The founder, visionary and Managing Director of Akaryn Hospitality Management Services (AHMS), Anchalika Kijkanakorn, has become the first female Chairman of the Board of leading hospitality group Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH).
Ms Kijkanakorn, who owns and operates AHMS Hotels, is also the first Asian-based Chairman of SLH, which comprises an unrivalled selection of some of the world’s finest independent hotels. SLH now lends its imprimatur to more than 520 hotels in 70 countries, each united by strict adherence to luxury standards but offering exceptional diversity in style and experiences.
Ms Kijkanakorn, a Thai national, said she was honoured to be selected to represent such an extraordinary group of like minded hoteliers around the world. “SLH is the best collection of high end boutique hotels in the world,” she said. “Seeing an SLH plaque when you check into a hotel or make a booking puts your mind at ease. It’s a stamp of quality, a mark of assurance of the little things and attention to detail upon which true luxury depends.
“It’s a great pleasure for me to now become a global representative for so many like-minded independent small hotel operators,” she said. “Boutique is beautiful, that’s my mantra. It’s the small hotels and resorts that often deliver the most authentic experiences, unique touches, exotic locations and are ahead of the curve when it comes to hospitality trends and innovations.”
Three of the AHMS Collection’s four beachfront resorts are proud members of SLH, as will be the forthcoming AKARYN Retreat in Cambodia, the group’s first foray beyond Thailand’s borders. Ms Kijkanaorn, who has been on the board of SLH for six years, said membership of the prestigious group had contributed to the success of her resorts.
Ms Kijkanakorn plans to open AKARYN Retreat Koh Krabeay on one of the most beautiful islands in Cambodia in 2014, with new options also being pursued in Myanmar and other parts of the region as part of the next phase of AHMS’ expansion.
Thailand’s ’boutique resort pioneer’ added: “When a luxury resort is running properly, it’s like a symphony orchestra, where each instrument has its part in the whole production. I hope to make some beautiful music with SLH and my fellow independent hoteliers as we tackle the challenges, issues and opportunities of the year ahead.”
Ms Kjkanakorn said she was grateful to SLH for its support as she strives to stay true to her vision of ‘barefoot luxury’ and sustainable hospitality as her business expands.
AHMS Hotels doubled in size in 2012, as Ms Kijkanakorn added AKARYN Samui Resort and Spa and akyra Chura Samui to the portfolio, to complement Aleenta Resort and Spa Phuket-Phang Nga and Aleenta Resort and Spa Hua Hin-Pranburi, the first resort she launched on the site of her family’s original beach home in 2003.
The AHMS flagship boutique resort, AKARYN Samui Resort and Spa, located at private and secluded Hanuman Bay, has picked up Best New Luxury Hotel at the 2012 World Luxury Hotel Awards, as well as making it onto DestinAsian magazine’s coveted Luxe List less than a year after welcoming its first guests.
Aleenta Resort and Spa Phuket-Phang Nga was named the world’s Best Small Hotel at the International Hotel Awards in London, while the third and founding five star property in the Akaryn Hospitality Management Services (AHMS) collection, Aleenta Resort and Spa Hua Hin-Pranburi, won Best Luxury Coastal Resort at the World Luxury Hotel Awards.
Ms Kijkanakorn said she saw the awards as recognition for a great team performance at each of the group’s resorts, but also as a platform from which further improvements to guest experiences can be delivered.
AHMS Hotels may be known for their warm, intuitive approach but Ms Kijkanakorn knows what it takes to run a business: she holds a BA in Marketing from University of Texas and an MBA in International Business from the University of South Carolina. She has held various leadership roles specialising in audit, consulting, mergers and acquisitions, and financial control, managing teams across Asia, Europe and the Unites States, during eight years with global financial giants GE Capital, and later Honeywell.
But her passion for Thailand eventually drew her home, where she created the first Aleenta – voted one of the world’s best resorts by readers of industry ‘bible’ Conde Nast Traveler US in its first year of operations.
The busy mother of two young children has however found time to launch the Pure Blue Foundation – a charity close to her heart – dedicated to marine conservation including regeneration of damaged coral reefs and work with endangered sea turtles, as well as educating communities on how to protect their natural resources.
“We are also strongly focused on training and education, and in building human resources,” Ms Kijkanakorn said.”AHMS resorts now host international and Thai interns who are garnering valuable work experience and might one day become a part of the AHMS team. We also are very proud to be hosting 26 Bhutanese interns on a long-stay program in an initiative that not only provides work experience for the interns, but also is fostering important bonds between this rare and unique kingdom and our own.”
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
