From a single property in Pattaya 46 years ago, Minor International has achieved exponential international growth. This is the Thai luxury brand’s story.
Minor International, a name rooted in Thailand, has evolved into a global powerhouse in the travel and hospitality industry.
The company was founded by Bill Heinecke in 1978, an American whose family moved to Thailand when he was a teenager.
“I love Thailand – I chose Thailand to be my home from the age of 17; that’s why it’s called Minor,” shared Heinecke, now a Thai citizen.
Minor began with a single property, the Royal Garden Resort Pattaya, now the Avani Pattaya Resort. Today, 46 years later, it has eight in-house hotel brands, and a presence in 63 markets across Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, Africa, the Indian Ocean, Europe and the Americas.
Since the early 2000s, Minor has steadily expanded its global footprint. The journey began with the establishment of flagship luxury brand, Anantara, followed by the launch of lifestyle-focused Avani, both designed to cater to global travellers while offering unique, culturally immersive experiences.
“Our aim was not only to expand geographically but to also introduce distinctive hospitality experiences that resonate with guests from all over the world,” said Dillip Rajakarier, CEO of Minor Hotels and group CEO of Minor International.
Minor’s early successes in Thailand’s Hua Hin, Chiang Rai and Koh Samui showcased the global appeal of its luxury resort offerings. Leveraging this, the company expanded into Sri Lanka and Indonesia.
Key international acquisitions soon followed, including a 50 per cent stake in Africa’s Elewana Collection and a majority stake in Oaks Hotels, Resorts & Suites, which granted Minor a strong presence in Australia and New Zealand.
The company’s 2011 opening of Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas marked a significant milestone: The brand’s first wholly-owned international Anantara property.
“The success in the Maldives helped position Minor Hotels on the world stage as a luxury operator,” said Rajakarier. Minor now operates more than 560 hotels and resorts across six continents, with major acquisitions like the NH Hotel Group in October 2018 giving it a substantial presence in Europe and furthering its global ambitions.
The NH acquisition expanded Minor’s portfolio, allowing it to introduce NH brands to new markets in Asia and the Middle East, while also bringing Anantara to urban European destinations.
“We took a well-established European brand in NH and have since brought it to Thailand, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and China,” noted Rajakarier. This cross-regional brand integration has not only diversified Minor’s revenue streams but also bolstered its core business in Asia.
China remains a key market in Minor’s expansion strategy, with several new developments underway. “This year, we will be launching two Avani properties in Guangdong and an Anantara in Shaoxing next year,” Rajakarier revealed. The company plans to add over 200 new openings globally by end-2026, with half of them expected in Asia.
As Minor continues to grow, it remains committed to sustainable growth. “We are confident that our disciplined approach to expansion will allow us to meet and even exceed this target,” said Rajakarier, underscoring the brand’s focus on innovation and meeting the evolving demands of global travellers.
