Intimate Asian Luxury Resort Is New Hospitality Training Center
A unique community-resort partnership is having a direct impact on the peoples of Indonesia's southernmost islands. NIHI, a luxury resort group, is working with the government of Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT) to create the next waves of well-trained hospitality professionals.
NIHI Rote is a purpose-built escape set to open in May 2026. Its location on Rote Island puts it closer to Australia than Bali, and a two-hour flight from Bali or Jakarta. The property is home to 25 eco-conscious accommodations, thatched roof villas and treehouses just steps from Bo'a Beach, as well as the NIHI Rote Hospitality Academy.
NIHI Rote's sister resort, NIHI Sumba, on Sumba island in East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia, is known for its hospitality, remote location and adventure-ready activity access. NIHI plans to bring much of that to Rote, but with a twist.
"NIHI has never expanded for scale. It evolves through relationships. Rote came about because longtime guests of ours, including Michael Schwab and his partners, experienced what we built in Sumba and believed in the philosophy behind it. Together with the Governor of NTT, they invited us to become involved in Rote and help shape the project with the same integrity and responsible approach that defines NIHI," James McBride, CEO and co-founder of the NIHI brand, told Newsweek.
"This was never a corporate rollout or a search for the next location," he made clear. "It grew organically from trust, shared values and a desire to create something meaningful. Now feels like the right moment because today's luxury travelers are seeking more than escape."
NIHI Sumba is defined by its guest experience as well as its community outreach. The Sumba Foundation, supported by Chris Burch, the co-founder of Tory Burch who bought the property that would become NIHI Sumba in 2012. The Foundation supports the eradication of malaria, clean water, nutrition and education.
NIHI Rote will continue the philosophy of the Foundation. "In Rote, that philosophy continues through the Rote Hospitality Academy - a small, beautifully designed school located within the resort grounds. Supported by Michael Schwab and endorsed by President of Timor-Leste José Ramos-Horta, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, the Academy provides young people from Rote and Timor-Leste with world-class hospitality training," McBride explained.
The guest experience is shaped by the Academy, from the moment they arrive, McBride shared, saying, "Guests will check in through the Academy building, symbolically placing education at the heart of the resort. The school is intimate and purposeful, set within a fully realized world-class property. Around it, the villas, experiences and natural setting remain exceptional and uncompromising, but the spirit of the place will continue to deepen and mature over time."
Unlike when customers visit a salon training center, at NIHI guests can plan to experience uncompromised service. "The Academy enhances the experience rather than diminishes it. Just as in Sumba, where philanthropy strengthened the spirit of the resort without compromising standards, Rote's Academy coexists within a refined luxury environment," McBride said.
He continued: "Guests will experience pristine beaches, privacy, exceptional design, refined culinary programming and the same service standards that built one of the highest repeat guest ratios in the industry. The difference is that their stay is connected to something meaningful. NIHI has always been about coexistence. In Rote, that coexistence is simply more visible, while the luxury remains uncompromised."
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This story was originally published March 3, 2026 at 2:56 AM.