Effective this month Serge Cuypers has been appointed as the new General Manager of Anantara Mai Khao Phuket Villas, an all-villa hideaway in Phuket, while Arnaud Béril joins Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp and Resort as the new Resort Manager of the luxury jungle retreat in Chiang Rai.
A holder of dual Swiss and Belgian nationality, Serge Cuypers is very familiar with the Anantara brand, starting as Hotel Manager at the flagship Anantara Siam Bangkok Hotel in Thailand in 2019 as well as General Manager of Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp and Resort from 2021. Serge brings over 22 years of professional experience in high-profile international luxury hospitality properties. With a career spanning the globe, he is comfortable leading a multicultural workforce and has several luxury hotel openings under his belt.
Over the years, Serge, whose background is in Food & Beverage, has worked at some of the most illustrious properties around the world, including The Gleneagles Hotel in Scotland, Mandarin Oriental in Bangkok, Armani Hotel Dubai in the UAE, and Conrad, Seoul in South Korea, among others. Serge holds a degree in Hospitality from Lausanne Hotel Management School and in Economics and Marketing from Lemania School in Lausanne, Switzerland.
“I am thrilled to continue my journey with Anantara and call Anantara Mai Khao Phuket Villas my new home,” said Serge. “It is a great opportunity and an honour to join this spectacular resort at a time when the travel industry is experiencing a revival. With the team, we will focus on creating bespoke memorable island experiences for our guests, as well as continuing our sustainability and conservation efforts alongside the Mai Khao Marine Turtle Foundation.”
Arnaud Béril, the new Resort Manager at Anantara Golden Triangle, is a graduate of Vatel Bordeaux International Business School in France, Arnaud holds a Bachelor’s degree in Hotel Management. Arnaud is a Minor Hotels veteran, having started his career at Anantara Rasananda Koh Phangan Villas as Food & Beverage Manager in 2013, where he received the Minor Award of Excellence. Arnaud then worked at the award-winning Anantara Chiang Mai Resort, followed by a stint at Anantara Sathorn Bangkok as a Food & Beverage Manager.
In 2018, he was promoted to the position of Director of F&B at Avani+ Hua Hin Resort, before being given the role of Cluster Director of F&B at Anantara Hua Hin Resort and Avani+ Hua Hin Resort. Most recently, Arnaud held the position of Director of Operations (Executive Assistant Manager) with Avani+ Samui Resort and the newly opened Avani Chaweng Samui Hotel & Beach Club.
“Anantara Golden Triangle is one of the most unique hospitality offerings in the country, if not the region, and I am excited to have the opportunity to join the team and bring Chiang Rai to the world,” said Arnaud. “From our Jungle Bubbles to Walking with Giants and other sustainable elephant experiences to cruising down the Mekong River, there is so much Chiang Rai and Anantara have to offer.”