HoteliersGuild LookBook No2/2019

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It’s Wild & IT’S Hot Shinta Mani wild

by Bill Bensley

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CONCEIVED TO CELEBRATE BRILLIANCE IN OUR INDUSTRY Dedicated to people who are making outstanding contributions to the global luxury Lebensart. Inspiring and educating a new generation of discerning hoteliers and exclusive service providers.

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The

Content

32 Asia’s architect of the moment Bill Bensley exclusive interview

TENTED CAMPS ARE WILD!

76 | 77 A portrait of Joseph Chong, HoteliersGuild’s Ambassador for Asia - Area Vice President and Managing Director The Peninsula Hong Kong and The Peninsula Shanghai

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SHINTAMANIWILD Bill Bensley Collection

SHINTAMANIANKOR Bill Bensley Collection

An awe inspiring eco-luxury crown jewel in the Cambodian jungle

An exceptional urban retreat, a hotel-within-a-hotel

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CAPELLAUBUD Bali’s luxury camp

JUNGLECUISINE Culinary delights

Belmond’s version of sustainable eco-luxury - a timeless explorer’s lodge in Botswana.

The all new Shinta Mani Wild - Bentley Collection Cambodia

Dining in style in Cambodia’s & Bali’s jungle retreats

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PENINSULAHK RESIDING IN STYLE

NOBLECAUSES Giving back

Asia’s legendary and undisputed Grand dame

HoteliersGuild in support of member initiatives

Editorial

Frank M. Pfaller | Publisher

“Luxury travel is changing very quickly and it’s the kind of travel that I want to do myself. Experiential travel is replacing luxury travel. I know there is a market for this. All of the things we are doing in the camp are exactly the things I want to do when I go out on vacation…”

H

oteliersGuild’s guiding philosophy is that

excellence is not an aspiration, but an ongoing commitment to sustainability and and ecoluxury in all the respective aspects of modern hotel-keeping.

Therefor, and with our deep admiration, this special issue of HoteliersGuild’s LookBook is dedicated to one of the great eco-luxury architects and designers of today - a charismatic colleague and a distinguished member of our private society, BILL BENSLEY. We are delighted to highlight two of his bespoke Bensley Collection retreats in our new LookBook, the Shinta Mani Wild, in the Cardamom National Park and the Shinta Mani Ankor in Siem Reap, both in Cambodia.

Bill Bensley

It all started when Bill and his partner and HoteliersGuild member, well known Thai entrepreneur Sokoun Chanpreda, found out that potential buyers for the site included a Korean company who had plans to log the forest. They decided to join the auction – and they won! At that time, Bill was not really

Bill Bensley

aware of the threats facing Cambodia’s natural resources, and they were not really sure what to do with the land, but definitely realised that conservation was better than extraction, i.e. chopping down forests. So, the decision was made to develop an eco-luxury tourism project that would have a really low environmental impact and hopefully a high yield later.

In a recent interview, Bill said: “This is

certainly my most ambitious and challenging project to date. Whether it’s really going to work or not, I don’t know, but the whole point of this is to try to protect this forest and her wildlife before it’s too late and all gone. And what I do know for sure is that this is the right thing to do. I’ve been working out here in Asia for 30 years and this is the hardest thing I’ve ever done…”

On behalf of HoteliersGuild, well done Bill and Sokoun! I am convinced that we will readily support your activities for sustainability & ecoluxury!

Warm regards & be inspired!

Frank M. Pfaller President HoteliersGuild

MADE-TO-MEASURE LUXURY HOTEL MANAGEMENT, REPRESENTATION, MARKETING & BRANDING Responsible for some of the finest and most distinctive property concepts around the globe.

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The Registry CollectionÂŽ program gives owners of luxury timeshare, fractional, and other resort real estate the opportunity to exchange their resort home for vacation experiences at unparalleled resorts around the world.

The Registry Collection program has approximately 200 properties accessible for exchange or under development around the world.* As the industry leader in providing exchange services and VIP travel concierge services with more than 14 years of succes we can provide an added benefit during the sales process of your luxury offering that can help set you apart from your competition.

Whether you are a experienced developer or a new entrant in the luxury segment, learn how your business can become part of something extraordinary.

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Š2017 RCI, LLC. All rights reserved.

THE PRIVATE SOCIETY FOR DISCERNING HOTELIERS A league of its own Affiliation by invitation only

HoteliersGuild

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And we much appreciate our HoteliersGuild colleagues’ dedication and commitment to sustainability & eco-luxury.

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We cherish private luxury sanctuaries and admire iconic grand hotels.

shinta mani wild a radical new concept for a luxury tented camp nestled deep in Cambodia’s South Cardamom National Park The Bensley Collection

truly Wild & beautiful fourteen beautifully appointed one bedroom and one two bedroom tents

“This is certainly my most ambitious and challenging project to date. Whether it’s really going to work or not, I don’t know, but the whole point of this is to try to protect this forest and her wildlife before it’s too late and all gone.”

Bill Bensley

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From the exhilarating moment of arrival - criss-crossing the rapids via a 380m zip-line - there will be no such thing as a typical day at Shinta Mani Wild, a radical new concept for an eco-luxury tented camp..

IT’S WILD & IT’S ECO Th Ben e Shinta sle has y Colle Mani W unle il c ashe tion te dw a ild d exp erien bespo a host m k o c the es that e Bensle f cam exem y and p auth advent ’s spirit plify of ure entic inter , promi fun the park incred actions sing a tw land se ible na with t ist o f Shi tting – a ional nta Man ll with i styl e.

Guests that share Shinta Mani Wild – Bensley Collection’s passion for protecting its precious natural environment might find themselves joining Wildlife Alliance rangers motorcycling through the forest on antipoaching patrols and tracking previously unrecorded wildlife activity. Funded by Shinta Mani, the camp’s ranger station enables the non-profit Wildlife Alliance to carry out vital conservation work in the area, including protecting animals from poaching, removing snares and preventing illegal logging.

‘On the rocks’ takes on a whole new meaning via the camp’s picnics, all thoughtfully prepared by highly skilled Bensley Butlers, which can be enjoyed beside the camp’s cascading waterfall, atop a mountain, or wherever guests please. The pièce de résistance is the camp’s WW2 Land Rover which has been given the Bensley treatment to transform it into a mobile cocktail bar. Naturally, Shinta Mani Wild’s charismatic General Manager, Sangjay, will play host for sundowners...

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o a i – t r t c d s u d rl fru destr t the wo this give we hire t s e s f u for mbat dian guy h out o dia b o o c b m s o o t b Ca fr e his hired first Cam o was ut t y o e b v a ha nl e wh nate he o o of th s ago, o T i . s e s n w t a o O ar so p with us n ging is y n ye e s v i e s pa log ill y, ersit t he is st ng and le to ds v b i a n u e i r a ct th p poach eed to b ork towa m e j o r n p e to to s law. You age to w to pay th d y a w w an the nt eed s e e n c e c i r e u n o d o e y pa enf als a forest; t’s th com c a o h l g t e n i o e th the logg ith. S e charg ting c w e e h t t m w o 00 pr the s, than S$1,9 t ribe amp. Ye e b U r n t o a m c ca ha this tes start t is so t a hers c f a o o h a a p a r 400 – om r e] but th e ide l u o r o o [ h n s v w e price ll-inclusi ot just o ger scal . h g i r n a h oms a la ht, ers m g g i n a n n o d a r ly y r Ca hat per s on n pa eyond t uthern r a e c g n s b o we t go entire S se ra number e u h b t e n i ig … sit the stuff r – safety ed b y e l l s n a u u rio ou ide s se ups of fo it up. Y i s i ro pl Th t in g never s u o go they

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Q&A Q: One word that describes you?

A: Respectful!

more nutritious crops in Cambodia to the purchase and distribution and maintenance of Kohler water filters to try to lower the tragic 5% infant mortality in Cambodia due to unclean water.

What inspired both of you to start the Bensley Collection?

If you had the opportunity in a room with all the world’s leaders/Trump this year – what would you ask them?

It was not my idea, but Sokoun’s idea to use my name. We needed a 5 star add on to our Shinta Mani brand. and for better or for worse Bensley is the name we choose

Just what is it, dearies, about climate change & global warming that you don"t understand?

What do you enjoy most about your work?

The constant need for top shelf creativity What do you enjoy the least?

Wasting time

Do you think it’s important for ‘eco-luxury architecture’ colleagues of yours to prove they are sustainable, rather than just say they are?

Greenwash makes me ill.

Frank Lloyd Wright

What in your opinion is the most pressing sustainability issue facing the travel industry today?

Plastics.. garbage management, lack of conservation.

What is your personal indulgence?

Do your guests Care about Sustainability?

A daily Thai massage

Some do, some don’t. We don’t press the issue. Is this a more effective approach? Perhaps!?

Who was/is your greatest influence?

What steps do you take to make your personal life more sustainable?

My architectural practice and the methods that we invent to do what we do teach other architects and developers to do the same. Our hotels have NO single use plastics... a first in Asia. Our hotels all engage the community, in many ways.... from kids free dentistry to distribution of better and

Can you share a favorite place to stay, or a useful product or service, that you feel is doing something genuinely sustainable for people and planet?

Yes, the Misool dive resort in Raja Empat, www.misool.info. A small resort has make a huge positive impact in the fishery around them by employing locals to

police themselves from destroying the ocean. They are learning that conservation is more effective and lucrative the extraction... I hope we can be as successful in Cambodia Your job is of course central to the cause of eco-luxury, travel and sustainability. But what do you do in your daily personal life and when you are traveling in the name of sustainability?

Good question. just by traveling as much as I do I add to the carbon footprint. BUT I am making a BBC netflix program about some of the hotels that I have designed and the way we did so and how others can do the same.. it’s called” Designing Paradise”. out this summer.

What are the corner stones of your foundation & explain to us what HoteliersGuild could do to assist you?

The corner stones are many. My biggest push now is to join forces with Wildlife Alliance to stop wildlife poaching in the Cardomom National forrest Cambodia. If you could sponsor yet another ranger station this would be a huge win.

shinta mani ankor “Experiential travel is replacing luxury travel. I know there is a market for this.�

Bill Bensley

a hotel within a hotel comprises ten exquisite two-level 156 sqm villas in the cultural heart of the royal historic town of Siem Reap and offers an indulgent experience.

Designed as a hotel within a hotel, guests have a choice of an all-inclusive indulgent experience or a refined bed and breakfast option.

Under the ancient canopy of Siem Reap’s Palace trees, each villa offers its residents privacy and ultimate extravagance, complete with their own Bill Bensley lush tropical garden that literally brings the outside in.

PR ULT IVACY EX IMA & TR TE AVA GA N

In as c r e s cre ume a t i n g ski ative d co h i s wit ll in spir mpl co de h his craf it run ete f l l e c t fre reed i o n , su signe leg ting e r p e r d Be nd ion and om Kn oun t h a n e h a owin ded e vil ry b erin sho to le s l e y g w l g r t s a ca s a illia co th by s his n ex m d t h a fort e s i g e im priva s he ce. perie e his like He nces pe t t o able n e d porta te l r u n d e son t a l l y bed t h e ce sh s to has s inn s i g n a l l y b l a ima f l u of s gard live o o ‘es vat a n ver c k s gina f f i e leep ens ; on capi ive t d s e seen o u t ble s t m , Bil . s in l wa e tha m’ ( ype r v i c ev . a r ost a e nt o e t oo B to gue lso t f in m t o ry d i l l d h ex s h pe ts w e tit ulge e n etai a s s rie l nc ill lo e of nce u r e l of e a ng his he an ga in reme book calls an d a mbe ) and ga r an in. d

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MADE-TO-MEASURE LUXURY HOTEL MANAGEMENT, REPRESENTATION, BRANDING & MARKETING Creating distinctive branding, operating and marketing concepts for luxury hotels around the globe.

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Nestled at the heart of lush green forests. This splendid tented camp sits in harmony with the surrounding nature.

An experience of the balance of tranquillity and adventure.

Bali’s amazing new eco-luxury tented camp

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Private dining with a twist

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The Jungle Spa Here, Bali’s wellness philosophy means marrying soothing simplicity and pure indulgence delivered with a bespoke holistic approach.

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on an entirely different and important role at

these eco-luxury tented camps. Internationally

established chefs have created their own interpretation of

sustainable cuisine for the pleasure of

discerning foodies.

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Cool culinary delights created by Chef Matt McCool. Matt is overseeing operations at The Capella Ubud’s duo of distinctive dining destinations, Api Jiwa and Mads Lange, in-tent dining, plus the resident’s-only Mortar and Pestle Bar and The Camp Fire.

Locally-sourced organic produce and top-tier imported meats combine in Chef McCool’s ingredient- driven opening menus for the camp’s two distinctive dining concepts, Mads Lange and Api Jiwa Inventive, sustainably-sourced food will be a key element of the camp’s offering with Chef Matt McCool helming a gifted team of local talents. A Sydneysider with eighteen years of International experience, Matt cut his teeth alongside Chef Peter Gilmore at the city’s iconic harbourside venue Quay, before heading to London to sharpen his skills in a slew of Michelin-starred kitchens, including Gordon Ramsay’s Maze and Tom Aitkens’ eponymous London restaurant. However, it was during his time at Aria, China World Hotel’s muchpraised fine-dining institution in Beijing, that McCool really hit his culinary stride.

His playful, contemporary approach to incorporating prime Australian ingredients into Asian cooking became his signature, earning him a string of accolades, including recognition as Time Out’s ‘Chef of the Year’ in 2011.

DesignHighlights

Patricia Yeo - Corporate Chef – Shinta Mani Hotels Global Restaurateur and Former Scientist Goes From Lab Coat to Chefs Whites It was not originally Patricia’s intention to be a Chef. After excelling in science at boarding school in Cambridge, England, she was on her way to completing a biochemistry degree at Princeton University. During a break between semesters, she enrolled in a cooking class at the New York Restaurant School. Yeo was exhilarated by the new ingredients and culinary techniques she was learning and was thrilled that food chemistry yielded immediate results. Inspired, she turned in her lab coat for Chefs whites.

Today, as the Corporate Chef for Shinta Mani Hotels, Patricia Yeo is responsible for overseeing strategic planning and implementation of all culinary matters for Shinta Mani Hotels. This includes the three properties in Siem Reap as well as Shinta Mani Wild – Bensley Collection, a luxury tented camp that opened in late December 2018 in the South Cardamom National Park 3 hours drive from Phnom Penh.

DesignHighlights

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The PENINSULA HOTEL HONG KONG ASIA’S ICONIC GRAND DAME

Building on its 90 years as a global beacon of hospitality, the legendary “Grande Dame of the Far East” continues to set hotel standards worldwide, offering a blend of the best Eastern and Western hospitality in an atmosphere of unmatched classical grandeur and timeless elegance. A stay at the hotel allows you to re-live the glamour of travel of a by-gone era and explore the many antiques and historical artifacts on display around the hotel.

…AND: was the first hotel in Asia to have page boys…

Often referred to as “The Grand dame of the Far East” the legendary property, Hong Kong’s oldest hotel, debuted in 1928 in a beautiful six-story building. In 1994, an additional 30-story tower was added, which nearly doubled its accommodation inventory.While the hotel has long been a see-and- be-seen destination unto itself – with eight restaurants and lounges, a sweeping luxury shopping arcade, and a decadent spa – its location also offers easy access, via railway, ferry, or helicopter to Hong Kong’s myriad attractions.

EXQUISITEDESIGN&Comfort Grand Deluxe Harbour View Suites offer a true sense of arrival with stunning unobstructed views of Victoria Harbour from their elevated corner locations in the Peninsula Tower.

T he Peni nsul a Suit e The Pen 377-sq ua brea insula thtak Suit re-metr e, e from in its p g harbo offering rivat ur v do e Slee uble-he terrace iews a enha k cont ight w indo nd e mp nced w o ra s Pen insu with the ry luxu . r la se lege y n rv the- ice, sta dary art t echn te-ofolog y

The Peninsula Hong Kong’s eight distinctive restaurants and lounges – which include a Michelin-starred establishment – are among the city’s top dining and drinking destinations

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Evening live piano jazz

he Bar Lounge

P

o Joseph Chong

HoteliersGuild’s Ambassador to Asia

Area Vice President and Managing Director The Peninsula Hong Kong and The Peninsula Shanghai

a HÔTELIER & a GENTLEMAN

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HoteliersGuild’s ambassador for Asia and a distinguished member of the Board of Governors for the hospitality industry’s exclusive

International HoteliersGuild Hall of Fame,

Joseph Chong has been Area Vice President and Managing Director of The Peninsula Hong Kong and The Peninsula Shanghai since 2017.

His dedication to The Peninsula Hotels, however, spans nearly two decades. Prior to his most recent appointment, Mr Chong held key executive positions at Peninsula properties all over Asia. Most recently, he spent eight years in leadership roles at The Peninsula Shanghai, culminating with the post of General Manager and Managing Director. He also previously served as Resident Manager at The Peninsula Bangkok, and as Executive Assistant Manager of Rooms at The Peninsula Beijing (formerly The Palace Hotel Beijing).

A native of Malaysia, Mr Chong received his first degree in Hotel

Management from l’Institut International d'Hôtellerie et de Tourisme de Toulouse Midi Pyrenees (France), and began his hospitality career in the front office of The Regent Kuala Lumpur in 1989. He continued his development with subsequent studies from Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University (US) and the Hong Kong University of Science & Technology; and by holding various positions at The Regent Hotels in Bangkok and Jakarta, as well as Four Seasons properties in Bali and Singapore.

A husband and father of two children, Mr Chong is active in many charitable organisations. He is an Honorary Trustee of Raleigh China (a UK-based children’s charity); a Trustee of the Library Project China Board; and a founding Director of the MakeA-Wish China Board since its inception in 2016. In his spare time, he enjoys target archery.

CURATED BY

CONCEIVED TO CELEBRATE BRILLIANCE IN OUR INDUSTRY Dedicated to people who are making outstanding contributions to the global luxury Lebensart. Inspiring and educating a new generation of discerning hoteliers and exclusive service providers.

HallOfFame

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Since quite a few years, HoteliersGuid has joined the humanitarian vision and efforts by helping those in need of clean water, shelter, food and other basic necessities to live.

And we provide support to initiatives that promote ethical luxury travel.

THE ORIGIN Founded by Mr. Sokoun Chanpreda, a Cambodian businessman who returned from overseas to invest in the future of his country, the Shinta Mani Foundation is guided by his philosophy of Open Doors, Open Hearts.

Shinta Mani’s community activities began in 2004 with the opening of the Shinta Mani Hotel and Institute of Hospitality on the grounds of Shinta Mani Angkor, a boutique hotel owned by Mr. Sokoun. This innovative program, which received international recognition for its efforts, trained underprivileged Cambodians in aspects of world-class hotel operations on a free of charge basis-providing them the skills to secure employment and a brighter future.

READ MORE: ShintaManiFoundation

1 to become a member go to wholeworldwater.co

“Love is a bright force, is energy, is friendship, is brotherhood, is the will to be on the side of good.�

Regine Sixt

DryingLittleTears

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CONCEIVED TO CELEBRATE BRILLIANCE IN OUR INDUSTRY Dedicated to people who are making outstanding contributions to the global luxury Lebensart. Inspiring and educating a new generation of discerning hoteliers and exclusive service providers.

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DETAILS HERE

A PROGRAM THAT PROVIDES PRO-BONO PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT TO OWNERS AND DEVELOPERS OF ECO-LUXURY HOTELS & RETREATS.

As a hotelier with extensive international experience, I remember when climate change seemed a distant possibility.

Hoteliers started to discuss the “green issue” in the late 80’s after the UN published “Our Common Future” (Bruntland Report), which explained the concept of sustainability as an attempt to create awareness of the disturbing relations between human society and the natural environment.

Here we are thirty years later. Climate change has become the defining predicament of our time but the hotel industry is still hesitant to talk about the issues. Our sector prospered as millions travelled. Travel is the world’s largest and fastest growing industry, so you could argue we have contributed in both a positive and negative way to people and planet.

Sustainability saves money and its good for people, planet and profit. I urge owners and operators in the hospitality industry to move beyond seeing environmental and social challenges as costs, to seeing the potential savings and enormous opportunities to make good things happen.

NOW, a new initiative calling for accountability around sustainability in travel was launched on Earth Day (22 April 2017). Working as a ‘Force for Good’, NOW is forming a global community of consumers who are passionate about travel and want to help tackle the environmental and social challenges facing our planet.

ItMustBeNOW!

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