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Laurel Tuohy

If you are Bill Bensley, the world that the rest of us know is not the only one you inhabit. For the prolific designer, each project has its own realm, based on a backstory he makes up and uses to inform every decision from wall art, to doorknobs and lobby soundtracks.

His latest, Shinta Mani Wild, is the fourth in his own Bensley Collection and has a wild tale to match. The exclusive, remote 15-tent eco camp in southwestern Cambodia’s Cardamom Mountains sits on a parcel the size of Central Park and was inspired by the true story of Jackie Onassis being hosted on a luxury safari in 1967 by former Cambodian monarch King Norodom Sihanouk.
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Some of the designer’s backstories are full-on glam, others are downright silly and total make-believe. He explains the backstory for the forthcoming ultra-luxe Oberoi Maldives he is working on: “A long time ago, a band of gay pirates went pillaging. They were very fierce but they only took things that appealed to them from all over Africa and Asia. They liked anything that sparkled, and they made themselves a fabulous palace out of their shiny booty.”
At a Bensley-crafted resort, guests are buying a story as much as a stay. At Shinta Mani Wild, that safari-chic tale is told by bespoke, hand-painted furniture, the chance to zip line into the lobby and have a gin and tonic slapped into your hand, jungle sundowners served out of a vintage Land Rover, and wild animals wandering beneath the tents.

But Bensley’s favourite offering is the boats he designed for Wild. Built for two and luxuriously appointed with sun loungers, private captain and personal bar, the wood and chrome vessels are unlike what travellers can experience elsewhere.
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Early reviews of the camp, which opened on December 21, have raved about it. That is no surprise as Bensley is familiar with high-end tents. He designed the Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle in Chiang Rai, probably the world’s best-known tented camp, as well as Legacy Yen Tu, Rosewood Luang Prabang, The Siam and The Slate.

Some might ask, “How does he keep coming up with this stuff?” It’s easy to imagine that, after more than three decades, the ideas might be slowing to a trickle – but the prolific designer says the opposite is true.
Erase a narrative that includes words like stress, fear and deadlines and replace it with one featuring massages, storytelling and oil painting and you start to get a feel for how Bensley keeps the creativity flowing.

“I think most folks my age run out of energy after a lifetime doing the same job. I feel like I’m just getting started! I feel as though I’m just getting a handle on this creature called hospitality,” said the designer, who celebrated his 60th birthday this month.
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Bensley is branching out in new ways, like taking up oil painting. The lobby of his Bangkok design studio now features a large canvas of his own creation and his husband’s Instagram is filled with photos of the designer happily painting by his pool.

He also keeps moving. “I travel extensively, and specifically to countries where I have never been, as the Dalai Lama recommends. Perhaps most importantly, I am very selective about the work that we take. Building in a country or a place where I have never been is a big draw. Building in an environmentally sensitive place interests me too, as I think we do this well. Building in a region that is culturally rich or has readily available craftsmen – I am in! And building in a place packed with history makes my mouth water.”
When he is not on the go, Bensley has a few Bangkok rituals that keep him productive each day. He leaves the office by 4pm to take his pack of five Jack Russell terriers – who follow him everywhere and are a staple sight at his studio and on his social media – to run in the fields near Suvarnabhumi Airport at sunset.
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Afterwards, Bensley and husband/business partner Jirachai Rengthong get two-hour, side-by-side Thai massages at their in-house spa. “The harder, the better,” Bensley said of his preferred pressure. “It’s our time to be reflect and think. Sometimes I even sketch while I’m being massaged.”
“This stuff is what keeps you sane,” he said, with a laugh and a nod.
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What’s it like to be the designer of 200 whimsical resorts, including the new Shinta Mani Wild?


What’s it like to be the designer of 200 whimsical resorts, including the new Shinta Mani Wild


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What it's like to be Bill Bensley, designer of whimsical resorts and fan of gay pirates

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}What’s it like to be the designer of 200 whimsical resorts, including the new Shinta Mani Wild?

What’s it like to be the designer of 200 whimsical resorts, including the new Shinta Mani Wild?