In 1983 the Central Group, Thailand's leading retail conglomerate, formed Central Hotels & Resorts and opened its first property, the Hyatt Central Plaza Bangkok together with the Bangkok Convention Centre, in the expanding northern suburbs of Bangkok. The hotel became the foundation of a network of deluxe and first-class properties in Thailand, and on 26 June 2007, in recognition of the need to establish a strong identity of its own, the hotel company rebranded to Centara Hotels & Resorts.
The original hotel is now Centara Grand at Central Plaza Ladprao Bangkok, and has been long established as one of the city's leading upscale hotels for both accommodation and the MICE industry. Since the rebranding the group has further expanded throughout Thailand and, starting from late in 2009, began strategic growth overseas. Today, Centara Hotels & Resorts is Thailand's leading hotel company, with more than 40 properties throughout the Kingdom, and almost 20 overseas, in the Maldives, Vietnam, Bali, Shanghai, Sri Lanka and Mauritius.
There are seven different brands within Centara, ensuring that a broad range of guests will find a hotel or resort that is appropriate to their needs. Centara operates 27 branches of Spa Cenvaree, one of Thailand's most luxurious and innovative spa brands, together with its recently launched value brand Cense by Spa Cenvaree, which provides core spa services for busy travellers. The company's Kids' Club is available at all the family-friendly resorts to take care of the youngsters and teens. Centara Hotels & Resorts also operates three state-of-the-art convention centres in Bangkok, and two in northeastern Thailand, one being located in Udon Thani and the other in Khon Kaen.