The Group is a leading international operator and developer of premium resorts, hotels, spas and residences with a strong industry track record since 1994. It also manages and/or has ownership interests in niche resorts and hotels. A resort managed by the Group typically commands room rates at the high end of each property’s particular market. As at 2019, the Group offers its customers a multi-faceted travel and exceptional experiences which it operates and delivers through its 47 hotels and resorts, 64 spas, 72 retail galleries and 3 golf courses in 24 countries.
The Group’s revenue is generated by three core business segments: Hotel Investments segment, Property Sales segment and Fee-based segment. Property Sales segment comprises sales of Hotel Residences or serviced apartments, Laguna Property sales and sales of Development project and sites. Fee-based segment comprises Hotel Management operations which include hotel management, club management and fund management, Spa/Gallery operations and Design and Others operations.
Through the Banyan Tree brand and its sister brand Angsana, the Group targets two distinct customer segments, allowing it to expand its customer base. In June 2014, the Group also launched the third brand, Cassia. Cassia was created to bring together investment opportunities for the growing middle-class looking for affordable holiday homes as well as the opportunity to develop an innovative hotel product in the serviced apartment segment. In October 2015, the Group launched its fourth brand, Dhawa, a casual and contemporary full service hotel catering to the emerging group of design savvy travelers who seek distinctive experiences in stylish and unique destinations.
The Group has pioneered concepts that have become the signature features for many of its hotels and resorts such as the tropical garden spa and pool villa. As the leading operator of spas in the Asia Pacific, the spas that the Group operates are often considered by its guests to be one of the key features of its resorts and hotels. The Group also operates the Banyan Tree Spa Academy, accredited by Thailand’s Ministry of Education and Ministry of Public Health, where spa therapists receive theoretical and practical training. Apart from Phuket in Thailand, the second Banyan Tree Academy in Bintan, Indonesia is set up to meet expansion needs. In addition, Banyan Tree Galleries owned by the Group, which complement its resorts, hotels and spas, provide opportunities to extend the reach and scope of its brands.
The integrated business model of the Group comprises a hotel management division, an in-house design and project management division, as well as a global marketing team. These in-house capabilities enable the Group to preserve brand integrity, create innovative product offerings with quicker time to market and maintain the quality of the resorts, hotels, spas and galleries that it manages and the services it offers. The Group believes that these capabilities and the geographic diversity of its customer markets and its product offerings increase the resilience of its business model.
Since the Group’s founding, it has also considered the physical and human environment when making business decisions. The resorts and hotels that the Group has built have been constructed using design and construction techniques that minimise damage to the environment to the extent practicable. Where practicable, the Group also opts for environmentally friendly methods in its operations.
Since 2010, the Group has sought to benchmark its sustainable design and sustainable operations against third party certification in accordance with global leading standards. As of the end of 2018, 36 sectors (80% of eligible sectors) including 29 hotels in which the Group has management or ownership interest were enrolled with EarthCheck*. Eight sectors were certified gold (up from two in 2017). Of the eighteen properties that were not active in EarthCheck, eight were newly opened, and will be eligible to join after one year of operation.