IN SEARCH OF THE BEST STAYS

MARK WONG OF SMALL LUXURY HOTELS OF THE WORLD TALKS QUIRKY STAYS, STRANGERS BECOMING FRIENDS, AND CHASING THE MOST UNIQUE EXPERIENCES ON HIS TRAVELS

- ANTARAA CHATTERJEE

SOME YEARS AGO, I VISITED a fortune teller who told me that I would always be 'in transit. It turns out she was right-30 years in this industry, and I'm still constantly travelling," quipped Mark Wong over call to Outlook Traveller.

Wong is the senior vice president of the Asia Pacific region at Small Luxury Hotels of the World, based out of Singapore. Staying at some of the most luxurious boutique hotels in the world is his job. "I started my career in marketing and advertising, not hospitality. I was an 'ad man' on Madison Avenue in New York. A lot of my clients at the time were in the airline and travel industries, and through that, I developed a fascination with the travel world." Wong worked with companies like Hyatt and American Express and ventured into e-commerce travel before joining SLH.

"As I always say, the world is the office. Travel is my work and my passion, and people often ask when I plan to retire, but I say, 'Why retire when I'm already living most people's retirement dream of travelling?"" When you stay at as many beautiful hotels as Wong does, they leave you with an exceptional collection of stories.

For instance, staying on an island in Indonesia where the only mode of transport was on donkey back is an anecdote that never gets old. "You take a two-hour boat ride from the mainland to the island to get there. Once you arrive, there are no cars-just donkeys to carry your luggage. It's such a throwback to a simpler, more rustic way of life."