THAILAND
Inspiring innovation
Two stunning properties and one captivating TED Salon, Marriott International’s recent Thailand familiarisation
trip left a lasting impression, writes Brittney Levinson.
Arriving at the Bangkok Marriott Marquis
Queen’s Park, there’s an instant feeling of
luxury and grandeur – just standing in the
lobby, the hotel feels like an oasis in the
middle of Bangkok’s bustling city streets.
The newly opened hotel is Marriott’s first
Marquis-branded hotel in Asia and boasts
1360 rooms and suites, six dining venues and
more than 4500sqm of event space spread
across 35 rooms. The property features all the
five-star trimmings, like marble bathrooms
and floor-to-ceiling windows in its modern
rooms and suites, combined with business
travel necessities, such as universal power
sockets and USB outlets by the bed and
reliable wi-fi throughout the hotel.
A welcome dinner was served in the onsite
Japanese restaurant Soba Factory, where the
hotel’s resident chefs each prepared one of
seven courses served on the night. From chef
Alam’s Tandoori prawn to chef Nagao’s seiro
soba noodles, each dish was as delicious as
the next, showcasing the exceptional
culinary experiences the hotel can
offer groups. The hotel’s all day dining
restaurant, Goji Kitchen + Bar, is another
standout and offers so much more than
your typical breakfast buffet, with live
cooking stations and a huge variety of
cuisines on offer. The space can seat up to
600 diners, yet its clever design makes it
feel intimate at the same time.
Marriott International vice president brand
and marketing, Asia-Pacific, Mike Fulkerson
said food and beverage is an important
component of Marriott International’s
brand promise to deliver sophisticated and
inspiring experiences.
“Our role in our guests’ lives is about
inspiring them to be ingenious and this is
the path we’re on moving forward,” he said.
“One of the reasons why we’re at this hotel
is because it’s a really great example of how
we want the Marriott brand to move
20 Convention & Incentive Marketing, Issue 4, 2017 www.cimmagazine.com
forward globally.”
Three TED speakers then took to the stage
for Asia’s first TED Salon in partnership
with Marriott Hotels. Indian multimedia
artist Aparna Rao shared how travelling
influenced her socially poignant artworks;
Matilda Ho, owner of Shanghai-based online
farmers’ market Yimishiji, spoke about
supporting local farming communities; and
Cesar Jung-Harada discussed how robotics
can play a role in providing cleaner oceans
for the next generation.
“One of the reasons why we have this
partnership with TED, is we want to deliver
content that can give people ideas and spark
new things in their mind,” said Fulkerson.
The TED Salon also forms part of Marriott’s
Meetings Imagined concept, which aims to
transform meetings and events into an