AFTER THE TSUNAMI
Goran Aleks
WHEN THE INDIAN OCEAN tsunami struck in December 2004, Goran Aleks helped evacuate hotel guests from the disaster area. He was managing Sofitel Magic Lagoon Resort & Spa in Khao Lak, Thailand at the time. “I had to evacuate 150 guests from the property before I was flown to Bangkok, and then to Paris, to handle follow-up with the families and postdisaster operations,” he recalls. “It is the disaster that the film The Impossible with Naomi Watts is based on. That is our hotel portrayed in the film.”
Aleks overcame the trauma of that ordeal to return to Southeast Asia and continue his career in the luxury hospitality industry. Today, the handsome 38-year-old hotelier is Area General Manager for Sofitel Indonesia and General Manager of Sofitel Bali Nusa Dua Beach Resort, the latest five-star property to open in the popular tourism enclave. The 415-room beachfront resort is surrounded by eight hectares of gardens. It offers 39 suites and villas, two restaurants, two bars and Indonesia’s first Nikki Beach club.
The hotelier has worked for the Accor group for 19 years. Under his leadership, Sofitel Bali has welcomed top political leaders and CEOs among its VIP guests and hosted more than a few extravagant weddings. In an exclusive interview, Aleks talked about his career and the challenges of running a new five-star resort in a highly competitive environment like Bali.
WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO THIS PART OF THE WORLD?
I was watching a documentary on TV about Luang Prabang in Laos, and I felt like I needed to be part of a different world. This was around 1999, when it was out of the norm for Europeans to travel to Southeast Asia. I spent three months on the “banana pancake trail” in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Malaysia, before I started working.
THE TSUNAMI WAS OBVIOUSLY A DREADFUL EXPERIENCE. WHAT DID YOU DO AFTERWARDS?
I wanted to continue my career with the company, and I was moved to Perth and then to Brisbane - a very new and different destination. In 2009, I was given the opportunity to move to Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila, where President Obama, Hillary Clinton, Justin Timberlake and Madonna have all stayed. I spent three years in Manila.
WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO OPEN SOFITEL BALI?
Trihatma Haliman (head of Agung Podomoro, one of Indonesia’s leading property development companies) is an ambitious and visionary hotel owner. He developed the property in less than two years and was very hands-on ahead of the opening. We soft-opened in October 2013 for the APEC summit, hosting 21 world leaders. Pak Trihatma said: ‘I’ve done many things in my life, and this is something that will serve my country. I want [our guests] to have a good impression of Bali and Indonesia.”
WHAT ARE YOUR MEMORIES OF THE PRE-OPENING?
I worked closely on the pre-launch strategy with the development team, which was based in Senayan, and with the designers and architects on the “Sofitel-isation” of the property - like fine touches of French flair.
WHAT ELSE DID “SOFITEL- ISATION” INVOLVE?
We wanted to create a cultural link between the French and Indonesian cultures. For example, one of Indonesia’s leading young fashion designers, Priyo Oktaviano, designed our uniforms, based on the military jackets worn in Versailles. The cloth is ikat batik and the cut is French couture. Real gold is woven into the material. The short jackets are inspired by Chanel. In the rooms, we used natural fibres, earth colours and our signature batik. Kawung batik is used in the ballroom and other carpeted areas.
WHAT’S NEW AT SOFITEL BALI?
Nikki Beach is an international beach club marking a new era for Bali. We are hosting big parties once a month, including a Victoria’s Secret show. The concept is of a destination hotel that offers unique experiences.
HOW DO YOU SEE THE FUTURE OF NUSA DUA?
A lot of brands here are refurbishing and redesigning. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it - that’s what I believe. Bali is becoming the St. Tropez of Asia.