Tolani Hotels – one to watch in the future!

Just 88kms, 75 minutes south of Hua Hin on highway Number 4 there is a discreet sign for Tolani Resort Kui Buri. An oasis of calm on a quiet, clean beach in Prachaup Khiri Khan on the coast of the Gulf of Thailand. The hotel is a “boutique” style resort with individual villas and when I stayed there it was surprisingly busy and seemed popular with Thai guests with their pets – dogs and cats. The accommodation and service was to a high standard and this would be the ideal place to get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

Like a phoenix rising from the ashes Tolani Resorts is casting off the shell of past brands, X2 and Cross Hotels, and now has 11 privately owned hotels at the core of its future operations. Kui Buri, Pranburi, Koh Kood, Samui, Chiang Mai, Khao Yai, Bangkok and Patong all have hotels.

15 years ago Anthony MacDonald, an Australian with a flair for hospitality, and his Thai lady wife Khun Kaewjai Phaoenchoke, Group CEO ThaiRung Partners Group, helped introduce the boutique hotel concept in Thailand. The company grew rapidly with Thailand’s popularity as an exotic tropical destination and their resorts introduced new levels of hospitality.

They grew the company and then sold out to Flight Booking International from Australia. 

Many business people would have called it a day but after selling out but not this hard working duo. Whilst they have various other business interests Khun Kaewjai Phaoenchoke is now set to build it all again under the name of Tolani Hotels and Resorts and she is aggressively targeting growth in offering “serviced management contracts” to third party hotel owners.

This is certainly one to watch for the future as they hungrily grow their group through acquisitions, launches and taking on management service contracts.