HO CHI MINH CITY (12 March 2010) � Saigon�s renowned Caravelle Hotel has brought in Gary Ma as its new director of sales and marketing. 
 
Beneficiary of a CV glowing with names like Crowne Plaza, Shangri-La and Marco Polo, Ma is well positioned to take the reins at the Caravelle, a five-star hotel that has been at the forefront of Ho Chi Minh City�s hospitality industry for half a century. The first hotel in the city with air conditioning, the Caravelle was home to numerous news bureaus in the 1960s. 
 
�Gary is full of ideas and bursting with enthusiasm,� said John Gardner, the hotel�s general manager. �He recognizes the value of the Caravelle�s reputation and its position in Saigon lore, and he�s already making plans to ensure we�re top of mind for business and leisure travellers as tourism to and within Vietnam continues to grow.�
 
A Hong Kong native, Ma was educated in the US and the UK, and began his career with sales positions at high-end Hong Kong hotels. A seven-year stint as director of sales at the InterContinental Grand Stanford in HK gave Ma unparalleled experience in increasing sales and developing eye-catching promotions, as well as superb business management skills.
 
�Coming to work at the Caravelle every day is like finding yourself on the page of a history that�s bound to be written,� said Ma. �The hotel has hosted everyone from Bob Hope and Michael Caine to George Bush and Bill Clinton. Anyone who knows anything about Saigon�s history knows its name. My job now is to make sure the Caravelle continues to hold its place at the centre of a Saigon that�s growing more dynamic each day.� 
 
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. 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 Oct. 2009 in celebration of the 50th anniversary.