Anantara Koh Yao Yai Resort & Villas Welcomes Stuart De San Nicolas as General Manager, Heralding a New Era of Curated, Hyper-Personalised Luxury
Anantara Koh Yao Yai Resort & Villas, the jewel of Thailand’s last unspoiled island paradise, announces the appointment of Stuart De San Nicolas as General Manager. With a distinguished global career in ultra-luxury hospitality, Stuart brings not only deep operational expertise and transformative sales strategies, but also a proven track record of creating one-of-a-kind guest journeys for the world’s most discerning travellers.
A global citizen by birth and the son of Spanish diplomats, Stuart has been immersed since childhood in the world of prestigious hotels, sparking a lifelong fascination with meaningful hospitality. He built his academic foundations in France, then over the next three decades redefined standards of bespoke service and commercial excellence for iconic brands such as St. Regis and Conrad across luxury destinations from Cannes to Bora Bora.
In 2023, Stuart joined Minor Hotels as Cluster General Manager, overseeing Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas, the newly launched Avani+ Fares Maldives and the introduction of the NH and NH Collection brands in the Maldives. At Anantara Kihavah, consistently ranked among the world’s top resorts, he oversaw signature experiences including underwater oenology and overwater astronomy, as well as bespoke private journeys for ultra-high-net-worth individuals, all while steering best-in-class revenue generation and direct sales strategies.
Now taking the reins at Anantara Koh Yao Yai Resort & Villas, Stuart brings his visionary leadership to Thailand’s rising star in luxury travel, named one of TIME’s World’s Greatest Places of 2025. Nestled on a kilometre of private beach, the resort offers all-suite-and-pool-villa accommodation designed for privacy, connection and rare discovery. Signature experiences include vintage sidecar adventures, private yacht island hopping, and deeply curated wellness journeys all reflective of Stuart’s philosophy: every guest is the story, and every moment the signature.
“Anantara Koh Yao Yai Resort & Villas presents such an exciting opportunity for a hotelier, with an unrivalled setting on one of Thailand’s most beautiful islands, superlative accommodations and facilities, and so much to experience in the waters that surround. I look forward to joining the team, who have already achieved so much, and working together to create even more unforgettable journeys for our guests,” said Stuart De San Nicolas.
“Stuart has an innate ability to see luxury through both the guest’s eyes and the brand’s lens,” said Dillip Rajakarier, Group Chief Executive Officer of Minor International. “His unique combination of elevated hospitality intuition and sophisticated sales acumen is exactly what Anantara Koh Yao Yai needs to step onto the global stage. We look forward to seeing him craft the next chapter of refined island luxury.”
A luxury hospitality brand for modern travellers, Anantara Hotels & Resorts connects guests to genuine places, people and stories in some of the world’s most extraordinary destinations. Each Anantara embraces the surroundings and culture of its destination, creating unforgettable memories for every guest since 2001. From city to sea and desert to jungle, Anantara delivers heartfelt, Thai-inspired hospitality at its over 50 hotels and resorts across Asia, Europe, Africa, the Middle East and the Indian Ocean.
Anantara Hotels & Resorts is a Minor Hotels brand and recognises its guests through one unified loyalty programme, Minor DISCOVERY, part of GHA DISCOVERY.
About Minor Hotels
Minor Hotels is a global leader in the hospitality industry with over 640* hotels, resorts and branded residences across 59 countries. The group crafts innovative and insightful experiences through its hotel brands including Anantara, Elewana Collection, The Wolseley Hotels, Tivoli, Minor Reserve Collection, NH Collection, nhow, Avani, Colbert Collection, NH, Oaks, and iStay, as well as a diverse portfolio of restaurants and bars, travel experiences, and spa and wellness brands. With over four decades of expertise, Minor Hotels builds stronger brands, fosters lasting partnerships, and drives business success by always focusing on what matters most to our guests, team members and partners.
Minor Hotels is a proud member of the Global Hotel Alliance (GHA) and recognises its guests through one unified loyalty programme, Minor DISCOVERY, part of GHA DISCOVERY.
Discover our world at minorhotels.com and connect with Minor Hotels on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok and YouTube.
*Property count includes operating properties as well as committed developments through ownership, joint ventures, signed leases and management agreements.
Contact details
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- Ivana Naidoo
- Director of Marketing & Communications - Anantara Koh Yao Yai Resort
- inaidoo@anantara.com
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- Mark Thomson
- Group Director of PR and Communications
- mthomson@minor.com
- +66 (0)2 365 7678
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