Phuket Farewells Courtyards as Owners Opt for Brand Switch

Three Courtyard resorts, one in Patong (with the Hard Rock Cafe at one end) another in Surin and a third in Kamala, boosted the Marriott presence on Phuket as they opened in succession from mid-2008 after extensive rebuilding at all three properties.

The three Courtyards added MoMo cafes and upped service levels to Marriott International standards.

It's unusual to have a brand invest so much in three Phuket resorts - plus a fourth in Cha Am, near Hua Hin on the Gulf of Thailand - and walk away after such a short period.

Owners Destination Properties Thailand have other plans, and the Courtyards are likely to be just a branding memory from April 1, it appears.

According to thephuketinsider.com, Marriott has issued the following statement by Philip Bryson, Area Vice President for Marriott in South East Asia: "We are happy to conclude these discussions with our partners at Destination Properties and we wish them well with the on-going success of these four hotels and we are excited to continue working with them on other existing projects here in Thailand."

All staff are to be retained, Phuketwan has learned, but the new owners have decided to ''change the positioning'' of the Phuket resorts, which were marketed to families.