Bill Barnett

Photo of Bill Barnett

Bill Barnett

Bill Barnett has over 30 years of experience in the Asian hospitality and property markets. He is considered to be a leading authority on real estate trends across Asia, and has sat at almost every seat around the hospitality and real estate table. Bill promotes industry insight through regular conference speaking engagements and is continually gathering market intelligence. Over the past few years he has released four books on Asian property topics.
  • Covid-19 NewsCurrency will be a key driver in Phuket’s (eventual) tourism recovery?
    Bill BarnettPublished: 18:22, 11 April 2020
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    Currency will be a key driver in Phuket’s (eventual) tourism recovery?

    OPINION by Bill Barnett from c9hotelworks.com In the lead-up to the Covid-19 crisis one constant complaint by Thailand’s hotel sector has been the strength of the Thai Baht. Zeroing in specifically on the Mainland Chinese market, the rapid demise to the island was in part triggered by the tragic boat accident in mid-2018, along with a number of other country-wide negative…

  • Business NewsHome alone. Phuket hotels hit a speed bump.
    Bill BarnettPublished: 14:46, 16 March 2020
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    Home alone. Phuket hotels hit a speed bump.

    by Bill Barnett of c9hotelworks.com In the latest news, Singapore’s move to impose a stay-home policy or self-isolation for travellers within ASEAN, has hit the industry hard. Here in Phuket, hotels are winding down their traditional snowbird European business which for the most part was booked well in advance. Rates have somewhat held during this time. One key barometer of…

  • OpinionOPINION: Doomsday, the Black Swan and no fear
    Bill BarnettPublished: 16:25, 29 February 2020
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    OPINION: Doomsday, the Black Swan and no fear

    by Bill Barnett of c9hotelworks.com “I’m mad as hell, and I’m not going to take it anymore” is how I am feeling on a Saturday afternoon. My senses are bruised and battered after a weeklong barrage of panic, blurring sensational bad news headlines and a mounting sense of fear amongst my fellow humans. What is clear in the grand scheme…

  • Tourism NewsThe Coronavirus effect – Phuket and hotel report
    Bill BarnettPublished: 11:14, 27 February 2020
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    The Coronavirus effect – Phuket and hotel report

    by Bill Barnett, c9hotelworks.com “Perhaps the biggest wild card is the mounting number of travel advisories across the globe based on Covid-19” In what is a continuing storyline on the global coronavirus outbreak, Bill Barnett reports on the impact on Thailand’s most popular island destination, Phuket. He says that the impact on the Phuket tourism market is creating a challenging landscape.…

  • Tourism NewsThai tourism to take hit over Coronavirus
    Bill BarnettPublished: 14:56, 27 January 2020
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    Thai tourism to take hit over Coronavirus

    by Bill Barnett of c9hotelworks.com A travel ban is now in effect in Mainland China for tour groups who were booked for holidays overseas. Over the past few days hoteliers in Phuket, Bangkok and throughout the country are reporting significant cancellations, not only of groups but also independent travellers (FITs). Last year Mainland Chinese travellers to Thailand nearly eclipsed 11 million,…

  • Phuket NewsLatest Khao Lak hotel report
    Bill BarnettPublished: 11:37, 26 January 2020
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    Latest Khao Lak hotel report

    by Bill Barnett, c9hotelworks.com Increasing hotel supply in Khao Lak with stable tourism growth reflects a destination market entering a new cycle. Khao Lak is a beachside destination an hour and a half drive north from Phuket Airport in Phang Nga province. The upcoming second Greater Phuket airport (in Phang Nga) is expected to push the destination to diversify offerings…

  • Business NewsThree massive condo developments along Phuket’s up-market Layan Beach
    Bill BarnettPublished: 11:06, 18 January 2020
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    Three massive condo developments along Phuket’s up-market Layan Beach

    by Bill Barnett – c9hotelworks.com Two new condo developments are going ahead in the Layan Beach area of Phuket’s up-market west-coast beach strip. And there’s another one underway next to the Dream Beach Club at the northern end of the Layan beach strip. All in all, another 1,200+ keys added to the available rooms along the Bang Tao/Layan Beach area.…

  • Tourism NewsCrunching the numbers on Phuket’s hotels – 2020
    Bill BarnettPublished: 11:03, 10 January 2020
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    Crunching the numbers on Phuket’s hotels – 2020

    PHOTO: Travel 141 Bill Barnett from c9Hotelworks, crunches the numbers and reports on some challenges for Thailand’s largest island and most popular tourist destination, outside of Bangkok. Robust passenger arrivals in the second half of 2019 highlighted by growth in Indian tourists helped rebalance the island’s tourism sector, according to the C9 Hotelworks newly released Phuket Hotel Market Update (link…

  • Tourism NewsDirect Russian flights into Surat Thani start with uptick for Samui, Koh Tao & Ko-Phangan
    Bill BarnettPublished: 16:30, 27 December 2019
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    Direct Russian flights into Surat Thani start with uptick for Samui, Koh Tao & Ko-Phangan

    PHOTO: The Flight Reviews A new series of flights between Russia and Surat Thani International Airport kicked off on December 27 with the charter Nordwind Airlines. Russian tourists will be able to fly direct into the region, avoiding the monopoly at Koh Samui airport. They can then transfer to Koh Samui, Koh Tao and Ko-Phangan from the Surat Thani International Airport…

  • Tourism NewsMono airlift remains key barrier to Koh Samui’s tourism success
    Bill BarnettPublished: 07:40, 24 December 2019
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    Mono airlift remains key barrier to Koh Samui’s tourism success

    PHOTO: Koh Samui Sunset Bill Barnett and c9hotelworks.com analyse the current hotel and tourism challenges on Koh Samui. Bill says that in the past year the Gulf island has been shaken by declining demand and reduced airlift to the island. (graphics below) “The China slowdown is widely cited as a key factor, together with high airfares. According to Bangkok Airways, half of…

  • Tourism NewsTaiwan’s Eva Air adds direct flights to Phuket from next April
    Bill BarnettPublished: 19:44, 29 November 2019
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    Taiwan’s Eva Air adds direct flights to Phuket from next April

    by Bill Barnett of c9hotelworks.com As the tourist demographic matures and evolves, so does the airline mix landing in Phuket. Now Phuket’s direct international airlift is set to increase again with non-stop flights from Taipei, Taiwan on Eva Air. The island’s airline traffic is already almost booked out for the next few months with Phuket International Airport officials asking airlines…

  • World NewsVietnam Airlines opening direct Phuket to Ho Chi Minh City flights
    Bill BarnettPublished: 18:20, 21 September 2019
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    Vietnam Airlines opening direct Phuket to Ho Chi Minh City flights

    by Bill Barnett c9hotelworks.com Vietnam Airlines will commence direct flights between Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Phuket on October 27. Flights will operate three days a week, on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday. The airline is also launching direct Ho Chi Minh City to Denpasar (Bali) service. Vietjet Air, the popular new low-coast airline out of Vietnam, is currently servicing the increasingly…

  • Business NewsCentara signs up three more Phuket hotels
    Bill BarnettPublished: 07:06, 12 September 2019
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    Centara signs up three more Phuket hotels

    The surge of new properties continues in Phuket as the developers and Thai business leaders continue to show their confidence in Phuket as an international holiday destination. Thai hospitality group Centara Hotels and Resorts has entered into agreements to manage three hotels on Phuket’s northern west coast in Mai Khao. Two of the properties are currently operating, which are the…

  • PropertyWyndham adds two more hotels for Phuket’s south
    Bill BarnettPublished: 08:18, 09 September 2019
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    Wyndham adds two more hotels for Phuket’s south

    PHOTOS: Artists impressions of the new Wyndham Nai Harn Resort Phuket Global hotel group Wyndham has announced two more Phuket pipeline hotels. The announcement follows a long list of new developments and openings over the next few years on the island. First for Wyndham, is a 353 key property named the Wyndham Nai Harn Resort Phuket at the popular southern west-coast…

  • Tourism NewsIndian visitors to Phuket surge whilst total numbers drop
    Bill BarnettPublished: 13:45, 03 September 2019
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    Indian visitors to Phuket surge whilst total numbers drop

    by Bill Barnett from c9hotelworks.com The soaring number of Indian visitors to Phuket for the first seven months of 2019 has propelled Indian tourists into the Top 5 arrivals for the first time. Arrivals from India from January – July, compared to the same period in 2018, grew 354%, amassing a total of 186,360 arrivals. Mainland Chinese arrival figures continue…

  • Tourism NewsKoh Samui is looking to the skies, an island tethered to an airline
    Bill BarnettPublished: 08:39, 29 August 2019
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    Koh Samui is looking to the skies, an island tethered to an airline

    by Bill Barnett “I’m looking to the sky to save me. Looking for a sign of life” There is much to be said about the Thailand’s phenomenal rise in tourism over the past decade and that trend has eclipsed the borders of the Kingdom into other Southeast Asian countries like Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines. Fueled by a rising Asian consumer…

  • Tourism NewsJapan’s Okinawa takes on Bali and Phuket
    Bill BarnettPublished: 09:17, 26 August 2019
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    Japan’s Okinawa takes on Bali and Phuket

    by Bill Barnett While Okinawa is often called the Hawaii of Japan, a changing Asian travelscape driven by low-cost airline carriers is seeing the resort destination attract a rising number of regional tourists. Last year, arrivals hit 9.84 million which is now elevating the market to the likes Asia’s twin resort icons, Bali and Phuket. Summing up the current shift…

  • Tourism NewsThailand’s Koh Chang by numbers, another island on the rise
    Bill BarnettPublished: 15:51, 19 August 2019
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    Thailand’s Koh Chang by numbers, another island on the rise

    by Bill Barnett of c9hotelworks.com Despite being one of the country’s biggest islands in the Gulf of Thailand, Koh Chang has remained somewhat off the mass tourism development footprint. C9 Hotelworks has taken a look into what makes the island tick in their newly released Koh Chang Tourism Market Review. Koh Chang is off the coast of Trat in far…

  • Tourism NewsRadisson brand add another Phuket hotel to its portfolio
    Bill BarnettPublished: 08:15, 12 August 2019
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    Radisson brand add another Phuket hotel to its portfolio

    The Radisson Hotel Group has signed a deal for a 222 key mixed-use hotel on Phuket’s north west coast at Mai Khao. Set to open in early 2023, the hotel has sales and leaseback units under a hotel residences program. Radisson Phuket Mai Khao Beach is being developed by Thai-Chinese Property Holdings. Phuket’s ongoing development surge continues to attract Chinese…

  • PropertyAmnesty program for unlicensed Thai hotels finishes September 9
    Bill BarnettPublished: 15:51, 10 August 2019
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    Amnesty program for unlicensed Thai hotels finishes September 9

    PHOTO: We needed a photo of a small hotel. So this is The Small Hotel in Krabi (already licensed!!) The Thai government has issued guidelines for unlicensed hotels under their amnesty program. Hotels must submit applications and complete improvements before September 9, so time is of the essence. Baker McKenzie Thailand has outlined the process and guidelines which we are republishing…

  • Phuket NewsTop 5 things Phuket hotel developers should know
    Bill BarnettPublished: 16:04, 29 July 2019
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    Top 5 things Phuket hotel developers should know

    by Bill Barnett from c9hotelworks.com Taking a 2020 view of Phuket’s hotel development pipeline that has now surpassed 15,000 new keys it’s hard not to be apprehensive. From a macro standpoint, the destination’s airlift and location are key success factors. But for the myriad cast of new and inexperienced hotel developers out there, perhaps a visit down Alice’s rabbit hole…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket leads the way in managed hotel residences
    Bill BarnettPublished: 14:33, 27 July 2019
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    Phuket leads the way in managed hotel residences

    by Bill Barnett of c9hotelworks.com – Feature article “Hotel Residences – properties that sell individual units in the real estate market and operate as either hotels or else are branded by hospitality operators. Other often used terms are condotel, hotel branded residences and hospitality-led real estate.” Phuket’s love affair with hotel managed properties started in the late 1980’s with the…

  • Phuket NewsDigging into the Phuket hotel data
    Bill BarnettPublished: 14:54, 15 July 2019
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    Digging into the Phuket hotel data

    by Bill Barnett, c9hotelworks As Phuket’s hotel operators and owners face a disruptive 2019, we thought it was time to do a deep dig into the island’s accommodation performance metrics. Global hospitality data and analytics group STR was the logical resource, so we spoke to their Area Director Asia Pacific, Jesper Palmqvist. The following are key takeaways from the highly focused…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket accommodation pipeline – 55 new hotels under development
    Bill BarnettPublished: 10:48, 14 July 2019
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    Phuket accommodation pipeline – 55 new hotels under development

    by Bill Barnett from c9hotelworks.com PHOTO: Horizon Beach Resort Hotels Phuket One of Asia’s leading resort destinations Phuket looks set to weather a perfect storm as soaring hotel supply is forecast to be challenged by declining tourism demand. New research from consulting group C9 Hotelworks in their Phuket Hotel Market Update Mid-Year Edition has revealed an island development pipeline of…

  • Tourism NewsThai government announces hotel license amnesty
    Bill BarnettPublished: 09:25, 27 June 2019
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    Thai government announces hotel license amnesty

    by Bill Barnett, c9hotelworks.com In a significant move by Thailand’s government, a hotel licensing amnesty program has been announced on a nationwide basis. Clearly pressure by hotel owners amidst an large-scale influx of non-licensed accommodation has spurred the action. Leading international legal advisors Baker McKenzie Thailand have issued an information alert on the program which we are publishing in full,…

  • Phuket NewsProgress on Phang Nga’s new international airport
    Bill BarnettPublished: 08:12, 27 June 2019
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    Progress on Phang Nga’s new international airport

    by Bill Barnett, c9hotelworks The AoT (Airports of Thailand) planned international airport in Phang Nga, set to be part of a triangle of international airports serving the Phuket, Phang Nga, Khao Lak and Krabi tourist zones, is poised to move past another development milestone. The mooted private airport has now been binned and the AoT-operated airport project is now forging…

  • Tourism NewsBurasari opens second Phuket hotel on Coconut Island
    Bill BarnettPublished: 07:53, 17 June 2019
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    Burasari opens second Phuket hotel on Coconut Island

    PHOTO: Original Vision Island Escape by Burasari, the second Phuket hotel from the Thai-based group, will have a soft opening this September. Located on Koh Maphrao (also known as Coconut Island), the initial product will be 15 villas. By December this year, the full inventory of 180 rooms and 40 villas will be operational. With Island Escape, Burasari Group will operate eight…

  • Tourism NewsBeam me up Phuket – new space theme hotel for the island
    Bill BarnettPublished: 10:30, 26 May 2019
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    Beam me up Phuket – new space theme hotel for the island

    A 150 key space themed hotel is under development in Kathu, Phuket, by a Singaporean group . Located close to the Central Festival and Makro complexes, the project is expected to open next year according to a report in TTG Asia. The One Pioneer – Beyond Space Travel hotel say it’s “highly focused on an outer space storyline and will have…

  • PropertyWyndham to manage new condo at Layan Beach Phuket
    Bill BarnettPublished: 11:33, 13 May 2019
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    Wyndham to manage new condo at Layan Beach Phuket

    by Bill Barnett A new Wyndham managed condominium hotel is rising in the Layan Beach area of Phuket. Named the Laya Resort Phuket, the first phase of the project is 300 units of studio and one-bedroom configuration. The new development will be situated about 400 metres from Layan Beach. Pricing starts from 150,000 baht a square metre and a 15…

  • Tourism NewsPhuket Airport passenger arrivals dip
    Bill BarnettPublished: 12:10, 30 April 2019
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    Phuket Airport passenger arrivals dip

    by Bill Barnett, c9Hotelworks.com To date, 2019 is shaping up to be a slightly volatile year for tourism to the island. Passenger arrivals at Phuket International Airport rose 1% year-on-year in January, but took a step backwards in February with a substantial 6% decline. While we are still early in the year, overall visitor arrivals to Thailand on a country-wide…