Insight Continued from overleaf


How hard is it to launch brands in new markets? When we go into new countries we have to work twice as hard to promote the destination and the brand, which we’ve done in quite a few places that seemed like mission impossible. A good example is Abu


Dhabi’s Sir Bani Yas Island. No one wanted it because it was far from Abu Dhabi and you have to take a boat crossing, but we took it and created a destination experience. On the back of that, we attained Qasr Al Sarab Resort. Now we’ve got a relationship with one of the sovereign wealth funds in Abu Dhabi who have invested with us in Thailand, the Maldives and Singapore.


What does Minor Hotels bring to the market? People in Europe and the US want that Asian hospitality, and I think that’s something we bring. We also add our F&B expertise – it’s one of our core businesses and we own a lot of our high-end and casual dining restaurants as well.


Can you tell us more about your medical wellness? I think, especially post- pandemic, there’s been a huge demand for wellness. People want to feel good, be active, feel less than their age, and live life without being dependent on other people. Coming from an Asian background, we’re used to pampering and spas, but now we have elevated that into medical health and wellness. We’ve launched a new dedicated facility at Anantara Layan Phuket Resort. It’s a 1,700 sqm facility spread over two floors, adjacent to the main resort, so it can offer that integrated wellness offering. It has proper doctors and medical specialists, not just


40 BUSINESS TRAVELLER


‘ Slow travel is that moment to unplug, where you’re not responsible for anything – you can just relax’


DECEMBER 2024/JANUARY 2025


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