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ANGSANA
VACATION CLUB
By Joyce Hadley Copeland
Asian Experiences for
Thirty years ago, the founders of Laguna Resorts &
Hotels
snapped up a swath of coastal property in
Phuket, Thailand, only to discover that its captivating
cobalt-blue lagoons were the result of pollution from
its former resident, a tin mine. Rather than abandon
plans to develop a master-planned resort community,
the founders dug in, restoring the acid-contaminated
soil by planting more than 7,000 trees, and creating
Laguna Phuket in 1987. The company opened its
first Banyan Tree resort in 1994, and Banyan Tree
became a Singapore public-listed company in 2006.
Today, the Laguna Phuket resort complex sprawls across 1,000
acres (405 hectares) of tropical parkland, and is home to several
deluxe hotels, exclusive condominiums and villas, a shopping village,
the acclaimed Banyan Tree Spa and Angsana Spa, and an award-winning
18-hole golf course — Laguna Golf Phuket. The latest chapter in this
epic success story? The newly launched points-based vacation owner-
ship offered through Angsana Vacation Club.
Unwrapping Asia
Leveraging Banyan Tree’s family of lifestyle brands, Angsana Vacation
Club is curating a bespoke portfolio of vacation experiences, each
celebrating the cultural riches of Asia through its authentic sense of
place.
The initial portfolio of Club Resorts includes Angsana- and
Cassia-branded properties in Laguna Phuket, and another Angsana
resort in the new Laguna Lang Co. development in central Vietnam, an
hour from Da Nang. Members may also use their points to reserve stays
at 10 Angsana and Banyan Tree properties in the Club Connections
portfolio located in popular destinations, including China, Morocco,
Maldives, and Seychelles.
“Our hotels are distinctively designed according to the destination,”
says Norbert Jeske, general manager of Angsana Vacation Club. “They
come with all the amenities, but they are culturally blended with the
authentic elements and artistic flavor of the country you’re visiting. I think
in today’s day and age, that’s probably more experiential and enticing.”
Marketing Mix
Prospective club members may get their first introduction to vacation
ownership during a stay at Laguna Phuket, where Angsana Vacation
Club has two very different properties — Angsana Laguna Phuket and
Cassia Phuket — and its only sales center. Angsana Vacation Club’s
third property is in Central Vietnam.
The club schedules three-night mini-vacations for residents of
Asian Markets
OCTOBER – DECEMBER 2016
RESORTDEVELOPER.COM
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