The Austrian hotel group Vienna House and the Thai hotel management company Absolute Hotel Services Group have established a joint venture with the purpose of opening new hotels of their respective brands on the European and Asian markets.

Both groups have similarly positioned hotels offering a contemporary, along with the culture and hospitality of their respective countries of origin.

AHS manages 22 hotels in Asia, twelve of them under the award-winning brand U Hotels & Resorts with a further 13 U Hotels & Resorts set to open soon.
Vienna House’s Asian office in Bangkok, with the full support of AHS, will oversee the growth of the Vienna House brand across Asia.

The plan is to complete two to three projects a year with a focus on city and resort hotels.

The European office in Vienna will oversee the expansion of the brand U Hotels & Resorts in Central Europe, with the focus on opening additional urban resort hotels.

The joint venture between AHS and Vienna House was made possible by the recently announced shareholder change at Vienna House.

The parent company of both hotel companies is BTS Group Holdings, one of Thailand’s largest publicly listed companies.

“The companies complement each other perfectly,” explained Rupert Simoner, chief executive, Vienna House.

“We have the same guest-oriented philosophy and stand for the respective strengths of our cultures.

“We also share the same values, follow similar growth objectives and are moving at the same pace.

“It’s actually a lot of fun!”

The first talks are already being held about projects in Bangkok and in Vietnam.

Vienna House expects to conclude the first transaction this year. 

Jonathan Wigley, chief executive, AHS, added: “I can’t imagine a better partner than Vienna House for the expansion of U Hotels & Resorts on the European market.

“Both companies share the same enormous passion for the hotel business as well as a deep understanding of what it is all about: guest satisfaction and authentic hospitality.

“That’s just what we at AHS were looking for.”