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Photo: Galaxy Macau
When Troy Hickox was a child, he, his brother, and his mother were often guinea pigs in his father’s experiments. The older Fraser Hickox was the former general manager of Research and Technology for The Peninsula Hotels, and in his 30 years of service, he introduced many now-standard technologies into hotel rooms, such as bedside switch panels and Internet access for every room.
“It was a nightmare for my mother because, for example, every device had a different remote control. But my brother and I figured them out in seconds,” chuckles Hickox, who oversees luxury hospitality and lifestyle development at Hong Kong-listed Galaxy Entertainment Group (GEG), which owns the largest portfolio of gaming facilities in Macau.
Each of the 36 Sky Villas in Capella at Galaxy Macau will feature a balcony with a glass-edged infinity pool. Luxurious amenities include a karaoke room, a dedicated cigar butler, a private cocktail bar, and a games room. (Photo: Galaxy Macau)
“He tested everything on us. He was very observant about how those things translated into hotel rooms. Another example: Before we were attached to mobile devices and working from home, we realised that at least 80 per cent of guests’ awake time was spent in the bathroom. That’s when you started seeing televisions appear in the bathrooms and at the bathtubs, and different mood lighting that wasn’t just lighting at different levels; it was theatrical and faded out.”
A family legacy
It is no wonder that Hickox is suited for the hotel business. In fact, one could say he even has hospitality in his blood.
“My family, going back many generations, has been in different parts (of the industry), not always in the hotel side — some in F&B, others in catering, or winemaking. But my father wasn’t a hotel school type; he came in trying to bring experiences people had not anticipated in the business before. On the other hand, I was the traditional school kid, despite him trying to convince me not to come into the business,” Hickox laughs.
The Raffles Lounge and Terrace, Raffles Macau, was designed by Hirsch Bedner Associates and opened in August 2023. (Photo: Capella at Galaxy Macau)
Affable, articulate, and debonair, Hickox was in Singapore in May to speak about the upcoming Capella at Galaxy Macau, which opens in 2025. It will be the Singaporean brand’s first property in the region and Galaxy Macau’s ninth hotel in China’s Greater Bay Area.
The original Galaxy Macau Hotel opened in 2011 and is now joined by seven other luxury hotels under the Galaxy Macau umbrella. The brands include Andaz, Okura, Banyan Tree, JW Marriott, The Ritz-Carlton, Raffles, Galaxy, and Broadway Hotel, all of which can be experienced in the giant integrated resort.
“Instead of being one big brand, Galaxy Macau is really a ‘house of brands’. We’ve got about 5,000 rooms at the moment, carved up into different distinct interpretations of luxury, so every time guests come, they can stay at a different hotel,” says Hickox.
Capella at Galaxy Macau is housed in a 17-storey golden mansion. (Photo: Capella at Galaxy Macau)
In addition to his role at Galaxy Entertainment Group, Hickox is an active member of the boards of the legendary Monte Carlo Société des Bains de Mer (SBM) in Monaco, which operates the principality’s most prized entertainment and cultural assets.
Earlier this year, from May 23 to June 5, Louis Vuitton partnered with Galaxy Macau to take over the poolside of Cabana at Banyan Tree Macau for the pre-launch of its Women’s Fall 2024 collection and the release of the Men’s Pre-Fall 2024 collection. (Photo: Capella at Galaxy Macau)
On his career trajectory, he shares that post-graduation, meaningful stints at Peninsula, Fairmont, Four Seasons, Starwood, and Sands formed part of his foundation toward being a seasoned hotelier, where he opened hotels on an unprecedented scale across the brand spectrum.
Thinking out of the box
One of the most exciting challenges came about in the mid-90s and early noughties when a change of perspective gave the industry a breath of fresh air.
Shares Hickox, “The products of existing luxury brands had been repetitive… until the Ian Schragers of the world started turning everything on its head. These guys were not necessarily ‘hoteliers’ and were looking at the business differently. It was eye-opening for many of us who were conventional hoteliers.”
The jungle and Macau’s lush green hills inspired the interior design’s jungle theme. (Photo: Capella at Galaxy Macau)
He and his contemporaries were in the sweet spot of being classically trained to deliver attentive, personalised service but young enough to be receptive to new trends. That was when Hickox pivoted from established luxury brands and helped open the first Design Hotel in Hong Kong, The Mira.
“For me, the fun part was that we had no rules now for what we could create. We didn’t have to follow the manual. In fact, there wasn’t one,” says Hickox.
The next pivot came when he could upscale this boutique approach as Macau developed into an international entertainment mecca. With large-scale international casino hotels opening, Hickox and his team had to consider how to bring a personal touch to mega luxury hotels.
“That’s the fun part. We had to become very systematic about delivering that sort of luxury without the customer realising it was delivering huge personalisation and bespoke experiences when you had thousands of people coming in every day. We still do it now at Galaxy Macau,” says Hickox.
Unexpected luxury takes the form of details guests might miss on their first visit. (Photo: Capella at Galaxy Macau)
The allure of understated luxury
While there are only 93 keys at Capella at Galaxy Macau, the level of luxury at this all-suite property will far surpass any others in the competitive set. “The idea is to make this hotel highly exclusive, “almost like a private mansion for the absolute top-end customer,” Hickox comments.
He praises vice chairman of Capella Hotel Group, Evan Kwee’s ideas for being unexpected and unconventional for a typical hotelier. “I hope that when we open, that’s going to translate into the final product — unexpected luxury, with a lot of details that you won’t notice in the first few visits,” he adds.
Designed by Parisian architect Moinard Bētaille, the Capella at Galaxy Macau will house 36 Sky Villas and 57 suites and offer a discreet, ultra-luxurious experience.
World’s 50 Best award winner and multiple Michelin-starred Hong Kong chef Vicky Cheng will bring his new proprietary fine-dining concept, while renowned Hong Kong interior designer Albert Kwan is dressing a speak-easy members-only lounge hidden within Capella’s Pony & Plume bar.
The interior design of Capella at Galaxy Macau is by Hong Kong-based interior designer Albert Kwan. (Photo: Capella at Galaxy Macau)
“Each of these changes was for personal growth built upon what I had done before. How can I do it better? What have I learned from the other experiences I could bring to the next role?” he shares.
“Our vice chairman, Francis Lui, deliberately didn’t want to create a property with the expected ‘classical-style’ luxury and challenged the team to be more creative. The Capella brand is perfect because it is very contemporary,” says Hickox.
He adds, “We’re using terrazzo, raw concrete, hand-painted wallpaper, modern art, et cetera.” Hickox encountered the brand by visiting its Singapore, Shanghai, and Sanya properties. “It was quiet luxury; it wasn’t out there screaming luxury. People who knew, knew. We found the product unique.”
The suites will be expansive, and each villa has an infinity pool — an anomaly in any urban luxury hotel setting. The idea, says Hickox, “was not to have restrictions; just try to have fun with creating luxury. But, of course, never luxury, as you might expect.”
