As CEO of Montara Hospitality Group, Kittisak “Kitt” Pattamasaevi is currently overseeing the construction of Tri Vananda, a wellness mega-project in Phuket. In conversation with Prestige he reveals just what will make this development so unique.
Although it’s not slated to fully open until the end of 2024, there’s already lots of excitement surrounding Tri Vananda, a massive wellness retreat currently under construction deep in the verdant forests of Phuket. At the helm of this mega- project is 36-year-old Kittisak “Kitt” Pattamasaevi, the CEO of Montara Hospitality Group (whose property portfolio also includes Trisara, one of Phuket’s most exclusive beach resorts, as well as Praya Palazzo and the Prince Theatre Heritage Stay in Bangkok).
Kitt took on the role of CEO at the tail end of 2018, around the same time that Tri Vananda – a Sanskrit term meaning “forest of lasting happiness” – was in its conceptual stage. And while he’s been overseeing the project from the start, he adds that his father, Narong Pattamasaevi, the founder of Montara Hospitality Group, is still actively involved in driving things forward.
Why did you pick this particular piece of land for this project?
We owned this land already, and I think location-wise it’s in an area of Phuket that’s quite calm, peaceful, and not as developed as some other areas. It’s close enough to the airport, and it’s not too far from the beach, or from Trisara. So, even though it’s not beachfront, the location and the size of the land – 600 rai – allows us to do something really low density. And for wellness travellers, we felt that being on the beach is not the only thing that that would attract them. They’ll be traveling here more to engage with the facilities and experiences.
What is the approximate investment value of this project?
Around 6 billion Baht. It’s a major investment, but we really believe strongly in it. The first phase will have around 70 residential pool villas, and when the wellness resort is completed it will have around 70 hotel pool villas. Of course, the residences are going to be larger and will have multiple bedrooms.
Do you and your father have a shared vision when it comes to Tri Vananda?
Yes. I share with him the desire to use our background in hospitality to try to do something that really makes a difference – like the environmental conservation at Trisara, or conserving old buildings like at Praya Palazzo and Prince Theatre Heritage Stay. My father has an unwavering vision to do something that is really exceptional, even though from outside it might seem unusual or crazy. That unwavering vision is something that that the project really benefited from.
We also believe that Thailand has always had an international reputation of being a medical tourism destination, and wellness tourism is just the next step. And from a commercial perspective, we’ve seen that wellness travel is growing, and that the quality of the traveller is also higher in this niche. Wellness travellers tend to stay longer, and they engage more with the local services. I think it’s something that can benefit business in Phuket, and can also help tourism be more sustainable in the long term.
Your press material talks of “biophilic design”. Can you explain what that entails?
It means that we design the project in a way that is good for the environment. And the low-density aspect is one example of that; where out of the total land area we would only be using 15 percent to build on. And part of the project is what we call the “wetland nature reserve”. There’s also over a dozen small lakes on the property itself, which is helpful for our water needs, and the plants filter the incoming water that gets stored in these lakes. It’s good for the environment, and of course it’s good for guests, because with so much beautiful nature they’re more likely to want to spend time outdoors. As people help to heal nature, nature will heal them too.
What are some of the unique aspects of Tri Vananda?
One thing is our multi-generational concept. A lot of wellness resorts tend to focus more on individual, solo travelers, but because part of our development is residential – designed for multi-generation community members – that means children as well as adults are part of the experience.
Another unique thing is our focus on “cognitive well-being” [defined as how people evaluate their overall life]. We really believe that this is a key part of what Thailand as a destination can uniquely offer, because “mindfulness” teaching is part of Buddhism, but even if someone’s not Buddhist, they can still appreciate this aspect of the local culture. At Tri Vananda we’ll have a mindfulness center with a dedicated grand hall. We call it ‘Manorah’ – mano meaning “mind”, and rah meaning “to return” – so it’s the mind returning to the body. It’s being designed by the award- winning Thai national artist Theeraphon Niyom.
Of course, to have a healthy mind there needs to be a healthy body, so we’ll have different facilities, like the active movement center with its big swimming pool, as well as top-of-the-line exercise equipment and wellness restaurants that can help guests with their nutritional needs. There’s also a beautiful spa and medical centre planned. Everything will be integrated, but also personalised. We’ll also have cutting-edge, hi-tech equipment but, you know, technology is changing so quickly. Even if you look at wearables, like Fitbits, and things that your smartphone can measure, and testing your own DNA or analysing the composition of your own gut microbiome – these things are becoming more and more accessible every day. So, I’m sure that by the time we open the resort there will be equipment and technologies we haven’t even considered yet.
Tell us about your personal experience with cognitive health therapies?
I graduated back in 2008, in Financial Engineering, and went to work in banking. But that was in the middle of the financial crisis. It was really not the most ideal timing, and it was extremely stressful. But through learning about mindfulness, and going to practice Vipassana meditation for a few weeks, I found that it really helped me to not just lose myself in situations like that.
Also, my late aunt had cancer, and at that time the contemporary Western medicine doctors said there was nothing else that could be done for her. But when she adopted a more holistic approach – being very mindful, and changing her diet to be plant-based – that actually allowed her to recover and live for many years afterwards. So, as a family we believe that people can take charge more of their own health and prevent themselves from becoming sick in the first place.
To find out more about Tri Vananda, visit trivananda.com.
