Banyan Group (SGX: B58) has officially opened its landmark 100th resort, the Mandai Rainforest Resort by Banyan Tree, on November 26, 2025. The launch was marked by a high-profile inauguration ceremony officiated by President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and coincided with the opening of the group’s inaugural Rainforest Festival, a public-facing event designed to spotlight biodiversity, wellbeing, regenerative design, and community stewardship.
Located within Singapore’s Mandai Wildlife Reserve, the resort represents a major milestone in the city-state’s evolving eco-tourism narrative. It is the first-ever luxury resort integrated directly into a capital city’s core wildlife and nature destination. Owned by Mandai Wildlife Group and operated by Banyan Group, the resort combines sustainable hospitality with access to over 20,000 animals across the adjacent wildlife parks. The development is also positioned as Singapore’s first Super Low Energy-certified resort and is deeply influenced by biophilic architecture.
The opening event was framed by a musical prelude featuring young musicians from the Wolfgang Violin Studio, followed by a guided tour showcasing the resort’s nature-led design features. Guests were introduced to immersive biodiversity corridors, sustainable construction elements, and curated guest experiences emphasizing environmental connection and ecological learning. President Shanmugaratnam also inaugurated the resort’s symbolic Wishing Wall before previewing the Rainforest Festival programming that opened to the public the following day.
Why the Rainforest Festival is central to Banyan Group’s regenerative hospitality mission
Opening on November 27 and running through December 3, the Rainforest Festival forms the cultural and ecological anchor for the Mandai Rainforest Resort’s debut. Visitors are invited to experience a week-long curation of nature trails, craft showcases, live performances, wellness workshops, and educational activities aimed at reinforcing the principles of conscious tourism.
Daily highlights include discovery trails that meander through the resort’s forest-integrated pathways, artisanal exhibitions at the Banyan Gallery Showcase, and culinary experiences that emphasize local sourcing and sustainable gastronomy. The GREEN-HOUSE HangOut event on the weekend serves as a pocket-sized version of Singapore’s largest sustainable lifestyle fair and brings together ten homegrown eco-conscious brands offering merchandise, hands-on DIY workshops, and performance programming.
Visitors also gain access to Curiosity Cove, Singapore’s largest indoor nature-inspired playscape, located within walking distance of the resort. The venue is tailored to multi-generational learning and exploration and integrates play-based discovery with environmental education. Nearly 100 beneficiaries from the President’s Challenge were present at the festival preview, with over 2,000 expected to be hosted over the course of the week.
All general admission ticket sales from the festival are being donated to the President’s Challenge and matched dollar-for-dollar by Banyan Group. An additional 20 percent of proceeds from paid experiences at the resort and Mandai Wildlife Reserve, along with festival-exclusive merchandise sales, are also being contributed. These funds will qualify for further matched contributions under the SG60 Matching Grants scheme.
What Singapore’s leadership and Banyan Group signaled during the opening conversations
The grand opening continued with the premiere of The Journey, a 12-minute short film that chronicles Banyan Group’s evolution from its first property in Phuket to its present milestone in Singapore. This was followed by a reflective In Conversation session with founder and executive chairman Ho Kwon Ping and co-founder and senior vice president Claire Chiang, who discussed the group’s ongoing transformation as a global advocate for regenerative tourism and its homecoming significance.
Ho Ren Yung, deputy chief executive officer at Banyan Group, led a City in Nature dialogue that explored how Singapore’s urban development strategy is being aligned with environmental resilience, collaborative design, and sustainability. The panel featured Dr. Cheng Wen-Haur, deputy CEO and chief life sciences officer at Mandai Wildlife Group, Dawn Lim, executive director at DesignSingapore Council, and Wong Chiu Man, co-founder of WOW Architects. Moderated by Dr. Mark Watson, Banyan Group’s director of sustainability and impact, the dialogue emphasized the importance of building future cities that are deeply integrated with nature, inclusive public spaces, and cultural cohesion.
The festival’s closing event on the first day included an appreciation dinner hosted by emcee Paul Foster and featured musical performances from Wolfgang Violin Studio, Shazza, MICappella, and Cultural Medallion recipient Dick Lee, whose rendition of “Home” brought the evening to a poignant close.
How inclusive pricing and elder-friendly staycations are shaping guest access
General admission for the Rainforest Festival is priced at SGD 10 on weekdays and SGD 15 on weekends. Children under the age of four enter free with a guardian, and in-house resort guests, along with participants of paid tours or culinary and ecology experiences, receive complimentary festival access. Ticket holders also enjoy promotional discounts across attractions such as Bird Paradise, Rainforest Wild Asia, Curiosity Cove, as well as dining and retail perks at Forage, Planter’s Shed, Banyan Tree Spa, and Banyan Tree Gallery.
In celebration of the opening and Singapore’s SG60 milestone, Banyan Group has introduced a Silver Staycation weekday retreat targeting guests aged 60 and above. Available through April 30, 2026, the offer includes weekday stays from Sunday to Thursday, daily breakfast for two, early booking discounts, and free Family Room upgrades for multi-generational travelers. Each booking includes a SGD 100 resort credit redeemable across Banyan Tree Spa treatments, dining outlets, park admission tickets, and in-resort experiences, all coordinated through the concierge.
Analysts tracking Southeast Asia’s hospitality industry view these inclusive offerings as a tactical expansion of Banyan Group’s customer base, particularly among aging demographics and family travelers. The group’s flexibility in pricing, design, and programming reflects a broader trend toward accessible luxury that does not compromise on sustainability credentials.
Why investors and tourism analysts see Banyan Tree’s Singapore move as a blueprint
The opening of Mandai Rainforest Resort by Banyan Tree is being interpreted by hospitality observers as a strategic convergence of regenerative tourism, urban placemaking, and experiential branding. As Singapore continues to pivot its tourism strategy toward value-driven and ecologically integrated offerings, the resort gives the city a high-visibility anchor asset that reinforces its positioning as a leader in green travel.
Banyan Group, which now operates over 100 hotels and resorts, 140 spas and galleries, and more than 20 branded residences across 20 countries, has long marketed itself on the pillars of design innovation and responsible stewardship. The group’s founding ethos of “Embracing the Environment, Empowering People” has now taken material form in its Mandai property, which seamlessly integrates guest experiences with nature immersion and education.
From an investor perspective, the initiative aligns with rising consumer demand for slow travel, wellbeing-centric itineraries, and low-impact luxury. Institutions evaluating hospitality portfolios are increasingly scrutinizing ESG alignment, biodiversity impact, and community engagement. In this context, Banyan Group’s SGX-listed status, coupled with its public partnership model and dollar-for-dollar charitable commitments, positions it as a unique player in the regenerative tourism category.
The strategic partnership with Mandai Wildlife Group also carries longer-term implications. As Mandai continues its multi-year rejuvenation plan that links five wildlife parks, green public spaces, and now a flagship eco-resort, the destination could emerge as one of Asia’s most integrated conservation and tourism ecosystems. This layered development approach mirrors similar projects underway in other parts of Southeast Asia, and investors will likely monitor how the Mandai model evolves in the years ahead.
Going forward, Banyan Group is expected to replicate similar regenerative models in other urban nature reserves globally. Tourism ministries, city planners, and institutional stakeholders will likely study the Mandai blueprint for lessons in zoning, public-private partnership frameworks, and climate-adaptive design.
What are the key takeaways from the Mandai Rainforest Resort launch and festival?
- Banyan Group opened its 100th resort, Mandai Rainforest Resort, on November 26, 2025, in Singapore, in partnership with Mandai Wildlife Group.
- The inauguration coincided with the launch of the Rainforest Festival, a week-long public event celebrating biodiversity, sustainable design, and wellness.
- President Tharman Shanmugaratnam officiated the resort opening, which included performances, design tours, and conservation-themed programming.
- All festival ticket proceeds are being donated to the President’s Challenge, matched by Banyan Group, and further supported by SG60 Matching Grants.
- The resort is Singapore’s first Super Low Energy hotel and serves as a flagship for regenerative tourism integrated within a wildlife reserve.
- Senior-focused offerings, family access, and inclusive ticket pricing point to strong social engagement and intergenerational appeal.
- The Rainforest Festival features GREEN-HOUSE HangOut markets, musical performances, nature trails, and family-friendly indoor play zones.
- Analysts see the launch as a model for urban eco-tourism and sustainable hospitality in capital cities worldwide.
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