Luxury resort hotelier Frank Grassmann, has been appointed general manager of THE NAI HARN, formerly Royal Phuket Yacht Club, which is set to open its doors to guests on January 16, 2016 after an extensive, 18-month top-to-bottom makeover.
Mr Grassmann takes the reins of a completely reimagined 130-guest room and suite resort with panoramic views over the white sands of Nai Harn Beach, recently named the best beach in Thailand by TripAdvisor.
He said THE NAI HARN was primed to reassume its position at the pinnacle of romantic, private and adventurous escapes on Phuket. His role would be steering the legendary resort in the direction of offering authentic destination experiences, extraordinary culinary happenings and expertly curated connections to the best of island life and local culture.
“It’s an honour to have been tasked with bringing this iconic resort at perhaps Phuket’s most prestigious location back to life,” Mr Grassmann said. “The revamped resort will embrace Southern Thai art and culture, integrating it into the guest experience both inside and outside of the resort.”
Mr Grassmann’s most recent hotel posting was as general manager of one of Thailand’s most luxurious and unique resorts, Soneva Kiri, on the island of Koh Kood. Prior to that he was the general manager of Evason Phuket & Bon Island, part of the portfolio of Six Senses Resorts & Spas.
He is no stranger to being entrusted with senior roles at unique flagship hotels and resorts, having done stints at Dusit Thani Bangkok; international flagship for Dusit International, as well as Dusit Thani Manila; Sheraton Maria Isabel Hotel & Towers, Mexico City, flagship of Starwood’s Latin American Division, and Steigenberger Frankfurter Hof in Frankfurt, Germany, the flagship of the Steigenberger company. Mr Grassmann’s CV also includes Riyadh InterContinental Hotel, Saudi Arabia and London luxury icon The Savoy.
The German national began his long and storied career in hospitality attending Albrecht Dürer Hotel Management School in Düsseldorf, while also serving an apprenticeship at the Steigenberger Parkhotel in the same city.
He steps into the top job at a resort that first launched in 1986, and which has welcomed high profile guests including Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, Prince Albert of Monaco, Prince Henrik of Denmark, former French president Jacques Chirac, the late actor Sir Peter Ustinov, late dance legend Rudolf Nureyev, US actor Forest Whitaker and Roger Moore, who once fought Scaramanga (Sir Christopher Lee) in The Man With the Golden Gun, on the now famously eponymous James Bond Island off the coast of Phang Nga, a short speedboat hop away.
THE NAI HARN will be offering an opening rate starting at THB8,000 net per night until October 31, 2016.
THE NAI HARN, MANATHAI Hotels & Resorts, www.thenaiharn.com