Interview with Mr. Tom Tang, Vice President, The Lux Collective Sales & Marketing, APAC,
and Mr. Daniel Yang, General Manager, LUX* Tea Horse Road China
“LUX* is a young hotel brand, so it is relatively flexible and can maximally reflect the local characteristics.” said Mr. Tom Tang, Vice President, The Lux Collective Sales & Marketing, APAC. “The vision of LUX* Resorts & Hotels is to provide guests with a “Lighter, Brighter” holiday experience. We call for a deeper connection between people, and between people and the destination, and we put a strong focus on environmental protection and sustainability.”
The Lux Collective is an international hotel operator with origins in Mauritius and the Indian Ocean. Headquartered in Singapore, it operates and manages several brands – LUX* Resorts & Hotels, SALT, Tamassa, SOCIO and Café LUX* – as well as some other hotels such as Hotel Le Recif, Ile de la Reunion and the private island of Ile des Deux Cocos in Mauritius.
“If you ask me what are the ‘reasons’ our guests to choose LUX*, I think it’s the variety of the interesting innovations, whether it’s a letter in a bottle, a moveable star theater, or a vegan menu, private label Café LUX* and ICI ice cream, Mamma Aroma and other products. All these are unique attractions of LUX*.” Mr. Tang told SpaChina. “Our guests are diverse, ranging from families with children, and young couples to mature couples. But they all have one thing in common: looking for a new and fun holiday experience that is closely connected to nature. In addition to providing comfortable accommodations and delicious dining, we also offer a wide variety of activities inside and outside the resorts, and we want to connect our guests with the destination.”
Last year, LUX* home and abroad launched their own exclusive “Collectable Experiences”, designed to offer guests unique activities and experiences based on the characteristics of the destination. For example, the Tibetan staff at LUX* Benzilan take guests on a hike in the primeval forest, the Naxi staff at LUX* Stone Town lead guests into lesser-known areas to visit ancient villages, and LUX* Chongzuo Guangxi take guests on a slow journey along the Mingshi River or a visit to a historic local sugar factory.
“Chinese guests, especially high-end guests, are upgrading their expectations for vacations from basic dining and accommodation and scenic spot visits to the pursuit of high-quality services and experiences. The ability to create distinctive experiences and guest-centric services has become the key to attracting guests.” Mr. Daniel Yang, General Manager, LUX* Tea Horse Road China told SpaChina.
At present, The Lux Collective has eight hotels and resorts in China: LUX* Chongzuo, Guangxi, LUX* Tea Horse Road Lijiang, LUX* Tea Horse Road Benzilan, LUX* Tea Horse Road Dali, LUX* Tea Horse Road Stone Town, LUX* Tea Horse Road Sangushui, LUX* Tea Horse Road Daju Village and LUX* Tea Horse Road Peach Valley.
“Choosing Yunnan as the first stop of LUX* in China and launching the LUX* Tea Horse Road China is due to the affection that our CEO, Mr. Paul Jones, has for Yunnan. He was captivated by the natural beauty and rich history and culture of the place on his first visit here. We also have a solid partner that gives us the opportunity to start the first step here in our China footprint.” Mr. Daniel Yang said.
The ancient tea-horse trade route traversed the greater Shangri-La region that covers Yunnan, Sichuan and Tibet. This vast area features towering snow-capped peaks, low-altitude river valleys, rushing rivers, dense forests, ancient villages, diverse cultures and warm and happy inhabitants. Together with the Lijiang Yulong Tourism Group, LUX* Resorts & Hotels operates a total of seven boutique hotels along the ancient tea horse road starting from Lijiang, all the way to Jinsha River area around the Yulong Snow Mountain, Shangri-La and Benzilan. LUX* uses the hotels as campsites to provide guests with a full range of holiday experiences exploring the nature and culture of the great Shangri-La region with quality services of an international hotel brand.
Mr. Daniel Yang shares the opening story with us: “When LUX* Tea Horse Road Benzilan opened in 2016, the global CEO of The Lux Collective, Mr. Paul Jones, a British gentleman, came to attend the opening ceremony. After hearing that the local people believe in Tibetan Buddhism, he went to visit the highly respected living buddha at the nearby temple on the morning of the opening day and asked him: ‘When is the most auspicious time to open the hotel?’ The living buddha replied: ‘Noon is the best time.’ After Paul returned to the hotel, he told me several times that we should open at 12:00 on time. Since the opening, despite of challenges, the hotel has run very successfully and it has become the most popular one in the LUX* Tea Horse Road collection.”
“LUX* Chongzuo, Guangxi, which opened in February 2021, is located on the China-Vietnam border, giving it a charming and exotic ambience. The unique karst landscape of Guangxi and the minority characteristics of the Zhuang people are distinctive natural and human resources to the hotel.” Mr.Yang added: “It is recommended to stay at least two nights in order to have a more complete experience.”
This first LUX* resort in China introduces people to a previously unfamiliar name, “Guangxi Chongzuo”. Located at the border of China and Vietnam, the area features a unique blend charm of the two countries, as well as amazing karst landscape and idyllic scenery surrounded by mountains and water. So the resort is completely immersed in the natural beauty. The design and advanced facility co-created by domestic and foreign designers ensures a comfortable stay. The natural and humanistic landscape around, such as the world’s fourth largest transnational waterfall, Detian Waterfall, and the white-headed langur nature reserve, all make the experience here rich and meaningful.
SpaChina interviewed both Mr. Tom Tang and Mr. Daniel Yang.
For guests who visit the LUX* Tea Horse Road China, what route would you suggest and what kind of experience should they have? What arrangements and services do you provide and what is the approximate price?
Daniel Yang: The hotels and route of LUX* Tea Horse Road China cover two regions of Yunnan, namely Lijiang and Diqing (Shangri-La), both of which have their own airports. So either of them can be the entrance or exit of LUX* Tea Horse Road journey.
Hotels in both regions offer their 5-day/4-night itineraries and seasonal themed itineraries, such as Family Summer Camp, Shangri-La Winery Discovery, Spring Life in Peach Valley, and Outdoor Afternoon Tea at Baima Snow Mountain. Make sure to enjoy them one by one if you have enough time. The itineraries are all-inclusive, including a local guide team, transportation throughout the trip, accommodation, three meals a day, all customized activities, outdoor and in-resort experiences. The Jade Dragon Snow Mountain itinerary from LUX* Tea Horse Road Lijiang even includes an exclusive team of chefs. Prices vary depending on the content and theme of the trip and are in the range of approximately RMB 8,000-14,000 per person.
What are the challenges of operating a niche resort concept like LUX* Tea Horse Road China?
Daniel Yang: LUX* Tea Horse Road China is very different from other LUX* resorts in terms of hotel size, area of operation, and product offerings, and therefore faces unique operational challenges. First, offering international quality dining and accommodation experiences at a boutique hotel with fewer rooms means higher operating costs per room than the larger resorts. Second, the beautiful but relatively remote area where LUX* Tea Horse Road hotels are located also means higher operating costs in terms of logistics, procurement, engineering maintenance and staff development. However, these higher costs are mainly devoted to creating a high-end and unique guest experience, and our guests are willing to pay for such a high-quality experience, which, from the past few years of operation, seems to be a major reason for attracting guests.
Please introduce to us some of the most unique LUX* resorts outside of China and give us some suggestions for staying there.
Tom Tang: I would recommend LUX* South Ari Atoll in Maldives and LUX* Grand Baie in Mauritius, the new flagship hotel of LUX* Resorts & Hotels.
Located on Dhidhoofinolhu Island of Maldives, LUX* South Ari Atoll is an enchanting and tranquil retreat. The 187 private villas, either built along two miles of soft sandy beaches or perched above a crystal-clear lagoon, are spacious and designed with a coastal beach villa style with sunrise or sunset views. Eight restaurants and five bars, and two main pools all boast amazing sunset views. The LUX* Me spa features 11 garden treatment villas and 4 overwater treatment villas. In addition, there is a world-class dive center and water sports center offering year-round whale shark watching. The vast lagoon is filled with colorful swimming fish too. Rates here start at $520 per night, with a recommended stay of at least 3 nights.
The state-of-the-art fitness and wellness facilities and the unique Mauritian experience at the LUX* Grand Baie are the most noteworthy. Holistic health is a key component of its “LUX*ME Spa and Fitness”.
The resort’s wellness facilities span four floors, creating a wellbeing ecosystem with chic interiors, cutting-edge technology, and a blend of ancient wellness wisdom from the East and West. The spa offers a range of immersive thermal experiences, including Kneipp walk, Hammam and Tepidarium. Eight spacious treatment rooms are equipped with high-tech treatment beds.
LUX*ME Fitness offers a unique balance of indoor and outdoor experiences. A wide variety of fitness and wellness classes are offered weekly for groups large and small, including strength and functional training, HIIT, cycling, soft sand running, mobility recovery and yoga. Personal training and urban fitness retreats incorporate the leading exercise science principles and set goals for the guests appropriate to individual needs.
The fully equipped fitness center features a functional fitness cube and Technogym Excite live training ground, offering six different cardio workouts tailored to guests’ conditions and abilities. There is also a Technogym Group Cycle Studio with both professional coaching and on-demand virtual cycling classes, perfect for cardio improvement. The Niyama Studio is a minimalist space for private or group classes, including yoga, Pilates, stretching and relaxation. The Wellness Bar offers pre- and post-workout drinks for energy and water supplement. “Muscle Up on the Roof” is Indian Ocean’s first full-fledged outdoor rooftop wellness experience, featuring two 30-meter Olympic-standard running tracks and a MyBeast functional fitness frame with 12 workout stations including a punching bag.
When the pandemic is over, you will surely receive international guests. How is the international competitiveness of LUX* Tea Horse Road China?
Tom Tang: We have placed great emphasis on developing the international market since the hotel opened. We promote our Chinese hotels in Europe centered on three cities: London, Paris and Frankfurt. We also work with the famous British photographer Michael Freeman to help introduce the LUX* China experience abroad from a European’s perspective. Europe was a key source of customers for us in 2018 and 2019 before COVID-19. After the pandemic, we will continue to strengthen our marketing and promotion here in order to attract more overseas guests to explore the world-class nature and rich culture along the ancient tea-horse road in the Greater Shangri-La region.
In what locations/regions does The Lux Collective prefer to build resorts and hotels? What are the group’s development plans for the next five years, both globally and in China?
Tom Tang: LUX* has always advocated that travel is destination. The outbreak of COVID-19 has made many Chinese who love travelling suddenly realize that there are so many places to treasure and yet to be explored. We hope to work with more partners to deeply explore the destinations and take our guests on a LUX* trip full of surprises.
The Lux Collective’s global and Chinese footprint is continuing to expand, and we believe you will soon see more of our newer hotels. The hotels currently scheduled to open include:
LUX* Resorts & Hotels:
China: LUX* Tea Horse Road Shangri-La (2023), LUX* Tea Horse Road Pu’er (2023), LUX* Luxelakes Chengdu (2025), LUX* Hengqin Zhuhai (2024).
Vietnam: LUX* Phu Quoc (2023)
France: LUX* Marseillan and its residences (2023)
U.A.E: LUX* Al Bridi Safari, Sharjah (2024), LUX* Al Jabal, Sharjah (2024).
SOCIO Hotels:
Mauritius: SOCIO Trianon (2023)
