Our Story
“My father always had great foresight”
The Narai Hospitality Group is something of an anomaly: a family business that truly values its heritage and community while continuously innovating.
As the first Asian Games approached and tourism flourished off the back of the first 747s taking to the skies, the family saw an opportunity in hotels. Mr Chavan Nithivasin had a vision for something extraordinary that Thailand had never seen before: the Narai Hotel.
At 500 rooms, it was by far the biggest and grandest the nation had seen, making an iconic mark on the Bangkok skyline and social scene for over 50 years. Its crown jewel was a rotating restaurant frequented by royalty and celebrities.
The success of Narai Hotel paved the way for new ventures and has allowed the group to take strides into operations and development, each step a continuation of a long tradition of breaking new ground, an ode to the restless pursuit of new and meaningful experiences.
Now operating across three continents, and with new ventures in Europe and Australia building on this drive for progress, Narai remains true to its initial values of fostering belonging and developing with purpose.
“We understand that true value is not measured in days but in decades. Each decision we make, every new idea we introduce, is a contribution to future generations.”
“We’re proud to create experiences that form connections and create space for everyone to be included. My family’s deep understanding of successful hospitality has leveraged these learnings to take leaps in other sectors of the industry.”
Our Team
Nathee Nithivasin
Joining Narai Hospitality Group as Vice President of Strategy in 2008, Nathee Nithivasin brought a strategic vision to Narai Hotel’s operations and long-term growth.
With over 15 years of experience in the group, he has developed innovative Food & Beverages strategies and led successful market introductions of brands like Sugi Bee and Narai Catering.
Currently serving as Managing Director and CEO of Narai Hospitality Group, Nathee oversees the commercial success of multiple brands while also advancing the Group’s strategic business expansion across Southeast Asia.
Nithida Nithivasin
Nithida Nithivasin is a hospitality and investment executive with over 16 years of experience in launching and scaling new brand platforms, driving mergers and acquisitions, leading greenfield and conversion developments, repositioning assets, and overseeing asset management. Her career began in investment banking, where she specialised in debt restructuring and M&A, before transitioning to hospitality.
Since joining NHG, She led the greenfield development of a full-service resort in Phuket. She also launched the company’s hospitality and investment division in Europe, laying the foundation for what is now a comprehensive platform involving acquisitions, hotel asset repositioning, and the establishment of an asset management division.
Under her leadership, she scaled the Lub d affordable lifestyle brand from 100 keys to 1,000 across Thailand, Cambodia, the Philippines, and Japan. She also founded the Marasca brand, entering the casual luxury market with two assets in Thailand. This experience has helped her develop deep expertise in brand development and operational expansion.
Thomas Tait
Joining Narai Hospitality Group in 2018, Thomas Tait brings almost 20 years of experience in strategic hospitality operations, specialising in crisis management and family-oriented resort operations.
In his role as Chief Operating Officer South East Asia, he oversees operations and sets the strategic direction of the group, focusing on streamlined business processes and effective marketing strategies to enhance profitability and optimise performance.
Previously honoured with the Leadership in a Crisis Award during a decade-long tenure at IHG Hotels & Resorts, he is recognised for his skills in negotiation, business process improvement, operations management, marketing, and analytics.
Emmanuel Marion
Appointed as CFO of Narai Hospitality Group in February 2022, Emmanuel Marion oversees the financial and operational activities of the group across Europe, Asia, and the Pacific. Over 25 years in various positions including senior management roles at Accor Hotels Group, he brings deep expertise in Finance, Administration, Legal, and IT, as well as two years of experience managing operations across six countries.
Known for his extensive experience in Asian markets, he has led large finance and operations teams, skillfully navigating diverse cultural environments to support growth and development in the region.
Sirinthorn Saetae
As Business Development Director for Narai Hospitality Group, Sirinthorn Saetae is responsible for driving the expansion of the Lub d and Marasca brands. With over 20 years of experience spanning the retail and F&B sectors, she brings a broad skill set in purchasing, franchise pitch and operations, sales, new market and business development.
Her career includes leadership roles with brands such as Asia Books, Wine Connection, Global Franchise Architects (Thailand), and franchises like Pizza Hut, Subway, and Taco Bell.
Known for her expertise in business development, franchise management, new partnerships and contracts, restaurant compliance, and brand strategy, she leverages a wealth of industry knowledge to drive growth across diverse markets, establishing partnerships while maintain strong relationships with hotel owners, landlords, and developers.
Bernard Gawkasem
As Capital Partnership & Business Development Director for Narai Hospitality Group, Bernard Gawkasem is responsible for cultivating relationships with capital partners to fuel the group’s strategic growth.
With a strong background in hospitality investment, he previously served as Head of Investment Analysis for IHG in Singapore, and as a Director in IHG’s Capital Investments and Transactions team.
His experience also includes a decade in real estate investment banking with HSBC and Citigroup in Singapore, equipping him with deep expertise in investment analysis, capital partnerships, and business development.
Arunwan Chantanavicharn
Arunwan Chantanavicharn joined Narai Hospitality Group in 2019 and has been instrumental in developing and launching the Marasca brand, including its first property, Marasca Khao Yai, a casual luxury retreat, followed by Marasca Samui. Now serving as Group Director of Brands, she oversees brand strategy and growth for Narai Hospitality.
Before joining Narai, Arunwan built over a decade of experience in brand and marketing across global consumer products and luxury sectors, where she honed her ability to establish strong brand foundations and respond to evolving consumer trends. Her deep expertise supports Narai Hospitality’s vision for creating compelling guest experiences and impactful brands.
Narai Hotel was officially opened. A large hotel with 500 rooms, with reputation of; Thailand’s first revolving floor restaurant “La Rotonde”, the tallest building on Silom Road. The largest ballroom in Bangkok without internal pillars and can accommodate up to 1,000 people. Narai Pizzaria is the first pizza restaurant in Thailand using a recipe from Gordon Bleu Institute.
