The Emerald Collection is a family-owned private hospitality business that was launched in 2013, and specialises in five-star hospitality with 40 years of experience managing successful resorts in the Indian Ocean, the Caribbean and East Africa. In 2019 they launched their first property under The Emerald Collection brand – Emerald Maldives Resort and Spa, with Emerald Faarufushi Resort & Spa opening in 2022. Both properties are proud members of Leading Hotels of the World.
In this In Conversation with, we meet Simone Scarapicchia, Deputy Chairman and Head of Strategy who shares with us more about The Emerald Collection experience, expansion plans and insights into key travel trends.
How does The Emerald Collection differ from other hospitality brands?
I would say one of the most unique parts about a stay with The Emerald Collection is our Deluxe all-inclusive formula which offers guests access to gourmet a la carte restaurants, premium wines and spirits and includes daily mini bar in the rooms, all non-motorised water activities and resort amenities.
Tell us more about how your deluxe all-inclusive formula came to be at the centre of your offering.
We wanted to make sure that once they arrived at our properties, guests would not have to worry about anything except enjoying themselves! By including all à la carte restaurants and premium wines and spirits in our deluxe all-inclusive formula, guests can relax and enjoy their holiday and have fantastic food and not worry about additional costs!
Is there are typical ‘Emerald Collection’ guest?
I wouldn’t say we have a ‘typical’ guest profile as such. Our guests come from all over the world, from India and Korea, to Italy and the UK but I think something they all have in common is that they are looking for somewhere to stay that has great food and beverage options, activities and is somewhere where they can truly relax!
You have plans to open a new hotel in Zanzibar in the coming years – why was this a destination you wanted to expand to?
We have had a presence in Zanzibar for 25 years, and this will be the eighth resort we are building (although the second under The Emerald Collection umbrella, the first of which was sold.) It was such a great success, we’re excited to be coming back but this time the property will be facing the island of Mnemba.
Zanzibar is a one-of-a-kind destination and we’re always looking for unique places for our resorts to offer our guests different experiences – so it is the perfect match. There is so much to discover in Zanzibar, with its amazing beaches, cultures so we’re excited to be able to open a new property here and have our guests experience something different.
Which country would you love to see The Emerald Collection expand to next?
There’s more than one – Mediterranean, Italy, Greece and ski resorts!
What are the key trends, in the luxury travel market, you’ve learned from most in recent years and what do you predict for the foreseeable future?
I think we will continue to see hyper-personalisation as a growing trend and our hotels are continually finding innovative ways to create unique and memorable experiences to meet moving guest expectations.
Multi-generational travel is definitely still something we are seeing a lot of – we have the largest kids club in The Maldives so I think we definitely attract families!
Looking forward, I think we will see more people travelling in the shoulder season.
The term ‘luxury’ is highly subjective, what does it mean to you personally?
Luxury is what you get from over 20 years of experience. Our family has been in this business for generations, perfecting our skills.
When guests stay with us, guests feel like they’re at the heart of everything we do and our team go out of their way to adapt to each guest’s unique needs.
For more information or to book your Emerald Collection holiday visit: www.emerald-collection.com
