BANYAN TREE FOUNDER GIVEN LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD BY THE AMERICAN CREATIVITY ASSOCIATION

[China], 31 March 2010 – Mr. Ho KwonPing, Executive Chairman, Banyan Tree Holdings Ltd (“Banyan Tree”) has been selected as the 2010 recipient of the coveted American Creativity Association (ACA) Lifetime Achievement Award, the organisation’s highest form of recognition that honours individuals for outstanding creative accomplishments that have substantially contributed to the betterment of society.

The award is an endorsement of Mr Ho’s achievements in various fields, including his leadership of Banyan Tree, which has often been credited for forging new trends in the global hospitality industry, among them for pioneering the tropical garden spa concept in Asia and envisioning the innovative pool villas for which Banyan Tree is renowned, and which have since set the benchmark for luxury travel.

In the history of the ACA to date, only ten awards have been given. As its first non-American recipient, Mr. Ho now joins the ranks of such innovators as Senator John Glenn, the first American astronaut to circle the Earth, Earl Bakken, inventor of the heart pacemaker, and Jack Kilby, inventor of the micro-chip.

“This award celebrates individuals who have creatively stretched beyond conventional thinking and paradigms to positively influence society,” said Jamie O’Boyle, President of ACA. “KP’s life work spoke for itself during the award evaluation process.”

“I am flattered and deeply honoured by this rather unexpected but very welcome award”, Mr Ho said. “In my opinion, some innovations spark from good luck, others are born out of necessity; and in the case Banyan Tree, it has often resulted from a conscious and purposeful search for innovative opportunities driven by our brand values.”

In his acceptance speech, Mr Ho paid tribute to organisations such as the ACA, which he believes plays a vital role in “promoting the necessity for creativity in every aspect of our lives, so that like the air we breathe and the sunshine that we enjoy, creativity is not external to our lives, but is a daily necessity, a blessing, a source of inspiration and quiet enjoyment.”

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Through active participation in civil society through his various leadership positions in civic and educational institutions, Mr Ho, together with wife Claire Chiang, is also one of the leading corporate social responsibility (CSR) advocates in Singapore. Banyan Tree, a founding member of the UN Global Compact in Singapore, has also won numerous awards for sustainability initiatives implemented at its resorts all over the world.

In addition to being the founder and executive chairman of Banyan Tree, Mr Ho is the Chairman of the Singapore Management University, a member of the Global Advisory Council of London Business School and INSEAD International Council and East Asia Council. He is also the Chairman of MediaCorp Singapore, and a member of the Asia Pacific Council of The Nature Conservancy.

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About Banyan Tree Holdings Limited

Banyan Tree Holdings Limited (“Banyan Tree” or the “Group”) is a leading manager and developer of premium resorts, hotels and spas in the Asia Pacific, with more than 20 resorts and hotels, over 60 spas, in excess of 70 retail galleries, and two golf courses. The Group manages and/or has ownership interests in niche resorts and hotels. The resorts each typically has between 50 and 100 rooms and commands room rates at the high end of each property’s particular market.

Banyan Tree has seven operating business segments: hotel investment, hotel residence sales, hotel management, spa operations, gallery operations, property sales, design fees and others (design and project management, golf course operations and other businesses).

The Group’s primary business is the management, development and ownership of resorts and hotels. This is centered on two award-winning brands: Banyan Tree and Angsana. Banyan Tree also operates the leading integrated resort in Thailand – Laguna Phuket, through the Group’s subsidiary, Laguna Resorts & Hotels Public Company Limited.

As a leading operator of spas in Asia, Banyan Tree’s spas are one of the key features in their resorts and hotels. Its retail arm Banyan Tree Gallery complements and reinforce the branding of the resort, hotel and spa operations.

Since the launch of the first Banyan Tree resort, Banyan Tree Phuket, in 1994, Banyan Tree has received over 550 awards and accolades for the resorts, hotels and spas that the Group manages. The Group has also received recognition for its commitment to environmental protection and emphasis on corporate social responsibility.