HAVING already achieved success with its city hotels, luxury hotel group The Ritz-Carlton will focus on adding resorts in Asia, with properties opening in Bali, Langkawi, Lijiang and Jiuzhaigou.
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company vice president, Asia Pacific, Victor Clavell, said: “Our customers are saying ‘We want to go to resorts, but you don’t have resorts’.”
Opening in November, The Ritz-Carlton Bali in Nusa Dua will have 313 keys, including suites and cliff-top villas (TTG Asia e-Daily, June 24, 2013).
Also coming to Bali are two Ritz-Carlton Reserve properties – the company’s smaller, boutique brand in special locations – in Ubud (March 2015) and Tanah Lot (2017).
When asked if Bali was able to absorb the additional capacity, Clavell told TTG Asia e-Daily: “Bali received around 3.5 million international visitors last year. The airport has also been redone, and there are plans to create another one in the north. It’s a big island. Infrastructure is also improving. That’s why I’m optimistic.”
He added that the offerings in Bali are “very distinct products with different experiences”. Nusa Dua, for example, is a large resort with many amenities, while Ubud will be well-integrated into its surroundings, giving guests the feeling of being in a local residence, he explained.
The rise in demand for resort destinations was also noted by Hyatt’s senior director, global sales, Shanghai, Lydia Hu.
She said that while hotels in Singapore, Bangkok and other cities of South-east Asia were popular before, this year Chinese leisure travellers are opting for locations like Bali, Phuket and Maldives.
