BANGKOK, THAILAND – The Hotel Revenue Summit Thailand (#HRST) successfully concluded its intensive program at the Eastin Grand Hotel Sathorn Bangkok, taking center stage on day two of the 5th Hospitality Thailand Conference (HTC2026). The summit gathered regional commercial leaders, revenue directors, asset managers, and financial tech pioneers to address a highly complex phase of market growth. Moving beyond simple occupancy targets, the summit spotlighted total revenue management, friction-free payment ecosystems, cross-departmental alignment, and AI integration designed to optimize hotel profitability in competitive environments.
Across an action-packed agenda, delegates mapped out the technical frameworks and operational overhauls required to maximize yield across every square meter of a hospitality asset. Each session brought forward critical insights, comprehensive panel discussions, and expert industry takeaways:
Summit Highlights & Panel Insights
From Data to Direction: Navigating Thailand's Hotel Market Delivered by Karan Mahesh (STR, CoStar Group), this highly data-driven opening session provided a comprehensive look at Thailand’s hotel market as it shifts beyond initial recovery into a nuanced phase of growth. The presentation unpacked the latest performance data across Thailand, analyzing shifting trends in occupancy, Average Daily Rate (ADR), and Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR) across key domestic markets.
From Data Silos to Revenue Intelligence featuring Anthony Prendergast (Dusit International), Ratchaya Termsilkanok (SONO Hotels & Resorts Asia), Supakrit Phansomboon (SiteMinder), and Andre Kaufmann (RoomPriceGenie), this panel explored the structural integration of PMS, RMS, CRM, and BI systems. The experts evaluated how consolidating these separate databases into a singular source of truth empowers commercial teams to make faster, smarter, and more confident revenue choices. Moving past isolated, siloed departments is crucial for generating real-time intelligence and capturing immediate market demand before the competition.
Drive MICE Revenue Through Strategic AV & Event Partnerships presented by Darren Chia (UP Group Asia), this presentation addressed the escalating competition within the regional MICE segment, emphasizing that modern properties must move past simply renting square footage to delivering true event performance. The session explored how top properties are strategically maximizing ballroom yield, winning premium corporate accounts, and accelerating conversion rates through optimized AV production, venue marketing, and operational agility. The presentation highlighted how hotels can establish lucrative ancillary revenue streams and reduce operational friction without capital-intensive upfront investments.
"We value long-term partnership, so whenever we provide a product solution, it is always a long-term goal. We are happy to discuss how we can accommodate and bring mutual value from both sides—the partner and the guest," emphasized Darren Chia, Head of Regional Business Development & Venue Development at UP Group Asia.
Crisis Management and Revenue Resilience led by Shankar Sreekumar (A&A Hospitality Co. Ltd.), Enrico Wibawa (Mandison Hospitality), Tharin Sethi (SethiG), and Manmeet Singh Thakralbutra (Arawana Group), this timely session laid out defensive strategies for protecting pricing power and operational margins during sudden market disruptions, macroeconomic shifts, and global events. The panel discussed the psychological and commercial mechanics of managing room rates under pressure, advising hoteliers to avoid panic discounting which can damage long-term brand equity.
"We're in a crisis right now. This is an incredibly relevant panel because Thailand faces so many unexpected disruptions, even in the last year alone. Effectively managing these external shifts is a major challenge we face nowadays," observed Manmeet Singh Thakralbutra, CEO & Founder of Arawana Group.
The Blueprint for Stronger Hotel Performance: Maximize Revenue with Better Workflows and Simpler Payments delivered by Theresa Ellsworth (Sertifi by Flywire), broke down modern operational friction points that negatively impact guest retention and corporate profitability. It demonstrated how modernizing manual administrative workflows and simplifying payment ecosystems empowers on-property teams to shift their focus back to high-impact, revenue-generating activities while lowering credit card fraud risk and chargebacks.
"Our focus is on how we simplify the process, workflow, and payments to fundamentally turn those operational touchpoints into profitable revenue streams," shared Theresa Ellsworth, RVP of Sales at Sertifi by Flywire.
Aligning Operations with Commercial Strategy bringing together Ramesh Bappoo (La Vie Hotels & Resorts), Bruno Lespurque (Mandison Hospitality), Prerna Mehrotra (Marriott International), Nattapote Kuslasayanon (2C2P Co., Ltd), and Olivier Berrivin (BWH Hotels), this high-level panel examined the breakdown of traditional departmental silos. The conversation centered on ensuring that property operations, revenue management, marketing, and corporate finance work collectively toward unified commercial targets.
"From a payment service perspective, we know the pain points and strict margin requirements within this vertical world. Achieving a unified strategy creates a kind of mutual benefit across different operational verticals," noted Nattapote Kuslasayanon, Director of International Business Development at 2C2P Co., Ltd.
Total Revenue Management: Beyond Rooms An elite panel consisting of Jon Cannon (Senior Vice President – Hotel Asset Management), Nino Kurtskhalia (lebua bangkok), Papattiya Kaew-iem (Accor), Hanibal Michael (Centara Hotels & Resorts), and Riku Penttinen (Avalon Analytics) discussed the monetization of non-room assets. Experts shared advanced practices for driving profitability through food and beverage concepts, wellness centers, luxury spas, and curated external partnerships, proving that a holistic approach to non-room revenue drastically boosts an asset's overall value.
The Role of AI and Chatbots in Guest Engagement driven by Devkaran Doowa (Lohas Hospitality), Rabin Gupta (Centara Hotels & Resorts), and Andres Borbon (Glhip), this panel evaluated the implementation of artificial intelligence at key guest touchpoints. The speakers detailed how automated messaging platforms and AI-driven chatbots can elevate immediate guest satisfaction while driving incremental revenue through personalized, algorithmically timed upselling and cross-selling offers.
Experiential Revenue: Monetizing Unique Guest Experiences featuring insights from Jaikar Singh (Jay) Manchanda (Utopia Corporation), Nutchamon (Alice) Jirachayasinthon (Boutique Corporation), Supasin Limcharoen (Chatrium Hospitality), Marisa Nolan (Profitroom), and Genry Umali (Eight Inc. Design Singapore Pte Ltd), this session analyzed how modern travelers favor experiences over material items. The panel discussed practical frameworks for commercializing localized tours, unique health retreats, and exclusive on-property activities to build a high-margin revenue vertical.
Culture as a Revenue Multiplier: Engaging Staff for Profit The final panel track, led by Saudi Khaneng (IHG Hotels & Resorts), Lily Udomkunnatum (Burasari Group), Naureen Ahmed (Inspiring Women in Hospitality), and Yiam Sreshthaputra (CP LAND Public Company Limited), bridged human resources with financial success. The discussion proved that high employee engagement and a supportive internal culture directly correlate with enhanced service quality, which reduces guest acquisition costs and serves as a direct driver of profitability.
Stay connected with us on social media for updates on our ongoing 2026 program, speaker lineup, and partnership opportunities.
The Hospitality Asia Event Series is a leading platform for senior leaders across the region’s hospitality and tourism sectors. It is known for bringing together key decision-makers and industry innovators while creating strong opportunities for networking, knowledge exchange, and strategic collaboration.
The series features seven flagship events across Asia, including the Hospitality Indonesia Conference (HIC), the Hospitality Vietnam Conference (HVC), the Hospitality Thailand Conference (HTC), the Hospitality South Korea Conference (HSKC), the Hospitality Malaysia Conference (HMC), the Hospitality Philippines Conference (HPC) and the Hospitality Japan Conference (HJC). These events attract a high-level and diverse audience from across the region.
Hospitality Asia is distinguished by its balanced engagement of both C-level executives and senior professionals such as Vice Presidents, General Managers and Directors who manage contracts, negotiations and daily operations. Supported by regional advisors who provide real-time market insights, the content focuses on practical strategies that enable participants to drive business growth.
The series is guided by four summits that represent the main drivers of industry success. These include the Hotel Investment Summit Asia #HISA, the Hotel Design Summit Asia #HDSA, the Hotel Revenue Summit Asia #HRSA and the Travel Byte Summit Asia #TBSA. Each summit is delivered with a localized approach to ensure relevance and meaningful engagement with the region’s most important opportunities.