INTERVIEW
RAVI CHANDRAN
Banyan Tree is renowned for its holistic spas and leading service standards, but as the operator makes inroads into new markets – in Asia and further afi eld – how will it maintain its strong positioning? We talk to the senior vice-president and managing director of spa operations
NEENA DHILLON » JOURNALIST » SPA BUSINESS W
hen Banyan Tree unveils its 20,000sq ſt (1,858sq m) spa and fi tness club at the Marina Bay Sands integrated resort in Sin-
gapore in June, the launch will represent a much-anticipated homecoming for Asia’s pre- mier spa brand. T is new facility is just one of four strategic spa locations being opened this year by Banyan Tree Holdings. T e Singapore-headquartered company
began life in 1994 with a fl agship resort, Ban- yan Tree Phuket, before transforming over a 17-year period into a leading manager and developer of premium resorts, hotels and spas. Established by founder and executive chairman Ho KwonPing, a Singapore native, the group has focused aggressively on the expansion of its spa operations in the past 10 years, with eight sites in 2001 increasing to 65 today. Ravi Chandran has been at the forefront of this growth, in a key position as senior vice-president and managing direc- tor of spa operations.
Honest, engaging and to the point, Sri Lankan-born Chandran admits he’s had to pick up certain elements – such as market- ing and treatment protocols – on the job. Originally an accountant, he joined Banyan Tree in 1997, moving to Phuket from London where he leſt behind a managerial position with Hilton. Initially tasked to over- see fi nancial operations, he was later earmarked by KwonPing to front a dedicated spa business unit. His wide-reaching responsibilities today cover finance, business development, projects, human resources, spa academies, mar- keting, purchasing and operations.
Chandran joined in 1997 and now oversees 65 outlets globally; the fl agship resort in Phuket (below) launched in 1994
In addition, he is charged with building the group’s reputation as a pioneering spa oper- ator and consultant, as well as overseeing the 1,000 staff that work under the unit. He says: “When the unit was created about eight years ago, my job involved a lot of fl ying but we now have cluster heads for diff erent regions – Asia Pacifi c (excluding China), China, Europe, the Middle East and the Amer- icas – who report back to me. I still travel when there’s a big partner- ship on the table but my team is very au fait with handling business leads and contractual arrangements.”
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