New Banyan Tree resort concept for wellness beginners in Phuket

Banyan Tree Veya Phuket is the homegrown brand’s first wellness-focused luxury resort, and more are planned for Mozambique and Mexico later this year.

Arriving in Phuket after an incessantly wet Singapore season back in December was a paradise welcome.

After crossing the threshold of Banyan Tree Veya, a relaxed aura washed over me, whispering promises of bliss to come.

With a glistening pool and palm trees that are prettier than back home, this is not your typical beach holiday.

This Phuket property is Banyan Tree Holding’s first of its kind, and it is situated, poignantly, next door to the very first Banyan Tree resort ever built 30 years ago.

In a poetic way, I happened to run into Ho Kwon Ping, the founder and executive chairman of Banyan Tree, at lunch on our first day here. During a 2019 interview, I sat down with him to discuss the group’s aggressive global expansion plans before the pandemic.

Veya had not yet been crystallized in vision before the past three years, so it’s great to see the homegrown hospitality player expanding once again.