JR Kyushu Business Development (Thailand) Co. Ltd is an affiliate of Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu), a Japanese conglomerate with interests in transportation, real estate development and hospitality. The companies have formed a partnership for Shama Lakeview Asoke, a 429-key serviced apartments complex in the prime central Bangkok business, entertainment and residential district of Asoke.
Following JR Kyushu’s purchase of the property, on Sukhumvit Soi 16, in December 2017, the company has appointed ONYX Hospitality Group as the hotel management service provider for the property under its Shama brand. The launch of the property as Shama Lakeview Asoke Bangkok is scheduled for 1 April 2018 and signifies the first major investment in Thailand by JR Kyushu, and ONYX Hospitality Group’s first collaboration with a Japanese institutional partner.
Mori Building Real Estate Investment Advisory Co., Ltd acted as the exclusive advisor to JR Kyushu in identifying the investment and the hotel operator and successfully negotiating the terms of the sale and purchase, as well as management agreements.
Shama Lakeview Asoke will offer a wide range of accommodation options from studio suites to three-bedroom apartments in two towers, an all-day dining restaurant, pool deck with lake views, golf practice range, fitness centre, children’s playroom and a meeting room. Parts of the property will undergo refurbishment and enhancements throughout 2018 and 2019.
Douglas Martell, president and CEO of ONYX Hospitality Group, said: “With this collaboration, we are proud to be entering a partnership with JR Kyushu, one of Japan’s leading corporations, to bring the Shama brand proposition to life in this iconic property and city centre location. Shama Lakeview Asoke Bangkok will be our largest Shama property by number of apartments to date, and we are committed to the ongoing growth and expansion of Shama as part of our journey towards making ONYX the best medium-sized hospitality player in the Asia-Pacific region.”
Toshihiko Aoyagi, president of JR Kyushu, said: “The Shama Lakeview Asoke Bangkok project is a crucial step as our first business engagement in Southeast Asia. It is our great pleasure and honour to enter a strong and long-lasting partnership with ONYX Hospitality Group, which has one of the greatest experiences and most excellent track records in hospitality in this region. The JR Kyushu group is determined to continue with further growth and evolution, committed to playing its part towards making Kyushu, Japan and Asia more dynamic, by accelerating our endeavours towards the real estate businesses including hotels and serviced apartments in Southeast Asia.”
