La Vie Hotels and Resorts has appointed industry veteran, Craig Bond, to lead the business as Managing Director, HM can exclusively reveal.
The award-winning hotelier takes up the mantle as the business looks forward to the return of international travellers to Australia and growing its presence in Asia Pacific.
“It is certainly a busy and exciting time at La Vie and the interest the team has received from owners and investors looking for the La Vie difference is certainly encouraging, and I am incredibly excited to be embarking on this next chapter with them,” Bond said.
Bond joins from ONYX Hospitality Group in Bangkok, where he served as Executive Vice President – COO. Previously, he was Vice President, Operations at Oakwood Worldwide Singapore and has also held leadership roles across Pan Pacific Hotels Group in Sydney and Mirvac Hotels and Resorts in Melbourne.
Bond, who commenced the role on Monday February 7, said he was drawn to La Vie Hotels & Resorts because of the “passion, energy and determination” from Founder and CEO Jerry Xu who has grown the business to become the leading independent hotel management company in Asia Pacific.
According to Xu, 2022 will be a “huge period of growth” for the business and an opportune time for Bond to join.
“He is a talented addition with a strong industry background, joining a world-class international team where we partner with some of the world’s most recognised brands,” he said.
“We adopt a flat line management structure to ensure we provide a razor sharp and unrivalled 360-degree solution to our partners. We have a lot in the pipeline this first half of 2022 and we are excited to have someone of Craig’s calibre and ability to lead us into the future”.
Bond’s announcement follows the group’s recent signing with IHG Hotels and Resorts and a franchise agreement to operate Holiday Inn and Suites Bondi Junction.
La Vie Hotels and Resorts has regional offices in Singapore, Bangkok and Dubai, and is therefore well positioned to drive growth in these regions across operations, commercial, business development and owner relations. The company said there will be further announcements across Asia Pacific in the coming months as the team expands.
“Already, there are many developments that are well advanced, and we are excited to be able to announce a number of these over the coming weeks in line with our growth and development strategy across Asia Pacific,” Bond said.
“We have strong partnerships with many of the major brands that we will continue to grow, and we are well underway in developing our own stable of brands that we will look to launch to the market later in the year.”
Bond will be based out of La Vie Hotels and Resorts head office in Woolloomooloo, Sydney.