Join inspiring travel tech and media innovator Nick Wayland and luxury hotel expert Renae Leith-Manos for a captivating conversation on the Where 2 From Here podcast. Nick, a former journalist and travel editor and founder of TravMedia in 1999 and associated companies, delves into his extensive travel experience and insights. Nick recognised the needs of busy travel writers and the importance of accessible research on the go. With a background as travel editor for Courier Newspapers and a...

Join renowned luxury travel expert Renae Leith-Manos as she sits down with Fredrik Harfors, the esteemed General Manager of Park Hyatt Tokyo, for an enriching interview that dives deep into the ever-evolving world of luxury hospitality. Their conversation, a blend of expertise and insights, sheds light on the dynamic landscapes of luxury hotels, sustainability, wellness trends, and the future of luxury travel. Renae and Fredrik's engaging discussion offers an insider's view into the...

In this captivating interview Renae sits down with Australian Evan Burns, the acclaimed Australian hotelier and Country Manager for Cross Hotels and Resorts Indonesia, part of the Flight Centre Travel Group. Evan shares his extensive experience in hotel management, from his early days at Westin Hotel in Melbourne to his influential role today in Bali, Indonesia. About Evan Burns: Evan Burns is not just a hotelier; he's a global hospitality expert with a robust career spanning Japan, Fiji,...

Experience the essence of luxury wellness travel as Renae Leith-Manos, a distinguished journalist and luxury hotel consultant, takes you on an extraordinary first person account at Ananda, one of India's most venerable health retreats. Renae, a well-traveled connoisseur of luxury hotels, invites you to join her at the heart of Ananda Wellness Retreat, Oprah Winfrey's favourite wellness retreat, nestled in the Himalayas of India. In this enlightening first person narrative, she shares her...

In this YouTube video, Renae Leith-Manos humbly addresses the common question of whether luxury health retreats are worth the investment - and compares them to luxury handbags responding to a reader who asked which is the better buy. Renae, a well-traveled luxury hotel expert, has embarked on a life-changing journey, and speaks here right from the heart of Ananda Wellness Retreat in the Himalayas, India. Renae's extensive experience in the realms of travel, wellness, and sustainability...

Founded in the vibrant heart of Singapore in 1887, Raffles has not merely been a provider of luxury accommodations but has emerged as a sanctuary where art, design, and culture are celebrated, nurtured, and immortalised within its majestic walls and beyond. Katya Herting is General Manager of the prestigious and new Raffles Bali, Indonesia. Katya, a true global citizen with German-Colombian roots, has lived, studied, and worked across multiple countries, making her perspective richly diverse...

In this enlightening conversation, Renae Leith-Manos sits down with industry stalwart Guy Heywood, the newly appointed Head of Global Operations at Raffles & Orient Express. Now based in New York City, Guy brings onboard a rich tapestry of luxury hospitality insights spanning three illustrious decades.His roots in luxury can even be traced back to the early '90s, serving within the ranks of Four Seasons, both in Tokyo and Singapore. In 1997, he was steering the helm at Aman's Amankila...

Silvina is the founder of Waste=To Gift, a business helping to implement sustainable practises in luxury hotels in South east Asia. Her vision is based on permaculture and regenerative tourism principles, and implementing a Waste-To-Gift Curatorship to provide A to Z guidance to transition towards a circular economy. In this fascinating and important conversation, Silvina sheds light on the transformative measures the iconic resort Alila Villas Uluwatu undertook through its Sustainability...

Dr. Jerry Schwartz is a billionaire businessman and Australian hotelier who has been interviewed here by Renae Leith-Manos about the future of luxury hotels and sustainability. Schwartz is the founder and chairman of the Schwartz Family Company, the largest privately owned hotel group in Australia. The company owns and operates 14 hotels and over 4,000 rooms across the country. Schwartz is a strong advocate for sustainability in the hospitality industry. He believes that luxury hotels can...

Geraldine Dobey is Irish, and Area Vice President for Mandarin Oriental and is based at The Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Paris. She has two decades of expertise in the top end of the luxury hotels industry , mostly in Europe. She is a rising star of the industry globally and has achieved success in a variety of managerial roles at some of the biggest premium hotel organisations in the world in London and Paris including The Hilton and The Langham in London, The Hilton in Geneva and six years...

Liv Gussing Burgess has spent more than two decades working in luxury hotels around the world.She started her carer as a hotel butler at The St Regis Hotel in New York City.Today she works with hotel owners creating some of the most spectacular and luxurious hotels concepts from the ground up. A student from Cornell University, she has worked with the Aman resort group, Six Senses, and more in Asia and Europe, and is at the forefront luxury hotel trends, changes and the evolution of the...

Kara Freedman lives in New York City, and is Complex Director of Marketing for the prestigious luxury Conrad hotel brand for New York Downtown and Conrad New York Midtown. She oversees marketing strategies for both properties including the development, management, execution and measurement of all aspects of the marketing and branding. Freedman and her team execute positioning, social media, website management, paid advertising, asset creation, public relations. Here she reveals the state...

John Blanco is General Manager at the spectacular and ultra luxe Capella Bangkok. In this fabulous interview, he talks about the unique signature that is Capella, and why he has chosen to work for the prestigious brand. He talks through the luxurious Bangkok property located on the Chao Phraya River. The 101 suite five star hotel has stunning views across the river, particularly from the hotel's best villas, the riverfront jacuzzi plunge pool villas. And provides a tranquil haven from the...

Thomas Bourdois is the General Manager of one of Bordeaux's most luxurious five-star hotels located right in the heart of beautiful Bordeaux, the city of art and history in France. The Intercontinental Hotel Le Grand is located within a building steeped in history, with one of Bordeaux's most magnificent rooftops, a Guerlain spa, and beautifully appointed elegant rooms. It is home to one of France's most successful restaurants, Le Pressoir d'argent Gordon Ramsay, the upscale 2 Michelin star...

Six Senses Malolo Island in Fiji is a tropical paradise and one of Fiji's most luxurious and exclusive resorts. Australian General Manager Mark Kitchen is running it, and has been passionate about Fiji for many years. He talks us through the Six Senses DNA, and also about Fiji and why this unique destination is loved by so many Australians and Americans looking for the ultimate luxury island holiday. Just 25 kilometres from Nadi airport, most guests arrive at the island by helicopter to enjoy...

Ananda is the Himalayan Luxury Health and Wellness Retreat adored by many celebrities and famous people looking to emotionally heal, recharge and find a better, more balanced way to live. Located on 100 acres of land in Northern India at a former Maharaja's Palace, it is a unique and fulfilling destination for anyone to visit. Here we speak to Mahesh Natarajan, the Chief Operating Officer who lives an incredible balanced, holistic life in the surrounds of this mystical, life changing location...

Canadian Jeff Smith is officially eco-friendly. He has spent his life pursuing sustainability and taking care of the environment. Today he is Vice President of Sustainability at Six Senses, a prestigious luxury hotel brand with 20 hotels and resorts in 17 countries, and another 34 properties currently in development. Six Senses was well ahead of its time when it launched in 1995, 28 years ago. They were the pioneers of eco-luxury, creating five star luxury resorts focusing on wellness and...

Canadian Jeff Smith is officially eco-friendly. He has spent his life pursuing sustainability and taking care of the environment. Today he is Vice President of Sustainability at Six Senses, a prestigious luxury hotel brand with 20 hotels and resorts in 17 countries, and another 34 properties currently in development. Six Senses was well ahead of its time when it launched in 1995, 28 years ago. They were the pioneers of eco-luxury, creating five-star luxury resorts focusing on wellness and...

John Halpin is the legendary American General Manager of The Oberoi Hotel in Bali’s Seminyak. This luxurious five star haven sits on a huge15 acre piece of well manicured land, stretching 450m along the beachfront, making it one of the best locations for access to both the peace and calm of the beach and the buzz of shopping, clubs and restaurants on the whole island.  Halpin was part of the launch team of Oberoi Lombok, (another extraordinary Indonesian property) in 1996 when he  moved to...

John Halpin is the legendary American General Manager of The Oberoi Hotel in Bali’s Seminyak. This luxurious five star haven sits on a huge15 acre piece of well manicured land, stretching 450m along the beachfront, making it one of the best locations for access to both the peace and calm of the beach and the buzz of shopping, clubs and restaurants on the whole island.  Halpin was part of the launch team of Oberoi Lombok, (another extraordinary Indonesian property) in 1996 when he  moved to...

The Slate in Phuket Thailand, is another incredible Bill Bensley designed hotel and is leading the way in the wellness arena in Thailand with its new Be Original Light Hearted Dining or BOLD initiative in terms of dining. The hotel has also introduced a science and medical based Wellness Offering for every guest who can have their body thoroughly checked upon arrival to ascertain how their health is tracking. Last year marijuana was de-criminalised in Thailand, and The Slate has jumped on the...

The Slate in Phuket Thailand, is another incredible Bill Bensley designed hotel and is leading the way in the wellness arena in Thailand with its new Be Original Light Hearted Dining or BOLD initiative in terms of dining. The hotel has also introduced a science and medical based Wellness Offering for every guest who can have their body thoroughly checked upon arrival to ascertain how their health is tracking. Last year marijuana was de-criminalised in Thailand, and The Slate has jumped on the...