FORMER YTL Hotels president James McBride has become an entrepreneur, staking equity in several ventures, one of which is Zanadu.cn, China’s first by-invitation-only luxury travel website and online travel agency.
Since it went live six months ago, Zanadu, which has a 24/7 booking engine, claims a membership of 10,000 affluent Chinese customers and promotes lifestyle experiences to them. Membership is free, comprising urban, educated and upwardly-mobile 25-40-year-old Chinese individuals.
To date, Zanadu has curated about 200 luxury and boutique hotels around the world for its members.
Keen interest among luxury hotels and resorts worldwide to crack the affluent Chinese market will see the launch of Zanadu 360, a marketing, e-commerce and representation service, in January, said McBride. An executive director will come on board next month to oversee Zanadu 360.
“It’s a natural evolution. General managers (of luxury properties) used to make a beeline for New York and London (US and Europe are the largest luxury markets), and it’s a matter of time when they will go to Beijing and Shanghai,” McBride said.
Separately, McBride and partner Christopher Burch of Burch Creative Capital and founder of Tory Burch, have taken a stake in a small, exclusive resort hideaway on the Indonesian island of Sumba, 400 miles south of Bali.
Built in 1989 by Claude Graves, who remains a partner, Nihiwatu operates in conjunction with the Sumba Foundation, appealing to an increasing number of luxury travellers who want purpose-driven travel.
The property encompasses 175 hectares of tropical forest, rice terraces and grasslands, while its 2.5km of beachfront are protected by headlands that ensure total exclusivity for guests.
“It has one of the best surf waves in the world,” Mc Bride said, envisioning more Nihiwatu-type resorts – luxury with an element of adventure, be it surfing or mountain-climbing, with a foundation associated with it – in destinations like Fiji and the Maldives.
McBride is also involved in Burch’s latest retail concept, C Wonder, which offers “astonishing value” luxury clothing, accessories and home decor in an exciting setting and with an inspiring customer service concept.
