Anantara’s Urban Shift Signals Minor Hotels’ Luxury Ambitions in Europe

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The global hospitality industry is seeing strong growth despite economic volatility, with hotel transaction volumes predicted to rise beyond $58 billion in 2024 — an increase of 15 to 25 percent compared to the previous year. According to Skift reporting, luxury and branded hotels are a key driver, with Europe emerging as a focal point for investment and activity within the sector. Acquisitions and hotel portfolio expansions seem to be fueling this trend.

Minor Hotels is capitalizing on this industry-wide growth by repositioning the Anantara brand from its Asia-centric, resort-focused origins into a global luxury player with an ongoing expansion into Europe. This aim is to pick up growth driven by increased luxury consumption and put Anantara on the front foot to capture Minor’s growth ambitions in the region.

“Anantara’s brand awareness has been strong in Europe due to European travelers’ familiarity with our properties in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and the Indian Ocean. Opening Anantara properties in key European markets enables guests to enjoy the same experience closer to home. Additionally, enabling our Asian client base to travel to Europe and stay within our brand ecosystem will help strengthen our global brand loyalty,” said Giles Selves, senior vice president luxury hotels, Europe and Americas for Minor Hotels. 

Strategy and Expansion

Originating as a leisure resort brand in Thailand in 2001 and with subsequent growth in Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and the Indian Ocean, Anantara has grown its portfolio and tailored its products to appeal to European luxury buyers. This European expansion began with the addition of Anantara Vilamoura Algarve Resort in Portugal in 2017 and progressed as Minor Hotels acquired NH Hotel Group in 2018.

The company has since rebranded two of its NH Collection properties into Anantara hotels: Anantara Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky Amsterdam and the Anantara Convento di Amalfi Grand Hotel in the south of Naples. This expansion continued into 2024, with the launch of Anantara Palais Hansen Vienna Hotel in March of this year, following a takeover from a previous operator.

“Having hotels in Budapest and Vienna is fantastic due to the synergy between these cities. This has inspired us to consider expanding into Prague to create what we call the ‘golden triangle of the East’ to give guests more options in these destinations,” said Selves.

Anantara’s transformation is as much about the growth in numbers as it is about integrating the brand’s high standards of luxury within local cultures across its European destinations in a market traditionally dominated by established Western luxury brands. For example, the Vienna property is currently undergoing a multi-million Euro renovation, slated for completion by the end of the first quarter of 2025. Once complete, the renovations will set a new benchmark for upscale European traveler expectations.

“Today’s luxury traveler is increasingly looking for personalized experiences. As the brand has been providing authentic experiences to our guests for over two decades, we’re at the forefront of creating meaningful interactions that connect guests with the local community and environment,” said Selves.

Redefining Luxury Experiences

What distinguishes Anantara in Europe is the delivery of hyper-personalization tied deeply to the surrounding environment. The properties are not just located in historic settings — they incorporate these elements directly into the guest experience. For example, the Anantara Palazzo Naiadi Rome is built over the ancient Diocletian baths, and its basement has a glass floor from which guests can view these historic foundations. Guests can stay in the Clementine Wing at the hotel, which was originally a grain silo for the Vatican, with its original wooden beams still intact. These experiences allow guests to connect intimately with a piece of Roman history.

Another example is the Spice Spoons by Anantara cooking program, which originated in Thailand and has been expanded brand-wide, including to destinations such as Spain and Italy. The program offers hands-on culinary lessons where guests can learn to prepare local specialties and regional cuisine. This engagement provides a memorable aspect of the travel experience.

“Whether it’s enjoying private tours of the Diocletian Baths in Rome, wild swimming in the Irish Sea, or exploring the Ria Formosa in southern Portugal on a wildlife tour, our hotels offer activities that immerse guests in the natural environment. Guests staying at our Amsterdam property can dine in the destination’s famous tulip fields and even take home a bulb of our specially-bred Anantara tulip as a memento,” said Selves.

According to Selves, guests are also increasingly looking for opportunities to give back and add value to the communities they visit. As a response, the brand has expanded its Dollar for Deeds program, which partners guests with local charities to directly engage in and support community projects. This includes projects that protect the natural environment in Amalfi, working with underprivileged children and teenagers in Dublin, and other similar initiatives.

“We not only enable guests to contribute to these programs financially but also encourage hands-on involvement to create a sense of giving back to the community. This approach includes an educational component, which is especially beneficial for guests traveling with children, who want to take away meaningful experiences that they can share with their family and friends,” said Selves.

Future Growth Opportunities

As Anantara looks to expand, the brand is focusing on new growth avenues and deeper market penetration. Minor Hotels is actively mapping out the brand’s expansion, targeting key capital cities such as London, Paris, and Madrid while exploring the potential in destinations like Greece, Tuscany, and Prague. The goal is to leverage the brand’s resort expertise in new settings to diversify its portfolio.

“We’d love to have a ski resort. The brand is historically known for amazing beach resorts — taking that expertise and applying it to create a winter resort experience would be incredibly exciting for our customers,” said Selves.

Another aspect of Anantara’s growth strategy is partnerships. For example, the collaboration with The Wolseley Hospitality Group, which Minor Hotels acquired in 2022, aims to improve the culinary experience across Anantara’s properties and offer guests high-quality dining that matches Anantara’s luxury hospitality standards.

“The Wolseley Hospitality Group is running some of London’s most renowned restaurants. We’re utilizing that expertise to amplify the food and beverage offerings across Anantara Hotels. We introduced a Café Wolseley residency in Anantara Siam in Bangkok last year, and we’re currently planning to expand The Wolseley and other brands within its portfolio, within our hotels, and into standalone locations worldwide. This will allow us to leverage our existing market presence to merge the best of both worlds,” said Selves.

Looking to the future, Minor Hotels plans to adopt an asset-right growth model to facilitate its ambitious goal of adding over 200 hotels in the next few years, with Anantara playing a central role in this expansion. 

“The luxury hospitality sector is thriving, and we’ve seen double-digit revenue per available room (RevPAR) and occupancy growth for Anantara properties in Europe in the first half of 2024 compared to the same period last year. As we continue to expand into new markets, our focus is on personalizing the guest experience — from tailoring minibar selections to introducing unique local gifts that resonate with our guests. Each detail is thoughtfully curated to connect guests intimately with every destination we serve,” Selves said.

For more information about Anantara Hotels & Resorts, visit Anantara.com

This content was created collaboratively by Minor Hotels and Skift’s branded content studio, SkiftX.