Page 55 - Masala E-magazine Vol 9 Issue 3 December 2017-January 2018

The Banyan Tree corporate structure has been split into The
Banyan Tree Luxury hotels, the Angsana resorts, and the Cassia
and Dhawa holiday apartments. With so many di erent brands,
how would you di erentiate between your customers?
The individuality of our guests and personalisation of our services
are synonymous with all our brands. The di erence between the
brands is the physical nature of each product. Banyan Tree itself is
known for the luxury pool villas that are tailored towards a sense of
sanctuary and pampering. The Angsana properties are a little more
energetic, appealing to a younger audience or groups of families.
Lastly, the Cassia and Dhawa brands are designed for the next
generation of travellers who are seeking an exclusive and unique
experience. In representing Angsana, our market comprises of
people looking for a di erent energy during their stay, while still
expecting the friendliness of Banyan Tree’s service.

What are the unique selling points of Angsana Laguna Phuket?
The versatility of Angsana Laguna Phuket’s 60 acres of property
lends itself to any market, as its physical footprint allows for a
variety of unique experiences. We have lush gardens that zig-zag
through the 300-metre swimming pool that mirrors a lagoon. We
also have beachfront access from guestrooms, as well as plentiful
food and beverage outlets, including the popular Xana Beach Club.

What are your predictions for the immediate future of Phuket as
an Indian wedding destination market?
Phuket is seeing more venues opening up and this creates a
bigger spirit of competition. But where there is competition there The sensibilities of Thai people,
is innovation, and I think this is going to push things to the next and the spirit of caring is what puts
level. One thing we’ve been doing at Angsana is reviewing all of Thai hospitality at a di erent level
our existing products and services, looking at where we can make
the appropriate enhancements, as well as where we can recreate compared to competing destinations.
altogether. We want to be able to generate more signi cant
memories than we have had in the past.
change would be incorporating these developments to our catering
selections and going beyond the traditional banquet menus.
What changes do you plan to implement at Angsana Laguna Phuket? Applying more live cooking stations and demonstrative cuisine will
There is always room for more choice in regard to food and make a di erence because of its physical nature. We are always
beverage. Dining in Thailand is so dynamic, with new chefs looking at our landscape to see what we can do to improve and
constantly bringing new techniques to the table. A signi cant create new experiences. For example, the versatile nature of our
marquee services allow them to set up anywhere in the resort.

What do you think impedes the growth of Phuket?
One of the critical points regarding the ongoing success of
Thailand as a high-quality destination is the demand for a self-
regulatory system that guarantees the quality of experiences
for its clients. This applies to Indian weddings as well as the
MICE industry. There are many inexperienced players setting up
establishments, so there needs to be a system that can monitor a
location’s ability to satisfy the needs of di erent experiences. This
is my biggest concern moving forward. Additionally, size is always
going to be absolutely critical as the demand for larger venues
will always be present. This is something we are looking into at
Angsana, with the possible construction of a second ballroom.
We are also looking into maximizing the use of our marquees and
other ‘pop-up’ venues.

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