Thailand
INTERVIEW: Melia Koh Samui H AUTE GR A NDE UR |T | + 2 7 ( 0 ) 8 7 1 5 8 3 8 0 0 |E | I N FO @H AU T EG R A ND E U R .COM | W | HAU TEG RA NDE U R.COM
|W| www.melia.com/en/hotels/thailand/koh-samui |E| reservation.kohsamui@melia.com
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Ernesto Osuna General Manager
“Our main aim for 2021 is to continue to develop and focus on the domestic market and incentive groups” What is your current biggest challenge competing on a global scale in a highly competitive industry? The biggest challenge for any resort trying to compete on a global scale at the moment is the global pandemic. Located in the Gulf of Thailand, Koh Samui has an excellent reputation as an international destination, due to its stunning beaches and aquamarine waters, an abundance of attractions, excellent cuisine, friendly people, and international airport. However, since international travel ground to a halt with the onset of the pandemic, and Thailand closed its borders, our resort has been dependent on domestic tourism. As this era of COVID-19 is so different, and so challenging, we cannot operate like how we used to in the past, that was always based on steady growth. We can only think completely outside of the box amid this “new normal” and try new things. We have to reinvent our knowledge and be innovative in whole new ways. What differentiates the hotel from others in your opinion? Our array of outstanding facilities and services differentiate Meliá Koh Samui from the competition. However, what also differentiates our hotel is our
approach to our guests and employees in terms of genuinely caring about them, and what we do to help our community amid these difficult times. Melia Koh Samui is the first property launched in Thailand by Melia Hotels International, Spain’s leading hotel company, and we draw upon our warm and sunny Spanish hospitality to deliver an unsurpassed guest experience. There are kid’s clubs and then there’s our kid’s club that’s in a whole new league. Also housed in a repurposed teak wood merchant vessel, our twolevel kid’s club “Kidsdom” is packed with colourful installations, cool activities and toys, and much more. Our kid’s club is adjacent to our mini-water park with a shallow pool, slide, mushroom fountain and giant tipping bucket. Our rooms and suites that belong to “The Level” - an upgraded level of service with an array of bespoke privileges - provide exclusive access to our executive lounge, The Level Lounge. Meanwhile, it has been crucial to stay positive during this pandemic and taking care of our team and our associates has been a big priority. We were very fortunate that the owning company of our resort, Asset World Corporation, retained our resort’s staff and ensured our salaries during the pandemic. Not
