Rejecting the traditional non-profit model, Arief Gunawan positions his global hospitality network as a business alliance built on independence and pride of ownership. Drawing on decades of experience in international hotel chains, he argues that true luxury today is not in logos or price tags, but in mindset, leadership culture, and a destination’s ability—like Vietnam—to preserve its soul while engaging with the world.
The Saigon Times: You often distinguish your organization from a traditional non-profit association. You call it a business alliance. What is the core logic behind this model?
Arief Gunawan: The distinction is fundamental. When people hear the word “association,” they often assume a foundation, social club, or non-profit entity. That is not who we are. We are an invitation-only business alliance for visionary destinations, focused on profitability, market positioning, and long-term value creation for up-market properties.
We are designed for property owners, developers, investors, and financiers who refuse to blend into the conventional marketplace. Through a strategic Luxury Soft Brand Portfolio, we empower independent hotels and local destinations to compete with global icons—without surrendering their identity, culture, or creative control. Our role is to steward the platform, not command it. The alliance operates through collaboration among equals aligned by shared standards, strategy, and vision.
We are a curated global alliance of distinguished luxury travel and hospitality brands. Today, we have 122 members worldwide, including six in Indochina and a select presence in Vietnam. We are intentionally selective—reserved for those who believe luxury is not merely operated, but orchestrated. Rather than functioning like a chain, we curate one defining partner per destination, ensuring that travelers recognize the property that represents the soul and identity of the place.
You’ve spent your career in the world’s most famous hotel chains—IHG, Accor, Shangri-La. Yet, you now advocate for “Soft Brands.” Why the shift?
After years with leading global hotel groups such as IHG, Accor, and Shangri-La, I witnessed how the hard-brand landscape has become increasingly crowded. Many owners struggle to distinguish what one international brand truly offers over another, especially as groups compete with themselves through overlapping brand portfolios. This saturation has created confusion and diluted brand value.
My shift toward Soft Brands comes from a desire to restore strategic precision. Rather than forcing properties into rigid frameworks, we help owners either identify the right international soft brand or strengthen their own local brand while affiliating with a global ecosystem. This enables access to international distribution, standards, and credibility without sacrificing identity or creative control.
This philosophy is embedded in our Luxury Business Leadership Master Class, where we guide owners passionate about taking local brands onto the global stage. Our mission is to elevate pride into profit—transforming authentic local identity into sustainable international value.
With your PhD in Psychology and Doctor of Business Administration (DBA), how do you define “luxury” differently than a traditional hotelier?
Psychologically, luxury starts with mindset. It exists first in the mind—shaped by how individuals perceive value, meaning, comfort, status, and identity. Without the right mindset, even the most expensive product will never truly be experienced as luxury.
From a business perspective, luxury is a strategy. It is a deliberate choice—how a brand positions itself, controls scarcity, orchestrates value, and protects margin and brand equity over time. Without a strategy, luxury becomes imitation rather than an advantage.
This is why I teach the “Three Es”: Excellence, Empowerment, and Experience. Leadership must believe in the luxury vision and empower the team to carry it forward. Only when staff internalize luxury can they translate it into a meaningful guest experience. Luxury is ultimately a culture of leadership—if absent at the C-level, the end user will never feel it.
There is a belief that luxury is synonymous with a high price tag. Is that a misconception?
Yes. A high price does not define luxury; it signals cost. Luxury is defined by value, meaning, and intentional design. Price is a result of luxury, not its foundation. Without emotional resonance and consistent experience, an expensive product is simply costly.
From a psychological perspective, luxury is perceived, not calculated. It is about how something makes people feel—respected, confident, elevated. From a business perspective, luxury is engineered through controlled access, scarcity, narrative, and experience. When price rises without these elements, luxury collapses into imitation.
True luxury is valuable by design. When mindset and strategy align, price becomes credible. In luxury, the product is not the price—the product is the experience.
You’ve noted that the definition of luxury has changed since the pandemic. What are travelers looking for now?
The pandemic reshaped how people define luxury. Before, luxury was about goods and visible symbols of success. Today, travelers seek meaningful ways of living. Luxury has shifted from possession to presence.
Modern travelers are searching for the “Three Ps”: Peace, Privacy, and Purpose. Travel has become a journey inward. People go to places like Bali or the mountains of Vietnam to realign their spirit. They want wellness-driven environments that allow disconnection from noise and reconnection with self.
Luxury is no longer about being seen with something expensive, but about being undisturbed in a meaningful space. In today’s world, the ultimate luxury is not visibility—it is inner peace.
You moved to Vietnam in 2004 and later returned. What made you choose Vietnam as your base?
When I arrived in 2004, Vietnam was still developing its hospitality sector. I saw opportunity and responsibility. I believed I could contribute to shaping growth in a sustainable way. Beyond work, I fell in love with Vietnam’s culture, resilience, and identity. Even after moving to Bangkok, Vietnam remained unfinished business in my heart.
My DBA thesis became the foundation of Kingdom Hospitality—a framework helping local brands grow together rather than in isolation. Vietnam is a market where luxury is deeply connected to Pride, Prestige, and Permanence. Owners are building names and stories meant to endure.
My mission was to show that preserving pride does not require compromise. Luxury is not about copying global brands, but elevating local excellence onto the international stage.
You use the term “Hospitality Discipleship.” What does it mean for the Vietnamese workforce?
Hospitality is more than a job—it is a way of life. “Hospitality Discipleship” focuses on forming people who serve with excellence and train others to pass on the standard and spirit of service. True service does not come from obligation, but from inner pride, purpose, and love.
There is a difference between being paid to serve and being proud to serve. When service becomes a calling, it is offered with excellence and peace. Guests feel it immediately—because they are attended to, not processed.
When I worked in the south of France, my salary was modest, but my tips were high. The difference was presence. That is the discipleship we aim to pass on—skills, dignity, and peace to the next generation.
Vietnam is often compared to Thailand or Bali. What does it need to elevate its luxury segment?
Vietnam needs discipline, authenticity, and courage to resist mimicry. Too often, resorts imitate European architecture or other destinations, eroding cultural soul. Luxury without identity is dilution.
Vietnam is a hidden gem. The foundation is already there: landscapes, culture, and sincere hospitality. In the countryside, service is lived, not taught. That authenticity is invaluable.
The challenge is bringing that respectful hospitality into urban luxury hotels—combining world-class standards with Vietnam’s innate warmth. That fusion, not imitation, is Vietnam’s true advantage.
Finally, how would you introduce Vietnam to a world-class traveler?
I would say this: Vietnam must be felt, not filtered. Its luxury cannot be replicated by AI or discovered through a screen.
Vietnam is a place where you can sit on a small plastic stool, drink coffee in the morning sun, and experience a depth of luxury no marble lobby can offer. That presence is where Vietnam’s richness lives.
To understand Vietnam, travelers must immerse themselves in its rhythm and people. Only then can they experience its authentic luxury—revealed through experience, not algorithms.
Reported by The Ky
