Tim Sargeant is an exciting young hospitality professional with 15 years of experience. Having commenced his career in the restaurant trade in his native New Zealand, Tim became Food & Beverage Manager at The Spire, a boutique hotel in Queenstown in 2011 before moving to Thailand in 2013 to oversee the pre-opening of Novotel Phuket Kamala Beach as Marketing & Events Manager.
B2 Hotels, one of the biggest hotel chains in Thailand, are enjoying a significant boost in occupancy following installation of Guestline's award winning property management, central reservation and distribution solutions to power the day-to-day management of each property.
Waldorf Astoria Bangkok, which will soon open in 3Q, has appointed Simeon Olle as general manger. Prior to joining Waldorf Astoria Bangkok, Olle served as general manager of Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund from 2012 to 2016. The Australian has more than 30 years' experience in the hospitality sector, and is known for his extensive background in launching luxury hotels, includes the opening of The Address Downtown Dubai, Park Hyatt Beijing and Park Hyatt Seoul.
Frans is no stranger to the brand as he brings his extensive experience in top-tier resorts and team management from Six Senses Laamu to Six Senses Yao Noi, where he will be in charge of the resort's overall operations, ensuring that guests continue to receive exceptional and out-of-the-ordinary experiences.Throughout his career he has been overseeing premium lodges and resorts in the Maldives, Namibia, and the Seychelles, and has developed a great passion for hospitality and guest experiences. Prior to joining the Six Senses family, Frans served as the executive assistant manager of Constance Ephelia in the Seychelles where, among his other responsibilities, he dedicated himself to the sustainability practices of the resort.At Six Senses Laamu, his passion and knowledge for sustainability and wellness were evident.Originally from Namibia, Frans is passionate about horseback riding, white water rafting and diving, but as a true South African his biggest love is rugby. In his spare time, he likes to be close to nature - something he is very much looking forward to with his move to the little island paradise.
Thailand-based Cape & Kantary Hotels ("Cape & Kantary") have announced 15 August 2018as the opening date for their latest property, Cape Fahn. Located on a private island off the northeast coast of Koh Samui, Cape Fahn will offer rates between THB 20,000 and THB 117,000 for their all villa property. The property will be home to 22 pool villas, varying between one and two bedrooms with sizes ranging from 220 square metres to 570 square metres. Dining options include two restaurants and a wide array of activities including water sports, cooking classes, and day trips will be available for guests. Poomiphat Navanukroh, group director for travel expects that 90% of the resorts guests comprise of overseas guest, primarily from Germany, The UK, Australia, China and South Korea. Despite the higher than average room rate, Mr Navanukroh believes the property will achieve an occupancy rate of 80% for 2018 and 85% for 2019, as a result of continued growth in the numbers of visitors to Koh Samui. Cape Fahn will aim to compete with established international operators in Koh Samui, namely, Four Seasons, Six Senses, and Ritz Carlton.
TravelClick, a leading global provider of data and revenue-generating solutions for hoteliers, held its first Industry Leaders Summit in Bangkok, Thailand - the most traveled-to city in the world - on July 12 through 13, 2018 at The Okura Prestige. Throughout the two-day event, more than 50 hospitality companies and their executive teams met to discuss how hoteliers can drive more direct bookings and convert and retain more guests using innovative technologies such as TravelClick's award-winning, integrated iHotelier® Central Reservations System (CRS), CRM and loyalty solutions.
ONYX Hospitality Group is proud to announce the appointment of Michael Gaehler as the new General Manager of Oriental Residence Bangkok. Prior to his appointment at Oriental Residence Bangkok, Michael Gaehler was Group General Manager at Regent Hotels and Resorts in Taipei, Taiwan, where he oversaw hotel projects in Vietnam, Taiwan, Indonesia and mainland China.
Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort & Spa today announced the appointment of Markus Kosch as General Manager. Markus most recently served as General Manager of Conrad Guangzhou. A 22-year veteran in the hospitality industry, Markus began his 21-year career with Hilton Worldwide at Hilton Shanghai. In 2012, he was Cluster General Manager of several Hilton properties in Sanya-Haitang Bay and Dalian where he developed expertise at delivering excellent guest experiences across a number of hotel brands under Hilton Worldwide. Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort & Spa is located in 75 acres of tropical garden in the heart of Karon Beach. Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort & Spa is the perfect place to enjoy active activities and spectacular scenery, as the resort is easily accessible just 30 minutes from Phuket town and 50 minutes from Phuket International Airport.As one of the most comprehensive MICE and events venues in Southeast Asia, the expansive Grand Ballroom offers one of the highest capacity event and meeting spaces on Phuket Island.
Cherry, as she is known to friends, joined Absolute Hotel Services in April 2015 as the Public Relations Manager at the U Sathorn Bangkok, the group's flagship 5-star hotel. In 2017 she was promoted to Executive Assistant Manager of U Sathorn Bangkok. Cherry has extensive experience working in hotel management for organisations such as Centara Hotels & Resorts, The Peninsula Bangkok and The Siam Luxury Suites and Villas.
Colleagues form across the Thai hospitality industry have joined forces with Oxford Brookes University, the Oxford Cultural Collective and the Asean Professional Beverage Academy to deliver a high-impact seminar focused on Tackling the Skills Deficit in Thai Hospitality. The event, which will take place on 12th July 2018 at the Grand Hyatt Erawan, Bangkok, is supported by the British Chamber of Commerce Thailand.
Dusit International, one of Thailand's foremost hotel and property development companies, has appointed Mr Benjamin Perera as Hotel Manager of Dusit Princess Srinakarin Bangkok.Mr Perera joined Dusit in March 2014 as Executive Assistant Manager - Food and Beverage of Dusit Thani Laguna Phuket. He was promoted to Resident Manager of the hotel in October 2014, and he took on the same role at the flagship Dusit Thani Bangkok in July last year. Prior to joining Dusit, Mr Perera spent more than 20 years working in various roles for Hyatt Hotels & Resorts in Moscow, Russia; Jakarta, Indonesia; Singapore; and Hua Hin, Thailand. Prior to becoming Hotel Manager of Dusit Princess Srinakarin, Bangkok, he acted as Interim Hotel Manager of the hotel from 1 January 2018 to 31 May 2018.
COMO Hotels and Resorts announces the promotion of Rohaan Chandra as new General Manager for COMO Metropolitan Bangkok, Thailand, after almost three years as the property's Hotel Manager. Rohaan was born into a family of hoteliers, spending his formative years growing up in a hotel. He studied at Les Roches Hospitality School in Switzerland and Cornell University in New York. Prior to joining the COMO team in 2015, he had worked in the hotel industry for 12 years, at both The Setai in Miami and The Legian in Bali.
Around 600 participants from 52 countries gathered at the 4th UNWTO World Forum on Gastronomy Tourism (Bangkok, Thailand, 30 May to 1 June 2018). Organized by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the Government of Thailand, in collaboration with the Basque Culinary Center, participants addressed topics ranging from the role of technology in achieving sustainable development, to linking the whole tourism value chain to gastronomy.
The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is pleased to announce the election of Dr. Chris Bottrill, Director, International and Dean of the Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts at Capilano University in North Vancouver, Canada as Chairman of the Association's Executive Board. He replaces Ms. Sarah Mathews, Head of Destination Marketing APAC - TripAdvisor, Hong Kong SAR, who was elected Chairman in May 2017 and remains a member of the Executive Board as Immediate Past Chairperson.
ONYX Hospitality Group has appointed Sukamal Mondal as General Manager of Shama Lakeview Asoke Bangkok. Formerly known as Somerset Lake Point Bangkok operated by Ascott, the 429-unit property is situated in one of the city's most prestigious neighbourhoods and is ideal for both long-staying expatriates and travellers visiting Bangkok for business or leisure pursuits. An ONYX veteran with 12 years of service in China and Thailand, Sukamal was most recently General Manager at Oriental Residence Bangkok. His was also earlier General Manager of Shama Sukhumvit Bangkok.
Boonyanoot Kongrod, a Thai national, has more than 20 years of hospitality experience and is a veteran of Starwood Hotels and Resorts (now Marriott) here in Thailand. Most recently, she worked as Human Resources Service Manager at the Marriott International Area Office in Bangkok.
Carl Chapman, a seasoned international hotelier from the UK, has over two decades of experience with luxury hotels and resorts in the United Kingdom, Canada and Dubai. He has worked with some of the most renowned names in hospitality including Claridge's and The Savoy in London. He was most recently at Dukes Dubai.
Sam Chia is no stranger to the St. Regis brand as he was most recently leading the sales, events and marketing communications efforts at The St. Regis Singapore. Sam has a wealth of experience in the luxury hospitality industry that includes being part of the pre-opening team at Capella Singapore, the Regional Sales team of Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts, and a prior role as Assistant Vice President - Business Development at Capella Hotel Group Asia. Sam Chia, Carl Chapman, Boonyanoot Kongrod. Click to enlarge. Outside work, Sam enjoys spending time with his wife Michelle and their two children, Alison and Lucas.
Best Western Hotels & Resorts has appointed Mr Cyrill Czerwonka as its new Regional Director of Development - Asia, effective May 4, 2018. Cyrill has enjoyed an impressive career in the hotel investment and development sector with both operators and owners. This has included identifying new hotel opportunities, negotiating deals and conducting financial studies for a number of international hospitality companies. Having obtained his Master's Degree in Business & Finance from the Graduate Business School of Management: Audencia Nantes, France, Cyrill entered the hospitality industry with AccorHotels. Based in Bangkok, this role also re-introduced Cyrill to the Asia Pacific region as he focused on Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia and Maldives, and conducted a three-month mission to India. Following this, Cyrill spent almost five years with Singapore-based serviced apartment specialist, The Ascott Limited, as Business Development Manager for Europe and North Africa. Then in 2013, he joined Dusit International as Assistant Director of Development for EMEA, based in the United Arab Emirates. Having honed his skills, Cyrill now joins Best Western's Asia head office in Bangkok, where he will focus on seeking new hotel development opportunities for the company across the region. This appointment comes at an exciting time for Best Western, as the company accelerates its Asian expansion plans.
Booking Holdings has appointed John W. Brown as Chief Executive Officer of Agoda, Booking Holding's Asia-based digital travel business, effective 1 June 2018. Mr. Brown has served as Agoda's Chief Operating Officer since 2014, when he was promoted from the role of Chief Product Officer.Current Agoda CEO, Robert Rosenstein, will become Chairman of Agoda and Special Advisor to the CEO of Booking Holdings, Glenn Fogel. In addition, current Chief Product Officer Omri Morgenshtern will become the company's Chief Operating Officer.