For Minor Hotels, this year is one in which the international group celebrates the twenty fifth anniversary of one of its leading brands, Anantara.
The experiential luxury brand has become a visible presence around much of the world in the intervening years, promoting Thai-based Minor’s unique approach. It all started 25 years ago with the first Anantara resort in Thailand, and today extends to more than 50 properties, across 24 countries, with a strong pipeline of planned openings to come. A new global campaign, 25 Years of Unforgettable Journeys, will celebrate the brand’s milestone.
A Brand Created by Charles Heinecke
The name of Anantara is based on the Sanskrit word meaning ‘without end’. Minor chairman and founder Charles Heinecke devised the concept, spotting the need for a luxury hotel brand that would offer immersive, experience-led stays.
He explains: “Creating Anantara remains one of my proudest professional accomplishments. Building the brand from the ground up gave us the opportunity to apply what we learned from operating hotels in Thailand for more than 20 years and satisfy the growing demand from discerning travellers who want memorable local experiences and adventures while having luxurious accommodations to come back to each evening.”
That first Anantara property opened in the coastal destination of Hua Hin. With cultural immersion at the core of the brand, the design was based around that of a traditional Thai village, with lush tropical gardens. The brand added further sites in Thailand, before going international in 2006, opening a resort in the Maldives.
A 2015 rebranding of a property in Bangkok to Anantara Siam Bangkok Hotel, was the opportunity to demonstrate that Anantara was just as relevant in an urban setting. Since then, the brand has added hotels in cities including Amsterdam, Paris, Dublin and Rome.
Fast forward to today, and the Anantara brand has a considerable pipeline of new properties, at various stages of development. One of the brand’s more exotic openings, in the coming months, will be a new venture in Zambia, Anantara Kafue River Tented Camp. This will feature just 12 spacious tents, suspended above the ground on the banks of the Kafue River. Staying in a national park, in a luxury haven that will include a spa, promises to be a truly unique experience.
Expanding Across Asia
The brand continues its growth across Asia, with a string of additions through 2026. These include the 110 room Anantara Chengdu Xiling Snow Mountain, and the Anantara Shaoxing Resort, which will form part of the Taoyuanli Health and Wellness Town development.
Into early 2027, and the focus switches to Europe, with the spring launch of Anantara Adriatic Istria Resort, on the Croatian coast. An existing 186 room resort will reopen after refurbishment, joining Minor’s growing brand. Months later, Anantara Palacio do Carmo will open in Porto, Portugal. This luxury hotel will have 118 rooms.
