Word: zecha
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Dates: during 2001-2001
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...return to a paradise previously lost would make anyone happy. And Adrian Zecha is clearly content. He is sitting amid swaying coconut trees at Amanpuri on Phuket?the first resort he created in 1988. Cigar in hand, his youthful demeanor belying his 68 years, he is explaining how it felt to remove himself from Amanresorts, the luxury resort chain he founded and nurtured for more than a decade before a shareholder dispute over its parent company forced his two-year hiatus. "When you have a two-year-old child, you definitely are indispensable," says Zecha...
...wealthy travelers who frequent the chain, the Amanresorts name (aman means peaceful in Sanskrit) can hardly be uttered without Zecha in the same breath. The Indonesian native did not just found a resort chain; he perfected a concept. Minimalist in design and complementary to often remote, natural settings, each retreat is a unique encapsulation of the culture and country in which it sits. Pieces of his paradise are scattered mainly across Asia, but there are Zecha resorts as well in France, the U.S. and Morocco. "To create a simple meal, " says Zecha, "is often more difficult than to create...
...turned out, his worst fears were almost realized. The focus on nature?a dramatically spotlit palm, perhaps?had started to shift: fairy lights began appearing on trees. Resorts started to charge for little extras. New employees weren't imbued with the Zecha mantra of "creative service." Since his return in October, however, Zecha?who now has full management control of Amanresorts, while the firms of two longtime friends control parent company Silverlink Holdings?has been on a mission to re-instill some of the lost passion. "The changes were less physical and more philosophical," he says. "Not everyone...