For somebody so successful, Bill Bensley is unbelievably nice. The Bangkok based architect / designer / landscaper is the brains behind some of the world’s most iconic luxury experiences. Hotels like Capella Ubud  and Rosewood Luang Prabang have to be experienced to be believed, and his own resort, Shinta Mani Wild, complete with its zip-line entrance and open-air Waterfall Restaurant is, perhaps, his magnum opus. 

But Shinta Mani isn’t just a hotel. In fact, as ILTM Asia Pacific attendees learnt during Bill’s keynote speech,  Shinta Mani was created to provide a permanent way of financing the efforts of the Wildlife Alliance, who provide on-the-ground protection to one of the last unfragmented rainforests in Southeast Asia.

We asked Bill about his high yield / low impact philosophy and his new project in Phuket…