April 23, 2025 • 26 mins
Imagine stepping off a small turboprop plane onto a pristine island less than a mile long, where coconut trees sway in gentle breezes and sea turtles nest undisturbed along protected shores. Welcome to the Waldorf Astoria Seychelles Platte Island, where luxury meets untouched nature in perfect harmony.
Join us for the latest episode of our Special Hospitality Series in collaboration with Forbes Travel Guide, where we shine a light on one of the "Leaders Behind the Stars"—Mark Basaloga, Resort Manager at Waldorf Astoria Seychelles Platte Island.
Mark takes us behind the scenes of this extraordinary property that earned Forbes Travel Guide's first Five-Star rating in the Seychelles just one year after opening.
Experience the extraordinary magic of Waldorf Astoria Seychelles Platte Island for yourself – where luxury meets conservation, disconnection leads to deeper connection, and authentic experiences create memories that last a lifetime.
We will be releasing new episodes every Thursday—don’t miss this exceptional 10-part series featuring hospitality leaders from Beverly Hills to the Seychelles.
Season 5 Launched Jan 15th. New Episodes Every Weds! Check out our first 4 Seasons.
https://www.traveltrendspodcast.com/
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
It's really great to have an event like this Summit,
as you said, indeed, it's thepeak, it's the top of the
mountain, top of the hill whichfinally gives us luxury
hoteliers an opportunity orplatform to connect and not to
be in the competitive sets, butrather to be allies, to be
(00:24):
partners and really thinktogether and get actually
inspiration.
What else can we docollectively, together, in order
to bring our industry to thenext heights?
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Hello everyone and welcome back to our special
hospitality series inpartnership with our friends at
Forbes Travel Guide.
This is your host, danChristian, and we're continuing
our conversation highlightingthe leaders behind the stars.
All of these interviews wererecorded live at the summit in
Monaco this year.
We have been highlighting anumber of hotel GMs from around
the world.
In our last few conversationswe went from the south of France
(01:02):
to Italy, to Tuscany on lastweek's episode, and today we're
headed to the Seychelles.
We're going to be speaking toMark Basalaga, who is the
director of operations at anabsolutely extraordinary resort,
the Waldorf Astoria, seychelles, platte Island.
They are a new Forbes travelguide five star hotel and the
very first in the Seychelles, soI'm so excited to bring you
(01:25):
this conversation with Mark.
Don't forget we are postingclips and highlights on our
social channels, at ForbesTravel Guide as well as at
Travel Trends, so be sure tocheck those out on LinkedIn,
instagram and YouTube.
And then we also send out amonthly newsletter to round up
the series for the month.
So make sure that you registerfor that at
TravelTrendsPodcastcom.
Series for the month.
So make sure that you registerfor that at
TravelTrendsPodcastcom.
(01:45):
Now we are going into episodeseight, nine and 10 after this,
as this is a 10 part series, andso I definitely want to
encourage you guys to subscribeto be updated on the new
episodes, because their nextthree episodes are going to
feature a number of individualsfrom across the Forbes Travel
Guide community.
But today we have the distinctpleasure of welcoming one more
(02:07):
hotel GM and a true leadersbehind the stars to the Special
Hospitality Series, and I justwant to welcome Mark.
So great to have you here.
I've not been to the SeychellesI can't wait to go but it's
terrific to sit down and havethe opportunity to speak to you
here.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
Thank you very much, Dan.
Really pleasure to have youhere with me and being part of
your show Fantastic.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
Well, I was always keen to know where people are
from, and you had highlighted tome, just as we sat down, that
you're originally from Estonia,which is also a place in the
world that I'm very keen to go,as I mentioned to you.
So you've got this reallyunique background and now you're
in the Seychelles.
So tell us a little bit, firstand foremost, about how you got
into the world of hospitality.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
It was actually a very interesting journey.
Since I was a kid I alwaysdreamt of being a pilot and I
was actually accepted for theAviation Academy and was about
to start my pilot studies.
And last minute my parentsinfluenced me a bit and said why
don't you try to go and work inthe hotels to see how you like
(03:07):
it?
Because you're very, you'revery people oriented, you're
very outgoing and friendly andand obviously sitting in the
cockpit might have not been thesame feeling or the same, the
same sensation.
So I give it a try.
I worked over school holidays inback in the days in the one of
the best hotels back in estonia,in talin, in old town heritage
(03:29):
hotel, hotel telegraph that isnow part of autograph collection
of by marriott um, you know,wanted to shadow the gm because
it's okay, if I'm not going tobe a pilot, I'll be gm right
away.
Um didn't work out the same way, so instead I was dropped in
the laundry and housekeeping andthen being a porter, which was
(03:49):
very eye-opening and I thinkthat was the first connection
really with the guests, andsince then the journey hit off.
So I went to study hospitalityin Switzerland worked about nine
years now, yeah, and sincehospitality in different parts
of the world.
Did my studies in Switzerland,worked in Austria, switzerland
(04:10):
went over to Rosalkema UAE.
Have done also Waldorf Astoriain Rome, waldorf Astoria in
Amsterdam, a couple of openingshere and there, and then ended
up being in Seychelles.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
That's fantastic.
So you've obviously been withWaldorf Astoria, so they
recognized your value andcontribution and wanted to bring
you out to the Seychelles whereyou've been now for two years,
Correct?
Speaker 1 (04:30):
Yeah, hopefully they see the value still.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
Yeah, well, clearly you've got the four or five star
rating, so you're doingsomething right.
Let's talk a little bit aboutthe Seychelles itself and how
Waldo for Astoria came to havethis property.
So when we say two years, isthat two years since the
property was introduced and youlaunched the property there.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
So the project actually kicked off about
roughly five years ago.
So yeah, right before thepandemic, the construction
started.
We are a fairly remote island,yet still quite close to the
main island, about 20 minutes byplane.
Nothing around us, justserenity, ocean and turtles and
(05:09):
the whole wildlife.
So yeah, but I joined the teamin summer 2023, while we were
still doing the pre-openingconstruction, and we opened up
31st of January last year.
So just a year since theopening.
That's exciting.
Already five stars.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
And for those people who are listening to this that
are wrapping their head aroundand looking at the map of
Seychelles, would you mindactually just orienting
everybody about the Seychellesand please, when you do that, I
would also appreciate, becauseI'm sure that many people who
are already familiar know aboutthe results of climate change
and water level changes, aboutthe results of climate change
and water level changes, and Ithink that's one of the things
that you guys have been ahead ofthe curve of advocating for,
(05:47):
because you guys are so close tothe waterline, which is
actually what makes it beautifuland extraordinary, but also
more conscientious aboutconservation efforts.
But, yeah, tell everyoneexactly where in the world the
Seychelles are.
Sure, look we are.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
If you look at the map, we are on the right side
from African continent, let'ssay so.
Everybody knows whereMadagascar is, everybody knows
where Mauritius is, so we arejust right above them, in the
middle of the Indian Ocean,being a small island nation and,
(06:36):
as you mentioned as well, interms of the wildlife, let's say
, the conservation itself.
Indeed, us on the island overthere, I think we are the
foremen, really advocating forsustainability and not only
talking about it but actuallydoing it.
Not only the typicalsustainability, but really going
into the marine biology sideand ensuring that this beauty
that we have been given from thenature, we really preserve it
in the natural way.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
Yeah, well, the reason I wanted to call that out
is because there's such astrong connection between luxury
hotels and sustainability, andoftentimes it is because of
where they're based that it's asensitive local habitat and
environment, and when you haveluxury guests coming to stay
there, we have to be that muchmore conscientious of the impact
that it has on locals but alsothe environment, and so I know
(07:11):
that's a big focus fororganizations like yourself as
you open up those properties tofactor in conservation and
sustainability right from thebeginning.
But now tell us about theWaldorf Astoria, seychelles on
Platte Island you mentioned.
Obviously, platte Island isabout a 20-minute flight off of
the main island, but tell us alittle bit about the resort
itself, because I'm sure therehas to be many unique features
(07:33):
with that five years ofdevelopment that have been built
into this epic location.
So walk us through, if youwouldn't mind, what the
experience is for a guest tocome and stay with you.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
Look, yeah, where should we start?
Let's start from the, from thebeautiful journey that you hop
on a nice turbo propeller plane.
It's not a seaplane.
We actually have a properrunway that is dividing the
island in the middle, um, soguests land on the island, which
is less than a mile in length,so it's really, really tiny
(08:03):
island, and you land over thereand you immediately get immersed
into this untouched nature allaround you.
So the island actually used tobe a coconut plantation back in
the days, with over 10,000coconut trees, and we still have
a lot of them on the island,but these days it has been built
to be an ultra luxurious resort.
(08:25):
So we have 50 villas, all withtheir own pool, private gardens,
obviously, again consideringthe aspect of island
conservation and the wildlifeconservation, all the villas
actually set back from theshoreline at least 35 meters, or
a good 100 feet, just to ensurethat whenever the turtles are
actually coming out and nestingwith us and they do it all year
(08:45):
round they do not get any lightpollution and they can actually
fully, let's say, enjoy theirislands, because it is us who
have had this privilege to comeinto the natural habitat and not
vice versa.
But, yeah, 50 villas.
We have six restaurants andbars.
We have stunning, stunning andreally really unique spa when we
(09:07):
talk about the wellness lateron as well where we focus, and
not only about the treatment andthe therapies, but really
combining together the wellnessprograms for our guests where
guests can do full detox and Iliterally mean it, because we
also have no mobile connectionon the island.
Oh, how about that?
Totally disconnected, correct?
So you disconnect to connectwith yourself.
(09:29):
That that's how we sellourselves Love it.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
Yeah, you have to be present.
There's no excuse, correct?
Yeah, you got to deal withyourself.
Exactly.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
I mean, it can be sometimes scary in the beginning
, you know, and it happens quiteoften Guests first panic and
then, on the following days,they actually start to realize
what a privilege and what agreat advantage it is.
Days they actually start torealize what a privilege and
what a what a great advantage itis and by the end of their
journey, they actually realizethat they've rediscovered
themselves and they have newpassion and desires and they
(09:57):
want to conquer the world, whichis, which is a great again,
plus one service that we offerfor sure is that the first thing
that jumps out to me there,mark, is whether or not there is
a way, at least if there was anemergency, that someone can get
a hold of you or at least get ahold of the front desk to relay
a message to you.
Oh, yes, of course.
No, no, don't get me wrong.
I mean, we still have good wificonnection provided by the
(10:17):
satellite.
We have satellite phones, uh,but first and foremost, we have
all our team, our family, overthere who is really taking care
of every single guest.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
Yeah, I just always the concern of being
disconnected.
It's like it forms a new kindof anxiety.
Right, you need to get overuntil you actually can be
present and in the moment.
But that's really cool, mark.
I guess the other thing I'mkeen to ask you, given the
journey you've been on withopening up this new property,
which sounds extraordinary isthe journey you've been on with
Forbes Travel Guide to achieveyour five-star status.
(10:51):
So take us a bit through thatjourney, how long it's been
underway and ultimately, how youwere successful in realizing
that designation.
Speaker 1 (10:59):
From a personal point of view, my journey with Forbes
started a bit over six yearsago when I first made
introduction to forbes travelguide into our brand, world of
historia, when I was working inrome with world of historia and
then since there, you know, youjust get accustomed and forbes
travel guide and they're notreally the standards, but it's
(11:20):
more about the key highlightsbecome part of your day-to-day
routine and ethos, and when wewere building up our beautiful
resort on Platte Island, I wouldsay the key has been always to
ensure that the team drives it.
It's not you coming in andsaying you know, we need to
achieve five stars and you needto follow these rules, because
(11:42):
we are not in the school and weare not, you know, in the
colleges anymore, but instead ithas to be really driven by the
passion and the desire of theteam to accomplish something
great, achieve that plus oneservice, deliver it and to
ensure that every single guestwho stays with us is not just
(12:02):
having a stay, is having thestay that is memorable,
remarkable and, first andforemost, flawless.
Speaker 2 (12:12):
Nice, yeah, there you go.
I mean, that's where you haveto have that commitment to
extraordinary customer serviceand excellence, because
obviously, when the mysteryreviewer shows up from Forbes
Travel Guide to make sure thatyou're meeting or exceeding all
these standards, I guess it'sgoing to be a little bit harder.
They have to fly in but theystill have to be undercover.
(12:32):
But I guess you can't know,despite the fact that you are a
remote location, when thatForbes Travel Guide reviewer is
going to turn up to see theresults of all those efforts, to
make sure that you are readyfor that day and that moment.
Speaker 1 (12:49):
Oh, yes, absolutely.
I mean, think this is, this isalso the mentality that the way
we run with our platte islandfamily, our resort, is um, you
don't, you know you don't workfor that day.
Uh, you actually deliver andyou keep up that promise for
every single guest, no matterwho it is, because in the end of
the day, it's not making a bigpoint.
You know, if you just do wellone day, or let's say, two days
(13:10):
out of 365 days, because notabout uh, it's not going to
deliver you consistency, it'snot going to deliver you a great
guest experience and uh, youknow that's really the key now.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
That's very cool.
And then this you've obviouslygot a long-standing relationship
with forbes travel guide, um.
This obviously is the firsttime we're in monaco for this
event, but you've been toprevious summits before.
Speaker 1 (13:33):
I have not had the chance yet, but I'm looking
forward for the next years.
Yes, exactly.
Speaker 2 (13:37):
No, this is a great place to pick it up and start
here in Monaco.
I mean, my first was last yearin Las Vegas and it was
extraordinary, and this yeareven exceed, and that truly was
kind of a next level conference.
I understand why they call itthe summit, because it very much
is the peak in terms of thepeople that come together for
this event, and this is theglobal leaders of luxury
hospitality, and it's not onlythe amazing hoteliers like
(14:00):
yourself, but it's the luxurypartners.
See the group of people thatcome together for this, and I
guess that's why I'm also keento ask you what your take is
then, from your very first thesummit, and you're also you know
your experience here in Monaco.
So what brought you here thisyear, aside from the fact,
obviously, you've got your fivestar rating?
(14:20):
That's that's reason enoughalone, and maybe there might be
some awards in store for you inthe near future.
I know we're having the galadinner tonight, but, yeah, tell
us a little bit more.
What brought you here and whatsome of the, I guess, the
insights you've had from beingat the Summit in Monaco?
Speaker 1 (14:33):
I would say, first and foremost, it's really great
to have an event like this, theSummit, as you said.
Indeed it's the peak, it's thetop of the mountain, top of the
hill, which finally gives usluxury hoteliers an opportunity
or a platform to connect and notto be in the competitive set,
(14:54):
but rather to be allies, to bepartners and really think
together and get actuallyinspiration.
What else can we docollectively, together, in order
to bring our industry to thenext heights?
For me personally, the biggest,some of the most impactful
moments have been actually havebeen actually our symposium
(15:20):
sessions, particularly the musicone and really understanding
and discovering how importantmusic is in our day-to-day life
and how can we play along withthe music to achieve a great
guest experience.
Speaker 2 (15:35):
Very cool.
And then the sessions I'veattended have been quite
insightful and valuable and Ithink this is where you know
there's obviously greatnetworking opportunities here.
But has there been some thingsthat really I guess you found
quite profound about, even likeWellness Studio or some of the
things that are happening in ourspace that you're going to take
home and either action or Icould be more aware of, because
(15:58):
you're clearly seeing what someof your colleagues and partners
are doing or what some of thethe innovations that are
happening in the space?
Speaker 1 (16:04):
well, yes, look, definitely, I think.
Yes, on one side you I had agood opportunity to connect with
quite a lot of differentsuppliers that bring a lot of
innovation to the table.
Wellness is one of the keyfocal points for us within the
resort.
So definitely, we.
We already work many, manyyears with Garini.
(16:24):
We have their whole range ofbeds, but it's really about that
connection that we made duringthis visit to ensure to offer a
holistic approach to that wholewellness journey.
And, as I mentioned earlier, onPlatte Island, we do some of
the unique wellness programs forour guests.
(16:45):
So you arrive to the resort,you get your full body analyzes
and it's not your medical one,but it's really more about
understanding your sleep, yourserotonin, your melatonin and
everything else and how yourbody actually ticks.
And I think now this is whereGavrili steps into the game to
ensure that we create that wholejourney together and lift it up
(17:08):
to the next level.
Speaker 2 (17:09):
That's really cool.
And then, one of the things I'malso keen to get your take on,
given that you have a uniqueperspective, both with the
organization you work withWaldorf Astoria and where you're
located in the world and, forexample, you know, obviously
just highlighting some of thoseincredible wellness trends that
we're seeing.
What are some of the othertrends that you're paying
attention to?
So, even outside of theconversations we've been having
(17:30):
here or some of the sessions, aswe look at the luxury traveler
in 2025, and you know thatthey're clearly more discerning
than ever they have lots ofchoices out there.
What are some of the trendsthat you're paying attention to
that you want?
Are you making sure that yourbusiness remains relevant,
competitive and thrives in 2025and beyond?
Speaker 1 (17:53):
I would go back to the point of the symposium and
when there was the paneldiscussion, when they really
highlighted the aspect of beingauthentic and being yourself,
and you can notice it very muchin the previous years.
Especially hospitality industryalways try to be perfect, you
know.
Ensure the perfection, whetherit was your social media posts
(18:15):
that are really looking amazing,but at the in the end of the
day, from the end customer pointof view, actually realize that
everything is staged all right.
And I think for us it iscrucial, especially on Platt
Island, to ensure that whateverwe see, all these wonders of the
nature or the service service,wonders that we deliver, which
(18:37):
may seem to us usual things orthe standard things, are
actually so unique and authenticfor our, uh, for our guests.
You know, from differentgenerations, from different
social or economic backgrounds.
But really, how can we stay ontrack and remind ourselves every
day that everything that we see, everything that we experience,
(19:00):
is so unique and so authenticand we should be sharing it out
to the entire world?
And whether it is, you know,just throughout the last year we
had 340 turtle nests alone onour island and for us it became
a, you know, a naturaloccurrence.
You know you have five, sixturtles coming up every day
(19:20):
laying their eggs.
But for our guests, this islifetime experience.
They've never, ever seen itbefore.
So we need to make sure that weremind them and really show
them how authentic and howunique this resort and this
Mother Nature is.
Speaker 2 (19:35):
Yeah, it's a really good point you're bringing up
there and I think it is a goodsegue to what I wanted to ask
you about your personal journeyin terms of being authentic and
rising up in the industry.
I mean, we obviously havehighlighted your background and
where you are now One of thecore audiences for us with the
Travel Trends podcast, and alsoour partnership with Forbes
(19:56):
Travel Guide, with thishospitality series, is providing
advice and recommendations toall those people out there that
don't have the privilege to behere at an event like ours.
So hence some of my questionsabout some of the takeaways and
insights.
But one of the things I wantedto ask you, given that we have
the privilege to sit downtogether, mark and you are a
young, successful guy, and Imean that in the most positive
(20:17):
way, because many of thecolleagues that I have, many of
your colleagues that I've spokenwith you, know there have been
25 years or they've been GMs atvarious, and I know you're the
resort manager.
But clearly you know you'vebeen on an incredibly successful
journey and, given that you area young, successful resort
manager at a very exoticlocation, I would love for you
(20:38):
to be able to share some of yoursecrets to success.
You know you highlighted, youknow my son actually wants to be
a pilot, so we'll see if hecontinues on that journey.
But you know you made thatpivot and then you clearly have
gone from strength to strength.
So your parents obviouslyadvised you.
Well, it would appear, becauseyou are definitely a people
person and you've got to lovewhat you do.
So you've worked your way upquite a bit already in your
(20:59):
career.
So what would be some of thetips, suggestions, advice you
would have for other peoplelistening to this that would
love to emulate your journey?
Thank you very much, dan.
Speaker 1 (21:08):
Really humbled, really, really kind words.
What else can I say?
I think my advice to anyonelistening, anyone wanting to
work within the hospitalityindustry or just being
passionate about traveling, isto stay yourself, to stay humble
and treat any opportunity thatcomes towards you with a yes
(21:36):
attitude, not havingprejudgments, not feeling, not
feeling torn towards, let's say,say more of the negativity, but
rather focus always on what isthe best outcome in one or
another travel trip situationfor myself personally, and this
would definitely drive you tothe success.
Speaker 2 (21:58):
Yeah, that's great and that's perfect and that's a
good piece of advice.
Certainly, I know many of ourlisteners will be keen to follow
up with you, but also to learnmore about the Waldorf Astoria,
seychelles.
I'm going to certainly look upPlatte Island and learn a bit
more myself, but I guess there'sobviously your website and
likely you're on LinkedIn aswell.
But, yeah, tell us how any ofour listeners can follow up to
(22:20):
learn more about the WaldorfAstoria, Seychelles or to
connect with you directly,definitely.
Speaker 1 (22:26):
I think the easiest one is always reach out to me on
any of the platforms, whetherit is LinkedIn.
These days also, instagramreally becomes your working tool
, let's say your business card.
But other than that, umobviously, yes, beyond the
official, you know world ofastoria websites or the
hiltoncom websites, um, actuallyreally um search platte island.
(22:50):
Search platte island and youwill discover um a lot of
unexpected um content and itreally looks like you are
looking up something fromnational geographicographic or
you know your Animals Planetchannels.
Speaker 2 (23:07):
Yeah, it's funny you mentioned that about ways of
connecting, because I'veactually received a number of
business cards here at theconference and I look at the
card and I say where's youremail address?
They're like, oh, instagram, orthey use WhatsApp.
It seems to be like you know,give me your phone number, cause
like we'll use WhatsApp and uh,for me I'm still very much
email.
I'm trying to send anappointment calendar.
Speaker 1 (23:28):
I'm like how do I send it to an?
Speaker 2 (23:29):
Instagram or a WhatsApp, but, um, yeah, it was
interesting that people are noteven including their emails on
business cards anymore incertain instances.
So you're right that this nextgeneration and many people are
shifting towards social channelsand LinkedIn obviously being a
big one, but in terms of ourwebsites, that's the one thing
that still stays true, that youknow you got to go check out the
website to learn moreinformation.
So what is the website?
Speaker 1 (23:50):
So it would be worldofhistoriacom, and over
there you can find World ofHistoria's head shells.
Yeah and well, yeah.
And other than that, you canalso go to Hiltoncom, because we
are part of the Hilton family,and over there as well, just
look us up as World of Astoria,seychelles.
Speaker 2 (24:07):
That's awesome.
We'll definitely do that, mark.
I'm sure you'll have many reachouts after this and I just
wanted to say thank you againfor making the time.
It was great to meet you here.
I know we're all set for anamazing gala tonight, so I'm
glad we had a chance to meeteach other and obviously, yeah,
we'll certainly keep in touch,but I wish you and the team at
Waldorf Astoria, seychelles, whowill be listening to this,
because it's all about the teamright that has enabled you to be
(24:29):
here in many ways.
But, yeah, I just wanted to saycongratulations on achieving
your Forbes Travel Guidefive-star status.
Look forward to you maintainingthat and seeing you again in
the future.
Speaker 1 (24:46):
Thank you, dan.
Pleasure was all mine andobviously a really big shout out
from both of us to our platonand family, because we are not a
team, we are really a family.
As you know, they were really,really thrilled to get this
recognition.
We don't see it as an award.
This is really recognition fortheir hard work, dedication, and
obviously it's not that we arestaying now on the peak of the
summit, what we've had over here, but now we actually continue
climbing up and up and up,because now step one is done.
(25:07):
We reached the five stars.
Now the main goal is to ensurethat we maintain it and, you
never know, maybe win a coupleof more five stars, whether it
is for the spas or therestaurants.
Speaker 2 (25:16):
Exactly, I look forward to you becoming a
three-star general at one point.
That's an elite club of about15 properties, but it sounds
like, yeah, you're well on yourjourney.
Definitely on the bucket list.
That's awesome.
Well, congrats again, mark, andI look forward to staying in
touch and all the best for therest of the year.
Perfect, thank you much, dan.
Pleasure is mine.
Thanks so much for joining us onthis latest episode of our
special hospitality series,season two, in partnership with
(25:45):
our friends at Forbes TravelGuide.
I hope you've been enjoying ourleaders behind the stars theme
in today's conversation withMark Basalaga from the Waldorf
Astoria, seychelles, a newfive-star property and the first
in the Seychelles.
It's absolutely anextraordinary property that I
can't wait to get to.
So thanks again, mark, forjoining us and sharing your
insights.
On next episode, we're actuallygoing to speak to a couple of
team members from Forbes TravelGuide that are running Atelier
(26:06):
CX and the Bond Lab and Co.
And then we're going to bespeaking to Scott and Jeff.
Scott runs Hammock Beach inbeautiful St Augustine and Jeff
runs Meadowood, napa Valley.
He was formerly with ForbesTravel Guide and has gone back
into the hospitality side andthen we're going to have an
amazing conversation to finishoff this series on episode 10.
(26:28):
So more details on that one tofollow, as we bring a collection
of extraordinary peopletogether, but otherwise, make
sure that you are subscribed tothe social channels and stay in
touch on the streaming platformof your choice.
And until next week, safetravels.
It's really great to have an event like this Summit,
as you said, indeed, it's thepeak, it's the top of the
mountain, top of the hill whichfinally gives us luxury
hoteliers an opportunity orplatform to connect and not to
be in the competitive sets, butrather to be allies, to be
(00:24):
partners and really thinktogether and get actually
inspiration.
What else can we docollectively, together, in order
to bring our industry to thenext heights?
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Hello everyone and welcome back to our special
hospitality series inpartnership with our friends at
Forbes Travel Guide.
This is your host, danChristian, and we're continuing
our conversation highlightingthe leaders behind the stars.
All of these interviews wererecorded live at the summit in
Monaco this year.
We have been highlighting anumber of hotel GMs from around
the world.
In our last few conversationswe went from the south of France
(01:02):
to Italy, to Tuscany on lastweek's episode, and today we're
headed to the Seychelles.
We're going to be speaking toMark Basalaga, who is the
director of operations at anabsolutely extraordinary resort,
the Waldorf Astoria, seychelles, platte Island.
They are a new Forbes travelguide five star hotel and the
very first in the Seychelles, soI'm so excited to bring you
(01:25):
this conversation with Mark.
Don't forget we are postingclips and highlights on our
social channels, at ForbesTravel Guide as well as at
Travel Trends, so be sure tocheck those out on LinkedIn,
instagram and YouTube.
And then we also send out amonthly newsletter to round up
the series for the month.
So make sure that you registerfor that at
TravelTrendsPodcastcom.
Series for the month.
So make sure that you registerfor that at
TravelTrendsPodcastcom.
(01:45):
Now we are going into episodeseight, nine and 10 after this,
as this is a 10 part series, andso I definitely want to
encourage you guys to subscribeto be updated on the new
episodes, because their nextthree episodes are going to
feature a number of individualsfrom across the Forbes Travel
Guide community.
But today we have the distinctpleasure of welcoming one more
(02:07):
hotel GM and a true leadersbehind the stars to the Special
Hospitality Series, and I justwant to welcome Mark.
So great to have you here.
I've not been to the SeychellesI can't wait to go but it's
terrific to sit down and havethe opportunity to speak to you
here.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
Thank you very much, Dan.
Really pleasure to have youhere with me and being part of
your show Fantastic.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
Well, I was always keen to know where people are
from, and you had highlighted tome, just as we sat down, that
you're originally from Estonia,which is also a place in the
world that I'm very keen to go,as I mentioned to you.
So you've got this reallyunique background and now you're
in the Seychelles.
So tell us a little bit, firstand foremost, about how you got
into the world of hospitality.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
It was actually a very interesting journey.
Since I was a kid I alwaysdreamt of being a pilot and I
was actually accepted for theAviation Academy and was about
to start my pilot studies.
And last minute my parentsinfluenced me a bit and said why
don't you try to go and work inthe hotels to see how you like
(03:07):
it?
Because you're very, you'revery people oriented, you're
very outgoing and friendly andand obviously sitting in the
cockpit might have not been thesame feeling or the same, the
same sensation.
So I give it a try.
I worked over school holidays inback in the days in the one of
the best hotels back in estonia,in talin, in old town heritage
(03:29):
hotel, hotel telegraph that isnow part of autograph collection
of by marriott um, you know,wanted to shadow the gm because
it's okay, if I'm not going tobe a pilot, I'll be gm right
away.
Um didn't work out the same way, so instead I was dropped in
the laundry and housekeeping andthen being a porter, which was
(03:49):
very eye-opening and I thinkthat was the first connection
really with the guests, andsince then the journey hit off.
So I went to study hospitalityin Switzerland worked about nine
years now, yeah, and sincehospitality in different parts
of the world.
Did my studies in Switzerland,worked in Austria, switzerland
(04:10):
went over to Rosalkema UAE.
Have done also Waldorf Astoriain Rome, waldorf Astoria in
Amsterdam, a couple of openingshere and there, and then ended
up being in Seychelles.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
That's fantastic.
So you've obviously been withWaldorf Astoria, so they
recognized your value andcontribution and wanted to bring
you out to the Seychelles whereyou've been now for two years,
Correct?
Speaker 1 (04:30):
Yeah, hopefully they see the value still.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
Yeah, well, clearly you've got the four or five star
rating, so you're doingsomething right.
Let's talk a little bit aboutthe Seychelles itself and how
Waldo for Astoria came to havethis property.
So when we say two years, isthat two years since the
property was introduced and youlaunched the property there.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
So the project actually kicked off about
roughly five years ago.
So yeah, right before thepandemic, the construction
started.
We are a fairly remote island,yet still quite close to the
main island, about 20 minutes byplane.
Nothing around us, justserenity, ocean and turtles and
(05:09):
the whole wildlife.
So yeah, but I joined the teamin summer 2023, while we were
still doing the pre-openingconstruction, and we opened up
31st of January last year.
So just a year since theopening.
That's exciting.
Already five stars.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
And for those people who are listening to this that
are wrapping their head aroundand looking at the map of
Seychelles, would you mindactually just orienting
everybody about the Seychellesand please, when you do that, I
would also appreciate, becauseI'm sure that many people who
are already familiar know aboutthe results of climate change
and water level changes, aboutthe results of climate change
and water level changes, and Ithink that's one of the things
that you guys have been ahead ofthe curve of advocating for,
(05:47):
because you guys are so close tothe waterline, which is
actually what makes it beautifuland extraordinary, but also
more conscientious aboutconservation efforts.
But, yeah, tell everyoneexactly where in the world the
Seychelles are.
Sure, look we are.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
If you look at the map, we are on the right side
from African continent, let'ssay so.
Everybody knows whereMadagascar is, everybody knows
where Mauritius is, so we arejust right above them, in the
middle of the Indian Ocean,being a small island nation and,
(06:36):
as you mentioned as well, interms of the wildlife, let's say
, the conservation itself.
Indeed, us on the island overthere, I think we are the
foremen, really advocating forsustainability and not only
talking about it but actuallydoing it.
Not only the typicalsustainability, but really going
into the marine biology sideand ensuring that this beauty
that we have been given from thenature, we really preserve it
in the natural way.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
Yeah, well, the reason I wanted to call that out
is because there's such astrong connection between luxury
hotels and sustainability, andoftentimes it is because of
where they're based that it's asensitive local habitat and
environment, and when you haveluxury guests coming to stay
there, we have to be that muchmore conscientious of the impact
that it has on locals but alsothe environment, and so I know
(07:11):
that's a big focus fororganizations like yourself as
you open up those properties tofactor in conservation and
sustainability right from thebeginning.
But now tell us about theWaldorf Astoria, seychelles on
Platte Island you mentioned.
Obviously, platte Island isabout a 20-minute flight off of
the main island, but tell us alittle bit about the resort
itself, because I'm sure therehas to be many unique features
(07:33):
with that five years ofdevelopment that have been built
into this epic location.
So walk us through, if youwouldn't mind, what the
experience is for a guest tocome and stay with you.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
Look, yeah, where should we start?
Let's start from the, from thebeautiful journey that you hop
on a nice turbo propeller plane.
It's not a seaplane.
We actually have a properrunway that is dividing the
island in the middle, um, soguests land on the island, which
is less than a mile in length,so it's really, really tiny
(08:03):
island, and you land over thereand you immediately get immersed
into this untouched nature allaround you.
So the island actually used tobe a coconut plantation back in
the days, with over 10,000coconut trees, and we still have
a lot of them on the island,but these days it has been built
to be an ultra luxurious resort.
(08:25):
So we have 50 villas, all withtheir own pool, private gardens,
obviously, again consideringthe aspect of island
conservation and the wildlifeconservation, all the villas
actually set back from theshoreline at least 35 meters, or
a good 100 feet, just to ensurethat whenever the turtles are
actually coming out and nestingwith us and they do it all year
(08:45):
round they do not get any lightpollution and they can actually
fully, let's say, enjoy theirislands, because it is us who
have had this privilege to comeinto the natural habitat and not
vice versa.
But, yeah, 50 villas.
We have six restaurants andbars.
We have stunning, stunning andreally really unique spa when we
(09:07):
talk about the wellness lateron as well where we focus, and
not only about the treatment andthe therapies, but really
combining together the wellnessprograms for our guests where
guests can do full detox and Iliterally mean it, because we
also have no mobile connectionon the island.
Oh, how about that?
Totally disconnected, correct?
So you disconnect to connectwith yourself.
(09:29):
That that's how we sellourselves Love it.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
Yeah, you have to be present.
There's no excuse, correct?
Yeah, you got to deal withyourself.
Exactly.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
I mean, it can be sometimes scary in the beginning
, you know, and it happens quiteoften Guests first panic and
then, on the following days,they actually start to realize
what a privilege and what agreat advantage it is.
Days they actually start torealize what a privilege and
what a what a great advantage itis and by the end of their
journey, they actually realizethat they've rediscovered
themselves and they have newpassion and desires and they
(09:57):
want to conquer the world, whichis, which is a great again,
plus one service that we offerfor sure is that the first thing
that jumps out to me there,mark, is whether or not there is
a way, at least if there was anemergency, that someone can get
a hold of you or at least get ahold of the front desk to relay
a message to you.
Oh, yes, of course.
No, no, don't get me wrong.
I mean, we still have good wificonnection provided by the
(10:17):
satellite.
We have satellite phones, uh,but first and foremost, we have
all our team, our family, overthere who is really taking care
of every single guest.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
Yeah, I just always the concern of being
disconnected.
It's like it forms a new kindof anxiety.
Right, you need to get overuntil you actually can be
present and in the moment.
But that's really cool, mark.
I guess the other thing I'mkeen to ask you, given the
journey you've been on withopening up this new property,
which sounds extraordinary isthe journey you've been on with
Forbes Travel Guide to achieveyour five-star status.
(10:51):
So take us a bit through thatjourney, how long it's been
underway and ultimately, how youwere successful in realizing
that designation.
Speaker 1 (10:59):
From a personal point of view, my journey with Forbes
started a bit over six yearsago when I first made
introduction to forbes travelguide into our brand, world of
historia, when I was working inrome with world of historia and
then since there, you know, youjust get accustomed and forbes
travel guide and they're notreally the standards, but it's
(11:20):
more about the key highlightsbecome part of your day-to-day
routine and ethos, and when wewere building up our beautiful
resort on Platte Island, I wouldsay the key has been always to
ensure that the team drives it.
It's not you coming in andsaying you know, we need to
achieve five stars and you needto follow these rules, because
(11:42):
we are not in the school and weare not, you know, in the
colleges anymore, but instead ithas to be really driven by the
passion and the desire of theteam to accomplish something
great, achieve that plus oneservice, deliver it and to
ensure that every single guestwho stays with us is not just
(12:02):
having a stay, is having thestay that is memorable,
remarkable and, first andforemost, flawless.
Speaker 2 (12:12):
Nice, yeah, there you go.
I mean, that's where you haveto have that commitment to
extraordinary customer serviceand excellence, because
obviously, when the mysteryreviewer shows up from Forbes
Travel Guide to make sure thatyou're meeting or exceeding all
these standards, I guess it'sgoing to be a little bit harder.
They have to fly in but theystill have to be undercover.
(12:32):
But I guess you can't know,despite the fact that you are a
remote location, when thatForbes Travel Guide reviewer is
going to turn up to see theresults of all those efforts, to
make sure that you are readyfor that day and that moment.
Speaker 1 (12:49):
Oh, yes, absolutely.
I mean, think this is, this isalso the mentality that the way
we run with our platte islandfamily, our resort, is um, you
don't, you know you don't workfor that day.
Uh, you actually deliver andyou keep up that promise for
every single guest, no matterwho it is, because in the end of
the day, it's not making a bigpoint.
You know, if you just do wellone day, or let's say, two days
(13:10):
out of 365 days, because notabout uh, it's not going to
deliver you consistency, it'snot going to deliver you a great
guest experience and uh, youknow that's really the key now.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
That's very cool.
And then this you've obviouslygot a long-standing relationship
with forbes travel guide, um.
This obviously is the firsttime we're in monaco for this
event, but you've been toprevious summits before.
Speaker 1 (13:33):
I have not had the chance yet, but I'm looking
forward for the next years.
Yes, exactly.
Speaker 2 (13:37):
No, this is a great place to pick it up and start
here in Monaco.
I mean, my first was last yearin Las Vegas and it was
extraordinary, and this yeareven exceed, and that truly was
kind of a next level conference.
I understand why they call itthe summit, because it very much
is the peak in terms of thepeople that come together for
this event, and this is theglobal leaders of luxury
hospitality, and it's not onlythe amazing hoteliers like
(14:00):
yourself, but it's the luxurypartners.
See the group of people thatcome together for this, and I
guess that's why I'm also keento ask you what your take is
then, from your very first thesummit, and you're also you know
your experience here in Monaco.
So what brought you here thisyear, aside from the fact,
obviously, you've got your fivestar rating?
(14:20):
That's that's reason enoughalone, and maybe there might be
some awards in store for you inthe near future.
I know we're having the galadinner tonight, but, yeah, tell
us a little bit more.
What brought you here and whatsome of the, I guess, the
insights you've had from beingat the Summit in Monaco?
Speaker 1 (14:33):
I would say, first and foremost, it's really great
to have an event like this, theSummit, as you said.
Indeed it's the peak, it's thetop of the mountain, top of the
hill, which finally gives usluxury hoteliers an opportunity
or a platform to connect and notto be in the competitive set,
(14:54):
but rather to be allies, to bepartners and really think
together and get actuallyinspiration.
What else can we docollectively, together, in order
to bring our industry to thenext heights?
For me personally, the biggest,some of the most impactful
moments have been actually havebeen actually our symposium
(15:20):
sessions, particularly the musicone and really understanding
and discovering how importantmusic is in our day-to-day life
and how can we play along withthe music to achieve a great
guest experience.
Speaker 2 (15:35):
Very cool.
And then the sessions I'veattended have been quite
insightful and valuable and Ithink this is where you know
there's obviously greatnetworking opportunities here.
But has there been some thingsthat really I guess you found
quite profound about, even likeWellness Studio or some of the
things that are happening in ourspace that you're going to take
home and either action or Icould be more aware of, because
(15:58):
you're clearly seeing what someof your colleagues and partners
are doing or what some of thethe innovations that are
happening in the space?
Speaker 1 (16:04):
well, yes, look, definitely, I think.
Yes, on one side you I had agood opportunity to connect with
quite a lot of differentsuppliers that bring a lot of
innovation to the table.
Wellness is one of the keyfocal points for us within the
resort.
So definitely, we.
We already work many, manyyears with Garini.
(16:24):
We have their whole range ofbeds, but it's really about that
connection that we made duringthis visit to ensure to offer a
holistic approach to that wholewellness journey.
And, as I mentioned earlier, onPlatte Island, we do some of
the unique wellness programs forour guests.
(16:45):
So you arrive to the resort,you get your full body analyzes
and it's not your medical one,but it's really more about
understanding your sleep, yourserotonin, your melatonin and
everything else and how yourbody actually ticks.
And I think now this is whereGavrili steps into the game to
ensure that we create that wholejourney together and lift it up
(17:08):
to the next level.
Speaker 2 (17:09):
That's really cool.
And then, one of the things I'malso keen to get your take on,
given that you have a uniqueperspective, both with the
organization you work withWaldorf Astoria and where you're
located in the world and, forexample, you know, obviously
just highlighting some of thoseincredible wellness trends that
we're seeing.
What are some of the othertrends that you're paying
attention to?
So, even outside of theconversations we've been having
(17:30):
here or some of the sessions, aswe look at the luxury traveler
in 2025, and you know thatthey're clearly more discerning
than ever they have lots ofchoices out there.
What are some of the trendsthat you're paying attention to
that you want?
Are you making sure that yourbusiness remains relevant,
competitive and thrives in 2025and beyond?
Speaker 1 (17:53):
I would go back to the point of the symposium and
when there was the paneldiscussion, when they really
highlighted the aspect of beingauthentic and being yourself,
and you can notice it very muchin the previous years.
Especially hospitality industryalways try to be perfect, you
know.
Ensure the perfection, whetherit was your social media posts
(18:15):
that are really looking amazing,but at the in the end of the
day, from the end customer pointof view, actually realize that
everything is staged all right.
And I think for us it iscrucial, especially on Platt
Island, to ensure that whateverwe see, all these wonders of the
nature or the service service,wonders that we deliver, which
(18:37):
may seem to us usual things orthe standard things, are
actually so unique and authenticfor our, uh, for our guests.
You know, from differentgenerations, from different
social or economic backgrounds.
But really, how can we stay ontrack and remind ourselves every
day that everything that we see, everything that we experience,
(19:00):
is so unique and so authenticand we should be sharing it out
to the entire world?
And whether it is, you know,just throughout the last year we
had 340 turtle nests alone onour island and for us it became
a, you know, a naturaloccurrence.
You know you have five, sixturtles coming up every day
(19:20):
laying their eggs.
But for our guests, this islifetime experience.
They've never, ever seen itbefore.
So we need to make sure that weremind them and really show
them how authentic and howunique this resort and this
Mother Nature is.
Speaker 2 (19:35):
Yeah, it's a really good point you're bringing up
there and I think it is a goodsegue to what I wanted to ask
you about your personal journeyin terms of being authentic and
rising up in the industry.
I mean, we obviously havehighlighted your background and
where you are now One of thecore audiences for us with the
Travel Trends podcast, and alsoour partnership with Forbes
(19:56):
Travel Guide, with thishospitality series, is providing
advice and recommendations toall those people out there that
don't have the privilege to behere at an event like ours.
So hence some of my questionsabout some of the takeaways and
insights.
But one of the things I wantedto ask you, given that we have
the privilege to sit downtogether, mark and you are a
young, successful guy, and Imean that in the most positive
(20:17):
way, because many of thecolleagues that I have, many of
your colleagues that I've spokenwith you, know there have been
25 years or they've been GMs atvarious, and I know you're the
resort manager.
But clearly you know you'vebeen on an incredibly successful
journey and, given that you area young, successful resort
manager at a very exoticlocation, I would love for you
(20:38):
to be able to share some of yoursecrets to success.
You know you highlighted, youknow my son actually wants to be
a pilot, so we'll see if hecontinues on that journey.
But you know you made thatpivot and then you clearly have
gone from strength to strength.
So your parents obviouslyadvised you.
Well, it would appear, becauseyou are definitely a people
person and you've got to lovewhat you do.
So you've worked your way upquite a bit already in your
(20:59):
career.
So what would be some of thetips, suggestions, advice you
would have for other peoplelistening to this that would
love to emulate your journey?
Thank you very much, dan.
Speaker 1 (21:08):
Really humbled, really, really kind words.
What else can I say?
I think my advice to anyonelistening, anyone wanting to
work within the hospitalityindustry or just being
passionate about traveling, isto stay yourself, to stay humble
and treat any opportunity thatcomes towards you with a yes
(21:36):
attitude, not havingprejudgments, not feeling, not
feeling torn towards, let's say,say more of the negativity, but
rather focus always on what isthe best outcome in one or
another travel trip situationfor myself personally, and this
would definitely drive you tothe success.
Speaker 2 (21:58):
Yeah, that's great and that's perfect and that's a
good piece of advice.
Certainly, I know many of ourlisteners will be keen to follow
up with you, but also to learnmore about the Waldorf Astoria,
seychelles.
I'm going to certainly look upPlatte Island and learn a bit
more myself, but I guess there'sobviously your website and
likely you're on LinkedIn aswell.
But, yeah, tell us how any ofour listeners can follow up to
(22:20):
learn more about the WaldorfAstoria, Seychelles or to
connect with you directly,definitely.
Speaker 1 (22:26):
I think the easiest one is always reach out to me on
any of the platforms, whetherit is LinkedIn.
These days also, instagramreally becomes your working tool
, let's say your business card.
But other than that, umobviously, yes, beyond the
official, you know world ofastoria websites or the
hiltoncom websites, um, actuallyreally um search platte island.
(22:50):
Search platte island and youwill discover um a lot of
unexpected um content and itreally looks like you are
looking up something fromnational geographicographic or
you know your Animals Planetchannels.
Speaker 2 (23:07):
Yeah, it's funny you mentioned that about ways of
connecting, because I'veactually received a number of
business cards here at theconference and I look at the
card and I say where's youremail address?
They're like, oh, instagram, orthey use WhatsApp.
It seems to be like you know,give me your phone number, cause
like we'll use WhatsApp and uh,for me I'm still very much
email.
I'm trying to send anappointment calendar.
Speaker 1 (23:28):
I'm like how do I send it to an?
Speaker 2 (23:29):
Instagram or a WhatsApp, but, um, yeah, it was
interesting that people are noteven including their emails on
business cards anymore incertain instances.
So you're right that this nextgeneration and many people are
shifting towards social channelsand LinkedIn obviously being a
big one, but in terms of ourwebsites, that's the one thing
that still stays true, that youknow you got to go check out the
website to learn moreinformation.
So what is the website?
Speaker 1 (23:50):
So it would be worldofhistoriacom, and over
there you can find World ofHistoria's head shells.
Yeah and well, yeah.
And other than that, you canalso go to Hiltoncom, because we
are part of the Hilton family,and over there as well, just
look us up as World of Astoria,seychelles.
Speaker 2 (24:07):
That's awesome.
We'll definitely do that, mark.
I'm sure you'll have many reachouts after this and I just
wanted to say thank you againfor making the time.
It was great to meet you here.
I know we're all set for anamazing gala tonight, so I'm
glad we had a chance to meeteach other and obviously, yeah,
we'll certainly keep in touch,but I wish you and the team at
Waldorf Astoria, seychelles, whowill be listening to this,
because it's all about the teamright that has enabled you to be
(24:29):
here in many ways.
But, yeah, I just wanted to saycongratulations on achieving
your Forbes Travel Guidefive-star status.
Look forward to you maintainingthat and seeing you again in
the future.
Speaker 1 (24:46):
Thank you, dan.
Pleasure was all mine andobviously a really big shout out
from both of us to our platonand family, because we are not a
team, we are really a family.
As you know, they were really,really thrilled to get this
recognition.
We don't see it as an award.
This is really recognition fortheir hard work, dedication, and
obviously it's not that we arestaying now on the peak of the
summit, what we've had over here, but now we actually continue
climbing up and up and up,because now step one is done.
(25:07):
We reached the five stars.
Now the main goal is to ensurethat we maintain it and, you
never know, maybe win a coupleof more five stars, whether it
is for the spas or therestaurants.
Speaker 2 (25:16):
Exactly, I look forward to you becoming a
three-star general at one point.
That's an elite club of about15 properties, but it sounds
like, yeah, you're well on yourjourney.
Definitely on the bucket list.
That's awesome.
Well, congrats again, mark, andI look forward to staying in
touch and all the best for therest of the year.
Perfect, thank you much, dan.
Pleasure is mine.
Thanks so much for joining us onthis latest episode of our
special hospitality series,season two, in partnership with
(25:45):
our friends at Forbes TravelGuide.
I hope you've been enjoying ourleaders behind the stars theme
in today's conversation withMark Basalaga from the Waldorf
Astoria, seychelles, a newfive-star property and the first
in the Seychelles.
It's absolutely anextraordinary property that I
can't wait to get to.
So thanks again, mark, forjoining us and sharing your
insights.
On next episode, we're actuallygoing to speak to a couple of
team members from Forbes TravelGuide that are running Atelier
(26:06):
CX and the Bond Lab and Co.
And then we're going to bespeaking to Scott and Jeff.
Scott runs Hammock Beach inbeautiful St Augustine and Jeff
runs Meadowood, napa Valley.
He was formerly with ForbesTravel Guide and has gone back
into the hospitality side andthen we're going to have an
amazing conversation to finishoff this series on episode 10.
(26:28):
So more details on that one tofollow, as we bring a collection
of extraordinary peopletogether, but otherwise, make
sure that you are subscribed tothe social channels and stay in
touch on the streaming platformof your choice.
And until next week, safetravels.
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