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their support center, makes it easier
than ever for travellers to make calls
while away from home – thus ensuring
their stay in Vietnam is carefree.
Products Simplified is a conduit for
Marco to show his creative and design
side through unique Vietnam-oriented
lifestyle products. With a young and
dedicated team of designers, Products
Simplified build their boutique shops
from the ground up, taking care of
inventory and management so resort
owners do nothing except leave a
space and earn a profit. “So far, no
brand has focused on having an all-
round boutique shop within resort and
hotel properties,” Marco says. “It was
the perfect opportunity to reinforce
brand recognition and reflect our com-
mitment to our customers and hospi-
tality network.”
“During eight years in Vietnam, by
far the biggest challenge we faced was
finding the right people to implement
new visions. Many people are very ex-
cited about joining something new, but
sometimes it is hard for them to adapt
because they are simply stuck in their
ways,” says Marco. “For us, it’s a difficult
situation, especially when we need sev-
eral specialists to work on one overall
concept - we have to constantly work
to help them adapt.”
Now, after several years of practice
and experience, Marco says his core
team dedicates their time to new con-
cepts not because of the money they
earn, but because of their belief in the
concept and the impact it will have on
Vietnam. Marco believes this is a new
trend: “We are very pleased with these
circumstances and we are proud to show
the world what this country has in store.”
Marco says it is not easy to start
new ventures in Vietnam, as many peo-
ple might assume. “If you want to be
successful here, you have to love Viet-
nam, really understand the culture (or
at least try hard to do so) and be lucky
enough to meet and work with the
right people,” Marco explains. “Then, if
you work very hard, you will gradually
start to see the pieces come together.”
My goal is to give this to them, in book
form, when they turn 18 years old. This
is currently enriching my life and will
surely have a positive effect on my kids
when they can relive their formative
years,” says Marco. “I have also started
doing something similar for my parents
and brothers, who are faraway, and of
course my wife.”
“PassedOn is a concept that is very
close to our hearts. We created Passe-
dOn because we want to give people
peace of mind that, once they have
a private account and begin creating
eWills (Emotional Wills), people will
know what they truly felt and thought
about their loved ones,” Marco explains.
Despite the popularity of large so-
cial networks such as Facebook and
Twitter, Marco believes that PassedOn
has its own market. “In the first two
months post-launch, PassedOn has
gathered a significant following with
members in 93 countries and counting.
The site can be viewed in 10 fully func-
tional languages, including English, Vi-
etnamese, Chinese, Dutch, and French.
Users need only create an account for
a free lifetime membership,” he says.
“People will never grow tired of the con-
cept if they can grasp the full implica-
tions of the service. PassedOn is a great
source of pride for us and we think it
can have a real impact on the daily lives
of people around the world.”
Prior to PassedOn, Marco worked
with Louk Lennaerts, another Dutch en-
trepreneur, to found Serenity Holding,
which has been developing a chain of
resorts across the country.
Marco says he and his partners at
Fusion Resorts keep their brand fresh by
experimenting with the integration of
practices in the hotel and resort industry
that have not been done before. For ex-
ample, his Fusion Maia Resort in Danang
is a balance of spa and resort, allowing
those who stay to spend all day pam-
pering themselves in Central Vietnam’s
biggest spa at no additional cost.
WHAT MAKES THE DIFFERENCE?
According to Marco, each Fusion
Resort property (fully designed and
developed by Serenity Holding) begins
with a humble budget and an under-
standing that it is not the high-end
materials and brands that make a great
holiday lifestyle experience, but rather
a mix of down-to-earth management
and pleasant surprises. “When people
walk into our rooms, the excited look
on their faces as they explore the differ-
ent corners of our unorthodox layouts
is of priceless value,” says Marco. “Be-
cause we do not focus on over-the-top
luxury materials, we can afford bigger
and better spaces, a creatively trained
staff and an affordable room rate, while
still offering additional pleasures that
guests could normally not afford.”
The recently launched TouriSIM is
Marco’s mobile phone solution for tour-
ists entering Vietnam; the service gives
travellers access to pay-as-you-go SIM
cards with an exclusive 24/7 travel hot-
line. It is tailored to the convenience
of the modern day traveller, allowing
customers to purchase an affordable
handset and add credit at one of Touri-
SIM’s 500 tourist-specific sales points at
hotels, resorts, airports and attractions
all over the country.
Moreover, the SIM card informa-
tion provided in English, along with
the insider