B-Lay Tong joined Accor's MGallery collection. Wesley Hayden, previously general manager of the Pullman Bangkok King Power, has been appointed GM.
The 123-room hotel on the beach road, now known as the B-Lay Tong Phuket, Mgallery, has austere minimalist lines on the outside but rooms “exude modern playfulness and funky vibes while blending the concept of feng shui colour schemes: red (fire), blue (water), green (earth) and gold (wind) to ensure a flow of positive energy throughout the hotel.”
The Deluxe rooms offer either an outdoor Jacuzzi or direct lap pool access, while the suites offer view of the Andaman Sea.
It has five food and beverage outlets, a spa and a club, the Beat Club, featuring an in-house DJ.
Accor is present in 90 countries with 4,200 hotels and more than 500,000 rooms. It has a wide portfolio of 13 brands.
MGallery is in the four-star range. Accor describes it as “a collection of upscale hotels notable for their personalities, which will appeal to individual travellers seeking distinctive services or looking for a place with more soul.”
Launched three years ago, MGallery includes hotels on five continents, including two in Bangkok and one in Chiang Mai. Accor aims to grow the MGallery portfolio to more than 150 locations by late 2015.
Meanwhile, the management relationship between Accor and the Panwa Beach Resort has ended. The 75-room hotel was branded as a Novotel but is now being managed independently while the owners search for another international chain to step in.