The hospitality group secured victory amidst its expansion in Asia with a model that brings hotels, aviation, and lifestyle businesses together.
SONO Hotels & Resorts Asia received the Hospitality Expansion of the Year - Thailand honour at the Travel Daily Media Travel Trade Excellence Awards 2026 - Thailand, which recognises its growing regional hotel portfolio and integrated approach to hospitality.
Following SONO International’s acquisition of Cross Hotels & Resorts from Flight Centre Travel Group, SONO Hotels & Resorts Asia has expanded into a broader Asian hotel management platform. It now operates 17 hotels, with 13 more properties in the pipeline in Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Japan.
Building a wider hospitality ecosystem
The group combines regional hotel management expertise with the scale of SONO International, the hospitality arm of SONO Trinity Group. The wider group operates more than 14,500 rooms in seven countries, which gives SONO Asia access to broader operational capabilities, investment resources, and international source markets.
A key part of the company’s expansion strategy is the connection between hospitality and aviation. Through Trinity Airways, SONO can work across hotel demand, air connectivity, and source-market development. This creates more opportunities to bring travellers to its hotels and destinations.
SONO Moon Nagoya, which opened in June 2026, is an example of this approach. It became SONO Hotels & Resorts Asia's first property in Japan and its first new opening under the SONO Asia platform.
The group is also preparing to launch direct Incheon-Nagoya flights through Trinity Airways in December 2026, following its strategic partnership with aviation authorities in Nagoya.
Beyond hotels and aviation, the wider SONO ecosystem includes pet-friendly resorts and pet-care services, wellness, and F&B concepts. It also has leisure assets including 63 golf holes, Ocean World water park, and Vivaldi Park winter resort, which create opportunities for cross-selling, membership engagement, and new guest experiences.
The group also brings significant reach in its home market, serving visitors in Korea with over 13,000 rooms in 27 domestic sites. Globally, its portfolio has expanded into gateway markets including Washington D.C., New York, Paris, and Honolulu.
SONO Hotels & Resorts Asia's Hospitality Expansion of the Year - Thailand accolade highlights its sustained efforts to build a regional hotel management platform with local expertise and international scale.
The Travel Daily Media Travel Trade Excellence Awards - Thailand recognises the pinnacle of excellence in the travel industry across Thailand. With a keen focus on honouring the best hotels, airlines, airports, cruise lines, tour operators and travel agencies, booking platforms, and travel technology, projects, and initiatives, it aims to spotlight key players that consistently redefine industry standards and elevate customer experiences.
The TDM Travel Trade Excellence Awards 2026 - Thailand is presented by Travel Daily Media Magazine. To view the full list of winners, click here. For more information about the awards programme, please contact Marni Marco at +(65) 3158 1386 ext. 217 or [email protected].
