The Caravelle Hotel appointed Samuel G. Gacos as its new director of sales and marketing in June.
Gacos joins the Caravelle as the iconic downtown Saigon hotel readies for a top-to-toe renovation that will rank as the hotel’s most thorough makeover since a 1998 refurbishment and addition of a complementary hotel tower.
With a career spanning more than 18 years in sales and marketing, Gacos worked in numerous cluster and corporate management roles, including the Manila Hotel, Shangri-La Hotel and Resorts, Hilton, GHM luxury properties in Bali, and Sutera Harbour Resort Group in Malaysia.
Most recently, he worked as group director of sales & marketing in Malaysia, overseeing two hotels, five resorts, a 27-hole golf course and marina.
A Philippine national, Gacos holds a bachelor’s degree in hotel and restaurant administration from the University of Philippines.
ABOUT THE CARAVELLE
Opened in 1959, the Caravelle won enduring fame during the American War (known as the Vietnam War in the West) as the city’s most upscale hotel and a perch from which to watch the war erupt on the city’s fringe. In 1998, the original 10-story building on Lam Son Square was completely refurbished and complemented by a 24-story tower. Today, the 335-room hotel reigns as Saigon’s most distinctive accommodation opportunity.
Its restaurants include Reflections, Nineteen and the Saigon Saigon Bar, an indoor-outdoor venue that commands the top floor of the historic old wing of the hotel. The hotel’s story is told in Caravelle – Saigon: A History, published in 2009 in celebration of the 50th anniversary.
Its awards include recognition as one of the ‘World’s 20 Best Hotel Values’ by Travel Leisure in 2011, one of the World’s Top 500 Hotels by Travel Leisure, ‘Business Hotel of the Year’ and “ASEAN Green Hotel Award 2010 - 2011”. In 2011, the hotel earned the internationally recognized Silver EarthCheck Certificate as part of its commitment to go the extra mile with the adoption of green practices and green policies.
