Defining Hospitality
Honouring Vietnam’s Hotel General Managers of the Year

Beyond the polished marble lobbies and sweeping sea views, true hospitality begins with vision. The Gourmet Vietnam Awards 2025 celebrates the Hotel General Manager of the Year nominees, seventeen exceptional leaders whose artistry, grace, and foresight continue to elevate Vietnam’s reputation as one of Asia’s most inspiring luxury destinations.

The Art of Leadership

Hospitality, at its finest, is an invisible symphony an orchestration of people, details, and emotion. Behind every perfectly arranged table, every discreet gesture, stands a General Manager whose influence is both quiet and profound. These are the conductors of experience, guiding teams with intuition and transforming hotels into places of belonging.

The Gourmet Vietnam Awards 2025, through its Hospitality & Personality Category, honours these individuals, seventeen visionaries who define excellence not only through performance but through presence. They are the guardians of atmosphere, the curators of memory, and the living expression of what true service means in modern Vietnam.

Phu Quoc: The Island of Vision

Nowhere illustrates the evolution of Vietnamese luxury better than Phu Quoc. Here, turquoise horizons and architectural grace meet leadership that dares to dream.

At Premier Village Phu Quoc Resort, Nicolas Torio reimagines community and connection through intuitive guest experiences. Mario Caballero of Meliá Vinpearl Phu Quoc and John Woolley of JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay continue to shape the island’s narrative of sophistication, each with a signature balance of creativity and care.

Meanwhile, Michiel Christiaan Lugt of Sailing Club Signature Resort brings contemporary verve to coastal living, while Jai Kishan of New World Phu Quoc Resort blends international professionalism with an unmistakably local warmth. Together, they position Phu Quoc as a benchmark for resort hospitality in Asia.

Hanoi: Where Heritage Meets Precision

In the capital, hospitality is an art steeped in discipline and grace. Kim Deok Seung of JW Marriott Hanoi upholds a tradition of excellence with contemporary poise, while Rémi Faubel of Grand Mercure Hanoi brings French refinement to the city’s timeless charm. Both embody Hanoi’s duality, heritage meeting ambition, restraint meeting innovation.

Central Vietnam: The Soul of Serenity

From Hue’s poetic riverbanks to the windswept shores of Ke Ga Bay and Cam Ranh, Central Vietnam offers a masterclass in hospitality shaped by place and purpose.

Phan Trọng Minh of Azerai La Residence Hue evokes nostalgia and serenity through impeccable service. Julian Moore of Azerai Ke Ga Bay crafts a sanctuary where minimalism meets mindfulness, while Jamie

Lee of The Westin Resort & Spa Cam Ranh captures the spirit of resort modernity.

Greg Findlay at Six Senses Ninh Vân Bay remains a vanguard of sustainable luxury, while Álvaro Berton of Meliá Ho Tram Beach Resort brings renewed vitality to the guest experience. At Namia River Retreat in Quảng Nam, Michelle Ford embodies the emerging harmony between nature and wellness that defines Vietnam’s evolving vision of retreat.

Saigon and Beyond: The Urban Pulse

In the South, the rhythm quickens. Erwin R. Popov of Caravelle Saigon continues to preserve a Saigon icon while keeping its spirit contemporary and cosmopolitan. Mark van der Wielen at JW Marriott Hotel & Suites Saigon brings global sophistication and precision to one of the city’s most dynamic addresses.

In the highlands, Michael Keller of Mercure Đà Lạt Resort brings mountain tranquillity to life with European finesse, while Peter Neto at Hotel de la Coupole – MGallery Sapa transforms the misty north into a living canvas of couture, nostalgia, and theatrical design.

Redefining the Heart of Hospitality

Leadership in hospitality is not defined by hierarchy but by humanity. These General Managers share an ability to inspire, to see beyond logistics into emotion, and to create experiences that resonate long after a guest’s departure. They are architects of memory, shaping the invisible essence that lingers between welcome and farewell.

As the Gourmet Vietnam Awards 2025 Gala approaches this 12th December, these seventeen names remind us that luxury is not found in grandeur alone, but in the grace of those who lead with empathy, clarity, and purpose.

Theirs is a quiet mastery, an artistry that doesn’t merely manage hotels but shapes the very meaning of hospitality in a country now confidently standing among the world’s finest.