Absolute Group are well known in Phuket for their hotel management and vacation ownership operations. Currently managing Absolute Sea Pearl Beach Resort and Spa – Phuket and Absolute Patong Ville Resort and Spa – Phuket, in April this year Absolute secured management of the luxurious 49 villa resort Absolute Chandara Resort and Spa, located on Phuket´s East Coast, with Jumeirah Private Island Resort as it´s ´neighbour´.

Absolute Group is a multinational group specializing in mixed-use resort and hotel development and management, and vacation ownership, and is celebrating it´s tenth anniversary with ambitious expansion plans for 2009 and beyond.

Talking with the Property Report, Bryan Lunt, Chairman of Absolute Group said, “We see the expansion plan during this crisis climate as a challenge, and it will bring the best from of our management and team. We are confident in our worldwide operations and there is a clear trend and demand for quality branded and professionally managed mixed-used resort management and share ownership products.”

Absolute Group is investing over THB 200 million on its resort management and vacation ownership businesses in 2009 alone.

Absolute Group has a rapidly growing diversity of business operations, which includes Absolute Developments (mixed-used resort and hotel developer), Absolute Resort Management (resort, hotel and mixed-use development management and services), Absolute Vacation Club (worldwide vacation ownership membership), AbsoluteThai (lifestyle magazine publishing), North Shore Real Estate (Thailand real estate broker), and Absolute Bangla Club(bar in the heart of Soi Bangla, Patong)

Absolute Group currently employs over 850 staff and operates 21 offices worldwide.

Absolute Resort Management (ARM) will be taking on the management of three new boutique mixed-use developments in Phuket in 2009 and 2010. Absolute Bangla Suites – a new concept hotel with 47 suites and 7 penthouses located in Soi Bangla, and scheduled to open in July 2009 – and the new Absolute Beach Resort at Nakalay – 33 luxury suites and penthouses in a stunning private location overlooking Patong Bay, to open in September 2009. In 2010, Absolute plans to launch Absolute Sansabai Resort and Spa – 100 suites with five-star facilities in the heart of Patong, near Jungceylon shopping complex.

The expansion doesn´t stop there.

Absolute has entered a collaboration with yoo (the world’s most celebrated designer, Philippe Starck, and John Hitchcox’s company) to launch yooPhuket, which is located in Kathu, nearby Phuket’s Red Mountain golf course. yooPhuket aims to be ´Thailand’s most exciting designer development that will showcase Phuket to a worldwide audience´. yooPhuket will consist of 256 stylish suites and penthouses and is expected to open in 2011. It will be managed by Absolute Resort Management.

The trend of branded resort properties around the world is growing as management companies leverage their brand and loyal customer base. Absolute Resort Management, through resorts currently under its management and a long history of resort management experience, brings a level of professionalism and expertise valued by many independently owned resorts.

Lunt went on to say that “Phuket has strong fundamentals and is the main focus of our resort management expansion. All resorts in our portfolio are boutique resorts with complete holiday facilities such as pool, spa and restaurants. Each resort has its own market niche be it families, couples, honeymooners, for example. Our resorts range from three to five-star and we offer an exceptional holiday experience for all our guests.”

In addition to the expansion of their resort management operations, Absolute Group continues to expand its Absolute Vacation Club (AVC) business also. AVC is a leading vacation ownership operator worldwide and recently opened two sales offices in prestigious locations in Bangkok and a sales operation in Tehran, Iran. Absolute expect the Middle East to be a growing market and plans more offices there.

“Thailand is one of the major markets in Asia for vacation ownerships, and Thai buyers are growing in number. We sold over 100 memberships in the first month of operation. The interest continues to grow,” added Lunt.

Lunt continued “We see the expansion of these two business segments as helping to boost tourism in Phuket and Thailand in the long-term by attracting frequently returning visitors through our resort ownership program. We have a global customer network due to the different business sectors Absolute Group operates in, and we can see from our resort and development operations that Thailand, and Phuket in particular, are strong markets with a high number of returning guests and scope for much further growth”.