President's Reflection (February 2026 Edition)

📍 GLOBAL

Recognition – Mr. Gavin M. Faull, Chairman & President, has been recognised for his visionary leadership and featured in the following publications:

  1. 2026’s Top Leadership Icons Raising the Bar of Excellence by MSN News.
  2. Most Outstanding and Distinguished Leader in Global Hospitality & Innovation 2026 by CEO Maven.
  3. Top 100 Disruptors by Top 100 CEO.

📍 INDONESIA

From Left to Right: Mr. Gavin M. Faull, Chairman and President of Swiss-Belhotel International, and Mr. Jodie Utomo, management representative of Māua Olea Ubud by Swiss-Belhotel's owning company.

Jakarta, Indonesia.


HMA Signing – Swiss-Belhotel International has officially signed a Hotel Management Agreement on Friday, 5 December 2025, for the development and operation of Māua Olea Ubud by Swiss-Belhotel. The signing ceremony was held on Thursday, 15 January 2025.

From left to Right: Director of PT Dewi Citra Kencana and PT. Tritunas Sinar Benua - Mr Tommy Ho, Commissioner PT. Tritunas Sinar Benua - Mr Jimmi Ho, Owner of Māua Kapal Kecil by Swiss-Belhotel, and Villa Riahi by Swiss-Belhotel - Mr Hartono, Swiss-Belhotel International Executive Director and Senior Vice President of Information Technology, E-commerce and Distribution - Mr Matthew Faull, Regional Director of Operations and Development for Indonesia - Mr Fabrice Mini.

Batam, Indonesia


HMA Signing – Swiss-Belhotel International is pleased to announce a significant milestone in our regional expansion with the official Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signing of the two new properties in Batam: MĀUA Kapal Kecil by Swiss-Belhotel and Villa Riahi by Swiss-Belhotel.

📍 CENTRAL ASIA

Grand Swiss-Belhotel Melaka, Malaysia


CSR – This year, Grand Swiss-Belhotel Melaka tripled its CSR efforts through the Bubur Lambuk Distribution held on 9, 23, and 30 January. To share the spirit of giving with a larger segment of the community, the hotel’s back-of-house team prepared 500 boxes each Friday, focusing the distribution on three prominent mosques in Melaka Center - Masjid Al-Azim in Bukit Baru, Masjid Al-Alami MITC Ayer Keroh and Masjid Jamed Al-Hidayah in Batu Berendam. These initiatives enabled the hotel to extend kindness and support to the local community in the weeks leading up to Ramadan.

Hotel Event – Grand Swiss-Belhotel Melaka hosted the “Ramadan Santapan Warisan” preview exclusively for its top-tier accounts and regular bookers, offering valued clients a firsthand experience of the Ramadan Buffet ahead of its official February launch. The event was attended by key stakeholders, Tan Sri Abdullah and spouse, Tn Hj Hasif and spouse, alongside local VIPs, media representatives, influencers, and prestige clients. The preview successfully showcased more than 150 food items and included lucky draws featuring stays across various SBI brand hotels, making it a truly memorable evening for all in attendance.


📍 PHILIPPINES

Carmona Garden Suites by Swiss-Belhotel, Philippines


Groundbreaking Ceremony – Carmona Garden Suites by Swiss-Belhotel officially commenced with its groundbreaking ceremony held on January 20, 2026, marking a significant milestone in the development of the property. 

📍 EUROPE, MIDDLE EAST, AFRICA AND INDIA

Swiss-Belsuites Admiral Juffair and Swiss-Belhotel Seef, Bahrain


Hotel Visit – Mr. Gavin M. Faull, Chairman and President, and Mr. Laurent Voivenel, Senior Vice President - Operations and Development, Europe, The Middle East, Africa & India / Senior Vice President - Group Human Resources and Talent Development, went to Swiss-Belsuites Admiral Juffair and Swiss-Belhotel Seef during his recent visit to Bahrain on 28 February 2026 and met Mr. Hameed Dawani, the owner.

Swiss-Belhotel Seef, Bahrain


Staff Event – The Swiss-Belhotel Seef HR Team, in collaboration with the Funtastik Team, successfully hosted the first Town Hall staff gathering of 2026. The event brought the team together to celebrate January birthdays, recognize colleagues who successfully completed their probation period, and present the “Best of the Best” awards to outstanding employees for their dedication and performance.

Swiss-Belhotel Balikpapan, ID


I have good experience and hospitality I love all the foods and incredible view. I totally recommend for staycation here. The places are good at middle of the city and I totally the warm regards from Ms Maqdalena for front desk and Mr Fikri for housekeeping I like they service thank you for your best service


Andi Dilla via Google
1 January 2026

Swiss-Belresidences Juffair, BH


We really enjoyed our stay. The room was spacious and comfortable, giving us plenty of room to relax. Breakfast was a highlight, with a wide variety of food and drinks to choose from each morning. The staff were extremely friendly, welcoming, and always ready to help. It’s also a very family-friendly hotel, which made our stay even more enjoyable.


Tyiene Barnaby via Google

9 January 2026

Spacious


Grand Swiss-Belhotel Melaka, MY


In general the whole hotel feels spacious. The lobby very attractive and grand. The room is well decorated. The bed very comfortable especially the pillow. Very rare to get pillows as soft & cloudlike. Not sure if it's down pillow but had a good night sleep. The bathroom looks newly renovated. As we were on the 11th floor our view of the city was impressive. Dinner & Breakfast buffet was moderate. Taste & variety can be better. Will consider staying here again when in Malacca Front desk staff were welcoming & helpful


RM via Agoda

30 January 2026

Swiss-Belhotel International Supports Help@Hand Fundraising Campaign for Safer Communities in New Zealand

By Hidayat Jayawardana • March 12, 2026
Swiss-Belhotel International supported Help@Hand national fundraising campaign, raising NZD 36,540.

Mr. Gavin M. Faull Featured in The NBR Podcast with Simon Shepherd

By Hidayat Jayawardana • March 9, 2026
Swiss-Belhotel International Chairman, Mr. Gavin Faull , was recently featured as a guest on The NBR Podcast, hosted by Simon Shepherd . In this insightful episode, titled "Growing Swiss-Belhotel: Global Hotelier on Success in Hospitality and Tourism ," Mr. Faull shares the remarkable journey of building a global hospitality powerhouse. From his humble beginnings on a New Zealand farm to overseeing a portfolio of 165 hotels across 20 countries , Mr. Faull provides a masterclass in international hotel management. The discussion delves into the strategies required to overcome industry challenges and the visionary leadership driving Swiss-Belhotel International toward an ambitious goal: reaching 530 hotels by the year 2035 . About NBR NBR (National Business Review) publishes NZ's leading business and finance podcasts, artificial intelligence, covering market shifts, investment, economics, and corporate leadership.

Swiss-Belhotel International Chairman Gavin M. Faull Featured in HM Magazine’s 2026 Industry Leaders Forum

By Hidayat Jayawardana • March 3, 2026
Swiss-Belhotel International is proud to announce that our Chairman and President, Gavin M. Faull , has been featured as a prominent global industry leader in the February edition of HM Magazine . In the 24th Edition of the HM Industry Leaders Forum , titled "Travel + Leisure Co. pursues global growth," Mr. Faull shares his expert insights and strategic vision for the year ahead. As the hospitality landscape continues to evolve, this feature highlights his perspectives alongside other esteemed hoteliers, tourism professionals, and suppliers across the Asia-Pacific region and beyond. The 2026 Industry Leaders Forum serves as a premier platform for informed discourse on the future of the sector. It brings together the collective wisdom of the industry’s most influential figures to provide a comprehensive view of emerging trends, challenges, and opportunities within the global tourism market. About HM HM, first published in 1997, is the leading accommodation trade magazine in the region and is distributed to accommodation properties in Australia, Fiji, New Zealand and countries around the South Pacific and Asia Pacific region.
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