Hotels and resorts
He bought an abandoned tin mine in Phuket in 1984. Now, his hotel chain is worth over $200 million
Ho Kwon Ping is the co-founder and executive chairman of Banyan Group. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images Growing up, Ho Kwon Ping didn’t think he’d become a businessman, let alone a hotel tycoon. “I had not always wanted to be an entrepreneur,” he told CNBC Make It. “It’s just that the few times where […]
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‘The best experience’: He’s been on 30 trips with a company that links travelers who can see with those who can’t
Glyn Evans has been on 30 trips with the same travel company, but he can still pinpoint the moment that stands out as his favorite. During a trip to Las Vegas, he served as best man for a couple on the same tour who got married on a whim. Yet unlike most weddings, the bride […]
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72-year-old hotel tycoon cautions against a major character flaw in successful people: ‘Never get caught by hubris’
Ho Kwon Ping, 72, is the executive chairman of Banyan Group. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images Building a business is not for the faint of heart, and many of those who dare to take the chance share one trait: self-confidence. That’s according to hotel tycoon Ho Kwon Ping, 72, the founder and executive chairman […]
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‘The Sound of Music’ turns 60 this year. Salzburg has plenty in store for fans
In Salzburg, Austria last spring, I skipped around the fountain outside Mirabell Palace. Others did too. Some 60 years earlier, Maria and the von Trapp children danced around the palace’s Pegasus Fountain, singing “Do-Re-Mi,” one of most famous songs from “The Sound of Music.” The movie recounts the story of the von Trapp family, and […]
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Rome’s Jubilee is expected to attract 32 million people. Here’s why — and how to avoid the crowds
Vatican City is the world’s smallest country by size and population. That’s not stopping an estimated 32 million travelers from visiting this year for Jubilee 2025, a year-long global celebration among those of the Catholic faith. The Jubilee is a time of pilgrimage, prayer, reflection and a renewal of faith, said Jubilee spokesperson Caterina Rigoni. […]
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‘Unprecedented’: The most punctual global airline last year was ‘absolutely’ a surprise, analytics firm CEO says
Aeromexico was the most punctual global airline in 2024, according to a report published by aviation analytics company Cirium. Some 86.7% of its tracked flights arrived “on-time,” defined as arriving within 15 minutes of scheduled arrival times. This result was “absolutely” a surprise, Cirium CEO Jeremy Bowen told “Squawk Box Asia” Friday. “They’ve had a […]
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The world’s top hotels and restaurants are changing how they serve water
You can ask for a bottle of Evian or San Pellegrino at Singapore’s three-Michelin-starred Restaurant Zen. But you won’t get one. The restaurant, which charges nearly $500 per person for dinner, only serves water from the Swedish company Nordaq, said Executive Chef Martin Öfner. Dishes and drinks at the restaurant are made from the […]
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‘Noctourism’ is expected to be a big travel trend in 2025
Rebecca Douglas has been to Iceland 29 times. And she’s already booked her 30th trip. The goal of every trip is the same: photographing the aurora borealis, or Northern Lights. Douglas has been photographing this spectacular phenomenon since 2010. It’s colors — which can paint the sky a dazzling array of green, purple, yellow and […]
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Macao is becoming a city of sports and entertainment, Sands China CEO says, as President Xi urges diversification
Sands China CEO and President Grant Chum said Macao was diversifying its economy away from gaming to become “a city of sports and … a city of entertainment,” during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to the city that concluded Friday. In an interview on “Squawk Box Asia,” Chum cited a deal announced in early December […]
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Luxury safaris are changing — here’s what affluent travelers want now
Luxury safari-goers were once all about spotting lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes and rhinos — albeit while staying in nicer tents and dining on gourmet food. But that’s changing. “Safaris are not just about the ‘Big Five’ anymore,” said Lori Cohen, a writer who covers luxury safaris. “People have got limited time off in their lives, […]
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