Federico Asaro

Italian-born, Federico Asaro has been residing between Malaysia and Singapore since 1978. From the early 1990s, he operated a successful adventure tourism business offering luxury live-a-board scuba diving expeditions in Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo, where he captured a niche market segment of affluent diving enthusiasts from all over the world, propelling his dive cruises to the top 10 in the world. In the mid-1990s, he diversified the dive business with the conceptualisation of the first passenger cruise terminal in Malaysia. In 1999, Federico decided to his passion for adventure, Asia, antiques, nature and exotic food to create the first restaurant in Samadhi Retreats, with the opening of Tamarind Hill Kuala Lumpur. In 2012, Federico was voted into the board of directors of Relais and Chateux international. His responsibilities as a board member at R&C was to represent and assist the Asian hotel members in all matters from operations, sales and marketing and reservations. His mission as CEO and founder of Samadhi Retreats is to continue discovering exceptional locations to create unique settings in which to share the Samadhi Experience with fellow-minded people and in so doing build the Samadhi brand as a reputable environmentally and socially conscious hospitality group. While still offering its signature rustic eco-centric wellness and lifestyle by rendering memorable experiences through a mix of his greatest inspirations drawn from Asian cultures, heritage, hospitality and style.