Avani Hotels & Resorts has made several senior appointments for its upcoming properties: FCC Angkor – Managed by Avani, opening in2Q2019; Avani Central Busan Hotel, opening mid-2019; and Avani Sukhumvit Bangkok, also scheduled to open mid-2019.
Dennis Gordienko has been appointed general manager of FCC Angkor – Managed by Avani.
Gordienko joins Avani from Vistana Penang Bukit Jambul, Malaysia, where he held his first general manager role. The Ukrainian began his career in hospitality in 2008 as a restaurant manager for Copthorne Tara Hotel in London, before moving to his homeland to work with InterContinental Kyiv Hotel as deputy manager, and Riviera Boutique Hotel Kyiv and Fairmont Grand Hotel Kyiv as front office manager. In 2013, Gordienko joined Holiday Villa Bahrain where he led the pre-opening team as operations manager, before joining Onyx Hospitality Group as executive assistant manager leading the pre-opening of Amari Dhaka in Bangladesh. In 2015, he joined Anantara Hotels as cluster resident manager at Anantara Maldives.
In South Korea, Tyson Bae will helm Avani Central Busan Hotel, as well as the upcoming Avani Busan Resort opening in 2020, as cluster general manager.
Tyson brings with him two decades of hospitality experience, having started his career in Seoul before venturing to the US, Singapore, and China. He was also the chairman of rooms operations for the Shanghai Business Council, Marriott International; as well as board member of the Asia-Pacific Rooms Advisory Board for Marriott’s headquarters. In 2012, Tyson led the pre-opening of the Marriott Hotel Pudong East, Shanghai, as the director of rooms operations. He was then promoted to his first general manager role at Shanghai Marriott Hotel Hongqiao in 2014.
In Bangkok, Naowarat Arunkong has been appointed appointed cluster general manager of Avani Sukhumvit Bangkok, also overseeing Avani Khon Kaen Hotel & Convention Center.
Naowarat joined Minor Hotels in 1999 and worked at Bangkok Marriott until 2007, where she led the rooms division. She subsequently transferred to Hua Hin Marriott Resort & Spa and took on the roles of director of operations and hotel manager, which led to her promotion to her first general manager role at Hua Hin Marriott Resort & Spa in January 2011. Later that year, she moved to Anantara Hua Hin Resort in the same capacity. Naowarat then transferred to Bangkok in May 2013 to take the role of general manager at Anantara Sathorn Bangkok Hotel and Oaks Bangkok Sathorn. In 2016, she was appointed to the role of cluster general manager, overseeing Anantara Sathorn Bangkok Hotel, Oaks Bangkok Sathorn and Avani Khon Kaen Hotel & Convention Centre.
Ravi Ganglani has also joined Avani Sukhumvit Bangkok as director of sales and marketing. While this is his debut in the role, Ganglani is a familiar face at Minor Hotels, having started with the company in 2012 as cluster director of sales – MICE in Thailand, before being promoted to area director of sales – MICE across South-east Asia.
Thailand’s Centara Hotels & Resorts and KMA Hotels Group have signed an MoU to begin the development and renovation of six hotels in Myanmar, all to be managed under Centara brands.
This will see three of KMA Hotels Group’s existing properties located in Inle, Naypyitaw and Taungoo undergo refurbishment prior to reopening, and the development of three new hotels in Bagan and Than Daung, namely Centara Bagan River View Resort & Spa Kaytumadi Dynasty Bagan Resort, Centara Boutique Collection and Shwe Than Daung Resort, and Centara Boutique Collection.
All six hotels will operate under the upscale and upper upscale Centara and Centara Boutique Collection brands. The Centara Paradise Inle Lake Resort & Spa is scheduled open its doors in 4Q this year.
The deal marks Centara’s entry into one of the world’s fastest-growing tourism markets and enables the company to secure a significant Myanmar foothold.
“Our partnership with KMA Hotels represents a significant milestone for Centara,” said Thirayuth Chirathivat, Centara’s CEO. “It gives us the opportunity to establish a significant presence for Centara in a country with huge potential for tourism development.”
KMA Group of Companies is a privately held company founded and led by Khin Maung Aye, chairman of CB Bank. The group comprises 15 corporate entities operating across a range of industries.