Key points
- The new 387-key hotel on Sukhumvit Soi 15 will be LyLo’s first property outside Australia and New Zealand, giving the Australian hospitality group a prominent foothold in one of Bangkok’s busiest tourism and accommodation districts.
- Following QT Singapore’s opening in 2024 and the announcement of Rydges Bangkok, which is also targeted for 2028, this Thailand Hotel News report highlights how LyLo will become EVT’s third hotel brand to establish a presence in Southeast Asia.
- With a local office being established and three brands now committed to Southeast Asia, the company is building the infrastructure for a longer-term regional presence rather than relying on a single opening.
EVT Hotels & Resorts is accelerating its expansion across Southeast Asia with plans to bring its lifestyle-budget LyLo brand to Bangkok in 2028. The new 387-key hotel on Sukhumvit Soi 15 will be LyLo’s first property outside Australia and New Zealand, giving the Australian hospitality group a prominent foothold in one of Bangkok’s busiest tourism and accommodation districts.
Image Credit: EVT Hotels
The Bangkok project will operate under a management agreement and forms part of EVT’s increasingly asset-light regional growth strategy. Following QT Singapore’s opening in 2024 and the announcement of Rydges Bangkok, which is also targeted for 2028, this Thailand Hotel News report highlights how LyLo will become EVT’s third hotel brand to establish a presence in Southeast Asia. The move also gives EVT a different product for travelers seeking affordability without the conventional budget-hotel format.
Pods, Private Rooms and Rooftop Social Spaces
Despite being described in EVT’s announcement as a 387-bed property, the planned accommodation mix comprises 354 signature LyLo pods and 33 private rooms. The concept is designed around compact, private sleeping spaces combined with larger communal areas, allowing guests to spend less on accommodation while retaining access to social and lifestyle facilities.
In Bangkok, those shared amenities are expected to include a rooftop wellness area, swimming pool and bar. EVT is positioning the property for experience-focused travelers who remain price conscious but place importance on design, atmosphere and opportunities to socialize. For hotel owners, the pod-heavy configuration is also intended to use space efficiently and support stronger operating returns.
Bangkok Office to Support Regional Expansion
EVT is backing its hotel pipeline with a permanent presence in the Thai capital. Harry Thaliwal, reporting to Chief Development Officer Brett Forer, is establishing a Bangkok office that will provide local support to owners and help identify further expansion opportunities across Southeast Asia.
Chief Executive Officer Jane Hastings described LyLo Bangkok as an important milestone in EVT’s regional strategy. She said the company had spent five years developing and proving the LyLo concept and now had a platform capable of supporting international expansion through asset-light management agreements.
The group currently operates LyLo properties in Auckland, Christchurch, Queenstown and Brisbane. A flagship Gold Coast property is scheduled to open in 2028, while EVT says it is holding discussions with investors elsewhere in Asia-Pacific about additional LyLo opportunities.
Bangkok Seen as a Test for LyLo’s International Potential
LyLo Managing Director Tim Alpe said Bangkok’s combination of high visitor volumes, value-conscious customers and travelers seeking stylish accommodation made it a natural market for the brand. Its arrival on Sukhumvit Soi 15 will place LyLo close to a dense mix of hotels, restaurants, nightlife, shopping and transport connections in central Bangkok.
EVT credited Hospitality Capital Advisers, Capstone Asset and Silver Bullet, acting as development partners on behalf of the Boontanonda Family, Matalay and KS Hotels, for their roles in the agreement. Project partners have also expressed confidence that the concept can contribute to Bangkok’s evolving hospitality landscape.
A Broader Play for Southeast Asia
For EVT, the significance of LyLo Bangkok extends beyond adding another hotel to its pipeline. The project broadens the group’s regional offering across luxury-lifestyle, traditional hotel and lifestyle-budget segments while testing whether LyLo’s pod-led model can translate successfully into a major Asian destination.
If the Bangkok property performs as intended, it could provide EVT with a useful showcase for future management agreements across Asia-Pacific. With a local office being established and three brands now committed to Southeast Asia, the company is building the infrastructure for a longer-term regional presence rather than relying on a single opening.
For more on EVT Hotels, visit:
https://www.evt.com/travel/hotels
