Total number of properties in Myanmar increases to nine with agreements for hotels in Mandalay and Hpa-An.

Centara Hotels & Resorts, Thailand’s leading hotel operator, signs Hotel Management Agreements (HMAs) with three new hotels in Myanmar. The HMAs cover management of three hotels developed by SL International Construction Co., Ltd., including Centra by Centara Hotel Thiri Hpa-An, Hpa-An Hilltop Resort & Spa, and Centara Hotel Mandalay.

In the last 12 months, Centara has inked management deals for a total of nine Myanmar properties, including the latest signings with SL International Construction.

Established in 2019 as an office and residential construction firm, SL International Construction is headed up by a team of professional engineers and project managers committed to excellent building work completed to high international industry standards.

Opening first in 2021 is Centra by Centara Hotel Thiri Hpa-An, a 77-key hotel nestled against one of Hpa-An’s legendary karst mountains and featuring two F&B outlets, outdoor swimming pool, fitness centre, and meeting facilities.

The largest city of Kayin State, Hpa-An is a picturesque town known for its stunning limestone karst mountain scenery, emerald rice fields, tranquil lakes, and the fascinating Saddan Cave, filled with pagodas and Buddha statues. Travellers can reach Hpa-An overland from the western Thai city of Mae Sot, a journey now taking just three hours via the new road connecting Kawkareik to Myawaddy on the Myanmar side of the border. Opening in 2022 a short 20-minute away from Centra by Centara Hotel Thiri Hpa-An is Hpa-An Hilltop Resort & Spa, which will be managed under the Centara Boutique Collection brand of upper upscale and individual boutique hotels. The new-build resort will feature 60 guest rooms and bungalows, two F&B outlets, a spa, kid’s club, fitness centre with swimming pool, and a guest entertainment centre. A glass-bottomed skydeck will offer 360-degree views across the town’s unique natural landscape.

In 2024, Centara Hotel Mandalay will open as part of a mixed-use project which will also include a shopping mall, office and casino. The 200-room hotel will feature three restaurants, meeting facilities, fitness centre with swimming pool, and guest recreational facilities.

“As we continue to expand into exciting destinations such as Myanmar, a beautiful destination with great tourism potential, we look forward to showcasing our Thai hospitality and family values on a wider international stage. For this project, we are very happy to be working with SL International Construction, a partnership which I trust will contribute positively to the tourism of the country,”

said Thirayuth Chirathivat, CEO of Centara Hotels and Resorts.

Centara has signed management deals with six hotels this year so far outside of Thailand, including the three Myanmar properties, as well as one in Oman, and two in Vietnam. The latest signings add 337 keys to the group’s portfolio now totalling 17,154 keys across 81 properties.

Since embarking on its journey of international expansion in 2009 with a debut overseas property in the Maldives, Centara has continued to strengthen its international presence. Almost 50 percent of Centara properties are now outside Thailand, the group’s country of origin, as they continue to grow into a truly global hospitality group.