Royal Cliff Hotel Group, one of Asia's most award-winning hotels, announces the renewal of its partnership with ReviewPro, the leading international provider of online reputation management analytics. The brand will continue to leverage ReviewPro's market leading solution to fine-tune guest experience across its portfolio and increase profitability.
The PATA Foundation is pleased to announce the election of Peter Semone as Chairman of the Board of Trustees. Mr Semone replaces Mario Hardy who has served as Chairman since June 2012. Mr Hardy was appointed the Chief Operating Officer of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) in January 2014. He will continue to support and advise the PATA Foundation as needed. Mr Semone currently serves as Chief Technical Advisor of the Lao National Institute of Tourism and Hospitality (Lanith), a project being implemented under the auspices of bilateral cooperation between the governments of Lao PDR and Luxembourg. Lanith, headquartered in Vientiane, Lao PDR, seeks to improve the quality and competitiveness of tourism sector human resources in Lao PDR. Prior to Lanith, he served as Team Leader of the Asian Development Bank-funded Mekong Tourism Development Project (MTDP) in Vietnam. MTDP focused on small-scale infrastructure development and capacity building measures in support of the tourism sector. Mr Semone also served as Vice President of PATA where he was responsible for directing its regional offices in Europe, the Americas, the Pacific and China and providing strategic leadership to PATA's many regional and global initiatives. Early in his career, Peter founded a destination management company, which managed shore logistics for major cruise ship visits to ports in Indonesia.
Tamara Kobiolke has been appointed director of sales & marketing at the Westin Siray Bay Resort & Spa in Phuket. Ms Kobiolke moves the Thailand from the UK, where she served as director of sales & marketing at Hotel Missoni Edinburgh. She also previously worked at the Westin Sydney.
Most recently, Tardivel was managing director and general manager of Luxury Society Asia, a web portal aimed at promoting and strengthening business relationships among sophisticated and affluent professionals in Asia, through their mutual interest in all things luxurious. Her hospitality experience also includes leadership positions with hotel companies such as Anantara Resorts, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas, V Villas Hua Hin and VIE Hotel Bangkok. Tardivel will report to Michael Price, Oakwood director of operations for South and Southeast Asia. With extensive experience in marketing, public relations, business development and operations for five-star hotels, Tardivel will be responsible for daily property operations to achieve optimum performance in guest satisfaction, profitability and efficiency.
While the world is watching the media reports of the military coup in Thailand and governments are warning against non-essential travel to Thailand, the Thai tourism industry is experiencing another punch to the gut.
Mr Mangan assumed the role earlier this month and is based in Outrigger Asia-Pacific regional headquarters in Phuket, Thailand. He reports to William Visser, Vice President Operations, Asia-Pacific. Mr Mangan is an Australian national with 34 years experience in hospitality sector. Before joining Outrigger, Mr Mangan held executive chef positions with Park Royal Hotel and Marriott Hotels in Kuala Lumpur. He has been Director of Food & Beverage at Sanya Marriott Resort and Spa in China, and IHILANI Hotel and Resort, Oahu, Hawaii. He worked in Beijing as Executive Assistant Manager of the Regent Hotel and was most recently the General Manager of The Shanxxi Capital Club in Changsheung, China.
The official opening of the dusit D2 hotel in Patong was also a day of celebration for Kelly Lewis, who signed a contract the same day to be general manager of the property. Mr Lewis was until recently GM of the Indigo Pearl Resort on Nai Yang Beach, a post he took up un July 2011.
Carlos Tarrero has been named as the new general manager of Phulay Bay, A Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Krabi. The move marks a promotion for Tarrero, who has been director of operations at the luxury resort since June 2012. He has previously worked in Spain, the UK and Indonesia.
Absolute Hotel Services Group has selected eRevMax's RateTiger Corp as its preferred intuitive price intelligence solution for use in its hotels and resorts in Thailand, India, Vietnam, Indonesia and Middle East.
Immediately after graduating from the prestigious École hôtelière de Lausanne, Yves moved to Southeast Asia in 1997. To date, he has accrued more than 16 years of hospitality experience with Le Méridien hotels in Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, 10 of which were in a General Manager capacity. His most recent posting in Asia was at Le Méridien Saigon as pre-opening General Manager.
Prior to this appointment, Mr Brea spent two years as general manager of Jing An Shangri-La, West Shanghai.
Timothy is a British national. He graduated with a vocational degree in travel and tourism business and hospitality from Aylesbury College, UK. He has over 20 years of experience in the hospitality business and has worked with leading hotels such as The Old Bridge Hotel in the UK and the Britannia Inn in the USA. He has also worked as general manager of several well-known restaurants in Bangkok, Pattaya and Phuket. Prior to being appointed as General Manager of Centara Villas Samui, Timothy was Operations Manager at Maafushivaru Resort Maldives.
Thirayuth Chirathivat, chief executive officer of Centara Hotels & Resorts, has announced the appointment of Pius Luechinger as General Manager of Centara Koh Chang Tropicana Resort. Pius is a Swiss national has 20 years of experience in numerous local and international hotels. His overseas postings included Royal Garden Resort Hua Hin and Imperial Hotel Bangkok and several hotels in Vietnam and South Korea such as Harbour View Hotel Haiphong, L’Anmien Mui Ne Resort & Spa, and Hilton Gyeongiu. Prior to being appointed as general manager of Centara Koh Chang Tropicana Resort, he was general manager at Sareeraya Villas & Suites in Koh Samui for the past five years.
SHANGRI-LA Hotel, Bangkok has appointed Caroline Cheah as hotel manager. She was most recently group director of rooms at Shangri-La International Hotel Management. A Singaporean national, Cheah has been working with the Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts for almost 20 years, including roles as director of rooms and executive assistant manager at Island Shangri-La, Hong Kong; executive assistant manager and resident manager at Shangri-La Hotel, Beijing; and hotel manager at Pudong Shangri-La, East Shanghai. Before joining Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, Cheah had more than eight years of hospitality experience at a leading hotel chain in Singapore.
Oriol Montal has been appointed general manager of the JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa. A Spanish national, Montal brings more than 20 years’ experience to the role. He served as GM of resorts in Portugal and Tenerife before relocating to Asia in 2011 as GM of the Ritz-Carlton Osaka.
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has opened the doors of the brand new InterContinental Nha Trang in the coastal city of Nha Trang, Vietnam. The 279-room hotel overlooks the pristine coastline and waters of the Nha Trang Bay and includes 56 luxuriously furnished suites.
Dusit Thani College (DTC) in association with the world famous Swiss hospitality school Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL) is pleased to present the first"International B.B.A. programme in Hotel and Resort Management (with the academic certification of Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne"in Thailand.The program is comprised of eight distinct semesters, alternating between classroom studies and real industry experience for a diverse and comprehensive academic experience. This curriculum gives students a 360-degree learning experience: they will gain the necessary body of knowledge, build professional skills and develop a true hospitality mindset. At the end of the fourth year, the degree will culminate with a senior project designed to tackle a real-life challenge in the industry. Two intensive supervised field training periods are part of the program."International B.B.A. in Hotel and Resort Management (with the academic certification of Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne"prepares students for management and leadership positions in the vibrant and growing national and international hospitality industry. Positions as front office manager, guest relations manager, executive housekeeper, sales manager, restaurant manager, food and beverage director, and -at the end- general director, are just examples of jobs graduates of this program obtain. But students are also prepared for starting up and developing their own business in the hospitality or service sector.This Bachelor's programme operates with the academic certification of the world famous Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne, means that the Ecole Hôteliere de Lausanne has secured the international standards of the programme, has further developed and guided our instructors and monitors frequently the quality of the curriculum and the courses.Mr.Chanin Donavanik, MD & CEO of Dusit International, said that this programme is not a carbon copy of the course offered in Switzerland but a combination of Swiss and Thai hospitality values. "We should never start trying to copy each other as we both have our strengths based on our values, traditions, history etc. In my view we should further develop our own uniqueness and identity, because that is the reason people travel to Thailand or Switzerland. Having said that, it might be that we can learn from Switzerland more about the way they coordinate and manage hospitality and tourism on their different levels, whereas Switzerland can probably learn from the ways we have developed hospitality and service here".Ms. Veera Pardpattanapanich, Rector of Dusit Thani College, added that the four-year degree programme, brings together the strengths of both institutions and is anticipated to lead to a significant transformation of hospitality education within Thailand ahead of the forming of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) in 2015. "The new programme will become a blend of the highest possible international standards together with renowned Thai hospitality values. DTC has a unique advantage in that it is a dedicated learning institute for hospitality, and has been appointed by Ministry of Tourism and Sports to develop a curriculum and training materials for ASEAN Common Competency Standards for Tourism Professionals. We can specialize and pass on to the students in-depth knowledge and skills that will ensure they are in a much better position to gain employment when graduating whether it be here in Thailand, in the ASEAN community or further afield".The recruitment for this programme is now opened for the students from both Thailand and neighbouring countries.For more information or to apply, please contact the Marketing and Communications Office on +66 (0) 2361 7811-3 ext. 146-148 or [email protected]
OZO Chaweng Samui has opened its doors on the Thai island of Koh Samui. Located in the popular and central resort area, Chaweng, the new OZO will be the brands first in Thailand as well as its first resort. OZO is aimed at travellers looking for insider experiences and a great sleep, revitalising the idea of smart travel.
Dusit Thani Pattaya General Manager Chatchawal Supachayanont recently appointed Tanaphol Rodpinyo as the new director of sales in charge of the corporate segment in Pattaya and the Eastern Seaboard.
Mr. Robinson was previously General Manager of Centara Nova Hotel & Spa Pattaya, Centara Boutique Collection and Centara Pattaya Resort.