SINGAPORE — Upscale hotel management group GHM has reinforced its sales and marketing foundation by adding a pair of seasoned industry professionals to the mix.
Last week, Katharina Kustos assumed the role of director of sales and marketing for both The Chedi Club Tanah Gajah and The Legian on Bali, while Debbie Chee took over the same responsibility for The Nam Hai in Vietnam.
Kustos, who grew up in Germany and holds a masters degree in Tourism Studies from the University of Dortmund, moves to Indonesia from Dubai, where she spent six years working in sales positions for the Jumeirah Group and, most recently, Park Hyatt Dubai.
Kustos will focus on strengthening the positioning of GHM’s Bali properties, which are already among the most reputable retreats on an island that attracted a record 2.9 million foreign tourists last year.
The Chedi Club Tanah Gajah in mountainous Ubud has tallied a number of accolades since appearing on Condé Nast Traveller’s annual ‘Hot List’ in 2005, including the current top spot on TripAdvisor’s list of the best hotels on Bali.
The Legian on Seminyak Beach, with its 68 sea-facing suites and singular three-bedroom Beach House, recently won one of eight ‘Commitment to Quality’ awards from the Leading Hotels of the World, a collection of more than 430 of the world’s finest hotels, resorts and spas.
A native of Malaysia, Chee has resided mostly in Vietnam since 2000, when she was appointed assistant director of sales for Hotel Equatorial Ho Chi Minh City.
She was also instrumental in getting Le Meridien Khao Lak back on the map after the 2004 tsunami and opening the Sheraton Nha Trang Hotel & Spa in 2010.
Chee’s charge is to build upon The Nam Hai’s considerable reputation in Central Vietnam, which is experiencing tremendous tourism growth and attracting more international hotel brands.
“With Debbie and Katharina on board, we’re in a position to progress in the direction — and at the speed — that GHM wants to grow and expand,” said Clement Koh, GHM’s vice president of sales and marketing. “They are seasoned hands who have impressed us with their ability to grasp our vision for the hotels as purveyors of style and sophistication. They are a perfect fit.”
