Minor Hotels
An international hotel owner, operator and investor headquartered in Bangkok, with a portfolio spanning luxury resorts, urban hotels, serviced apartments, safari lodges, restaurants, spas, cruises and rail travel.
Last updated August 31, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Minor Hotels is the hospitality business of Thailand-based Minor International. It owns, operates, manages and invests in hotels and related travel businesses across Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, Africa, the Indian Ocean, Europe and the Americas. The group’s portfolio includes more than 550 hotels in over 55 countries, although the exact count can change as properties open, close, change ownership or move between operating arrangements. The business began in 1978 when American-born Thai entrepreneur William Heinecke opened the Royal Garden Resort Pattaya. That first property established the foundation for a broader hospitality and leisure group. The resort subsequently changed identity, becoming the Pattaya Marriott Resort & Spa and later the Avani Pattaya Resort. Minor Hotels later developed its own international brands, including Anantara Hotels & Resorts, which entered the luxury market with a first property in Hua Hin in 2001, and Avani Hotels & Resorts, launched in 2011 as a more contemporary lifestyle-oriented brand. Growth has also been driven by acquisitions and strategic investments. The group entered African hospitality through a 50 percent stake in Elewana Afrika in 2008 and expanded its Australian presence through the 2011 acquisition of Oaks Hotels, Resorts & Suites. Its European platform grew through the acquisition of Tivoli Hotels & Resorts in 2015, bringing properties in Portugal and Brazil into the portfolio. The largest expansion came in 2018, when Minor Hotels acquired a controlling stake in Spain-based NH Hotel Group. That transaction added the NH Hotels, NH Collection and nhow brands and significantly increased the group’s exposure to European and Latin American city markets. Minor Hotels’ brand architecture covers several segments. Anantara is positioned as the group’s luxury flagship, emphasizing destination-led resorts, heritage settings, local culture and high-touch service. Avani targets modern leisure and urban travelers through design-conscious hotels and resorts. Elewana operates boutique safari lodges, camps and hotels in Kenya and Tanzania. Oaks focuses on serviced apartments and extended-stay accommodation, primarily in Australia and New Zealand. NH Hotels serves business and leisure travelers in the midscale-to-upscale urban segment, while NH Collection occupies an upper-upscale position and nhow uses design, art and city-specific identity as differentiators. Tivoli operates upscale and luxury properties in selected markets. The group has expanded beyond rooms. Its wider hospitality activities include The Wolseley Hospitality Group in the United Kingdom, a collection of restaurants developed from the former Corbin & King business; MSpa International and hotel spa brands such as Anantara Spa and AvaniSpa; river-cruise businesses including Loy Pela Voyages and Mekong Kingdoms; and The Vietage by Anantara, a luxury rail experience in Vietnam. Minor Hotels has also pursued wellness ventures, including a partnership with Bangkok Dusit Medical Services to establish a BDMS Wellness Clinic at Anantara Riverside Bangkok Resort and a collaboration with Clinique La Prairie. Minor Hotels therefore operates as a multi-brand hospitality platform rather than a single hotel chain. Its strategy combines owned and managed properties, brand development, acquisitions, partnerships and destination experiences. The group’s present identity is built around a broad geographic footprint and a portfolio ranging from luxury resorts and safari camps to city hotels, serviced apartments, restaurants, wellness facilities, cruises and experiential rail travel.
History
Minor Hotels traces its origins to 1978, when William Heinecke opened the Royal Garden Resort Pattaya in Thailand. The property was the group’s initial hotel venture and later passed through several identities, including Pattaya Marriott Resort & Spa, before becoming Avani Pattaya Resort. The opening established the hospitality foundation of what developed into Minor International’s hotel ownership, management and investment platform. The group entered luxury hospitality in 2001 with the first Anantara Hotels & Resorts property in Hua Hin. Anantara became the company’s principal luxury brand, building a portfolio around resort destinations, private islands, heritage locations, countryside retreats, desert environments and major cities. By the brand’s twentieth anniversary in 2021, it had expanded across Asia, Africa, the Middle East, the Indian Ocean and Europe. In 2010, Minor Hotels added Anantara Vacation Club, a points-based vacation-ownership business. International expansion accelerated in the late 2000s. In 2008, Minor Hotels acquired a 50 percent interest in Elewana Afrika, providing a platform in East African safari and lodge hospitality. The business later became associated with the Elewana Collection, comprising boutique lodges, camps and hotels in Kenya and Tanzania. In 2015, Minor Hotels increased its African exposure through majority investments in four Kenyan properties and related safari-tour operations connected with Cheli & Peacock. Australia became another important market in 2011, when Minor Hotels acquired Oaks Hotels, Resorts & Suites. Founded in Australia in 1991, Oaks added serviced apartments and extended-stay accommodation to the group’s portfolio. The brand has concentrated on Australia and New Zealand while also developing a presence in selected Asian and Middle Eastern markets. Minor Hotels entered Europe in a substantial way through its 2015 acquisition of Tivoli Hotels & Resorts. The transaction included 16 properties in Portugal and Brazil and was described in the reference material as Portugal’s largest hospitality deal at that time. Tivoli broadened the group’s exposure to European and Latin American resort and city markets. The acquisition of NH Hotel Group in 2018 was the group’s most consequential expansion. Minor Hotels acquired a 94.1 percent stake in the Spanish hotel company during the final quarter of the year. The transaction added approximately 380 hotels and brought NH Hotels, NH Collection and nhow Hotels into the wider portfolio. NH’s urban presence strengthened Minor Hotels’ position in European and Latin American business and leisure markets, complementing the group’s resort-heavy brands. Minor Hotels also expanded into restaurants and experiences. It invested in the British restaurant group Corbin & King in 2017 and acquired the whole business in 2022. The platform was subsequently organized as The Wolseley Hospitality Group and includes restaurants such as The Wolseley, The Delaunay, Brasserie Zédel, Manzi’s, Colbert, Fischer’s, Café Wolseley, Soutine and Bellanger. In wellness, Minor Hotels fully acquired MSpa International and developed spa concepts including Anantara Spa and AvaniSpa. It also entered medical wellness through partnerships with Bangkok Dusit Medical Services and Clinique La Prairie. The group has developed destination experiences beyond conventional hotel stays. Loy Pela Voyages provides river-cruise experiences on the Chao Phraya River from Anantara Riverside Bangkok Resort, while Mekong Kingdoms, launched in 2018, offers luxury cruising between Thailand and Laos. The Vietage by Anantara introduced luxury rail travel in Vietnam using small-capacity carriages connecting destinations including Da Nang, Quy Nhon and Nha Trang. Partnerships with Funyard Hotels & Resorts, VLCC and Les Roches have further supported expansion in China, wellness and hospitality education. By the mid-2020s, Minor Hotels had become a multi-brand international hospitality group with more than 550 hotels in over 55 countries. Its operating model combines ownership, management, investment, brand licensing, acquisitions and partnerships. Its portfolio spans luxury resorts, lifestyle hotels, urban properties, serviced apartments, safari camps, restaurants, spas, cruises and rail travel.
- 2025
Anantara properties feature in The White Lotus
[1]Anantara resorts in Koh Samui and Phuket serve as filming locations for the third season of The White Lotus.
- 2022
The Wolseley Hospitality Group is formed
[1]Minor Hotels acquires the entire Corbin & King business and reorganizes the restaurant portfolio under The Wolseley Hospitality Group.
- 2018
NH Hotel Group acquisition
[1]Minor Hotels acquires a controlling stake in NH Hotel Group, substantially expanding its urban hotel portfolio in Europe and Latin America.
- 2018
Mekong Kingdoms launches
[1]Minor Hotels launches luxury river-cruise operations linking destinations in Thailand and Laos.
- 2017
Investment in Corbin & King
[1]Minor Hotels acquires a significant stake in the British restaurant group Corbin & King.
- 2015
Tivoli Hotels & Resorts is acquired
[1]Minor Hotels acquires Tivoli Hotels & Resorts, adding properties in Portugal and Brazil and establishing a major European platform.
- 2011
Avani launches and Oaks joins the portfolio
[1]Minor Hotels launches Avani Hotels & Resorts and completes the acquisition of Oaks Hotels, Resorts & Suites.
- 2010
Anantara Vacation Club launches
[1]The group introduces a points-based vacation-ownership offering associated with the Anantara brand.
- 2008
Entry into African hospitality
[1]Minor Hotels acquires a 50 percent stake in Elewana Afrika, its first significant investment in Africa.
- 2001
Anantara Hotels & Resorts launches
[1]Minor Hotels opens the first Anantara property in Hua Hin and enters the luxury hospitality segment.
Products and positioning
A diversified international hospitality platform spanning luxury, lifestyle, upscale urban, serviced-apartment, safari and destination-experience segments.
Luxury hotels and resorts · 2001
Anantara Hotels & Resorts
Minor Hotels’ flagship luxury brand, launched in 2001 with a property in Hua Hin. Anantara focuses on destination-led hospitality in beach, island, countryside, desert, heritage and city settings, combining upscale accommodation with locally influenced design, dining, cultural programming and wellness. The brand operates across Asia, Africa, the Middle East, the Indian Ocean and Europe.
Lifestyle hotels and resorts · 2011
Avani Hotels & Resorts
A contemporary lifestyle brand launched in 2011. Avani serves leisure and urban travelers through design-oriented hotels and resorts intended to combine relaxed service, modern social spaces, food and beverage, and access to local destinations. Its network extends across Asia-Pacific, Africa, Europe, the Middle East and the Americas.
Safari lodges and boutique accommodation · 2008
Elewana Collection
A collection of boutique lodges, tented camps and hotels in East Africa. The portfolio is centered on Kenya and Tanzania and offers safari and nature-based stays, with properties designed around wildlife access, conservation-oriented destination experiences and small-scale hospitality.
Serviced apartments and extended-stay accommodation · 1991
Oaks Hotels, Resorts & Suites
An Australian accommodation brand founded in 1991 and acquired by Minor Hotels in 2011. Oaks primarily provides serviced apartments and suite-style accommodation for business travelers, families, leisure guests and longer stays. Its principal markets are Australia and New Zealand, with additional properties in selected international locations.
Midscale to upscale urban hotels
NH Hotels
One of the principal brands added through Minor Hotels’ 2018 acquisition of NH Hotel Group. NH Hotels operates city properties aimed at business and leisure travelers, with accommodation, meeting facilities, dining and central locations across Europe and Latin America.
Upper-upscale urban hotels · 2014
NH Collection
An upper-upscale brand established in 2014 and concentrated in major capital cities and important urban destinations. NH Collection emphasizes upgraded accommodation, design, service and location for business and leisure guests, particularly in Europe and Latin America.
Design-led urban hotels
nhow Hotels
A design-oriented urban hotel brand within the NH portfolio. Its properties are located in city environments and use architecture, art, interiors and locally specific concepts to create a more expressive alternative to conventional business hotels.
Upscale and luxury hotels and resorts
Tivoli Hotels & Resorts
A hotel group acquired by Minor Hotels in 2015, with properties in Portugal, Brazil and Qatar. Tivoli extends Minor Hotels’ presence in European and Latin American resort and city destinations and contributes an established hospitality identity with upscale and luxury positioning.
Restaurants · 2022
The Wolseley Hospitality Group
The restaurant platform created after Minor Hotels acquired the complete Corbin & King business in 2022. It includes The Wolseley, The Delaunay, Brasserie Zédel, Manzi’s, Colbert, Fischer’s, Café Wolseley, Soutine and Bellanger, among other establishments.
Spas and wellness · 1999
MSpa International
Minor Hotels’ spa and wellness platform, operating more than 70 spas worldwide through concepts including Anantara Spa and AvaniSpa. The business extends the group’s hospitality proposition into treatments, relaxation, beauty and destination wellness.
River cruises
Loy Pela Voyages
A river-cruise operation departing from Anantara Riverside Bangkok Resort. Loy Pela Voyages offers leisure journeys on the Chao Phraya River, combining contemporary onboard hospitality with access to historic and cultural destinations, including Ayutthaya.
Luxury river cruises · 2018
Mekong Kingdoms
A luxury river-cruise experience launched in 2018, operating routes between Thailand and Laos. Its journeys include itineraries connecting the Golden Triangle with Luang Prabang and are designed around small-scale travel, scenery and cultural immersion.
Luxury rail travel
The Vietage by Anantara
A premium rail experience in Vietnam using 12-seat carriages. The Vietage connects destinations including Da Nang, Quy Nhon and Nha Trang and extends Anantara’s destination-experience proposition beyond conventional hotel accommodation.
Marketing campaigns
- 2025The White Lotus filming partnership
Thailand · International
Anantara Bophut Koh Samui Resort, Anantara Lawana Koh Samui Resort and Anantara Mai Khao Phuket Villas were used as filming locations for the third season of The White Lotus.
Outcome. The production provided prominent international exposure for the Anantara brand and the Thai destinations in which the resorts operate.
Brand decisions
2022
Acquire the full Corbin & King businessM&ABackground
Minor Hotels had invested in the British restaurant group in 2017 and sought full control of its restaurant assets.
Action taken
Minor Hotels acquired the entire business and reorganized it as The Wolseley Hospitality Group.
Aftermath
The transaction expanded Minor Hotels’ activities into a prominent collection of London restaurants and related hospitality venues.
Transaction value. £60 million (2022 acquisition)
2022
Expand into medical wellnessStrategyBackground
Minor Hotels sought to extend its hospitality platform into preventive health and premium wellness services.
Action taken
The group partnered with Bangkok Dusit Medical Services to open a BDMS Wellness Clinic at Anantara Riverside Bangkok Resort.
Aftermath
The partnership connected the Anantara resort proposition with clinical wellness and medical-service capabilities.
2018
Acquire a controlling stake in NH Hotel GroupM&ABackground
Minor Hotels pursued a large-scale expansion into urban hotel markets in Europe and Latin America.
Action taken
During the final quarter of 2018, Minor Hotels acquired a 94.1 percent stake in NH Hotel Group.
Aftermath
The transaction added approximately 380 hotels and the NH Hotels, NH Collection and nhow brands, materially increasing the group’s global scale.
Transaction value. €2.327 billion (2018 acquisition)
2015
Acquire Tivoli Hotels & ResortsM&ABackground
Minor Hotels sought a substantial entry into European and Latin American hospitality.
Action taken
The group acquired Tivoli Hotels & Resorts, including 16 properties across Portugal and Brazil.
Aftermath
The transaction created a major European foothold and expanded Minor Hotels’ resort and city portfolio in Portugal and Brazil.
Transaction value. €294.2 million (2015 acquisition)
2011
Acquire Oaks Hotels, Resorts & SuitesM&ABackground
Minor Hotels wanted to broaden its Australian platform and add serviced-apartment accommodation.
Action taken
The group completed the acquisition of Oaks Hotels, Resorts & Suites and held a majority stake reported at 54.3 percent in the reference material.
Aftermath
Oaks extended Minor Hotels’ presence in Australia and New Zealand and diversified the portfolio beyond conventional hotels and resorts.
2008
Acquire a stake in Elewana AfrikaM&ABackground
Minor Hotels sought a platform for expansion into African hospitality and destination accommodation.
Action taken
The group acquired a 50 percent stake in Elewana Afrika, which later became associated with the Elewana Collection.
Aftermath
The investment established a significant East African presence centered on safari lodges, camps and boutique hotels.
Sources1 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/minor-hotels · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled