NIHI Rote & Hospitality hires new PR partner for SEA, HK and China

NIHI Rote & Hospitality Academy has appointed Petrie PR as its public relations partner, overseeing communications across Indonesia, key Southeast Asian markets including Singapore, Chinese Mainland, and Hong Kong. 

The partnership marks the next chapter in a longstanding relationship between Petrie PR and NIHI, following its prior role supporting campaigns and communications for NIHI Sumba. Set to open in May 2026 and considered one of the year's most anticipated resort openings, the collaboration reflects a shared belief in hospitality as a living, human practice rooted in education, cultural continuity, and meaningful exchange.

As strategic PR partner, Petrie PR will lead storytelling, media relations, and brand positioning across key markets, articulating NIHI Rote & Hospitality Academy’s distinctive narrative grounded in education, culture, and a more thoughtful expression of hospitality. More than a destination, it is a living commitment to heritage, future generations, and a more purposeful expression of luxury at the wild edge of Indonesia.

Located in the Boa region of Rote Island, Nusa Tenggara Timur—just south of Kupang and close to Timor-Leste—NIHI Rote & Hospitality Academy reflects a deepening of NIHI’s long-term commitment to Indonesia. Rather than an outward expansion, the project represents a deliberate return to place and people, within a region long regarded as part of NIHI’s shared southern landscape with Sumba.

The journey to Rote is integral to the experience. Guests travel via Kupang, with direct early-morning flights from Jakarta connecting seamlessly to onward flights to Rote Island. The final leg is a short journey across open sea, arriving at one of Indonesia’s southernmost frontiers. Coordinated transfers and on-ground assistance ensure the arrival experience feels considered, calm, and unhurried.

At the heart of NIHI Rote & Hospitality Academy lies the Hospitality Academy itself—an extraordinary model that reshapes how guests, community, and learning converge. There is no traditional front desk. Instead, guests check in within the Academy, stepping directly into a working school where young Rotenese talent is trained in real time. Daily resort life and education unfold side by side, making the Academy not an added program but the very center of the experience.

Led by Michael Schwab and shaped in collaboration with President José Ramos-Horta, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, the initiative also supports the participation of selected students from Timor-Leste. NIHI Rote & Hospitality Academy is the first destination of its kind in Indonesia, placing education at the center rather than the margins.

In its opening year, guests and students share daily rhythms, where simple moments such as teaching English, helping with swimming lessons, sharing skills, joining morning sessions, or simply listening become natural points of connection. Guests leave not only rested, but carrying stories and relationships that extend well beyond their stay.

Designed as a more intimate expression of the brand, the resort will feature 21 handcrafted villas, the NAMMO Beach Club, ocean-led adventures, and a wild wellness philosophy rooted in nature and movement. True to its ethos, NIHI Rote & Hospitality Academy will evolve without a rigid master plan, allowing the destination to be shaped gradually by land, culture, and time. Island life unfolds through a thoughtful rhythm of experiences, from surf access along the iconic Bo’a waves and neighboring breaks to guided journeys by land and sea, oceanfront dining, and in-villa wellness shaped by time-honored practices and natural elements.

“NIHI Rote represents a profound evolution in how hospitality is conceived and practiced,” said Linda Petrie, founder and managing director of Petrie PR. “It is a place where learning, community, and guest experience are inseparable. Our role is to steward this story with care, ensuring its voice remains authentic, grounded, and resonant across the region.”

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to Petrie PR for more information.

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