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A graduate of the Cornell University School of Hospitality Management,
he has managed assets and represented owners of such prestigious
hotels as: Four Seasons New York, Regent Beverly Wilshire, Ritz
Carlton Hong Kong, Westin Philippine Plaza, Hilton Seoul, and Grand
Hyatt Taipei. Recognizing the need for a "comprehensive combination
of professional services covering key areas of hospitality consulting
and asset management," he teamed up with Michael W. Cowan to
launch C9 Hotelworks Co., Ltd. Like Barnet, Cowan has far-reaching
experience in hotel management and hospitality consulting with over
13 years in Asia. His C.V. includes various executive management
positions with Hyatt, Renaissance, Banyan Tree and Ramada.
C9 Hotelworks' clients include: Laguna Resorts and Hotels, Pavillions
Private Villas and Nakaburi Resort & Spa Development, all in
Phuket; Singapore's Carlson Hotels Asia Pacific and Octagon Capital
Partners and Kuala Lumpur's Park Plaza International. "The
key vision of the company is to add value to ownership and ensure
bottom line results are maximized." In addition to hospitality
consulting and asset management, C9 Hotelworks is involved in residential
planning and development. I caught up with Barnet recently to discuss
the company, current projects and Phuket.
Kit C.Cauw: What does Hotelworks do exactly?
Bill Barnet: We're basically an asset management consulting
company set up to capture the growing number of hospitality developments.
We're similar to a project manager, here to ensure quality of service,
to make sure that the owner is receiving the best value. We're there
to enhance returns and to add value to the bottom line.
Kit C.Cauw: You worked in the States as well.
Why Asia?
Bill Barnet: Over these 18 years (that I've worked in the
region) there has been a lot of opportunity. In the States it can
take quite a long time to build a hotel, but in Asia hotels can
be developed relatively quickly.
Kit C.Cauw: What are some projects you are currently working
on?
Bill Barnet: The Karon Villa Hotel. We're working for LaSalle
Investment Management, through their Asia Recovery Fund. This is
a company with about US $20 billion under investment. We're in the
process of renovating, turning it into a five-star resort, and finding
an international company to take over operations.
Kit C.Cauw: When is this scheduled to re-open?
Bill Barnet: Next year. We will be managing the hotel in
the interim. I think it shows great confidence in the economy when
US-based investment funds are purchasing property in Thailand.
Kit C.Cauw: And your other projects?
Bill Barnet: Phuket Pavilions Private Villas for a Hong Kong
based investor, publisher, lawyer Gordon Oldham. He's also the owner
of Pavilions Private Villas in Sanur, Bali. Pavilions will be an
integrated resort. We'll have 21 one-bedroom hotel villas and 9
three-bedroom residential villa. It's up on a hill above Layan Beach,
just north of Laguna, convenient to the airport.
Kit C.Cauw: How did you get into residential development?
Bill Barnet: It's a natural progression. Asia is a very vibrant
area for growth. The synergy is where you have a hotel and resort
combined with a residential offering like we have at Pavilions.
Bill Barnet: I've teamed up with Peter Jensen of Spectrum
Project Services to launch a new company called East Coast Ocean
Villas. Ours will be the first project on the East Coast, an area
that's really going to boom.
Kit C.Cauw: What drew you to Peter Jensen?
Bill Barnet: We've had discussions over the years and I've
liked his work. He's a project manager and consultant, in the residential
market. I was impressed with his recent project, Suan Tua, up near
the Pavilions site. East Coast Ocean Villas combines resources from
our companies and provides the experience of the indivuals involved.
We are working the synergy.
Kit C.Cauw: And the East Coast?
Bill Barnet: Well, we saw a gap in the market-we're doing
thirty-two apartments on Ao Po (on the north-east coast, overlooking
Pang-Nga). We think this will be an area of tremendous development
with its proximity to Boat Lagoon and Yacht Haven, Mission Hills
Country Club (a Jack Nicklaus-designed course opening soon) and
Blue Canyon (one of the top championship golf courses in Asia),
as well as the white sand beaches of Naka Island.
Kit C.Cauw: Will there be a shuttle over to the island?
Bill Barnet: It's actually two islands, Naka Noy and Naka
Yai. They have great beaches and it's easy to get a boat there from
Ao Po.
Bill Barnet: The key of this project is that it shouldn't
cost a fortune to develop and own property on Phuket. The apartments
are priced at 4 and 5 million Thai Baht, affordable to people whether
they want to live here full-time or on vacation. At that price,
with an ocean view, a private gate and security, as well as resort
facilities, including a swimming pool, it is an excellent value.
A lot of people come to Phuket dreaming of living on the ocean,
only to find out that most ocean-front property is way out of their
price range. When we think of a tropical vacation or retirement
home, we don't expect to have to live inland. Here, we're helping
them to realize their dream.
Kit C.Cauw: When will you be finished?
Bill Barnet: Phase one, sixteen units, will be finished next
September.
Kit C.Cauw: What do you see as the future of development
on Phuket?
Bill Barnet: I really think it's going to be in the north.
JW Marriott was a pioneer (on the northern Mai Khao Beach) two years
ago. Now they have stabilized. We see ourselves in the same light.
Door-to-door travel time is shorter up north. East Coast Ocean Villas
is only twenty-minutes from Laguna, from the airport, from town.
Larger developers have been eyeing the east coast for some time
now; it is simply easier to build up in the north. With all the
traffic around the big shopping centres-Big C, Lotus, and now Central,
the South is going to slow down. It already takes an hour to get
from Rawai to the airport. The infrastructure issues in the more
developed areas have not been addressed. Up north, there's much
more open space, better roads. When you look at the luxury market,
you see people are paying a premium for the northern part of the
island.
Kit C.Cauw: One last question. Why did you choose Phuket?
Bill Barnet: I've been in Asia nineteen years, Phuket for
the last three. It offeres the best of both worlds, the pleasures
of living on an island in the tropics but also business opportunities.
I, like many expats, looked at Indonesia, Bali especially, and the
Phillipines, but Thailand had all the elements I was looking for.
When you compare those other places with here, this country is much
more politically stable as well.
Kit C.Cauw: Any reason for Phuket over Samui?
Bill Barnet: Golf!
Bill Barnet: And the economics here were a lot better. The
ability to drive off island, better infrastructure. It's a real
advantage to not have rock fever. Plus my wife has been living here
for nine years.
Bill Barnet: And there's five golf courses!
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