As one of the most prolific destinations in the Luxury Collection portfolio, Vana Belle Koh Samui in Thailand boasts 72 luxury pool suites and 7 pool villas. We sit down with Francois Polleti to hear more about the in-depth details behind managing such a pristine luxury destination.

With the mythical theme that this prestigious island resort offers, could you tell us a bit more about how Vana Belle Koh Samui came to be?

The resort’s concept is inspired from the combination of words in two languages. Vana means forest in Thai and Belle means beautiful in French. Two words combined to represent the surroundings of the resort that is full of grown trees and we also use the theme of Himavantra forest in Thai mythical story to reflect our resort decoration.

As such a remote location, what challenges could one in your position face daily?

As the General Manager of the resort, I need to manage both sides of communication to be perfectly connected in order to avoid any mistakes that could occur.

From a personal perspective, what are your favourite aspects of Vana Belle Resort?

I admire the way our staff members work as a team and have the guest’s best interest in mind. Additionally, Vana Belle, a Luxury Collection Resort, Koh samui is located on one of the island’s most tranquil beach to ensure that guests can spend their getaway and fully unwind after long days from work.

As such a secluded yet sizable resort, how do you keep such incredible service standards?

We always ensure to maintain our service standards at the highest level. In order to avoid overburdening, we do our best to encourage our staff to work as a team.

Vana Belle Koh Samui has an incredible offering, could you tell us more about the planning for guest arrival?

Upon the arrival of every guest to the resort, we welcome them by our water pouring ritual which will bring good luck to guests. Later, during the check in, we serve them our signature welcome drink that is made from butterfly pea and coconut juice, served on “Kra- thong”, then we will escort guests to our pawn to make wishes and float Krathong.

Elaborating on that, what do you believe makes a successful experience for a guest at Vana Belle?

In my opinion, service is what makes us stand out and satisfying guest experience at Vana Belle, a Luxury Collection Resort, Koh samui.

Could you tell us more about your journey to being at Vana Belle?

I’ve always had a passion for luxury hospitality and have worked in several luxury hotels before. I started my hospitality career in St. Barth’s, French Polynesia and Phuket. Then joined the wonderful Vana Belle, a Luxury Collection Resort, Koh Samui since February 2022 as General Manager.

Any future plans for the resort?

Our resort is running at its best at the moment, so we still do not have any plans for the resort but only to keep our performance at its best.