Naga Pearl

Bangkok, Thailand (PRWEB) December 20, 2008 — To get in on the Christmas spirit and celebrate the coming new year, Agoda.com, an online hotel reservations service, is offering customers a number of unbeatable, last-minute Thailand hotel (http://www.agoda.com/asia/thailand.html) deals. To boost tourism Thailand hotels have begun to slash their rates, even during this normal "peak period". Agoda is now able to offer further savings of up to 40% off these already discounted rates.

Thailand's amazing scenery and hospitality makes it a great choice anytime for winter holidays. With colorful countdown activities occuring throughout Thailand ready to welcome 2009, it is the perfect time to visit the "Land of Smiles". 'Hands Bangkok Countdown 2009' is the city's biggest celebration. Held on the Rajaprasong shopping street, the event is a massive street-party where Thais and foreigners ring in the new year together. Attractions include a live concert featuring Thailand's top singers, celebrities and superstars together with many other entertainment activities and fireworks.

Just south of Bangkok, Pattaya Countdown 2009 welcomes tourists with live concerts featuring various famous recording artists and is capped with a huge fireworks display at midnight. In the cooler north, Chiang Mai showcases various musical and entertainment acts, stretching throughout Tha Phae road and Tha Phae gate. The beaches of Samui and Krabi offer southern, more relaxed fair, as locals and tourists alike welcome 2009 on Thailand's famous sands.

Mr. Fan Wilfred, Agoda's Vice President of Business Development says, "Countdown events in Thailand are becoming increasingly popular. It provides a common arena where both Thais and foreigners can celebrate together. And it's not just occurring in Bangkok but many well known areas throughout Thailand are make preparations to ring in the New Year. To help celebrate Christmas and New Year, Agoda has managed to secure last minute allotments with special rates for various hotels in Thailand's hottest spots"

Samui

Bandara Resort & Spa, Samui – 5 Star at USD 129 (normally USD 224)

New Star Beach Resort, Samui (http://www.agoda.com/asia/thailand/samui/new_star_beach_resort.html) – 4.5 Star at USD 190 (normally USD 329)

Krabi

SALA TALAY Resort & Spa, Krabi – 4 Star at USD 146 (normally USD 253)

Railay Bay Resort, Krabi (http://www.agoda.com/asia/thailand/krabi/railay_bay_resort_spa.html) – 4 Star at USD 183 (normally USD 318)

Hua Hin

Worabura Resort and Spa, Hua Hin -5 Star at USD 207 (normally USD358)

Veranda Resort and Spa, Hua Hin (http://www.agoda.com/asia/thailand/hua_hin_cha_am/veranda_resort_spa.html) – 4 Star at USD 99 (normally USD 172)

Pattaya

Siam Bayshore Resort and Spa, Pattaya – 4 Star at USD 145 (normally USD251)

Nusa Playa Hotel and Spa, Pattaya (http://www.agoda.com/asia/thailand/pattaya/nusa_playa_hotel_spa.html) – 4 Star at USD 106 (normally USD184)

Chiang Mai

Veranda Chiang Mai (http://www.agoda.com/asia/thailand/chiang_mai/veranda_chiang_mai_the_high_resort.html) – 4 Star at USD 154 (normally USD 288)

Bangkok

Grand Millennium Sukhumvit, Bangkok – 5 Star at USD 104 (normally USD139)

Siam City Hotel, Bangkok – 5 Star at USD73 (normally USD 98)

Tenface Hotel, Bangkok (http://www.agoda.com/asia/thailand/bangkok/tenface_hotel.html) – 4 Star at USD72 (normally USD 93)

Majestic Grande Hotel, Bangkok – 4 Star at USD 63 (normally USD95)

For more information regarding Agoda, please visit the website at www.agoda.com or contact the Agoda customer service team via telephone at +66 2 625 9100 or e-mail at info@agoda.com

Note to Editors

About Agoda Company:

Agoda (agoda.com) is an online hotel reservations service which specializes in securing the lowest discount hotel prices in Asia. Agoda is part of Priceline.com (Nasdaq:PCLN). Agoda's network includes 8,290 hotels in Asia and more than 49,700 worldwide. The staff of approximately 300 professionals, located throughout Asia, provides a first-rate reservation service that uniquely combines local knowledge and local connections to provide the best hotel deals to both business and leisure travelers.

In addition, Agoda customers participate in the Agoda Rewards Program, earning further discounts and free stays. Unlike programs that limit travelers to a single chain, the Agoda Rewards Program allows customers to redeem Rewards Points at thousands of hotels around the globe, at any time. A member of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), Agoda's aim is to promote travel by making it more affordable and more accessible to more people.

Bangkok, Thailand (PRWEB) October 20, 2008 — Thailand In Style adds the Kamalaya, Koh Samui (http://www.thailandinstyle.com/property.php?id=50&name=The%20Kamalaya&type=Hotel) to its collection of health, wellness and rejuvenation destinations in Thailand. A Wellness Sanctuary and Holistic Spa, Kamalaya embraces nature with rooms and villas, yoga pavilions, pools and outdoor hot tubs set amongst granite boulders, streams and tropical vegetation and sweeping views.

Practiced by Mesopotamians, Egyptians and Minoans, Greeks and Romans spa-going is no newcomer to society and yet as an addition to the travel chest it may appear an apparent newcomer. Since "the early days" (the mid to late 1990's) spas have sprouted in abundance driven by mass marketing campaigns and advertising, the "new" industry seeking to create a fashionable and healthy public identity.

Today, with the pressure to create, invent and clarify, to brand and to position, many spas have emerged exploiting the fashionable aspect of identity whilst loosing sight of the purpose but Kamalaya on Koh Samui (http://www.thailandinstyle.com/property.php?id=50&name=The%20Kamalaya&type=Hotel), an island in the Gulf of Thailand, not only pioneered the notion of Spa Retreats in the area but remains stoically focused on the roots of the practice.

"The idea behind Kamalaya is that by the time you leave, you'll be happy, healthy and relaxed, but internally you'll have something to take away with you. All the other spas out there had better sit up and take notice, because this is where the industry needs to be." – Tiffany Darke, The Sunday Times, UK, June 18, 2006

In selecting Spas, Health and Wellness Retreats, Hotels and Villas for its exclusive tailor made holidays in Thailand (http://www.thailandinstyle.com/holidays_thailand_in_style.php), the company places great importance on authenticity and defines spas as being places that focus on prevention as opposed to cure.

"We select Spas for their ability to vigorously promote healthy lifestyles, fitness, spirituality and relaxation" says Miguel Cunat, CEO of Thailand in Style, "Experts should be on-hand to tailor individual plans that incorporate physical, physiological and psychological processes and above-all, every client who experiences a Spa Retreat through Thailand in Style should benefit from a positive legacy of their experience long after their return home".

People go to spas for fitness, stress management, peace of mind, pampering, pleasure, health and wellness. Previous Spa clients of Thailand in Style are unanimous in their needs; Time, Space and Guidance. Kamalaya is a tropical sanctuary with the environment, facilities and expertise necessary to exceed expectations.

With a moniker that emphasizes "Wellness Sanctuary" as opposed to Spa, Kamalaya's spiritual epicenter is a Monk's cave located in a lush green ravine that once served Buddhist monks as a place of meditation and spiritual retreat. Around the ravine stilted wooden huts, lotus flower-studded ponds, honeysuckle bushes and coconut-laden palms blend harmoniously before merging with the powdered, private white-sand beach and turquoise sea below.

The accommodation consisting of Hillside Rooms, open suites and spacious villas have been designed to blend with the valley and overlook the pristine coastline of southern Koh Samui. Pre-existing ancient rocks and trees have been skilfully incorporated into many of the structures as defining elements. Cream-linens, Asian textiles and art pieces bedeck the interiors.

Facilities include the Wellness Sanctuary itself with open air/indoor treatment rooms and yoga pavilion built on top of the cliff. A proper lap pool is available for a sweat-inducing swim and a separate relaxation / recreational pool to satisfy those more lazy moments. A series of plunge-pools at varying temperatures assist circulation while a spectacular steam room hollowed out of a cave maintains the holistic authenticity of Kamalaya (http://www.thailandinstyle.com/property.php?id=50&name=The%20Kamalaya&type=Hotel).

While Kamalaya considers exercise an essential component of wellness this is no New Age Boot Camp and a pilgrimage to Kamalaya is designed to derive as much enjoyment as it is benefit. Breakfasts are deliciously healthy and varied with an absence of fat-soaked bacon and reconstituted sausages. The menus are constantly inventive involving both Thai and European dishes.

Thailand in Style welcomes the Kamalaya to its collection of boutique hotels and villas in Thailand (http://www.thailandinstyle.com/thailand_hotels.php) and highly recommends it to their clients as a destination where the nurturing of your whole being is energized through the location, the facilities, the programs, the retreats and of course the cuisine.

Thailand In Style is a Thailand based travel design company that specializes in designing bespoke travel solutions for clients traveling in Thailand and Indochina. Thailand In Style hand-selects Boutique Hotels and Villas in Thailand (http://www.thailandinstyle.com) and offers a comprehensive portfolio of concierge style services drawn from over 10 years of living in Thailand and traveling throughout the region. Our local knowledge and service levels combine to ensure that clients derive maximum satisfaction from their time whilst in Thailand and the region. Thailand In Style supplies interesting alternatives and "out of the box" ideas, providing a conversational currency long after the holiday itself has finished.

For further information refer to www.thailandinstyle.com

Patumwan, Bangkok (PRWEB) December 10, 2008 — Ibis, the Accor group's worldwide economy hotel brand, opened its sixth Ibis hotel in Thailand in October 2008.

The first international three-star hotel in Samui's Bophut Beach, the beachfront Hotel Ibis Bophut Samui (http://www.accorhotels.com/accorhotels/lien_externe.svlt?goto=fiche_hotel&code_hotel=6688&code_langue=gb&sourceid=xxx&merchantid=yyy) offers great value accommodation in a prime location just a short walk from the boat pier, Fisherman's village and monkey theatre. Additionally, the hotel is conveniently positioned just a 10 minute drive from Samui International Airport.

As well as overlooking the 2km-long white sandy Bophut Beach, Hotel Ibis Bophut Samui features great leisure facilities, including massage and a swimming pool, which complement the high standard of comfort offered by all Ibis hotels.

Situated on the North side of Samui Island – Thailand's third-largest island – Bophut Beach is located in the Southern province of Surat Thani. Easily accessible by air and by the various ferries departing from the area, Samui is recognised as an international tourist paradise in South East Asia, and known for its picture perfect beaches, blue seas, lush green vegetation and friendly people.

Ideal for honeymooners, holidaying couples, families or friends, Hotel Ibis Bophut Samui is the economical choice in quality Samui accommodation, featuring all the services and facilities the Ibis brand is famous for at a fantastic price. Each of the 260 rooms features modern design and a well-designed ensuite bathroom, and is fully-equipped with flat screen TV and wireless and broadband Internet connection. As in all Ibis hotels worldwide, guests visiting Hotel Ibis Bophut Samui can enjoy breakfast at any time between 4am and noon and benefit from 24 hour hot and cold snack and bar service.

Another of the hotel's features is Taste restaurant – one of Ibis' 20 global restaurant concepts – which offers distinctive Thai cuisine in a modern Tapas style. Additionally, the Lobby Bar provides a relaxed environment in which to enjoy a cool drink or a quick meal.

For guests travelling on business, Hotel Ibis Bophut Samui also features a meeting room accommodating up to 30 people.

Hotel Ibis Bophut Samui is currently offering Standard Room rates from THB1245 a night, including taxes. Bookings can be made via the Ibis website (http://www.ibishotel.com/ibis/lien_externe.svlt?goto=fiche_hotel&code_hotel=6688&code_langue=gb&sourceid=xxx&merchantid=yyy).

Established in 1974, Ibis is the European leader and one of the first economy hotels chain in the world, with nearly 90,000 rooms and 790 hotels in 39 countries, including six in Thailand.

The quality of the Ibis standard has been recognised by the International Organization for Standardization certification ISO 9001 since 1997. Ibis is also the world's first hotel chain to demonstrate its environmental commitment through securing the ISO 14001 certification, which has already been awarded to nearly one third of its hotels.

More information on the Ibis brand is available at www.ibishotel.com.