Luxury Ambassador of the Month
Chinmoy Lad
Co-Founder, The Suite Life
Hong Kong

Co-founder of The Suite Life, Chinmoy Lad, is a native of Hong Kong, but not to the luxury travel industry. Little did he know how a short internship would be the launching point for a completely different and very glamorous walk of life.
"Although I'm a luxury concierge, my background is actually in public relations and marketing, which is how I started out in 2010 after graduating from college here in Hong Kong. At the time I was doing a lot of different things at various agencies to figure out what I wanted to do with my life, but more to figure out what interested me and what I enjoyed doing.
In April of 2011 I started an internship at a magazine: Time Out Hong Kong. As with any internship you help out with different departments, and the one that stuck with me was travel. That's when I began to realize that 'hey, maybe this is for me.'
Having the exposure to different places was one aspect that really appealed to me. It sparked a curiosity about how I could potentially integrate travel into my career, and perhaps even inspire an audience to venture out.
Once my official internship ended I went back to work for a digital marketing agency, but I also began freelancing for the magazine writing specifically on travel and food – two of my favorite things! After the first assignment, things just snowballed and I took on more assignments from an increasing number of publications. It was also around this time when I started an Instagram account, but it took a while to see how pivotal that decision really was.
In 2014 I started doing marketing for a company called DJI, which specializes in drones. The advent of drones was still very much in its nascent phase, but as a content creator I saw the potential of how they could be used in the travel industry – especially for hotels, and particularly the ones that have designed themselves into the landscape as a whole, such as the Datai Langkawi. Incorporating this new kind of content on Instagram significantly grew my following, and eventually I started getting requests for recommendations, tips, advice, and for planning different occasions in various destinations.
That's when I saw a gap in the market. I was familiar with the structure of the luxury travel industry because I'd been writing about it for a few years, but in 2014 everyone was still trying to figure out how to monetize Instagram. These day it might seem rather typical, but I knew early on that I could leverage the social media element to develop trust among potential clients who needed a concierge to take care of their arrangements. However, I still had a lot to learn when it came to actually planning travel.
I think it was Richard Branson who said, 'When you're asked in an interview if you can do something you know you can't do, just say "yes" and figure it out on the job.'
That was pretty much where I was when I founded The Suite Life ten years ago, but I knew the industry well enough to quickly figure out how to make it work. I knew I had to find an agency that would offer support, connections, and a variety of other advantages. However, the most important thing to me was how I could grow with that agency. That's when I found Zebrano, based out of Toronto.
Back then we spent a lot of energy trying to shift the mindscape, or the general perception of what it means to be a luxury concierge. Not only did Zebrano and I share the same thinking, but it was also a great business relationship. As an independent contractor (IC) based out of Hong Kong, I could bring the best of Asia to their portfolio, and they could help me grow in other markets such as the EU and the Caribbean. Now, The Suite Life is a concierge company that partners with multiple agencies to offer the best possible benefits for our clients, and some of our partners include Foray Travels, Classic Travel, and VUE Maldives.
Everyone has different types of clients of course, and some need more help than others. Starting out I didn't know how to say 'no' because I had to get my business running. Covid changed that, and when I started implementing these fees after the pandemic it helped me discern which of my clients actually value and respect what I do.
Now virtually all of my clients work with us because they like working with us. That's a luxury I really value whether it's something as simple as pointing them in the right direction, or doing full scale planning.
These days The Suite Life is putting even more emphasis on residences (especially branded ones) as more clients ask for them. As a concierge company this makes sense because we're not just about travel, we're about lifestyle as a whole. A client's home should be an extension of their travel habits whether that includes their secondary, holiday, or even primary residence. Sometimes my clients even ask if a residence is for sale, so I find myself playing real estate agent from time to time.
But the thing for me is that luxury isn't just about gold. It's about connection, service, time, meaning... among other things. Many people don't know this but only about 20% of where I grew up is actually urban – the rest of Hong Kong is either beach, mountain, or jungle. That for me instilled a love for nature and for special places. To be able to share that with clients that are open and adventurous is the most luxurious and meaningful thing of all."
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