Minor Hotels Appoints Winston Gong as General Manager of Avani Kota Kinabalu

Minor Hotels, a global hospitality group with hotels, resorts and branded residences across 59 countries, has appointed Winston Gong as General Manager of Avani Kota Kinabalu, reinforcing the group’s leadership as the hotel accelerates its commercial strategy and guest experience agenda ahead of the hotel’s launch in Q2 2026.

Photo credits: Avani Kota Kinabalu

Winston brings extensive international hotel leadership experience across Australia, Asia and the Middle East, with a track record spanning hotel openings, operational turnarounds and performance-led commercial delivery. Throughout his career, he has been recognised for revenue and profit improvement, guest satisfaction gains and high-impact stakeholder management, with experience across both city and resort environments.

Most recently, Winston served as General Manager of Crowne Plaza Phu Quoc Starbay, where he drove year-on-year growth and market share performance while strengthening brand standards and owner alignment. He has also held senior leadership roles with Holiday Inn Sydney St Marys and Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley and has delivered multiple pre-opening and renovation projects across the region.

At Avani Kota Kinabalu, Winston will lead end-to-end operations for the 352-key hotel, including 22 suites, alongside a diversified food and beverage offering and meetings facilities. Integrated with The Logg development, the hotel is positioned to serve both leisure and corporate demand, with convenient access to retail and dining and straightforward airport connectivity.

Winston Gong, General Manager, Avani Kota Kinabalu, said: “I’m excited to join Avani Kota Kinabalu at a pivotal moment. The priority is clear: deliver consistent service excellence, sharpen our commercial focus and build a high-performance culture that creates standout guest experiences and strong returns for our stakeholders.”

Avani Kota Kinabalu features a Chinese restaurant with an adjoining Tea Room celebrating regional flavours, an all-day dining venue offering international cuisine, a lobby lounge and a SEEN Rooftop Bar, plus a rooftop infinity pool, 24-hour gym and four meeting rooms. Located in Luyang, the hotel is approximately 13 minutes from Kota Kinabalu International Airport, supporting both short break stays and longer itineraries.