Kimpton Maa-Lai, a case study: How to successfully open a luxury hotel during a pandemic

Abstract

The past two and a half years have been putting the world on its knees and most industries have been extremely affected by the pandemic of Covid-19. Among the most affected, the hospitality industry is among the ones who stand out the most. Thailand, just like most countries, has been trying to protect the country by adopting various preventive measures including preventing international arrivals. This attempt of preventing the spread of the disease in the Kingdom, led to an even stronger impact on hospitality and related businesses which saw the international arrival drop to figures close to zero. While most hotels in Thailand were struggling to survive and keep their operation running, a new player decided, against all odds, to open for business in Bangkok, that was Kimpton Maa-Lai. In this case study, the writer will analyse Kimpton Maa-Lai opening strategy and what made them succeed in one of the most difficult times of our recent history. The hotel, managed during the past 2 years, to become one of the most successful and glamorous hotels in Bangkok. This paper aims to find out the how and the why of their success.