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| Photo courtesy of YTL Hotels |
This year YTL Hotels—the Malaysia-based brand behind The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur—made a splash in Europe with the opening of The Gainsborough Bath Spa Hotel in England. Now the prestigious hotel company is making headlines with its two management contracts with Marriott International to develop the two new Ritz-Carlton hotels set to open in Thailand and Japan: The Ritz-Carlton, Koh Samui and the Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Niseko Village in Hokkaido. This is not a new partnership, as YTL Hotels and Marriott have worked together since 1995 on such properties as The Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur and three Marriotts in Australia.
What’s in store for the Thai resort island of Koh Samui? To be completed in two years, the Ritz-Carlton Koh Samui will have 187 guest rooms and pool villas. The Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Niseko Village is slated to open in five years with 50 guest rooms, destination dining, wellness facilities and ski-in/ski-out access in winter. The Facebook page for YTL Hotels notes that the two properties will “feature the renowned hallmarks of The Ritz-Carlton – distinguished, personalized services and refined, luxurious accommodation for discerning travelers.”