In 1948, Thanpuying Chanut Piyaoui made a dream come true when she founded Dusit International and built her first "Princess" hotel on Bangkok's New Road in Thailand. Today, the Dusit name is world-famous for its incomparable standard of excellence in the hospitality industry and incorporates five distinctive brands: Dusit Thani Hotels & Resorts; Dusit's second generation DusitD2 Hotels and Resorts; Dusit Princess Hotels & Resorts; Dusit Devarana Hotels & Resorts, and Dusit Residence Serviced Apartments.
Dusit Thani can truly be called "fit for a king." It was the vision of King Rama VI of Thailand in 1918 that inspired the Dusit concept of impeccable hospitality. "Dusit Thani" was the King's description of his vision."Dusit" is the mythological name for a level of heaven, and "Thani" means town. The King's "town in heaven" was the ideal choice of name for the Bangkok-based flagship hotel, which was officially opened in 1970. Fittingly, a statue of King Rama VI stands across the way from the hotel.
Recognizing the trend toward resort travel, in 1987 Dusit International acquired a property in Pattaya and undertook an important renovation that resulted in the Dusit Thani Pattaya resort. A second resort project was the Dusit Thani Laguna Phuket, a beach resort in Phuket. In 1989, the company's deluxe Dusit Resort and Polo Club was opened and was subsequently renamed the Dusit Thani Hua Hin. The Royal Princess Chiang Mai and the Dusit Island Resort Chiang Rai were part of the company's resorts focus in 1991.
Under the Dusit Thani Hotels & Resorts brand umbrella, in 1995 the company acquired the Hotel Nikko Manila, which underwent an extensive renovation before being renamed the Dusit Thani Manila in 2008.
In 2006, Dusit Thani Hotels & Resorts introduced a brand extension, DusitD2 Hotels & Resorts, a second-generation concept that combines traditions and trends. DusitD2 Chiang Mai was launched in 2006 and DusitD2 Baraquda Pattaya came in 2009.
The Dusit Princess Hotels & Resorts brand was introduced to provide affordable first-class accommodations. The boutique-style Royal Princess Larn Luang was the first such hotel to be opened in Bangkok, in 1989. The first Princess resort project, the Dusit Princess Koh Chang was opened in 2008.
In 2007, the company formed a joint venture with Bird Hospitality Services, a subsidiary of the Bird Group of India, a hospitality technology company. The first joint venture hotel is the Dusit Devarana New Delhi set to open in 2010. The first Dusit D2 Hotels & Resorts project outside Thailand, the DusitD2 New Delhi, is scheduled for a 2011 launch.
Dusit International has also expanded to the Middle East. The Dusit Thani Dubai was opened in 2001 in the United Arab Emirates. The company launched its Dusit Residence Serviced Apartments in 2007, with the opening of the Pearl Coast Premier Hotel Apartments in Dubai. In 2008, the Dusit Residence Dubai Marina was added. The first Dusit Princess property outside Thailand is the Dusit Princess City Center in Dubai.
