Quorum forum

All world-class travellers, Preferred Hotel Group’s top honchos explain why they always have time for one more place to explore.

Question: Why would you visit a destination for the very first time?

Venue: Regional meeting for Asia-Pacific, Bangkok

John Ueberroth, Chairman and CEO:

My family and I share a great curiosity of culture and history, so I would be enticed to visit a new destination by the promise of learning something new and meeting interesting people.

Lindsey Ueberroth, VP of Brand Development:

There are numerous wonderful reasons why I would visit a new destination. However, I’m incredibly lucky that I love what I do professionally and am always interested in discovering new hotels and resorts. If a destination has recently seen a change to its hospitality landscape, then it’s on my list of places to visit.

Ananya Narayan, area managing director of India, Africa & Middle East / SVP of Global Strategy:

There are so many destinations where we want to travel for the first time. It really comes down to who can offer something unique that may affect us emotionally, perhaps a life-changing experience and not just candy for the eye.

Mark Simmons, area managing director, Asia:

First, word-of-mouth from one of many travelled friends who regularly discover new destinations. Second, a place to balance culture, scenery and relaxation.

Lynne Ireland, area managing director, Australia, New Zealand and Pacific / managing director of Preferred Boutique:

To gain a more thorough appreciation of differing cultures, unique experiences and the influences of the history, design and gastronomy within each new locale.