PHUKET: Name changes can cause heart palpitations. One minute you're driving past the Le Meridien Khao Lak. Then on the return journey, the big letters out front suddenly say it's a Pullman.
From all accounts, a bit of a refresh at a really good resort can work wonders. The pitch made to the owners by Pullman will, I guess, remain a deep, dark secret.
But when contracts are up, even good brands can find themselves rolled as competition becomes more intense. Pullman, so we hear, has been especially aggressive around the world, growing at a stunning rate globally but especially in Australia.
Perhaps the most prominent Hilton in Melbourne recently switched to the Accor label so we're prepared to say that the Accor brand's expansion is no overnight sensation.
Just how handovers are managed we can only imagine, but we'd reckon there would be regular Le Meridien Khao Lak guests trying to book and being puzzled when they can't.
We have this image of staff changing the old sign out the front with the new sign at midnight on November 1.
Google the old name and many references to the new brand come up, so trust new technology to be on top of everything.
The new Pullman melds the old Katiliya Pool Villas with the Le Meridien into the one resort.
Early indications are the Pullman is competitive on room rates - and the location was great from the start.
Younger guests are reacting well to not having to pay for some luxury add-ons unless you actually use them, we're told.
The full new title: Hotel Pullman Khao Lak Katiliya Resort and Villas. Too long, we think, for out the front.
From all accounts, a bit of a refresh at a really good resort can work wonders. The pitch made to the owners by Pullman will, I guess, remain a deep, dark secret.
But when contracts are up, even good brands can find themselves rolled as competition becomes more intense. Pullman, so we hear, has been especially aggressive around the world, growing at a stunning rate globally but especially in Australia.
Perhaps the most prominent Hilton in Melbourne recently switched to the Accor label so we're prepared to say that the Accor brand's expansion is no overnight sensation.
Just how handovers are managed we can only imagine, but we'd reckon there would be regular Le Meridien Khao Lak guests trying to book and being puzzled when they can't.
We have this image of staff changing the old sign out the front with the new sign at midnight on November 1.
Google the old name and many references to the new brand come up, so trust new technology to be on top of everything.
The new Pullman melds the old Katiliya Pool Villas with the Le Meridien into the one resort.
Early indications are the Pullman is competitive on room rates - and the location was great from the start.
Younger guests are reacting well to not having to pay for some luxury add-ons unless you actually use them, we're told.
The full new title: Hotel Pullman Khao Lak Katiliya Resort and Villas. Too long, we think, for out the front.
