Supakorn Chairongsri, co-founder at Zuwala Hotel in Bangsaen at the Ambition conference by Cloudbeds.
International hotel brands have something independent properties rarely can match — scale.
They also have established brands, large distribution networks, marketing resources, loyalty programmes and increasingly sophisticated technology behind them. For an independent hotel, competing on the same terms is rarely realistic. But independent hotels do not necessarily have to.
Scale Isn’t Everything
At Cloudbeds’ Ambition Bangkok, the “Independent and in Control” hotelier panel explored how smaller operators can compete by playing to a different set of strengths — staying close to their guests, understanding their destination, moving quickly on decisions and using technology to gain greater control over the business.
The panel brought together Eric Conger, CEO and Founder at Pacific Club Resort and Bolder Business Associates; Shruti Ugalmugale, Director of Business Development at Vayudoot Group; Supakorn Chairongsri, Co-founder at Zuwala Hotel; and Mind Tintabootr, Senior Business Development Manager, Partnerships at Cloudbeds.
Rather than trying to outspend international brands, the conversation pointed towards a different approach: knowing your market, your guests and exactly what is happening inside your business. For independent hotels, that can mean understanding what guests see on social media before they book and check in, using reviews to improve the guest experience, managing inventory more effectively and automating time-consuming processes.
In a hotel industry where independent operators are competing for the same guests as much larger brands, the ability to make decisions quickly, respond to the local market and retain more value within the business could become one of their most important competitive advantages.
Winning the Guest Before They Arrive
For Mr Supakorn, the battle for revenue starts long before a guest arrives. Social media has become part of the decision-making process itself. “People look at social media first,” he noted, pointing to the way travellers increasingly assess a hotel through its digital presence before deciding whether they want to visit.
That makes being content-oriented and photogenic more than a branding exercise. For an independent hotel, it can be a direct route to getting into the consideration set of potential guests.
The approach represents a significant shift from the traditional advertising model. Supakorn recalled a time when his hotel would spend heavily on advertising without necessarily having a clear understanding of who they were reaching. Today, the question is more targeted: Who is the audience, and what does that audience actually want to know? That understanding is particularly important for independent properties trying to establish a distinctive identity, he added.
Mr Supakorn also spoke about the ambition to scale across Thailand’s Eastern region while retaining a sense of authenticity. The challenge, he suggested, is not to simply copy and paste a successful hotel concept from one destination to another.
“Authenticity matters and operators need to understand the city, the destination and the character of the market.”
Turning Guest Feedback Into Business Intelligence
Eric Conger, CEO and Founder at Pacific Club Resort and Bolder Business Associates.
For Mr Cogner, guest feedback provides another route to understanding what is working — and what needs to change. His team in Karon, Phuket, pays close attention to reviews, particularly from guests who have had a positive experience, while also looking at feedback for opportunities to improve.
The principle is straightforward: when the guest experience works, the rest of the business has a better chance of working too. “When the guest experience is good, everything else is good,” Mr Conger said, linking guest satisfaction with wider business performance, including revenue.
But the economics of running a hotel are not determined by guest satisfaction alone. For smaller properties in particular, operational details can have a significant commercial impact. Inventory management and fragmentation are among the challenges independent hotels need to address, particularly as operators look for practical ways to make better use of the inventory they already have.
That is where technology can become more than a convenience — helping independent hotels reduce fragmentation and gain greater control over their operations.
Automating the Work Behind the Revenue
Shruti Ugalmugale, Director of Business Development at Vayudoot Group.
For Ms Shruti, automation is already helping address some of the repetitive processes that can consume valuable hotel resources. Her properties have introduced Cloudbeds payment reconciliation, helping reduce the amount of time the accounting team spends reconciling payments.
For an executive with a software engineering background, the opportunity to automate processes is particularly clear. Ms Shruti also highlighted the use of Canary Guest Platform and other technology tools across the properties.
She added that technology needs to be supported by accurate and standardised processes. That is especially important when technology touches financial operations.
The Independent Advantage
For independent hotels, the opportunity is not to compete with international brands, but to build on the advantages that come with being independent. By staying close to their guests, understanding their destination and using technology to run smarter, smaller operators can make faster and more informed decisions about where their business creates value.
The goal is not simply to sell more rooms, but to build a more agile, authentic and commercially resilient business. That is what being independent — and truly in control — can mean in today’s hotel landscape.
