Hospitality Design - July 2017 - 168

WILLIAM
HEINECKE
Founder, CEO, and Chairman
Minor International
Bangkok
When hotel magnate William Heinecke, who helms
Minor International and its subsidiary, Minor Hotel
Group, one of Asia Pacific's most prolific hotel companies,
was just 29, he purchased the royal Garden Resort in Pattaya,
Thailand with the intention of selling it for a profit. "I already had a
buyer in the wings," explains the U.S.-born military brat who moved
to Bangkok at 14 after living in Hong Kong, Japan, and Malaysia. But
when that contender pulled out, he "was left holding the baby," he says.
"I had no experience in the hotel sector, but I couldn't find another
buyer, so I thought, 'why not make the best of it?'" Although the
nascent hotelier may have seemed a little green, he already had good
business acumen: Just out of high school, the ambitious teen started a
string of businesses (advertising, office cleaning services), aptly naming
his budding conglomerate Minor, a nod to his tender age.
Ten years after maturing the Royal Garden Resort brand and
acquiring various flags under such companies as Marriott and Four
Seasons, Heinecke set about developing his own hotel brand. "I felt
there was a gap in the market between [Marriott and Four Seasons],
and I created Anantara in 2001, which focuses on indigenous design,
local cuisine, and incredible destination experiences. It offers guests
the opportunity to actually get out and discover the culture, heritage,
and local area surrounding the hotel," Heinecke says of what continues
to be the crowning brand under Minor's now global portfolio of some
154 hotels, resorts, and serviced suites in 24 countries, with roughly
40 Anantaras (Sanskrit for without end) spanning his adopted home
country of Thailand to the Middle East and recently, Guiyang, China.
Design plays an important role in Heinecke's constant quest for

an authentic travel experience. "I prefer to work with
a local designer who has a greater understanding
of the history and culture of a region, as this
should be reflected in the design of our hotels,"
he explains. But it's guest experience that
remains his highest priority. "My biggest pet
peeve is when hotels are not designed with
the guest in mind; they are designed to look
pretty, but that's only part of the equation,"
he says. "It's not about vanity, it's about
creating exceptional guest experiences at all
levels, and that certainly includes design."
Although Minor Hotels continues to build
the luxury resort sector-recent properties
include one of the highest 5-Star hotels in the
world perched atop a plateau on Oman's Jabal
Akhdar mountain, and one in the picturesque Algarve of
Portugal-it is the Millennial-minded brand AVANI (the Sanskrit
word for earth) that has Heinecke's attention most preoccupied these
days, with its focus on fresh, locally inspired design, social hubs,
communal workspaces, and convenience.
Eighteen properties are open globally in Bangkok, Sri Lanka,
Vietnam, the Seychelles, Africa, the UAE, and most recently Lisbon,
Portugal, with others planned for Australia, Thailand, South Korea,
and the Middle East, including the 372-key AVANI Ibn Battuta
Dubai Hotel, set for 2019. With an exercise concept tailored for each
location in and outside the gym, a modern spa experience, and
various dining outlets-from grab-and-go to all-day dining, the brand
is sophisticated without taking itself too seriously. "Millennials-or
Millennial-minded guests as we like to call them-have a completely
different perspective on life. Work-life balance is a requirement
as opposed to a 'nice to have,'" he explains. "These guests want a
sense of community, and experiences are more important than
possessions."
This quest for work-life balance rings true for the busy hotelier,
who has a penchant for speed: "One of my greatest pleasures is
driving one of my vintage cars through the wine country in France,
or the mountainous area of Northern Italy, or on a road trip on the
California coast. I love to work hard, it's my passion, but everybody
needs a day out of the office every now and then."

More than 6,000 feet above sea level, Dining by
Design at Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar Resort-
designed by Atelier Pod-offers sweeping views
of Oman's Green Mountain and the canyon below

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