Eric Brand, director of operations, said last week that the group would spend Bt150 million to refurbish rooms.

The project was expected to commence by the year-end and was scheduled to be completed within two years.

About Bt22 million would be invested in the hotel’s back house and equipment, such as chillers, energy machines and hotel water machines.

The hotel has already remodelled its lobby as well as some outlets at a cost of Bt100 million.

Established international brands Ah Yat Abalone Seafood Restaurant and Burasari Spa have rented space and started operating in the hotel.

The hotel is now offering more space for rental in an area aimed at becoming a new dining magnet in the Ratchaprasong area.

“We are the only independent hotel standing among big local and international chains in Ratchaprasong, which is also the best location for the business and leisure markets.

“We have been here for more than two decades,” he said.

Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul, the owner of Arnoma Grand Bangkok and also the Felix River Kwai Resort in Kanchanaburi, is planning another big move as part of the group entering into its third decade.

“Soon, we are going to rebrand ourselves as Arnoma Hotels and Resorts and will be entering hotel management for the first time.”

The group aims to manage at least five hotels and resorts in major leisure destinations in the country over two years, including rebranding its property in Kanchanaburi.

Despite the low season, the Ratchaprasong hotel business was seeing its strongest year ever due to the boom in foreign visitors coming to the Kingdom.

The standouts are shoppers from Singapore, medical check-up clients from Myanmar and the Middle East and holidaymakers from the United States, Australia and Europe.

The hotel last week reported average occupancy of 85 per cent, up 5 percentage points from the low season last year.

All major hotels in the area are enjoying increase in occupancy rates of 5-10 percentage points.

In the coming high season, if there’s no tension, the hotel industry in the Ratchaprasong, Siam Square, Pratunam or Watergate areas would gain up to 90 per cent, which will be better than last year.

“The future is bright here as hotels and shopping malls are proceeding with a plan with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration to initiate the ‘Ratchaprasong District’ to become the centre of business and leisure, same as branded communities in Sukhumvit, Ratchadaphisek and on the Chao Phraya River,” he added.

Surapong Techaruvichit, president of the THA, said the hospitality sector had considered speaking directly with the military-led regime about the problems caused by unregistered hotels and asking it to use the interim constitution’s Article 44 to get rid of such illegal operations.

“The association and registered operators believe that if Article 44 is used, the number of non-registered properties will decrease,” he said.

According to the THA, more than half of the hotels in the market are unregistered.

It is estimated that of the more than 18,000 hotels in the country, only 8,000 are registered, comprising 400,000 rooms. That leaves more than 10,000 hotels with more than 400,000 rooms operating illegally.

In Bangkok alone, it is estimated that there are more than 300 illegal hotels, and many more are in major tourist destinations such as Phuket,Chiang Mai, Pattaya and Hua Hin/Cha-am. These illegal properties include serviced apartments, guest houses, condominiums, houses and other private properties that provide accommodations for tourists. They are not registered as hotels with the Interior Ministry’s Department of Provincial Administration (DPA), the official unit that approves and issues hotel licences.

Surapong said the THA had provided lists of illegal hotels to police, but since 2014, only 20 hotels had been charged and fined Bt3,000-Bt10,000 each.

Most of them have resumed operations. Some have been charged more than once, but remain in the market.

Last year, the association gave the names of 10 illegal hotels to police, but only a few hotels were charged.

“We don’t know why police are unable to help us with these hotels, so we will ask the government for help,” Surapong said.

The latest to be charged was Pangsawan Place Hotel in Chiang Mai. It was charged by officers of the DPA with operating in violation of laws governing hotels.

It was one of nine illegal hotels charged in 2014. The other eight were in seven tourist destinations.

The THA claims that unlicensed hotels may offer substandard quality and could even be unsafe for guests, damaging the entire tourism industry.