Centara Hotels&Resorts, Thailand’s largest operator of hotels, has now opened its own sales office in Jakarta, Indonesia.

The new office is part of Centara’s strategy to open sales offices throughout ASEAN prior to the formalization of the ASEAN Economic Community in 2015.

“Our new Jakarta office will allow us to become closer to the Indonesian travel industry and consumers,” says Chris Bailey, Senior Vice President for Sales and Marketing at Centara Hotels&Resorts.

“This is important for our growth plans, as we expand our number of properties and destinations that are of interest to Indonesian travelers.

“The office will also support our new loyalty card, Centara – The 1 Card.”

Centara currently has 41 properties throughout Thailand, and a further 17 in Vietnam, Shanghai, Bali, the Maldives, Mauritius, and Sri Lanka.

Maria Lastfi Erma, who is Director of Sales for Indonesia, heads the Jakarta office. Maria has 13 years of experience in the tourism and hospitality industries, including senior positions in hotel operations, business development and sales marketing in various international markets, including the Japanese, Korean, Taiwanese, Australian, Russian and Asian markets. Before joining Centara she was Director of Sales and Marketing for Dynasty Hotels&Resorts global office in Jakarta for four years.

Centara Hotels&Resorts is Thailand’s leading operator of hotels, with 41 deluxe and first-class properties covering all the major tourist destinations in the Kingdom. A further 17 resorts in the Maldives, Vietnam, Shanghai, Bali Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Mauritius Indian Ocean, brings the present total to 58 properties. Brands and properties within Centara ensure that specific categories such as couples, families, individuals, and meetings and incentives groups will all find a hotel or resort that is appropriate to their needs.

Centara operates 27 branches of Spa Cenvaree, one of Thailand’s most luxurious and innovative spa brands, together with its newly-launched value brand Cense by Spa Cenvaree, which provides core spa services for busy travelers. The company’s Kids’ Club is available at all the family-friendly resorts to ensure that the youngsters and teens are taken care of. Centara Hotels&Resorts also operates two state-of-the-art convention centers in Bangkok, and two in northeastern Thailand, one being located in Udon Thani and the other in Khon Kaen.

The latest Centara brand is named COSI Hotels, an economy brand designed for travelers who predominantly make their bookings via the Internet and who want comfort and convenience at the most friendly prices available, which is under development with the first property due to open in 2015.