Thailand-based hotel brand Siam@Siam Design Hotels has adopted Shiji Horizon Distribution’s WeChat Booking Engine to increase its digital presence with travellers from mainland China.

Operating under the Kaleido Group, the brand aims to strengthen its engagement with Chinese consumers by allowing bookings through WeChat, a platform widely used across China with more than 1.4 billion monthly active users.

The new system is designed to facilitate direct reservations and improve integration with the hotels’ existing marketing channels.

Shiji provides the infrastructure that allows Siam@Siam guests to book rooms directly via WeChat.

This approach is expected to reduce the hotels’ dependency on third-party distributors by offering a direct-to-consumer channel within a familiar digital environment for Chinese customers, stated the hospitality technology company.

Its WeChat Booking Engine incorporates Horizon Distribution's experience in hotel distribution across Asia-Pacific, offering compatibility with hotel management systems and online campaigns.

Shiji Horizon Distribution managing director Anson Lau said: “Our mission is to help hotels connect with global travellers through localised expertise and technology.

“We are proud to support Siam@Siam Design Hotels in expanding their presence in the Greater China market. This collaboration demonstrates how social media platforms like WeChat are reshaping how hotels engage with travellers.”

Siam@Siam Design Hotels commenced operations in 2007 and currently manages two properties in Thailand.

By implementing the new booking engine, the hotels aim to capture a share of the outbound travel market from China and offer a native booking experience tailored to local preferences.

According to Shiji, the move reflects broader trends in the hospitality industry, where digital and social media platforms play a significant role in attracting international guests and facilitating reservations.

Industry observers note that direct digital connections between hotels and consumers can lead to increased brand control and revenue opportunities.

With mobile-first solutions becoming more common among Chinese travellers, Shiji stated that the introduction of platforms such as the WeChat Booking Engine demonstrates efforts by international hotel brands to remain accessible within key tourism markets in Asia.

Recently, South Palms Resort & Spa Panglao in the Philippines integrated Shiji’s Infrasys Cloud POS system to oversee its hospitality services.