In Episode 2 of ‘Masters of Luxury’, we have hotelier Malik Fernando, the man behind Sri Lanka’s uber-luxe Resplendent Ceylon properties and co-chair of MJF Holdings (owners of Dilmah Tea), take us through what boutique luxury hospitality is all about.
What does luxury hospitality mean to you?
[Luxury] is about how it makes you feel. So, it's not [about] the best store, the best sheets or the best wine. It's about that moment in time, the serenity, the satisfaction you have of being in that spot. For me, it's about a unique, a rare, or an unusual experience that is not generic. In Sri Lanka, with the Resplendent Ceylon properties, we try to do something that is not conventional.
As a hotelier, what is that one thing that you are looking for when you check into a luxury hotel?
I think it is seamlessness, any avoidance of unnecessary processes. [Whether it’s] at the point of arrival or during your stay, [there should be] minimum decision-making, minimum questions, and erasing the little stress points that may be there, which can only be addressed by a hotelier having experienced that journey. I'm a firm believer in Kaizen—I real all the guest feedback, even if it’s something minor, I’ll try and pick up a learning from it.
What are some of the hotels around the world that have truly stood out for you?
Most recently I was at a property called Villa Della Pergola in Liguria, Italy. I love Hotel Sanders in Copenhagen, the Saint James Hotel in Paris. There are so many iconic properties, and I follow them and learn from them. I think their strength is their individuality.
How did you come up with the idea of starting a ‘tea bungalow’ in Sri Lanka?
Well, the thing is, I was anyway looking after the estates for Dilmah [Tea Estates], and I used to go up to the tea country regularly. I love the architecture, the design, I love history, and I love tea obviously. This is a perfect intersection area where you see these houses falling apart because they are not being utilised properly. So, I thought why don't we renovate and upgrade these? That's how it started. And then Relais & Chateaux came knocking on our door and said, we'd be the first Relais in Sri Lanka.
[Resplendent Ceylon has iconic properties like the Ceylon Tea Trails, Cape Weligama, Wild Coast Tented Lodge, as well as the Reverie Collection.]
Is there anyone who inspires you professionally?
Yes, there are brands and there are independent hotels. Sonu [Shivdasani] has been an inspiration to me with how he started Soneva Fushi. And we are also looking at a few similar barefoot luxury properties on the east coast, which are undiscovered in Sri Lanka.
What are the major trends you foresee in luxury hospitality?
I think regenerative travel, meaning visiting properties and places that are actively regenerating, because travellers want to do some good when they travel. Where they [spend] their Euros or dollars or rupees becomes important. They want to feel that they have made a statement in terms of their travel choices. So regenerating programmes I think are important. Design is becoming increasingly important where people want to go to places that are thoughtfully designed apart from wanting to put something on Instagram.
What is that one bucket list experience you're looking forward to doing at least once in your life?
I love trains and I've done many of the famous train journeys. It's not necessarily luxurious, but I'd love to do the Trans-Siberian Railway. When I was at boarding school many years ago, I read a book by Eric Newby, [The Big Red Train Ride] who's a veteran travel writer and he wrote about his journey from Moscow to Vladivostok. If I had the time, that is my bucket list experience because any form of slow travel by train I love.
