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From Strength to Strength
“Providing a luxury vacation club product gives us brand differentia-
tion,” says Melanie Smith, group director of club operations for
Anantara Vacation Club. “And, obviously, being attached to the
Anantara Hotels provides a lovely market there for us to attract people
to preview Anantara Vacation Club.”
The Club’s resorts are set in or near existing Anantara properties in
Thailand, Indonesia, China, and New Zealand. “We’re predominately a
villa product with apartments in our urban destinations,” Smith
explains. “Ideally, we like to use the mixed-use model, where we’re
attached to one of the Anantara Hotels, so owners get to use all of the
facilities of the larger resort. And, in terms of the business, it provides a
much more economic use of the facility.”
Through the Club Escapes program, owners can expand their
options by using their points to stay at 29 Anantara hotels, resorts, and
spas in destinations across Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, in coun-
tries including Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Maldives, Mozambique,
Qatar, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, Vietnam, and Zambia.
The New Traveling Class
The club’s recent affiliation with Interval International sweetens the
concept of shared ownership even more for a burgeoning market of
new travelers. Every year between now and 2030, more than 100 mil-
lion people are forecasted to enter the middle class in Asia/Pacific,
according to
Shaping the Future of Travel in Asia Pacific
, a research
study conducted by Amadeus, a global travel and tourism IT provider.
In China alone, the middle class is predicted to grow to encompass
almost 70 percent of the population. The number of Chinese tourists
traveling abroad — within Asia and, increasingly, well beyond — leapt
17 percent in the first three months of 2014, compared with the same
period in 2013, according to the Tourism Administration of China.
Citizens of mainland China already comprise half of Anantara
Vacation Club’s membership. “They’re only just starting to travel, so
the world is their oyster,” Smith says. “Our relationship with Interval
totally enhances the owner experi-
ence, because it gives them access
to a number of other high-quality
branded vacation club experiences
such as Starwood and Accor. They
look at their Interval directory and
they say ‘Oh, wow! All of these
places all over the world!’”
Pizza and Vacation
Ownership
Being aligned with a strategic
player in the region is equally ben-
eficial for Interval. “Anantara is a
highly respected hospitality brand
in the Asia/Pacific region, so it is a
privilege for Interval to be their exclusive exchange partner,” says Joe
Hickman, vice president and executive director of Asia/Pacific for
Interval. “I believe our two companies are a perfect fit and I’m looking
forward to many successful years of collaboration.”
Anantara Vacation Club and the Anantara brand are part of Minor
International (MINT on the Thai stock exchange). CEO Bill Heinecke
was introduced to the concept of vacation ownership when he pur-
chased a JW Marriott hotel in Phuket. Always at the leading edge, the
American-born entrepreneur grew up in Hong Kong, Japan, and
Thailand. He introduced pizza to the Asian market in the early 1980s
and continued to add well-known Western brands and create his own
unique concepts as the company expanded into the Middle East,
Africa, Australia, and emerging markets across Asia. Today, Minor
International operates more than 126 hotels and resorts, 1,500 restau-
rants, and 250 retail outlets in 33 markets from Africa to Australia. “He’s
an amazing man,” Smith says of Heinecke. “He makes things happen.”
The Anantara Experience
Anantara Vacation Club carries forward the vision for the hotel
company’s unique brand, the Anantara Experience. While resort styles
vary from secluded beach enclaves to urban high-rises, each property
infuses luxury amenities with authentic cultural experiences and tradi-
tions unique to a particular destination. The brand promises to consis-
tently deliver high quality and service without crossing the line into a
cookie-cutter concept.
“When you stay in Thailand, you will get a real Thai experience,”
Smith says. “We try and weave that into all different areas of the
resort.” Complimentary local experiences offered at Anantara proper-
ties immerse owners and guests in authentic traditions, customs, and
activities, ranging from a visit to the local Buddhist temple in Thailand
to give offerings to the monks to a sunrise camel trek in Dubai.
Another pillar in Anantara’s brand is grounded hospitality. “Our
indigenous values mean that you’ll get to experience Thai hospitality at
Anantara properties in Thailand and Balinese hospitality at properties
in Bali.”
An Award-Winning
Portfolio
The crown jewel in Anantara
Vacation Club’s portfolio, the
purpose-built Anantara Vacation
Club Phuket Mai Khao on the
popular Thai island set the stan-
dard for The Club Resort
Collection. Named Best Shared
Ownership Development in the
South East Asia Property Awards,
the resort has one- and two-
bedroom apartments with spec-
tacular sunset views — or pool
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