KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, April 11, 2017 — Sunway Hotels & Resorts, the hospitality division of Malaysian-based property-construction conglomerate Sunway Group, has announced the appointment of Castaldi "Alex" Rosario as General Manager for The Banjaran Hotsprings Retreat in Perak, Malaysia. Drawing on 15 years of experience in the luxury hospitality industry including successes at several stylish addresses in Dubai, Bali, Rome and Koh Samui, Alex is responsible for overall operations and business growth at Malaysia's first luxury wellness retreat, which opened its doors in January 2010.
Originally from Italy, Alex joins The Banjaran from being Area General Manager at the Kupu Kupu Resorts, managing a collection of luxury resorts in Seminyak, Jimbaran and Ubud in Bali as well as overseeing a villa retreat on the island of Phangan in the Gulf of Thailand. Prior to that, Alex served as General Manager and Executive General Manager (Hotels Division) for Thailand's Kalara International Properties, as Resident Manager for the Shangri-La Mactan Resort & Spa in Cebu, the Philippines, as Resort Manager at the Akaryn Resort & Spa in Koh Samui, Thailand, and numerous senior rooms division roles at the Anantara Rasananda Koh Phangan, Thailand, at Dubai's avant-garde Desert Palm Per Aquum, Banyan Tree in Seychelles, Madinat Jumeirah Mina A'salam in Dubai and Hilton Hotel in Rome.
His breadth of experience in managing upscale boutique resorts lends itself well into his new role; as The Banjaran introduces a collection of 20 additional villas over a pristine lake located in the west side of the sprawling retreat in the third quarter of 2017. The Lake Villas, as it will be known, will feature a master suite with en-suite bathroom, an outdoor plunge pool, Jacuzzi and balcony overlooking the lake. The new Lake Villas will complement the existing collection of 25 Garden and Water Villas which are nestled in a secluded cove, allowing nature to play host and providing vistas of the towering limestone hills that envelopes the valley floor.
"Alex brings fresh perspectives in luxury operating philosophy and valuable insights to The Banjaran that will serve to deepen our service engagement with the discerning wellness seekers and international travellers. We are looking forward to his exciting new initiatives and programmes being planned for The Banjaran," said Albert Cheong, CEO of Sunway Hotels & Resorts.
