Minor Hotels Announces Leadership Appointments for Northern Thailand Resorts

Global hospitality group Minor Hotels announces senior leadership appointments for its Anantara resorts in Chiang Mai and the Golden Triangle. Arnaud Béril, General Manager of Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp & Resort, expands his purview to include Anantara Chiang Mai Resort as Cluster General Manager of both resorts, and Jean-Marc Pougnet, Resort Manager at Avani+ Khao Lak Resort, moves north to become General Manager of Anantara Golden Triangle.

Photo credits: Minor Hotels

Arnaud returns to Anantara Chiang Mai, where he was Food & Beverage Manager in 2015 and will oversee both northern Thailand Anantara properties. Arnaud joined Minor Hotels as an intern in 2010, rising through the ranks to hold several senior operations roles across the group’s properties across Thailand, including Koh Phangan, Chiang Mai, Bangkok, Hua Hin, Koh Samui and Chiang Rai. In 2022, he moved to Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp & Resort as Resort Manager and became General Manager a year later.

During his tenure at Anantara Golden Triangle, Arnaud spearheaded projects to further elevate the resort experience, including the introduction of Canopy, A Tree Top Dining Experience; the launch of the Samsarn restaurant honouring Thai, Lao, and Burmese culinary heritage; and the newly-launched Mekong Explorer Tents. His elevation of the Anantara Golden Triangle guest experience earned him recognition as General Manager of the Year – Asia in 2024 at the Minor Awards of Excellence.

A French national, Arnaud holds a bachelor’s degree from the Institut Vatel Bordeaux Hospitality Management School.

Jean-Marc’s promotion to General Manager at Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp & Resort marks his return to his first property with Minor Hotels and his first General Manager role.

After moving to Chiang Rai, Thailand in 2013, Jean-Marc joined Anantara Golden Triangle in 2018 as Food & Beverage Manager and was later promoted to Director of Food & Beverage. He moved to Avani+ Khao Lak Resort in 2021 to set up its F&B department. For the past two years, Jean-Marc has served as Resort Manager at Avani+ Khao Lak Resort, leading the team of over 300 team members at the 327-key property.

With over a decade of experience in various senior food and beverage and operational roles across three continents - Europe, Africa and Asia – Jean-Marc has a firm grasp of operational excellence and creating innovative guest experiences.

A Mauritian national, Jean-Marc holds multiple degrees in International Hotel and Tourism Management from Ulster University in Northern Ireland and HTMi Hotel and Tourism Management Institute Switzerland.

Commenting on the appointments, Nicholas Smith, Vice President of Operations, Asia, said: “People are at the heart of everything we do at Minor Hotels. Arnaud and Jean-Marc have demonstrated outstanding dedication to delivering what matters most to our guests, and their career progressions underscore Minor Hotels’ commitment to providing meaningful growth opportunities across the organisation. We look forward to seeing the impact they will continue to make as they lead our northern Thailand resorts into an exciting new chapter.”