Bill Bensley

Representatives from The Slate beach resort in Phuket were in Australia last week to provide an update on the award-winning property. Australia is a top five source market for the 20 year-old five-star retreat, vying for top market share with French, German, Swiss and US travellers.

Marriott International, Inc. has inked agreements to open three new luxury resorts in Vietnam. The signings mark the expected debut of two new brands into Vietnam – Ritz-Carlton Reserve and The Luxury Collection on the tropical paradise of Hon Thom Island in Phu Quoc. Marriott has also unveiled Vietnam’s third JW Marriott Hotel set for Trang An, the serene UNESCO World Heritage destination in northern Vietnam.

Shinta Mani Hotels in partnership with Kathmandu-based Sherpa Hospitality Group, will open the 29 suite Shinta Mani Mustang – A Bensley Collection luxury lodge in March 2023. The project will be Shinta Mani Hotels’ first internationally flagged property outside Cambodia.

Capella Hanoi has officially opened in the city’s French-influenced Old Quarter, ushering in a new era of art and elegance in the heart of Vietnam’s vibrant capital. Just steps away from the iconic Hanoi Opera House, this boutique hotel has been dreamt up as a “petite auberge” – a rendezvous spot for the greatest opera singers, composers and artists of a glamorous bygone age.

Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas is adding the Seychelles to its global footprint. This September will see Maia Luxury Resort & Spa, one of the country’s most exclusive properties, rebranded as Anantara Maia Seychelles Villas.

Bill Bensley, the famous Thailand-based designer behind Bensley Architecture, Interior Design and Landscape, and a respected voice on sustainability, was recently interviewed by the Global Wellness Institute (USA) on his views for post-COVID-19 travel. Here is what Bensley had to say.

This week LATTE chats with acclaimed designer, Bill Bensley. Since 1984, Bensley has been designing resorts throughout Asia and the world. He was the Head Designer for an American company based in Singapore and Hong Kong until 1989 when he established his own business, Bensley, in Bangkok.