Thai Garden Resort GM looks back on 10 years
Peter Nordhues
Looking back over 10 years as general manager of the
Thai Garden Resort, Rene Pisters recalls only change. Compared with a
decade ago, the hotel’s size, look, clientele and even its music are
different.
The
Pisters family, Anthony, Jessica, Ploy and Rene
The latest change came along with his 10-year
anniversary on Sept. 1: The resort gained its fourth quality star.
While respectable, the Thai Garden wasn’t exactly at
the pinnacle of the Pattaya hotel world when he took over in 2000. By
his own admission, the hotel was aging with a guest book comprised
mostly of European workers of foreign companies that held long-term
leases on half the rooms.
Today, the resort has 227 rooms, thanks to a 2006
renovation, and welcomes guests mostly from Russia, India, South Korea
and China. The changing face of the clientele matches that of Pattaya,
which still amazes Pisters with its fervent growth.
A
bird’s eye view of the 63-meter long swimming pool and the Reception
area. Insert: Rene Pisters, the general manager.
The Dutchman also put a different face on the hotel’s
long-running Moon River Pub. When he arrived, the bar was your typical
hotel watering hole that had the same Thai band playing the same songs
for 10 years. Four years ago, he brought in musicians from the
Philippines, Malaysia and other countries and turned Moon River into one
of the city’s favorite nightspots.
His touch can be seen all around the hotel, from the
handicap accessible features he designed with the Redemptorist Center
for Persons with Disabilities to the 63-meter-long pool and jacuzzi.
Throughout his tenure, Pisters said he has worked to
keep room rates reasonable, which may explain how the hotel has made it
through the tough times of the past two years. Just getting by isn’t
enough, however. He said he wants to see the hotel open another location
on the beach.
He also holds out hope Pattaya will become even more
family friendly. Pisters said he’d like to see Beach Road closed off to
traffic and have officials to clamp down on zoning so adult nightlife is
restricted to one defined zone. He’d also like to see the workforce
improve its skills set, with help from such things as a reputable
hospitality school.
One
of the new deluxe apartments.
