“I had to go against my peer group and take a big chance, leaving the mainstream industry to set up an edge-of-wildness concept – especially since I had never thought of myself as an entrepreneur,” says HOTELS’ 2016 Independent Hotelier of the World, James McBride, CEO of the Nihi brand.
The South African was CEO of YTL Hotels and Resorts, based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, when a long-time friend, Chris Burch, former husband of designer Tory Burch and himself a significant fashion and finance name, called him to have a look at a surf-lovers’ hangout, Nihiwatu, on the Indonesian island of Sumba, 50 minutes’ flight from Bali.
The pair bought it in 2013, spent US$35 million upgrading it from nine to 33 keys and adding the ultimate lifestyle. In April, the property was rebranded, entirely in-house, as Nihi Sumba – and McBride’s title evolved from managing partner to CEO.
“This year, for the second year running, Travel+Leisure deemed us best hotel – not just resort – in the whole wide world. This award justifies our belief that there was a luxury space in the all-inclusive sector, which goes magnificently with a philosophy of luxury that is laid-back without being opulent. At Sumba you really do not need shoes most of the time – some of our restaurants and bars are literally in the sand,” he explained.
All these elements add to the fact that Nihi is a community, a club without any membership other than being able to get a room – 2017 occupancy will be 74%, with average stay five nights. Repeats return for a variety of reasons, all of which drive on-going marketing for the McBride machine.
“Nihiwatu Beach, which is private for Nihi guests, has some of the world’s best surfing and enthusiasts bring their boards from all over the world, though we only sell 10 permits a day. The surfing world is incredibly tight, and the word-of-mouth bond is strong.”
The same goes for the polo fraternity. McBride has played for years, and he has made sure Nihi Sumba has an equestrian stable, for year-round sunset rides on the beach. “For three years now we have hosted British Polo Day (BPD tournament). Organised out of London, BPD rotates to such polo hotspots as Argentina, Rajasthan and United Arab Emirates – and Sumba. This year,
finishing October 28, we had 60 guests for a four-day package, and the team from Mashomack, in Pine Plains, N.Y., won the Vistajet Pasola trophy. The entire BPD event benefits the Sumba Foundation for community support – the foundation builds clinics, schools and water wells, and has almost entirely eradicated malaria on the island. Ninety-five percent of our 320 employees are from nearby villages, and philanthropy is a really strong feature of Nihi,” he explained.
McBride spent three years negotiating with 131 Sumba farmers to purchase rights of way, and land, to be able to offer a 90-minute jungle hike through to Nihi’s separate wellness area, with open-sided treatment rooms, and a honeymoon villa with treetop dining (“I am always looking for the whimsical, with perhaps a little craziness, and first-timers used to Amans or Four Seasons say ‘wow, this is big’,” he laughed).
McBride credits his time as MD of The Carlyle in New York as catalyst for entrepreneurism, and years at Ritz-Carlton, which included opening The Ritz-Carlton, Washington D.C., for helping him to think outside the box. At YTL, he oversaw the franchised Ritz-Carlton, Kuala Lumpur, as well as several resorts in Malaysia. During his tenure, YTL acquired The Muse, outside St Tropez, France, and ski territory in Niseko, Japan. He also turned the upper floors of the 1906-vintage Swatch Group-leased building on Shanghai’s historic Bund into Swatch Art Peace Hotel, with seven letting suites and 17 studios for resident artists.
“Look, at Nihi Sumba we have an on-site horse-whisperer, a chocolatier and soap-maker, and a professional magician, who also handles sales and marketing. We will always be different, hence our tagline ‘edge of wildness’,” he declared.