Amari, the Thailand-based hotel operator, has announced plans to add a further 40 properties across the Asia Pacific region to its portfolio as part of a US$44.1m (£26.6m, €29.4m) expansion strategy.

The announcement, which comes a year after the appointment of Peter Henley as the company's new president and CEO, has coincided with the launch of a new logo and corporate identity for the Amari brand. New hotels are set to open across the region as part of Amari's expansion plans, including China, Vietnam, Australia and the Middle East, with the company's first new resort - Amari Hua Hin - opening in late 2011 with 223 rooms and suites.

Shamini Murugan, group director of communications at Amari Hotels, said: "For the last 12 months, the team has been laying the foundations. One of the aspects of that is to strengthen the management team - when you're managing properties within Thailand, the infrastructure is quite easy. "We are trying to prepare to manage properties within the Asia Pacific region -we're talking about countries like India, China and Australia. We have to look at the structure that we have, so for the first time we have a development team - things we didn't need to have in place before."

Two existing hotels - the Amari Watergate Bangkok and the Amari Coral Beach Phuket - are set to undergo refurbishment schemes in 2010 to complement the expansion plans and to incorporate the company's new identity. Peter Henley, Amari Hotels president and CEO, said: "Recognising the competitiveness in today's hospitality industry, we realised that to maintain and develop our position, we needed to create a long-term plan to take the company forward."

Amari Watergate Bangkok boasts 569 bedrooms and suites, a swimming pool with spa pool, a fitness centre with squash courts, a sauna and steamroom, and a range of restaurants. Amari Coral Beach Phuket features 197 bedrooms and suites, two swimming pools, a fitness room, a scuba diving centre and a beauty salon, as well as three restaurants.

Both the Bangkok and Phuket properties also boast Sivara spas offering a range of herbal treatments and massages inspired by nature. The Bangkok spa boasts eight treatment rooms, including three themed double rooms offering signature treatments: Mystical Forest, Floral Bloom and Herbal Inspiration. Meanwhile, the Phuket spa features four teak wood salas - each separated by a garden walkway and including an outdoor shower, a wet area and a sun terrace. The larger sala also includes a steamroom and outdoor spa pool.