Song Saa Hotels & Resorts

Song Saa Hotels & Resorts
Industry Hospitality, Tourism
Founded 2011
Founders Rory Hunter, Melita Hunter
Headquarters Hong Kong
Key people
 Karen Merrick
(General Manager)
Website www.songsaa.com

Song Saa Hotels & Resorts operates the only luxury private island resort in Cambodia as well as an NGO – The Song Saa Foundation.[1] In Khmer, ‘Song Saa’ means the ‘The Sweethearts,’ which is the name jointly given to the two private twin islands that the resort spans.[2]

Song Saa Hotels & Resorts is widely known for working with the Song Saa Foundation to protect the local environment, community and culture of the surrounding region.[3]

History

Established in 2011, Song Saa Hotels and Resorts is the operator of a Cambodian luxury private island resort in Sihanoukville Province, where 27 villas have been built with sustainable materials as part of the company's environmental pledge. The company works together with the Song Saa Foundation to protect the environment, the community and culture in each of the locations in which it operates. [1]

Aerial view of Song Saa Islands

The Song Saa brand was established by couple Rory, an advertising executive and Melita Hunter, a designer and artist. The two Australian entrepreneurs have been based in Cambodia since 2005. Prior to founding the group the couple operated a business restoring French colonial villas for sale to expats in Phnom Penh.[4][5]


The two small islands known as “the Sweethearts” on which the resort is based were populated by 60 inhabitants before the resort’s conception are close to Koh Rong. Cambodia’s second largest island, Koh Rong, is about half the size of Koh Samui, across the Gulf of Thailand, but has no cars or roads. Since being cleared alongside the rest of the islands by the Khmer Rouge (which banned coastal fishing), it has been slowly repopulated. Present on the island are three small villages, a coconut farm and eight mobile phone masts.

Formal concession for the islands was granted in 2007, becoming only the second property company to acquire costal property in Cambodia.[6] Construction began on Koh Ouen in 2010 and the hotel opened as Song Saa Private Island in March 2012.

Business

Song Saa Hotels and Resorts operate a luxury private island resort in Cambodia and aims to become the regional leader in southeast Asia’s sustainable luxury resort industry. The Group recently established its head office in Hong Kong.[7]

Foundation

The Song Saa Foundation was co-founded by Rory and Melita Hunter in April 2013. The work of the Foundation centres on promoting the health and wellbeing of the local environment and the communities of the Koh Rong archipelago, in southwest Cambodia. Included amongst the Foundation's activities has been the creation of Cambodia's first private marine reserve and a solid waste management centre in the region's largest village, Prek Svay.[8]

The Foundation has drawn international support to the region. Rory and Melita Hunter’s work has recently been endorsed by Albert II, Prince of Monaco who is to fund the expansion of the marine reserve to 400 square kilometres.[9]

Awards

Founder and CEO, Rory Hunter, was selected as a Young Global Leader for 2015- the only nominee recognized for efforts in Cambodia. This award, which is bestowed by the World Economic Forum each year, recognizes the most distinguished leaders under the age of 40 for their commitment to improving the state of the world.[10]

The Group has won several awards including:

References

  1. 1 2 "Cambodian private island resort operator opens global head office in Hong Kong (with photos)". Info.gov.hk. 2015-01-26. Retrieved 2015-07-22.
  2. ↑ "hotels". billy-clarke.com. Retrieved 2015-07-22.
  3. ↑ "Bralie Goian new General Manager at Song Saa Private Island". Ehotelier.com. Retrieved 2015-07-22.
  4. ↑ "Near Phnom Penh's Hubbub, a Home Provides Calm and Savings". The New York Times. Retrieved 2015-07-22.
  5. ↑ "Song Saa resort, Cambodia, is Rory and Melita Hunter's community project". Theaustralian.com.au. Retrieved 2015-07-22.
  6. ↑ Knight, Sam (2011-12-09). "Island dreams". FT.com. Retrieved 2015-07-22.
  7. ↑ "Cambodian private island resort operator opens global head office in Hong Kong | English". .investhk.gov.hk. 2015-01-26. Retrieved 2015-07-22.
  8. ↑ "Song Saa: Private island with philanthropic core". Green Hotelier. 2015-07-17. Retrieved 2015-07-22.
  9. ↑ "SONG SAA PRIVATE ISLAND CAMBODIA APRIL 2015 NEWS — Liz Rodgers, representation for Luxury Resorts of Style, Distinction & Character". Lrforluxuryresorts.com.au. Retrieved 2015-07-22.
  10. ↑ "Founder of Song Saa Private Island in Cambodia Honored as 2015 Young Global Leader | Luxury Newswire". Robbreport.com. 2015-03-17. Retrieved 2015-07-22.
  11. ↑ "Best hotels in the world | Gold Standard hotels 2015 (Condé Nast Traveller)". Cntraveller.com. Retrieved 2015-07-22.
  12. ↑ "2015 Gold List Winners - Luxury Travel Magazine". Luxurytravelmag.com.au. Retrieved 2015-07-22.
  13. ↑ "Alto - Celebrating Refined Luxury" (PDF). Songsaa2.6600design.netdna-cdn.com. Retrieved 2015-07-22.
  14. ↑ "Song Saa Private Island | Hotel Awards 2014". Fodors.com. Retrieved 2015-07-22.
  15. ↑
  16. ↑ "Hospitality Marketing Awards". Adrian Awards. Retrieved 2015-07-22.
  17. ↑ "Global Vision Awards | Travel + Leisure". Travelandleisure.com. 2014-10-20. Retrieved 2015-07-22.
  18. ↑ http://hicapconference.com/hicap-home/hicap-awards/sustainable-hotel-award/

External links


Coordinates: 10°45′18″N 103°15′40″E / 10.755°N 103.261°E / 10.755; 103.261

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