Inspired By Wanderlust, But Driven By Purpose

Ho Renyung, Caecilia Chu and Christian Tseng have turned pandemic lessons into new opportunities.

JOURNEYS OF DISCOVERY

Banyan Tree's Ho Renyung explains how the group's two newest properties offer post-pandemic travellers the opportunity to rediscover themselves-and the world.

text KAREN TEE

Ho Renyung, like many in Singapore, spent much of the past two years grounded on the little red dot after Covid-19 hit in 2020. As a result, when it came time for her to leave Singapore on her first leisure trip-a family vacation to Switzerland-last November, she recalls feeling a little anxious about leaving this safe cocoon.

Once there, it was almost like a veil lifted and my senses were completely engaged in a way I had not realised that I missed, says Ho, Banyan Tree Group's Senior Vice President of Brand HQ. Singapore is a small place, and I am someone who comes alive in nature, so being able to go for long walks in the mountains and to breathe in the fresh air was so rejuvenating.

The sense of well-being one experiences while exploring the planet is one Ho hopes to share with the hospitality group's guests as travel picks up again. This year, the group is launching two new properties in Bali and Phuket that aim to encourage exploration both within oneself and across borders.

In Thailand, it unveiled Veya Phuket, a new wellness hotel brand inspired by the pandemic. For Veya, the concept is that the next frontier of travel is internal. People have realised they want to invest in their own health and well-being, says Ho, whose parents are Banyan Tree's founders Ho Kwon Ping and Claire Chiang.

Besides design elements in the rooms such as sleep lights, blackout curtains and night aromatherapy, guests also have access to unique wellness programmes such as sound therapy, sensory detox and weightless therapy to decompress from the pandemic and reconnect with themselves.