Michael is a well-travelled multi-lingual hotelier with a passion for food and beverage. An ardent home cook, Michael enjoys visiting local markets and preparing heart-cooked meals for his friends and family.
Starting his hospitality career as a chef, he has over the decades cultivated a wide range of skills that have also honed his expertise in rooms, operations, sales & marketing and management. With his extensive experience, Michael looks forward to taking the iconic Oriental Residence Bangkok towards further success.
“This appointment is a great honour,” said Michael. “The prestigious Oriental Residence Bangkok is well-known for its central location on the embassy lane and near the lush greenery of Lumpini Park. The sumptuous 32-storey property is an architectural and design masterpiece enriched with the legacy of its privileged location and affords guests with some of the rarest green views in the city. Couple these with the hotel’s unique touches and the award-winning service from its ultra-hospitable team that goes the extra mile to make guests feel at home, and the result is the perfect place to cherish the memories of yesterday, dream about tomorrow and live today to the fullest. I look forward to working closely with our amazing team to take the property to new levels of excellence.”
Michael began his hotel career in his native country, Switzerland, as Commis de Cuisine at Restaurant Frohsinn in Aarau. He rose through the ranks, working in a variety of positions in the hotel industry and was named General Manager at Villa il Tesoro, Maremma in Tuscany, Italy in 2003. After working and living in a city with a culture so different from his home, he felt inspired to travel the world. Tuscany is also home to some of the world’s most recognisable renaissance art and architecture, which also influenced his love for fine art and sculpture. During his tenure at Le Vieux Manoir Murten, he actively hosted art exhibitions in the hotel’s outdoor garden.
After another General Manager assignment in Switzerland, Michael Gaehler decided to broaden his horizons in pre-opening roles and focused on running luxury hotels of various sizes in Hong Kong, Thailand, Taiwan, Indonesia and mainland China.
Throughout his career, Michael has been known as a tech-savvy motivator with a sharp eye for detail and an effective coaching management style. He has proven himself by building productive teams that deliver an exceptional guest experience. He is also a prolific user of social media platforms and an active advocate for engagement with guests and the public through new media platforms.
His former employers and teams praise his ability to understand, see and efficiently solve operational challenges and for his results-driven focus. He is a strong believer in the value of training and development to improve guest experience, revenue and cost management as well as to recognise the growth and leadership potential of his team members.
With his extensive knowledge and experience in the hospitality industry, Michael is a great asset not only to Oriental Residence but also to the ONYX Hospitality Group. With his leadership, the luxury serviced residence will no doubt continue to offer enhanced levels of trademark luxury, unparalleled attentiveness and award-winning service.
