao Bangkok, this property is now seen as one of Bangkok’s premier hotels for MICE facilities.

From this early start, the group expanded to major tourist destinations throughout Thailand, establishing a network of deluxe and first class properties nationwide. There are now 43 properties in Thailand, 32 in operation and 11 under development.

In June 2007, in recognition of the need to establish a strong identity of its own, the hotel company was rebranded to Centara Hotels & Resorts. The brand portfolio includes Centara Grand Hotels & Resorts, Centara Hotels & Resorts, Centara Residences & Suites, Centara Boutique Collection, Centra by Centara Hotels & Resorts and COSI Hotels.

Following the rapid growth within Thailand, Centara embarked on a journey of international expansion where it continues to grow and flourish. Late in 2009, Centara opened its first overseas hotel, the five-star Centara Grand Island Resort & Spa Maldives which proved to be an immediate success. Centara’s portfolio currently comprises 60 properties spanning all major Thai destinations plus the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Oman and Qatar, and with development underway in Thailand, Laos, China, and the UAE.

The long-anticipated launch of Centara’s newest brand, COSI Hotels, took place late 2017 with the opening of the 150-room COSI Samui Chaweng. COSI Hotels is an affordable lifestyle brand for the modern, tech savvy traveller. COSI Hotels provide guests with an experience that’s reassuringly familiar yet distinguished by its location and local culture. Guests are always connected as COSI Hotels will ensure that each guestroom is equipped with the necessary connections for guests to plug in their laptops, tablets, smartphones and more.

The 152-room Centara Muscat Hotel Oman opened in 2017 as Centara’s first hotel in the Middle-East and will be closely followed by the Centara West Bay Residences & Suites Doha located moments away of the Corniche in Doha, Qatar. The group’s entrance into the UAE will materialise in 2019 as it has recently signed a joint venture agreement with UAE master developer Nakheel to create an upscale, 550-room, beachfront resort on Deira Islands in Dubai. This partnership was considered a ground-breaking move for Centara Hotels & Resorts as the new property will be Centara’s first hotel in Dubai.

Centara Hotels & Resorts expects to have more hotels operating in the Maldives by 2019 and the next couple of years will also see the opening of its first resort in China with the 237 room Centara Resort Zhaoqing. This will be followed by Centara Villas Zhaoqing, a luxurious resort with 46 villas. Both Centara Resort Zhaoqing and Centara Villas Zhaoqing are located in Guangdong’s Zhaoqing City, a regional tourist hub and one of the key cities in the Pearl River Delta region. Finally, Centara Grand Beach Resort Jin Tai Hainan will be a new five-star family resort with 350 guest rooms and waterpark, opening in 2019. Hainan is being promoted as “China’s Hawaii” and the entire island has been designated a Special Economic Zone.

Families are a vital component to the success of Centara properties and the company prides itself on its ability to ensure that everyone in the family has a truly memorable experience. Centara family-orientated properties have a Kids’ Club, which provides a supervised set of activities in a safe and nurturing environment where children are taken care of, whether as part of a single activity or a day programme. There are also certain properties that have an E-Zone where teenagers can play games and engage in other activities.

While the children enjoy the Kids’ Club, parents can enjoy the luxury, award winning Spa Cenvaree or take advantage of treatments at Cense by Spa Cenvaree, which are Centara’s own spa brands. Spa Cenvaree creates an experience for guests that take them on a holistic journey using traditional Thai therapies. Cense is an innovative spa that provides an escape for busy travellers who are looking to unwind.

Corporate and leisure travellers find that Centara’s Club concept offers a level of product and service that make a stay even more enjoyable and memorable. Club rooms enjoy a more upscale level of furnishings and exclusive amenities. Complementing the rooms and suites is the exclusive Club Lounge, a haven for relaxation and a full-service workstation combined with a Business Centre and plenty of privacy.

With Centara loyalty programme, CentaraThe1, members earn points when staying at properties in Thailand and overseas, as well as when dining at Centara’s fabulous array of restaurant or indulging at our spas. The points are then redeemed for free room nights at Centara’s hotels and resorts, with no blackout periods, throughout the year. Members earn double points when booking direct at centarahotelsresorts.com, fast-tracking through the Silver, Gold and Platinum Elite tiers. Members also receive a guaranteed 10% discount on the best available online rates when booking direct.

Centara Hotels & Resorts is always working to find innovative ways to provide more environmentally-friendly and sustainable operational activities. As part of the overall Centara values, there is a strong framework of sustainable initiatives that each property adheres to and which have been recognized by many achievements. A noteworthy achievement recognising the sustainability initiatives are from several environmental organizations such as EarthCheck, where Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas Krabi is the first hotel property in Thailand to receive the prestigious Gold Certification. Two more properties, Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas Hua Hin and Centara Grand Beach Resort Samui gained their Gold Certification in March 2016. As well as Centara Nova Hotel & Spa Pattaya which obtained Green Hotel Awards 2016 – Gold Level from Thailand’s Ministry of Natural Resource and Environment.