Anantara Lawana Koh Samui appoints new GM (Thailand)
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Anantara Lawana Koh Samui appoints new GM (Thailand)
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Category: Asia Pacific - Thailand - Careers
- Appointments
This is a press release selected by our editorial committee and published online for free on 2010-04-19
Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas is delighted to announce the appointment of Lars Kerfin as General Manager of Anantara Lawana Resort & Spa, Koh Samui. As the second Anantara property located on the beautiful island of Koh Samui in the Gulf of Thailand, primary goals for the new GM centre round upholding the brand’s unique immersion of indigenous 5 star luxury.
At Anantara Lawana Resort & Spa Koh Samui, reflections of the island’s fascinating Chinese heritage seep through authentic architectural details and into the resort’s eclectic Spa wellness journeys, balanced by the finest cuisine from the far corners of the globe, and a tropical Thai shoreline setting along the curving north end of Chaweng beach. This unique blend heightens guest expectations for world class facilities and truly exceptional standards; a feat which Lars commendably aims to exceed.
From the Michelin Star restaurants he first worked in during the humble beginnings of his hotelier’s career, by 1998 Lars had been snapped up by the Hamburg Marriott Hotel, Germany. The attractions of exotic Thailand soon beckoned, with management positions on offer at Hua Hin Marriott Resort & Spa, eventually leading to a Resident Manager role at Pattaya Marriott Resort & Spa in 2006. It was during this leadership that Lars truly began to shine, successfully preparing the hotel to achieve its TAT 5 star classification in 2007.
His most recent Marriott position, prior to moving on to the luxury Anantara brand, was at Bangkok Marriott Resort & Spa. Here he enjoyed a stint as Resident Manager after his extremely successful Director of Operations role. His F&B forte also shone during his time here, most notably with the highly acclaimed conversion of the resort’s Chinese restaurant into the revered Italian establishment in operation today.
With 15 years’ experience working for the globally recognized Marriott brand - eight years of which was spent at resorts in Thailand - Lars’s knowledge of a successfully operated chain, and more specifically the Thai leisure market, is unquestionable. Under the Minor Group banner - one of Asia Pacific’s largest leisure and hospitality companies – Lars’s career with Marriott has set him in excellent stead for his new management placement with Anantara; a brand that also falls under the Minor umbrella.
Dedicated to service and training standards, Lars’s plans for continual improvement at Anantara Lawana Resort & Spa Koh Samui, spanning leadership, business, revenue and team dynamics, enhanced by his role as a frequent facilitator in Guest Response Training. Such dedication to progress has done much to embellish his career, with personal awards accrued virtually year on year. Since 2000 Lars has been presented with the Award for Outstanding Guest Satisfaction by Marriott International’s Spirit to Serve initiative for an astounding nine years, and in both 2005 and 2008 he received the Minor International Award of Excellence for Extraordinary Efforts, suggesting a remarkably bright future for the challenges that lay ahead.
Lars, born in Mexico, is of German nationality, and is married with one child.
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