Anantara Vacation Club, the holiday rental of Minor International, has unveiled plans for a major expansion of its client base and property portfolio.
Addressing media at the Anantara Bangkok Riverside Resort & Spa today (1 October 2013), Harold Derrah, CEO of Anantara Vacation Club, revealed that the company, which only launched in 2010, is now on track to reach 4,000 members by the end of 2013, and plans to double this figure to approximately 8,000 by 2015. And according to Derrah, this growth is being driven by Asian markets.
“We are the first truly Asian vacation club company… [and] the largest vacation ownership club in Asia Pacific,” Derrah told reporters.
And his assertion was backed up by figures showing that of Anantara Vacation Club’s existing membership base of more than 3,500 members, the vast majority are based in Asia Pacific. Thailand is the largest market for the Bangkok-based company, followed by China, with Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong also ranking highly.
But Derrah said China is now the company’s fastest-growing membership base, with almost all Chinese members having been recruited over the last six to nine months. Reflecting this growth, Anantara Vacation Club recently set up an office in Shanghai to serve this market.
In terms of inventory, Anantara Vacation Club currently offers a choice of six properties, in Phuket, Koh Samui, Bangkok, Bali, Sanya and Queenstown. But the company is planning to expand this portfolio in the coming years.
Derrah revealed that Anantara Vacation Club would be taking three floors of the brand new 22-storey Avani hotel in Bangkok, which is currently under construction next door to the Anantara Bangkok Riverside. And while he couldn’t specify other projects being developed, Derrah did suggest that the expansion would be rapid, and in-line with the growth of Minor’s hotel portfolio.
“[For legal reasons] I can’t name exactly where we’ll be until the deal is signed,” said Derrah, “but I can say we hope to be expanding to areas like Singapore, the Middle East and Indian Ocean.” He added that there are “great synergies of you put a hotel and vacation club together”.
Under its various brands, including Anantara, Avani and Oaks, Minor is aiming to encircle the Indian Ocean, providing properties from Australia to Southeast Asia, Sri Lanka, the Middle East, Indian Ocean islands and Africa. And where Minor goes, the Anantara Vacation Club is likely to follow.
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