PHUKET: One of Phuket's prime beach resort properties, the Movenpick Resort & Spa Karon Beach Phuket, is reported to be up for sale.
It's expected to attract a high degree of interest, possibly fetching as much as five billion baht. A staffer at Movenpick said today that it was the first they'd heard about the possibility of a sale and a name-change.
Phuket people are familiar with the problem of just getting used to a new brand when the resort changes hands again.
The Movenpick, now 362 units, sits right on Karon's beach road. Kingdom Hotel Investments, chaired by Prince Alwaleed bin Talal - who incidentally met with American philanthropist and Microsoft chairman Bill Gates in Riyadh this week - purchased the property in 2006.
It was their first resort purchase in Asia. Between 2003 and 2006, the resort was the Crowne Plaza Karon Beach Phuket. It changed hands for 3.7 billion baht.
Taking account of additional units and refurbishment at the resort in the intervening period, the new price should be an indication of how the international market perceives Phuket's promise as a tourist resort.
Movenpick's own branded icecream also helped Phuket locals come to terms with the umlaut above the o, but the brand itself seems to have settled for Movenpick rather than the more cumbersome Mo (with umlaut) evenpick.
The spectacular piece of beachside real estate was originally the Karon Villa Resort, built in 1984 by the Vanich family.
The latest reviewer on TripAdvisor gave the resort just one star on January 30, saying: ''Worst service from the front desk, concierge and the SPA. The support staff (housekeepers and gardeners) was so much more polite and helpful. The Hotel is huge (has 3 good size swimming pools), good for small families with children but not senior citizens with issue walking.''
Earlier on the same day, another reviewer had given the Movenpick five stars, saying: ''Movenpick karon is a beautiful hotel with great staff. My partner and I just spent a week here and had a great time. The grounds are beautiful, well maintained and the location is perfect and quiet. We had an ocean view room in the main building which was all we needed- clean, spacious and had a great view of the beach and looked over the main pool. This hotel has everything you will need and the staff will go out of there way to ensure you have a great stay.''
All up, the Movenpick - or whatever it is soon to become - earned 569 reviews and four-and-a-half-stars. Thephuketinsider.com was first with the news of the sale today.
It's expected to attract a high degree of interest, possibly fetching as much as five billion baht. A staffer at Movenpick said today that it was the first they'd heard about the possibility of a sale and a name-change.
Phuket people are familiar with the problem of just getting used to a new brand when the resort changes hands again.
The Movenpick, now 362 units, sits right on Karon's beach road. Kingdom Hotel Investments, chaired by Prince Alwaleed bin Talal - who incidentally met with American philanthropist and Microsoft chairman Bill Gates in Riyadh this week - purchased the property in 2006.
It was their first resort purchase in Asia. Between 2003 and 2006, the resort was the Crowne Plaza Karon Beach Phuket. It changed hands for 3.7 billion baht.
Taking account of additional units and refurbishment at the resort in the intervening period, the new price should be an indication of how the international market perceives Phuket's promise as a tourist resort.
Movenpick's own branded icecream also helped Phuket locals come to terms with the umlaut above the o, but the brand itself seems to have settled for Movenpick rather than the more cumbersome Mo (with umlaut) evenpick.
The spectacular piece of beachside real estate was originally the Karon Villa Resort, built in 1984 by the Vanich family.
The latest reviewer on TripAdvisor gave the resort just one star on January 30, saying: ''Worst service from the front desk, concierge and the SPA. The support staff (housekeepers and gardeners) was so much more polite and helpful. The Hotel is huge (has 3 good size swimming pools), good for small families with children but not senior citizens with issue walking.''
Earlier on the same day, another reviewer had given the Movenpick five stars, saying: ''Movenpick karon is a beautiful hotel with great staff. My partner and I just spent a week here and had a great time. The grounds are beautiful, well maintained and the location is perfect and quiet. We had an ocean view room in the main building which was all we needed- clean, spacious and had a great view of the beach and looked over the main pool. This hotel has everything you will need and the staff will go out of there way to ensure you have a great stay.''
All up, the Movenpick - or whatever it is soon to become - earned 569 reviews and four-and-a-half-stars. Thephuketinsider.com was first with the news of the sale today.
